CHAPTER 9

  "You and me

  We're in this together now

  None of them can stop us now

  We will make it through somehow."

  -NIN

  ...

  Carl hovered outside the rift, just in case Andy went plummeting to the ground like Matt had. Andy stepped through, his jet-pack already on, he descended slowly to the ground as if he had been doing this for years.

  "You handled that like a pro."

  "Its not my first time dropping in to a new location."

  "Your military has jet-packs?"

  "No, I've used parachutes, same thing kind of, a controlled descent."

  Carl shrugged, it didnt look like the same thing, but what did he know.

  "Alright, lets get to work."

  The two men stood next to each other, both staring at the little screen on Matts device as Carl moved it slowly back and forth.

  "Matt said we may need to calibrate it with our own rift."

  Carl turned the probe to the rift they just came through. The screen was a solid bright yellow. He turned the dial to pull the zoom out some. Slowly he found the balance, and the rift came into focus."

  Andy laughed as Carl was already giggling.

  "You see it too?"

  Carl was still trying to hold back his laughter.

  "It looks like a butthole, yeah, I see it."

  The rift was round, with arcs of energy all going from the outer edge into a central hot spot.

  "Ok, we're calibrated, lets have a look around."

  Carl happily obliged and began walking, sweeping the probe slowly back and forth. A shimmer appeared on the screen.

  "I think I got something. Look."

  "Its pretty far away, lets head that way and see if we can get closer."

  They started walking towards where the rift was. Andy was digging through his backpack. He pulled a can of bright red spray paint out. As they got right underneath it, Andy sprayed an X and a number two next to it on the fake grass.

  "Ok, I'll set up camp, you go do your thing."

  "Now wait a second, youre not coming with me? You're the military guy, here to back me up"

  "No, I'm the military medic, here to patch you up. Your the one with the muscles and the armor."

  "Ok, fair enough."

  Carl looked at Andy as he was digging around in his med-kit.

  "Did it bother you to say that I'm the one with the muscles?"

  "A little. Hardly seems fair, you drink some stuff and boom! automatic muscles."

  "Well, if it helps any, at the time I had a psychotic lady shooting grenades at me and burying me under a couple tons of concrete. I had to take it or I'd be dead."

  Andy grinned,

  "That does help."

  "Fuck you."

  They both chuckled.

  "Alright, get going, Let's get this over with and get home...shit, sorry."

  "Don't be. I know what you mean. I've made peace with it for now, I'll get home eventually."

  Andy didnt say anything and Carl flew up to the rift. Under his breath he was repeating

  "please be home, please be home, please..."

  He flew through the rift and disappeared.

  "This is definitely not home. It looks like Mars."

  "There is an atmosphere here Carl, this is not Mars."

  "Well, lets take a look around buddy, see if theres anything we can bring back to the team."

  He started walking, the planet was all red dirt and red rock formations, it looked very alien. There was a low chittering hum, like a chorus of very loud, very angry sounding crickets. It was grating in a way that set his teeth on edge and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. A distant thud caught his attention.

  "Lets get some height, did you hear that?"

  "Yes Carl, it appears to be coming from the east."

  A small blue arrow appeared on his HUD, he flew upwards and followed it. He could see a great cloud of dust in the distance. Something or someone had to be causing that, he looked back at where the rift was. He could go back and say he found nothing, but that wasnt the job. The world he was staying in had been nice enough to give him a job and not lock him up. It was the least he could do.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  He started to fly towards the dust cloud when a lone figure punched through it. Carl stopped.

  "Zoom me in on whoever that is Nano."

  His visor clicked as it began slowly zooming in. It was moving fast, its head oval with big black eyes, its body was very muscular. It had to be wearing some kind of armor because Carl could see one of the two suns on this world reflecting off of it. It zipped back through the dust cloud and there was another massive thud.

  "What do you think? Should we go say hello?"

  "We do not know if it is hostile Carl."

  "Only one way to find out."

  He flew closer, into the giant dust cloud. Below him was a swarm of bug-like creatures. They all seemed to be trying to get to a spot behind the grey alien. The dust cleared just enough for him to see, another alien, injured, lay on an elevated shelf of rock. Its clear armor cracked, spots of blue liquid leaking from the cracks. Carl realized the situation, he didnt hesitate.

  He flew down and began shooting at the swarm. The grey alien turned on carl, it aimed its arm at him. Carl held up its hands and the alien slowly lowered the weapon. The swarm below surged forward. Carl pointed down then punched his hand. The grey alien mimicked him, they had an understanding, they both shot down and started firing on the swarm. The grey alien was firing some kind of white light discs. They seemed to be very effective, slicing through big swatches of the bug creatures. Carls blasters were getting hot so he dropped to the ground and started slashing. The bugs dark green blood dripped from his armor as he waded into the chittering creatures. They slashed razor sharp claws at him, but they couldnt get through his armor. Above him the grey alien continued to fire light discs.

  The fight lasted a good twenty minutes or so before they had wiped out the swarm. Carl was flinging his arms down, the bug guts flying off of him onto the ground.

  "Fucking nasty!"

  He flew to the elevated rock the injured alien lay on. The other grey alien landed next to him. He spoke in his language and Carl just stared at him. He decided to go simple. He pointed at himself and said

  "Carl."

  The grey alien cocked his head slightly, so Carl repeated himself.

  The alien pointed at himself and said something that sounded like

  "Nyeff."

  "Ok, I can't pronounce that...how about "Jeff"?"

  The alien said

  "Cull."

  "Close enough Jeff."

  The ground beneath them rumbled. The alien pointed at his eyes and then down at the ground.

