Cold Justice (An AoU Followup Story)
(N.B. These Slitheen stories are set between the events of the main Aliens of UNIT (AoU) storyline. They focus on newer/recurring characters featuring in standalone tales as well as stories that will tie in with the main narrative arc.).
(N.B. This is a Slitheen story with mature and adult themes. Not for underage readers. Please read at your own discretion).
N.B. This story is set during the events of: The Pharos Problematique (2)
Synopsis: The Slitheen convert posing as the Director of the Pharos Institute continues to endure vile insults patiently from his own human staff members, especially from the unrepentant Astrophysics tutor, Simon Krakowski. The desire to exact revenge on this bully becomes too much for George Holingbrock El Bul Fashfar Star Slitheen.
…
Classes at the Pharos Institute finished late on Mondays, at 8pm precisely. The bustling Central Block hummed with sounds of chatter and conversation as the Earth's brightest students left their Institute. It had been exactly two months since the convert George Holingbrock El Bul Fashfar Star Slitheen took over the body of Daniel Rudd and assumed his duties as Director of the Pharos Institute. Happy to see the kids go home safely, the disguised Raxicoricofalipatorian decided to head to the staffroom. It was located on the ground floor of this area of the organisation, the largest building out of the three Blocks that made up Pharos. Most of his human colleagues had already left for home but a few remained to finish up some paperwork or to catch up with each other at the end of yet another busy day. They all noticed when the stout body of Daniel Rudd entered the space.
"Evening everybody - prrrp!", he said politely before his gas exchange acted up randomly against his wishes. They all looked at him in disgust, at his bodyweight, at his behaviour and the fact that he was elected by UNIT to take over as Director when other and more senior staff deserved that promotion. Nobody had gotten used to his constant release of what appeared to be and sound like flatulence. They simply acknowledged his presence with a silent smile or a nod of their heads before returning to the activities they had already started or were close to concluding. Daniel Rudd was someone they could never take too seriously. The Slitheen inside the skin had already gotten used to this unjust mistreatment of his human persona. He learned to ignore it, given that he was strictly forbidden by his Family from lashing out against any homo sapien that worked for Pharos. Nonetheless, he utilised these brief occasions to try and learn as much as possible about the lives of his diverse human colleagues. The disguised being manoeuvred his massive human body over to a group of three males who were engaged in intense dialogue with one another besides the kitchen sink.
"Hi, guys.". George tried to strike up a friendly conversation with Professor Martin Croft, senior lecturer in Transhumanism Studies, and two of his in-class assistants, Reece Hammersmith and Hashim Manaf. Most male staff members happened to be very slim and skinny. Martin, aged thirty seven, wore a typical and sleek navy blue suit and tie whilst the glasses-wearing duo of Reece and Hashim, both being twenty four years old, wore more casual attire - a T-shirt and jeans - that was enough for other teaching staff to commit the repeated mistake of identifying them as students. This was something that the Slitheen desperately hoped to change at Pharos in the coming months ahead. He wanted more of his brothers around at the Institute, for he was feeling very lonely these days. None of the Pharos employees took him seriously and nobody feared the sack - the generous pay rise given by the Institute to all staff members indicated that staff retention was of the highest priority. That, and the fact that Dan rarely responded to his being bullied. Those who were inclined to do so took full advantage of their tepid Director.
"Evening Dan.". They said dryly before returning back to their own conversation, ignoring their boss. They did not seem to be interested in conversation with him at all. They were one of those who mocked him behind his back without shame. Sensing the cold and unsubtle behaviour giving out obvious signals, the disguised Slitheen pretended to hide his dismay and moved over to the remaining female staff members. All of them happened to range between being proportionally full-figured to being overweight and moderately obese. Convenient enough for a sister to slot herself into. Or sisters.
"Ah, Rebecca. Evening. Did you have a good day? Prrrp! Pardon me.", George asked sincerely as he came right up to a popular and well-respected staff member. The senior professor of Applied Technophysics, this human was a tall, full-figured and well-proportioned British woman blessed with dark black skin and finely combed hair that flowed to her finely-shaped shoulders. She was wearing a fabulous grey suit that made her look very neat and tidy in appearance. The Director took care to block any exit with his body so that the person would have to respond before attempting to flee from his presence.
"Yes, I did, Dan. Thanks for asking.", the human female responded warmly with a smile. Although she took immense umbrage at his gas exchange, Dr. Rebecca Harding readily assumed it was due to stress-related factors and so she empathised with her boss.
"Wonderful to hear. Erm, don't forget that you have a meeting with the mother of Joanna Brown. Apparently she has some concerns to talk over. She will be meeting you here in this building. Don't be late.", the Director issued some clear instructions.
