Mark McGinnis - The Simpleton

Jackie said, “Come on, maybe you can bring it with us.”

Cuddy lowered his arm. He had no intention of leaving the orb behind. Squabbling voices could be heard ahead as he and Jackie hurried across the wide, perpendicular corridor to the other side. Continuing on, and noting an open entrance on the right, Cuddy edged up to the corner and peered in. He quickly pulled back, wide-eyed and disgusted, staring blankly at the opposing bulkhead.

“What is it? Let me see!” He moved aside so she could take his vacated spot, closer to the entrance. Looking in, Cuddy heard her quick inhalation of breath. When she pulled back, turning toward him, in barely controlled hushed tones she exclaimed, “That’s horrible! They’re just hanging there… like sides of beef!”

The vivid mental image of the havoc in the adjacent compartment was all too prominent in Cuddy’s mind. No less than twenty people, almost half of them naked, were strung up, hanging by their feet, their bodies swaying back and forth. Among them were Sheriff Bone, shirtless Officer Plumkin, Tony Bone, and—closest to the entrance—his brother Kyle. Also others, who were dead. Their blackened, malformed corpses showed they’d been terribly beaten, beyond anything he could imagine.

He wanted to rescue Kyle. Rush in there and help them all. But if he and Jackie weren’t extremely careful, they too could end up in there, hanging upside-down, like the others. Cuddy was having a hard time controlling his breathing. He didn’t think he’d ever been this scared. Too scared to move, like he was again seven years old.

“Hey… are you doing okay? We just need to stay calm… at least try,” Jackie whispered.

He shook his head. No, he wasn’t okay and wondered how she could even ask such a question.

“Well, stay here. Keep guard and let me know if anyone’s coming.”

“What are you doing? We shouldn’t separate,” he said, aware desperation was in his voice.

“Just stay here.” Raising her weapon, she then slipped around the corner.

Standing alone in the passageway, Cuddy looked left and then right and saw a lone figure approaching from the distance; one clearly armed with a rifle. He wore a narrow band of red—a diagonally draped sash. A Howsh, he was casually walking forward as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Cuddy felt a vibration in his right hand and, glancing down at the orb, noticed it was moving, trying to release itself from his grasp.

The Howsh walked right up to Cuddy, appraising him from head to toe. He was taller than he was by half a foot. Close to seven feet tall.

The orb was frantically jerking around in Cuddy’s hand so he let it drop to the deck. Paralyzed with fear, he wanted to yell out and warn Jackie, but he couldn’t speak.

A dank odor wafted around them as the alien pivoted his head about, as though trying to figure something out, then spoke in a mixture of a growl and a language Cuddy didn’t understand. The Howsh bared his teeth and raised the muzzle of his weapon and then there was searing pain in his chest—everything went black.

Cuddy awoke with an upside-down view of the same horrific compartment he’d earlier glimpsed. He was less than five feet away from his brother.

Kyle, now looking back at him, said, “Hey there, little brother.”

“Hey Kyle.”

“So… you two were what? Trying to rescue us… huh?”

Cuddy found it hard to think, even harder to speak, with so much blood throbbing in his head. “It gets a bit easier… in time,” Kyle told him.

Cuddy heard another voice, nearby him but out of sight, ask, “Who sends the village idiot to attempt a rescue, anyway?”

“Shut up, Tony!” Kyle barked.

“Are you okay, Cuddy?” Jackie asked. Hearing the concern in her voice, he tried to jostle his body around to see her but couldn’t make it happen.

Cuddy asked, “What is this place? What’s happening…”

“Just look around, dip-weed,” Tony said. “We’re in some kind of alien laboratory. Look up… they have all kinds of nasty equipment to fuck us up with.”

“I told you, Tony, knock it off!” Kyle said.

Cuddy, struggling, looked up toward his tightly bound feet. Separated into stand-alone stations were all sorts of hanging metallic devices, along with a variety of attached hoses. He didn’t want to think about their uses.

“ Shit … he’s coming back,” Tony said.

Moments later, Cuddy sensed the evil presence of the Howsh within the compartment—somewhere behind him.

“Don’t touch me!” Jackie yelled.

Cuddy jerked and squirmed until his body, pendulum-like, finally spun around. The Howsh, he noted in alarm, was touching Jackie’s hair—leaning into her and inhaling, while making a sniffing noise. He could see Jackie’s anger turn to fear, and he shouted, “Hey! Leave her alone… get away from her!”

“You don’t want to say that, Cuddy,” Kyle said, in a lowered tone. “He’ll punish you.”

“Yeah, he’ll hurt you something bad, boy,” said Officer Plumkin.

Cuddy focused his attention beyond Jackie, then toward a swaying, shirtless figure whose big belly hung down onto his chest. His face was bruised and one eye swollen shut. He noticed the sheriff was hanging next to Plumkin. “Is the sheriff all right?”

Tony, Kyle, and Plumkin answered at the same time, “No, he’s not.”

Kyle watched as the Howsh continued to focus his attention on Jackie. He groped her breasts and snorted. She screamed, “Stop! Get the fuck away from me!”

Cuddy felt useless— pathetic— then remembered what he’d done to the Howsh who was attacking Momma. How do I do that again? How do I use my mind that way? He’d had the help of the AI orb and wondered where the orb was now. Cuddy mentally called out to it and listened for a response. Nothing . Swaying his body back and forth, he craned his neck around until he could see the entrance into the compartment. Something shiny lay on the deck—one of the AI orb’s clawed arms—and the rest lay hidden in the passageway. Has the orb been completely destroyed? Cuddy wondered.

Suddenly, Cuddy’s body was swung back in the opposite direction and the alien’s face was mere inches from his own. His rank breath made Cuddy want to throw up. The snarl was back as he looked into Cuddy’s eyes, then asked him in broken English, “Where is Pashier ship?”

Cuddy stared back at the angry furry face. “Um… who are you?” Cuddy asked.

Growling in annoyance, he answered, “I am captain of ship. I am Holg. Now tell… where is Pashier ship?”

Cuddy stared back at him, confused. How could he not know? The Evermore was less than a mile’s distance away. Then he thought of something Tow had mentioned—that once both drives were operational, well synchronized, he could turn on some kind of additional shielding device, camouflaging the Evermore from being spotted from above or picked up by their sensors. Is that what happened? Had the Howsh gotten so close then lost track of the Evermore at the last moment?

“Tell him what he wants to know, Cuddy,” Tony said. “He’s asked that same question over and over again… He beats us. He’ll kill us, like he did the others here.”

Cuddy heard his brother ask, “Do you even know where it is?”

Holg, listening intently to their conversation, was watching his face so perhaps he should just tell him. He didn’t want anyone to die because of him. Especially Kyle and Jackie. But then he thought of Tow and his promise to him. Thought of the heritage pod. That no one would be left to return it to Primara. Cuddy didn’t know what to do. He’d been so concerned with Tow and his incredible mission to save his kind that he’d almost lost track of the fact that his own kind… his own family may pay the price. Maybe he should tell this foul-smelling best what he wants to know… and just maybe he would let them all go.