Jack Strong and the Red Giant

by Heys Wolfenden

When he was about fifty feet away he heard the creatures again, howling their hunger all across the desert as they poured after him like a dark tide.

  He was a few steps away from the spaceships when he turned around to see six of them break away from the main group as they galloped towards him.

  They looked like every predator that had ever walked the face of the Earth and all those beyond, as their huge, hairy bodies bounded down on him, their eyes wild with rage.

  Jack dived towards the closest spacecraft as a humungous pink gullet opened wide.

  He felt some long, sharp claws glance past his right shoulder; then his hand collided with the spacecraft, instantly pulling him inside.

  Chapter 27: A New Hope

  Vyleria had no idea how long she had been asleep for. Minutes? Hours? Her head was light and groggy and her skin felt a little hot. Outside, the dust storm rose and howled like a beast. She was almost out of options now, so she tried the last one available to her, even if it resulted in her own destruction.

  She pushed a few red and green buttons on her holographic dashboard and dialed the spaceship. She had no idea why it had attacked them earlier, but she didn’t care. If the spaceship didn’t finish her off, then either the meteors or the dust storm would. She was caught between a supernova and a black hole.

  She waited to see if anyone picked up her call.

  All she heard was static.

  She tried again.

  More static.

  What’s going on over there? Either the ship is deserted or else they are ignoring me whilst simultaneously zooming through the depths of space to blast me into bits.

  Minutes ticked by, but no spaceship came bursting through the crimson skies firing a hail of sonic bullets.

  She called the ship again. “Can anybody hear me? It’s Vyleria. I need help.”

  She didn’t hear so much as a murmur.

  “Xylem, Padget are you there?”

  Still nothing.

  “Grunt?”

  After half an hour of trying she slammed her fists against the dashboard. Now what? Maybe the communication system isn't working properly? She thought. It could have been damaged in the battle, or else in the crash. She was just about to crawl out and drag herself towards the other spaceship and try their comm system when her spacecraft suddenly flooded with noise.

  “Who’s that? What do you want?” asked a girl’s voice.

  “It’s Vyleria,” she said, relief surging through her like a flood. “Who’s this? What’s going on over there? Why did you fire on us?”

  “I didn’t,” said the girl. She sounded shy, quiet, nervous. “It was that red boy, the one with huge teeth. He would’ve gotten me too, but he couldn’t see me.”

  “Do you mean Xylem?” asked Vyleria.

  “Yeah, that's him.”

  Vyleria couldn’t believe it. She knew Xylem was a bully, but she didn't think he would actually try to kill them.

  “Do you know why?” she asked.

  “Dunno. But there’s more of them now. Thousands. I can’t hide much longer.”

  “Okay, don’t worry,” said Vyleria. “Do you know what happened to Padget and Grunt?”

  “They took the big green boy prisoner, but the other one got shot. I… I think he’s dead.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, it happened right before my eyes. There was lots of blood and everything. He didn’t move afterwards. But it all happened so fast. I can’t be sure. It was lucky they couldn’t see me or I might’ve gotten shot too.”

  “What do you mean they couldn’t see you?”

  “No one can, not unless I let them that is.”

  “Oh, so you’re the girl who Jack saw,” said Vyleria. “The one who can turn invisible. I thought he was going space-crazy.”

  “Yeah, he saw me alright. I was going to reveal myself then but… I changed my mind.”

  “Why on Elaria did you do that?”

  “I didn’t know who you were. I couldn’t trust you. On my planet not being seen keeps you alive and out of the master’s chains.”

  “Oh, I see,” said Vyleria, imagining some dark netherworld populated by demons. “Well, I hope you can trust us now. Together we may still have a chance.”

  “A chance for what?”

  “To escape.”

  “But…”

  “Look don’t worry; I’ll think of something. Just don’t get caught for now. Stay hidden.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve been hiding my whole life.”