"But I don't understand.", Rebecca rejoined.
"Understand what?"
"Joan is doing great in class and has been creating top-quality research independently. I don't see what the issue could be?", the professor struggled to speculate. She wondered if Dan knew more.
"Oh, well…that's something you will have to find out for yourself this coming Wednesday. Do not be late.", the hidden Slitheen repeated. He had designated this Pharos employee as suitable enough for another sister to inhabit. She would be arriving on Wednesday evening to take up her new job - and a new suit.
"Very well.". The professor simply accepted the situation and proceeded to leave the staffroom on cordial terms with everyone. Meanwhile, the Director continued to speak with other staff. Two other women in the room caught his attention. They were sipping tea on some chairs. Dan occupied the final free chair.
"Ah, Beth. Nicole.", he said as he sat down. The peachy-white black-haired Bethany Platt, still wearing her shiny white lab coat, was noticeably larger at the bottom half of her body, with buttocks that stuck out no matter how hard she tried to hide them modestly. She was known for being highly sociable and generally got on well with most. Conversely, the more reserved pale-white Nicole Wilder sporting a brown-coloured bob cut, was voluptuous and curvaceous from top to bottom. She was wearing a tight sweater and black leather pants. They both worked together as professors in the Department that dealt with everything to do with extraterrestrial biology and life. They noticed that the Director took great interest in them; never failing to chat with them whenever the opportunity arose. It was something they learned to tolerate begrudgingly, alongside the gas exchange that they were at a complete loss in explaining rationally.
"Hey Dan.", Beth said somewhat hospitably. She offered to make him a cup of tea.
"No thanks. Teaching going well, Nicky?".
"Yes, but I have a question that I was going to raise during the monthly staff review meeting: Why have we become so obsessed about making a profit? I thought Pharos was all about nurturing Planet Earth's brightest students?", Nicole asked a critical question.
"It is! I do not see why we cannot do both. Not mutually exclusive.", the Director insisted.
"I am not so sure, Dan. It may make the young and malleable students prioritise short-term gain over their long-term wellbeing.", the biology professor stressed her pressing concerns. She felt that the Institute that she had spent the last decade working at was betraying its foundational, universal and humanistic principles.
"Well, we live in a capitalist society, eh? Profit must be made or we will be forced to shut down. I cannot see myself getting another job.", Dan tried to justify the current trajectory of the Institute with a lighthearted joke.
"Yeah but we don't have to. We could live very differently if only everybody realised this. I hope we do not end up devaluing knowledge in the process. Our children deserve much better". Nicole riposted before sighing in frustration. Her informed complaints usually fell on deaf ears.
"Err, we probably will.", Dan conceded. It made his counterpart's eyes roll in shock. She had finished her tea and took her cup to the sink for a quick wash and rinse. That left the other biology tutor free to speak more intimately.
"Hey Dan, do you fancy going out for a meal on the weekend?", Beth enquired, flicking her golden-brown hair as she did. This was not the first time the thirty-four year old had posed this question to her boss. She had made no secret of her feelings to him, even setting aside concerns about his perpetual gastronomic issues.
"I have already told you, Beth. We cannot be together. Not yet anyways.". The George Slitheen beneath Daniel Rudd's skin shot down the proposal immediately. He preferred to be with a Slitheen lady these days. Hopefully, Beth could be made to undergo a transformation at some point, he thought to himself. Yet he doubted it.
"I don't know why you persist in playing games with me. Don't you love me?", a conflicted Beth asked, confused by the bizarre behaviour of her boss. One moment, he appeared receptive to her advances and the next felt like he was shunning her. The Director appeared to be bipolar to her eyes.
"I do. But you will need to wait a bit. Trust me - pzaaap!.". Despite the promise, George knew that another Family member had already reserved this large body, a fact that he knew but which remained completely unknown to this innocent homo sapien.
"Okay then.". Accepting their respective disappointments, Beth and Nicole picked up their belongings and prepared themselves to leave the room. At that moment, the Pharos Director decided to address his homo sapien colleagues when he stood up from his seat.
"Right everybody, well done for getting through another day at our illustrious Institute. Truly, this organisation could not run at all without you amazing ladies and gentlemen making things happen - pzaaaap!" Blimey!". The Slitheen's gas exchange proved unruly. Everybody else simply sighed in resignation or created a sound that signified their disappointment at this taboo behaviour.
