As another microphone was shoved into his face, Patrick turned on his heels and rushed back into the house. Body slamming into the couch, Patrick tried to bury his face and hide away from it all. Gin-us and Flupotia stepped back from the reporters, made slightly more graceful exits and followed him inside. Bonnie and Hugo stuck outside to continue fending off the onslaught of questions. From the living room, you could hear Bonnie telling the reporters to back off her son and let him get some rest. But Patrick didn’t need any more rest. All he wanted was to jump on the spaceship sitting in the driveway and fly back to the seclusion of the woods.
“Gin-us, Flupotia. I can’t handle this. I need to get out of here.”
“What are you talking about?” Gin-us looked at Patrick sideways, the confusion clear on his face. “You’re a hero!”
“It’s alright Gin-us, I can take care of him.” Flupotia stepped in front of Gin-us, releasing him with a short wave. “Just tell his parents we snuck out for a short walk.”
“There’s no way to get out of here, Flupotia!” Patrick was clearly defeated. “Not with all of those reporters outside. Sure, they’ll leave eventually. But I need to get away now.”
“So let’s sneak out the back. Nobody will even know we’re gone.”
The appreciation in Patrick's eyes was enough thanks for Flupotia as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the door. As they snuck out the back, Patrick heard his parents coming in the front. He knew his parents wouldn’t approve of him leaving so soon after coming home. They would make him stay home and sleep it off, but he knew that wouldn’t help. And he was lucky that Flupotia did as well.
As soon as they were outside, the sense of vulnerability was too much, and Patrick wanted more anonymity. The two transformed, Flupotia first into a blue bird with a snake’s tongue slithering in and out rapidly. Patrick followed suit, focusing on her form and quickly transformed into a similar creature. Leaving their clothes behind, they took off into the darkness together.
Flying had to be the most thrilling and liberating experience. Both Patrick and Flupotia embraced the feel of the wind rushing through their feathers, their powerful wings flapping rapidly as they rose higher and higher. Catching a gust of wind, Patrick was hurtled up towards the sky, higher than he ever would have dared to go before. He felt all of his anxiety and fears fly off as the wind carried him higher and higher. I need to transform into a bird more often.
Once they were deep into the woods, they landed at the top of a strong oak tree. It was one of the tallest and oldest trees in the forest, overlooking the town Patrick had grown up in. You could easily pick his house out from all the bright lights that were surely visible from space.
“It’s so nice here,” Flupotia was the first to break the silence, her voice high-pitched yet still hers.
Patrick took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh air. “Up here, or on Earth?”
“Both, I suppose.” She paused, pondering her next words carefully. “There are small forests on Pluto, but none as expansive or as beautiful as this one. When I heard there was going to be a voyage to Earth, I signed up right away. I’d never been old enough before to go on a voyage, and my father wouldn’t let me. The only exposure to life outside Arapholanx was through conversations with prisoners brought back from other planets to work on Pluto. But this time, I left my father no choice. He was disappointed for sure, but I was so excited to be part of something, to make a difference that I didn’t care. I have to say though, I never would have imagined getting caught up in an adventure such as this.”
Patrick smiled as he listened to the passion in her voice. “I’m glad you came along. If I hadn’t run into you, I’d probably be dead by now myself.”
“I’m sure you would have made it somehow. Truth be told, you did most of it without me.”
Patrick blushed, grateful that the moon was hidden behind some clouds. “I don’t think I would have made it past the snakes if it wasn’t for you.”
“Thanks, Patrick.”
Silence descended on the two as they became lost in their own thoughts. Patrick could not stop thinking of how large a responsibility and task he had taken on. Just a few weeks ago he had been worrying about college, girls and getting his first car. Now, he had taken on the responsibility of all mankind, of saving not only Earth but the entire Galaxy. He laughed to himself, thinking of how he used to stress about such trivial things. While it had been beyond difficult, this quest had really put things into perspective for Patrick, and he felt like the person he was in high school was now a lifetime past. He wondered if his life would ever go back to normal; if he would go back to college, get a girlfriend, buy that car. Hopefully, when this is all over.
Patrick felt a rush of excitement as he thought about returning to a mundane life, studying in college to become an engineer. Before any of this, that’s all he had ever wanted. To help people by building new things, creating a better way of life. In some ways, he was still doing this, just on a much larger and very different scale.
As the clouds cleared from the moon and the space around them grew brighter, Patrick turned to Flupotia. He saw a pain in her face he hadn’t noticed before. She too had taken on a lot in such a short time and had worries of her own. This whole thing had started on her planet, and she knew that’s where it was sure to end.
“Flupotia?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice, almost falling from the tree. “Oh… yes?”
“I was just wondering… is there anything you’re keeping from me? Something I should know?”
