Chapter Three: Encounters

A Chapter by Henry

Teddy, Eddie, Patty, and Alan reach Kroozi with the Deceiver to show for it. The Changer reveals himself for the first time. Meanwhile, the rebel Saturanians cope with each other.

3: Encounters

As the Deceiver lay on the couch under close supervision of Kroozi, Eddie and Teddy reclined in purple armchairs.

“Well, Kroozi,” Eddie immediately began, “we heard the tape of your conference from 1995, and we were intrigued. We actually got directions to your house from this dude who worked at Citgo and made our way there so, hopefully, we could see a photo of this outrageously hot chick. Of course, there’s obviously no need for that now, but...”

The doorbell rang. “Let me see to that. If you would like to continue, however, I will still be listening,” he said deferentially. Though the statement implied that he wanted Eddie to continue, the boy opted not to, both because he didn’t catch the implication and because he figured Kroozi would be too focused on whoever the visitor was.

The scientist opened the door to have Patty fall into his arms, fainting. Surprised but not shocked, he held her with his right arm as he returned the door to its closed position and then brought the girl to the living room.

“PATTY!!!” Eddie yelled upon sight of her. Then he smacked himself on the head. “How could we have forgotten about her? Oh, crud! Alan’s still in the car, too!” And the lad dashed out the door to retrieve his companion.

Kroozi wasn’t amused. “Is this girl, Patty, a companion of yours, too?” he asked Teddy.

Teddy nodded. “Yes, she and Alan--our driver--were knocked out during a fight with the Deceiver--Ellith, actually; she calls herself the Deceiver. Anyway, there was quite a fierce battle going on, and Ellith managed to knock out both Patty and Alan before I KO’d her.”

Kroozi nodded as he examined her. “So the gash on her head was your doing, then?”

Teddy shook his head. “No, that was Eddie. I--”

“Eddie is your scatterbrained friend, I assume?”

Teddy nodded in affirmation. “Yep, that’s him. He slammed her head into the steering wheel. I stabbed her in the butt and leg.”

Kroozi turned her over in response to this and stared, wide-eyed, at the Deceiver’s numerous wounds. “Oh my goodness...you inflicted these? You must have been pretty angry.”

Teddy nodded. “You bet I was.”

At that moment, the door was pounded on heavily. Teddy got up. “That would be Eddie,” he said, sauntering to the door. He opened it up to admit none other than that common-senseless lad panting heavily over the exertion of hefting Alan. Struggling, he managed to make it to the living room, dropping Alan on the floor near Patty and collapsing back on his armchair.

“You guys sure you don’t have anymore wounded friends in the car?” Kroozi inquired facetiously.

Teddy smiled. “I think that should about cover it.”

Kroozi nodded. “Well, the girl’s not too bad, but this guy here...Alan, was it? Yes, Alan, he has some nasty cuts. In fact, I can even see some glass lodged into his skin. What’d you guys do, chuck him out the car window or something?”

Eddie interrupted his panting to answer the question. “That would be the Deceiver’s doing, actually.”

Kroozi was incredulous. “Wow. This is no prissy girl we’re dealing with.” He pulled up her sleeve and put his hand around her upper arm. “No surprise. She could probably bench a good 200 pounds with that kind of body.” He pulled her cloak and shirt up to check out her stomach. “Yep, she’s got some abs too, man. She’s not only got deceptive powers and poison claws, she’s a virtual powerhouse.” And the man started pulling up her pant leg.

Eddie got up and clamped his hand down on Kroozi’s. “Come on, man,” he said, “if you’re going to ogle the woman, you may as well not do it obliquely.”

Kroozi stared at him, getting red in the face.

“What’s obliquely?” Teddy interjected.

Kroozi was forced to smile. “It means in a roundabout or indirect manner. And,” he confessed, “I suppose that is what I was doing.” He clapped Eddie on the shoulder. “You’re a good kid, you know that, Eddie? A little eccentric, perhaps, but good overall. Now, let’s--”

“Look! Patty’s coming to!” Teddy exclaimed. And indeed she was. The girl stirred, stretched, yawned, and then groaned as she tried to sit up.

“Where am I?” she asked no one in particular as her eyes scanned her surroundings. Then as her eyes fell upon Teddy, Eddie, Alan, the Deceiver, and finally Kroozi, she surmised. “Is this-- are you--?” she was looking at Kroozi.

The scientist nodded. “I am Professor Kroozi. You were evidently knocked unconscious by Ellith MacDonald, and, as far is I can guess, came to subsequently, made your way out of the mostly empty car, rang the doorbell, and fainted from lack of energy once again. All I know for certain is that I opened the door and you fell into my arms.”

Patty nodded. “Oh yeah, I remember now. That sounds about right. But what happened to Alan and--and Ellith?”

“The Deceiver knocked Alan out of the car window (when it was up), and then I stabbed her several times, causing her to faint from lack of blood. Speaking of which,” and Teddy, who had been speaking, turned to Kroozi, “maybe we should make her lose some more blood soon by ridding this world of her. I think that that would be a good idea.”

Kroozi stared at him. “Kill her? Au contraire, my young friend. I won’t condemn you for being unwise at your age, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime event! A living alien specimen available exclusively to me for all the examination I care to do? Young man--what is your name, by the way?”

