That wasn’t the only comparison Chris could make between himself and Gurral. Chris’ original mission when he first piloted Steel Samurai was to stop Atomic Rex. Gurral’s current mission was to capture Atomic Rex. Either way, both Chris and Gurral had been given the nearly impossible tasks of stopping a force of nature.
Chris turned to Kate. “Believe it or not, I think I can relate to this guy.” He shrugged. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but I think we can make friends with Gurral. I think I can get him to trust us.” He shook his head. “What would Emily say if she could see her dad now?”
Kate smiled. “She would say how proud of you she is. Just like I am.”
Chris gestured toward the clearly drowsy Gurral. “I’m going to land us close to him and move in a little closer. There’s one thing all warriors can form a bond over.”
Kate shrugged. “What’s that?”
Chris grinned. “War stories.” He landed the mech a few meters away from Gurral. He then had the mech gesture toward Hagan’s corpse. “That was pretty impressive how you took out that monster. You say you’re a champion gladiator where you’re from?”
A proud smile formed on Gurral’s face. “Yup. I’ve taken out all kinds of things that would make ole horn-head here run away with his tail between his legs.”
Chris nodded inside of the mech. “I’ve taken out quite a few beasts in my day too. You care to exchange a few stories?”
Gurral smiled and nodded. As Gurral finished his meal, he told Chris about battles with creatures he referred to with names like Bananas, Legs, and Death-Breath. Chris enthralled the Smasher with his tales of using Steel Samurai to battle the likes of the Colony, Yokozuna, and how he fought Ogre and met Kate.
As the soldier and the gladiator exchanged stories, they both listened and laughed to each other’s battles. Kate was amazed at how relaxed Gurral became between the dust and the bond he seemed to be forming with Chris. As Chris and Gurral talked, Kate was able to throw in the occasional question that allowed her to find out the answers to questions like how Gurral was able to speak and understand English. She also learned as much as she could about Arena World and the Arena Lords.
While Gurral’s description of the Arena Lords and their methods led her to the determination that they were horrible creatures, she was becoming more reassured that they only wanted Atomic Rex. Kate’s only concern was that the one Arena Lord, the one who sent Gurral to Earth, seemed to act incongruently with the way Gurral described the rest of the Arena Lords. She also confirmed Chris’ inclination about the Impervium dust acting as an additive drug for Gurral.
As much as Kate was interested in Gurral’s background and motives, she was almost as interested in the way he and Chris were talking to each other. Kate had known Chris for more than half her life, and other than herself and their kids, she had never really seen Chris relate to anyone else. She knew that when Chris’ friends died fighting Atomic Rex it hit him hard but she could never really empathize with him over the loss. She never knew his fellow pilots and she didn’t understand what bonded Chris to them.
As Chris talked and on occasion laughed with Gurral, something occurred to Kate about her husband that she had never considered before. Chris was a warrior, a soldier, a fighter, and he was the only one of his kind left on Earth. Kate had gone on numerous missions with Chris and she fought every day for survival when she was with Ogre, but she had a life outside of the military before that.
There had been a time in her life when she was just a girl with friends, a job, and a life. After Chris had rescued her from Ogre, she was able to fall back on those skills and form other friendships.
Chris had joined the Air Force right out of high school. The only people he knew how to be friends with were other soldiers, other warriors. Like many men and women who left what used to be the military, Chris was having difficulty adjusting to the world outside of the armed forces, but for Chris there were no support groups or other veterans he could express himself to.
Kate knew that she understood Chris because of all the trauma she had been through, but for Chris there was no one else. She knew that this pain and sense of loneliness is what drove her husband to hate Atomic Rex and all the kaiju. In Chris’ eyes, the kaiju had left him nearly alone in the world.
Despite this pain, Chris still had a need for friends, for people he could relate to. Kate was almost shocked to see that Chris’ need for this type of interaction was so great that he would take it from anywhere, even from a monster.
