Chapter 46

On the edge of the galaxy is a solar system with a yellow star. The third planet from the star is a small, cozy, blue world inhabited by a race of sentient beings* (*Arguably)⁠ known as humans.

A few short weeks ago, if you had asked any being on the street if they had heard of humanity, they would have given you a blank look and said the local equivalent of “Huh?” Today, there are few in the Galactic Federation who don’t know about Earth and its inhabitants.

That is because the Vice Chancellor of the Galactic Federation was taking the Galactic Fleet to Earth to exterminate all life on that planet. Only MegaDan Scholes had the gonads to speak up and expose Vice Chancellor Greklor for the fraud he was.

MegaDan was able to raise a small fleet of his own, comprised entirely of notorious Space Cycle gangs. That fleet would have been destroyed had it not been for the timely arrival of another fleet. This one was commanded by none other than the Chairman of The Corporation.

The battle was fierce but Greklor was defeated. Earth and its citizens are safe.

Or are they? Even now, Vice Chancellor Greklor speeds undetected toward Earth in an escape pod. He has vowed vengeance against the humans. What could he possibly have planned?

***

Sheanna’Ree stood watching the chaos of the battle on the asteroid’s main screen. It was obvious to her that the Galactic Fleet was losing badly. When the Space Cyclists began boarding the Vice Chancellor’s ship she started jumping and clapping her hands in girlish glee.

“We’ve won! We’ve won the battle! Humanity is saved.”

Her father, the Chairman remained calm beside her. “That remains to be seen, Daughter. The Vice Chancellor could still elude us.”

She turned to face him, putting her hands on her hips, a small frown on her pretty face. “Oh, Father. Why do you have to be so negative? The ships in the Vice Chancellor’s fleet are either running, surrendering or destroyed and those Space Cyclists have boarded his ship. He has nowhere to go. We’ve won.”

The Chairman’s response was to simply shake his head with a sad smile. “I thought I had taught you better than that. Do not celebrate a victory until you have the prize in your hand. If I know Greklor, he will try to do something…” The Chairman stopped speaking and looked pointedly at the screen. “And, just as I expected, he is still trying to win.”

On the screen, the flagship suddenly vomited forth a cloud of escape pods. The small vessels sped off in all directions.

The Chairman quickly opened a communications channel. “Attention all Corporation ships. Please attend to the Galactic Flagship escape pods immediately. Put all occupants into custody until further notice but do not harm any of them. Chairman out.”

Sheanna’Ree’s voice was much more subdued when she spoke again. “Will our ships be able to capture them all?”

Her father stared at the screen. “Doubtful. There are simply too many of them. And knowing Greklor, he won’t be making it easy for us to find him.”

“So what do we do?”

The Chairmen straightened up and faced his daughter with a smile. “We continue. Greklor’s power is all but broken now. I will use my influence to clean up what corruption remains.” He blinked. “Which reminds me.”

With a staccato rattling of keys, The Chairman opened a comm channel. “Gumbo Feet. I have an assignment for you.”

The bounty hunter’s reply came back within seconds. “Yes, Chairman? How may I help you?”

“I need you to get over to MegaDan Scholes’ ship immediately. You are to be discrete, but protect MegaDan from any danger.”

“Is there anything specific I should be watching for, Sir?” The bounty hunter rasped.

“No, but if my plans are to work, MegaDan will be very important in the coming days. I will dispatch several of my vessels to run external security after you leave.”

“Very well, Sir. I’m on my way.”

The Chairman tapped a few more keys and nodded in satisfaction. “There, that’s done. Six of my vessels will orbit the Turdination to protect it.”

Sheanna’Ree frowned. “What’s going on, Daddy? Why are you protecting Mr. Scholes? I don’t understand.”

“All in due time, my dear. All in due time.” He tapped at the console again. “Now to take care of our former Vice Chancellor.”

The voice of Gorn came across the speaker. “Yes, Mr. Chairman.”

“Hello Gorn. I have a way for you to get back onto my good side.”

“Anything, Mr. Chairman. You have but to ask and I will do it!” Gorn said.