  Vyleria was about to find out more about the new girl when something large and heavy thudded into her spaceship. Thinking that it was another rockfall or a meteor she made part of her ship transparent and looked outside.

  Hundreds of huge, hairy creatures surged over the plain, scrambling after a figure in blue. The figure dived into the other spaceship just as one of the animals leapt forward, its six-inch claws swiping desperately at thin air.

  She couldn’t believe it. He was alive. Everything was going to be alright.

  Chapter 28: The Plan

  “Jack, is that really you?”

  “Vyleria!” shouted Jack, feeling a tide of joy surge through him. “What happened? I thought you were dead.”

  “I thought you were too,” she said. “Where’s Ros?”

  “I don't know. After we crashed we got into an argument, then he flew off in a huff. He hasn’t come back since.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  “Days, I think. Though it's hard to be sure around here. But what about you, where’ve you been? Have you been unconscious all this time?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t remember. I think I was in some sort of coma.”

  “A COMA? But that’s serious.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m better now. I think it had something to do with…”

  “Go on…”

  “Oh it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “It doesn’t sound like nothing if it put you into a coma. And you sound a little tired too. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine, stop worrying. I’ve been through quite an ordeal. It will take me a while to get back up to a hundred per cent. You should be more concerned about those things that were chasing you. What were they?”

  “I don’t know. I was making my way back to the spaceships when the dust storm started. I had just about made it into a cave when I heard them growling behind me; luckily for me though the dust storm kept them at bay. But as soon as it lifted they began to chase me. I just about made it back it one piece.”

  “Well whatever they are, they’re still out there,” said Vyleria, making her spaceship semi-transparent.

  As soon as the creatures saw her they swarmed all over her, trying to rip and claw their way in, each one biting and scratching for her head.

  “What are we going to do?” asked Jack, making his ship translucent in order to attract some of the monsters his way. “We’re trapped. We can’t take-off and with these things around we can’t even leave the spaceships.”

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  “We have to think of something. And soon. This planet is going to crash into that star. We have days left, perhaps hours now.”

  “Wait. Are you sure?”

  “Yes, well that was what Ros said before he left and I see no reason to doubt him. He seemed pretty sure at the time and the star is definitely getting bigger in the sky. Vyleria?”

  “You’re right,” she said a few seconds later. “I’ve just done the calculations myself. I can’t believe it.”

  “What are we going to do then?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps Kat can help us.”

  “Hang on a minute, who’s Kat?”

  “That's me,” said a girl’s voice. “Nice to meet you finally, Jack.”

  “You’ve got to help us,” said Jack, after Kat had told them all about how Xylem had taken over the spaceship. “You’re our only hope.”

  “No way,” she said, h
er voice quivering. “They'll get me, I'm sure of it.”

  “You have to; it's our only chance to escape. Without it we’re doomed.”

  “Don’t be silly,” said Vyleria. “What can she possibly do against an army of thousands?”

  Jack paused for a few seconds. “I don’t know. Let me think of something.”

  “We don’t have time for that. We’ve got to think of something now.”

  “No wait. I’ve got it!” yelled Jack suddenly. Could it really be that easy? How had they not thought of it before?

  “Got what?” asked Vyleria.

  “The plan. I need you both to listen very carefully. We may get out of this yet.”

  “It may just work,” said Vyleria after listening to Jack's idea. “But there’s just one problem. We aren’t there. She is. Kat is going to have to do all this by herself. She's not ready for this.”

  “But we have no other choice. We’re toast otherwise.”

  “Please Jack, don’t make me do it,” said Kat, her voice trembling more than ever. “They’re gonna shoot me, I know it.”

