Patrick nodded to Gin-us as Do-lar made her way to the machine. She pressed a button and the dull whining hum in the room slowly died down. Do-lar, along with Gin-us, then exited the room. The chipper Martian left last, and still smiling he gave Patrick a wink as he made his way out.
Patrick stood over Flupotia for quite a while, wondering how he could possibly explain to her everything that had happened. There wasn’t much time to come up with a plan though, as the gasses began wearing off almost immediately. Within moments, she was shifting, and her eyes fluttered open. The most beautiful smile spread across her face as she saw Patrick standing next to her.
“Oh, Patrick,” she cooed, his face reddened immediately.
As this happened, Flupotia realized that Patrick was really standing in front of her and she shot up like a rocket. She let out a scream so loud, Patrick would have sworn it could be heard on the Earth’s surface. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. Patrick felt all his doubts and worries melt away as he hugged her back. It was a gentle and cautious hug at first, but it quickly became something fierce and strong. The two embraced for a moment longer than seemed appropriate, Flupotia the first to draw back. When she finally did, Patrick could see her face was flushed with embarrassment the same as his. He liked the look though, the red blending perfectly with her magenta skin, making her even more beautiful. Patrick let out a low laugh and shook the thoughts from his head as Flupotia looked around in a panic.
“W-w-where are we, Patrick? What have they done to us? If we end up dying down here, I’d never forgive myself. I knew I should have tried to handle my powers better… Patrick, I’m so sorry. I’ve ruined this for you, for us. Oh, no…” she trailed off as her eyes darted around the room.
“Flupotia,” Patrick placed a steadying hand on her shoulder for comfort.
They sat like this for a few moments as she caught her breath. Once she had calmed down, Patrick took his time telling her everything that had happened since she fainted. He left out no detail, wanting her to feel as if she had been there with him every step of the way. He told her of the Jaguar, Flee, Frize, the orb, the creatures that attacked in the chamber, and finally of the treaty the Icemen and Firemen had committed to. After all this, he told her about the dream chamber she was in, how she had helped the Martians grow their community, and had actually saved them. Flupotia sat in wonder as if she was a child listening to a mystical bedtime story told by her parents.
As Patrick finished telling her everything, she continued to sit in awe. She then embraced Patrick one more time before saying, “I knew you could do it.”
The two walked out of the dream chamber a short while later. Flupotia was leaning on Patrick heavily for support, and he once again felt like he was living a dream. Replaying the past few days in his mind, he still could not fathom all that he had endured and accomplished. But more than all of that, he could not believe Flupotia was finally back by his side. He looked over to her, still weak from her time spent in a coma, looking ready to fall over at any second. She held on tight to Patrick to steady herself, and he couldn’t help but think how right it felt. Despite her weakened state, he knew she was his strength. The one that kept him going at every turn, even when it seemed impossible.
It was slow getting from the dream chamber out to the main one, moving along at just a shuffle. Patrick didn’t mind, enjoying each step he took. He knew these moments alone were going to be fewer and farther between as their journey continued.
They entered the main chamber and were met with cheers erupting from the entire crowd. Even the Firemen and Icemen were caught up in the moment, cheering along with the Martians. Patrick himself found it hard to fight back a foolish smile, and he let it happen, grinning from ear to ear.
The night consisted of a huge feast to celebrate the King’s return, the Princesses’ awakening, and Patrick's success. He hated to admit it, but he was starting to get used to the idea of being the one looked to for answers, for solutions, and for change. Throughout the night, every Martian in the chamber came up at least once to thank Flupotia personally for everything she had done. Each time she would try desperately to wave them off, blushing slightly. She didn’t feel the recognition was warranted, given that she had been in a dream state and did not remember giving any of the advice she had.
Finally, after a long string of festivities, the food was brought out. The crowds grew quiet, nobody uttering a single word until the heroes were all in their seats. The main table had Gin-us in the center, with Patrick and Flupotia to his right. To his left were the Fire and Ice Kings; despite Patrick thinking the seats should have gone to Frize and Flee. Gin-us stood from his seat, holding his arms out to everyone.
“I am truly amazed at the things you’ve accomplished in my absence.” He smiled at everyone before continuing. “And now we will dine and enjoy the food you have provided!” Everyone cheered as Gin-us beckoned for silence. “Agred rainh shisat planta mucon!”
Cheers erupted again as Gin-us sat down. Patrick, Flupotia, the Firemen and the Icemen all had no idea what Gin-us had said, but everyone was suddenly digging in. The food was delicious, and Patrick savored every bite. There were many strange-looking vegetables, but also plenty of meat. Everyone ate and ate, grateful to have the time to just sit back and enjoy a meal amongst friends.
Dinner continued on for some time, the Martian’s eating, drinking, talking, laughing and of course, dancing. Patrick caught himself a number of times grinning as he looked up from his plate to see such a large group of Martians, carefree and happy. Even Gin-us seemed to have let loose a little and was having a good time. Flupotia caught him more than a few times watching one of the female Martians dancing alone. She pointed it out to Patrick, and the two laughed at how Gin-us could not take his eyes off her.
