The Only

CH 27

We were nearly there by noon. I could hear the waves crashing against the shore, angry and rough after the recent hurricane. Even the pavement beneath my feet seemed soggy after the storm.

We walked onto the street that leads to the school. The road was destroyed, and the slabs of pavement leaning against one another were hard to traverse over.

In our struggles we didn't hear the hovercar until they were beside us. Two pawns jumped out, guns raised.

"Surrender yourselves!" One barked.

"Hey!" Timmy said, showing the fried transporter on his belt. "Shut up. I've got direct orders to take these two back to the mothership."

He reached around and pulled the alien firearm I forgot he had from his backpack. "And as payment for your rudeness, we'll be borrowing your ride." He pointed the gun at them and moved it to the left, gesturing for them to get out of the way.

"Yes sir," the first one said. "My apologies."

We climbed into the car, myself in the backseat, Jesse shotgun and Timmy driving. He fired up the engine and turned it toward the school grounds. As we rose in elevation, I could feel my stomach turn inside out.

Soon we were directly beneath the mothership. The bottom opened up, taking the hovercraft inside.

We rose into a large metal room, empty and silent. The bottom of the ship closed and we stepped out. I looked to Timmy, who gestured toward the doors at the end of the room.

I reached for the gun in my waistband, reassuring myself. The doors opened and we stepped forward, coming face to face with Solktech.

"Ah," he said, grinning. "I knew you'd be back."

"Yeah," I said with a scoff. "We need your help."

He laughed, throwing his head back, his fuzzy white hair flopping. "You manage to escape my best scouts, evade my smartest warriors, and you come crawling back for help? What is your scheme?"

"There is none." Timmy answered. "Our friend here, he's been bitten."

"And how could we help? Why would we?"

"Because you need bodies. I'll give you one." I stepped forward.

"Stasey.." Jesse started.

"No, Jesse. It's what I have to do. If they can help you it'll be worth it."

Solktech shook his head. "One body is no good to me. I can't help you." He turned around to walk away.

Suddenly a voice boomed throughout the corridor. "Enough, General. Bring them to me."

Solktech sighed. "Yes, sir." He looked to us. "Follow."
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After traversing around the entire mothership, Solktech opened a door and we stepped inside. It was different from the others, bright and covered in artwork. Some I recognized, Da Vinci and Piccaso. Tables covered in foods of all sorts lined the walls, and in the center of the room was a huge chair - a throne. Between us and the throne was a pool of boiling water, filling the room with moisture.

A wrinkled figure was sitting in the chair, clad in black and silver from head to foot. In his right hand was a silver ball the size of a softball. In his left was an apple, half - eaten.

"Come closer, children," he said, his voice soft and raspy.

Solktech backed up against the wall and motioned for us to step forward. I looked to Timmy, who shrugged and walked toward the throne.

I stepped up beside him and took his hand in my left and Jesse's in my right. The water in the pool rose above us, hovering over our heads without dropping a single drop on us.

We stopped at the base of the throne, looking up into the wrinkled, pale face of the alien upon it.

"I sense an Infected among us," he said, emotionless.

"I am," Jesse answered, "I've been bitten."

"Yes, I know. I can help you. You are honest and innocent. I can not say the same for your companions."

"Excuse me?" I said, shocked. "Who are you to say that we-"

The alien interrupted me. "Oh, forgive me for being rude. I am the Tchakta overlord, ruler in the most high of star systems Kale, Chileno, Moltut, Gavrar, and now the Milky Way. You will address me as Tcheena."

"Okay, Tcheena, why aren't Timmy and I innocent and honest?" I asked, not satisfied with the supreme ruler of the galaxy questioning my loyalty.

"You come here, hoping to kill my people if we don't agree to help you. Your friend here thinks he's one of us, thinks he's got power over my people, thinks he can trick us into helping you."

Timmy's face turned red with rage. "I'm sorry, thinks? Your people have told me nothing less since I've been on this ship, helping you, killing for you, putting my friends in danger for your people, believing that I am 'your people' and now you tell me it's all a joke?"

The overlord laughed, a deep, rattling, rumble. He rubbed the metal ball in his hand with his thumb. "It's something of a long story, why don't you sit down?"

I felt my legs being forced out from under me as stools rose from the metal floor beneath us. The three of us struggled, magnetized to the seats by whatever force was inside that metal ball.

Solktech stepped forward, turned Timmy's seat towards him, and smiled. "You see, Tim, you're as human as they come."