by Adam Moon
“Is that why you killed him?”
“Of course. His people raped my planet and then they left us there to die. We welcomed the blue-backed visitors to our home world with open arms and they rewarded us by enslaving our entire race and working us half to death. Then when the atmosphere was as thick as glue and the ground was purged of any useful resources, they left us. If he hasn’t done the same thing to your world then by killing him I might have just saved your entire planet.” Her story contradicted Henry’s, but hers sounded like the truth. Henry wasn’t looking for a new home for his people; he was ravaging other worlds for the benefit of his people. If that part of his story was such a blatant lie, then the rest of it probably was too. Maybe he knew why the dog men were after him. Maybe he was merely using them until they were no longer useful to him. Of course, it was too late to pry any information from him.
Neil was about to ask her how she was able to distinguish between his people and the rest of them in the diner but she seemed to know Henry on sight and then the blue mark on his back must have confirmed her suspicions.
She said, “We can use his device to wage war on his people. I need you to hand it over to me before they rape another Earth.”
Kara stepped forward and said, “It’s broken. We can’t control where it takes us. Do you know how to fix it?”
The wild woman stared off into space for a moment and then said, “I don’t. They told us about their technology but we were never allowed to wield it.” She paused and then asked, “What were you people doing with him?”
There was evident suspicion in her tone so Neil explained, “We were in this diner when it came under attack by these weird creatures. They were humanoid but they had canine-like faces. Henry was in here with us when they attacked so he used his device to get us away but not before they did something to damage it. It’ll still jump between dimensions but we can’t control where it will take us.”
She looked Neil over and must’ve decided he was telling the truth. “Who knows the most about it?”
Kara said, “There’s not much to it now that it’s been disabled. There’s a screen but it’s been black this whole time. If we come under attack or if we’re in danger we just hit a button on it and we jump to another Earth.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“So far it has been very dangerous. We keep finding ourselves in one pickle after another.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Her language was identical but apparently some of the slang was different. Kara clarified, “Every Earth is as dangerous as the last.”
“So what’s the plan?”
Sandy walked up to her and said, “The plan wasn’t to watch a good man die. That’s for sure.”
“He was not a good man. His people are monsters.”
“You look like the monster here. We needed that man.”
“If he kept you around, then he did so for selfish reasons. Maybe he planned to use you as hostages or as cannon fodder. You said dog-like creatures attacked him. Maybe he thought they’d find him again so he was going to use you all as human shields.”
Neil nodded. The dog-men had found them once again. If Henry’s people were as cruel and heartless as the dirty woman said then maybe they had been wrong to trust him.
Steve and Jack dragged Henry’s lifeless corpse out through the broken front doors. They returned, dragging the body back inside.
Excitedly Jack said, “Look outside. I think we finally found a better Earth. I’ll stow Henry’s body here until we decide to move on from this world.”
Sure enough, in all of the commotion none of them noticed the utopia right outside.
As they all stared out at the wonders of the world outside, Steve made a sudden, jerky move and abruptly slipped behind the wild woman. He pulled her wrists behind her back and used zip-ties as cuffs.
She jerked, trying to get away from him and Neil asked him, “Hey, why’d you do that to her?”
“Are you crazy? She just murdered Henry right before our eyes. We don’t even know her name. I’m not releasing her until we can trust her.”
She yelled, “My name is Samantha and I saved your lives by killing that bastard.”
Steve shrugged. “If I knew I could believe your story I’d let you go right now, but I don’t. You killed one of us. You have a long way to go to earn our trust now.”
Steve was right, of course. They didn’t know much about the woman except that she was an unpredictable murderer.
Sandy helped Steve position Samantha in a booth and then he tied her ankles together too.
Samantha shook her head sadly, like they were making a big mistake but they had to be sure she wouldn’t slaughter them all before they let her loose.
Kara pointed out at the high-rise buildings and said, “I bet the tech here is amazing. I bet someone will know how to fix the device.”
Jim bellowed, “Before anyone leaves we are going to say a prayer for the recently departed. Just because he was from another world doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a proper send-off.”
Neil wasn’t religious and he’d never raised his daughter Kim to believe in the supernatural so he was surprised when she was the first to take Jim’s hand. Pam took his other hand and the three of them waited while the rest moved in to take their places. They stared down at Henry’s lifeless body and Jim gave a speech that was far too serious for a man they barely knew in life. When he was done, a few of them, including Kara, turned and shot Samantha hateful looks.
Samantha smirked and said, “You just eulogized a monster. I hope you’re proud of yourselves.”
They ignored her. Neil said, “We don’t know anything about the world out there. For all we know a paramilitary unit is already converging outside to see what happens next. I’m sure this building’s appearance didn’t go unnoticed. So we have to act fast if we’re going to try and explore. We need water and any food we can get our hands on. Don’t grab anything exotic that you haven’t seen before because it might be poisonous to us.” Heads nodded so he went on, “Kara and I will try to see if we can find out about the dimensional device. Maybe they have an electronic store with merchandise so advanced that we can repair it. Maybe these people already know about dimensional jumping. If they do then we might be able to find out more about it before we leave.”
