“It bought a few minutes of privacy, something we sorely lack around here. The temperature did drop. Are you sure you’re okay out here?”
“Never better.”
The two men stood staring out into the bitter cold and gusty winds.
Billy removed his eye goggles and rubbed his eyes, “Greg, you see that?”
“What?”
“Out there, about two-hundred yards. Two people are moving toward us.”
“It’s probably two of the guards coming in from patrol. They’re moving at a pretty good clip. It’s good to be young.”
Lazarr and Kirock slowed down as they approached the outskirts of the station.
“Check you sensors again. Are you sure that’s the one?” asked the captain.
“Absolutely. One of them is our contact. The readings are dead on.”
“Set your weapon and take aim. We’re going to have to take both of them. I can’t distinguish the two from here and I don’t want to get closer to the station. If the doors open and we’re spotted, that would cause undue problems we don’t need today.”
As the aliens drew closer to the station, Billy’s head throbbed. He wobbled against the railing and fell against Greg.
Billy’s voice trailed off as he looked out to the snow covered land, “Greg, I know you won’t believe this, but they’re here.”
Greg lightly tapped Billy’s cheeks in an effort to snap his friend out of this temporary stupor.
Before either man could move, a red beam of light hit them. It came from Lazarr’s weapon. The first mate came running towards the men and grabbed one under each arm. The tranquilized men had no idea what was happening. Lazarr’s tremendous strength allowed him to easily carry the men back to the ship, safely away from the station.
Lazarr put the men on a bench at the back of the small ship. He replaced a vile of liquid from his weapon and put another small container in the chamber of the gun-like device.
He pressed the controls of the machine and a narrow band of gas expelled from it. When the fumes hit Billy and Greg, they awoke.
“Jesus Christ!” said Greg, practically falling over backwards in his chair.
Billy was unfazed, “Greg, these are the tall people I told you about. Tall people, meet Greg. I guess you already know who I am.”
Kirock extended his palms to the two men.
“I want to talk to the human who touched the orb. I suspect it’s you,” asked Kirock, looking at Billy.
“That’s right. I’m Billy Callahan, this is my friend, Greg Miller. He’s not involved with this. Don’t hurt him. He saved my life.”
Kirock gave Billy a quizzical look, “I have no interest in hurting either one of you.”
Greg wanted to speak, but he was still groggy from the tranquilizer, so he wisely kept quiet, watching and listening to the events unfold in front of him.
“I wanted to talk to your people when the teacher had a hold of me. In a funny way, it’s good to see your people again. Did you come back to retrieve the orb? I know where it was two years ago, before Greg and I were banished to this isolated station at the end of the earth.”
Kirock sat back for a moment and chose his next words carefully.
“We will retrieve the orb. I have other more pressing issues to consider at the moment. Your fate is at the top of the list.”
“You said you weren’t going to hurt us,” piped Greg.
Kirock turned to Greg and said, “I said we weren’t going to hurt either of you, and that’s true, but we have not ruled out hurting the rest of your people. The reports coming from this planet are concerning to the rest of the other life forms across the galaxy.”
Billy tried to stand, but his legs were still wobbly. He returned to the seat. “What is your name?
“Kirock. I am the captain of the ship. We have the technology to wipe out every human being on the planet with little damage to the environment, or the animal kingdom.”
Billy slapped at his knee. “See, I told you, Greg, we really pissed off Mother Nature this time!
Lazarr spoke for the first time. “You don’t seem surprised to see us.”
Billy nodded his head. “I’ve been telling people that you were coming back. The teacher told me you would come back. Once I regained my own thoughts, I’ve been telling anyone who will listen that we must change the way we think on this planet or we’re doomed. I guess I failed at that job. I would have been able to do more except President Dodge is a real asshole, and he stuck us down in this god forsaken place while he tries to blow up the entire world, or threaten every world leader with war if they don’t agree to his terms. He faked an airplane accident to make people think we died in the crash. He’s going to be out of office soon, but if his political party stays in control of the presidency, I’m afraid things will only get worse. The Green Party was increasing public awareness of the environmental problems we have. Dodge is sending the world back to the Stone Age with all his bluster and war. Greg is dying from cancer, and may not live long enough to see day when Dodge and his party are booted out, but until then, we’re stuck here, and can’t tell anybody else about my message from your teacher.”
Lazarr raised his hands and pressed a button that activated a clear shield that came out of the floor and rose to the ceiling, blocking any sound from traveling from one side of the room to the other side of the material, where Billy and Greg sat quietly, unable to hear the conversation.
“Kirock, their minds are so simple. We owe it to the rest of the galaxy to eliminate them. We’ve come all this way, and the weapon is ready. Nobody travels in this part of the galaxy anymore. We wouldn’t have to worry about any residual contamination, that’s the beauty of the new weapon,” said Lazarr.
“You make it sound so simple. Press the button and wipe away thousands of years of history. Simple minds or not, the choice is easy sitting in the first mate’s chair. Your seat is ten feet from mine on the bridge of the ship, but it’s an entirely different thing altogether to play God and obliterate an entire civilization. That’s a heavy burden to bear, no matter how petty and foolish their behavior has become.” Kirock leaned back in his chair and let out a long, slow sigh.