"Can I say something, Dan?". Amongst the remaining staff, an Astrophysics tutor spoke up. The lanky Simon Krakowski rarely missed the opportunity to seize the moment publicly.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah, go on then.", George reluctantly allowed his adversarial counterpart to take the spotlight. It was well-known that Simon had done the most when it came to effectively bullying and publicly humiliating their boss. They had a noticeable public altercation earlier on when George was busy teaching a small research group of six. Even when Daniel Rudd was a living human, the Astrophysics professor regularly sought to make him cry. He only had contempt for what he perceived to be a weak and ineffectual boss, deserving of the mistreatment.
"I would like to express an apology. I know that the last two months have been exceptionally tough for you, becoming the Director and all that. We have not been easy on you either. Perhaps we have been too harsh, actually. On behalf of the entire staffroom, I would like to sincerely apologise for our poor behaviour and misdemeanours towards you. We promise we will change as of tonight", Simon announced with enthusiasm. It was a surprising development.
"Oh wow. Do you really mean that?", George asked, delighted to hear that this human could be repentant. He was prepared to accept the apology immediately.
"Of course not!", Simon retorted before he and the staff members, apart from a sorry Bethany Platt who ran out of the space in tears, burst into laughter at their pathetic boss whom they all looked down upon without hesitation.
"What is the meaning of this? Paaaarp!", George wondered aloud as he sought immediate answers. He felt humiliated once more by this arrogant homo sapien. His gas exchange made him appear more pathetic.
"You are an utter disgrace, Dan. And you are so fat! Can you not hold in your farts at the very least?! You force us all to suffer daily under your gaseous reign of tyranny. Quite frankly, I don't know how you are actually capable and competent, enough to be appointed by UNIT as the Director of our Institute, one of the most prestigious in the world. You should be ashamed of your entire existence. Have you ever contemplated committing suicide? It would be a merciful act for everyone, including yourself.", Simon elaborated the verbosity bitterly. He knew that Dan would do nothing against him. No fear of a sack. The remarks were deliberate. Calculated. Utterly cold. Designed to inflict maximum humiliation. The atmosphere felt silent and tense for the next minute. Every other spectator watched carefully what would happen next. Despite a seething rage boiling through his thick and hidden green veins, the Pharos Director somehow managed to maintain his composure. He prevented himself from unzipping but only because Saba would probably slaughter him if he exposed the presence of the Star Slitheen Family to other human beings at the Institute.
"I'm only kidding!", the two-faced Simon then announced, seemingly changing face yet again. He had proven himself to be a highly deceitful character. The rest of the staff continued to laugh raucously at Dan, making the situation very uncomfortable for him.
"Seriously guys, come on. Stop now.", the Astrophysics tutor eventually encouraged his peers to stop laughing at their humiliated boss after a few minutes had passed. They did so but the atmosphere in the staffroom had become extremely awkward. It was crystal clear that the 'apology' was totally insincere and wholly offensive.
"This show is over. Go home everybody.", George simply said in disappointment before he turned around and quickly left the scene, embarrassed yet again by a homo sapien. Everybody else followed suit and promptly exited the building, finding themselves outside and having to contend with a sudden outpouring of rain and thunder emitting itself across the cloudy black sky. With haste, everybody said their usual farewells before driving off far away back to their houses and families.
The callous and indifferent Simon Krakowski said a few daily goodbyes to those he cared about, and they were a few in number, hoping to see everybody again tomorrow. But he was the only individual who waited and watched everyone else leave. He did not appear to be in a rush to return home. Quite the opposite. Simon intended to stay a little longer at Pharos this evening. Ensuring that nobody was around, including security staff who had locked up and gone home already, and believing that he was the only figure left on the scene, free to roam wherever he wished, the Astrophysics professor headed inside his car. Opening up the glove compartment, the human plucked out some notes containing very specific instructions.
"Should not take too long, I hope.", the homo sapien muttered to himself as he exited his vehicle and returned to the main courtyard that gave a panorama perspective of the three Block buildings that made up the Institute structurally. The exterior was made out of glass, ensuring most things could be seen inside transparently. The handwritten instructions directed him to the Eastern Block, still under construction. Like the students, Simon and the other Pharos employees found themselves forbidden from entry by their boss. Not that he cared or respected Dan's demands.
"The Eastern Block? Of course.", the human whispered to himself. Looking over at another note, a poorly-designed map pointed him in the direction of a hidden basement which ensured that Simon did not need to try and access the main entrance and alert any technological surveillance to his presence. He found himself inside the forbidden building soon enough; admiring the vast quantities of technology and construction equipment littered everywhere on the ground floor alone. Looking back up at his notes, the information told him that he needed to be on the third floor to carry out his discreet mission. Whilst Simon snuck around the poorly-lit areas quietly, George was busy watching a classic, highly-rated Raxicoricofalipatorian murder mystery drama featuring the Hostrazeen and Numbareen Families on a television screen in his office over in the Western Block. The Slitheen who posed as Husna Rashid recommended it. Drama and entertainment was how the emotionally damaged Slitheen liked to end his working day. Copium to survive until the next repetitive day. A buzzer suddenly sounded, alerting the Slitheen to a foreign presence inside Pharos.
