Custodian_Monster of Earth Book One

by Patrick F. Johnson

  “They are good, honorable men. I think you will all get along nicely.”

  “I hope so. I know my species are seen in a certain light. Much deserved, I'm afraid.”

  “Bett, you saved my life. I consider you a.....” Frank realized there was no Mingrein word for friend. In English he said, “friend.”

  “I'm sorry. I don't understand.”

  “It's an alien concept to you. Here, we sometimes have others that we are close to, in a non-mating sense. Their well-being is important to us, and time spent together is valuable. Even if it's time doing nothing at all.”

  Bett's eyes looked thoughtful. “Yes, I feel that towards you. And the sphere. I know she's a Sessik, but she has been very accommodating. And her manners are kind.”

  Frank perked up when he mentioned the Sessik. “Bett, have you ever seen a Sessik?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you tell me what they look like?”

  “Winged freaks. Hideous.”

  “Oh, I see.” But then something dawned on him. “How would you describe a human's appearance? Honestly.”

  “With all due respect, humans are even uglier than Sessik. But at least you are more powerfully built. No offense, Frank.”

  Frank was pleased. “None taken, Bett. Thank you for your honesty.” Frank was pleased with himself, although much more curious about Gladosanthos' appearance.

  “Okay, slip this over your head and let's take it for a test run.”

  * * *

  They dropped out of the boat together only to be greeted by the Wrecking Crew, fully armed and ready to shoot the Mingrein.

  “Really guys? C'mon.” Frank said.

  “I don't blame your apprehension, but please allow me a chance to prove myself.” Bett's tone was earnest.

  “Phil?”

  “Yes, Frank?”

  “Can we do something about the tone of Bett's voice through the translator thing?”

  “What do you mean, Frank?”

  “Less Lollipop Guild, and more Darth Vader.”

  “I'm sorry, but I don't know the reference.”

  “The tone needs to be lower.”

  “Yes, of course.” He walked sheepishly towards Bett, and made an adjustment to the necklace.

  After he was done, Frank said, “Okay, Bett, let's try this again.”

  “Yes of course. But is this thing waterproof? I would very much like to go fishing now.”

  “A man after my own heart,” Jones said.

  “It should be fine,” said Phildan. “I planned for that contingency.”

  Bett turned toward the surf. It was starting to get dark so he hurried out to hunt.

  “Is having him here a good idea, Frank?” Dave asked, lapsing into his serious side.

  “I trust him. He saved my life. And he doesn't believe in eating sentient beings. That got him kicked out of the Mingrein civilization, you know?”

  “Yeah, but what if he changes his mind?”

  “I don't think he will. But just throw some of your boyish charm at him, just in case.”

  Dave just shook his head. Jones and Potts had assembled a makeshift grill, complete with a flat metal surface, to fry fish on. But unfortunately, their fishing efforts had all failed miserably. Within minutes, Bett reemerged from the surf carrying two large groupers. He walked up, handed one of them to Jones, and sat with the other, and began to eat it, raw.

  “Oh, damn, that's nasty,” Potts said.

  “Allow me.” Hiro took the fish from Jones and threw it up on a makeshift table. He had his new knives at the ready just in case one of the Crew actually prevailed in their fishing endeavors. He commenced to put on a show, cleaning the fish, and finding every possible edible part of it before throwing it up on the grill. Using two knives, he commenced to grill the fish to perfection, even with the absence of herbs and additives. “We are without plates, so we are going to have to use these fronds.” Hiro handed out generous portions to each of the men. Phildan and Frank declined politely, as they were both vegetarians. That left a very large portion that Hiro kindly offered to Bett. “Try it like this, sir.”

  At first Bett just looked at it. Then he smelled it. Finally he took a bite. And then he took a bigger bite. And then he sat it down beside him and stood up. Hiro was startled when the lizard stood before him, looking him straight in the eye. Bett reached out a clawed hand and clasped Hiro on the shoulder. He gave a firm squeeze and nodded with great approval. Sitting back down, the fish quickly disappeared.

