Part 23: The Nature of Life
A large grotesque ball of skin and muscle rolled up to the nose of the missile, sticking through the thick outer shell of the massive Zardexian flagship that had so quickly laid the Earth to ruin. It approached the missile and laid its tentacles on the tip, examining it until it noticed a small opening on the underside of the missile. It moved carefully underneath until it heard a soft hum of energy charging up.
Suddenly the ball exploded backward, coating the far wall in violet alien blood. The black hole that had been its core dissipated instantly, allowing Alex to slide out of the missile with the Argathin energy launcher perched on one shoulder as the searched around for any sign of others.
"I think the coast is clear, come on!" Alex hissed furiously. Sam, Clover, Madison, and the two teenagers, Mason and Lisa, slipped out of the missile behind her.
"I swear, I am never traveling by cruise missile again. Especially with a boy." Clover glared at Mason.
"Hey, it's not like there was any position I could be in where I WOULDN'T touch you girls." Mason complained.
"Shut up and concentrate! We have to move!" Sam hissed. She waited for the others to nod before the turned to Alex, who in turn moved down the hall with the energy cannon held out in front of her. Red lights flashed around them, either revealing another peculiar aspect of Zardexian culture, or giving a warning that they were present in the ship.
Alex stopped and gestured for the others to stop as well when she heard a rolling sound coming from further down the corridor they were about to enter. Alex clutched the energy cannon in her arms, pressing the button to charge it up and listening for the Zardexian. She heard it move closer and closer, until she could smell it just feet away from her.
Within the span of three seconds she whirled into the hall and pulled the trigger on the cannon. The bright blue blast ripped through the Zardexian and sent it up against the wall in the form of a fine, chunky paste before it even had time to open its hideous jaws. Without missing a beat Alex gestured for the others to advance and jogged down the newly empty hallway.
She slid up against the wall toward another corner and peered around, spotting several Zardexians moving toward them. She quickly set the cannon to a wide beam and slid down the wall to make herself less visible. The others crowded behind her, watching nervously as she listened to the rolling noises approaching rapidly.
When she saw the hideous rolling figure she raised the cannon and pulled the trigger. A wide beam of pure blue light surged out of the cannon, slamming into both of the aliens. They hurtled through the hallway into the far wall with heavy, sickeningly wet thumps. Alex struggled to hold the cannon steady as the aliens roared in anger, but the brilliant blue light finally sliced through them, silencing their cries.
"It'd take a miracle for nobody to have heard that." Clover quipped.
"Then we move fast. Come on, we have to find their shuttles. They're our only chance to get out of here and join the village on the Argathin home world!" Sam charged down the hall past Alex, who joined the others in following just behind her.
They made their way into a thankfully empty room as a group of Zardexians passed by. The humans leaned against the walls, panting heavily until the rolling noises had faded into the distance. "I'm going to have a heart attack soon." Clover panted.
"So, anyone have any idea which way the shuttles are?" Sam asked curiously. Silence dominated the room until Madison spoke from across the room.
"Take a look at this. I think it's a map." Madison stated, looking at a poster on the wall. The others approached, and indeed now that Alex could see it closer, it was a map... but there was something familiar about it...
"These symbols... they're the same ones the Argathins used on their maps. Well... almost." Alex stared at the symbols in surprise. "They're a little different, but they're pretty similar too."
"Why would the Zardexians and Argathins use the same symbols?" Sam asked. "For that matter, why do they look so much like something we humans would use too?" She contemplated. "Could we all have common ancestry...?
"Time enough for philosophical questioning later." Madison said coldly. "We have to get to the shuttle bay and get out of here." She pointed to a picture of a generic looking shuttle over one of the rooms that was near the one marked with the red dot indicating their position. "It's not too far from here, we should be able to make it undetected if we're fast."
They all blinked when they heard a sickening growl erupted form the doorway. Without even looking Alex pointed the cannon at the door and pulled the trigger. The splat against the wall outside the room told them that the blast had hit its mark.