The two men sat staring at the humans. Lazarr tried again to get his point across to his captain.
“Sir, remember what they’ve done to the planet. You and I watched the download from the orb, we’ve seen from the humans what horrible choices they’ve made, and what lies ahead for them. Billy’s own words describe the mounting tension that may lead to thermonuclear war. These weapons are more powerful than the early versions used a hundred years ago. Our sensors barely registered those two explosions. My staff has run various scans of the current technology and if used, the consequences for the rest of the creatures living here would be catastrophic. As you recall the words of the council members back home, they gave explicit instructions —”
Kirock interrupted, his temper rising slightly, “You do not need to remind me what the council said. I am considering many options right now, and you can abstain from vocalizing your desire to vaporize the planet’s human population. I understand you will collect a large bonus from the military if the weapon is successful. You see Lazarr, we all have things riding on this trip. My reputation, your precious, new weapon. Our people’s standing throughout the galaxy will be forever marked if we eliminate the humans. These are difficult choices. I’d like to hear from the human again. Lower the shield.”
A contrite Lazarr lowered the shield, “As you wish, Captain.”
Billy and Greg remained silent in their seats. Kirock rose and walked back and forth across the width of the ship, his head practically touching the ceiling. He clasped his hands together and placed them behind his back as he walked.
“Billy, I can’t imagine the scrutiny you’ve been under since your release from the orb. I have reviewed your experiences and I must say, you’ve performed beyond my expectations. If there were more people who thought like you, perhaps our trip
here wouldn’t have such dire consequences. I’m in a bit of a quandary.”
“What else can I do? Greg and I are stuck in this barren wasteland. There are only a handful of people that know we’re here, besides, Greg has an illness that will likely kill him within months.”
Kirock grabbed his scanner from his side pocket and ran the device up and down the side of Greg’s body. He turned to Lazarr and motioned for him to retrieve the small medical bag secured in the second cabinet above the control module.
Kirock removed several items from the bag and picked out a light blue pill. He handed it to Greg and said, “Swallow this. Tomorrow you will develop a fever. Two days later your illness will be gone.”
Greg held the pill in his hand and clutched it tight.
“Thank you, but I’m not sure I want to live if you are going to do what I think you’re going to do to us.” He opened his hand and tossed the pill on the floor. It bounced twice, ricocheted off the side panel of instruments, and came to rest near Billy’s shoes. Billy grabbed it and secured it safely into his shirt pocket.
Lazarr interjected, “See Captain, humans don’t appreciate generosity. Why do you even bother with them?”
Kirock glanced at his first mate, “That’s enough Lazarr. You’ve made your point.”
Billy’s emotions came pouring out of him, as he tried to find the right words to say.
“Captain, please talk to me. I bonded with the teacher. I learned many things from him. I tried to convince people to change. I’m not dead, not yet anyway. If you can get us out of here, we can continue to make efforts to change the world. If our political leadership changes and I believe, with my help, without men like President Dodge around to harm innocent citizens and the planet, we can alter the future. Our second in command to the President is a good man. He has no voice in government as long as Dodge is in control. Without Dodge, substantial progress is possible, and when the next election comes, the Green Party could win the election. The people are ready. I can feel it. If the Green Party doesn’t win the majority of votes in this election, then perhaps the next one in four years. I saw how quickly four years goes by, and how small a fraction it is in the chronicles of a people. You say you’ve searched our records. If that’s true, then you must have seen all the strides we’ve made in the last few years. I was part of a political movement that was about to make profound changes in our country. My country could be at the forefront of change throughout the world. If you’ve been watching us, surely you can see the progress we’re capable of.”
Kirock wasn’t convinced. He stood over Billy and pointed at him, “You take two steps back for every step forward. Time and time again you fail. Greed is your undoing. That isn’t going to change anytime soon. Power and money consume your leaders. It was much like our leaders many years ago.”
Billy seized on the opening, “I know! I was there! I saw Hardugus land here. I saw him change and get in trouble. He is a distant relative to you, in some small way. I saw your people ruin this planet. I saw them leave in disgrace. There was death and destruction. Yet, here you sit with me today. Somehow, someway, your people overcame those flaws and now you sit here in judgment of us? I know your own race better than you do! Who are you to come here and threaten us? You are nothing but the advanced version of us, millions of years later. You must give my people more time before passing final judgment. We deserve the passage of time to allow ourselves to overcome our shortcomings, just as you did. You were not under the gun of extinction to change. You had millions of years of evolution to achieve the desired results. Aren’t we entitled to the same opportunity?”
Kirock sat down in his chair again and contemplated Billy’s passionate plea for more time. Lazarr wasn’t fazed. Lazarr was also not the captain of the ship.
Kirock pressed the button on the communication panel. The voice of the navigator bellowed through the cabin.
“This is navigation, how can I assist you Captain?”
Kirock focused his eyes on Billy as he spoke.