“I won’t lie to you Patrick, ever. That said, I will admit I’m keeping a secret. But I can tell you it’s nothing that would help or harm you in any way at this point. I know when the time is right, my secret will come out. Secrets are,” she paused looking for the right word, “complicated? Everyone has them. Gin-us, your parents, even yourself. Now just isn’t the time for me to share mine. If anything changes, I promise to tell you first.”
Patrick sighed, understanding the weight of secrets and just how heavy that burden could be. “I trust you, Flupotia. I really do. I’ll leave it alone, but know that I’m here for you.” He paused, contemplating. “Want to know a secret about me?”
“Sure!” she said excitedly with the change of topics.
“I am afraid of clowns.” His face was deadpan.
“Clowns?”
“Yeah, the circus and all, you know? Big red noses, painted faces… they just kind of creep me out.”
“Sounds amusing to me actually. We have no clowns in Arapholanx. Or anywhere in Pluto that I know of.”
“They’re definitely meant to be funny. But I don’t see it that way, they’re more terrifying than anything else. And now, you know a secret about me that no one else does!”
“I promise to never tell.” She looked at him solemnly before bursting into a fit of laughter that came out in shrill chirps.
Her laughter was infectious, and Patrick soon found himself laughing with her. The two were both thoroughly enjoying their time together and felt at ease for the first time in a long while. As the laughter died down, they again sat in silence, letting the sounds of nature fill the void. They sat in the tree until the sun began rising in the distance, slowly erasing the pillar of light rising from his home. Neither wanted to leave, but they both knew it was time. With nothing more than a silent nod, they both jumped from the tree, flapping their wings with just enough time to miss the ground.
Since leaving, the reporters had managed to fully surround the house. Patrick and Flupotia were forced to circle the house until they found an open window on the second floor. They busted through the screen, assuming Hugo wouldn’t mind given the circumstances.
“Patrick!” Hugo was the first to see him come down the stairs. “Where have you been?” He got up from his seat and pointed his finger directly at his nose. “Your mother and I have been worried sick.”
“Sorry, Dad, Mom.” He looked over to her, sitting in the
corner, eyebrows knitted in worry and anger. “I just needed to get away from all of this.”
“We understand the need to get away, son. You still should have told us you were leaving!”
“Gin-us told you, didn’t he? And if I had waited to tell you myself, would you really have let me leave?”
“We would have let you go,” Bonnie spoke up quietly, a look of betrayal on her face. “We would have understood.”
“Is that so? Because that’s not how I see it playing out.” The anger was rising in Patrick. Where is this coming from? Patrick had never defied his parents before.
“Patrick, please. We’re doing our best with all of this. I think we can all agree how insane this all is.”
“I’m going back out. Gin-us, Flupotia, we need to head to the alien base and plan our next steps.”
“Patrick, you are not to leave this house!” Everyone looked to Bonnie, her voice still ringing in their ears.
“See?” Patrick tossed his hands in the air. “I told you, you wouldn’t have let me leave!”
“It’s different this time.”
“How so? No.” He held up his hands, cutting his parents off before they could speak. “Don’t answer, I’m leaving.”
Patrick rushed out the front door, not giving his parents a chance to say anything back. He pushed his way through the reporters and cameras, not letting them bother him anymore. He jumped on the ship and turned to see Flupotia and Gin-us following him. They powered the engines up and took off as soon as enough power was built up.
The crowds around the ship rushed away with worried looks on their faces. In the air, Patrick wasted no time in taking off for the woods, changing course a few times just in case someone was trying to follow the flight path. Upon reaching the base, they found that nothing had changed since their last encounter. The aliens were long gone, and the planet was still safe, for the time being at least. While happy there were no new aliens to meet them, the pit in Patrick's stomach was still present. Making their way through the makeshift camp in the alien bunker, Patrick took a turn and bumped into Frize.
“Oof!” he said, slamming into Patrick hard.
“Hey, watch it!” Patrick said it defensively on instinct, then quickly recoiled. “Oh sorry, Frize. What’s up?”
“I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
His voice was fast-paced now, reminding Patrick of their late friend Flee. Icicles seemed to spurt around his head, his son standing behind him hopping from foot to foot in anticipation.
“I haven’t shared this with anyone yet. I, well I thought it was best to wait for you. We should find somewhere private to talk.”
“How serious is this?” The pit in his stomach began to expand rapidly.
“Extremely. Hurry, we have little time to spare.”
“I know where we can go. Follow me.”
Without another word, Patrick led them to the room he had been in last, tied up for interrogation. Patrick remembered exactly where it was, and although he wasn’t thrilled to be returning, he knew it wouldn’t be a popular spot. Flupotia, Gin-us, Frize, and Flu all struggled to keep up with Patrick. Whatever had gotten Frize so worked up had also managed to turn the pit in Patrick's stomach into a large hole.
◆◆◆
XVI: Another Journey Begins
“Alright, what’s going on?” Patrick demanded.
