by Chucho Jones
“Holy crap, it’s talking to us,” Leon added as he flinched at the computer’s response.
“I’m telling you, it’s the only chance we’ve got. Let’s go!” the general said as he struggled to rise with his bad knee while carrying the half robot.
Leon helped the general get on his feet, but the ’his piston prosthetic hissed more acutely than normal. Leon noticed the mechanical gadget was strained but ignored the issue on account of moving forward.
General Banks handed the alien assault rifle to Leon as they stormed out. Leon caught it and observed the weapon.
“Flip the switch, cock the front, and squeeze the trigger. You’re gonna have to cover for me,” General Banks ordered as he struggled to carry on but encouraging Leon forward.
They turned around the corner, following the map’s footsteps and was surprised by four commando aliens heading towards them. Leon flipped the switch, cocked the weapon, and squeezed the trigger.
Every shot he took was worse than the last. He aimed and shot at every alien to no avail. Leon retreated as the aliens fired back. They were pinned behind a corner.
General Banks dropped the robot on the ground, took the gun from Leon, and gave him his lucky bat.
“Stick to swinging, kid. You’re a terrible shot.” He charged at the aliens with accurate shots.
Boom!
One down.
Boom!
Two down.
The general stepped in to gain on the aliens, but one of them got into close contact and hit him in the knee. Leon stepped in and took a swing at the alien’s head and connected. He swung repeatedly until it was left unconscious.
Leon picked an alien phatasfa off the floor. He held the weapon like it was natural for him. He swirled both hand props gracefully. The last alien commando cocked its rifle and prepared to shoot. The general took aim and shot first, and the alien hit the ground, scorched and smoking.
“Thanks, General,” Leon said, surprised. He helped the general back up again, the piston knee having given out.
“This thing is no good. Can you fix it?” Banks asked Leon.
“There’s not enough time. I can lock it for now, but you will be limping,” Leon said as he tightened the piston shut into a locked position.
The general stood with a stiff leg as Leon struggled to carry the robot. It was too heavy for him to bare alone. With very little option, they were bound to the conveyor.
They tossed the robot onto a platform. Leon helped the general jump onto the next platform, and Leon jumped onto Bank’s platform and handed him the gun. He then jumped on to GR-3G’s platform deftly.
Automated turrets pointed at Leon as their path came to a crossroads. It shot at Leon, just missing his left leg. He looked around and saw the turret that was shooting at him.
He hid under the robot’s carcass for protection. Fortunately, the general acted quick enough and destroyed the automated weapon with no problem.
“You ok?” Banks asked as he looked around for extra bogeys.
“Yeah, swell. Thanks again,” Leon replied with a sarcastic tone.
GR-3G manipulated the direction of the platform to conform to Oliver’s trajectory. Leon found comfort in the fact that at least they were heading in the right direction.
“I’m sure it will be a fun ride,” Banks said to ease the moment.
25
Chapter 25
Oliver couldn’t help but think about his uncle’s fate. His stomach churned with concern while thinking about the possibility of facing the alien menace. At least his captors seemed short and stale, though their demeanor was convincingly intimidating.
He looked around for a chance to escape. I can’t give up yet.
He noticed the conveyor worked based on vitro-plasma. All he needed was to dip his hand into the viscous matter to absorb some energy. Deep down, he knew he was needed alive. He knew that whatever he did, the very worst of what could happen is that he would be hurt.
Though… The human body is able to survive a high level of pain without giving up…
He was left with no other choice. He threw himself to the ground and pretended to seize. The aliens flinched briefly at the action but remained cautious. He rolled around to get close to the stream, then slid his hand into the pink plasma.
Holy hydrogen, it worked they bought it! he thought to himself.
That was one problem down, but the one presented now was far worse. The plasma wasn’t working. Alas, the conveyor ran on a decomposed matter that only resembled Vitro-Plasma.
