Terraformed Skies

by Anna Lewis

  I hope they heard that, he thought.

  The bridge was a chaotic blur of Vihatagons dashing between control panels while trying to figure out how to reactivate the drones. Their captain shouted for them to capture the cyborg from beneath the ship who had ironically walked straight into their trap. While they no longer had the human woman to dangle in front of his eyes, they were sure they could appeal to his human nature by torturing some of the fleshy captives waiting to be turned into cyborgs. After all, they would all soon be part of the Vihatagon army. The captain thought of how proud he would be if he had an army of cyborgs behind him.

  “Retrieve the cyborg,” instructed the captain to his first mate. “And make sure he does not get harmed.”

  “Right away, sir,” replied the first mate while saluting him with a disfigured arm.

  “And retrieve a specimen from the cargo hold. We’re going to get all the answers out of him without having to touch a hair on his head,” said the captain before falling into a gurgling cackle, raising his arms up as he watched the monitor record the actions of the people below. “Soon, we shall have our invincible army!”

  ***

  While the Vihatagons carried out the orders of their captain, the group Alexis had formed was listening intently to her plan. She informed them to remain vigilant. It couldn’t appear as though they were rallying against the guards, and many of them faced away from Alexis as she spoke. The guards appeared to be panicking under the siren wailing overhead. One of them walked away from the door to calm a group that was losing control on the right side. Alexis waved her hand at her collection of people and told them to start moving in that direction, spreading out in the crowd in order to be discreet.

  Alexis moved toward the front like a commander leading her soldiers to battle. She located a stray piece of metal that was lying on the floor and gripped it tight, preparing to lunge forward. As the others got into formation, the guards were heavily distracted with the wave of crying people. Many of them were already pushing forward against the aliens that were threatening to disintegrate whoever stepped forward. Alexis counted to five and then raised her makeshift weapon in the air.

  “Attack!” she cried to her group.

  A rush of movement erupted as her pseudo-soldiers pressed into the guards and knocked them to the ground. Alexis ran forward and jumped on the first guard, whom she beat with her piece of metal as he gurgled beneath the dozens of hands hitting his face. Another wave of people rushed the other guard, knocking him to the ground as the weight of them pummeled his disgusting fleshy body. The disintegrator went off, wiping out a few humans. Still, they pushed forward valiantly in order to gain control over the Vihatagons.

  As the people continued to attack, one of the guards radioed for the captain to send reinforcements to the cargo area. He responded by gathering a few more Vihatagons to send to the center of the ship. Five of them darted in the direction of the cargo hold as fast as their disfigured legs would carry them, shouting at the people who were prying open the doors. Alexis pushed through the metal slabs and gathered her people to tackle the other guards. The Vihatagons fired into the crowd, people disappearing as soon as the rays hit their bodies. Ash formed on the ground where a human once stood. Alexis stared in shock as people were taken left and right, growing angry as she watched them destroy the humans she had come to care about.

  This rage inspired her to run forward with the crowd and press through the other guards, their spittle spraying everywhere as they tried to communicate commands to the riotous group. Alexis ignored their gurgling language and ran past them. The punker with the spiked collar asked her where they were going.

  “We’re going to locate the main room,” she instructed them. “Does anyone know how to fly a spaceship?”

  A chorus of chuckles filled the empty hallway as they made their way, looking around for a map that might guide them. Alexis checked the walls. As she studied the metal door to an unknown room, a number of gurgles came from the other end of the hallway and alerted the group to take cover.

  “Where are we going to hide?” asked the punker.

  “I don’t know,” Alexis responded, searching the perimeter for anything to cover them.

  There was nothing. No boxes or random bits of cargo were in the immediate arena. The door in front of her wouldn’t open. How were they going to avoid capture if they couldn’t hide? She motioned for the group to keep moving in hopes that they might come across something useful. Part of her wondered whether they were even heading in the right direction as it felt like the entire place was one giant maze. Every corner looked like the last one. Each turn was a dizzying realization that they might be going in circles instead of heading for their intended destination.

  Alexis, feeling as though their mission were becoming hopeless, leaned against the wall and instantly fell backwards into a dark room. The punker followed her inside and helped her off the ground, looking around at the contents. It was the same room Lena had previously occupied, though the valiant party wasn’t aware of that. Alexis touched the metal boxes. One of them fell over and she rushed the rest of the group inside so they could push the door shut. Each of them covered their mouths while listening to the stomping feet passing by. The familiar gurgling noises filled the air until it faded into the distance, leaving the group in silence.

  “Now what?” asked one.

  “I’m not sure. Look around the room and see if there might be anything useful,” Alexis responded.

  “But there’s nothing,” said the punker.

  “There has to be something,” she insisted.

  While the group searched the metal boxes, Alexis noticed the map on the wall next to the door. She waved to the others.

  “Look at this!” she whispered. “It’s a map of the entire ship!”

