Tag Team in Space... Episode 8

Tag Team in Space continues...

The episodic tale of Dr. Jerry Waldman (The Two Moons of Rehnor) and Sgt. Derrick Thomas (Dark Side of the Moon) continues:

Check out Episode 7 (Jerry) from J. Naomi Ay here

Episode 8

Derrick:

“Light doc… Turn on the damn light please!” I yelled over to Jerry as I tried to fend off the onslaught of slimy hands groping for me all at once.

The smell in the air was almost more overwhelming than the amount of force being thrown at us by this group of Martians. I did my best to keep my footing as I fought off the creatures that kept coming one after another.

I was shockingly surprised to learn that the consistency of a Martian Big Head body was not unlike Earth creatures. Their bodies were thin and bony, their heads were hard like a traditional skull, except they had a large layer of what I can only assume is fat at the top of their heads like a whale might have. They also had several rows of sharp teeth in their mouths, as I came to find out the hard way. I thought of all the shows I watched growing up about sharks and how they had rows of teeth that came in yearly to replace the last set of damaged or missing teeth in their mouths. I wondered if this was an applicable similarity with the Big Heads, meaning that like sharks, their teeth were fragile and while formidable, also easily removable. I tried to process all these thoughts in a moment’s time and decide my best course of attack, as one lunged toward me, head glowing I could see his mouth agape and I reacted.

I extended my right leg in an instant, bringing the sole of my boot straight out at its face. I connected with its jaw, if these things even have jaws, and I could feel a hard crack. The Big Head squealed a moment as it came crashing to the ground and I knew something had indeed broken. Several sets of teeth oozed out of its mouth and onto the floor, and I knew I had found a weak point.

I quickly spun to connect a kick with the face of another Big Head trying to bite me, and the result was nearly identical. I fought off at least ten, but realized that there were too many more coming my way. I wouldn’t be able to keep up this effort for very long, and once they swarmed me as a whole I would be finished.

I turned to retreat and tripped over something and came crashing to the ground. I hit my head against the tube wall and became very dizzy. I could hear the Big Heads organizing and with my misstep, the glow from several dozen heads grew brighter in my direction. I tried to shake off the haze in my brain and get to my feet to defend myself.

As I got to one knee I could see what I had tripped over in the first place. The glow continued to grow brighter, and the requests for help from Jerry grew more intense, and I knew I had to take care of this right now or else neither of us would make it get help.

I frantically pawed through my bag, throwing the contents everywhere. I needed one item, and I needed it now. The creatures began chanting in unison like a crowd at a cyberball match back at home when a penalty shot was taken for the win.

“Chip, chip, chip, chip…” they all began reciting as they approached. I had no idea what chip they were referring to, and if it was something the doctor had, I would have to hurry up and save him to find out.

Finally, I found what I was searching for, and not a moment too soon. I placed my thumb on the safety release and powered it on. The distinctive glow of my plasma blade stopped almost all the creatures right in their tracks. It was apparent that they had had some experience with this weapon and knew enough to fear it. They all began to back up slightly, even the ones on top of Jerry moved away slowly.

I held the blade out in front of me and turned side to side to try and ward off any Big Heads trying to sneak up on us. I cautiously walked over to the doctor who was gasping in pain on the ground. He had several opens wounds and the bruises to his face looked pretty rough, but he was conscious and functional from what I could tell. 

“My glasses Derrick, I need my glasses…” he muttered, and I was able to find them just off to the side. I placed them on his face while still trying to keep my eyes on the group surrounding us. Jerry suddenly seeing the large mass of creatures around us yelled; “Holy Cow!” and scurried backward across the ground. He only made it three feet, but with his injuries I was surprised he was able to move that fast at all.

“Listen buddy, you have to stay calm alright? These things are very dangerous and very intent on getting this chip from us, so stay calm, tell me where you have this thing, and I’ll negotiate our escape from this mess.”

“What chip Derrick, I don’t have any chip. I assumed government agent man would be the one hiding some chip or whatever.”

I looked at his bruised up face and wanted to bash it in after his smug response, but I remembered the large group of Martians bent on harming us and I chose to put the urge on pause for the time being.

“Well I don’t know of any chip doctor, so what is our next option? ‘Cause the way I see it, we are way outnumbered, and outmatched since you seem pretty useless in fighting circumstances, and I doubt that I can take them all out without a mild bit of assistance, so what do we do here doctor?” I asked, swiveling my eyes side to side so as not be snuck upon.

The doctor pulled me close to his face and placed his mouth against my ear. I was less than comfortable with the closeness our relationship had taken, but was very pleased with what had been whispered to me. I grabbed a piece of stone that was on the ground next to us and placed it in Jerry’s hand and gave him a nod. He nodded back his understanding and I leapt into action.

The squeals came one after another as I plowed my way through the group of Martians. The stench of seared flesh permeated the air in all directions. To some it would have been nauseating, but I knew what my blade could do, and to me the scent as intoxicating. One of ARCA’s finest inventions for agents in the field, a plasma blade glowed white hot and was truly an amazing source of controlled energy. It simultaneously opened and closed wounds as I cut a path straight through to the main Big Head. I tackled it, and held my blade out over its main eye on its enormous head.

While I was not truly a fan of the doctor, I was a fan of living, and his idea worked enough that we might actually get out of this mess alive.

“Now you call off your swarm, or gang, or school, or pod, or whatever the hell you call this group. You tell them to back off right now, or I and my blade will perform a real alien autopsy right here, right now! We don’t know anything about this chip you are looking for, so back off and let us be” I demanded, praying that this one Martian was important enough to the thirty or so others left, that they would indeed trade his safety for ours.

For the next minute as I held this creature down, I listened to a very elaborate tale of this chip and what its purpose is. I looked up in anger and disbelief across the tube at the doctor as the creature concluded; “…your human friend has many secrets from you Earth man!”

I sat back and with rage screamed; “Jerry?!?”

Check back for new episodes from J. Naomi Ay soon