Alien Manifesto Read online

  A stray draft of air gave away the anti-grav sled’s silent passage as it headed for the center of the room. These were stealth tactics. I controlled my breathing, remaining absolutely still, waiting for the intruder to revel itself. Moments turned into minutes and still I held, unmoving as the stone I willed myself to be.

  After an hour had passed, I was quite sure that who or whatever was in the room was waiting for me to return, not knowing that they had been detected. That meant it was my move. I needed a distraction so my attacker would reveal its intent and thereby its exact location. Very slowly, I moved my arm so I could access my wristband; I had to alert the others. I also summoned a servant mech to bring me a drink.

  A short time later as the servant mech activated the door into the bedchamber a blaster bolt exploded, destroying the unfortunate mech as it entered the room. Without thinking, I returned fire, hitting its attacker. It exploded into a ball of electrical fire sending the anti-grav sled slamming into the walls of the bedchamber and causing quite a racket, narrowly missing me as it finally crashed to the floor, riderless.

  When the smoke finally cleared I found myself surrounded by my team members, all with blasters drawn in a circle around me, calmly waiting for the next attack. It never came: the assassin mech was alone.

  “ssSomeone doesssn’t like you very much, Human Tom,” was Snarth’s reaction when he arrived at the shambles that had once been my room.

  “If he were indeed the target,” interjected the stealth master.

  “Before you reconfigured this dwelling, this was your room. So whoever sent that mech is using old information,” surmised Rowl.

  “Which meansss it isss retaliation, and unrelated to our current troublesss,” finished Snarth. “ssSniggle, it has to be ssSniggle. He isss the only one who would have the old plansss to my essstate.”

  “Or someone in Shorty’s operation.” I offered, getting a look of concern from Snarth.

  “Well whoever it was, we won’t find out from the mech, it’s completely destroyed. It must have had a self-destruct back up,” commented the Irishman as he inspected the remains of the assassin mech. “You are lucky to be alive, Tom,” he said as he finished and wiped his hands clean.

  Shaking his head Snarth said, “We are meant to think it was ssSniggle who sssent the asssasssin mech, when in fact it wasss AArat. Only hisss organization hasss the ssophistication to get through my sssecurity sssensors network. This wasss jussst the firssst of what will be many probesss to assscertain our capabilitiesss. Well done Human Tom, you bring honor to the team once again. All right, everyone to the briefing room, I doubt anyone can sssleep after thisss anyway,” finished Snarth.

  As the team gathered in the briefing room, Snarth began the explanation of what had transpired during his three-day absence. “I believe the Cult of Eli has a foothold in the Galactic sssenate,” Snarth began. “I don’t have an exact figure on how many sssenators are believersss or sssupporting the cult’sss agenda. However, I believe it to be a sssmall minority. They do, however, have complete control over the intelligence ssservice with AArat at itsss head. And I believe they have their sssights ssset on getting control of not just the sssenate but the executive branch azsss well. My contactsss were reluctant to discussss the affairsss of the executive branch for fear of AArat and hisss goonsss. It isss my belief that a coup is in the worksss and that is why AArat isss coming after me. You are all guilty by assssociation. I don’t have any proof yet but I will sssoon. I only hope we are in time to prevent the coup. I intend to ssstall for more time. What I can’t figure out isss why AArat sssent the asssassssin mech knowing it might fail and reveal his plansss.”

  “Perhaps he is hoping that you have gone soft since your separation from the intelligence service. He must have thought he might get lucky and eliminate you without much effort,” I interjected.

  “Or it might be true incompetence and you are over estimating his true abilities,” said the stealth master. “Only a fool would depend on old intelligence, especially where you are concerned, Snarth.”

  Snarth paused to consider both of these observations before continuing. “When I knew AArat, he was ssself-assssured and overconfident of hisss abilitiesss. It nearly got him killed more than once.”

  “Now that he has fallen in with the cult he may be getting careless because he believes he is on some sort of holy mission,” added the Irishman who had remained silent through most of the briefing.

  “That may be,” said Snarth thinking aloud, “however we will consssider him and hisss organization azsss a dangerousss threat until we know their true capabilitiesss.”