  The group gathered behind her and quietly raised their arms in celebration, studying the way the map was shaped. None of them could discern the alien language, but they figured the red dot signified the location of the cock pit. Alexis pointed at it.

  “This must be an important room. Does anybody have a phone or something we could use to make a copy of this map?” she asked the group.

  An older gentleman raised his hand and said he still had his phone, procuring it as soon as Alexis asked for him to do so. She snapped a photo and held on to the phone. The group listened carefully for footsteps. Luckily, the Vihatagons were particularly heavy, so it was easy to figure out how close they were to the room. As soon as the hall was clear, the group quickly made their way to the front of the ship to confront the captain. Perhaps they could convince him to release the thousands of captives held in the center of the ship.

  While the group’s efforts were valiant, they were instantly thwarted before they could even reach their destination. A number of guards surrounded them and they were forced to surrender, the guards taking anything in their possession, which included the phone. They were presented to the captain. He spoke harshly to them in gurgles which none of them understood, trying hard to decipher whether he was scolding or threatening the various people in his presence. Alexis stood up to confront him, but was knocked to the ground.

  Everything seemed so hopeless.

  ***

  As Alexis and her group of rebels were being handled by the Vihatagons, Trevor remained motionless beneath the belly of the mothership. The expansive beauty of the universe had captured his eye and distracted him from his mission. Lena called to him over the earpiece.

  “Trevor? Do you think you can board the ship?” she asked.

  “I think so, but how?” he responded.

  “One of the wires in the control panel opens the loading dock. I think it’s the blue one to the left,” she replied.

  “How did you figure this out?” asked Trevor while looking through the mess of wires again.

  “I was able to--”

  ZAP!

  Out of nowhere, Trevor was stunned and could not move. His motionless body floated away from
the hull, while the drone drifted in the opposite direction. A transporter appeared at his side that scooped him up, carrying him to the loading dock. The group of Vihatagons carried his frozen body inside, where they met with the captain who was still speaking to the group of rebels. They set Trevor down on the ground.

  “We have acquired the cyborg, Captain,” said one of the Vihatagons with pride.

  The captain grinned.

  “Good. Take the other rebels with you back to the holding area and leave the human woman,” he replied.

  As the group followed the captain’s orders, Trevor tried his best to move his limbs. The electrical charge had temporarily frozen his cybernetic parts and shocked his nervous system, effectively preventing motion. Alexis looked over the cyborg. His eyes were wrought with fear and panic, a look she readily recognized. She wondered if she would be able to help him or if the Vihatagons would somehow relieve him of the pain he was clearly in. Having suffered damage on the battlefield, Trevor was used to the pinching pain he felt around his body. It was the lack of movement that concerned him.

  The captain leaned over the cyborg and studied his cybernetic additions. A gurgle and a nod acknowledged the craftsmanship, admiring the stainless steel armor and the flawless attachment to the shoulder. He pulled up the shirt to look at the attachment to the hip, nodding again.

  “Such beautiful work,” he said in his language.

  Trevor could do nothing but follow the alien enemy with his eyes. They darted across the room, looking for a way to fight back, his limbs stiff from being frozen. Alexis stared at the alien. When he wasn’t looking, she leaned over Trevor and whispered that it would be okay. Lena spoke over the ear piece and asked if he was alright. There was no way to speak, so Trevor grunted in response.

  “Trevor, what’s going on?” she asked.

  “Cap...tured...” he grunted through frozen lips.

  “Captured? You’ve been captured?” she clarified. “Alright, listen to me. You’re going to get through this. Are you on the bridge?”

  “Mmm...” Trevor responded.

  “When you can, tap your earpiece twice. It will act as a translator for the alien language,” explained Lena. “I will listen. Hopefully the mic will pick up what they say to you.”

  “Human!” cried the captain, turning to point at Alexis.

  The barking noise caused her to sit up straight, keeping her arms to her sides. Her eyes stared at the disfigured hand pointing in her direction. What did he want?

  “You will face our wrath so that we may understand the nature of this cyborg,” explained the captain.

  Over the radio, the captain called for his first mate to return in order to bind the human woman. He appeared moments later and strapped her into a large chair to which she responded by flailing. This solicited a zap from the captain’s stun weapon, paralyzing her just like Trevor. A tear rolled out of her eye and made its way down her cheek, carving a river of defeat into her face. Was this going to be the end of her?

  “Leave her alone!” growled Trevor as he started gaining control over his limbs. “She has nothing to do with this.”

  “She has everything to do with this,” explained the captain as he stared at the frightened woman. “And she will make you tell us everything about your modifications.”

  Trevor couldn’t understand a word of what the Vihatagon was saying. He wiggled his fingers and slowly raised his hand to his ear, tapping the ear piece twice. Static filled the speaker until it leveled out, the sound of the Vihatagon’s voice changing into a more understandable collection of phrases.

  “Tell us how you came to be, cyborg,” demanded the Captain. “And what equipment you use to control your cybernetic parts.”

  “I just woke up like this one day,” said Trevor sarcastically. “I don’t know how it happened.”

