Chapter Eight

~~

      Dr. Matthews nearly dropped the scalpel when Horrigan, de Rio, Mitchell, Perigon, and Velasquez burst through the door. Corporal Horrigan leveled his semi-automatic at the doctor. "Drop the tool," he ordered.

      The doctor looked startled. "Why, Corporal Horrigan…what's the meaning of this intrusion?"

      "You're going to dissect her. You're going to kill her."

      "And when she deserves to live, too," Mitchell added.

      Dr. Matthews put the scalpel on the table and stood up. "I'm not sure if you understand this, but General O'Connor specifically said I should do it."

      Mitchell set off a stream of fire that startled the doctor. "Not without a fight, you're not. That girl is special, and she does not deserve to be treated like data."

      "But she is data. If you were scientists—"

      De Rio interrupted. "But we're not. We're soldiers. Now, bust the girl outta there. And her friend, too."

      "I'm afraid he can't." Everyone turned their heads to see General O'Connor and a dozen Marines soldiers enter the room. The general smiled with mock lament and continued, "I just can't stand it when soldiers mutiny against me. It's such a waste of men. And women, if I might add. So either you back down nicely and you'll simply get demoted…or you'll die."

      There was then a voice that seemed to echo within the room. I am sorry, General O'Connor, but I am afraid you are mistaken. Everyone turned their heads again, but this time towards a new person—Gemini. She was standing in her glass cell with Poorah at her side. The teenage girl had a fiery light within her dark eyes—a light few had ever seen. She continued, Because these brave humans aren't on today's menu. No, general—it's YOU who will die. You and everyone else in this parasite-infested base.

      There was then a sudden noise that grew louder and louder. The walls of the dark room suddenly became alive as Aliens appeared into view from their hiding places

      One particular Alien fell from the ceiling and landed heavily on the center table.

      Kaylon.

      Listen up, assholes! he roared, his thought-voice somehow magnified without the speech translator's help. We're gonna knock you dead! And he leaped, screaming, at a soldier. The soldier swung his gun to aim at Kaylon, but after one deadly, accurate swipe from the Alien's tail, the soldier no longer had a gun. Or an arm. Or a head.

      And then all hell broke loose.

      Semi-automatic blazing like fire, Horrigan backed up against Gemini's cell. "Can you smash through this glass?" he yelled at her over the noise.

      "Maybe," she yelled back. She whipped her tail forward, but the glass was stronger than it looked. "No, never mind."

      "Dammit."

      Zendrek suddenly appeared inside the glass cell via a hole in the ceiling. I got her, he said to Horrigan, and the corporal nodded back before joining the melee. Zendrek turned to the other two. Poorah, head into the shaft. Gemini, get on my back.

      The two obliged, and the three of them scrambled through the ventilation shaft. The Aliens' natural sense of direction got them into the main hallway, which was deserted.

      "I have a funny feeling about this…" Gemini said quietly.

      There was a sudden rumbling, and the entire base seemed to shake and tremble as a sentry tank larger than it should be rolled towards them from one end of the hallway. Another blocked the only path out.

      Zendrek growled in frustration. We're in deep shit now. He crouched and let Gemini off his back. Run, he told her. Run as fast as you can. Leave this place. Take Poorah with you.

      "What about you?" she asked.

      I will stay and cover your backs.

      "You'll die!"

      If it means your freedom—and your safety—then I'm willing to do it. He turned to look at her. And it's not because you're the Chosen.

      Poorah stood firmly next to her older brother. I'm staying too. We'll attack the big machines while Gemini runs to safety.

      Gemini shook her had vigorously. "Poorah…Zendrek… I can't just leave you here!"

      You have to go, the male Alien said firmly. Gemini didn't move. NOW!

      Gemini almost jumped at the commanding tone of voice, and she then ducked and ran past the sentry tanks. She stopped and turned back around as the tanks prepared to fire their fully charged cannons.

      ZENDREK! POORAH! GET DOWN!!! a thought-voice hollered. The two Aliens instinctively lowered their upper bodies at the command (because you always bow in humiliation at the Queen when she does that) and ended up being pushed to the floor, just as the tanks fired. There was an Alien scream, and Poorah and Zendrek stared in shock as Kaylon landed heavily between them, his acid blood oozing from the two small yet deadly holes in his back and chest. Gemini simply screamed.

      KAYLON!!! Zendrek roared furiously. You bastard…KAYLON!!!

      Poorah, however, was trembling with silent fear at the sight of her brother, who had risked his life to save them.

      Kaylon slowly lifted his head. What're you lying there for? Get Gemini…outta here… His strength gave way, and he was dead before his head hit the floor.

      Trembling with fury, Zendrek just lay on the floor for a moment before he remembered his duty. He pushed Poorah to her feet. Come on! Get up!

      The younger Alien, though still thoroughly shaken, scrambled to her feet and dashed past the tanks with her brother just as they fired again. Zendrek grabbed Gemini as they ran past her.

      Poorah! Into the vents!

      The smaller Alien took a sharp left turn and wriggled into the ground-level vents, and Zendrek followed. They made their way deeper and deeper into the shafts, all the while going outwards and downwards towards the main tunnel outside the base.