"Oh, what now?!", the Raxicoricofalipatorian shouted aloud irately. Exhausted after handling three classes today, he could not be bothered doing anything. Picking up a remote, George switched the drama over to a CCTV camera feed. He was astounded by the sight he was seeing.
"Simon? In the Eastern Block? What is he doing here?", George, still dressed suffocatingly as Daniel Rudd, blurted out aloud, aghast to see this homo sapien at Pharos during these late hours. It was highly unusual behaviour signified by the human's presence in the forbidden Eastern Block. It suggested something highly suspicious. Something had to be done. The Slitheen swiftly left for that part of the Institute. Simon managed to reach the third floor after navigating himself there independently. It was stocked with rooms filled with the latest inventions and technological devices Pharos had provided the research for production. Reexamining his intelligence, the human barged into one of the unguarded areas and began to search for something.
"Oh my goodness. No wonder Dan does not want anybody to come here.", the Astrophysics tutor spoke up in surprise and delight at the valuable objects and prized assets that nobody else was privy to see. This stuff was worth a vast fortune. Simon was only interested in one particular item but his notes did not reveal the precise location. He resorted to trial and error for the next ten minutes as he browsed the various heavily stocked aisles and rows. George had managed to sniff out his precise location and silently approached his adversarial bully from behind. He wondered what his colleague was up to. Whatever it was, it did not look innocent but the Slitheen wanted to establish some facts before acting on his instincts.
"Prrrp!". The Slitheen immediately lost his element of surprise as he released some flatulence involuntarily. The startled homo sapien instantly knew who was behind him. His boss.
"Oh, hi Dan!", Simon shouted out somewhat nervously as he turned around, tucking his useful notes into his back pocket. Both knew that he should not be here in the Eastern Block. The atmosphere automatically became tense and awkward in the poorly-lit space.
"What are you doing here? Your shift is over. You should be at home with your wife and kids.", George began his investigation.
"I will be. Just had to do an errand first.", the work colleague announced cryptically.
"And what would that be? Stealing our precious equipment? Prrrp!".
"For starters, getting rid of you, I suppose.", Simon replied before he pulled out a highly-sophisticated blaster gun that produced a noisy and efficacious circular shockwave when fired. Daniel Rudd was sent flying backwards onto the floor without being given a chance to react. Simon quickly walked over to his position and examined his victim with his eyes from above.
"Silly fool!". Satisfied that his overweight and gaseous boss was dead, Simon continued to browse the stocked aisles, looking for a very specific item.
"Nathan Goss' telekinetic extractor…Where is it?", he muttered under his breath as he continued browsing. As the human continued to endure immediate frustrations, he failed to notice that the eyes of Daniel Rudd began to flicker. The bewildered Slitheen inside gradually forced himself back to his feet without making a sound. His human facial expressions suggested extreme irritation towards the would-be thief. Simon had declared a war on the Slitheen. Retaliation was obligatory.
"Prrrp!". The spontaneous gas exchange broke the silence in the atmosphere. Turning around slowly, Simon was astounded to see his boss back to his feet, back from the dead.
"How the hell did you survive that blast?! You should be dead!", the Astrophysics tutor bellowed at his opposition; bewildered by the eerie reanimation. The hidden Slitheen inside remained unscathed by the attack. He adopted a cold expression on his human face.
"No, you should be the one dead, you fucking prick.", the Pharos Director responded with a look of disgust coming onto his face. His bloodlust began to rise spontaneously. His hatred for this arrogant human actor had reached its optimum levels. Surely Saba could not fault him for what he intended to do in a moment's time. Simon meanwhile proceeded to blast who he thought was Dan again, this time in multiple rounds with a higher intensity. Once more, the defenceless boss flew back onto the floor a few metres away, laying there motionless. Simon double-checked his pulse for confirmation. Nothing. He tried to lift the body and move it into a nearby closet which had a security lock. But Daniel Rudd was an exceptionally heavy figure.
"Uff!... You fucking fat bastard! You must weigh a few tons!", Simon spoke with some exasperation as he failed to even budge the seemingly dead body in any meaningful way. He stopped with this course of action and returned to an upright posture, pondering the next steps. After a minute of panic, a devious smile came across the human's face.