  “What is your plan Snarth?” asked the canine master.

  “All I have are a few vague factsss and that isss not nearly enough to form a plan of attack from,” said Snarth “Azsss a resssult I have added a new team member. His name is sSSlice and he isss the best electronic intelligence tech that money can buy anywhere in the galaxy.”

  “Now is not the time to bring an unknown into the team,” hissed the stealth master, her tail twitching furiously with her displeasure.

  “I can assssure you hisss honor isss impeccable. I have known hisss family for generationsss,” added Snarth. “He will be operating behind the ssscenes not on the front linesss. I asssk you to accept him on my word. Besssidesss he desssigned the intelligence ssservice’s computer sssystems and wrote mossst of their data sssifting programsss. I fear we may not prevail without him. We mussst not fail, or all may be lossst. Chaosss would erupt throughout the galaxy if the galactic government fallsss and the Cult of Eli takesss over. I do not want to live in sssuch an uncivilized sssociety.”

  I was unprepared for the appearance of SSlice. On Earth huge spiders are denizens of only the worst of nightmares. Not wanting to be called a primitive again, I tried to hide my revulsion as best I could. Instead, I concentrated on the business of forming a workable plan of action and training hard for it. Much to the amusement of my teammates my skin crawled when SSlice got too close and they never let me forget it. Fortunately, after a few days of close proximity, my revulsion passed and SSlice became just another member of the team.

  Finally, the day came when Snarth called the team into the briefing room. “I have come up with a plan to deal with AArat,” he hissed. “It’sss sssimple and ssstraightforward. sSSlice hasss managed to uncover evidence of AArat’sss complicity in a sssmuggling operation. We will expossse AArat’sss activitiesss to the proper authoritiesss, onesss we can trussst, along with the namesss of ssseveral sssenators who are guilty of accepting bribesss,” he continued. “Onesss that I know for sssure are in the conssspiracy of the Cult of Eli. It will be a huge ssscandal,” Snarth hissed. “I hope it will bring to light the Cult’s activitiesss. It will also reveal jussst how far the conssspiracy hasss ssspread and who isss involved. Then after he hasss been disssgraced we will kill AArat, before he isss arresssted, widening the ensssuing invessstigation. Of courssse I will lead the invessstigation along with sssome sssubtle cluesss and more falssse information. Then we can get back to the busssinessss of making a profit,” Snarth finished.

  There was only one question on everyone’s mind and I spoke, putting into words what everyone was thinking. “How will we kill AArat?” I asked Snarth.

  “Funny you ssshould be the one to asssk that my boy,” hissed Snarth with that tentacle waving I had come to recognize as his sly smile. I had never been asked to kill someone who was not trying to or plotting to kill me or my fellow soldiers first. “Now I know what you are thinking, Tom,” said Snarth, holding up his hands to silence my objections. “He almossst killed you and killing him will not be easssy. He isss very well trained in hand to hand combat azsss well azsss a sssmall armsss expert.”

  “That assassin mech was meant for you,” I shot back.

  “Yesss but it almossst killed you inssstead, you have the right of vengeance, not I. Thisss isss not Earth, Human Tom. The right of vengeance isss upheld on every other civilized planet in the gala
xy. It isss probably the only conssstant law in the galaxy. Humansss are the only onesss who fancy themssselvesss above vengeance,” said Snarth trying to soothe my anger at being chosen as the instrument of AArat’s demise. “Now if I sssent one of the othersss that would be murder, in the eyesss of the law,” soothed Snarth.

  I clamped my mouth shut to keep my objections to myself. The entire team was watching, wondering how I would respond. Snarth was right; AArat had almost killed me. Any further objections would only make me sound like a primitive making excuses for being afraid.

  I had killed many men when I was with the S.E.A.L.s, some from long distance. So why was this so different? “When and where?” I answered Snarth. I had just taken the step from soldier for hire to assassin, and it weighed heavy on my mind. Damn you Snarth for placing me in this position, I know so little about my new surroundings. Is he telling me the truth about the law? I will just have to trust him. With that realization, I was no longer just an Earthman but rather a budding citizen of the galaxy. There would be no going back; I was long past the point of no return.