  Then Jack said the words that he would remember for the rest of his life. “I’m scared too Kat. I’m always scared. I’m just like you really. Back on my planet I would get bullied all the time. I wanted to do something about it, but fear would always get the better of me. Being on the spaceship and meeting Vyleria and having all these experiences has made me realise that I can stand up for myself, that I am brave. There wasn’t really any difference between myself and the other children who were bullying me. Some were even smaller than me. It was just that they had confidence and I didn’t. Well, now I have confidence Kat and if you look inside yourself you will find that you do too. You might have hidden when you came aboard the spaceship, but you didn’t run away or try to leave. You might have panicked when you saw Xylem and his people attacking and taking over the spaceship. But you didn’t. You contacted us. You’re strong Kat, I know it. Take confidence from that and help us all to get out of this mess.”

  “'Okay, I’ll do it,” she said a few seconds later, the tremor in her voice gone.

  “Great. I knew you had it in you,” said Jack. “Now let’s show Xylem what we’re made of.”

  Chapter 29: Incarceration

  Padget banged on the door of his cell like it was a big bass drum.

  “Let me out!” he yelled. “Let me out! I DEMAND to speak to your commanding officer. Do you know WHO I AM? As soon as my FATHER hears of this there will be hell to pay. I’m warning you…”

  The door whooshed upwards like a guillotine in reverse. Padget toppled forwards into a dimly-lit corridor. He landed in a large, red puddle. Blood? The thought made him think of Grunt again: that horrible hole in his skull, the sound his head made as it thudded against the floor, his lifeless eyes…

  “Essscaping already?”

  Padget looked-up to see a dark silhouette standing over him; black, silky armour obscuring his face. He was holding what looked like some kind of laser rifle. It was pointed at his chest.

  “What? What do you want?” asked Padget, sounding far less brave and heroic than he’d intended.

  “Sssecretsss. Paldovia’sss.”

  “But I don’t know any, I… I swear. Please, you’ve got to believe me. Just let me g-go.”

  “I believe,” the voice hissed.

  “You… you do?”

  “That you’re lying!” screeched the voice. “Ssseize him!”

  The darkness shifted as several large shadows stomped out of the gloom, their thick, clawed hands grasping Padget by his armpits.

  Padget let out a low-pitched whine as he was dragged back into his cold, draughty cell and then dumped unceremoniously onto the floor. He turned around to protest, only for a boot to the ribs to kick it out of him.

  “You never did know when to ssstay quiet,” hissed the voice from earlier.

  “Xy-xylem?” spluttered Padget.

  “Who elssse?” The black mask folded away to reveal Xylem’s lobster-like face, his pincers curled-up into a wicked snarl.

  “What… what do you want?” asked Padget, desperately trying to stop his voice from shaking.

  “I’ve already told you,” he said, his yellow eyes looking even more predatory than ever. “I want your sssecretsss. All of them. Now.”

  “But… I don’t know any. Please!”

  “Look at you,” he rasped. “Begging, pleading. Like a worm. And you know what happensss to wormsss, don’t you?”

  “N-no.”

  “We eat them!” he screeched, baring his razor-sharp teeth. “Ssslowly and without mercccy. Now give me your sssecretsss! I won’t asssk again.”

  “But I’ve already said, I don’t…”

  “Sssilenccce! Enough liesss…”

  “I’m… I’m not lying. I don’t know anything about my planet, I haven’t even left my p-palace.”

  “That’sss what they all sssay,” cackled Xylem. “Until they don’t. Lassst chanccce.”

  “I…”

  “Too late,” he hissed, grasping Padget by the throat. “You’re going to wish you told me now. You’re going to wish you told me lotsss of thingsss. The Grusssissslug. Now!”

  Padget looked up as one of the Xenti soldiers removed something from a small pouch in his armour.

  “What’s that?” he yelled, looking at a writhing, dancing shadow on the wall.

  “My informant,” hissed Xylem. “Your torturer!”

  “Please, you don’t have to do this. My father will give you money, riches, anything you want. Xylem!”

  “Your FATHER!” he mocked. “Your protector. The sssourccce of all your lazinesss, all your pride. I’m going to enjoy thisss. I’m going to enjoy thisss A LOT!”

