Alien Manifesto Read online

  As I watched, the master materialized under me, deactivating his camouflage, obviously satisfied as to the object’s safety. As the master left his quarters, I realized I had remained undetected. Now was not the time to get cocky. I carefully retrieved the object and headed for my quarters, triumphant, with my prize in tow.

  As I stripped off the camouflage and stowed my skid I received a nasty shock. All of my instructors materialized at once in front of my quarters. My heart sank, I had failed after all.

  To my relief Snarth arrived at that very same moment. “Well done Human Tom, welcome to the team.” He said simply, gesturing around to my former instructors, each bowing to me in a show of respect and acceptance.

  Having been raised in a church run orphanage, I never had a family. My teammates in the Special Forces were the only family I had ever known, short-lived as they were. Someone was always rotating out, or getting killed. Somehow this was different. Not only had I earned the respect of these warriors, they had earned mine.

  Snarth, damn his tentacles, was like that rich uncle who was the black sheep every large wealthy family has. This place, Snarth’s estate, was a hedonistic paradise and a mechanical engineering wonder at the same time.

  Now Snarth, there was a story. He would not say where he was from. I always respect a person’s privacy about that sort of thing. Because it is a sore subject for me that I do not care to discuss either. From what I could gather from the other team members, Snarth’s race was long-lived, living thousands of years thanks to rejuvenation technology. And, he was incredibly wealthy. He was a collector of the finest pleasures. In fact, he was renowned throughout the galaxy for it. He could apparently afford whatever caught his fancy. Snarth said Shorty owed him a great deal of profit: seeing how rich Snarth was, I could not comprehend how much Shorty must owe that Snarth would bother to pursue him.

  Snarth’s estate was located on its own planet, populated only by Snarth’s employees, mechs and guests. It was a small planet about the size of Earth’s moon. However, it had every kind of environment you could imagine, polar ice caps, large lakes, swamps, deserts, old growth woodlands, even a tropical rain forest full of exotic plants. I could not even begin to understand how that was possible. I just accepted it, I knew someday I might learn the secrets of Snarth’s estate, until then I would practice being patient.

  It was a special forces training paradise. And train we did, twelve hours or more every day. Some days were in freezing cold, followed by a week in the tropical jungle. I did not know what we were training for yet, none of us did. I did know that we would be well trained for whatever it was we were going up against.

  Snarth joined the team in the gymnasium that morning. Will he tell us when we are going? I mean I was rather enjoying this training by day and Tasha’s affections by night. However, I was also eager to get on with the job.

  “Gentlemen, it isss time,” hissed Snarth. “I have located the artifact and ssShorty’sss location. It isss azsss bad azsss it getsss, ssseemsss he isss holed up on a private essstate planet not far from here. Thisss essstate isss a fortressss sssitting on top of a maze of underground passssagesss. If he getsss loossse, we will never find him or the artifact. We are going to kidnap ssShorty and sssteal the artifact in one lightning fassst raid on hisss compound. Human Tom, you and the feline massster will go in firssst and disssarm the defensssive sssystemsss ssso the ressst of usss can land. Take no prisssonersss except ssShorty, ssstun anyone elssse. I want him alive,” he said. Then he hissed forcefully “You have your ordersss. Departure isss at 0400 tomorrow. You will find the missssion parametersss and building ssschematicsss on your data padsss, ssstudy them well. I want no missstakesss.” Something about Snarth’s forcefulness triggered my internal alarms. He would bear watching. He is NOT the aw shucks pleasure seeker he makes himself out to be, I mused. I must be cautious. As I turned, I noticed the feline master watching me intently, seeing my internal conflict and confusion at the change in Snarth.

  “Young one, I see the confusion on your face about Snarth’s change in demeanor,” the master mewed softly. “He is dangerous when wronged or angered, but he is also an honorable being. He has given you his word and he will keep it, even if it costs him everything he owns. He will not go back on his word. He demands that from all he does business with. If you don’t cross him he will not cross you. I have known him for many years. This is not my first adventure with him.”

