Monster

by Patrick F. Johnson

  “I'm afraid that the Monster recognizes my voice,” Ottwan said in Gotian.

  Korick laughed out loud. “Perhaps now he understands his predicament.”

  “I feel bringing him here might have been a mistake,” Ottwan added.

  “Nonsense,” Korick replied as he looked Frank over. “I don't see anything special about him. Sure, he is managing to stand upright, but he isn't the first. He needs to be tested.”

  “May I, sir?” Doris asked.

  “You, Doris?” Korick answered with his own question. “Personally?”

  “I also see nothing special about this worm. I wish to claim him.”

  Korick laughed out loud again. “Well, okay then. Do your worst.”

  Frank's comprehension of their conversation was taking a back seat to his struggle to remain upright while fighting off the pain in his gut. He didn't see Doris winding up do deliver the tremendous backhand that sent him flying through the air and against the wall that was nearly fifteen feet away. Having bounced off of the wall, he found himself laying on his back and staring at the tacky ornateness of the ceiling. Glancing over, he noticed Doris marching forth to deliver more punishment. Feeling himself heal, he decided, as he had the first time he had encountered aliens, that he wasn't going to just be a victim. He turned just as Doris was upon him, and with all of his might, delivered a kick right into the Gote's crotch. Doris was obviously stunned, his equipment having sustained unquestionable damage. Frank twisted to his right while ripping his left hand out of his shackles. Spinning around, first on his knees and then up on his feet, he used the massive amount of momentum to use the over-sized cuff to bludgeon his opponent squarely across his face. Doris fell to his left, with the dislocation of his jaw nearly complete. Frank stood next to the now unconscious Gote and held up his left hand for everyone to see. The fresh wounds closed up as he eyeballed the nearest soldier.

  “Sir, the collar,” the soldier said as he fell back into a defensive posture. There was terror in his voice. Frank began to walk toward him. “Sir!” he exclaimed as he drew his pistol and took aim. Discovering no aid, he pulled the trigger. The loud crack of his firearm was instantaneously followed by the round hitting him in the forehead, having bounced off of the Earthling's velocity shield.

  Korick was fumbling with the controls for the collar as Frank turned toward him. Just before the Monster could reach him, he pressed the appropriate button and Frank fell, succumbing to the electrical charge being sent through his body from the collar. Korick stood staring at Frank's limp body before erupting into laughter. “Did you see that?” he asked to Ahn, who was standing back up, having ducked behind the desk. “This is tremendous! Move him to a cell!” Korick was elated.

  “That was rather intense,” Ahn said.

  “That is an understatement,” Korick replied. “This will be the biggest tournament ever!” Turning to some dumbfounded soldiers, Korick said, “See if Doris is still alive.”

  One of them snapped to attention to check their fallen superior. “He is alive, sir,” he reported.

  “Get him to the infirmary. And see to it that the dead one is removed.” Korick couldn't stop smiling. “And have the rug cleaned.” He watched as Frank was being dragged away and then looked over to see Moldew and Raymond staring wide-eyed. “Keep your human around to translate. Ottwan's voice seems to trigger him.”

  Moldew looked as if he had some choice words to recite, but an elbow from Raymond reminded him to only say, “As you wish.”

  “Did anyone record that?” Korick asked. “Please tell me someone recorded it.” He turned to Ottwan's remote. “What happened with that soldier's weapon?”

  Ottwan decided to not share too much. “If you had studied my video recordings, you would know that the Monster is shielded.”

  “Shielded, you say? How does that work?”

  Ottwan paused for a moment. Sometimes it was difficult to remain so calm. “I really have no idea. It is a part of the Curse.”

  “Ah, yes, the Curse.” Korick was still smiling. “You know, at first I didn't believe that such a thing really existed, but now that I've seen it with my own eyes...wow.” Korick turned toward Ahn. “How do you think the Monster will fare against the Assassin?”

  “I'm not much of an odds-maker,” Ahn replied, “but it will all depend on how the human does with the gravity. Right now, I'd have to give it to the Assassin. A very small fraction of humans are able to adapt, and it usually takes years.”

  “It will take a while to get the word out. We will add him to the billing and make the first couple of rounds easy for him. Anything past the third, and I think it would be okay for him to be killed. By then, the Assassin will hopefully get a following. We'll change it up though. Instead of putting the bug in with everyone else like usual, we'll keep him fresh until the end. The winner of the tournament wins the honor of facing the champion.”

  “That is a good plan, Korick,” Ahn complimented. “We can't afford to have either of them alive.”

  “But I want every cell full. This will be the biggest tournament ever.” Korick was already counting the money.

  21.

  Hiroya Nakamura had been very busy. He had arranged time for Phildan to fly him to that little shop in Arizona where he purchased every katana, wakizashi and shuriken that they had in stock. He also picked up three more bokken and another full set of cooking knives. Miyako was busy packing everything else for their journey. So before they were to go to Main Ship for their procedure, he did the most important part of his preparations. He called his grandfather.

  “Hiroya, I am very pleased to hear your voice,” Yohei said with his usual pleasant tone.