After she had gotten all of the information she wanted from Gurral, she sat back and let Chris and the strange behemoth talk. The two kept going over their past battles until Gurral finally drifted off to sleep.
With Gurral asleep, Chris turned to Kate with a big smile on his face. “I can’t believe it, Kate. It’s like Gurral is a gift from God. I mean, he can get rid of Atomic Rex for us!”
Kate smiled at her husband. “I know, baby. I know. I already sent a message to Kyle to see if he can find Atomic Rex and give us a heads up as to his location. Whoever this Arena Lord is that sent Gurral here seems to have a pretty good understanding of Atomic Rex. With another apex kaiju in his territory, Atomic Rex is sure to come and challenge him, especially with Gurral killing other monsters. He’s basically calling Atomic Rex out. When he finds Gurral, he’s going to be pissed.”
She looked out over the ocean. “I think you’re right about that dust being like a drug for Gurral. You and I need some sleep. Can you take Steel Samurai 2.0 into the ocean and park him there? If Gurral is like human drug users, he may wake up in a violent mood and we don’t want to be asleep when that happens.”
Chris nodded. “Good idea. Set the radar alarm so we get notice if Atomic Rex or any other monster gets too close.”
Chris smiled as he piloted the giant robot over the ocean. “Did you hear Gurral when he was talking about that Bananas monster? I mean, did that remind you of our encounter with Yetiaju or what?”
Kate simply nodded in reply and let Chris ramble on. He talked about Gurral for nearly an hour before Kate convinced him that they needed to go to bed and get some rest. As she turned off the light, Kate smiled and silently thanked Gurral for giving her husband someone he could relate to.
Chapter 17
The Settlement, California
Kyle woke to the sound of rain pouring outside his window. He sighed as he knew the rain would limit the power he could get to his computer. The few solar panels that were still operational would have diminished capacity with the overcast clouds. The young man briefly stuck his hand out the window to feel that at least the wind was blowing fairly hard. He shrugged. “Well at least the wind has picked up. Hopefully, the windmills up north can compensate for the lack of sunlight today.”
He hit the power to his computer. The teenager was happy to see that it had turned on. Once the computer was running, he managed to connect to the internet. He shifted his head to the side which elicited a loud crack. He then shifted his head in the opposite direction to the same effect. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to shake off the weariness that was plaguing him as he grumbled to himself. “Stupid Emily coming over last night to talk to mom and dad about Rarmod and those dumb rats. You’d think she herself had just saved the world the way she was talking about that dumb sheep.”
He shrugged. “She just had to contact mom and dad and tell them what happened. After of course she seemingly told everyone in the settlement, on her way over here. I mean, did a dozen other people have to follow her around and then hang around outside the house just to hear her tell the story again and to talk about her wedding? It took forever for me to get them to go home so I could finally get some sleep.”
Kyle sighed and then began accessing whatever satellites he could tap into that were positioned around his parents’ last known position. He was moving through various images of oceans, beaches, and jungles when there was a knock on his door. He looked to the door and groaned. “What kind of an idiot wou
ld be walking around in a downpour like this?”
The wiry teenager answered the door to see his older sister standing in the rain with a cart attached to a horse behind her.
Emily smiled at her little brother. “Hey, Kyle. I was hoping you would be able to come with me on my way out to feed Ramrod today.” She gestured to the rain. “With it raining this hard, Sean is busy trying to set up whatever he can to catch it and hold onto it in case we run into another drought.”
Emily politely pushed past her brother to make her way into the house and out of the rain. She took off her dripping wet coat. “I don’t usually mind doing the run myself but with the rain coming down so heavily, I worried about the cart getting stuck in the mud and me not being able to free it by myself.”