  “But master, why do you fight for him?” I asked.

  “I do not fight for him young one. I fight with him, because it furthers my own search for an ancient artifact that legend says holds the answers I seek,” mewed the stealth master. “It may be the same artifact Snarth is looking for. I have been searching many years for the knowledge it holds,” he added wistfully. “If I can but find it, then I will have the answers to questions that I have struggled with all my life. From the time I left my mother’s care I have searched for answers to the questions about the afterlife,” he said growling. “I have devoted my life to finding the answers, and soon it may well come to pass.”

  “But Master, Snarth will own the artifact,” I said. “This is his expedition and he expects possession. Even if it is only until he can sell it to the highest bidder,” I reasoned.

  “I have but to touch it, young one, and I shall have my answers. That is the only compensation I seek from Snarth,” the stealth master answered.

  We were interrupted by a thud and a curse. The canine master had banged his head on the hatchway as he boarded the shuttle, his view blocked by the gear he carried. After arranging his gear in the cargo bay, the canine settled into his newly made nest and went straight to sleep, leaving us alone once more.

  “And then what, Master?” I asked.

  “We shall see soon enough, young one, we shall see soon enough,” he replied. With a whine the repulser lifts spun and jerked us upward, we were outbound, and the mission had finally begun.

  We arrived at the target planet and made an unobserved descent to the planet’s surface. The feline master and I began our reconnaissance of the estate’s perimeter. We had exited the cloaked, orbiting shuttle under the cover of darkness and paraglided down to the surface unobserved. We were now moving toward the main compound. Sensors indicated only one humanoid life form in the compound. It must be Shorty. That meant lots of security mechs and alarms.

  The Master and I approached a large boulder which the energy field protecting the main compound had been built over rather than around. We began our insertion there, using one of Snarth’s special tools to penetrate the energy shield. We cut an opening in the energy shield near the base of the boulder so we could get underneath it. We then used our antigravity sleds to cover the distance to the main house without setting off any pressure or infrared alarms.

  As the feline master and I floated down into the open courtyard that led to the main house, we found our prey asleep on an eating couch in the open courtyard. Funny, I thought he would be better protected. As I slid off my anti grav sled to secure the sleeping Shorty I decloaked.

  “No,” yowled the stealth master as he lunged toward me, startling me.

  I heard the Master grunt and the wet slap of a projectile hitting a vital organ at the same time. I saw the Master decloak once on the ground, blood gushing from a gaping wound in his chest. It was a trap! Whirling around to face the threat, I fired my blaster from the hip at the now decloaked security mech, leaving it a smoldering pile of twisted junk. My carelessness had just cost the team dearly.

  “Pass on what you have learned, young one,” the master strained to tell me, going limp in my arms.

  This had better have been worth it. As I held the dead Master in my arms, I swore another oath of bloody vengeance on Shorty’s life. As I turned around to claim my vengeance, I saw that Shorty had disappeared. My preoccupation with the Master’s death had given him the opportunity to run and hide. Damn you, Shorty!

  The com link squawked in my ear. It was Snarth demanding
an update. “Report,” he hissed. The rest of the team had landed and I could hear the canine locating the last of the security mechs and blaster fire as the Irishman put it to an end.

  “The master is down and Shorty is trapped in the next room,” that was the only place he could go without being seen.

  “What about the artifact?” Snarth hissed.

  “Still trying to locate, Sir,” I barked back.

  “Hold, I will be right there,” Snarth commanded, so I held.

  Sensors indicated that Shorty had blockaded himself in a nearby room with no exit. I only had to keep him bottled up until Snarth arrived. I relaxed somewhat and took stock of my condition. No injuries, not even winded, just pissed off.

  As Snarth arrived, I glanced up from the schematic of the building we were in. “He is in the wine cellar according to these plans I found on the building’s main computer. There has been no movement in the room for the past several minutes. Let me try talking to him see if I can get him to come out,” I asked Snarth.