"It does not matter. I'll burn your methane-ridden corpse afterwards. Like anybody will notice that you are gone", he simply said in a very cold manner, revealing a very ugly intention. Turning around, the Pharos employee resumed scouring the various aisles stocked with the finest technological innovation Planet Earth's brightest youngsters could offer to the Universe.
"Found it!", he exclaimed with delight as he located the crown-looking device on a top shelf beside two jars bizarrely filled with brains.
"The Mitodorians will be most pleased.", Simon let his tongue slip briefly as the device was carefully put into a sack he had brought with him. Yet homo sapien's victory was short-lived. Looking ahead in front of him, the human thief working for another species noticed that the body of Daniel Rudd had gone missing. It had moved on its own accord which meant his boss was somehow still alive. The troubled human thief looked around all angles, pointing his blaster nervously and checking to see if Dan was nearby. But there appeared to be no sign at all.
"Shit!", Simon cursed his rotten luck. By this point, it was obvious that the Pharos Director was anything but human. Still, he had a choice: either go look for 'Dan' again or simply run out with his life intact and with the item that his powerful contractors ordered him to steal. Logically, he opted for the latter approach. Heading outside the room and back into the corridor, he walked a few metres to his right, in the direction of the nearest staircase before something caught his eye. He could see jet blue lighting and could hear electrical humming coming from a room to the left of his position. He should have left then and there but the desire to satiate his immediate curiosity overwhelmed him. Entering this unknown space, cautiously approached the direction of the blue lighting. He could hear groaning, moaning, sighing and squelching as he drew closer and closer.
"Oh, so good to be naked again!", something cried out joyfully though the human did not see it.
Peering around a corner eventually, nobody was present but something unusual appeared on the floor. Slowly approaching the area with the utmost caution, Simon was befuddled by the sight he saw: it looked like a costume version of the Pharos Director.
"Dan?", he pondered as he picked up the rubbery item and lifted it closer to his face. The hollow face that made up Daniel Rudd stared back at him eerily. The human realised there and then that Dan had been a prop, a front for something else. Someone else.
"So he wasn't human after all?", Simon wondered aloud. That would explain how the being inside continued to return to its feet despite being blasted several times to an expected death.
"No, he was. An unwilling donor who I have been making full use of.", a groggy voice called out from behind. Turning around, the homo sapien was terrified to see a massive eight foot tall 'alien' being emerging from the dark shadows. Its impressively long, muscular forearms complete with razor sharp claws always stood out to any spectator.
"What the?! Who are you?", Simon blurted out the questions quickly as his heartbeat rose. A sense of dread automatically colonised his feelings.
"I am George Holingbrock El Bul Fashfar Star Slitheen, at your service. I have been the Director of this Institute. Your real boss, in other words.", the mysterious non-human being happily announced his identity to this befuddled homo sapien. They maintained a short, respectable distance for the time being.
"No, that's not possible! UNIT would have known about it.", Simon protested, unable to fathom how an 'alien' could be running such a prestigious institution designed by and for homo sapiens exclusively.
"Hahaha… We own UNIT, Simon. We are UNIT.", George taunted the horrified Astrophysics tutor, taking delight in revealing these critical details. It was the truth. Simon tried to shoot his blaster again but this time it had absolutely no effect on the gigantic and impressively tall Raxicoricofalipatorian adult. Realising that the power dynamics had changed irreversibly against him, the flight instinct kicked into effect. The vulnerable human quickly scanned the surroundings for an exit.
"You have been a very naughty boy, Simon. Time to serve you justice. Cold justice.", George threatened as he began to advance onto his prey. He had been waiting too long for this moment. Nothing could stop him from gaining his revenge against this person who constantly bullied him non stop whenever he was dressed up as Daniel Rudd. The hunt began in earnest when the Slitheen aggressively slapped away the blaster in the human's hands, laughing fanatically as he tried to back the beleaguered homo sapien into a corner.
"Come here!", George hissed as he tried to grab Simon. Unfortunately for him, the human demonstrated impressive reflexes for his age of forty-seven, dodging the attempted grabbing lunge before running out of sight. The Slitheen was forced to give chase.
"You will not get very far, Simon!". George howled before he ran into action, recklessly smashing down anything in his pathway. The Astrophysics tutor working in league with the pesky Mitodorians struggled to navigate the difficult, narrow and often uncompleted hallways, corridors and rooms comprising the Eastern Block. He had no clear idea where he was going. He went downstairs to the first floor, looking behind to see George not too far away.
"Shit!", he uttered the usual curse. He ran into a nearby room and hid behind some curtains at the back of the space. A few minutes later, his hunter arrived and shut the door.