  “Grandfather, there are several things that I must discuss with you. Pardon me if I sound rushed.”

  “What is the matter, Hiro?”

  “There is a new alien enemy, and they have taken Frank Ford.”

  Yohei paused to ponder that news. “They must be very powerful to take our friend.”

  “He went without physical conflict. They threatened to destroy the Earth if he refused.”

  “I see. He cannot help himself, can he?”

  “What do you mean, Grandfather?”

  “Frank is the type of man that will sacrifice himself to save others. It is a very rare and noble quality.”

  “Yes, it as an admirable quality, certainly, but it has left us more at risk than ever. And we are not alone. Other planets are at risk. There had been a loose treaty between two alien races that had the Earth considered off-limits. But since Frank had to destroy the one's plans, as you saw on television, the others feel free to invade wherever they see fit.”

  “What is this new group of aliens called?” Yohei asked.

  “Gotes.”

  “And what are their intentions? What is it that we have that they want?”

  “Grandfather, it is terrible.”

  “I've been around a while. I've heard many terrible things. What do they want?”

  “They want humans to basically rape.”

  “To rape?” Yohei went silent for some time before continuing. “And Frank went without a fight? Is he crazy?”

  “Well, yes, but I feel that he won't let that happen to him. Gladys is planning a mission to rescue him.”

  “Are you going? I would go if I were a younger man.”

  “I am not going, Grandfather. The environment would neutralize me.”

  “Oh? I think you underestimate yourself.”

  “Their gravity is more than twice that of Earth. I wouldn't be able to fight. And they use guns, primarily.”

  “I see. That is quite the predicament. Where are you to contribute?”

  “Miyako and I are going to a planet called Nuun. The Gotes have tried to abduct people there already. We will use our stealth suits with great effectiveness there.”

  “I am pleased to hear that you have set aside your need for honor, regarding stealth.”

  “Grandfather, aside from the Mingrein,
none of these aliens understand the concept of honor.”

  “There is a popular saying in the West. 'Turnabout is fair play.' I never felt that your actions in the capital of the United States were dishonorable. You simply used their tactics against them, with much greater efficiency.”

  “I defer to your wisdom, Grandfather. And I am very relieved. I only wish to bring honor to the house of Nakamura.”

  “You've helped save the Earth twice now. I couldn't be more proud of you. I always knew you were destined for greatness.”

  “Thank you, Grandfather. You will never know how much your words mean to me. But now I'm afraid I must ask for something.”

  “If there is something I can do to help the cause, please tell me what it is.”

  “I have friends that require sanctuary. I was hoping you would allow them to stay in one of the guest houses.”

  “Yes, of course. Who are they?”

  “Denise Blake, the American Journalist, and a being known as Constanthos.”

  “A being?” Yohei asked. “Is it an alien?”

  “She is human. I will let Denise explain it, as I do not want to disclose too much over a telephone. I will only say that she has awesome potential.”

  “I understand. Will they want separate places, or will they stay together?”

  “They will stay together. You may want to have a translator on hand. Denise does not speak Japanese.”

  * * *

  Frank awoke and found himself laying on a hard floor, on his right side, with the collar weighing him down so that his neck was bent at a weird angle. He slowly pushed himself to a seated position and looked up. He was pleased to find that his new cage had a much higher ceiling. He was even more pleased to find that the shackles had been removed. While the pain in his neck quickly vanished, the weight of his limbs and the ache in his stomach remained. Realizing that he was very hungry, he found himself wondering if they were just going to starve him to death. He looked around the small room. It was around eight feet long and nearly five feet wide, but his eyes were attuned to the fact that the walls were not parallel. There were doors at both ends. The wider end of the room had a door that was impressively built. It was constructed of some metal that he would be unable to name. At a glance, the action wasn't any different than any hinged door that he had ever encountered, only exponentially more stout. On the narrow end, there was a door that he could tell was meant to raise upward. There were many slots cut into the metal that were obviously meant to be looked through, but there was no visible weaknesses to the construction. The only part of the room that was more offensive than the bright lighting was the horrible stench. He realized the smell was emanating from a hole in the floor. And then it occurred to him what that hole was meant for.

  “Frank, are you awake?”

  Frank looked to the door on the wider end of the room. “Yeah, Ray. I'm awake.” Raymond's voice was coming from the other side.

  “Are you alright?” Raymond asked.

  “I'd have to say that I'm pretty fucking not alright. Let me out of here.”

  “I'm afraid that I can't do that.”

  “I figured. Well, shit. Was that my trial?” Frank asked.

  “It's fucked up. We had no idea he intended to put you in the tournament.”

  The pain in Frank's stomach was making him want to double over. “What, exactly, is this tournament?”

  “Condemned criminals, and others, are forced to fight to the death. Beings come in from various systems to make wagers.”

  “I must admit that's the most sadistic shit I've ever heard.”

  “No arguments here. Supposedly, the winner of the tournament is granted freedom.”

  “I guess I got that going for me, then.”

  “That only makes everyone fight harder. In the past, winners would be killed soon after they leave.”

  “Wow. So they kill them anyway?” Frank asked.