  “Shorty, it’s Tom,” I called out to the wine cellar. “From when we were kids, you remember? Shorty, I just want to talk. Shorty can you hear me?” No answer came.

  After several more unanswered attempts to talk to Shorty, Snarth motioned me to try the door. I did not detect any explosives or booby traps around the door. I opened it by smashing it open with a violent kick, blaster drawn and set for stun. I need not have bothered. I found Shorty curled up in the fetal position, passed out drunk if the empty bottles scattered around were any clue. A quick check of his pulse confirmed my suspicion. “Yep, just passed out drunk,” I called out.

  “Load him on the ssship. We will take him back to my essstate after we locate the artifact,” hissed Snarth. The Irishman and the canine master half carried half-dragged Shorty toward the ship, none too gently. The feline master meant a lot to the both of them as well. Shorty had to answer to all of us for the feline master’s death. I would not want to be him when he sobered up.

  “You and I have to find the artifact. If we haven’t located it by the time ssShorty wakesss up we will beat it out of him,” Snarth said.

  I growled back angrily, “He killed my friend the feline master. I claim vengeance first.”

  “The massster wasss my friend too,” Snarth hissed back angrily. “I owed him ssseveral life debtsss. You ssshall have your vengeance, azsss bloody and terrible azsss you want, after I get the artifact,” hissed Snarth, full of menace, his muscles still distended by the adrenalin of the battle. I backed down, now was not the time for this. As long as he died that was all I cared about, it did not matter by whose hand.

  Changing the subject abruptly I said, “These plans show a vault.”

  “ssShorty wasss no geniusss,” Snarth hissed, finishing my thought aloud, smiling, his tentacles wiggling. “I can only hope it isss that easssy.”

  ~

  Later at Snarth’s estate, after much food, smoke and drink, a salute to the feline master was made. Each surviving member of the team raised his glass.

  Snarth said, “To victory and to my friend, the Massster. I could never pronounce hisss name, no non- feline could. I fought bessside him many timesss. He sssaved my life more than once, I owed him a life debt. I trusssted him with my life, he taught me many thingsss. I hope he hasss finally found the answersss he sssought for ssso long. I will misss him. May he ressst in peace.” Then each of the remaining team members drained their glass in turn.

  ~

  “Tom, have you thought about your future?” asked Snarth later that evening after even more drink and excellent smoke.

  “Well, I think Earth will be boring after all this,” I answered.

  “Funny you ssshould sssay that, my boy. I find myssself in need of your ssservicesss once again,” Snarth began. “You sssee there are sssome delicate negotiationsss that require a ssspecial talent, one which you have in abundance. If you would consssider ssstaying with the team, I would be honored to fight with you again. Now that I have the artifact I mussst sssell it quickly in order to maintain my sssafety,” Snarth hissed.

  “It isss coveted by a group of fanaticsss called The Followersss of Eli. They have been sssearching for the artifact for generationsss. They will ssstop at nothing to get it. Once I contact my buyer, thessse fanaticsss may learn that I have it. They have believersss everywhere. ssSo you can sssee I need ssskilled people I can trusssst around me ssso I can recoup my profit and keep my ssskin attached to a breathing body.” This explanation was followed by a fit of tentacle contortions I had not seen Snarth make before. “What do you sssay, my boy?” he hissed hopefully. “You can live here on the essstate if you like. And Tasssha isss yoursss if you ssstay.”

  Now that was an offer. I knew Snarth to be a shrewd businessperson, so the danger must be greater than he was letting on. The question of the hour was; what would I do with all the pay from this job and that stack of credit notes, that very thick stack, I had taken from Shorty’s safe. I thought for sure Snarth would catch me with it. I am still not sure why I took it, maybe I am just looking out for my new life and my future. If Snarth had seen me take it, he said nothing. Maybe he considered it part of the cost of doing business or perhaps to the victor goes the spoils. Either way, I win.

