Chapter Seven
~~
"So…what should we do now?" de Rio asked quietly.
"We…can talk," Horrigan suggested. He took a step forward. "Hello, Your Majesty. Now, we're not here to hurt you or take anyone else from your Hive."
The Queen tilted her head in a gesture that said, How can I trust you?
"Gemini is quickly becoming one of you." Several Aliens shifted at that statement. "And, because she is now half-and-half, our head scientist is going to do something I would hate to be done on any sentient creature—dissection. They're probably going to kill her first, though."
Zendrek's head jerked up. WHAT!!!?
The Queen gave him a stern look. Stand down, Zendrek.
Yes, Mother.
"Basically," Horrigan continued, "we're going to set her free. The dissection will be in less than a week. But there's only four of us. …We need your help, since Gemini means a lot to you."
The Queen once again asked, How can I trust you?
"Perigon? The holo-image transmitter?"
Perigon stepped in front of the Queen and pressed a few buttons on the small device. A holographic image popped up of the inside of the med-labs. All the Aliens screeched in unison. There, displayed by the transmitter, was Gemini and Poorah, both asleep. Gemini stirred as a human came into view.
"Hello there, Gemini," the human said cheerfully. "How is your little friend?"
Gemini growled in reply.
"Well, it won't matter. I thought you'd like to know that in a week, you and your little friend will be dead." Gemini's eyes widened. "And then we'll perform a dissection on both of you."
"Why are you telling me this?" the girl asked.
"Because there's no point in keeping it secret from you. Besides—you can't do anything about it." The human smiled, then abruptly turned and walked off.
Perigon turned the device off and stepped back with the other humans. There was a sudden clamor as the Aliens screamed at each other. The humans simply stood and waited. Then the Queen ordered for silence, and she nodded—effectively surprising the soldiers by using such a human gesture.
"So you'll help us?" asked Mitchell.
The Queen again nodded, then screeched, and hundreds upon hundreds of Aliens seemingly materialized from the shadows.
"Well, here's our army," de Rio observed, looking around.
"I have a question, though," said Mitchell. "How do we communicate with them? They can understand us, but we can't understand them."
Perigon held up another device. "That's where this comes in. It's not on, so we couldn't understand the Queen, but once I get it functioning, we can translate their screams into human words. We've done it with Earth animals, so I'm sure it'll work."
"Good." Horrigan patted Perigon on the shoulder. "Now, let's get the hell outta here. This place gives me the creeps."
Later that day…
Zendrek sat atop a rock just outside the humans' ship. He'd been sitting there for two hours already, waiting for the one called Horrigan to come out. And it was at the exact moment that Zendrek decided he was wasting his time when someone did come out—Mitchell.
"Ahhh!" the soldier exclaimed, startled. "Oh…it's one of you guys. Um…" He turned on the speech device he was given. "So…what are you doing here?"
I've come to speak with your leader, Zendrek replied, and the device translated his message to English.
"Pretty cliché…but that's all right. Hold on; I'll get Jack." He went inside, and moments later, he reappeared with Horrigan at his side. "Well, you two have a nice chat. I'm going to take a leak." And he left, disappearing behind some rocks.
Horrigan turned on his own speech device. "Who are you?"
My name is Zendrek.
"Never knew you Aliens had names."
We do, and there's no trouble in memorizing them all. But I did not come to speak to you about the various names of my people. You'll only know some, one of which is mine.
"Okay. Well, my name is Jack Horrigan, just in case you were wondering."
I appreciate your courtesy. But down to business: you want us to get inside that base and wreck havoc, right? Horrigan nodded. If we are to wreck havoc, then you must provide us with a distraction. I know we have snuck into places before with ease, but we do not want any failures. This is a one-in-a-million chance to save Gemini.
"I know. That's why I'm doing this. We cause the distraction, you get in and cause our distraction, and we'll get her outta there."
That is the second reason I came here.
"Oh? Is something wrong with my plan?"
No. But I have one favor to ask of you.
"Which is…?"
I wish to be the one to free Gemini.
Horrigan raised his eyebrow at the Alien. "You do? Just curious, but why?"
If Zendrek had eyes, he would've narrowed them. My business is my own. Besides, she knows me. I used to… He stopped himself. Never mind. The point is, I want to be the one to free her.
Horrigan nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll honor that request. But make sure you don't get yourself killed."
If one Alien goes down, three take his place.
"Yeah, I noticed… Well, if that's all, I need to get some sleep. It's pretty late. We leave in the morning."
Good. There's a tunnel that connects this abandoned colony with your military base. We'll travel that way.
"…How many of you are coming?"
Two hundred.
"How many are staying?"
Three hundred.
"Wow…well, thanks for the information…Zendrek, right?" The Alien nodded. "I'm going now. You better head back and ready your army." And he disappeared into the ship.
Zendrek looked out at the horizon. We're finally coming to get you, Gemini. Hold on…
"We'll just quietly land this ship, walk in all casual-like, and go back to our business," said Perigon as they neared the military base.
"That won't be as easy as it sounds," Mitchell muttered.
But they did land the ship quietly and walk in unnoticed. But as they turned the corner of one particularly long hallway, they came face-to-face with—
"Velasquez!" exclaimed de Rio.
The man held three semi-automatics and one flamethrower. "Where've you been?"
The four soldiers shared a look. "…Somewhere," Horrigan finally said.
Velasquez then shoved a semi-automatic into his corporal's hands. "Take this. You'll need it." He gave a weapon each to de Rio and Perigon (Mitchell already had his flamethrower). "If you're going bust that girl free from the med-labs, you better do it tonight. They're performing the dissection tomorrow."
Perigon's eyes widened. "Dr. Matthews said in a week—this Friday!"
"Yeah, but when the general heard, he wanted him to do it as soon as possible. A week was too late for the doctor."
Horrigan knelt down and tapped the metal floor. "We're doing it now," he said quietly.
I know, was the reply from the speech translator.
Horrigan stood up. "Where is the doctor?" he asked Velasquez.
"In the med-labs. He's doing his usual visit to the girl and her pet. The general won't be visiting today—he's busy with some guests. Come on. We don't have much time." He started walking off, and the other four followed.
"Guests?" Mitchell wondered. "What kind?"
"Pirates, I think. They brought in 'food' for the Alien."
"Right," said Horrigan. He loaded his semi-automatic and secured the cartridge. "Lock and load, because we're going in now."
~~
I glared at the doctor. He was 'organizing' his dissecting tools for probably the third time that day. It was just to show me that I was powerless to stop him.
I might be powerless, I thought, but others hold more power than you would ever hope to have.
For three hours, I had felt something nagging in the back of my mind. And it was just then that I realized what it was. The sound of the Hive came racing back to me. They were coming. They were coming to get me.
I smiled to myself and curled up in my corner. If you get out of this alive, Dr. Matthews, I'll see to it that Zendrek tears you to pieces. I felt my old strength return. And then…you'll die.
