Thinking back on his journey thus far, Patrick amazed himself at how far he had come. Now, standing in front of the orb he was amazed he could even still stand; he was tired, he was sore, he was beaten down. At that moment, all Patrick wanted was to take the orb and set it on his nightstand and enjoy a well-earned nap in his bed. Sadness enveloped Patrick as he realized, that dream was still far away. He had finally made it to the orb, but only half of his journey was complete.
The sadness drove Patrick forward slowly. One step placed at a time, each time careful to listen for any booby traps that might be lying beneath the snow. The orb changed shade with each step that Patrick took, the purple color moving faster across the walls, seemingly in sync with his racing heartbeat. The closer he was to the orb, the stronger its pull seemed to be. It was almost magnetic, and Patrick felt his right arm leave his side involuntary. He was now only a step away, the orb just inches from his touch. Carefully, he wrapped his fingers around the orb and picked it up. Instantly, his body was overcome with relief, all his stiff muscles and aching bones shot into a deep relaxation. All his aches and pains were gone, his head was clear and his spirit carefree.
The orb stopped swirling as it slowed down to match the rhythm of Patrick’s heartbeat. Patrick stared down at it lying in his hands, and suddenly the purple flushed outward from the orb in bright lights, encompassing Patrick within it. The feeling of relaxation was ripped from him and replaced with a deep sense of fear and foreboding. He tried desperately to drop the orb, but he found his hands firmly cemented to it now; is the orb attacking me? He thought frantically of an escape from the pain. Patrick was then flung back through time, his entire life flashing before his eyes in great detail. He saw everything, from his birth, well I didn’t need to see that, right up until that very moment, memories long forgotten playing out like a movie in his mind.
It seemed for Patrick that a lifetime had passed by, while for Frize it had only been a matter of seconds. He watched Patrick's face go blank and the purple lights encase him. He ran to try and help, but could not push through the barrier of light.
“Patrick!” Frize yelled, unsure of what else he could do.
And then, the lights faded away. They circled the orb like water rushing down the drain. Patrick stood there taking deep breaths, sweat now pouring down his face.
“That…” he took a deep breath, “… was intense.”
Just as Patrick caught his breath, sure the encounter was over the orb sent a strong surge of energy shooting up through his arms down to his very core. The energy burned furiously and painfully in through each finger and out through each toe, circling each and every cell on its way. Patrick screamed out in agony, unsure of what was happening and powerless to stop it. Frize tried to pry Patrick’s fingers from the orb, but it remained tightly clutched in his hands, with no intentions of releasing. With a final pulse of energy, the burning sensation ceased, and the orb released Patrick, falling from his hands to the snow in front of him. Patrick blinked twice and followed, completely drained of energy he blacked out.
◆◆◆
At the very moment that Patrick had placed his hands on the orb, the Council of the Freed was meeting to discuss invasion plans for Mercury. It had been two years since they started on Earth, and things were going well. Unbeknownst to them, their plans were about to take a drastic turn.
“I think an approach similar to that of Neptune would work best,” Chief Xylana spoke first, commanding the room before her.
“I don’t agree,” Chief Urga spoke up next. “I think the takeover on Mars went very well. I don’t see any reason we shouldn’t try the same tactics on Mercury.”
“Look,” Xylana spoke again, “Mars went extremely well. Better than most of us here had expected. And yes, your role in that invasion is what earned you a seat on this Council. And yes, your ideas are being used yet again on Earth.” Xylana was stroking Urga’s ego, and they both knew it. “But Mercury is not Mars. Infiltration of the local government was a wonderful idea. But we don’t know the attitude of those on Mercury. I think the best option at this point is a reconnaissance mission only.”
Urga didn’t get a chance to respond as screams erupted across the room. Chief Ithan was writhing in pain. Her body contorted on the ground as a purple fog escaped through every pore of her body. Everyone in the room ran to her aid with no idea how to help.