Kyle groaned. “Can’t you just have the great Ramrod himself pull it out for you? Or better yet have some of the legions of fans go with you to help you out.” He sneered. “You know you’re not the only one with important things going on around here. Mom and dad found a monster that had come out of the portal I found. He can actually speak English and apparently, he wants to take Atomic Rex off world. They think that stupid lizard may be drawn toward this guy and they asked me to see if I could use the satellites we have managed to access in order to find him before his nuclear ass shows up unannounced. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll work on helping mom and dad rid the world of its biggest threat, while you feed your pet goat and take care of any more pest problems.”
As Kyle turned and walked away from his sister, Emily stood there dripping wet and saddened. Emily wasn’t upset at her brother’s outburst, rather she was concerned that her brother was feeling so hurt and insecure. Like her mother, Emily always considered others’ feelings before her own. Also like her mother, she was a born leader and diplomat. She knew when to be stern and forceful and when someone just needed to vent their frustrations.
Just before Kyle sat down at his computer, Emily grabbed his hand. “Kyle, I’m sorry if I made you feel somehow underappreciated lately. I have always valued your skills and what you can do.” She looked at the computer. “You’ve taken the time to figure that thing out and reached satellites that I can barely understand.”
She gestured for her brother to sit down and then pulled over a chair to sit next to him. She looked him in the eyes and continued. “I don’t mean to be over exuberant about Ramrod. It’s just that I know that mom and dad only see the kaiju as things that bring death and destruction. They see them as a force that has to be dealt with and kept at bay. Dad’s a bit more vocal with his thoughts on Ramrod and other monsters but I can see in mom’s eyes that she thinks he’s nothing but a danger as well.”
She took a deep breath. “I know, and I’m pretty sure you do too, that the kaiju aren’t going away. As we go forward, we’re going to have to live with them. That’s why I’ve worked so hard with Ramrod over the past few years. I just want to show them that it’s possible to find ways to live with the kaiju. I want them to see that if we can’t live with the monsters then we are going to end up destroyed by them like they fear.” She shook her head. “When I had that brief success yesterday with Ramrod, I couldn’t wait to tell them. I wanted them to know that there was some merit to my ideas.”
Emily leaned over and hugged her brother. “I didn’t mean to brag and make you feel inferior or anything. I was just trying to make sure mom and dad knew I did something worthwhile and that there was hope for our generation.”
She leaned back and shook her head. “I’m also sorry about all those people. It’s just the whole town seems to be excited about me and Sean getting married. I love Sean and I’m thrilled to be his wife but I don’t understand why it means so much to everyone else. I’m glad they're happy but it’s just a ceremony. It's not like we found a new power source or something to help make our lives better.”
Kyle looked down at the floor. “Emily, there’s nothing for you to apologize for. I’m just being an ass.” He shrugged. “I don't know how you don’t see it, but everyone here, everyone in the settlement, loves you. You’re like one of the princesses in those, what did mom used to call them? Disney fairytales she used to tell us about when we were kids. I mean, you walk around helping the town out with all their problems, you’re getting married to the guy who provides food for everyone, you help mom with running the town.”
Kyle laughed. “Heck, after working with Ramrod to the point where he saved you, you’re literally Beauty to his Beast.” Kyle looked down at the floor. “Sometimes it’s tough being your brother. I feel like I can’t live up to everything you’ve done. I mean, the people here love you. Mom and dad are so freaking proud of you they practically explode whenever they talk about you. That’s why everyone is so excited for your wedding. All those people, mom and dad included, grew up with fairy tales where a dragon ruined a town and things got better when a young princess was married and ushered in a new era. Don’t you get it? To them you are a living breathing hero from the stories they were told as kids. To them you are hope for the future.”
He shrugged. “Who am I? The guy who knows how to use a piece of technology from a world that no longer exists? The little brother of the princess who everyone adores?”