“Excellent! Gorn, I want you to take a small ship and go to the human’s planet. Should any vessel, no matter how small, land on that planet, you are to follow. Should the ship’s occupant be Greklor, please extend my compliments to him and end his existence for me.”

“I understand Chairman,” Gorn said.

“I’m sure you do, Gorn, but let me make doubly clear. Should the Vice Chancellor appear in public again, I will find you and it will be your time that will come to an end. Understood?”

The Chairman could almost hear Gorn go white. “It shall be done as you order, Sir. You have my word.”

***

Vice Chancellor Greklor rummaged through the last equipment locker, throwing food, clothing and other assorted debris onto the escape pod’s deck.

“Where in Zork are all the weapons?” He threw a heavy bottle at the far wall where it exploded in a satisfying way. “I suppose this wretched ship has no weapons!”

For a few moments, Greklor’s vision went a hazy red. He sat down and stared out the forward port, watching the tiny blue dot slowly grow bigger.

“I don’t need weapons to destroy you primitives,” he said to the dot. “My advanced scientific knowledge will still let me destroy your world. You won’t ever see the end coming.” His laugh was unpleasant. “And then, I’ll return to my rightful place as ruler of the galaxy. Then and only then will I take my most satisfying revenge on all those who have opposed me.” 

He sat back in the padded chair and began to make a mental list of those beings who would be the first to suffer. His smile grew along with the mental list.

By the time he was done, the ship was approaching Earth’s outer atmosphere. Greklor strapped in for what might prove to be a bumpy ride.

***

Jimmy Ray let the hounds drag him away from the comfortable porch and Granny’s special shine. His kinfolk followed close behind, baying hounds dragging them along in the same way.

It had been less than an hour before when the Farmer Clan’s evening revery had been interrupted by a fireball from the sky. It had crashed close enough to hear the explosion. That little event had been enough to stop the party. Jimmy Ray had wasted no time getting his kith and kin together with their dogs to search out the object.

“Wheoo, would you look at that,” Heather Mae said. She pointed at the still-burning trail through the trees. It was straight as an arrow stopping at the side of the mountain. “What in heckfire do you suppose coulda done that?”

“Ah don’t have any idea,” Jimmy Ray said, “but ah aim to find out.” He held out the leash to his dog. “Heather Mae, would you mind hanging onto Duke for me? Ah don’t want him getting all a-tangled in whatever we might find.”

Heather Mae stopped in mid-reach. “Sweet heavens above! What IS that thing?”

Jimmy Ray whirled around to catch a glimpse of…something going into the trees. “What in the heck was that thing?”

“Ah think it was that samsquatch thingy people are always talking about,” Heather Mae said. “It had to be eight feet tall and had thick ropy hair. I didn’t catch a good glimpse of its face but I got the feeling it wasn’t pretty.”

“Yee haw!” Jimmy Ray crowed. “Ah’ve always wanted a samsquatch head to put over my fireplace!” He flipped the lever action on his rifle, loading the gun with a ominous chook-chook sound. “Alrighty, y’all. A jug of granny’s best to the one that brings down that there samsquatch.”

He reached down and removed the leash from Duke’s collar. “Go get’em boy!”

As a group the Farmer Clan let their hounds loose, hollering and shooting their guns in the air, the crashed…whatever…forgotten in the side of the mountain. The dogs sniffed around the ground for a moment then took off as a single mass, yelping and howling followed closely by their owners. The hunt was on. 

The samsquatch thingy, or whatever it was was in for a very bad night.

At the back of the mass that was the Farmer Clan was Goober Carter. Goober wasn’t really a member of the clan. He was more of a hanger-on showing up wherever and whenever a gathering was being held. The free food and shine were his main draws.

He waited until the hunting party was out of sight before he followed the burned track to it’s termination point in the side of the mountain. He was a curious sort and wondered just what had caused the fireball. He didn’t have to look too hard to find something out of the ordinary.

A wall of metal appeared to be embedded in the side of the mountain. As he approached it, an opening appeared in the middle of it.

Goober wasn’t the sort to let things like common sense get in the way of anything. He stepped into the opening.