As they stood around watching, Chief Vino fell to his knees and began screaming as well, his hands erupting into purple flames. He was soon followed by Chief Berra, his eyes glossed over in pain. The entire room followed, Chief Xylana the last to fall, a purple haze now filling the room around them. Each one saw, in turn, their life flash before their eyes. And at the end of this projection, each one saw Patrick, standing in a snowy cave, holding their prized orb.
◆◆◆
Frize stood over Patrick's body. He had managed to drag him into a nearby cave, keeping him safe from the furious blizzard that was now raging outside. It had begun as soon as Patrick lost consciousness, and it took Frize all his remaining energy to get Patrick to where he now rested. He had himself fallen asleep for quite a while after their ordeal, but was now attempting to get a fire started despite the atmosphere struggling against him. Patrick stirred in his sleep and slowly woke. He watched Frize for a moment, wondering if a man made of ice could create a fire, anyway.
“Frize,” Patrick's voice cracked, his throat was beyond dry.
“Patrick!” Frize dropped what he was doing and started towards Patrick, then thought better of it and kept his distance. “Are you alright?”
Patrick did a quick check of his body, squeezing his fingers and toes, flexing his muscles and releasing them. He was sore without a doubt but in no great pain or distress. Nothing beyond what would be expected from a long hike.
“I think I’m good. How are you doing? And what even happened out there?”
“I am fine, thank you for asking. When you blacked out, I was able to drag you in here with the orb. It was quite the feat though, you’re heavier than you look. I needed a quick rest after that. I was just trying to get a fire started to warm you up.” Frize picked up his tools and once again began trying to start a fire, more furiously this time. “I’m sure that would help, no?”
“Thanks, Frize. A fire sounds great.” Patrick hung his head and continued, “I’m so stupid. I can’t believe I just grabbed the orb like that. I could have been killed!”
Frize stopped fiddling with the tools and grew quiet. “I think it did what it did to you because you were becoming it’s new,” he struggled to find the right word, “owner?”
Patrick’s face betrayed his dread as his heart skipped a beat, what does that mean?!
“Look, I don’t mean to cause panic.” Frize could sense Patrick's anxiety. “To be honest, I don’t know a lot about the orb. It’s all very hush-hush. There are rumors though, that the orb chooses who it thinks is worthy, and well… it gives them powers. I’m sure there’s someone else who can better explain the magic behind it all. You know, I think it gave me the powers too, but it didn’t attack me as furiously as it did you. Felt a small burning sensation when I picked it up dragging you in here. Speaking of,” Frize turned to his bag and pulled the orb out, “here’s the orb. I think you should hold onto it. After all, it’s yours now.”
The words echoed in Patrick's head ‘it’s yours now’ over and over. He shuddered, with no true understanding of the depth to this statement. He knew that Flupotia would have all the answers, and it was time to get back to her. But first, they had to pick up Gin-us.
Patrick stood up, his resolve strengthened. “So, you ready to try out these new powers?”
“I’m not sure what powers you have now, but I assume we’ll need some help if we’re going to find Gin-us in this blizzard.” Frize paused. “After you!”
Patrick stood at the entrance of the cave with his blanket billowing around him, the strong winds of the blizzard rushing by. It was quiet though,
eerily so as Patrick let his mind relax and tried to focus only on this new power. It was a strange feeling, but one that came with ease. Like a box in Patrick's mind had unlocked and all he had to do was open it. It was akin to suddenly having another arm or leg to control; confusing, awkward, and slow. Patrick cleared his mind, and just thought about what he needed, I need to be fast and I need to be able to handle extreme temperatures. Within seconds he felt the transformation start to take place. His skin prickled and tingled, all of his hair stood on end, bones began to shift and grow, his skin stretched in some areas and shrunk in others. He kept his eyes shut tightly, allowing the changes to occur without fighting back.