Sandy asked, “How are we going to get the supplies?”
Neil drew a blank. Then he realized he hadn’t thought about how they would pay for any of it. “We’ll have to steal it all, unless anyone has a better idea.”
No one did so Neil added, “Who is going to stay behind with the hostage?”
Steve volunteered.
“Okay then. Get back here as soon as possible. I’m thinking we’ll explore for an hour. Does that sound fair?”
Everyone hesitated before nodding. It was a bad plan but this was the first advanced civilization they’d encountered and no one knew how many more jumps it would take before they came across another one like it.
Neil said, “I’ll scout the perimeter. If we’re surrounded then we have no choice. We’ll have to jump away from here.”
He added with conviction, “Anyone not back within the hour may be left behind. If any of you have a problem with that then you can stay behind.”
Jack opened his mouth but his wife Stacey kicked his foot so he closed it again and nodded.
Neil sighed. This was a long shot and it could end very badly for all of them but it had to be done or else they’d keep jumping around aimlessly, never finding home, and encountering one danger after another.
He approached the destroyed front door and then rushed outside, hugging the wall. The world, it seemed, was too busy to notice that it had been infiltra
ted. He didn’t see people, but he saw a lot of strange bubble-shaped cars and rail tubes overhead. The buildings touched the sky and were lit up like something from a science fiction movie. With all of the activity, he was sure he’d see some people but he was alone. For a fleeting moment he worried that all of the people were gone, replaced by sentient machines or aliens but he knew he was just being paranoid. He was certain that in an hour he’d have a better understanding of this weird world.
He yelled inside, “It’s clear. Come on. Kara and Kim, you’re with me. The rest of you need to find food and water.” He said to Steve, “If the natives start snooping around while we’re gone, untie Samantha and find somewhere to hide until we get back.”
Jim and Pam both approached Neil and said sternly, “You’d better bring our daughter back here in one piece.”
Neil was vehement that he wouldn’t put her in harms way. The dynamic had changed in that they had a single goal that should’ve superceded all else but their individual bonds were all still fragmented, and most of them overshadowed the ultimate objective of getting home. Neil understood the dichotomy fully. He would abandon the mission in a heartbeat if he thought his own daughter might come to harm so he understood Kara’s parents concerns.
He gripped Kim’s hand and whispered, “We won’t venture out too far. Remember the way back, just in case you have to come back here alone.”
She gripped his hand tightly and started to cry so he said reassuringly, “It’ll be alright.” For a brief moment he considered leaving her behind with Steve and the wild woman but the device was going with them. He had no intention of abandoning the others but if it became a life or death situation, he would use the device to keep Kim safe. He refrained from advertising his stance to the rest of them for obvious reasons.
They set out into the new world, slowly and cautiously at first. Sandy trailed after Neil, Kara, and Kim and when they turned to see why she was following them she said, “While you two fools are stealing electronics I’ll keep an eye on Kim.”
“Good. Keep an eye out for people too. I haven’t seen any yet.”
“Do you think they were overthrown?”
Neil laughed. “That was my first thought too. No, I just think this planet is too busy for pedestrians. But if we find one I’d like to ask him or her some questions.”
Steve the Pervert
✨
THE MOMENT EVERYONE left the diner, Steve used a shovel to clean up of the dead rodents from the other dimension. It took two trips before he was done depositing them outside. He worked quietly while Samantha watched out of the corner of her eye.
When he was done he shot her a wicked grin. He slowly circled the booth, locking her in a cruel gaze the whole time. She knew she was in trouble and started to scream and struggle against her restraints but it was no use; everyone was already too far away to hear her and Steve had made sure her bonds were tight.
She stopped struggling and started to strategize. She was at a distinct disadvantage. All of her survival skills were worthless now that she was bound and at the mercy of a deceptive monster, hiding in plain sight.
He stopped before her and said in a hushed whisper, “I’ve had my eye on you from the moment you got here. Your people are beautiful, in a sort of animalistic way. Have you been watching me too?” His hands were shaking and his pupils dilated. He reached out and roughly grabbed her breasts. It wouldn’t matter which answer she gave; he was going to molest her either way.
She made a calculated decision and nodded. Then she smiled a wicked grin of her own and licked her lips. Maybe if she played along, he’d release her restraints before raping her and if he did that it would be the last mistake he’d ever make.
She whispered in a sultry, breathy way, “I’ve never been with an otherworlder before. You’ll be my first.”
With scissors, he snipped the zip-ties around her ankles and wrists. He clutched her by the throat and stood her up. There was evil in his eyes that had been lurking, hiding his true nature from his would-be victims. He was so confident that Samantha was sure she wasn’t the first person he’d done this to.