  “Looks like you're hired.” Frank joked. He turned and went back to working on the platform. Dave followed him over.

  “Frank, we need to discuss tactics.”

  “Yeah, I'm still thinking about it. We also need to make arrangements for Kenny.”

  “That's all been taken care of. You think your big friend over there will get mad if we look him over. You know, to find weaknesses.”

  “I'm sure he'll be fine as long as you stay well-mannered. He is surprisingly polite.”

  “Sounds fun. I'll let you get back to your work.” Dave was beginning to understand that Frank liked to stay busy. He walked over to Bett and tried to strike up a conversation. Frank glanced over every once in a while to make sure it was going well.

  * * *

  “I'm sorry to interrupt you, Frank, but I have the video prepared.”

  “Gladys, I never consider you an interruption. Let's have a look.” He had ran out of light some time ago and was working under the lights that Phildan had been using to work on the solar grid. He had most of the walls for the tiki bar ready to be stood up.

  She played the three-dimensional images for him. She had taken footage from the ranch and mixed it in with some from the island. He marveled at how photogenic he wasn't.

  “So what do you think?” she asked anxiously.

  “Looks good, but I need a haircut. This implant has my hair growing faster. My beard and nails too. It's crazy.”

  “That's an interesting side affect that I'm afraid I didn't foresee. My apologies.”

  “If that's as bad as it gets then I'd say we're doing just fine.”

  “Yes. Thanks for being so understanding.”

  “Well, I understand why you did it. And I understand that I'm a guinea pig. I still don't know why you picked me out of all the other people on Earth.”

  “I honestly couldn't imagine anyone else as Custodian at this point.”

  “I'll take that as a compliment.”

  “Please do, Frank.”

  After a few moments Frank said, “You might want to have a two-dimensional version of that prepared.”

  “I already have it. We just need to find somewhere to send it.”

  “Let's talk to Dave.” He led her over to where the Crew were talking to Bett. The Mingrein was sitting near the fire, with the crew on both sides of him. Frank was pleased to see them all getting along. “Dave, could I have a moment of your time?”

  “Sure thing.” He stood and walked over to where Frank and the orb were and they began to stroll toward the surf while they chatted.

  “Dave, we've decided to go against the President's wishes and leak out some more video on the internet. I believe it's a good idea for the general population to be prepared.”

  “I agree. The United States has more guns than people. They should have a warning. And I'll get street cred, defying orders from the Commander in Chief.”

  “That's the spirit. But we don't know who to send the footage to. I saw a news crew back in Texas, right before I met you guys. Is there any way to find out who they were? Their footage has already been put out there but it's been either buried, or accused of being a fake.”

  “Taylor could probably find out, if he doesn't already know. I'll have Potts raise him on the horn.” Dave turned to head back to the fire. Frank watched as he gathered up Potts and the two men went into the tent where their communication equipment was set up.

  “I'd like to do something special for the guys.”
<
br />   “What do you have in mind?” Gladosanthos asked.

  “Let's go up top and see what the Mingrein are up to, then we'll make a pit stop on the way back.”

  “Shall I have Phildan drive?”

  “Let's leave him with the Crew, in case we need to mobilize.”

  “Good thinking.”

  They walked over to the fire and told the men that they were planning a short trip to recon the Mingrein fleet. As Frank expected, they all wanted to come along, but he denied them all except for Hiro. He told them he wanted them to take the night off, and he wanted Hiro to help him carry stuff if the night worked out as planned. So the two men and the orb boarded Frank's boat and headed upward. The same six ships were still in orbit and the seven new ones were nearer to the moon base. Frank felt they weren't yet ready to mobilize so he put his plan into motion.

  “How are we doing on money, Gladys?”

  “Several million, still.”

  “Awesome. Let's hit the liquor store.”

  “I had a feeling you'd say that. How about I leave an orb up here so I can keep watch?”