  "I'm not blind Jeff, I see it."

  Jeff was already flying down though. Carl sighed.

  "Round two."

  This wasnt a swarm though, the ground beneath them cracked and broke. They both flew up and hovered. They watched as a crater formed, the bodies of all the dead bugs sliding down into a deep black hole. Jeff fired a light disc into the hole. It illuminated something. Carl couldnt make out what exactly it was. Jeff apparently knew what it was, he was jabbering away in his gibberish language. Carl took a moment to really look at him. His body was contained in a clear glass like armor. On his chest were two pumping organs, his hearts Carl guessed. The rest was a kind of gross amalgamation of organs in blue blood. Carl first thought was to be disgusted, but then he realized, this is first contact. No human, (that he knew of) had ever met a real alien. He shouldn't judge, Jeff probably thought he was gross too. That brought a smile to his face. Jeff was looking at him and talking. He stopped abruptly and made the same hand gesture as before. He pointed down and punched his hand. Carl nodded, his helmet snapping shut, the blue eyes flickering to life. The alien leaned in to look at him a moment. Apparently fascinated by Carls strange armor. They were interrupted when a massive bug leg came out of the hole. Followed by a triangular head that resembled a praying mantis from earth. Jeff took off, flying straight at the monster. Carl followed.

  Jeff's light discs were slicing grooves in the creatures chitin, but not penetrating. Carl fired his blasters at it but they only left scorch marks on the creatures exoskeleton.

  "Scan this thing for me buddy, I need to find a weakness."

  "I have been Carl, so far, the only visible weakness is its eyes."

  "Well, lets exploit that...give me blades on both my gauntlets but let me connect them. Like a giant arrowhead, I'm going to go full force into its eye."

  Angled blades formed on the side of his gauntlets, and he flew high up into the sky. He put his hands together and the blades connected, forming a point. He flew down full speed to pierce the creatures eye. The creature saw him coming and swatted him away with a massive claw. Carl slammed to the ground so hard the breath was pushed from his lungs. He gasped for air as a coppery taste filled his mouth. He rolled on his side, his helmet opening so he could spit out the mouthful of blood.

  "Thats not how I imagined that going."

  Jeff landed light as a feather next to him. He lifted Carl by his arm and patted his chest before flying back into the fray.

  "Thanks Jeff."

  Carl stood bent over, spitting bloody saliva and cursing.

  "Let's try that again."

  He flew straight up, his helmet snapping shut. He watched for a moment as Jeff backed away from the creature which was now out of the hole and at its full height. The thing had to be close to thirty stories tall. Jeff hovered staring at the beast, then he was flying straight at it again. Carl watched as he slammed into its body, over and over again. It was paying attention to Jeff, he had to strike now. He put his hands together, the massive arrowhead forming again. He fired his thrusters full force and went at its left eye. It turned just as Carl flew at it, he adjusted and flew into the right eye. He slammed into the back of its eye socket. He was immobilized in the gore. The creature was swinging its head back and forth wildly. The arrowhead blades melted back into his armor and he popped the claws, slashing at everything around him until he could see light again. He flew out of the goo and up into the sky. Even through the helmet, the smell was unbearably awful. Carl gagged a moment but composed himself before flying back at the creatures other eye. This time he tried something else.

  "Big barrel full power buddy."

  He clapped his hands together as the big barrel formed. The mag locks clicked into place and he aimed at the big bugs good eye. The bug was moving, swiping at Jeff, who was firing light discs at it. Carl only had one chance to use a full power blast, after that, the power source would have to cool down. He can't miss this. Jeff backed off after taking a hit and skidding across the ground. The bug held still, trying to track its enemies with its good eye. Thats when Carl fired. The blast went through its eye and out the back of its head. The creature didnt die though. Now it flailed it giant, jagged and sharp limbs around. Jeff said something to Carl and held up its arm. The little black box on the arm of his clear armor was crackling with bright white energy. Carl realized he was copying him. Jeff fired, a massive light disc, at least ten feet in diameter flew at the creature, it sliced through one of the flailing claws and took half its head off. The giant bug fell to the ground with a loud screeching that got quieter until it faded. The bug was dead.

  "Holy shit...why didnt you lead with that move Jeff?"

  Jeff said something in his language, Carl heard "Cull" in there, so he imagined he was saying something similar. They both flew down to the injured alien. Jeff knelt and put his hand on the other aliens head. There was a flash of light and the other alien opened its eyes. It looked at Jeff, then at Carl. It raised its arm weakly and said something, but Jeff gently pushed its arm back down and said something. Carl stayed quiet. Jeff stood and held up his hand. Carls gauntlet disappeared and he mimicked him, Jeff touched his hand. His leathery skin was hot. Jeff then slid his fingers along a panel on his arm. He reached down and pulled a glass disc off his thigh. He handed it to Carl. Then he gave Carl a small bow. He picked up his injured partner, looked at Carl and said something. Carl gave him a bow and Jeff disappeared in a flash of light. Carl was left standing alone. He looked down at the glass disc, then down at the body of the giant alien bug.

  "This is surreal."

  Something caught his eye, a shard of the injured alien’s clear armor lay on the rock. He picked it up and slid it into a pouch. It was time to go back.

  He was sore. Exhausted. His adrenaline still hadn’t worn off. He’d just helped kill a monster alongside a grey alien, and survived first contact.

  “Just when I thought life couldn’t get any weirder.”

  He flew back to the rift, still clutching the alien’s gift. The universe was bigger than he’d ever imagined, full of mysteries he’d never dreamed of. His smile beneath the helmet faltered.

  Even the alien gets to go home after the fight.

  It’s not fair.