“I want you to enter this into the Captains journal, and forward it to the Staff of Ministers back home. This is Captain Kirock speaking…I came to Tenegraw with plans to destroy the human beings. Our records were clear. They showed no reason to believe that change was possible. I have found, despite infinitesimal odds, the human that interacted with the orb. He gained valuable insight into our people’s past, and has fought hard to make changes here in his own time. His remaining life span is limited, but I believe he is capable of teaching others to follow his path. The power to eradicate an entire race is within my grasp. I can order my first mate to press a button, and perhaps Tenegraw would be a better place without the humans. I believe we should use extreme caution when considering such a violent ending to a race of people. I suggest we leave a probe to monitor their behavior. It will gather information from the planet while it hides behind their moon. If the humans fail to change their ways, it will be simple enough to return, and eliminate them. We can discuss the merits of these choices upon my arrival. The probe will be sufficient to keep us abreast of their status. Our own people needed to grow and learn. The human has done a noble job of reminding me of that fact. Nobody came and annihilated us when we hit rock bottom. We learned from that experience.” Kirock continued, “Navigator, prepare the probe for launch when we return to the ship. Also, during the evening hours, use the transportation device to remove the orb from its current location. Destroy any of the computer records that you can find too. Their encryption patterns should be simple to bypass. The signal is strong and clear, it should be easy to find, and one last thing. We need to deal with one human in particular before we leave. I’ve got to get these two humans out of this harsh environment as soon as possible. Billy, do you know where that man named Dodge lives?”
“1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC. During the day you can find him in an oval office.”
“Thank you. Navigator, did you get that?”
“Yes sir, an oval office.”
Lazarr slammed his writing instrument down and walked out of the room. Billy and Greg sat in stunned silence.
Kirock began to smile, “I had a chance to destroy you. That’s too much power for any living being.”
Billy was beaming, “Thank you for believing in me, in all of us. We won’t let you down. I’ll work every day of my life, what’s left of it, to make sure you know you made the right decision.” Billy took the little pill out of his pocket and handed it to Greg. His lifetime buddy took it and swallowed it without water.
Kirock prepared to complete the mission. “Lazarr! Get in here!”
The first mate rushed back to the room. He wasn’t pleased with the captain’s choice, but orders were orders.
“Take these men back where we found them.”
“Yes sir!”
Kirock approached Billy and Greg.
“Billy, you and your friend have been given a gift. You know not to speak of this encounter to anyone. Nobody would believe you, and once the orb is gone, there may be people who will question your entire story about Hardugus, but we know the truth. In a matter of days, I will be millions of light years away from this little planet. This place you call ‘Earth’ has caused quite a fuss over the eons. I’m banking on the improbable. Nobody back home will think that the voice of one slightly grey-haired man will make a profound difference in the fate of the planet. But they never met you and I did. I want to thank you and wish you the best of luck.”
Greg had something to say to the captain, “I’m not sure how, but if you saved my life with that pill, what else I can say, but thank you.”
Kirock extended a hand to him and shook it in a traditional American style. “You stayed true to your friend, probably when every instinct told you to forget about him. You stood shoulder to shoulder with him, especially when things were at their worst.
You deserve a chance to see it through too,” said Kirock. He handed Billy a pill too.
“For future
use Mr. Callahan. It will prolong your life span.”
Lazarr came close to the humans and sprayed a mist into their faces. They collapsed, but never hit the ground. Lazarr tucked one man under each arm and carried them back to the station, just in time as the guards left the building conducting a frantic search for the men. Lazarr woke them and fled from the scene.
The taller guard said, “Where the hell have you two been? We’ve been looking all over for you! Get your asses inside before you freeze to death.”
Billy and Greg entered the warm confines of the station, knowing that in an oval office, thousands of miles away from the frozen tundra of Antarctica, the President of the United States of America was about to have a fatal heart attack.
Greg put his arm around his pal Billy and said to him, “I can’t wait to give Ballard a big hug. Boy will he be surprised to see us. You want to come to my room and watch television?”
“No thanks. I’m going to find my favorite album, and play it over and over again until I fall asleep.”
“Zeppelin again? Asked Greg.
“Nope, Pink Floyd….Dark Side of the Moon.”
THE END
Read Richard Friedman’s debut novel,
Escape to Canamith.
The planet is rebelling. Mother Nature is angry.
All forms of life are attacking humans and threatening the food and water supply.
Professor Lila Jenkins, working for the government’s task force, believes scientific reasoning will provide the explanation for everything.
Her father, Rex Templeton, Chief Elder of the isolated citizens of Canamith, is convinced that the two thousand year-old prophecy is coming true; the end of mankind.
Lila fled Canamith years ago to pursue a teaching career. Was she justified, or was it the biggest mistake of her life?
While Lila frantically searches for answers, Templeton’s followers are preparing to seal the door on a myriad of tunnels within the Mountains of Canamith to provide a safe haven from the devastation.
“It’s a well thought-out story, with setting and dialogue that are sharp. In addition to being an entertaining read, it’s tale of heroism abound the bond of family and the will to survive.”
The Two Worlds of Billy Callahan Page 21