He stopped shaking when he realized the plan had failed. An alien commando picked him up and threw him back in the middle of the platform. There was nothing he could do now but sit and wait… plan.
He spotted a prehistoric mammal roaming about the edge of the conveyor. The beast was a mix between a wolf and a hyena. Oliver recognized it as an Andrewsarchus from the Cenozoic era.
What is a creature from so long ago doing in this place? he wondered, beginning to think he may be hallucinating.
Suddenly more animals appeared, and he confirmed he wasn’t seeing things. A Mammoth trumpeted in fear as it remained stuck in the pink, gelatinous matter. Conveyor platforms constantly rammed the beast’s rear, piling to the side of the river.
The complexity of the conveyor’s technology combined with the raw nature of the animals, created a cluster of chaos on the transportation traffic flow. The commandoes were forced to take control of the situation.
Oliver took the chance to jump off the platform and run away. He cautiously scurried through all the animal chaos and headed for Victoria’s location. If he thought hard enough, he was at least able to access some of the information on the Quantum Wielder, however, it made him feel weak by doing so.
Among the animal turmoil, Oliver heard a sound. A massive, wailing reptile rammed the alien oppressors. He then saw somebody riding the beast.
“Oli, Oliver is that you?” Victoria yelled from across the hallway. His heart pounded almost out of his chest at the sound of her voice. An adrenaline rush overcame him, and the fatigue quickly melted away.
“Victoria”, he replied as she approached.
She rode the reptilian mammal from the Cenozoic period escorted by a pygmite and an albino Neanderthal. Victoria jumped off the creature and embraced Oliver. He felt short of breath, his stomach felt hollow, and his knees weak, but he kept his arms strongly wrapped around his friend for a moment.
“I’m so happy to see you, you came for me,” she said with joy.
“Of course,” Oliver said.
“Your mother is here; I saw her. They had her in the main control room,” Victoria said with a wondrous expression on her face.
“My mother? is she alright? Are you alright? What’s going on?” he asked as he looked at the unlikely entourage of escapees.
“Yes, she was sleeping, but she seemed fine. It’s a long story, but I met Chuggy, the little one, when I got here. I helped him free his friend, and now they’re helping me escape,” Victoria said in a single breath.
“You mean her friend,” Oliver corrected Victoria. He took a glance at Chuggy. “It’s a female pygmite Neanderthal. She has no beard,” Oliver said with a soft smirk.
Victoria got on her knees and petted Chuggy with enthusiasm. “Is that right, you sweet girl? No wonder she’s been so motherly towards me,” Victoria replied. Chuggy welcomed the physical affection then retreated to Nanook’s back and began to comb his hair with her hands.
“She’s probably an adult, and this big fella here might be her mate.” Oliver approached the beast by extending his palm. Nanook responded by reaching his hand out.
“Clearly an alpha, however, I don’t think his size and color are natural. He has alien markings on his chest,” Oliver added, pointing out tattooed characters on Nanooks chest that resembled ancient Mayan-Sumerian hieroglyphs.
“If these guys are prehistoric, then how long have these aliens been around us?” Victoria curiously wondered.
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br /> “Maybe Doctor Dicken’s knows, but right now, I just want this whole thing to end. Let’s go get my mother,” Oliver said with a stout demeanor.
He gestured to Nanook for permission to ride the reptilian beast, and the caveman agreed. Only in his dreams could he ever imagine having a moment like this—except, in his dreams, he didn’t feel the weight of the world or the galaxy upon his shoulders.
He looked down to see Victoria’s arms securely wrapped around his waist. His heart pounded, and he felt a rush going up his legs as well as butterflies in his stomach. He knew it was out of place, but he couldn’t help but the feel joy of having Victoria so close to him in such an intimate embrace.
“You said my mother was in the main control room?” Oliver asked as he gazed at Victoria’s gracious profile.
“Yes, or at least I think that’s what it was. There where holographic screens and control panel with aliens, and they also had these vacuum spaces where they held me and that glowing sphere. It seemed important enough to be a control room,” Victoria answered. “Why? How are you planning on getting there?”
