by Derek Baker
Boos as well as cheers filled the chamber, a deafening roar took over when he finished.
The senator that had spoken before now shouted, “Take this creature away! He has violated the sacred code that has kept order for millennia! Dismiss his companion as well!” He pointed to us in disgust, and no one counteracted him.
With that, Martian guards sprang from the doors and surrounded us. They lunged at us, but in the heat of the moment we resisted. I stared one in the eye, contemplating my next move. The guard swung his fist in my direction, but I dodged only to plant my own fist in his face. He staggered backwards, shocked by my behavior. Suddenly, Alexander and another guard fell in front of me, rolling over each other, trying to grip at the throat of the adversary. Chym stood there in bewilderment, unsure of who to help. The senator apparently had more influence than the Prime Minister himself, it seemed. Disorder reigned.
The toll of a bell could be heard, but I barely paid attention as I went to work on the other guards trying to overcome me. Before I knew it, a dozen more guards came in my direction and I could no longer put up a fight. I was lifted off the ground, flailing my arms and legs about. I could see the chamber was in chaos, senators fleeing in fright or coming to our aid. Perhaps they had been inspired by Alexander’s words. Maybe there was hope yet. Before I could see the outcome of the whole incident, Alexander and I were carried out of the chamber and taken to the City of Tai’s Prison to await our fates.
Chapter 15
“Ah hope ya happy. Ya been ‘ere fer only a day and look at the trouble ya gots yourselves into. Ya humans gotta mess everythin’ up, don’t ya? I been ‘ere fer years and I never said a word agains’ these people.”
The door slammed behind us, and the jailor left us. He wasn’t a Martian, but he was one the various species I had seen in the brig on the Wendran ship not so long before. It was a strange coincidence that I had only encountered those of his kind in these situations. Its skin was a dark green, with black dreadlocks that fell down to its shoulders. It was a nimble, fragile, pathetic looking creature. Its face practically drooped down to its pudgy chin. As it walked with a limp away from our cell door, I could tell it had been through some hardship or another in its tortured past.
There Alexander and I were left alone. We turned around and saw a bench awaiting us. We sat down in unison next to each other, and my chin met my hand as an outward sign of my deep thought.
Now what? Can’t seem to find a friendly face anywhere, I thought.
Alexander cleared his throat and I felt his gaze. I straightened my posture and looked at him.
He took a deep breath. “Look,” he started, and gathering his thoughts, he continued, “I’m sorry for dragging you into this. I just…felt like I had to do something.”
I patted him on the shoulder. “It’s alright, man. I’d rather stick it out with you than anyone else.”
His dark, penetrating face that had been filled with doom lifted just a little.
“You know, we haven’t really talked about this much, but think about it. Who else can say they have a friend that went on a space voyage with them, as bizarre as that sounds? We’ve been through so much shit, and basically, we’ve had to stick together, you know? I mean, I thought Chym was cool there for a while, but who knows what’s going to happen now.”
A surprised smile came to his lips. “Friends, huh?”
“Yeah, and a damn smart one, too. Hell, that speech you gave was great! Too bad the whole Martian legislature probably hates us now.”
“Ha! Well, thanks. Probably the first kind words I’ve heard since I’ve left Earth. But I don’t know about the legislature. I think some of them might have heard me out. I think I might have started something. I saw the look in some of their faces. Like, they admired me.”
I laughed. Not a laugh of pity, but of half-hearted joy. I couldn’t even remember the last time I laughed. “You know, you really should have kept studying. You’ve got a gift.”
His face scrunched up as if rebuking my statement. “Pft, what are you talking about?”
“I think if you worked on your people skills, you’d be a natural born leader.”
He considered my comment. “Well, that’s one thing I never had. People skills, that is. When we first met, I was a loner. Now, with everything that’s been happening, I’ve been doing all kinds of things I never thought were possible. I’m getting out of my shell, I feel. Not by my choice, obviously.”
At that we both laughed. It was kind of crazy: two prisoners having a good time, with no clue as to what their future held. Maybe we were starting to go insane. Maybe it was a side effect of being off Earth for so long. I didn’t know, nor cared. I had a friend by my side.
A fist pounded on our door. It was the jailor. “Shuddup in ‘ere. Don’t make me come in.”
We did as he told but we kept smiling.
I remember my friend. For some reason, we are in a dim cavern lit by sunlight filling the gaps in the ceiling. A small running stream no more than a foot deep runs to our left as we follow it out. I admire the ripples in the current. It’s so clear, and when I bend down to feel it, it’s refreshingly cool. It’s so stuffy in the cave. I feel the perspiration wetting my forehead, back, and groin. I cup some of the water and splash it unto my face. It feels great. I stare into the water, contemplating. Instantly I dive my entire head in. I bring my head back up, breathing deeply. I get back up and feel the water dripping onto my shirt as I proceed. The walls of the cavern are stone grey, with rubble here and there on the ground. Our footsteps make a deep echo that can be heard throughout. I begin to make out a light in the distance, which we take to be the exit. Just as we’re about to escape the stuffy cave, a Wendran soldier much like the ones we saw in the woods on Earth jumps out of nowhere, grabs us both by the necks, and leads us out before we can resist. I am terrified, trembling with fear. My friend looks at me. He is not Alexander, but my friend Porter from grade school. He has no idea what’s going on, obviously scared out of his mind. I explain to him that our captor is a Wendran, to which he asks what I’m talking about. I try to explain further, but my mind shorts out, and I can’t even form coherent words. I try as hard as I can to speak but to no avail. The Wendran takes us into the woods out of the cavern and the rest is a blank.