He tried to yank her filthy shorts down but he was still clutching the scissors so they didn’t slide right off like he’d hoped. His cruel grin turned to a mask of irritated fury.
She waited for him to put the scissors down and then she pounced on him, but not in a way he would ever misconstrue as sexual.
Subjugated Earth
✨
SANDY, NEIL, KARA, and Kim were dizzied by the sights and sounds of the city. It was like a Vegas casino except louder and brighter and all around them. It was so loud that Neil was certain it would be best appreciated muffled, seen and heard from inside a car or another building. In person it was too much to process. Kim plugged her ears with her fingers and squinted as they walked through the deserted streets.
A thin disheveled man rushed from a side street and hissed at them, “What are you dolts doing? Get off the streets.” He looked all around and then up at the buildings before turning and running back where he came from.
Neil chased after him and shouted, “What’s wrong with walking the streets?”
The man stopped and turned around aggressively. His eyes twitched as he said, “You folks must be Canadians or something. You need to get indoors as soon as possible.”
“Why? What are you doing out here if it’s so unsafe?”
“I’m a scavenger. I’m what you might call a lowlife.” He said it like he was proud. “But I’m good at avoiding detection and you four are clearly terrible at it.”
“What should we be hiding from?”
The dusty thin man beckoned them into a doorway that was flanked by two dumpsters. He crouched down so they joined him in hiding. “The drones will kill you if they see you out. I’m surprised you made it this far from the airport without figuring that out.”
They hadn’t seen any drones yet but that didn’t mean they weren’t out there somewhere. “Why would they kill us? What’s wrong with us being out in the open?”
The man’s mouth opened wide in a toothless smile. Then the smile faded and he said, “It’s been the law for over two decades. I thought the whole world knew. Ever since the Chicago riots of ’94 the drones have control of the streets and we’ve all been banned from going outside.”
“That’s awful.”
“It was an oversight is all. The drones were unmanned and uncontrolled when they were deployed. Humans gave them one mission and it was to keep the streets safe. Unfortunately, no boundaries were input or an end date. They’re solar powered too so there’s not much we can do to shut them down now that they’ve taken over. The order to return from their mission was either ignored or tampered with so now we just have to live with them.”
“Can’t the military shoot them out of the sky?”
The man laughed. “They took out the military installations first. Then they hacked the police databases and went after ex-cons and gun owners. The Brazilians tried to help but their communications were intercepted and a thousand drones deployed all by themselves to take them out before they even formulated a plan of attack. Ever since then, foreign nations are hesitant to intervene.”
“That’s insane. I can’t believe the entire country accepts that.”
“We couldn’t either. We were sure someone would stop them but as the weeks and months passed, each successive attempt to thwart them was less successful than the last. There’s no way for us to know if they’re sentient but they sure act like they are. We’re just lucky they haven’t figured out how to alter their programming even more. If they did that they might decide to eliminate us altogether.”
Neil had to get back on task so he said, “We need to find an electronics supply store or something so we c
an get parts for a device we have. Where can we find one?”
“Stores don’t operate down here. There’s no foot traffic. You’d have to go up top, to the overhead roadways to find a store and they won’t let you in unless you’re inside your vehicle.”
“Shit. Then this trip is a bust. Thanks for your help.”
“What’s the device? I’ve scavenged plenty of electronic components over the years. I might be able to help you out.”
Kara held out the jumper and the man took it from her before she could stop him. Neil’s breath caught in his throat when he pulled out a pocket knife, but he didn’t point it at them, he used it to pry the dimensional device open at the seam.
He scrunched his eyebrows and then held both pieces up for them to see. He said, “Is this a game? What is this?”
They looked at the contents of the device and their brows crinkled too. Inside was a colorful orb that was about the size and shape of a marble. It spun slowly on its axis, shimmering pastel colors as it turned. It looked to be nearly translucent, like a hologram. Sandy reached out to touch it but Neil stopped her. He held out his hands and hoped the dirty man would hand it back to him. He let out a sigh of relief when he did.
Neil, careful to avoid touching the strange orb, inspected the rest of the interior housing of the device. There were components tucked behind the orb and there was a cube with wires coming from it on the other half of the split device. He asked, “Is there any way to tell if these components are damaged?”
The man cocked his head to the side and then nodded. He ducked behind one of the dumpsters and they saw his legs disappear inside a grate at the bottom of the wall hidden by the dumpster. He crawled away and in a muffled voice called out, “I’ll be back in a minute. Stay low and keep out of sight.”
Neil looked at his daughter and then at Kara and Sandy. They were all thinking the same thing: could they trust him? What if he came back with a gun or with more men? What if he decided he wanted the device? He was a scavenger and the device was probably the most exotic thing he’d ever seen. But they had no choice if they wanted to fix it. They had to wait and hope he came through for them.