“With this. It’s looking for the Quantessence. That’s the orb.” Oliver stretched his right arm out. The alien tendrils at the base coiled one after the other like fingers on a hand. “I acquired the ship’s information when I got here. The previous host showed me what it does, but I don’t understand it. I just feel drawn to the Quantessence,” Oliver said in almost a whisper.
Victoria got closer showing interest in what Oliver said. “Who is it?” she asked, responding to Oliver’s whispering tone.
“I believe it’s the alien android my mother tried to warn us about. I saw him in my head before, when I got this thing latched,” Oliver responded with a serious grin.
He remembered the excruciating pain he felt when he became the host. Now his arm only felt numb, and foreign. He concentrated on the Quantessence’s energy, the mercuranium on his forearm began to swivel and shake.
The material molded into a map with a shimmer that showed the location of the mystical orb. Oliver felt his legs get heavy and his head get light. He could barely sit up. He felt Victoria’s arms squeezing his ribcage as he almost slipped off the back of the reptile.
“Oliver, are you alright? What’s wrong?” Victoria raised her voice in concern.
Oliver showed Victoria the map on his screen and gave her an alien thumbs up. “I’m fine. I was locating my mother. If she is where you say she is, this thing will take us there. I just need to feed this thing with Vitro-plasma, as it seems to feed off me when it doesn’t have it.” Oliver enunciated as best as he could, but was still very weak.
“Wait, is that the pink goo? Can’t you use the one in the river over there?” Victoria asked.
Oliver shook his head. He started to nod off. They followed the hallways according to Oliver’s map. Chuggy and Nanook rid the path of any menacing turret shooting at them. They came about a long, up-sloping corridor with cool lighting. They hasted to the main gate at the end of the corridor where they came across a large door.
“Oliver, sweetie, please wake up. We need you to open the gate. You can have your pink juice on the other side. Come on let’s go,” she said to him in an endearing tone.
The strategy worked, and Oliver came to his senses. He stumbled to the side control of the gate with the help of Victoria. The gates opened, and they entered the room.
The view was like nothing they had ever seen. The oval shaped room had grand ceilings with clear wedges serving as windows along the curving walls. The place had multiple reflections with holographic screens showing numerous operations.
The console controls held cocoon shaped orbs where alien minions operated the vessel. Among that was the metallic materials and the pink liquid that ran through what could only be organic tubing.
Oliver saw a pink cocoon held from the top by cables and hoses. He dragged one foot after the other until he reached the cocoon. His heart was pounding, and he fell hard on his knees at the sight of his mother spaced out in a prison of tranquility. She looked beautiful as ever.
It didn’t matter at that moment what the outcome of the mission was. At least Oliver had a chance to see his mother one more time.
He observed the cocoon’s console controls and placed his hand on the main one. The alien tendrils conjoined with the machine and began the extraction. Instead of vacuuming the Vitro-plasma from the chamber, the Quantum Wielder drained the chamber to feed.
Oliver felt stronger than ever. He felt the cloud above his head dissipate and the weight lifting off his shoulders. Adrenaline or Vitro-plasma rushed through his body in a burst of euphoria. Everything became clear as his brain came in sync with the Wielder.
He understood the functionality of the alien device in which his mother was being kept. The chamber opened, and both kids hasted to grab the once-imprisoned woman. It only took a few moments for Laura to wake. Oliver embraced her and didn’t let go. She became speechless at the sight of the environment. She held her son for a moment and began to regain her senses.
“Oliver, you’re here. I knew you’d find me,” Laura said with tears in her eyes.
Oliver wished he could cry as well to show her how he felt. He raised his arm to show his mother what had happened to him. “I figured this thing out. It looked for a new host, and I was there.” Oliver looked over at a hallway that led to a mercuranium wall.