  “So, I'm becoming predictable? I'll have to remedy that. Hiro? What do you like to drink?”

  “I don't drink often, but when I do, I prefer American beer,” he answered.

  “Frank, the orb?”

  “Yes, Gladys. That's a fantastic idea, actually.”

  A second orb appeared and drifted to the largest red circle. The transparent cylinder dropped from the ceiling and sealed itself around the circle. The floor opened and the orb disappeared into the cold vastness outside. The hatch closed itself back and the cylinder raised itself back into the ceiling.

  She took them to the same liquor store as before. This time she dropped them right out front. They were done with keeping a low profile. Hiro helped Frank pick out several brands of beer. They carried several cases to the register. Frank had the clerk ring up some more cigars, and the biggest bottle of rum they had. They carried them out to the parking lot and Gladys raised them up.

  “We should get a big cooler and lots of ice while we're at it.”

  * * *

  All the guys were talking and laughing when they got back. When they saw what was purchased, they all rushed to help get the cooler set up.

  “What were you guys laughing about?” Frank asked no one in particular.

  “Bett was telling us the kinds of things the Mingrein always laugh at,” Jones replied.

  “Their humor lacks a certain sophistication,” Chavez added.

  Frank lit up a cigar and sat down. Beers were being passed around and everyone began to loosen up. Bett even tried a beer. Although he decided it wasn't for him, he displayed impeccable manners. They had learned that he was actually a fourth generation Mingrein. The first had been mostly a failure, as they were mindless killing machines. The second were far more refined, but it turns out they were a bit too cunning, as they were the one's who eventually led the revolt against their Li creators. The third were more compliant, although they were just as hungry as the rest. Finally, the fourth generation was designed to be more intellectual. Like Bett, they were science officers, engineers, and mechanics. Frank smoked and drank his rum, taking in all the information.

  “When you meet a Mingrein in battle,” Bett was saying, “they prefer to use their great blades. They want to get messy, and instill more fear into their opponents. And the ceremonious consumption doesn't work well with a gun.”

  “What's a ceremonious consumption?” Chavez asked.

  “It's when your opponent watches you eat them,” Bett said flatly. There was no response. So he continued, “The practice was started by Groll, the Undefeated, and adopted by his brothers. Now it is the goal of every Mingrein soldier to accomplish a ceremonious consumption.”

  “That could have been us!” Potts exclaimed.

  “Raiding parties are made up of mostly Rotinoms. They are programmed to gather food at the barest expense. I understand you were all shot?”

  “All of us here except Jones. He had the day off,” Chavez answered. “Eight of our men were lost. Do you figure they got the consumption thing?”

  “No. It doesn't count if it doesn't happen in battle. They might have been practiced on, but I doubt they lasted that long. I'm sorry.”

  “It wasn't you,” Dave said, “We know you don't eat sentient beings.”

  “That is true. If you notice, I am roughly half the size of the average Mingrein. I had been starving since we left Nuun. They kept bringing me out of stasis to handle technical issues.”

  “Hold on, what's Nuun?” Jones asked.

  “Nuun was one of the known human planets. It fell easily, and we used up the planet in a few short years. It's proximity to the known civilized worlds made it a good staging area.”

  “Hold on, there are other planets with humans?” Potts asked excitedly.

  Bett met eyes with Frank, who slightly shook his head.

  “How did people get on other planets?” Chavez asked.

  “I do not know.” Bett realized he had already said too much. “But Nuun had wonderful oceans, full of life and food.”

  “So, is everyone on Nuun dead?” Jones asked.

  “The population was considerably lower than that of Earth. I would estimate that ninety-five percent of the population was consumed. There were no game animals. The Mingrein had nothing else to eat. Here on Earth, there are numerous other species. Humans are to be enslaved mostly. Only the most select are to be consumed.”

  “If they didn't have any animals, what did they eat? Just fish?” Chavez asked.

