Earth Geeks Must Go! 4 page

"Dad," I whisper "Do you know what he's talking about? Do you have a weapon?"

Dad shakes his head. "No ... I have no idea ..."

"We will have to persuade you to talk," Dermar says softly. He signals to the guards.

They force us down a long hallway. My heart starts to race. My throat is so dry, I can't swallow.

Are they really going to torture us?

The guards push open a heavy, metal door.

They push us into a large, high-ceilinged room, the size of a gym.

I stare at the object in the middle of the room.

Then I start to scream.

We're hanging by our feet. Hanging upside down, thick ropes from the ceiling tight around our ankles.

The blood rushes to my head. I feel dizzy. Sick.

My ankles throb with pain. The ropes are so tight... so tight.

I open my mouth and suck in deep breaths. My heart pounds so hard, my chest aches.

I am strung up in the middle, between Arlene and Dad.

My hands hang down limply. The rope sways slightly, making me swing into Arlene.

I stare down in horror.

Into the huge black cauldron beneath us.

It looks like a big pot from one of those old jungle movies with cannibals. The kind of round pot used to cook people.

Something bubbles inside it.

I stare down, shaking in terror, struggling to focus, to see what bubbles inside the cauldron.

You'll soon find out, Jacob, I tell myself.

If Dad doesn't tell them what they want, you'll soon find out what's in the pot.

"Will you hand over the weapon?" I hear Dermar's voice from somewhere behind us. "Will you spare yourselves and hand it over?"

"I — can't!" Dad groans. His face is bright red. His features are twisted in agony. "I... don't know ... what you're ... talking about."

"We don't know anything!" Arlene shrieks, her voice high with terror. "Let us go! We don't have any weapon!"

I hear Dermar sigh. "I've given you every chance."

The rope slides. The churning cauldron appears to move closer.

I realize they are lowering the ropes. Lowering us into the big pot.

Lower ... Lower ...

"N0 — pleasel" Arlene shrieks. "Stop! Stop it!" Dad cries.

I hear the creaking of gears as the ropes drop us lower I grab Dad's hand as the pot appears ready to swallow us up.

And inside the pot...

Churning, bubbling inside the pot...

I see Splatters. Millions of the hairy round bugs.

Millions ... They bubble like a thick, dark stew. Grunting and groaning, the Splatters chum in the big pot.

My hands dip into the cauldron. The Splatters swarm over them. Over my hands and wrists. Sticky and warm, their bristly black hair prickling my skin.

They stick to my hands, my arms.

Lower...

They swarm over my shoulders.

"Oh... hellllp," I hear Arlene moan. "This is soooo sick "

Lower...

I try to whistle. I remember that whistling makes the Splatters weak.

But my breath catches in my throat.

The hairy, bubble-shaped creatures stick to me. Climb over me. Grunting as they swarm.

We're going to drown, I realize.

We're going to drown in Splatter bugs.

Lower...

My head hits the side of the pot, then sinks inside.

I open my mouth to try whistling again — and a Splatter rolls onto my tongue.

The Splatters are in my hair now. They cling to my face.

I shut my eyes —

— and hear them!

Yes.

They're speaking to me.

Silently.

I can read their thoughts! I realize.

This is amazing!

"We ... won't. .. hurt.. . you. " Their words ring in my mind.

Am I going crazy? I wonder. Am I just dreaming this, hoping this? Or are they really communicating with me?

I sink lower....

My shoulders slip into the churning, fat insects.

I can't see Dad or Arlene now. My head is buried in the sticky, hairy bugs.

"We ... won't ... hurt... you. Pretend to cooperate ... with Dermar. ..."

I can hear their voices in my mind. I really can!

Should I trust them?

Do I have a choice?

"Dad —" I try to call out. I wonder if he can hear them too.

But I can't make a sound. I'm choking in the thick sea of Splatters. They crawl over my forehead, onto my eyehds, into my ears.

"Pretend.. .to cooperate ... with Dermar."

But it's too late, I think.

I feel the ropes loosen and slide off my ankles.

I plunge deeper into the sticky, fat insects.

I'm drowning, I realize.

I can't breathe ... can't breathe at all.

I fall into the sticky warmth. So black ... so black now ... darker than the darkest night.

I open my mouth, struggling to gasp in air. But Splatters pour onto my tongue.

Their low, short grunts fill my ears.

My chest aches.

Can't breathe ... can't breathe.

And then from somewhere far away, I hear Dad's voice. "Okay! I'll give it to you!"

Silence.