Frize stared at Patrick for a long moment. “I think I found the King of Pluto’s plans for domination. As we all have guessed, and some of us have probably known, Earth, Mercury, and Venus are the only planets left in his way. However, as we have just found out, it may be too late for Venus by this point.”
“I was hoping we could beat them there!” Flupotia said plainly.
“By the dates,” Frize continued, “I’m guessing Venus has already been taken. Mercury could still be saved if we hurry.”
“One of the guards I had captured said he was flying a routine flight around Venus when he got the distress call to come here. How could they have taken Venus so quickly?”
Everyone turned to Flupotia, the only alien in the room. “I’m sorry guys, but I can’t speak for all of the aliens. Some planets he was able to take in days, others took much longer. We’ve been on Earth for months now and still didn’t have an end in sight. I have no idea what to expect on Venus or Mercury.”
“Well, standing around here we aren’t going to get any answers.” Patrick made a move towards the door, towards answers. “We need to get out there and find out what’s going on.”
Frize chimed in, “So what’s the next move, Patrick?”
Patrick turned to the small crowd around him, stopping to face each one in turn. Flupotia and Gin-us were already on board, nodding their silent agreements. Frize and his son Flu both had the same look of confused excitement on their faces.
“We need to fly out there and figure out what the hell is going on.” The words left Patrick's mouth before he even knew where he was really going. The pit in his stomach closed suddenly; now filled with something he had become all too familiar with recently. This is my responsibility, and I will see it through.
“We can’t just let this happen while we sit by knowing it’s happening. As it stands, we might be the only ones capable of stopping it. We need to fight back.” Patrick paused, knowing he was on the cusp of something grand. “We won the first battle and we took back Earth. I won’t downplay the significance of what we’ve all done here. But Earth is just one planet, and I cannot let all the other planets out there be enslaved by this tyrant king. For Gin-us and his people of Mars, for Flupotia and her people on Pluto. For you Frize and all the Icemen, to honor Flee’s memory and fight for his Firemen. Even for the Snakes from Saturn and the Jaguar from Jupiter. Every single creature out there, big or small, powerful or weak, alone or great in numbers. This fight was never just about Earth, and it isn’t over by a long shot. It’s upsetting that it took so long for something like this to finally happen, for someone to finally be able to stand up to the King. But I’m glad it’s me, and I’m glad I have amazing friends by my side. It’s time we put an end to Flaca of Arapholanx!” Patrick's voice rose at the end of his speech, the small crowd around him all watching with shock and awe.
Patrick cleared his throat and looked down, slightly embarrassed. He was just as surprised with himself as everyone else with his little speech. But under the shock and awe, he also saw acceptance and determination in their eyes. They all knew he was right, this fight had been started to gain freedom from the King and they couldn’t stop now. They had to fight for all the planets, or else, who would? Things fell into place quickly then, the group settling down to arrange their next steps and battle plan.
◆◆◆
Months passed, but finally, everything was prepped and plans for departure were finalized. The plan was to use the aliens own tactics against them. With the power of the orb now on their side, they should have no trouble taking Venus. With Venus freed, the army would travel to Mercury in hopes of finding new allies. While all of this was far easier said than done, the misfit group of rebels was ready for it all. There was nothing stopping them now.
In the time they had spent preparing to leave, three human soldiers had stepped forward to join the army. Outside of that, there had been no other word from any government official or military branch. Patrick was grateful for the three that had stepped forward who worked without complaint alongside Martian warriors and alien rebels. With their help, they had developed a rigorous training program that crossed fitness, technology, and warfare tactics. It was intense, but everyone understood the necessity, and nobody complained.
The rebellion had grown but was still incredibly small. Along with the humans Gin-us had recruited five warriors and Dr. Jont to travel to Venus, the rest of his people staying behind to hold the alien base and Earth if needed. Flupotia had managed to point out four aliens that she trusted were against the current king. Each of them jumped in line behind her without question. The Ja
guar had decided to stay on Earth, for now, allowing himself time to heal and get used to hobbling around on three legs. The largest group by far was the dozen Icemen and Firemen rallying behind Frize and Flee Jr., who was very much like his father.
Patrick joined in the training program along with everyone else, but took time daily to make rounds and get to know the soldiers he would be fighting alongside. He felt pride swell inside him at the small army the rebellion now had and was confident it would continue to grow.
As he sat through a training program on piloting the spaceships, Patrick pondered on where his life had taken such a huge turn just a short time ago. It was strange for him, to think back to the day he started following Tom around after school. At that point, Patrick was just looking for a distraction from worrying about staying ahead and school, he hadn’t really expected to find anything. Knowing what he did now he was happy to have been proved wrong. He knew it was his destiny to rid the universe of King Flaca. And he knew he would succeed, with his friends and allies by his side.
The Birth of a Rebellion Page 21