The Birth of a Rebellion

by Adam Sipperly

  “And we have arrived.”

  “Gin-us,” Patrick hesitated, “the only reason I survived the past two guardians was because of Flupotia. I’m really not sure I can do this without her.”

  “Again, Patrick. I need you to trust me. I can only hope that you will, in time, see me as loyal and helpful as your friend Flupotia has been.”

  “It’s not that I don’t appreciate your help. I really do. It’s just so hard to trust someone new, I went through the same thing with her. You’ve gone above and beyond proving your word to be true thus far, and for that I’m grateful.” He shook both his arms out at his side then nodded to Gin-us. “Let’s do this.”

  Gin-us nodded in return. “Weapons at the ready?”

  “Weapons ready.”

  “After you.”

  Patrick cautiously began to open the doors with Gin-us close on his heels. Neither truly knew what to expect, and were both holding their breath for fear of the unknown. There was no telling the size or power of what lie ahead. Patrick wondered to himself, if no one has returned from this tomb, how can anyone be sure what is in here? Is it a jaguar like the ones seen in zoos? Is it a massive Unicorn like the snakes? These thoughts were pushed from his mind as the heavy door swung open. The tomb was much smaller than the previous two, no bigger than Patrick’s bedroom at home. However, this only further highlighted the presence of the Jaguar in the center of the room.

  Patrick felt a shiver of excitement run down his spine as he thought how easy this task would be for Gin-us and himself. The Jaguar was no larger than expected and looked near identical to the ones of Earth. The only noticeable difference was a bright white light that shone from the Jaguar’s head. No matter how you strained to get a better look, the light was simply too bright. With a quick glance, Patrick and Gin-us exchanged silent plans to sneak around the Jaguar who appeared to be sleeping. With the door closed quietly behind them, they took their first step and the Jaguar awoke.

  “Both of you, halt.” The Jaguar had a low, deep growl of a voice.

  “We don’t want trouble,” Patrick said with uncertainty, “but we will kill you if you do not let us pass.”

  The words were out of his mouth before he had even had time to think them up, well that wasn’t the best introduction. Gin-us shot him a look but steadied his sword nonetheless.

  “Calm yourself human, I do not wish to fight. As you can see, I am old and tired.” The Jaguar sat up on his haunches but did not stand. “I am however still a fighter and could quickly dispatch the both of you where you stand.” He paused, raising up and admiring his own paw as if to show how deadly he could be. “I’d rather not waste the energy on you two; neither of you is a true threat to me. In my many years of life, I have grown wise beyond all others. If you wish to pass, you simply must answer a riddle and you are free to go.”

  “How can we be sure this isn’t a trick of some sort?” The Jaguar shrugged off Patrick’s question.

  Patrick was unconvinced. If all you have to do is answer a silly riddle, how has nobody ever returned from this cave?. Patrick gave the Jaguar a once over, foolishly using his outward appearance to base all judgments. The Jaguar was certainly old; his black mane graying in some places, his muscles not as tight, and wrinkles spreading across his face. However, the Jaguar was much stronger than he appeared, certainly capable of pouncing across the room and taking them both down with one swift swipe. Both knew there was only one way forward.

  “Give us your riddles,” Gin-us said, sharing the same thoughts with Patrick. What other option do we have?

  “My first question will be for the human,” the Jaguar said turning his head slightly. The bright white light shone into Patrick's eyes, very near to blinding him. “If you both wish to leave here alive, you must entwine truth with a lie. If you wish to leave here alive, human, you must fabricate a lie for me. I will spare you, but I will kill your friend. If you, however, wish to let your friend live, present me a true statement and I will take your life instead. If you do not make a decision in the next few minutes, you will both die here.”

  Patrick swallowed hard, now understanding why no one came to visit the Jaguar and returned. Patrick turned to Gin-us, his face scrunched up as he thought hard for a way out of this. At that moment, Patrick knew he couldn’t go on without him; he was too weak alone, but there was a budding friendship between them as well. After all he had done for Patrick, he couldn’t just let him die here.