      They ran for fifteen minutes straight before Zendrek told Poorah to head up. The trio burst from the ground onto Kirin's rocky terrain, safe. But they could still see the military base from where they were.

      All three were silent, feeling as if their hearts were being torn apart as a great sadness swept over them from the base. Dozens upon dozens of Aliens were dying, and many more were already dead.

      It was a full hour before the survivors came out. Of the two hundred Aliens that had entered, only a meager one hundred two survived. And of the five humans who had opposed General O'Connor and the rest of the military, only Corporal Horrigan, Velasquez, and a severely battered Perigon survived. All the Aliens gathered at the rocky outcrop first, sitting silently and nursing their wounds. Horrigan and Perigon came last, supporting Velasquez between them. He had a broken leg, and his arms were blackened by fire.

      Horrigan and Perigon put Velasquez on the ground to rest. While the Auton tried to mend his broken leg, the corporal went to look for Gemini. He found her sitting atop a somewhat flat rock with Zendrek curled next to her, his head on her lap. Horrigan was about to leave when Gemini said, "You have something to say, Corporal Horrigan?"

      "Well, yes, but if you have something more important—"

      "I'd like to hear it now."

      There was a pause. "General O'Connor made it out alive."

      We know that already, said Zendrek. We've been watching him for five minutes. He's hiding behind that rock near the base.

      "He's most likely waiting for nightfall to get at us. I'm sure some of his men made it out alive," said Gemini.

      "Well, we're waiting for nightfall too," said Horrigan. "He may be my superior officer, but he agreed to your dissection. So, he's going to die tonight. And we'll avenge all those Aliens that died while we're at it."

      Gemini turned her head to look at him. "Thank you, Horrigan."

      He suddenly smiled. "Call me Jack."

      Smiling as well, Gemini nodded her head. "Okay…Jack."

      Jack Horrigan patted her shoulder, then walked off to check on Velasquez. Meanwhile, Zendrek turned his head slightly to look up at Gemini. He's not so bad. For a human.

      Gemini nodded. "Yeah. He's not so bad."

~~

      It was later that night. Velasquez and Perigon were asleep. Jack was watching for any signs of General O'Connor or any of his men. Fifty of the one hundred and two Aliens that had survived were on the lookout as well. Zendrek and I were sitting in a small clearing in the center of the rock outcrop.

      "I miss Kaylon," I said quietly.

      I miss him too, replied Zendrek. But he died valiantly. He died for Poorah and me.

      "Now I feel awful about being so angry at him all the time."

      We all do. Zendrek rested his head against mine. We all do.

      I felt tears in my eyes. "Maybe he was right. Maybe I'm not supposed to be the Chosen."

      What are you talking about?

      "I'm human! I was born a human, and I'm still mostly human. An Alien doesn't cry when one of their kind falls."

      Zendrek looked at me. We mourn.

      "But you don't cry! You…don't…cry…"

      Jack suddenly ran up to us. "He's coming. It's only him. He's moving like he's stalking prey or something—probably hoping we won't see or hear him."

      Right. I'm going in. Zendrek nudged me. I'll be back, don't worry. And he disappeared into the darkness.

      It was Jack's turn to sit next to me, and he probably noticed a tear in my eye. "What's wrong?"

      "They died…for me…" I whispered, hugging my knees to my chin. "And Kaylon…"

      "Who's Kaylon?"

      "Kaylon…he was a trouble-maker…always teasing me…and he died! For me!" I took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears that had never fallen before. "I don't…I don't understand myself anymore. I've grown up…and I've never cried…never felt sadness…I've never painted with my fingers, or squeezed oranges for juice, or drew on paper. I've read it all…but I've never done it. And now that I'm crying, for the first time in my life…"

      Jack was silent for a moment before asking me, "What are you?"

      I stared at him. I hadn't expected that question. "Huh?"

      "What are you?" he repeated.

      "I…I'm a human that's turning into an Alien."

      "No. What are you? As in, what are you to the Aliens?"

      I hesitated, but something inside me knew I could trust him. "…I'm their Chosen." And then I told him everything I was told to keep a secret: from how I got here to why I was transforming to why I had a deep bond with the Aliens, especially Zendrek and Timothy. When I was finished, I watched Jack's expression for any signs of shock, disgust, or anything similar to those.

      There was none.

      Instead, he smiled. "So that's why."

      "Yeah. You're not…freaked out?"

      "Nah. After everything we've been through on this planet, nothing surprises me anymore."

      A new voice, from behind: "Not even this?"

      I froze in horror as a gun's muzzle rested on Jack's head. I followed the gun with my eyes, up a sleeved arm, to the face of the general. He was very calm and casual about putting a gun to his corporal's head.

      "You put me through a lot, Corporal Horrigan. And I will now kill you and take your little friend with me in space, and we will bomb this planet and get rid of this species." The general smiled wickedly. "And then we will perform the dissection on Earth."

      I don't think so.

      There was a sound like that of bones cracking and breaking, and the general dropped his gun. I could tell he could not feel the pain just yet—the surprise was too great. The general reached to the back of his head, and his face turned white. Then General O'Connor screamed as Zendrek's bone-crushing primary jaws closed upon his head to hold the human steady. His tail whipped forward and skewered the general's midsection, effectively killing him.

      "Well," said Jack, "that was easy."