"Come out, come out whenever you are!", George said playfully as he prolonged the hunt a little. He began to stretch himself as he detected the fear and adrenaline of his prey. Simon panicked silently as sweat appeared everywhere on his stinky skinny body.
"I won't kill you, Simon. I just want to talk…Then I will kill you.", George declared before giggling wildly. He knew he made the human even more terrified with such threats, such promises. Simon knew that it would not be long before the 'alien' discovered his location. He feared becoming its late night meal.
"You should not have stolen from Pharos. The Family is not very forgiving towards thieves.", the Slitheen continued with his comments. His nostrils finally ascertained Simon's position and headed over to the back of the room where the creamy curtains lay together, concealing an individual.
"Such a skinny male. I bet your spine will snap within a second in my hands hehehe!". George taunted before he moved back the curtains. But Simon surprised him; unleashing a fire extinguisher against the Raxacoricofalipatorian. Some foam entered his mouth, forcing the Slitheen to back away into a defensive posture for once.
"Aaaah!", George hissed, coughed and sputtered as tried to recover himself. A relieved Simon hysterically whacked the fire extinguisher on top of his enemy's head before fleeing outwards again.
"ARRRGH! - YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!", the angry Slitheen screamed out deliriously before he resumed the chase once more. The human managed to make it downstairs but noticed that the emergency shutters had activated everywhere, leaving the same basement route through which he arrived untenable to escape through. His ID badge card would not work anywhere, leaving him trapped effectively. The bright moon lit up the black night sky; its reflecting rays of light shone through the glass transparent windows that made up the entrance point. The clouds had long disappeared. At that point, Simon noticed a car arriving. Somebody had parked up outside. Looking out of the reinforced glass windows with some hope, the prey of the Slitheen observed an incredibly obese peachy-white woman with ginger hair and wearing nothing more than a large green sweater and blue jeans emerge from the vehicle. She looked human enough. Someone he thought he could trust automatically despite not knowing her personally.
"Hey! Open the door! Let me out!", he begged as he banged harshly on the windows. But the mysterious woman simply stared at him before smiling. She opted to do nothing and walked away, unconcerned with his fate. It left Simon dumbfounded. But he had little time to make a comment as someone else more threatening inside the Institute drew closer.
"COME HERE NOW!", the recovered George Slitheen bellowed like a headteacher attempting to discipline a bratty student as he re-emerged into one of the corridors and advanced to the location of his prey.
"FUCK!", Simon cursed his luck yet again before hurriedly moving in the opposite direction. By the time George arrived at the entrance, the woman was nowhere to be seen. The Slitheen sniffed the air harshly to gain real-time intelligence on his prey.
"The Physics lab.". Heading upstairs again, this to the fourth floor, the predator arrived in the room where his reliable nostrils detected his opponent was hiding. It was a recently constructed laboratory setting laden with heavy machinery that made any movement slow as navigation was tight and cumbersome.
"Where are you?", George growled a little with irritation as he looked around a few corners. The smells of oil and other strongly-scented chemicals prevented his nostrils from locating the exact location of Simon Krakowski. The frustrated Slitheen felt that the hunt had been unnecessarily prolonged, below the high standards he often set for himself. Then again, it had been quite some time since he had embarked upon an unplanned hunt.
"Right behind you.", called out a defiant voice. Turning around with haste, the Raxicoricofalipatorian did not have time to see as a flashbang device rolled beneath his feet. The ensuing disorientation left George dazzled, unable to raise up his arms to cover his vulnerable face which was hit with a hanging remote-controlled magnet that weighed a few tonnes.
BANG!
George was knocked out cold. Half an hour later, the reawakened Slitheen found himself strapped to a chair. Simon was busy fiddling with some electrical wires nearby.
"Oh, you are awake, are you? Excellent! Just in time.", the human shouted gleefully. The power dynamics had shifted once again. George was at his complete mercy. The Slitheen was unable to move. The dangerous situation felt very unnatural for the predator.
"What are you doing? How did you manage to lift me?", the Slitheen who had just returned to full consciousness asked as his opponent sank the crown-like device onto his bald green head. He could not raise his claws to resist. The human showed him a pair of special gloves with anti-weight properties. Theoretically, it was feasible to pick up a three-storey building using this equipment.
"Thought I would test the telekinetic extractor device before I hand it over to the Mitodorians. You know, to make sure that it is in fully working condition.", Simon responded joyfully as he revealed some sense of sadism in his character. He was going to kill the Raxicoricofaliptorian before handing over the precious technological item to his extraterrestrial patrons.