Emily grabbed her brother’s hand again. “You’re the guy who was smart enough to understand what all of those people see in me. You’re the guy who, if people really do look at me the way you just described, I’m going to need to help me be aware of and live up to their expectations. You’re the guy who has figured out how to track monsters when no one else could. You’re the guy who mom and dad always glow about when they are talking to me.” She smiled. “Most importantly, you’re my brother and my hero. You’re also the guy who after you show me how to access those satellites so we can help out mom and dad is going to go out in the pouring rain to help me feed my giant pet goat.”
Kyle smiled. “Of course, I am.”
Emily nodded. “Good. Now that you’ve agreed to helping me, I want you to know that despite all that I just said, you are also still a massive dork.” The two of them laughed.
Kyle laughed. “And you’re a total ditz.” They both laughed again and shared a quick hug. Kyle then turned to his computer and began walking Emily through how to access the images from the various satellites he had managed to access.
Kyle and Emily searched through numerous images of jungles, mountains, and the water between South America and Mexico. After searching for nearly an hour, Kyle’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped.
Emily gave her brother a concerned look. “What is it?”
Kyle pointed to a stretch of ocean with what looked like a red blue dot on it. “That dot, it's a thermal picture. It’s showing a really hot anomaly moving through the water.” He shook his head, “I’ve seen this before; the only thing that shows up that hot in the ocean is Atomic Rex and he’s less than two kilometers from Steel Samurai’s 2.0 current position. He’s also heading their way!”
Emily ran to the HAM Radio, “Mom, Dad, come in! Atomic Rex is less than two kilometers from you and he’s heading directly for you!”
Chapter 18
Beach of Southern Mexico
Gurral was awoken by the bright sun shining on his face. The arena champion groaned. “Ugh, I miss my dark room back home.” The burly creature stood up and stretched his arms as he glanced in the direction of the sun. He raised his hands up as he questioned the star. “How does anyone manage to get any sleep with you shining so damn much all the time?”
The Smasher stood up and looked around the beach to see that, aside from the Arena Lord’s drones hovering around him, he was alone. He sighed. “Huh, I wonder where the little guy in the robot went. He was all right.” The behemoth looked down at the ground. “Not too many others back home I can swap fight stories with.”
Gurral shrugged. “Well, he said he wanted to help me find ol’ Rexy. Maybe he’ll be back soon, help me find that toothy lizard, and then I can start my retirement.”
Off the coast from where Gurral had just woken up, Chris and Kate were sleeping in the small living quarters of Steel Samurai 2.0. The living quarters consisted of a bed and a washroom with a sink, shower, and toilet. Chris had been up late the previous night talking to Kate about Gurral and how he really thought the alien creature could finally free them of Atomic Rex. After two hours’ worth of the conversation, Kate convinced her husband that they needed some sleep in order to help the intelligent kaiju with his mission.
As a result of being awake for so long, Chris and Kate had slept much later than they typically would have. The husband and wife were awoken by two loud noises, one following right after the other. The first noise to shatter the peaceful morning was the radar giving off a proximity alarm that something large was approaching.
Chris and Kate both sprung out of bed at the sound of the alarm and were running to the cockpit of their mech. They had almost reached the cockpit when Emily’s voice came booming over the HAM radio, screaming at them that Atomic Rex was closing in quickly on their position.
As Chris strapped himself into his pilot’s seat, he looked through Steel Samurai's eyes to see a bright glowing object moving through the water toward them. As Atomic Rex swam closer to the robot, Chris just stared at the oncoming kaiju.
Emily was still screaming over the radio at her parents as Kate strapped herself into her pilot’s chair. Once she was secured in her chair, she grabbed the HAM Radio. “Emily, we copy you. We are taking evasive actions. We will reestablish contact when we are no longer engaged with Atomic Rex.”
When the radioactive leviathan had gotten close enough to see the saurian monster’s eyes, Chris spoke to his nemesis. “All right, you bastard. We’ve been through this dance before.” He shook his head. “I know I can’t beat you, but this time I have back up. Together, we’re going to send you somewhere that you can’t hurt any more humans.”
Atomic Rex: Challenge of Gurral Page 14