  Then in one fluid move Xylem grabbed the Grusislug from the other soldier and slapped it hard against Padget’s left cheek. His skin burned immediately, he felt like his face was on fire. But then the fire began to move, oozing up his cheek, slithering past his nose, up the rest of his face, nuzzling a way to his eye socket.

  Padget looked on horrified as the black slug-like creature slid over his eyelashes and then under his squirming eyeball. The pain flared, his eye burned; he blacked out.

  Padget’s life flew before him like a pack of cards. He saw his father, his mothers, his father’s Konsortium, the other Direktors, their mines on Paldovia and in space, then came the fleets of spaceships, the missile defenders, the soldier-bots, the hunter-killer drones. More images followed, stabbing at his brain with electricity, with fire. From somewhere else, somewhere far away he could smell skin burning, melting away. Someone is having a right good barbecue, he thought, cackling wildly to himself. Mmmmmm roast Padget! One huge green leg coming right up…

  “Padget! Wake up. Padget!”

  Padget snapped awake to see Xylem standing over him like some sort of gladiator. He could still smell the smoke, the blood.

  “What… what do you want?” he garbled, amazed that he could still see, that he could still feel his face.

  “Who is thisss?” hissed Xylem, shoving some kind of tablet device into his face. “What have you been hiding from me, from usss?”

  “What are you talking about?” he said as the last of the swirling images slipped from his mind like water down a plughole.

  “Don’t play gamesss with ME!” he screeched, landing a clenched fist to the side of his mouth. “Who is SSSHE? Where is ssshe from?”

  Padget spat out some blood, then followed Xylem’s crooked finger all the way down to the computer screen. It showed what looked to be an X-Ray layout of their spaceship. He hadn’t realised there were so many floors before. There had to be hundreds, thousands. How could they all fit into such a small space?

  “Focusss!” yelled Xylem, slamming his head against the computer screen. “On floor thirty-nine. What isss that?”

  Padget tapped the screen and zoomed in on the thirty-ninth floor. At first he didn’t know what Xylem was talking about, but before he could hi
t him again he saw a blurry red shape moving about one of the rooms.

  “So do we come in red now?” he asked.

  “It’sss an infra-red ssscan, you idiot! Whoever she isss, she’sss invisssible.”

  “Invisible? How?”

  Xylem scowled at him, fire and murder in his eyes. “If I knew that I wouldn’t need to asssk you, would I?”

  “No, I suppose not,” said Padget, feeling his hearts racing. “Well, who are they then?”

  “You tell me!” Xylem hissed. “What do you know?”

  “Nothing, I swear. I don’t know anything. Although…”

  “Yesss?”

  “Well, I seem to remember Jack or Vyleria talking about having seen an invisible girl earlier. I can’t remember now. I was too busy eating my second dinner at the time. Speaking of which, I’m so hungry. I haven’t eaten in the two hours since I’ve been here. Have you not got any decent food around here? Now I know you enjoy slug surprise, but you see the rest of the universe…”

  “Sssilence ssslave! That’sss it. It mussst be her. We mussst ssseize her before it’sss too late. Guardsss!”

  “Yesss your excccellencccy!”

  “Bring the prisoner! He may yet be of sssome ussse to usss.”

  “Should we ressstrain him your majesssty?”

  “No manaclesss. We mussst be quick.”

  “What will happen when we find this girl?” asked Padget, as they marched quicker than he liked down a dim and dingy corridor. “Will you let me go?”

  “Sssure,” said Xylem cackling to the other soldiers. “In a manner of ssspeaking.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Padget, panting heavily.

  “You’ll sssee,” said Xylem, a giant smirk etched across his blood-red face. “Isssn’t that right boysss?”

  “Yesss!” one hissed. “But I want the breassst.”

  “Me too,” said another. “Tasssty. Ssso sssweet!”

  “What? You can’t be serious,” said Padget, feeling his knees sag and buckle.

  “I never joke,” hissed Xylem, his white teeth bared like a piranha’s. “You will be deliciousss, ssso much ssskin!”