"Mitodorians?". The name sounded very puzzling to the captive. Having only been a Slitheen for about six eight months in total since his conversion, he had heard this name crop up a few times during family meetings spearheaded by Saba. She had warned everybody that the Mitodorians, a species known for brutal imperialist conquests and who enjoyed enslaving other beings for the explicit purpose of forcing them to serve their own will, were attempting to invade the Earth. Their intelligence operations were only increasing every year. UNIT was placed on high alert yet it appeared they had already managed to gain a foothold into Pharos through Simon Krakowski.
"You have sold out your kind to them? Why are you working for them?", George asked as the human finished setting up the scene to his liking. The motivation for doing so remained ambiguous.
"They have set their designs on Earth. Our civilisation is too weak, too inferior and far too divided to resist their inevitable invasion in the coming future. I have the intelligence and foresight to know the outcome for this planet already so I have wisely opted to join the winners in advance when they contacted me. They have asked me to smuggle out some crucial objects from this Institute, that's all. Naturally, I obliged. It allows me to prove my loyalty to them. I did not expect to run into you though.", Simon the sell-out explained candidly as he continued to fiddle with some technical equipment.
"You could have joined us.", George declared with a resigned tone of sadness. He was vexed that another species had gotten to this useful homo sapien before his Family.
"And who are you, exactly?", Simon finally bothered to ask. He had seen 'aliens' before but not someone like tonight. Objectively, the being sat in the chair represented a fascinating specimen to observe. It was clearly intelligent and highly sophisticated in most respects.
"I am a Slitheen. Well, that's my surname. I am a Raxicoricofalipatorian in terms of biological species. So many people get it mixed up.", George clarified clumsily. It did not impress the homo sapien at all.
"No, you are an alien. Non-human. And a murderer. You killed Daniel Rudd and wore his skin as your own private outfit - how utterly savage. It all makes perfect sense now though. The neck brace around your neck must allow you to compress yourself inside the skin somehow but imperfectly. That explains your constant farting and the awful accompanying smell that we have all had to suffer - urgh!.", Simon responded with an unmistakable sense of disgust in his tone of voice.
"Says the one who is working with a species who will annihilate every inhabitant on this rock if they have to. You are not exactly clean yourself… We prefer the term gas exchange, by the way.", George retorted. Neither party could claim to be morally upright though.
"Wait…oh my God! Hahahaha!". Suddenly, the human burst into open laughter, struggling to breathe.
"What is so funny?". The George Slitheen entered a state of confusion.
"I just realised that these past two months, I have been bullying you and there was nothing you could do about it!", Simon replied before bursting into raucous laughter once more. He did not bother to enquire why a Slitheen was posing as the Director of Pharos. Nor did he seem too bothered about the wider ramifications of that reality, in fact. He had too much confidence in the Mitodorian overlords whom he had boldly decided to collaborate with.
"Consider yourself lucky. The only reason that you are still alive and breathing up to this point is because the Family do not want me killing anyone linked to Pharos.", George announced, disturbed by the unyielding arrogance of this annoying homo sapien. His Family seemed capable of mercy when they wanted to behave as such.
"I am only doing what is necessary to protect myself and my family, George. The Mitodorians have promised to make me the undisputed chief of the British Isles and a large chunk of France, Spain and Germany once they have annihilated all opposition. I will ensure that the human survivors are looked after well. They will prosper under my rule.", the power-hungry Simon then claimed rather deludedly as he checked some buttons on a nearby computer. It provided some further clarification and context that linked to his unusual thieving activities tonight.
"You fool! The Mitodorians are only pretending to cooperate with you. They will dispose of you the moment you have completed their objectives for them. You are not safe under them", the Slitheen sincerely warned. It was the brutal truth that Simon did not want to hear. He refused to heed the warning. Instead, the human wanted to shut down this conversation once and for all.
"Shush now. Prepared to be fried, alien.", Simon said coldly before he activated the device via a connected computer device that he operated. Immediately, the Raxicoricofalipatorian's body began to buzz and shake wildly. Vital intelligence was being sucked out from his head and there was nothing he could do about it. In a few minutes, the process would fry his brain, killing him in the most painful fashion. The computer screen showcased an infographic that illustrated how efficiently the information was being extracted.
"Wow, you know a lot!", Simon complimented the Slitheen cruelly as he revelled in the operation. Another minute and the George Slitheen would be dead. At that critical point, something happened that nobody could have foreseen. The computer infographic started to buffer, indicating that the device was malfunctioning. Sparks began to pop around the Slitheen. Steam rose around his head. George was somehow resisting the extraction!