  “Patrick, you need to tell him truth. This is your quest, and I’m honored to have at least helped you get this far.” His heart sank, but what will my people do without me?

  “No.” That is not going to happen “You saved my life and I will return the favor. Just give me some time to think!”

  Time wasn’t something Patrick had much of, and he was acutely aware of every second that ticked by. The only way Patrick could see out was to somehow entwine truth and lie into one statement. I need a paradox! It was truly a difficult riddle, one that no matter what answer Patrick came up with either himself or Gin-us was going to die in this room. Patrick's expression suddenly shifted. Unless… he thought as he looked up to the Jaguar and addressed him with confidence.

  “I shall continue on, and Gin-us will die here.”

  The Jaguar sat and pondered his response. He coiled back, as if ready to pounce and then slowly released the strength he had built up. It was such a simple answer, but brilliant at the same time. Patrick, to the surprise of the Jaguar, had beaten him at his own game. With Patrick planning to leave in one piece, he had made a true statement. However, this would mean that Gin-us was to continue on. If this was to happen, then Patrick had presented a false statement because he would be the one killed. With the never-ending cycle of true and false, Patrick had successfully entwined truth with a lie.

  Patrick had a huge grin on his face as he turned to Gin-us, whose face was twisted in a deep fear that actually startled Patrick. Before he had the chance to reassure Gin-us, the Jaguar’s voice boomed out.

  “You are clever, human. I may have underestimated you. You have entwined truth with a lie. You will both be free to go on, once the Martian can answer his riddle as well.”

  Gin-us stood still, in complete shock with no idea what had just happen. All he knew was that Patrick had just saved his life using nothing but his wits.

  “Now Martian here is your riddle. You discard my exterior and cook my interior. You then eat my exterior and discard my interior. What am I?”

  Gin-us’ pupils shrunk with fear as his eyes darted from Patrick to the Jaguar. “Wait, what?!”

  “The riddle has been revealed,” the Jaguar sighed, “I cannot repeat myself. Now, your answer if you wish to pass.”

  Panic slowly rose in Patrick's chest like a tide of stormy water, Gin-us wasn’t fairing any better. Patrick sent a silent prayer to Gin-us, please Gin-us, we’ve come this far. I know you can do this! He willed Gin-us on silently, as he closed his eyes and racked his own brain for an answer. It seemed like hours were slowly ticking by as Patrick waited. In reality, it had been less than a minute before Gin-us opened his eyes and smiled at Patrick.

  “You have your answer then, Martian?” The Jaguar looked smugly at Gin-us.

  “Yes, I do,” Gin-us stated with confidence, dispelling all fear that had existed moments ago.

  “I’m waiting.”

  “Corn. You take off the husk, which is the exterior and cook what is left on the interior. Then you eat the corn on the exterior and throw away the cob or the interior.”

  The Jaguar looked off into the distance, just over Gin-us’ right shoulder. It appeared as though he hadn’t even heard Gin-us answer his riddle. The silence in the cave slowly diminished the confidence Gin-us had in his answer. Patrick too felt the fear rising again, as much as he believed in Gin-us he couldn’t help but second guess his answer. Patrick knew in his heart though, the answer had to be right. Gin-us was meant to join him on his quest, and Patrick wasn’t going to move forward with
out his help and guidance. He would do what he must, and if that meant killing the Jaguar, then so be it.

  Finally, the Jaguar cocked his head and looked straight into Gin-us’ eyes. “The answer to your riddle, Martian,” Gin-us stirred uncomfortably and Patrick tightened his grip on his sword, “is corn.”

  A sign of heavy relief left both Gin-us and Patrick as Patrick released his hold on the weapon, his knuckles white from the strain.

  “You may both pass,” the Jaguar boomed. “Be you wary, however, of the journey ahead. It will not be an easy one as there are many dangers left to deal with, many troubles to encounter and many enemies to overcome. Push forward with caution at all times, for life-threatening situations will arise when you least expect. I wish you the best on your journey.”