Patrick knew the composition of his body was changing rapidly, this thought both terrified and deeply intrigued him. He urged the process to speed up, and shortly it was over. Upon opening his eyes, Patrick saw the world in a new light. The snow still swirled around him, but it was as if he could physically see the wind pushing the snow around. It had a ghostly appearance, a short blue trail flowing all around him. The darkness outside the cave had also receded, illuminated now by the wind. Patrick looked to the ice near him and tried to focus on his warped reflection. Between the bursts of wind, he could see that he was now a cross between a polar bear and a tiger. The shock caused him to stumble back a few steps and he lost his balance, tumbling over.
He shook his head and thought is this really me? Rolling over, Patrick composed himself on all four legs and found his balance. Moving closer to the wall he saw himself more clearly. His body was that of a polar bear, but his head was that of a tiger. His fur was white but covered in dark black stripes.
“Functional, I suppose,” Patrick's voice was still his, but it came out deeper and more gravely, “but I look ridiculous.”
“Not really.” Frize stood next to him, looking almost microscopic. “You’re a Strear, a creature that lives back on Pluto. Definitely a good choice for this weather.”
“A Strear? But how can I be something I’ve never even heard of before?”
Frize shrugged again. “My turn.”
As he closed his eyes, Patrick watched in amazement as his body changed. His ice cracked, black coarse hair poking out. His feet and hands darkened as hooves took shape, his head expanded upwards, the fine point of his ice rounding out. The black hair continued along the side of his head, but the hairs of his face sprouted out white, a beak forming where his mouth had been. At the end of it all, Frize had turned into a horse with the oversized head of a penguin, a penguin centaur if you will. Patrick laughed; it came out as a low growl
“A Horqui. Perfect for this weather.” Frize said it as if such a creature was common.
The two then spent the next several minutes trying to figure out how to get their packs back on. At one point, Frize had to revert back to his original form to finish the task. Traveling through the blizzard was no problem now, both their bodies pushing back against the whipping wind and snow around them. Within a few minutes, they had left the raging storm behind them. Overall, the trip back to Gin-us took a fraction of what it did to get to the orb. With his heightened senses, Patrick could hear Gin-us rustling around inside the tent and he called for him to come out, not thinking their current state would be alarming to him.
As Gin-us stepped out of the tent, his eyes grew wide and his sword was out in a flash. “Get back!” he hollered, “I will kill you both where you stand!”
“Gin-us! Calm down.” Patrick still took a few steps back, to show he wasn’t threatening him. “It’s us, Patrick and Frize.”
“You think me a fool? Patrick is a human and Frize an Iceman. Stay away!”
“Gin-us, please you need to trust us. Here, let us transform back.”
“Like that will prove anything? Aliens transforming their appearance, I know your tricks!”
“Then what will it take! How can I make you believe me, please?”
“Where is your alien friend, and what is his name?”
“Her name is Flupotia,” Patrick stressed that he knew it was a woman. “And she is the dream chamber back in your caves.” The exasperation in his voice was impossible to cover.
“Too easy, you could have found that out as you traveled down here. Or maybe you’ve been looking for her since she got the best of you.” Gin-us refused to let his guard down. “Our burning friend, what was his name?”
“Flee. Who helped us get back here to Frize, to find the orb. Which we have!”
“And what was the answer to my riddle?” His skepticism was still there, but he was coming around.
“Corn. You were asked the second question after I entwined the truth with a lie.”
Gin-us looked at the two of them, the hesitation still there. But he finally lowered his sword.
“I had to be sure, I’m sorry.” Gin-us almost appeared defeated. “I’m assuming you found the orb, then?”
“We got it!” Frize jumped into the conversation, “I think it’s best for you to take the power as well. Will allow us to move much faster back to my village.”
“I’m not sure,” Gin-us was more than reluctant, “how does it work? Is it going to hurt, maybe knock me out for a few hours?”
“It knocked Patrick out when he took it. It didn’t do the same thing to me. Not sure it invaded me in the way it did him.”