Then Dad again. "Let us out! I'll give you the weapon!"

"Dad—" I whisper. "Do you really have a weapon?"

"No," he rephes. "I — I'm only stalling."

I feel the cauldron start to tilt.

Fm sliding... sliding with the bugs. Tumbling over them, through them.

We tilt harder.

Someone is tilting the whole pot, tilting us out.

My head bobs up from the thick blanket of insects. I suck in a deep, cool breath.

It feels so good. Panting like a dog, I start breathing again.

We all topple out of the cauldron. I land hard on j my back on the floor.

All three of us sprawl on the floor, covered in the sticky bugs.

I brush them from my eyes. Slap them from my hair. I try to whistle, but my mouth is too dry.

I see Arlene brushing Splatters off her cast. Pulling them from her ears. She plucks a fat, hairy one off her tongue.

I pull them out from under my shirt. They make a soft POP as I tug them off my chest.

I roll onto my side. Gaze at Dad.

"What are you going to do?" I whisper. "Were you telling the truth about the weapon? Do you have one?"

Dad sits up and stares back at me. "No. I don't know anything about a weapon," he whispers.

I turn to see the cauldron tilt onto its side. An avalanche of Splatters pours out. Like an ocean wave, the millions of grunting bugs roll over the floor.

Dermar steps forward, trailed by his two guards.

He reaches out his hand. "The weapon — now!" he demands.

Arlene and I stare at Dad. What is he going to do?

We don't have a chance to find out.

Dermar lets out a scream as the wave of Splatters attacks him.

The fat, bubble-shaped bugs swarm over Dermar and his guards.

The insects cover the three men quickly. In seconds, I cannot see their faces, their uniforms.

Dermar and his guards collapse under the weight of the bugs. And vanish from view.

And then, as I stare in amazement, I see Dermar stagger to his feet. Covered in the sticky insects, Dermar and the guards rise up. They stumble forward for a few steps.

Turn. And run.

Splatters fall off them as they bolt for the door — and disappear outside.

Dad, Arlene, and I stand in a row, still breathing hard, still frozen in shock.

My teeth chatter. My legs prickle and itch.

"We're ... okay," Arlene whispers uncertainly. "They're ... gone."

I pull a Splatter off the back of my neck and drop it to the floor

"Maybe we can get out of here," Dad says, his voice hoarse and dry.

"But — where can we go?" I ask.

Before anyone can answer, the Splatters rise up.

I see them roll around, Uke a wave pulling back from the shore.

They turn to face us.

They swarm over each other, climbing, rising up to block our way.

They're going to attack us now, I realize.

We're ... doomed.

We are trapped. The Splatters block the way to the door.

They climb over each other, building a pyramid. A pyramid taller than we are.

Dad, Arlene, and I inch away. My legs are trembling now. My teeth are still chattering.

My back hits the wall.

The pyramid of insects slides toward us over the floor.

Arlene presses her hand against the side of her face.

I take a deep breath and prepare for them to swarm over us.

But to my surprise, the seething, churning pyramid stops a few feet in front of us.

And the Splatter at the very top speaks to us — silently — speaks to us in our minds.

''Do not he afraid. " I hear his words so clearly, even though he doesn't make a sound.

"I am Grolff, the appointed leader," he says. "We brought you here from Earth. We erased your memories. We wanted to make sure you had the weapon."

"Weapon?" Dad cries. "What weapon?"

"The weapon that will allow us to destroy them," Grolff repHes.

"You want to destroy those people?" Dad asks. 'Why?"

"They treat us like bugs!" Grolff declares angrily. "We are superior to them in every way. We have superior intelligence. We are smarter than they will ever be. But because of our looks, they treat us like insects!"

I watch Grolff pulsing on top of the living pyramid of Splatters. I hear his words ring in my mind — and I feel his intense anger.

"They kill us for no reason!" Grolff cries. "They smack us between their hands for their own amusement. They take our lives daily, and they think it's funny. They kill us and laugh!"

I shut my eyes. His anger is making my head hurt.

When I open them again, Grolff is still pulsing above us at the top of the Splatters pyramid.

"You will hand over the weapon now," I hear him say to Dad. "You have brought from Earth the weapon that will put us in charge and finally put an end to all the slaughter."

"But — what weapon?" Dad demands. "I swear. I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Your wristwatch," Grolff replies. "Give it to us — now."

"Huh?" Dad raises his wrist and gapes at his watch. "My watch? How can that possibly help you?"