"Come on, we've gotta get moving!" Alex exclaimed.
They ran as fast as they could down the hall, ducking into hallways when they heard groups coming, or having Alex simply blast the lone Zardexians they encountered into a sickening thick purple paste. They whirled into the shuttle bay they'd found on the map to see a fleet of shuttles... but there was also a small fleet of Zardexians between them and the shuttles.
"We're fucked..." Lisa gulped fearfully. "We are so fucked..."
"Not as long as we're breathing." Alex raised the cannon, putting her free hand on the top as it charged up. The Zardexians let out low growls and rolled slowly toward them, the toxin dripping from the ends of their tentacles to the floor plates beneath them. They were almost out of anti-toxin, one touch of those tentacles would be a death sentence.
"Bravery is one thing Alex, but this is just suicide. We have to run, and try to find another shuttle bay somewhere." Sam grabbed Alex's arm tightly. Alex looked back at her quickly.
"You guys go, I'll meet you outside." Alex said.
"Alex, don't be stupid! There's like a dozen of them!" Clover complained.
"I can handle it!" Alex looked sidelong at the hangar doors a small distance away, then looked at Clover again. Clover blinked in surprise, then shook her head even as Sam stepped between them.
"Alex, forget it..." Sam said.
"I know what I'm doing. I'll be okay, just go." Alex turned back to the Zardexians, who were crowded in front of them, flexing their tentacles eagerly though they seemed wary of the cannon in Alex's hands. Could such a cold, murderous race really be afraid to die like they were? It didn't seem right, but it seemed to be true.
"Good luck Alex." Madison said for the speechless women before turning to leave. Sam, Clover, Lisa and Mason turned to follow her, leaving Alex alone with the Zardexian army. The Latino woman looked around at them, holding the fully charged weapon up in front of her to keep them back.
"So... you're scared of death?" Alex asked, not really expecting an answer. Nor did she get one. "You've killed enough people... you've slaughtered everyone. It's about time someone made YOU afraid..." She growled.
"And you believe you're better than us?" A voice spoke from the door. Alex whirled and trained the cannon on a human looking man. He was rather handsome, but his comfortable stance and calm expression let her know that he wasn't how he seemed. "You humans are as much murderers as we are... every single one of you is willing to kill to survive."
"Shut up." Alex growled. "There's a huge difference between us and you. We've never tried to wipe anyone out... we've never caused the kind of pain you have. We respect the things we have to kill."
"Bullshit." The man replied calmly. "You kill to survive, and we kill to survive. Your 'respect' is simply a custom you created to make yourselves feel superior." The man approached Alex until the cannon was pressed against his hard, muscled chest. "In truth, you would kill to preserve yourself and your species... wouldn't you? You'd kill in cold blood to save yourself and those you love."
Alex just stared at him, her finger shaking on the trigger. She wanted to deny it, to scream that she wasn't like him... but she could still remember the Argathin child limp in her arms. It had felt like a doll, a simple little doll... but she still remembered how it begged to be spared... before she'd murdered it to save the people of her village.
"So would we." The man told her. Alex's eyes widened when she caught sight of a tentacle entering her peripheral vision. Before she could respond a hail of tentacles wrapped around her body, one of them knocking the weapon to the floor in front of the man.
"Hey! Whmphmpmh!" Alex shouted in fear and surprise as the tentacles wrapped tightly around her body, pinning her arms to her sides, her legs closed, and lifting her off the ground. Her voice grew muffled when one tentacle wrapped around her mouth like a gag. Alex screamed desperately and tried to struggle, but the tentacles wouldn't even begin to budge.
"Now... human..." the man approached her with a dangerous glint in his eye. Alex panted fearfully, feeling the tentacles holding her body stiff more than a foot above the floor. "If you're here, there must be other survivors..." He raised one hand and touched her cheek. It seemed like a comforting gesture, but it didn't feel like one at all. "So let's talk..."
