Mark McGinnis - The Simpleton

“Bangladesh… it has since been destroyed.”

“That’s crazy, how is that even possible?” Cuddy said, now watching Tony peer around. “What are you after?” Cuddy asked.

“Looking for seat belts. Doesn’t this smelly heap have seatbelts?”

The orb answered, “No, on board there are sufficient G-force compensators. So strapping oneself down will not be necessary.”

“Let’s just get going, orb. We’ve avoided taking off long enough.”

The deck beneath their feet began to vibrate and multiple displays sprang to life around the compartment. The elongated observation window, which once held a nighttime view of the house and barn at the bottom of the drive, now showed a sea of black. Cuddy felt a strange uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He’d never flown before, never been in a plane, so this new sensation of movement—both vertical and horizontal—was disconcerting.

All three stood, then moved across to various windows on either side of the craft. As the details of the landscape below quickly contracted, like a camera’s zooming out effect, Cuddy could now see the entire town of Woodbury. His eyes found and focused on one of the larger buildings, Stone River Hospital. He thought of Momma, wondering if she was all right. He’d never been this far away from her… not ever. Then he thought of Jackie and found himself smiling, though she’d still be mad at him for quite a while.

Woodbury now was only a dot in the distance. The Revenge was moving at incredible speed and, true to what the orb had said, there was no sense of movement at all.

“How long before we reach the other…”

“Five minutes, Cuddy,” the orb replied.

Kyle was the first to stand, quickly followed by Tony and Cuddy. Bright strobes of red light reflected in through the forward observation window. Plasma strikes . From his vantage point, Cuddy could see fantastic, billowing eruptions of fire within the sprawling devastated city below.

“That’s what’s left of St. Basil’s Cathedral, and there’s Red Square next to it…” Cuddy said, pointing.

Both Tony and Kyle glanced over to Cuddy.

“I remember somehow… must have seen it on TV… maybe National Geographic or something.”

“Whatever… it’s pretty much rubble now,” Kyle said.

“Do they know we’re here?” Cuddy asked.

The orb said, “Yes, of course. They have been tracking our position since we left the ranch. On an ongoing basis, the two ships have been hailing us.”

“So, they don’t know their sister ship has been seized?” Tony asked.

“I do not believe so,” the orb replied. “The assumption would be a communications malfunction.”

“Good… can we get in closer?” Cuddy asked.

The orb shifted position from one console to another, its articulating arms constantly moving—its mechanical four-fingered hands making new adjustments.

“Yes, but in monitoring their communications… the captains of both of these Howsh vessels are becoming suspicious. Their guard is up.”

Cuddy asked, “Where are spaceships, like this one, the weakest… uh, what’s the word?”

“You mean most vulnerable?” Kyle asked.

“Aft. The propulsion system,” the orb replied.

“Up the old tailpipe… huh?” Tony threw in.

“Let’s do that! Can you find a way to sneak up from behind? Then fire on both ships at the same time?” Cuddy asked, as he watched the orientation of the landscape outside suddenly pivot around. The orb had altered their course. Also, the Revenge ’s speed had increased.

Tony sat back down, reaching out for something to hold on to. As the orb piloted the ship, with what seemed phenomenal skill, Kyle and Cuddy exchanged a quick look. They were moving in fast. Directly ahead of them, Cuddy spotted the enemy ship’s aft thrusters—two on the left and two further away, on the right.

“Shall I fire the Revenge ’s plasma weapons?” the orb asked.

Tony and Kyle looked at Cuddy. Hesitating, he was reminded that Tow had placed the orb under his direction.

“Yes! Blow them out of the fucking sky,” Tony interjected.

The orb waited.

Cuddy hesitated. Just days ago, he had the mind of a seven-year-old boy; his biggest responsibility was feeding Rufus. And, truthfully, he often was not good remembering to do that. How was it that he, of all people everywhere, was now ready to perform something of such unfathomable importance?

“Yes, do what he said! Fire… fire!” Cuddy yelled.

As the orb went on the offensive, Cuddy did his best to take in everything around him: The action outside the observation window; the moving icon representations on the mounted display screens; as well as the orb’s various setting changes and button presses. Somehow, he was tracking it all—actually comprehending complex data he’d never before understood. So this is what it feels like to be smart! It seemed the faster events occurred around him, the more he was able, somehow, to slow things down . As his eyes took in the two Howsh ships out the forward observation window, they appeared to be unmoving, and the orb hovered in slow motion. How am I doing that? Then suddenly the world around him was moving fast—back in real time again. Plasma fire erupted from the Revenge ’s port and starboard wing tips. Bright bolts of red coursed through the air—separately tracking the two spacecraft targets.

“Direct hits on both Howsh ships. They are now taking evasive action,” the orb said.

“Yes! We got ’em! Did you see that?” Tony yelled, punching the air with a fist.

Cuddy was well aware both ships were simultaneously hit. Each had lost a drive, resulting in right thrusters flaring out. He watched as the Howsh ships accelerated off in opposite directions—arcing around, while firing off their own plasma weapons. The orb began a series of evasive maneuvers that went well beyond the capabilities of the inertia stabilizers. Grabbing ahold of the console supports and seat backs, all three were violently jerked left and right and up and down. Suddenly, Tony lost his grip and was thrown across the compartment—face first—into a bulkhead. Blood erupted from his already damaged nose and he fell to the deck, unconscious.

“A ship!” Kyle yelled, pointing out the starboard window. He instinctively ducked as enemy plasma fire flashed past by what looked like mere inches.

Cuddy watched the display, noting the second Howsh ship was approaching them from their underside. He was tempted to tell the orb, but he was certain the hovering AI was tracking everything now happening.

Cuddy briefly wondered if the enemy ships were piloted by Howsh crewmembers or by the furry-looking robots? The answer came to him in the blink of an eye— the robots ! For the first time since the Howsh alien attacked Momma back at the house, he once again felt the orb’s presence within his consciousness.

When the deck suddenly dropped away beneath Cuddy’s feet, as the Revenge took multiple hard-hitting plasma strikes, he fell hard to the deck, next to Tony’s inert body. An overhead klaxon alarm began to wail and a growly voice repeated an alien phrase over and over again.

Kyle, remarkably, had remained on his feet and was asking the orb questions. But with the loud klaxon blaring and the growly warnings overhead, Cuddy couldn’t hear what the orb said back.

Three more powerful strikes hit the Revenge , one after another, and Cuddy felt the ship’s speed suddenly decline. One of their drives had been struck. Suddenly, the Revenge banked left, then abruptly right. Cuddy found a chair support to grab on to, as Tony’s body slid further away. At least he wasn’t conscious now to feel anything.