“The offer is tempting, but I think I’m going to have to pass. I’d like to stay myself.”
“Gin-us!” Patrick didn’t wait for Frize to reply. “Don’t be ridiculous! We have a solid hike back to the village, and you barely made it out here. Don’t be ridic…”
“Patrick! Stop!” Gin-us tilted his head back, closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m sorry. But Patrick, you have to understand not all of us are as ready or willing to let some strange magic into their soul. You don’t know what repercussions actions such as these can have.”
“But Gin-us, this is why we’re here. To steal the aliens power, and use it against them. You have to see the benefit to that?” Patrick pleaded.
“I do.” Gin-us sighed deeply, knowing he could not win this argument. “Where is the orb?”
“In my backpack, front pouch. It’s wrapped in a blanket.”
Gin-us went into the backpack, tightly tied around one of his massive legs. He pulled the blanket out and placed it into Patrick's paws, slowly unwrapping it. The purple light reflected off his face and a look of fear flashed across it. He covered it back up and picked it up, careful not to touch the orb itself.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to do this alone.” Gin-us started to walk off, making his way around a corner.
Once out of sight, Gin-us looked down to the orb, truly afraid. He knew what kind of damage power like this could cause, had seen it firsthand. This power is what took his family from him, made him a killer and destroyed his entire life. But he knew the King from Arapholanx was ruthless, and Gin-us had learned from his past mistakes. This power would be used for a good cause moving forward. With his mind made up, he placed his hand on the orb and absorbed its power as a tear rolled down his cheek. From their perspective, Patrick and Frize were unaware of any of this. One moment there was nothing, the next there was a purplish-red flash, then nothing followed by Gin-us returning to them.
“Now what?” Gin-us asked as he put the orb back into Patrick’s pack.
“Well, for us we just focused on what we needed, and we both changed. So focus on what you need, something that can withstand the cold, something fast. Then, let the orb do the rest for you.”
Gin-us closed his eyes tight as he accessed this new part of his mind. His mind had taken a different approach than the other two and his body shrunk rapidly. As he shrunk his skin grew scales, his arms contorted into fins at his side, gills slit behind his ears and his legs joined to form a tail. Soon, he was flopping around on the frozen ground, a large blue fish literally out of water.
“Well,” Frize said, unfazed, “that doesn’t seem very helpful.”
“No, look!” Patrick pointed to the ground around Gin-us, the ice already starting to melt.
As the puddle around him grew, his body righted itself in the water. The puddle quickly spread around him until he was able to swim small laps. Then, facing towards the village Gin-us let out a breath of fire, melting a path in front of him.
“Woah!” Patrick couldn’t contain the growl of excitement that escaped him. “I guess that works.”
After taking a moment to look over the new party, Patrick continued. “All right then. Let’s get back to those Icemen and show them who is in charge this time!”
◆◆◆
X: Gods of Pluto
“King, there is a message on the radio for you.”
“A message, from who?” The Ice King was genuinely surprised, the radio hadn’t been used in years.
“One of our outposts, North of here. They claim an invasion is coming.”
“An invasion,” the King laughed, “preposterous. The only other creatures down here are the Firemen and I doubt they would be coming from the north.” He waved his hands as if to dismiss the messenger.
“Sir, I’m sorry, but she insists you hear her out.”
“Fine, fine. Hand me the radio.”
The Iceman picked up a very outdated looking piece of technology. It was akin to a rotor dial phone, although the headset was wireless. The Iceman spun the dial once and handed the headset over.
“You may proceed with your report.”
“King, there are creatures inbound. You need to prepare for an attack.”
“What sort of creatures?” Not Firemen then. The King was intrigued.
“There were two of them that I saw. I didn’t believe my eyes at first, but the report was confirmed with another outpost.”
“Well get on with it!” The King was growing impatient.
The Birth of a Rebellion Page 13