  “You must have been injured to need repairs in this manner. Tell me about your parts!” commanded the captain while growing angry.

  “I can’t do that,” said Trevor, looking at his limbs that were coming back to life.

  He wiggled the toes on his human foot and then sat up, stretching his cybernetic arm and opening the compartment to check the controls. It appeared that some of his functions might not work due to the weapon they had used on him. He would know more once he could get Lena’s instructions. Hopefully, she was listening over the ear piece and could discern what the alien enemy was saying.

  “If you do not tell us, then we will torture this woman,” the captain informed Trevor. “Would you like to watch her die?”

  “Why are you doing this? Why can’t you just leave my people alone?” asked Trevor, searching the beady eyes staring back at them for any hint of compassion.

  An electric current suddenly charged through the body of Alexis who screeched as it shook her against the restraints. When it was over, she panted heavily, whimpering underneath the weight of the Vihatagon’s gnarled hand.

  “Would you like to try again, cyborg?” asked the captain.

  “There’s no need to use violence against us. We would gladly tell you the knowledge of our technology. Please, stop hurting her!” yelled Trevor.

  Another current of electricity ripped through Alexis’ body, causing her to writhe, screaming for it to stop. She begged Trevor to give the Vihatagon what he wanted.

  “As long as you comply, she lives,” said the captain. “Tell us about your cybernetic technology and show us how to modify humans.”

  “For what purpose?” asked Trevor.

  “For creating an army! Do you know how unstoppable an army of cyborgs would be while we take over this galaxy? Our fleshy bodies are weak and slow. With cybernetic advancements on your people, as well as mind control implants, we can build a whole fleet that would take over planets much faster,” explained the captain. “And you could be the leader of such an army.”

  “Why would I ever do that?” Trevor asked rhetorically. “I’m not interested in being your war slave. Release her or I will be forced to--”

  Electricity rattled Alexis once more and her eyes rolled up to the back of her head. Trevor watched helplessly as she began to lose consciousness.

  “Enough!” he cried. “Fine. Let her go. I’ll do it.”

  “No!” cried Lena over the ear piece. “Don’t do that, Trevor. I’ll lose you forever.”

  “I have to,” he explained. “I’m doing this for Earth.”

  Satisfied with Trevor’s response, the captain had Alexis released to a prison cell nearby where she would be held while she recovered from the torture. There was no telling whether she might survive the damage done to her body and Trevor felt guilty for having put her through so much trauma. He forced the captain to promise her survival. The captain willingly gave his word even though they both knew he was the type who would go back on it, the air around them tense with anticipation for the next step in the great plan of the Vihatagons. While the captain grinned, Trevor wondered what he had just agreed to.

  Would it be the end of Earth?

  ***

  Lena was in a state of panic.

  She was about to lose the love of her life to those dreadful Vihatagons who wanted to use his body as a template to create more cyborgs. Their sadistic plan would only bring about the world’s ending, so why hadn’t Trevor fought harder? All of these wild thoughts filled her brain as she informed the scientists that she would need their help creating a new cybernetic additions.

  “What for?” asked Dr. Warren.

  “For me,” she responded. “I have to go up there and save Trevor. It’s the only way we’ll be able to accomplish our plan.”

  “But Dr. Clark, that’s insanely dangerous. Not to mention you won’t have any time to heal!” said Dr. Warren.

  Lena ignored his warnings and began assembling parts, turning to ask one of the soldiers to retrieve more pieces from the hospital. She would also have to make a spacesuit for her travel through space. A full cyborg surgery wouldn’t be possible at the moment, but she
was certain she could fashion surface armor that would aid her in her quest to save the great Trevor Noble. Had it been anyone else who was taken, she wouldn’t risk her life in such a way.

  But this was for love and for the survival of her planet. She knew what she had to do. As she began wiring an additional arm for her to wear, she had one of the other scientists weld together pieces of stainless steel. Lena talked into her watch every so often to check on Trevor’s status. He would respond that he was fine, that they were sitting with the captain and discussing terms. The Vihatagon captain would stare at him with confusion, wondering why he was saying random things out loud. During their discussion, Trevor tried to convince them to leave Lena unharmed, but he knew it was a futile request. Every living being capable of war would be put through modifications. The remaining population would be destroyed as soon as the Vihatagons had collected their fill.

  This would be the greatest genocide in the history of humanity, effectively wiping them out. The surrounding planets occupied by humans might also be destroyed. Saturn and Mars were just next door and he was sure the Vihatagons would take them as well. Was there anything Trevor could do to stop the madness? He could try to destroy the Vihatagons in the room, but he knew more would come in response and he wasn’t sure if he could handle that many without his soldiers behind him. Careful planning was required in this delicate situation. He could use Lena’s kiss right now. That always seemed to set his head right.

  Below the mothership, the battlefield was barren. The soldiers had returned to the base building since the transporter vehicles had left and General Sanders went inside to check on the group. He noticed them working hard on Lena’s modification.