TO BE CONTINUED
A large grotesque ball of skin and muscle rolled up to the nose of the missile, sticking through the thick outer shell of the massive Zardexian flagship that had so quickly laid the Earth to ruin. It approached the missile and laid its tentacles on the tip, examining it until it noticed a small opening on the underside of the missile. It moved carefully underneath until it heard a soft hum of energy charging up.
Suddenly the ball exploded backward, coating the far wall in violet alien blood. The black hole that had been its core dissipated instantly, allowing Alex to slide out of the missile with the Argathin energy launcher perched on one shoulder as the searched around for any sign of others.
"I think the coast is clear, come on!" Alex hissed furiously. Sam, Clover, Madison, and the two teenagers, Mason and Lisa, slipped out of the missile behind her.
"I swear, I am never traveling by cruise missile again. Especially with a boy." Clover glared at Mason.
"Hey, it's not like there was any position I could be in where I WOULDN'T touch you girls." Mason complained.
"Shut up and concentrate! We have to move!" Sam hissed. She waited for the others to nod before the turned to Alex, who in turn moved down the hall with the energy cannon held out in front of her. Red lights flashed around them, either revealing another peculiar aspect of Zardexian culture, or giving a warning that they were present in the ship.
Alex stopped and gestured for the others to stop as well when she heard a rolling sound coming from further down the corridor they were about to enter. Alex clutched the energy cannon in her arms, pressing the button to charge it up and listening for the Zardexian. She heard it move closer and closer, until she could smell it just feet away from her.
Within the span of three seconds she whirled into the hall and pulled the trigger on the cannon. The bright blue blast ripped through the Zardexian and sent it up against the wall in the form of a fine, chunky paste before it even had time to open its hideous jaws. Without missing a beat Alex gestured for the others to advance and jogged down the newly empty hallway.
She slid up against the wall toward another corner and peered around, spotting several Zardexians moving toward them. She quickly set the cannon to a wide beam and slid down the wall to make herself less visible. The others crowded behind her, watching nervously as she listened to the rolling noises approaching rapidly.
When she saw the hideous rolling figure she raised the cannon and pulled the trigger. A wide beam of pure blue light surged out of the cannon, slamming into both of the aliens. They hurtled through the hallway into the far wall with heavy, sickeningly wet thumps. Alex struggled to hold the cannon steady as the aliens roared in anger, but the brilliant blue light finally sliced through them, silencing their cries.
"It'd take a miracle for nobody to have heard that." Clover quipped.
"Then we move fast. Come on, we have to find their shuttles. They're our only chance to get out of here and join the village on the Argathin home world!" Sam charged down the hall past Alex, who joined the others in following just behind her.
They made their way into a thankfully empty room as a group of Zardexians passed by. The humans leaned against the walls, panting heavily until the rolling noises had faded into the distance. "I'm going to have a heart attack soon." Clover panted.
"So, anyone have any idea which way the shuttles are?" Sam asked curiously. Silence dominated the room until Madison spoke from across the room.
"Take a look at this. I think it's a map." Madison stated, looking at a poster on the wall. The others approached, and indeed now that Alex could see it closer, it was a map... but there was something familiar about it...
"These symbols... they're the same ones the Argathins used on their maps. Well... almost." Alex stared at the symbols in surprise. "They're a little different, but they're pretty similar too."
"Why would the Zardexians and Argathins use the same symbols?" Sam asked. "For that matter, why do they look so much like something we humans would use too?" She contemplated. "Could we all have common ancestry...?
"Time enough for philosophical questioning later." Madison said coldly. "We have to get to the shuttle bay and get out of here." She pointed to a picture of a generic looking shuttle over one of the rooms that was near the one marked with the red dot indicating their position. "It's not too far from here, we should be able to make it undetected if we're fast."
They all blinked when they heard a sickening growl erupted form the doorway. Without even looking Alex pointed the cannon at the door and pulled the trigger. The splat against the wall outside the room told them that the blast had hit its mark.