  Patrick shivered at the Jaguar’s warning. With a quick glance to Gin-us, they both quickly exited the cave before the Jaguar changed his mind.

  ◆◆◆

  Agent 3527AS stood in front of the Generals door, not quite ready to knock. There’s still a chance the Martians will get him. Maybe I should just wait? He had stood in this same spot at least a dozen times over the past few days. Despite his best efforts to convince himself otherwise, he knew he couldn’t hold out any longer.

  *Knock-knock*

  The door in front of him swung inward immediately. The General had opened it from his desk where he sat watching the security camera that had been placed in the hallway. His Agent had stood there for minutes before finally building the confidence to knock, and this irritated the General greatly.

  “Yes, what is it?” There was a definitive annoyance in his voice.

  “Sir, it’s about the human we’re holding.”

  “You’ll have to be more specific than that.” He was hardly paying attention, the files in front of him his main priority.

  “The young one who found us, his name was Patrick?”

  “Yes, I’m familiar with this human. What about him?”

  “Sir. I regret to inform you, but he has escaped.”

  “Escaped?” He finally looked up from his papers to see if this was some kind of joke. “And how did this happen?”

  “I’m not sure sir. I arrived for my duties and found the bed empty. Flupotia is also missing.” He paused, watching the shock register on the General’s face. “Sir,” he finished.

  “Leave me. And tell no one of this. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.” The alien wasted no time turning and exiting the room. That went better than expected he thought as he continued down the hall.

  Nobody can find out about this. The General paced back and forth in his office as he tried to formulate a plan. The paperwork sat in piles, untouched for hours. Finding Patrick and retrieving Flupotia was the only thing that mattered anymore.

  ◆◆◆

  VIII: Fire and Ice

  The two of them had been walking for well over an hour, the Jaguar’s warning still looming over their heads like a dark and ominous rain cloud. There was little light in the tunnel at this point, the majority coming from their flashlights and the occasional crack of magma. The temperatures down here were some of the hottest Patrick had ever experienced.

  “I wonder what types of trouble the Jaguar was talking about…” Patrick said, his voice trailing off into the darkness around them.

  Gin-us shrugged. “One can only guess. But with every hardship, I need only to think of my people to keep pushing forward. And I hope you’re able to do the same, Patrick.” Gin-us looked at Patrick hard, his eyes dark.

  “I’ve very aware of the pressure on me. Thanks for the constant reminders…” Patrick looked down to his shoes, the rubber soles going soft and sticking to the ground beneath him. He stopped short and looked to Gin-us.

  “You know, I’ve faced down giant snakes, a mystical Jaguar and an entire clan of Martians. But nothing could have really prepared me for how hot it is in here! I mean, look at my shoes. I can’t keep going like this.”

  Gin-us stopped suddenly. “That reminds me,” he said as he pulled his backpack off his shoulder, rummaging around for a moment, “I have a gift for you. Wasn’t sure we would need them down here, so I waited.”

  Gin-us pulled out a pair of shoes, very similar to the ones he wore. They were dark brown in color with intricately stitched designs of dark blue and red flowing along the sides. “These moccasins are specially crafted by my people for royalty. They will aid you in this journey greatly. They are made from very rare fibers found on my home planet. They will never lose their softness or their color, remaining near perfect forever. And the most important thing, they can withstand this heat.”

  “Gin-us,” Patrick shifted uncomfortably, “I cannot wear these.” I’m not royalty. “I don’t want to dishonor you or your people, cause some kind of commotion when we return.”

  “Nonsense. It would be an honor, not only to myself but to my people and the craftsmen responsible for making these. You are more worthy than you realize, without a doubt beyond worthy of a simple pair of moccasins. Besides, in another few hours when your shoes have melted away and your feet are following, you’ll wish you had taken them.” He held them out to Patrick, who couldn’t argue the last point.

  “Thank you, Gin-us.”

  “My people and I thank you, Patrick.”