  “Now that we have that sssettled,” said Snarth, glossing over the incident, “I have decided that the ssstealth massster will accompany Human Tom and keep him out of any sssocial trouble and act azsss backup if needed. In the meantime sSSlice will ssspin hisss web of deceit and ssspring hisss trap azsss it were,” Snarth hissed.

  “It will be several days before we get any results. No more than a week if all goes as planned,” interrupted SSlice with that musical whisper like voice of his. “It will take the Galactic security mechs that long to verify the information I have provided them. I have placed alarm programs that will be activated once arrest warrants have been issued. They may try to handle this in house at first but I have also alerted several reporters in various news organizations. It won’t stay a secret for long.”

  “How will we know where AArat is after the story breaks?” asked the Irishman. “The galaxy is a big place and it’s easy for someone with his resources and connections to disappear.”

  “I have anticipated that,” said SSlice “AArat is a rodent and they never go anywhere without their females.”

  “Won’t he be expecting whoever is looking for him to be watching his nest?” asked Rowl.

  “Yes, yes he will. However, I happen to know that he has two nests. One is for public activities and the second is a secret. This nest is the nest he will take with him wherever he runs to hide. And run he will for that is the nature of rodents,” replied SSlice confidently.

  “ssSome of my assssociatesss have placed a tracker in both of AArat’s nessstsss ssso he won’t be able to hide. Once he callsss for hisss nessst that isss where Tom and the ssstealth massster will go,” hissed Snarth, finishing the explanation. “Now you two have a lot of training to do in the next week ssso I ssssuggessst you get ssstarted,” he hissed as he gestured towards me and the stealth master. “sSSlice, ssspin your web. Azsss for the ressst of you, training ssstartsss at 0400: get sssome sssleep.”

  Once again I found myself lying on the bed in my new chambers staring up at the ceiling, my mind racing. What have I gotten myself into? I wondered, unable to sleep. I was conflicted about my role in the new mission. Will I be able to pull the trigger on AArat? Snarth says he is a worthy opponent, well trained and ruthless, a killer. But am I? All those other kills were just the mission, easily justified as just following orders. Is that what I am doing here, just following orders? Whose orders really, and why?

  “You will do what you must,” said a disembodied voice close to me, breaking my train of thought.

  Without pause I answered, “I was wondering when you would speak.” It was the feline master and she was curled up at the end of the bed and had been for several minutes.

  She decloaked. “How long have you known I was here?” she purred as she cleaned her furry face with her paw.

  “Only since you came in the door a few minutes ago,” I answered without enthusiasm; I was not in the mood for cat games.

  Before she could answer, the door chime sounded. It was Rowl. “You looked kind of upset earlier. I just wanted to talk to you about it,” Rowl said as he strode into the bedchamber, stopping mid stride upon seeing the stealth master curled up in the bed. “Sorry, I didn’t know you had company,” he stammered. My face reddened at the implication, the stealth master purring loudly at my obvious discomfort. How could Rowl think such a thing? After all, she is feline and I am human.

  “We were just discussing training for tomorrow,” I blurted out.

  “Yeah, okay, whatever you say,” woofed Rowl with a sly grin, making my discomfort even more pronounced, and eliciting a giggle from the stealth master. She then bounded off the bed and grabbing Rowl’s massive arm said, “We’re leaving, Human Tom. Get some sleep, you will need it.” As they left, I could not help but think: Canine and Felines? I have much to learn about a great many things.

  The next morning Snarth took me aside before the team’s exercise period. “Human Tom, I have been meaning to talk to you about sssomething. I have made sssome arrangementsss for you but I want you to agree with them before I go any further.”

  “Ok Snarth, what’s on your mind?” I asked.

  “Nothing bad I assssure you, Human Tom, it isss jussst persssonal. I have found a doctor who can upgrade your sssensesss and mussscle massss at the sssame time azsss your body refresssh. Now let me finisssh before you object. Thisss doctor isss the bessst of the bessst and it will be my gift to you for taking care of AArat.”

  “What do you mean upgrade my senses?” I answered, shocked that such a thing was possible, not yet thinking about what that might entail.

  “Well your visssion firssst, they would replace your organic eyesss with cybernetic implantsss.”