"What the hell?! How are you resisting?!", Simon screamed in despair at a reality that should not be happening at all. The resilient George ignored him, focusing all of his remaining energies into creating a powerful counter-reaction. It came a minute later as the homo sapien continued to scream in protest hysterically. The shockwave blast that the triumphant resistance produced sent the human flying backwards across the full length of the room. He smashed spectacularly against a solid metal cabinet, shattering any glass windows too. Nothing binded the Raxicoricofalipatorian to the chair anymore. He restored his sense of freedom by his own will, by his own efforts. With some struggle, George lumbered his colossus body over to where his opponent lay. The opportunity to close this encounter with the bully presented itself on a plate.
"Oh, you are so going to pay for your crimes…", George snarled aggressively. This was the moment he had long been waiting for.
"NOOOO! STOP!", the hurt human begged as he watched the mighty Slitheen stand tall over him. George ignored him completely; lifting the defenceless homo sapien by his neck, raising him to the ceiling before slamming him against a wall. He proceeded to apply incremental pressure to his prey's brittle neck.
"Aaaaargh!...Aaaargh!...Aaaargh!", the homo sapien screeched out his last sounds. The bloodlust totally consumed George. He was more focused on achieving revenge, confusing it with the pursuit of justice. At some point, the sudden sound of a windpipe being snapped could be heard. Simon ceased making any noise. His head and body flopped instantly, assuming a lifeless state. The Slitheen had killed the human conclusively. The bully had been silenced once and for all. He threw the body back onto the floor without a hoot.
"A traitor selling out his own species - his own soul - for mere worldly gain - shameful!", the Slitheen victor passed righteous judgement over his deceased prey. This kill was justifiable. Saba could not complain when she would find out about this, he reasoned internally. The victor looked down upon the body and deliberated instantly.
"Oh my head!... Hmm… I suppose we should not let Simon go to waste. I wonder what he tastes like". Wasting little time, the predator proceeded to skin and feast upon the raw meaty remains of his victim. He enjoyed the heart, lungs, liver and brain especially. After he was finished with his bountiful meal, George picked up the leftover material that proved inedible and brought it with him to his office in the Western Block. Folding it up neatly, the Slitheen was unsure what to do with it but planned to hide the skin in one of his desk drawers temporarily. Someone, perhaps one more stout and overweight in appearance, would have to be hired as a replacement quickly to avoid raising needless suspicions about foul play. He looked at the hollow human face that now eerily stared out to whoever cast their gaze at it before uttering some final remarks designed to close this case shut.
"You brought this on yourself, Simon. If you kept your mouth shut and kept your loyalty to Planet Earth, you would have become a Slitheen like me, like us, in a wonderful loving Family. Unfortunately you remained unrepentant and found out the hard way - actions have consequences.", the convert said with a heartfelt sigh before slamming the drawer shut and removing his vanquished opponent from his view. Out of sight, out of mind, as the old proverb went.
(Two Days Later)
"So I hope that you can understand why I did what I did.", George spoke up as he entertained the latest addition to the Family - Nathan Goss El Bul Fashfar Star Slitheen. Both were sat cross legged on the carpet floor, facing each other symmetrically. The curious human Nathan had entered the Pharos Institute on this Wednesday evening after opening hours to find out the truth about the Director Daniel Rudd, only to find his biology and purpose radically transformed in the process. He took the conversion process well. Sitting in the main office, the Raxicoricofalipatorian duo were busy celebrating the former homo sapien's permanent entry into Slitheenhood; gorging copious amounts of Rakjuice down their lengthy throats. It made them feel and behave excitedly though fully in control of their senses.
"I do now, yes. It makes sense. Simon was a nasty bully and a traitor. I probably would have done the same, George.", the child convert confessed as he sipped a few more drops of the famous Raxicoricofalipatorian beverage. He had drunk over eight pints since they arrived into this space.
"That's enough, Nathan. If Saba finds out how much I am allowing you to drink, she will go crazy!", George stated with apprehension as he snatched away the Child Slitheen's goblet from his lips, putting it to one side out of anybody's reach. Disappointed though understanding of the action, the new Slitheen member decided to focus on the upcoming future.
"So what's next?", he asked. The possibilities seemed endless if also unclear.
"You saw the list of names.", George responded by referring to a secret document that listed the hierarchical order of priority.
"Aksa.", Nathan immediately responded. A crisp smile came across his Raxicoricofalipatorian face. His pot-belly stomach filled itself with goosebumps.
"Yes.", George replied positively before the Slitheen adult and child giggled together uncontrollably in unison as they plotted to bring another talented Pharos Institute student into their ever-expanding Family.
(The End).
(To Be Continued).