  “Earth is the first human world we have encountered where people eat meat. Nuun was a mildly temperate to tropical world, cold by Mingrein standards, but full of plant life. The humans had plenty to eat. In fact, they didn't even have to work for it. Nearly everywhere was plant food, ready for consumption.”

  “What were they like? The people?” Dave asked.

  “The inhabitants of Nuun had allowed themselves to become weak and complacent. They didn't have the more powerful build of the people of Earth.”

  Gladosanthos interjected, “Nuun has a lower gravity than Earth. The Nuunians had a lower muscle mass.”

  Dave was in a state of shock. “You knew about this, Gladys? Why didn't you tell us?”

  “I didn't want to upset the delicate balance of Earth's ideologies. The Grand Council of the Sessik forbade me from interfering. But the invasion by a hostile alien force would be proof enough of the existence of life in other parts of the universe. Too many beings have died already at the hands of the Mingrein. I could no longer remain neutral.”

  “I see. Yes. This is going to upset some religions, for sure.” Dave went silent, considering the implications.

  “I was raised Catholic. I even wear a cross,” Chavez said, clutching a necklace.

  “Frank, did you know about all of this?” Jones asked.

  “I didn't know all the details. I've never been very religious. I guess I was afraid to ask.”

  Hiro had sat silently, listening. Finally he spoke up, as everyone else had gone silent. “This changes nothing. If anything, this will bring us all together. We need to stay on topic here, and find whatever weakness we can exploit.”

  “Agreed,” said Dave. “Thanks for being the voice of reason. Bett, what's the best way to kill a Mingrein?”

  “Your smaller guns will be effective against the Rotinoms, but for Mingrein, you will need much larger guns. Our hide is thick, except for under our arms and neck. You will see Mingrein soldiers keeping their heads down as they fight.”

  “I tricked a Rotinom into shooting a Mingrein and it killed him. It was a backpacker,” Frank said.

  “Several hundred projectiles is hard to survive, no matter the size.”

  “Anything else?” asked Dave.

  “Never engage a Mingrein in the water. We are excellent swimmers. But if we stay in the water too long, we tend to stiffen up as the water is almost alw
ays too cold.” He stopped to think if there was something else. “Caves. Mingrein don't like to enter caves that they aren't familiar with.”

  “Why is that?” Chavez asked.

  “Historically, whenever we enter caves, we die. It's a weakness that has been exploited several times on many worlds. Our vision in the dark is poor, but our sense of smell is very good. It led us into many an ambush.”

  “Frank's tunnel idea is a go,” Dave said.

  Potts jumped up. “Call coming in, Sarge.” The two men headed for the tent.

  “So, Bett,” Frank asked, “will Groll try to do a ceremonious consumption here on Earth?”

  “I think he will. Although everything is different now, under the new Adviser.”

  “Who will he eat?”

  “If it was me, I'd have to pick you. But since you have been covert, and are relatively unknown, he will most likely pick one of your leaders. And he will make it very public. The intent is to demoralize the population.”

  “I'm flattered. Please excuse me for a minute.” Frank stood up and walked away from the fire. He pulled out his phone and found the stored number and hit the call button. “Mr. President, I have some new intel that you might find interesting.”

  18.

  Taylor had come through with the information about the news crew. Denise Blake was the name of the reporter on site. The camera operator was unknown. After having her story buried, she had pressed the issue with her superiors and was subsequently fired. So she put the footage out on the internet. Frank wanted to find out if it was a revenge tactic, or just a healthy attitude toward the spirit of journalism.

  “I'm going to go grab my tablet and do some research,” he said out loud as he stood up.

  “I'll get it for you, Frank. You should relax some.” Phildan sprang to his feet and trotted off.

  “I really don't mind!” Frank tried to stop him but it was too late. “Jeez, I don't want him to feel like he's my servant or something.”

  “Helping is in his nature, Frank. You may as well get used to it,” Gladosanthos told him.

  “I know. I just don't want him to feel like he's taken for granted.”