"We planted a powerful bomb in it," Grolff explains. "Back on Earth. Before we brought you here. Before we erased your memories. We planted a bomb in your wristwatch."

Dad stares at the watch. "But — but—" he sputters.

"We planted it where our enemies would never think of looking," Grolff says.

Dad stares at the watch. His whole arm starts to tremble.

"Just hand it to us," Grolff insists. "And you will be a hero to all of us. We mil always remember you. We will always remember you as heroes. Hand us the watch, and we will finally be free. We will finally be able to defeat the evil ones, our enemies."

Dad raises his wrist. He reaches for the watch.

"Thank you for your bravery," Grolff says. "Our thanks go out to all three of you."

The tall, sticky pyramid of Splatters seethes and bubbles with excitement. A shrill chattering sound rings out.

Dad pulls off the watch. He examines it one more time. Then he holds it out to Grolff.

Dad gasps as I grab the watch from his hand.

I move quickly. I don't give anyone a chance to react.

I smash the watch against the wall.

Smash it. Smash it until the crystal shatters.

Then I smash it again.

"Jacob — no!" Dad gasps. "Why did you do that? Why?"

I'm breathing hard. My heart thuds like a jackhammer against my chest.

My hand trembles as I hold up the broken wrist-watch.

It starts to shake in my hand.

It shakes harder.

A high squeal pours out of it.

"You set off the alarm!" Grolff shrieks. "Nooooooo! Turn it off! Turn off the alarm! You foooooll"

The squeal is deafening, higher and louder than any siren.

I ignore Grolffs frantic cries of protest. I let the squealing watch fall to the floor, and I press my hands over my ears.

Arlene and Dad frantically cover their ears.

But the sound is too shrill, too loud. I can't keep it out.

It sends a stab of pain through my head.

I press my hands harder over my ears.

Louder... The sound rises, blaring higher, harder.

I turn and see the Splatters begin to pop.

POP POP POP POP

Hundreds of them popping at once, splattering yellow goo into the air.

The shrill squeal is making the Splatters explode.

Each POP sends another yellow spurt flying.

In seconds, the floor is littered with the flat, hairy bodies of the dead Splatter bugs. The bodies rest in thick puddles of yellow goo.

"Hey!" I cry out as the yellow Hquid splashes into my face. I cover my eyes, try to wipe the hot goo off my skin.

POPOPOPOP

The Splatters are dying. Exploding. Splattering.

The pyramid collapses.

Waves of yellow goo splash onto Dad, Arlene, and me. The thick hquid spreads like a lake over the floor.

It takes only a few minutes.

The Splatters all explode.

Silence now. The sound of popping bodies has stopped.

The squeal from the watch begins to fade.

I wipe a thick splotch of yellow goo from my forehead. My hands are stained and sticky. My clothing is drenched.

I step over the watch. Dad and Arlene move unsteadily away from the wall.

We're all drenched and dazed and dizzy.

The squeal from the watch has stopped completely, but my ears still ring.

We stumble toward the door. No one speaks.

The only sound is the CRUNCH of Splatter bodies under our shoes.

We slip and shde to the door.

'"Why?" Dad asks in a whisper. "Why, Jakie? I was going to give the watch to the Splatters. Why did you smash it and set off the alarm?"

"I knew they were evil," I explain. "I could hear Grolffs voice in my mind. Then, suddenly, I could read his thoughts too. After we gave them the watch, they planned to splatter us."

"Maybe we can sneak out of here," Dad whispers. "Maybe we can find a place to hide. A place where we can think."

He reaches for the door. But it swings open before he can touch it.

Dermar bursts in, followed by four uniformed guards. "Where do you think you're going?" he booms.

"Ohhhh." A horrified moan escapes from my throat.

I sink back.

My legs tremble. I suddenly feel dizzy and weak.

Arlene grabs my hand. Her fingers are ice-cold.

A sneer crosses Dermar's lips as he gazes at the carpet of dead Splatter bodies and yellow goo. He studies the horrifying scene for a few seconds. Then he turns his strange gray eyes back on us.

"You're not going anywhere," he says, "until we have a celebration!"

We gape at him in shock. My mouth drops open. I struggle to catch my breath.

"A celebration?" Arlene chokes out.

Dermar nods. A smile spreads over his face.

"You have destroyed our enemies by setting off that alarm," he says.

The four guards let out a cheer. "You are national heroes!" one of them declares.

"Heroes? Us?" I blurt out.

"Heroes!" the other guards agree.

"The Splatters were evil," Dermar explains. "We were never safe while they were here. They were always plotting to take over. We tried to make peace with them. But they were always plotting to destroy us."