Patrick scooted down the bench he was sitting on to be across from Gin-us. He was so enamored with watching the other Martian, that he hadn’t noticed Patrick arrive.
“So who is she to you?” Patrick had a grin on his face that wasn’t worth trying to hide.
Gin-us snapped out of the trance he was in as his orange skin went dark, flushed with embarrassment. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Patrick rolled his eyes, “The girl you’ve been staring at, what’s her name?”
“That obvious, huh? That’s Purt the Fith, Daughter of Jickl.”
“Go, dance with her.”
“Why would I want to dance?” Gin-us waved the statement off as some ridiculous notion.
“Look, I’m no expert on love, but it’s pretty clear you like her.”
“Yes, I am man enough to admit there are feelings there… but it doesn’t seem right. Now just isn’t the time to be getting into any of that kind of thing.”
“What are you talking about? This is a perfect time.”
“Patrick, if I’m going to be fighting this battle with you, it just is not good timing.”
“Come on, with our armies, I know we’ll be victorious.” Patrick surprised himself with confidence in his words. “But that’s for tomorrow, in the meantime, go dance with Purt. Enjoy yourself a little.”
“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that,” Gin-us laughed. “If I go, will you stop pestering me?”
“Of course, I promise.” Patrick grinned as Gin-us got up and went to Purt.
He started talking to her and she blushed deeply. Patrick laughed and turned around to check on Flupotia, only to see that she was yet again surrounded by Martians attending to her every need. She looked to Patrick, desperate for an out from the current situation. He just laughed and shrugged his shoulders. Checking on Gin-us, he was shocked to find him already in the middle of a circle of Martians. The group was cheering around him as he danced wildly and happily with Purt.
◆◆◆
The party lasted well into the night, only dying out when Gin-us finally fell asleep at the table. As everyone settled in to their beds, Patrick felt more at ease than he had in a long
time. He felt completely safe here, there were no monsters lurking in the shadows. He fell into a deep sleep quickly, his mind full of good thoughts and dreams. He was back on the surface, his family and friends welcoming him home, cheering for all he had accomplished. There was an award from the President of the United States, honoring Patrick for saving the world from destruction. Everyone looked up to him, the first to make contact with aliens. Scientists came from the furthest reaches of the globe to ask him questions, to learn.
Patrick would have kept on sleeping, enjoying these moments of bliss. But early in the morning, Gin-us woke him, it was time to get going. Patrick smiled foolishly, feeling proud and ready to end this fight once and for all.
◆◆◆
All across the galaxy, it was dawning on the alien force, they had lost their power. It hadn’t reached everyone yet, but it was only a matter of time. The Chiefs had sent out the warning to all the planets.
“The orb has been compromised. Retreat from any missions where transformation is a necessity. Maintain your control and power. Do not, under any circumstance, reveal our power has been lost.”
And that was it. With no other word from the King or the Chiefs, the alien forces were left in a panic.
◆◆◆
XII: The First Battle
It was early in the morning when they left, or at least morning by the Martian’s time. There was no way of telling what time it was on the surface of the planet anymore.
There were many provisions provided for the remainder of the trip: dried meats and vegetables, weapons, clothes, blankets, new tents, and backpacks. Patrick looked around as everyone got ready to leave. The army around him was interesting, to say the least. Patrick found it near impossible to believe that all these different creatures, some previously enemies, had banded together to fight a larger enemy. Most of all, he couldn’t believe he was the one that had brought them all together.
Despite the large size of this army, Patrick was glad that not everyone was going to join for this part. Only those best equipped for fighting were going to continue on. This left most of the Martians, Icemen, and Firemen there in the cave. Even still, it took a while to get everyone and everything coordinated to leave.
When the smaller group, albeit still a large one, finally stood ready to go, Patrick felt good. Everyone had their backpacks shouldered and weapons holstered. There were looks of determination on each face, and Patrick was proud to lead these troops out of the cave. This came with a renewed confidence, and he walked on with pride and determination. For the first time since this whole quest had started, Patrick actually felt like they had a chance. Sure, there were still obstacles to overcome. Like the giant snakes waiting, and the alien base to overrun. But with everyone behind him, and knowing all that he had already accomplished, Patrick knew they would succeed and free everyone.
The walk wasn’t long, but it was long enough for his mind to wander back to the painting of him and the other saviors in the Icemen’s cave. It was that fourth blurred character that left him with questions. There was any number of possibilities of who it could have been, and still no answer as to why they were erased from it. Flupotia still seemed the most likely, but the fact that the fourth savior had been erased worried Patrick. He didn’t want to wish anyone ill, but if the fourth savior was to be someone destined to meet their end, he wanted it to be someone else. Stop, he told himself, for now, it is nobody. Patrick had decided to keep the power of the orb restricted only to Gin-us, Frize and himself. At least for the time being.
As the entrance to the snakes' cave appeared before them, Patrick pushed the thoughts from his head. He had to focus on the here and now.