He sensed the power of the Quantessence on the other side. His guest was energized, and his senses were at an all-time high. He felt a growing strength and power but had no idea what this could bring forth.
He looked into his mother’s sad eyes. He felt her guilt at the sight of the alien arm overtaking her child. He hugged her once more and felt nothing but love. It was time for him to protect them.
“It’s ok, Mom. I’ll take care of this and then we can go home.” Oliver stood and headed toward the mercuranium wall.
26
Chapter 26
A strong whoosh resounded in the room. The main entrance gates opened. The shimmering talons of the alien mistress clapped the floor in haste, one after the other.
Kha Tse released her lassos and lashed the reptile by the neck, the beast shrieking in pain. The whips tore the reptile’s head off before it could even move, then crumpling to the ground.
Nanook taunted the alien and rushed towards her, but he was immediately distracted by a fleet of alien commandoes that rushed in and kept him busy fighting. Chuggy hasted to assist her primitive companion while Victoria helped Laura regain her strength by the foot of the cocoon.
Oliver saw the ferocious creature headed straight for them. Kha Tse lifted her arm as she was about to strike. Oliver’s heart pounded in his chest, and his feet felt heavy as he tried to steady himself. A jolt of rushing energy ran straight up his spine and into the back of his neck.
He stretched his alien arm out and from the top of his alien palm, a blasting energy ray shot straight at Kha Tse. She flew across the room and hit the wall before landing in a crouch. To Oliver, her action resembled a typical ‘Monster-Hero landing’ in the comic strips he read back on Earth.
A second wave of alien commandoes stormed in to assist their mistress. Kha Tse waved her arm, screeching in her alien dialect. The sound waves echoed in Oliver’s head and transformed into words he could understand.
“Kill the females. I’ll take care of the wielder!” Kha Tse yelled at her subordinates. He looked over at Victoria and his mother who were oblivious to the immediate danger.
Oliver had no time to assist them.
“Victoria behind you!” Oliver shouted.
Victoria reacted by grabbing Laura’s side arm and shot at the alien commandoes. Her marksmanship reflected that of her adoptive father. She was handling her own like she had been all along.
Nanook and Chuggy were making headway on the battle field. Having felled many alien commandos, the mighty Neanderthal took a stand and squared off to challenge Kha Tse, giving her a run for
her money. The beast overpowered her in hand-to-hand combat, even though his fighting style was simple. His shear brutality was enough to overcome any trained combatant.
“Oliver, go. We’ll cover you!” Victoria yelled.
Oliver was fueled with fear. Never would he have possibly imagined such an adventure to become his life. He was determined to retrieve the Quantessence and put a stop to all the alien madness.
He walked towards the metal gate. The massive door contrasted against his thin frame. He reached his arm out and touched the alien material, opening the gate. A spherical chamber held the glowing orb in the center of the room.
Metal prongs protruded from the ceiling and floor, suspending the Quantessence in midair. Oliver raised his arm and placed his hand on the room’s main console. He tried to override the system to retrieve the orb. He was so engrossed in the task mentally and physically, his hearing muffled. All he could feel was the orbs enclosed power looking for a way to be released.
His focus was cut short when Nanook hurled through the room, hitting his back on the side of a prong and landing unconscious on the floor across the way. Suddenly, a metallic tendril wrapped around Oliver’s neck, denying him breath. Kha Tse approached him from behind, coiling the other end of the tendril around her right arm gauntlet.
“Now, you will serve me, vermin,” Kha Tse spat in a dangerous tone.
She forced him to place the arm into a slot on the main console. He remained still, his body was not responding, though his mind was free. He saw everything and felt everything. He had all the knowledge, but no power to do anything about it.
He felt as though he’d been broken down to mere particles, yet he still remained. The orb shed its mercuranium armor and began to glow, spinning on its axis. The glowing sphere broke into eight parts to form a spherical nexus.
Energy began to emit outward from the center. Images of other worlds with various creatures and places out of reality manifested from within the orb.