Hi, this was tricky to write, and if I am honest I am not 100% happy with the result. However, the story must go on and so here it is.
PS: The online spell checkers down so for now its raw and ready...
Rimmer followed his mother down the dark and dank corridor. A short distance later his mother led him into the half lit room. She pointed to the silver suite lying across the back of a chair. "Put it on." She said, moving to the other side of the room and sitting herself down. She watched him as he poked the candidate uniform.
"Why silver and not one of the other colours mother?" he asked.
"Why not, I thought we would go independent, and I always thought my boys looked good in silver."
Rimmer hesitated.
"Come on Arnold we haven't got all day." Pressed his mother.
"Are you going to stay and watch?" asked Rimmer.
"Look nothing I've not seen before Arnold, and I don't want you doing anything silly, now do I?" she said crossing her legs.
Rimmer turned so his back was to her and stripped off his clothes. These days he had taken to wearing real clothes while in Hardlight. It made him feel that little bit more human.
He slipped the silver suite on and did up the zip that ran the entire length of his torso.
"Turn round then Arnold, let's have a look at you." Said his mother in a voice of one addressing a school child trying on that new school uniform.
Rimmer turned to face her, he kind of felt uncomfortable in it and squirmed like a fish on the end of a line. He mused that the clothes themselves very flexible, he guessed designed that way for combat.
"Now don't you look the part." Said his mother clasping her hands together.
Rimmer shuffled on the spot. "I prefer my normal clothes mother." He protested.
"Well this is the law, and remember my dear, I am the law." Said his mother, a grin spreading across her face.
She stood up and walked to the far door. "Enough of this, we must go, it is nearly time for you to make me proud Arnold."
He gulped and followed her out of the room and into the light. The sun was high in the sky and he could see people flocking from all directions towards the cage. His mother moved quickly and soon they came to the door of the cage. She stopped and looked at him, pausing as if what she was about to say needed some dramatic pause or great thought.
"Arnold, this very well may be the most important thing you ever do for me my boy, don't screw it up like everything you do." She said the last words burning into his soul.
He wanted to say something, but the words failed him and before he what was happening the door behind him opened and he heard the tall thin man announce his name. He looked at his mothers face, it was ever cold anc devoid of any love for him. "Goodbye Mother." He said.
His mother turned him round to face the door she whispered in his ear. "Now go in there and rip his bleeding tentacles off son!"
He walked forward into the cage to an collective chorus of boos and hisses of the crowd. It appeared he was up against someone who was more popular than him. Who was he kidding everyone was more popular than him. His opponent had yet to enter the arena and Rimmer glanced left and right nervously awaiting his sparing partner.
The tall man began to call the crowd to a hush.
"Ladies and Gents, people of this fine town, you wanted it and now you're going to get it. Let me introduce your man and mine, it's Mr Slash."
Rimmer watched as the far iron gate was pulled back and a huge Gelf stooped under it to enter the ring. Rimmer moved over to the tall man. "Err he's called Slash is he, why's that then?" asked Rimmer.
The man simply pulled his thumb across his throat as if this was a sufficient answer.
"Oh I see, OK thanks for clearing that little matter up." Said Rimmer taking a step backwards.
The compare went through his opening speech and once he had finished the crowd was even more whipped up into a lust for death.
Rimmer searched the roof for his mother having seen her decent from there at the last election. He spotted her sitting on a chair looking down at the arena. It appeared she had decided to allow Lister and the others to watch his Election battle. He could see Lister, Cat and Kryten chained next to her. Lister saw Rimmer looking and gave him the thumps up.
Rimmer didn't smile back, he was feeling as if all his nightmares had come true at once. He wanted to run and hide, to flee this place and escape, every inch of his being wanted to RUN! But there was no escape, no way out.
Rimmer stopped searching and stopped, he did this because of the voice in his head the other Ace was talking to him.
'Arn, you have to pull yourself together man, this is important. Size your man up, look for his weakness.' Said Ace.
"What, size his what up, this is hardly the time." Said Rimmer glancing across at his opponent who was cracking his knuckles rather loudly.
'Look arn, you have to trust me and do what I say.' Pressed Ace.
Rimmer snapped back at the voice in his head. "Look Mr Action Man pants I'm not equipped for this kind of thing." Said Rimmer
'Of course you are, you just need to look deeper inside.' Said Ace.
Rimmer nodded. "OK, what do you want me to do?"
'When he comes for you, I want you do aim low, kick him hard and then run. Can you do that?' said Ace.
Rimmer nodded again. "Aim low, kick hard, and run, got it."
The compare left the cage that left just Rimmer and his opponent alone, Rimmer smiled nervously at the big fella, it didn't smile back.
Above the man and Gelf the horn sounded to start the Election.
"Oh my, I'm going to die!" Said Rimmer shacking with fear.
'You can't die, your already dead!' said Ace from within his head.
"But I can hurt!" said Rimmer his voice taking on a very shaky tone.
The large Gelf charged across the ring at Rimmer. Rimmer braced himself and waited.
"GGgggggggggrrrrrrr" cried the Gelf at Rimmer
Rimmer waited, and as the Gelf came into range Ace shouted at him. 'NOW!' Rimmer aimed low and kicked. His foot flew through the air, but instead of coming into contact with the Large Gelf it completely missed, the next thing Rimmer knew was the large Gelf towering over him and a fist that could have been used as a bowling ball came flying his way and hit Rimmer square in the face. Rimmers feet left contact with the soil and he arced through the air and onto his back. The air from his hard light lungs was knocked out of him, while his nose a ball of pain.
Rimmer lay there in pain, when he heard Ace again.
'Arn, you have to let me take over.' Said Ace.
"No, I can't do this, you can't do this." Said Rimmer squirming backwards over the dirt.