Dermar brushes a glob of yellow goo off Dad's shoulder. He shakes Dad's hand. Then he gleefully shakes hands with Arlene and me.

"The Splatters brought Earth Geek after Earth Geek here to destroy us," he continues. "They planted weapons on the Earth Geeks and erased their memories. That's why we were so eager to find you. We knew they had planted some kind of bomb on you Geeks."

"Uh, sir?" I say "We don't really like to be called Geeks. It's an insult back on Earth."

Dermar's face reddens. "Oh. I'm terribly sorry," he says. "On our planet, it's a compliment. I had no idea. I never meant to insult you."

He motions to the door. "Come. Let's get you some fresh clothes. And then we will celebrate. We will have a grand celebration in the ballroom and invite everyone to toast our triumph and salute you for your courage."

I have a big smile on my face as I follow Dermar down the hall.

Dad and Arlene are smiling too. We're feeling pretty good about ourselves. We're feeling very relieved. We're feeling like heroes. We have no idea that the worst news is still to come.

The celebration goes on for two days. Thousands of happy people come to the grand ballroom in the mayor-governor's residence. They eat and drink and dance and pay tribute to us.

A hundred different bands play. People dance until they drop — strange dances I've never seen before.

Endless food tables are emptied by the hungry partygoers — and then filled again.

I've never seen so much food and so much champagne flowing down people's armpits!

Dad, Arlene, and I wear black-and-gold uniforms just like Dermar's.

Mine is itchy and kind of tight. But it's better than my goo-stained jeans and T-shirt.

We party and dance and eat along with everyone else. I've never been to a wild party like this. I can't believe it's in our honor!

Every few hours, Dermar stops the music and gets everyone quiet so he can make a speech. In his speeches, he praises us and tells everyone how brave we were in defeating the Splatters. He tells everyone that I was the bravest and wisest of all since I was the one who smashed the watch and set off the alarm.

Once his speech ends, the music starts up again, and the party begins as if it never ended.

After the second day, the party still goes strong. But we are exhausted.

With our arms wearily around each other's shoulders, we find Dermar sitting in a comer. He is stuffing chocolate cake into his armpit.

Two guards stand at his sides. One holds his drink. The other holds a plate with another slice of chocolate cake.

"Enjoying the party?" Dermar asks. His armpit makes sucking sounds as it finishes off the cake. He lowers his arm.

"It's awesome!" I reply.

Arlene yawns. "Awesome," she repeats wearily.

"It's a wonderful party, Dermar," Dad says. "We want to thank you. We will never forget it."

"Of course you won't," Dermar replies, reaching for the other slice of cake.

"We have a favor to ask now," Dad says.

Dermar shoves a hunk of cake into his armpit. "A favor?" he asks over the loud chewing sounds.

Dad nods. "My kids and I are very homesick. We would like to return to Earth now."

Dermar gazes up at him. A frown creases his forehead. "Return to Earth?" He lowers his arm.

"Yes," Dad says. "We are ready to go home."

Dermar's frown deepens. "I'm sorry," he says softly. "I'm afraid I have bad news for you."

"B-bad news?" I stammer.

"We can't send you home," he says. ''We don't have space travel."

"But — but how did we get here?" I cry.

"The Splatters had space travel. They were the only ones who knew how to bring you here. They were a little ahead of us in that area."

"But we have to get home!" Arlene cries.

Dermar climbs to his feet. He places a hand on Arlene's shoulder. "Don't worry," he says. "We will make you a home here."

He turns to Dad. "We have surgeons who can build eating tubes in your armpits," Dermar says. "That way, you will feel like one of us."

Dermar shoves us toward the door. "Come," he says. "I shall take you to the surgeons now."

One of the guards stops Dermar. "I have an idea," he says. "Remember Crazy Old Phil? He has been experimenting with a spaceship."

Dermar shakes his head. "Too dangerous," he murmurs. "We're not trusting them to Crazy Old Phil. We can't have our national heroes risking their lives."

"But can his spaceship take us back to Earth?" I ask. "We appreciate your kindness. But we really want to go home."

"Phil is brilliant but crazy," Dermar says. "Nothing he builds ever works. I don't think you'll be safe in his spaceship."

"But it's worth a try!" I insist.

Dad and Arlene agree.

"Please, let us go see it," Dad pleads. "Let's see if Phil thinks he can send us home."

Dermar shrugs. "You are national heroes," he says. "If you want to risk your lives, I cannot say no. But I hope you do not become dead national heroes."