  “No, the general population ends up killing them. There aren't many capital offenses, but the winners tended to be killers. They would be found dead.”

  “I see. So why are you using a past tense?”

  “Korick has been requiring several worlds to donate competitors. He is sick like that. The reigning champion is a bug. Instead of going home, he keeps reentering.”

  Frank thought about it. “I can see that.”

  “Really?” Raymond asked. “They usually either subtitle or translate the speech of the competitors, but they never do either for Breet.”

  “It's a Breet? Shit.”

  “You mean there's more than one?” Raymond asked.

  “The bugs could easily overrun this place.”

  “We are all well aware. But Korick has Sungara in his pocket. They get a large bulk of their food there. As long as the Gotes have control of Sungara, the bugs are out of the picture as far as dominance of the galaxy is involved.”

  Frank sank back down onto his back. The collar was making it quite uncomfortable so he reached up to adjust. He was rewarded with a jolt of electricity. “Fuck!” he exclaimed.

  “Yeah, those collars are something else,” Raymond said.

  “So they want me to fight?” Frank asked.

  “Yeah,” Raymond replied. “You put on a hell of a show in Korick's office.”

  “I don't think I can do much more. I feel like I can't move.”

  “The gravity is getting to you. Are you hungry? I can send for a meal.”

  “That would be great, thank you.” Frank just then noticed what appeared to be a camera of some type, mounted in the upper corner to the right of the door. The severity of his situation was fully setting in.

  * * *

  “You sent for me?” Phildan asked as he entered the lab.

  “Yes, Phildan,” Gladys responded as she pulled her gaze away from Brogue. “I want to make sure you are alright.”

  “Me?” he responded. “I am just fine.”

  She placed her hand upon his upper left shoulder. “My old friend, so much burden is placed on you.”

  “I do not consider it a burden,” Phildan responded. “You do far more than I can comprehend.”

  “That isn't a fair comparison. Our tasks are different. I only want you to know how much you are valued as a friend.”

  “I know,” he said as he contorted his scales into a smile. “You made me so that I would enjoy my work. I have always enjoyed your company and our conversations. And then we came to Earth and I have made so many more friends. My life keeps getting better and better. But every life has obstacles. We will see our way through and be all the better for it.”

  “I made you to be an engineer and a mechanic. You did the rest. I cannot take credit for your wonderful personality. I envisioned a great future for you. I always thought you would go on to do great things after you matured.”

  “Nothing else would be so great as the things we all do together,” Phildan replied with such sincerity that it caused a tear to form in her eye.

  “You are so wonderful, Phildan.” She wiped away her tears and tried to regain her composure. “Are the Nakamuras ready?”

  “Yes. I'll send them in. I'm off to Japan now. I'll collect Robert and Michelle on my way back.”

  “And what of the Wrecking Crew?” she asked.

  “They are getting picked up. For now they are keeping Bett company.”

  “They are clever,” Gladys said. “The Earth is in good hands for now.”

  * * *

  A small slot opened where the wall met the floor and a tray slid in. The slot quickly closed behind it. Frank picked up the tray to look over its contents. “Ray?” he called out.

  “I'm right here, Frank.”

  “What is this?”

  “It's meat. It's a lot like beef.”

  “I know that beggars can't be choosers, but do they have anything else?”

  “That is all they serve down here. I can try to find something different but I don't know if I can sneak it in.”

  “That wou
ld be great. Thanks.”

  “Have you at least tried it?” Raymond asked.

  “I'm actually a vegetarian.”

  “No shit?”

  “No shit. How about some water?”

  “There should be a blue button on the wall. Do you see it?”

  “Yeah, I see it,” Frank replied as he looked up from where he was still sitting.

  “There's a little hole next to it. Press the button and water comes out.”

  Frank looked back up at the button. It was out of reach. He was going to have to stand up. Instead, he laid back down on his side. The collar gave him a little jolt when he adjusted it. He didn't have the energy to cry out in pain.

  * * *

  “I hope you don't get sick of me,” Denise said as she watched Constanthos walk around the living room. She was humming while she walked and only smiled and shook her head to answer Denise. “You're testing out your vocal chords, aren't you?” Constanthos nodded and continued walking about, running her hand down the wall as she went. She was exploring her senses. She had tasted a loba and then learned to drink water without choking, and found that she enjoyed both very much. When she reached the little refrigerator, she reached down and opened the door. Kneeling down, she noticed a few cans of beer and decided that she should try one. She was examining the can as she stood back up, enjoying the cold feeling in her hand. The operation of the tab was easy enough, as she was reconciling the raw information of things she had seen always, with the corporeal reality that she now found herself in. She opened the beer like one of the guys and was pleasantly startled by the sound of it. Holding the can up, she first smelled it. Finally, she took a sip and then stood with a blank look as she was deciding whether she liked it or not.

  “Dop tam,” she said. Then she shook her head and tried again. “Nop bam.” She nearly giggled before finally saying, “Not bad.”

  “And just like that, you can talk,” Denise said incredulously. “This is going to be the easiest job ever.” Constanthos answered her with a smile. “You have the right idea there,” Denise added as she went for a beer of her own.