'Just let me take control.' Said Ace.
"It's my body, I don't I want it back you know." said Rimmer watching the Gelf walk around the ring to a collective of cheers.
'Close you eyes and thing of me; think of me like you have never thought of anything else.' Said Ace.
"Urrhh do I have too?" said Rimmer in disgust.
'Not like that big man, come on you can do it.' Said Ace
Rimmer closed his eyes and thought. "It's not working!" cried Rimmer.
'Keep trying man!' said Ace.
Rimmer tried, but the noise and the fear just got in the way. Rimmer still with his eyes firmly shut failed to notice that the Gelf who had gotten bored of his little jog around the cage and had decided to hit him again.
Rimmer crumpled into a heap on the floor. The Gelf turned his back on him once more and cheered at the crowd.
Rimmers mother looked on, there was not a trace of fear for her son in her eyes, only hate and despise. She turned to Lister. "See that is why I despise the sperm that made him, he's useless." Her last words spat out like venom.
Lister looked down on Rimmer, he looked to be in big trouble, why had he not done something to help him. As he watched he noticed Rimmers left foot move, then his right. "Oh thank smeg for that he's not dead." Said Lister
The silver dressed hologram got back onto his feet and dusted himself off.
"Now that was not a very thing to do to a chap now was it?" said the Hologram once again in the more confident tones of Ace Rimmer.
The large Gelf seemed surprised by his opponent's sudden recovery and growled at him.
"You, die now!" it said and charged towards him like an elephant on heat.
Ace stood feet planted firmly on the soil, he instinctively reached behind his back for his favourite pair of guns but of course found nothing. 'Dam, have to do this the old fashion way.' He thought.
He waited for the right moment, that point in time when his attacker was at his weakest. The Gelf entered his target zone and he sprang forward and up. In one swift movement he had jumped up onto the Gelfs shoulders and now had his legs wrapped around the Gelfs thick neck. His target carried on charging with Ace sat on top holding on for dear life.
Lister whooped for Rimmer "Yeah brutal, ride him cowboy!" he shouted.
Soon Aces grip started to take affect and the Gelf began to slow his pace and gave up trying to pull Rimmer from his shoulders. He sunk to his knees, his hands clawing at Rimmers legs about his throat. He face began to turn white and he looked worried. A moment later he fell forward at which point Ace sprang from him and landed neatly on the ground.
Lister and the others were on there feet cheering. "Yeah GO RIMMER, GO RIMMER!" they cried.
Ace watched the Gelf, he knew from his combat training that now was not the time for celebration. He knew that until his opponent was out of action completely he and this body were not safe.
It did not take long before the huge frame of the Gelf began to move.
"Smeg I thought he had the smegger." Said Lister surprised.
The Gelf shook his head and pulled himself back to a sitting position. Ace reacted with a swift kick to its arm pit which sent the creature into frantic cries of pain. The Gelfs in the crowd all drew in a sharp intake of breath and held there own arm pits in shared pain.
Lister turned to Rimmers Mother. "Err what's up with him?" he asked.
"Gelfs sexual organs are in there armpit here." She Said grinning.
"Urrrhhh… that's disgusting." Said Lister pulling a face of disgust.
Down below the Gelf was recovering and shook it's head to clear the fog from the attack.
"Now me mad! Now you die!" it threatened.
"Actually, I think you should check your diary big fella, looks like you're going to be in need of an undertaker pretty soon." Said Ace planting a kick square across the gelfs nose.
It staggered backwards and Ace hit again, back again it went, again he hit, only this time a block.
Ace struck out again, only this Gelf was not some dumb lug, he too had some combat training and it showed.
The Gelf grabbed Rimmers foot and twisted it hard sending Ace into a flying spin to the dust.
The Gelf loomed over Ace, a grin spreading across his lips, he pulled his arm back about to pound this small threat into pancakes.
Above them Rimmers Mother watched. She nodded to some unseen figure then carried on watching as her son, who unless he did something pretty dam quick was about to meet a very flat end indeed.
Ace saw the next move coming and rolled sideways in the dirt. The huge fist of the Gelf smashed into the dirt missing him by inches. Ace rolled up and kicked out once more. The Gelf staggered back this time losing his footing and hitting the side of the cage. For a second Ace could of sworn there was a look of pain in the big guys face. Then it charged back towards him.
Ace met his attacked square on, the charging Gelf reached Rimmer in no time and lifted him square of his feet. Ace reacted by planted two blows to the large Gelfs ugly face, which seemed to have little effect as the Gelf raced across the ring.
Lister and the others watched on as Rimmer seemed in a hopeless situation.
"Hey, it looks like the big guy is going to win, who are we voting for again?" asked the Cat.
Kryten could barely tear his eyes away from the scene below to look at the Cat. "Mr Rimmer of course, and it is not looking good." Said Kryten.
Ace's combat mind raced, what he really needed now was a large pulse pistol and a shower. All this running around was ruining his hair. The problem being that neither were at hand.
The side of the cage was getting dangerously close if this great lug didn't slow up soon both of them would impact on the cold metal frame very soon.
Then it all changed, the big guy seemed to stumble and in one not so smooth motion they went from running to falling. Ace braced himself for the inevitable impact as the ground met with his back and the Gelf fell on top of him. He and the Gelf lay in the dirt.
Ace quickly realised that the Gelf was no longer breathing.
The weight of the Gelf seemed unbelievable and he could barely manage to lift its huge frame off and to the side.
"My word big fella you needed to go on a diet." He said as he squeezed out from under the rest of the Gelfs frame.
It was only then that he became aware of the crowd cheering. He staggered to his feet and looked around. The crowd was going wild, they had a victor, and the Election had a result.
Next time: Ace takes on Rimmers mother... Can Ace beat the legend that is Mrs Rimmer.