I woke up, sweat pouring down my face, much like in my vivid dream. Alexander was already awake, sitting next to me on the bench, leaning back with his arms crossed. He nodded at me as I rose from my reclining position.
“It’s weird, having a normal sleep pattern again. You doze off, have dreams, then wake up. I haven’t had a rest like that in a while,” I said.
“Yeah, you were talking in your sleep. I thought about waking you up, but I’ve been busy.”
“Busy? Doing what?”
“Thinking.”
“About…?”
“You know. Things. About my behavior here. About what you said about me being a born leader.”
“Ah. Like I said, when this is all over, you should really go back to school.”
He raised his eyebrows, tilted his head. “Yeah, I just might.”
The unique-looking jailor from the night before brought us the strange Martian food for breakfast that I have yet neglected to describe. Their food was almost what one would expect of an advanced alien society in a stereotypical sense: it was mass-manufactured, mostly bland but rich with the nutrients required for survival. The prison grub was less appetizing than most; consisting of a slab of greyish wheat-covered, processed meat that reminded me of a sandwich.
Digging into our breakfast, our conversation fell dormant. Suddenly, a voice came down the corridor in our direction.
“Alexander! Delvon! You will never believe it!”
Alexander and I looked up in unison. We almost didn’t believe it, for the voice was that of Chym.
The rarely enthusiastic Martian with whom we had given our trust and friendship came to the door of our cell with a spring in his step.
&nbs
p; “Good news! Alexander has done it! Despite fierce opposition in the Martian legislature to both the question of war and the outrage which was the aftermath of Alexander’s speech, it seems that defying our long-held customs has paid off.”
“What do you mean?” Alexander said, a confused expression on his face.
“What I mean, my human companion, is that you sparked a movement in the legislature. By majority vote, it was undoubtedly decided that Mars will go forth in defense of Earth against our common enemy. The potential loss, as I have believed since the beginning, is well worth the risk.”
Our faces lit in excitement and celebration.
“That’s great! When do we return to Earth then?” I asked incredulously.
“We shall depart within two Martian days. Come now, let us leave this place.”
With that, he called the jailor who grumpily and slowly came to unlock us from our temporary prison.
The way back the capitol where we were to be briefed on how to handle the situation upon returning to Earth was overshadowed with a completely different atmosphere than when we first arrived in the city of Tai. The citizens on the streets now gave us cheers and words of encouragement in their native tongue as we rode along in Chym’s rover. Out of part embarrassment and part humility, Alexander and I waved back politely with a smile.
In the legislation chamber, everything had changed since our previous visit. Those senators who had been against us from the start occasionally and subtly gave us angry glances that made me uncomfortable but at the same time left me feeling victorious. We were going to save Earth from the people that had kidnapped me. And there was nothing they could now do about it.
The purpose of the new meeting was so that Chym’s father, Prime Minister Shri’Buk’Tai, could explain the process of how we would handle and assimilate Earth into the affairs of the galactic community. Most of it was mundane details but at the same time fascinating in how much they knew and the lengths they had gone through to prepare for the ordeal. Alexander, now viewed positively by the majority of those in the chamber, sat adjacent to the Prime Minister in full attention. This policy, this process of law-making, was in his blood. I could see the intrigue in his eyes and the impressed looks that Shri’Buk’Tai gave him.
In fact, Alexander practically became the head of the whole thing. I was more than okay with this, as I wanted to see my friend flourish in his natural environment. It was he who would land in Washington D.C. and deliver the news to the human population in dramatic fashion. I would be at his side, but he was the one with the ability to speak to the crowds. Seeing as humans were skeptical and may not believe the whole spectacle at first, we would have to be over the top and convincing. Martians would have to come down with us, Chym hopefully being one of them, in full war attire but unarmed. We would go on to speak with all of the world leaders, as well as the United Nations, and work together to figure out how to prepare Earth for attack. The whole thing nearly sounded ridiculous, even now as I write this, years after the fact. But there was no other way. We had to transform Earth from a planet in its dark ages to one that was informed and ready to handle galactic affairs.
With a full plan now in order, it was then or never to execute it. I was extremely nervous, with bouts of shaking, concerning the whole situation. How well it would go over. Seeing my friends and family again. Maybe seeing Claire again. The more I thought about her, the stronger I felt about her. I hoped she was happy. She was the last fragment of intimacy I had experienced, after all. Was it not normal to try to hold on to that?