Flupotia and Gin-us exchanged looks of determination behind Patrick, and they all walked in with weapons drawn, ready for an attack. However, the cave was silent. Not even a faint hissing sound could be heard. The bodies of the two snakes Patrick had killed, still lay on the ground where they had fallen. The stench from their decomposing bodies was overbearing, and there were several sounds of retching behind Patrick as everyone entered. He pulled his shirt up around his mouth and nose to dampen the smell, mostly in vain. A few hundred feet further into the cave was a third snake. It was lying completely still, appearing to be asleep.
Gin-us raised a hand to stop the troops behind him as he made the next few steps alone. Slowly he circled the snake, Patrick by his side. The dreadful smell worsened, and it didn’t take them long to realize that this third snake was also dead. Its head had been blown off, similar to the way Patrick had killed the other two. Gin-us and Patrick locked eyes, both with a look of worry that seemed to say who did this, and why?
Gin-us waved to the troops, hurrying them around the third snake. Nobody knew who had killed this snake, but they all hoped whoever it had been was long gone. For a brief moment, Patrick considered there could be another escaped prisoner, on the same quest as he. This thought quickly left, as he realized if there had been someone else, they would have likely run into them by now.
It was hard at this point, for Patrick to keep his hope alive. Although he didn’t know what had happened, he still felt the evil in the air. The evil that had killed a snake in cold blood, just to prove a point.
Gin-us took the lead, the troops following close behind him towards the other end of the snakes' chamber. They were so close, each member of the party praying the fourth snake wasn’t lying in wait for them. Flupotia stood at the back of the crowd, knowing what the dead snake must mean. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and bowed her head. She took a deep breath to clear her mind.
Gin-us stopped short and held his hand out, stopping everyone in their tracks. The Icemen and Firemen that hadn’t been paying attention bumped into the back of Patrick’s legs. Shivers of warmth raced up his spine.
“Gin-us, what are you do…”
Patrick didn’t get to finish his sentence. As he raised his head, he found himself looking right into the eyes of the fourth snake, alive and well.
◆◆◆
It was clear at this point that Patrick had succeeded in stealing the orb. Agent 3527AS was in the greatest state of panic, knowing he was at the center of it all. If I had just taken my job seriously! He knew that once word got out, he was supposed to be watching Patrick, he was in serious trouble. I need to get out of here.
The General was in his own state of panic as he knew the King and the Chiefs wouldn’t care about some Agent letting a prisoner escape. This would all fall on him, the most senior ranking officer on Earth. Things had been going so well for him, he was up for a promotion, a few more years of hard work and he may have even made Commander.
“I need everyone to get ready for the attack. It’s only a matter of time until he gets back up here. Who still has their powers?”
There were still about a dozen aliens that held the power, great, the General thought, the newest recruits. There was no time to formulate any great plan or stage an attack. They would just have to sit and wait, hoping that the snake was angry enough to deal with Patrick for them. If he hadn’t yet made his move within forty-eight hours, the General would send in his army.
◆◆◆
The Icemen and Firemen all began to scatter, running haphazardly, clearly in a panic. Gin-us tried to calm them down and rally an attack, but they were having none of it. Even their kings had fled, leaving Frize and Flee standing with a small handful of brave fighters. This will have to do Patrick thought.
“Will you let us pass, or do we have to kill you?!” Patrick mustered his courage and yelled through the chaos at the snake.
Loud hissing noises filled the chamber as the snake bowed his head, just inches from Patrick. “I want revenge!”
“Revenge?” Patrick stammered. “For what? We are not responsible for the deaths of all your brothers and sisters…” Patrick paused, hoping the snake would forget he had killed two of the snakes.
The snake hissed loudly again and flicked his tail, slamming it into the cave walls, causing t
he room to shake around them. “For my dead siblingsss, of course! I am the last living, and I have nothing left to live for! I will fight to my death to avenge theirs! And you,” the snake locked eyes with Patrick, “will die the most painful death of them all.”
Okay, he remembers thought Patrick as he continued trying to reason with the snake. “Listen, we are not the ones you need to come after for the death of your siblings!”
“You killed my brothersss! Then the aliens came down and killed my sister because we let you get by! Told us if we had just killed you, then we would all still be alive. Thisss is all on you!” The snake lunged at the small group, everyone dodging in different directions to avoid its fangs.
“I am not the reason they are dead!” Patrick tried again, not wanting to kill the last snake. “If you truly wanted revenge, you would go after the aliens that put you down here in the first place… they’re the ones who forced you to live down here and fight to protect their treasures. They never cared about you or your family! They only cared about their precious orb; not whether you died protecting it! That is who deserves your revenge, not us. We gave you the chance to let us pass peacefully when we first came down. Please, fight with us; help us destroy the aliens on this planet. And if you survive, I promise I will make sure you make it back to your home in one piece.”
Patrick held his breath as the snake paused and seemed to deliberate on the proposal. “I want revenge!”
The snake lunged at Patrick, who was now backed into a corner. His body filled with dread as he realized he had failed and would have to fight this snake. Patrick raised his gun, ready to send off a blast. But he never got to pull the trigger. The snake stopped in the air, a dozen feet from Patrick, and snapped its jaw shut. The snake recoiled and stared at the group hard.
The Birth of a Rebellion Page 16