Me too, I think, swallowing hard. Me too.

Phil is a skinny little guy with stick arms and legs and a long, skinny head. The way he leans over as he talks, rubbing his slender hands together, makes me think he looks more hke a grasshopper than a human.

He has bushy brown hair that stands straight up on his head and tiny green eyes that dart from side to side. And he often opens his mouth wide in a whinnying horse laugh that reveals a mouthful of long, crooked teeth.

For some reason, even though he works outdoors in his backyard, Phil wears a long white cook's apron on top of his overalls and yellow flannel shirt.

"What do you know. What do you know," he keeps repeating as Dad, Arlene, and I check out his spaceship.

It's enormous, rising up in the center of his yard, twice as tall as the flagpole next to the fence. It's made of some kind of shiny metal and is shaped like a jet plane, only standing on its tail.

"What do you know. What do you know," Phil murmurs. He stops to tighten a bolt near the rocket door.

"Will it fly?" Dad asks. "Have you tested it? Will it take us to Earth?"

Phil rubs his pointy chin. "Only one way to test it," he drawls in his soft, scratchy voice.

"Is it safe?" Arlene asks,

Phil nods. "It should be safe. The Splatters weren't that far ahead of us. They weren't as smart as they thought. I used their plans. And made some improvements. This ship should take you safely to Earth."

Dad, Arlene, and I huddle together by the fence.

We know we have no choice. We don't want to stay here. We don't want food holes drilled into our armpits.

We want to go home.

We have to try Phil's spaceship.

The next day, a thousand people pour into Phil's backyard to see us off.

Dermar stands on a small platform and gives another speech. He wishes us a safe flight.

"Safe flight!" the thousand people shout.

Then, as they all cheer us on, Phil pulls open the spaceship hatch.

I lead the way up a metal gangplank.

We step into the spaceship and take our places at the control panel. We strap ourselves in the way Phil instructed the previous day.

The control panel flashes and cHcks and beeps.

The sound of the cheering crowd vanishes as the spaceship hatch is shut from outside.

I grip the arms of my cockpit chair tightly. "Are we going to be okay?" I ask in a whisper.

"Phil says the ship is safe," Dad rephes. "We have to trust Phil. He says he'll get us to Earth."

Dad's words are brave, but I see his chin quiver He stares straight ahead at the blinking control panel.

We wait for Phil to hit an outside control that will blast us into space. And we wait.

And wait.

What's happening? I wonder. What is taking so long?

And then I hear a low rumbling sound. The rumbhng grows into a roar.

The spaceship starts to shake. Harder. Harder

And then it blows up.

I shut my eyes. Wait for the crushing pain.

Wait for the endless darkness.

But no.

The spaceship rumbles around me. I open my eyes and see the lights flashing on the control panel.

Dad and Arlene are smiling.

"Not an explosion," I murmur. I grin back at them. "I thought the spaceship blew up."

"Me too," Dad admits. "It was just the takeoff."

"We're on our way!" Arlene cries happily. "And if Phil did everything right, we should be home in no time."

Yesterday, Phil told us he used a space-time continuum system. I don't really understand it. But it means that we should arrive back on Earth almost before we left.

I gaze at the blinking controls and relax a little.

A hard jolt makes all three of us cry out.

The spaceship rocks hard, shaking and cracking.

My head jerks forward. Then I feel my whole body pulled back.

We sit in silence for a few seconds.

"I... I think we landed," Dad murmurs.

The hatch slides open.

Bright sunlight pours into the spaceship.

"Is it our sun?" Arlene asks, unstrapping herself. "Are we really back on Earth?"

My heart pounds as I follow Dad and Arlene off the spaceship. I gaze out at a sun-drenched neighborhood. A soft breeze flutters the trees.

I'm so happy, I want to kiss the ground!

Grass. Beautiful green grass. On beautiful green lawns.

And under a blue sky — houses. Houses in a row behind trees and hedges. Normal houses.

A normal neighborhood.

We don't know what town we're in. Or in what state or what country.

But we're so happy, all three of us go skipping down the street arm in arm.

We stop when we come to a man and a woman pulHng up weeds in a front yard.

"Good morning!" I cry happily to them.

"Beautiful day, isn't it!" Dad adds, grinning.

The man and woman smile back at us.

Then they pull off their heads and raise them high in the air.

I gape in horror as scaly purple lizard heads poke up from their open necks.

"Yes, it's a beautiful day," one lizard head replies. "Are you from around here?"

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 931