"Come on, we've gotta get moving!" Alex exclaimed.
They ran as fast as they could down the hall, ducking into hallways when they heard groups coming, or having Alex simply blast the lone Zardexians they encountered into a sickening thick purple paste. They whirled into the shuttle bay they'd found on the map to see a fleet of shuttles... but there was also a small fleet of Zardexians between them and the shuttles.
"We're fucked..." Lisa gulped fearfully. "We are so fucked..."
"Not as long as we're breathing." Alex raised the cannon, putting her free hand on the top as it charged up. The Zardexians let out low growls and rolled slowly toward them, the toxin dripping from the ends of their tentacles to the floor plates beneath them. They were almost out of anti-toxin, one touch of those tentacles would be a death sentence.
"Bravery is one thing Alex, but this is just suicide. We have to run, and try to find another shuttle bay somewhere." Sam grabbed Alex's arm tightly. Alex looked back at her quickly.
"You guys go, I'll meet you outside." Alex said.
"Alex, don't be stupid! There's like a dozen of them!" Clover complained.
"I can handle it!" Alex looked sidelong at the hangar doors a small distance away, then looked at Clover again. Clover blinked in surprise, then shook her head even as Sam stepped between them.
"Alex, forget it..." Sam said.
"I know what I'm doing. I'll be okay, just go." Alex turned back to the Zardexians, who were crowded in front of them, flexing their tentacles eagerly though they seemed wary of the cannon in Alex's hands. Could such a cold, murderous race really be afraid to die like they were? It didn't seem right, but it seemed to be true.
"Good luck Alex." Madison said for the speechless women before turning to leave. Sam, Clover, Lisa and Mason turned to follow her, leaving Alex alone with the Zardexian army. The Latino woman looked around at them, holding the fully charged weapon up in front of her to keep them back.
"So... you're scared of death?" Alex asked, not really expecting an answer. Nor did she get one. "You've killed enough people... you've slaughtered everyone. It's about time someone made YOU afraid..." She growled.
"And you believe you're better than us?" A voice spoke from the door. Alex whirled and trained the cannon on a human looking man. He was rather handsome, but his comfortable stance and calm expression let her know that he wasn't how he seemed. "You humans are as much murderers as we are... every single one of you is willing to kill to survive."
"Shut up." Alex growled. "There's a huge difference between us and you. We've never tried to wipe anyone out... we've never caused the kind of pain you have. We respect the things we have to kill."
"Bullshit." The man replied calmly. "You kill to survive, and we kill to survive. Your 'respect' is simply a custom you created to make yourselves feel superior." The man approached Alex until the cannon was pressed against his hard, muscled chest. "In truth, you would kill to preserve yourself and your species... wouldn't you? You'd kill in cold blood to save yourself and those you love."
Alex just stared at him, her finger shaking on the trigger. She wanted to deny it, to scream that she wasn't like him... but she could still remember the Argathin child limp in her arms. It had felt like a doll, a simple little doll... but she still remembered how it begged to be spared... before she'd murdered it to save the people of her village.
"So would we." The man told her. Alex's eyes widened when she caught sight of a tentacle entering her peripheral vision. Before she could respond a hail of tentacles wrapped around her body, one of them knocking the weapon to the floor in front of the man.
"Hey! Whmphmpmh!" Alex shouted in fear and surprise as the tentacles wrapped tightly around her body, pinning her arms to her sides, her legs closed, and lifting her off the ground. Her voice grew muffled when one tentacle wrapped around her mouth like a gag. Alex screamed desperately and tried to struggle, but the tentacles wouldn't even begin to budge.
"Now... human..." the man approached her with a dangerous glint in his eye. Alex panted fearfully, feeling the tentacles holding her body stiff more than a foot above the floor. "If you're here, there must be other survivors..." He raised one hand and touched her cheek. It seemed like a comforting gesture, but it didn't feel like one at all. "So let's talk..."
TO BE CONTINUED