  “Wait ...what ... you want me to replace my eyes?” I stammered as the gravity of the request hit me.

  “Oh come now Human Tom, do not be sssuch a primitive. The ressst of the team hasss already done it. And you can keep your originalsss in cassse you don’t like the enhanced visssion,” hissed Snarth, baiting me.

  “How much enhanced?” I asked, swallowing the bait completely.

  “Only ten timesss magnification azsss well azsss enhanced night visssion, unlessss you want more. But that may require facial modification,” Snarth hissed.

  “Ten times better and night vision too!” I shouted. “Damn’ straight, sign me up.”

  “I knew I could count on you my boy,” said Snarth as he clapped me on the shoulder. “The doctor will arrive tonight. It won’t hurt a bit, trussst me,” Snarth said, with his best shit eating, tentacle wiggling grin.

  All I remember about the whole procedure was the butterflies in my stomach when the doctor arrived. I lay down on the mobile medical unit’s table and the medical mech gave me an injection. I woke up the next morning with a bad headache, hurting like hell all over. The doctor was gone when I came around. Snarth said it would take a couple of weeks to get used to my new senses, as my brain will have to adjust to the new implants’ signals. My muscles would develop over the next couple of weeks. I just had to remember to eat a lot.

  I was excused from team training until I adjusted to my new eyes. It was amazing how sharp my eyesight was already. I could read a computer pad from across the main courtyard. They said that the night vision would take some getting used to. They cautioned me again not to rush things.

  Over the next ten days, I gained twenty pounds of muscle. I ate almost constantly. I was always ravenously hungry. However, the most surprising thing was that I had grown four inches taller! I was finally the 6’4” I always wanted to be. By the end of the second week, I could curl five hundred pounds, as much as Rowl, and I could now jump ten feet straight up into the air, nearly equaling the stealth master. Snarth promised there was more to come.

  There was no word yet about AArat. Nor was there any news about the investigation into the senators who belonged to or supported the Cult of Eli’s impending c
oup. I could tell that this weighed heavily on Snarth’s mind.

  By now, my new sense of smell was beginning to make itself known. I never knew there were so many smells. From the orchid blooms’ sweet smell in the serenity garden, to the smell of the tropical swamp, dank and moldy just outside the main security perimeter.

  I have to admit the hearing enhancement was the most amazing. I could hear the stealth master’s purr from the hallway through the closed doors of her quarters. My favorite time to listen was outside at night in the moonlight with the exotic animal noises. I never realized how much I missed in my normal state.

  The next day Snarth called the team into the briefing room in the afternoon after training. It had begun. The headline on the inter galaxy news was about the corruption in the Galactic senate and the possible involvement of the Cult of Eli. Almost as if on cue SSlice’s alarm on AArat’s nest went off, he was on the move.

  “Human Tom, are you ready for thisss?” hissed Snarth with his arm around my shoulder, in an almost fatherly concern, completely out of his pleasure-seeking, devil may care attitude.

  “Yes sir I am,” I answered.

  “Are all the modificationsss functioning properly?” he asked.

  “Yes sir,” I answered again.

  Snarth peered at my face, apparently seeing the answer he was looking for. “Well done Human Tom, well done,” he said as he clapped me on the shoulder, again completely out of character.

  “You know where he is headed don’t you?” I asked Snarth.

  “sSSlice and I are almossst posssitive that he isss heading for hisss home planet Xarra,” hissed Snarth. “There he will be protected by hisss family and hisss government. ssStrangers rarely go to Xarra,” he added. “It isss populated almossst exclusssively by rodentsss and they don’t like outsssidersss. It will be impossssible to blend in to the local population. I hope you like being cloaked azsss you will probably have to ssstay that way your entire time there,” said Snarth with his version of a wry smile “That isss the only way you will remain undetected. Fortunately Xarra isss a relatively low tech world ssso electronic sssurveillance isss limited mossstly to the major ssspace portsss. Once you and the feline massster get on the planet your chancesss of detection go down to minimal. You ssshould be able to move around at will. While you are on the planet you two are on your own. The ressst of the team and I will be ssstanding by for your extraction.