The night before we left, of course, I dreamed of her. It was just like the dream I had about my childhood friend Porter in the cave. The cool stream trickling along the floor of the cavern, the stuffy, sweaty feel of the air, the dim sunlight protruding through the cracks. Only this time was different, walking through the cave with Claire beside me. At the end of the cave towards which we were heading, I heard a screeching, wailing noise, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what it was. When I tried to ask Claire, the same problem of not being able to speak returned.
I woke up the morning we would be returning to Earth, confused and exhausted, unsure what the daunting task ahead of me held.
Chapter 16
So many things had to change. Many had to remain the same. The simple fact was that my home planet, where everything I knew was located, would be destroyed without these factors. Impossible?
At least I thought so.
I rode on the flagship in the Martian armada en route to Earth. The array of spaceships was an awe for the eye to see. At the front the flagship was situated, gargantuan in size, sleek and metallic in appearance. It was shaped like a giant saucer, explaining the origins of many UFO sightings in the past. The mirror-like surface produced blinding rays of light to those looking at it from the wrong angle. It was the largest of the fleet, supported by its allies in a tactical formation that signaled we were ready for anything that came our way. Its strategy was not meant for battle, however, but for shock and intimidation.
The blue star that I called home grew in the distance. Captain Gup of the family Dis of the city Sev commanded the pilots in their coordinating effort to deliver us unto our destination.
“Do you remember the order of operations by which we shall commence?” Chym asked Alexander and me.
“We’ve been over it a dozen times,” I sighed.
“One more time, then.”
“Okay. So first we land. Through our show of force we’re going to convince people not to try to blow us up. Then we’ll have to explain everything.”
“Now Delvon, though you are not as crucial to this mission does not exempt you from your duties,” the Martian started.
“It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just that I’m sick of going over this a million times.”
“Give him a break, Chym. We’re both pretty anxious here. You can’t imagine how much we’ve missed our loved ones. We didn’t volunteer for this, you know. If I could have it my way, everything would just go back to normal. You don’t know what it’s like to get pulled out of your life without a choice and never get a real return to it,” Alexander snapped. His brow was lowered in aggravation, though he didn’t raise his voice.
Chym’s head sunk in disappointment. “My apologies.” He turned his gaze from us.
I felt sorry; I didn’t want any hard feelings between the three of us. It was hard to explain the way I was feeling during that time before arriving on Earth. I was almost shutting myself off from everyone and everything. Strange, vivid dreams kept filling my nights from which I would awaken fatigued and angry. I had been skipping meals, though the average person with any self-respecting taste buds would probably not find me at fault when considering the Martian foods. No offense to the Martian people.
The only thing that was going to break me away from my encroaching insanity was getting back to those I cared about. I fondly remembered my childhood: the holidays, the warm summers, the falling leaves in autumn, the winter days where I’d sit inside and watch the snow fall through the window. The old days of grade school I missed too, even, before I gained my weird obsession with astronomy and stopped talking to people, instead sticking my nose into science and physics books.
Then I wondered what Chym must have been like as a boy growing up on Mars, in a completely different environment, culture, and mind-set. I made a mental note to ask him about it in the near-future, unless I forgot or just found out by other means.
In the meantime, after I had zoned out, I could make out the continents on Earth’s surface. “Landing time: five Earth minutes, Captain,” said one of the pilots to Gup’Dis’Sev.
The swirling clouds in the atmosphere formed a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean. I could see the Andes Mountains bulging from South America. The Yucatan peninsula jutted out into the Caribbean Sea and pointed toward my home.
“Landing time: three Earth minutes.”
The east coast was growing on our approach. It was n
ight time, the beauty of the lit cities surrounded by utter darkness shone even from the distance in space. I began to make out the Chesapeake Bay in its all its pristine glory as it lay calm and serene adjacent to the city of Baltimore. Too bad we weren’t going there, instead.
“Entering atmosphere, sir. Landing time: two Earth minutes,” the pilot spoke in English for our benefit.
The turbulence began. Earth’s atmosphere was much denser than that of Mars, which made it all the more tricky to land on the surface. The instability shook the ship in all directions. My gravity suit coupled with my seat belt kept me firmly in place. We started to see fire in the windows, though Captain Gup’Dis’Sev assured us that the alloys used to construct Martian ships were perfectly capable of withstanding re-entry into any terrestrial atmosphere.
“Landing time: one Earth minute.”
“Commence landing procedures,” ordered the Captain.
“Yes, sir.”
A quiet hum quickly turned into a deafening roar, as the sound of the turbulence paired up with the ship’s moving components preparing for landing. I kept my eyes fixated out the window, as the black of space became a cloudy sky making things hard to make out.
Then, we broke through the clouds and the skyline of Washington D.C., illuminated everything. I wondered what people on the ground must have been thinking when they saw the Martian armada coming down from the sky. Oh my god, what the hell is that? Or: Honey, come look!
We couldn’t have been any more than a half mile up at that point. The skyscrapers would have probably touched us if we had flown directly above them. Hovering over the city, the ships in our fleet shone spotlights down at the buildings below as we made our way to the capital building.
“You can take off your seatbelts and gravity suits now, men of Earth,” said the Captain to Alexander and me.