  He took the moccasins from Gin-us, well aware of the tone he was using. It made Patrick uncomfortable. He knew he was on a journey to save his planet, but he didn’t appreciate the constant reminders of everyone else that depended on him to succeed. It scared the hell out of him and made him question every move he made. At this point, Patrick had slid off one of his shoes and was hopping around attempting to slide the moccasin on. It slid on with ease, a perfect fit. There was something about the simplicity of this pleasure that cleared the monumental pressure from his shoulders. Despite all the horrible and evil things that were happening around him, he couldn’t help but focus on how good his feet felt. The inside of the moccasins were coated in the softest material he had ever felt, akin to walking on a cloud. With that, you would think the heat would be trapped in, but they also seemed to not only expel his body heat but repel the heat in the air around them.

  Gin-us threw his bag back over his shoulder and continued on. Patrick waited a moment, attempting to absorb the feeling wholly, as if he was high on a cloud, away from the heat and the stress.

  “You coming?” Gin-us snapped Patrick back to reality, already several yards ahead.

  As the two walked on they filled the space between them with conversation. Both had left their feelings of resentment behind, having survived the Jaguar together. Patrick told Gin-us about life on Earth; his school, home life, girl problems, Mark and anything else he could think of. Gin-us, however, continued to remain quiet for the most part, only revealing small pieces of his life. There was no family back on Mars and very few friends for Gin-us. The only thing Gin-us seemed to reveal, was the force driving him to join up with Patrick. He refused to go into great detail, but he did share that his only goal in life was to get back home to Mars as king and right some wrongs. Patrick could tell that whatever the wrongs were, they greatly affected Gin-us. He wanted to push for more but knew it wasn’t the time or the place.

  The conversations died out the further they walked, and so did their feet. The air around them was continuously getting hotter, the pools of magma becoming more frequent. Patrick was the first to run out of the water, unable to stop himself from downing the last few drops.

  “Is it getting hotter by the step, or is it just me?” Patrick stopped and doubled over, exhausted. “You’ve barely touched your water. Haven’t even broken a sweat yet. How?”

  Gin-us stopped and looked at Patrick, hunched over, with deep concern seeming to just become aware of his current condition. “I suppose the air is rather hot down here. I must be more resilient to the heat than you. We can take a short break if you would like.”

  “No, we can keep going. Any chance I can get a sip of your w
ater though?” Gin-us nodded and handed over his bottle, Patrick took a deep gulp.

  “I’ll tell you one thing though. I hate the cold, definitely can’t handle it. So, if we ever get stuck in a snowstorm, you’ll be the one pushing me to keep going.”

  “Well, if we happen to run through a snowstorm down here, I’ll be sure to keep an eye on you.”

  After hydrating, the two of them continued on, this time in silence. The quiet was enough to allow Patrick's mind to wander, and of course, it went to Flupotia. Patrick found himself smiling as he thought of her in the dream chamber, in the short time I’ve known her, she has had such an impact on my life. She saved my life, and I hers.

  Patrick had been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn’t noticed Gin-us staring. It was a brief moment of embarrassment as Gin-us snorted out a small laugh. Patrick shook his head and set his mouth in a hard line. Focus!

  ◆◆◆

  “You know, I enjoy this job. I know sometimes I complain, but you’re a really great listener,” Do-lar spoke to Flupotia, who was still suspended in an unconscious state. “And I know you won’t tell anyone else what we talk about. Not that there’s really anyone left here that would care.”

  Do-lar looked into Flupotia’s face, wondering if she was still in there somewhere, actually listening. She shivered at the thought.

  “Anyways, enough about my feelings for the King. In the grand scheme, they don’t really matter much do they?” She laughed to herself and continued in a more serious tone, “I do hope he gets back soon. Things are getting a little crazy around here. I don’t know if the aliens have caught on, but they’ve stopped sending down supplies. All we have left is maybe a week’s worth of rationings. I suppose it’s lucky we have that much, it’s mostly fruits and vegetables. The water supply is getting low too. I just don’t kn…”