  I had enough credits from the job for a complete body refresh with some left over. Tasha was an organic body grown for a very smart computer, a pleasure bio-mech. She was a much sought after model for sale to the highest bidder, much like modern, super car collectors on Earth. The bio-mech could be adapted to any known culture and any type of body form. I had enough credits for one but not both apparently. I might need a guide in the near future, one I could control.

  “Guess I will have to stick around a little longer,” I said.

  Snarth nearly bent double in throes of tentacle wiggling upon realizing that I intended to stay. “Well played Human Tom, well played indeed. I look forward to many adventuresss together. It will be interesssting indeed playing poker with you,” hissed Snarth with another spasm of tentacle wiggling. Then Snarth stood up and hissed, “All right, everyone get sssome sssleep. Training ssstartsss at 0400.”

  As Snarth turned to leave he paused, “Before I forget, what do you want to do with ssShorty?” he hissed. I had forgotten about Shorty in the course of the celebration of the master’s passing. “You can’t turn him loossse, well not yet anyway. He knowsss too much,” Snarth added. “We could hold him in the dungeon for now until you decide what you want to do with him,” he offered, almost half-heartedly. I just nodded my head in agreement, unable to speak as the pain of loss welled up in my throat. I would avenge the feline master’s death, just not tonight.

  ~

  Weeks had passed and Snarth was not training with the team these days. A young, female feline had replaced the fallen stealth master. She was rumored to be the youngest stealth master in a generation. She kept to herself mostly; I don’t think she likes me very much. Nevertheless, the team trained on and a mutual, respectful silence ensued between us.

  One day, as the team was preparing to climb a vertical ice cliff at the northern pole, a transport arrived. A messenger mech disembarked and headed straight for me. It spoke to me in a mechanical sounding version of galactic standard, “Human Tom: my master, Snarth, requests your presence in his private quarters with all haste. A transport has been provided and you are to return with me at once.” Having delivered its message, it whirred back to the transport, activated the transport’s power cell and spun up the anti-grav repulser lifts in preparation for an immediate departure. Without a word and only a glance at the others, I swung my gear into the transport’s cargo bay and strapped myself into the co-pilot’s chair for the short ride back to Snarth’s estate house.

  I found Snarth in a part of the estate I had never been in before. He was in a large room reclined under some sort of machine. I had never seen such a machine before but I could feel a kind of energy pulsing from it and it felt GOOD.

  As I looked, I
could see that Snarth did not look so good. His normally smooth, leather like, green skin was wrinkled and blotched with dark patches. Sensing my concern Snarth waved his hand as if to dismiss it.

  “Nothing to worry about my boy, jussst doing sssome much needed rejuvenating. Can you feel it, my boy?” he asked.

  “Feel what?” I answered, trying not to pry.

  “Why, the life energy, of courssse,” he said, with the tentacle wiggle I had come to recognize as his sly smile. “You sssee, thisss machine mimicsss the life energy of a live body and that causesss cellular regeneration in mossst life formsss, yoursss included. Come join me,” he hissed gesturing to the empty couch next to him. I hesitated, unsure. “Come on, don’t be sssuch a primitive, relax and enjoy youth again,” he hissed with that sly grin of his.

  As I rested on the couch next to Snarth waiting for him to tell me why he had called me in from training, I could feel an energy pulsing through me. Suddenly all I could think of was Tasha. Chuckling Snarth hissed, “Now you sssee my boy that isss how it feelsss to be young again,” in response to my obvious excitement. “Go, be with Tasssha and we will talk in the morning,” hissed Snarth. He dismissed me with a wave of his hand and another fit of tentacle wiggling that passed for what was his sly smile.

  It was very late that night when I finally collapsed, exhausted after hours of love making with Tasha. Even she was exhausted, so intense had been my passion. As I drifted off to sleep in her arms, my last coherent thought was, I have to get one of those machines.

  “On your feet sssoldier,” came Snarth’s familiar greeting in the morning. As always, I had responded by bounding out of bed and straight to attention without even taking time to dress. This was a constant source of amusement for Snarth; a fit of tentacle wiggling laughter ensued.