“Teddy.”

“Teddy, I wouldn’t pass this up for all the money in the world! And yes, because of her attractiveness, I may end up ogling her inadvertently, but such a small price to pay for such a big find! Such a small price indeed. All my life I searched for even the smallest evidence that aliens were real, and now--now I’ve got it all! No one will ever ridicule me again! I told them aliens were real, all this time, and--”

“Professor Kroozi,” said Patty. “I know you’re ecstatic about this and all, but right now, with aliens reported on the loose in an attempt at world domination, I don’t think being ridiculed is that much of a crisis. You can be happy with Ellith and store her cryogenically or give her some regular anesthesia or something, but I think you’d be of more help by trying to save the world! I, for one, believe the rumors to be true after witnessing the power of the Deceiver. There could easily be others out there.”

Kroozi slowly nodded at the end of her declaration. “I believe that you’re right. I’m just surprised to be hearing this from a child. I--”

Patty glowered at him, irate. “I AM NOT A CHILD!!!”

“Okay, I take it back!” the professor quickly said. “I’m surprised to be hearing that from a BABY! You may have some good insight, girl, but you’re definitely not displaying any maturity throwing temper tantrums. I think we could all use a nice dose of tranquility right now. It might bring some of us back to the recommended maturity level. Now, I think--”

The doorbell rang. Kroozi, exasperated and frustrated beyond reason, clenched his head in his hands. “When will these dratted interruptions end? I’m gonna go downstairs to my supply closet to GET SOME ANESTHESIA.” By this point his teeth were clenched. “Teddy, Eddie, one of you two answer that door.” The man stomped to the basement, not acting overly mature himself.

After an extended silence the doorbell rang again. Eddie, returning to reality first, volunteered to get the door. With no objections, he carried out what he said that he would.

A cloaked figure stood in the doorway.

Eddie smiled. “Hello, sir,” he said. “How may I help you?”

“I’m looking for my daughter,” the person replied stolidly. “She’s gone missing, and I’ve been told that she was in a car matching the description of one parked outside this house. Do you know if she’s here? Her name is Ellith.”

Eddie goggled at him. “WHAT?!? You’re---”

Before he could finish his sentence, Teddy shoved him out of the doorway. “Pardon my friend. His ex-girlfriend’s name is Ellith. However, I’m sure we’re not talking about the same one; her father was under five feet tall. Anyway, I believe she may be here. I’m going to go consult the man of the house downstairs. Eddie, why don’t you come with me? Patty, why don’t you entertain the man while we’re down there?”

Teddy pushed his reluctant friend down the stairs in front of them. Luckily, he managed to gain his balance before he fell over all of them. He turned to face Teddy.

“What are you doing? That guy is obviously an alien!”

Teddy nodded. “I know!” he said vehemently. “But we’re not going to be able to do anything to him without Kroozi.”

“But--”

Teddy pushed his way past Eddie. “I don’t care, Eddie. Let’s just go get Kroozi.” He walked down the rest of the steps and looked into every room until he found Kroozi in the second one on the left. “Kroozi! Come upstairs, now! The guy at the door claims that Ellith is his daughter. We left Patty up there to keep him occupied, but--”

Eddie interrupted him. “--but, Ellith is laying in plain sight on the couch up there. He’s probably going to grab her and run, whether that means hurting Patty or not. We better get our butts back up there now.”

Kroozi nodded as he bolted to the steps. “Eddie’s right. Let’s go!” All three of them raced back upstairs. Kroozi, the first one there, threw open the door and instantly scrutinized his surroundings. It was too late. Ellith, the man, and Patty were all gone. Rushing to the front of the house, Kroozi looked out the window. He saw Alan’s car driving down the road and groaned.

“Did you two leave the keys in the ignition?” he asked Teddy and Eddie, almost rhetorically.

Teddy smacked himself. “Yes! I did. Great! Now what are we going to do? Deceiver is on the loose again, along with her friend, and they’re most likely holding Patty hostage!”

Kroozi nodded sadly. “I’d have to agree with you, Teddy. There’s no arguing with logic. Well, no use crying over spilt milk. Let’s go catch us some aliens! I hope you guys aren’t concerned about getting home, ‘cause I’m sure not taking you! Next stop, the aliens’ hideout.” He walked outside and opened the door of his car. Teddy and Eddie followed at a distance. “All’s aboard that’s comin’ aboard! Going, going...” The boys ran to that car as fast as they could, Teddy in the front and Eddie in the back. They weren’t going to miss this for anything.

“I do say, Deceiver, I didn’t expect you to get that deep into trouble.”

The Deceiver shrugged. “Neither did I. How was I to know how strong they were? The girl--she possessed great strength and skill, and one of her friends, a boy--he resisted my power! They caught me off guard.”

The Changer stroked his chin slowly, thinking through the situation. “Hmm. Very interesting. Perhaps we have underestimated the human race a bit. But, have no fear. We will soon be in a position to bring them to their knees before us. Your sufferings will be counted as naught before those that this pitiful race will endure before our wrath!”

“It would have to be something pretty bad, then. That one kid--his cuts are going to leave a mark, that’s for certain. He stabbed me pretty darn hard. I want to be the one to torture and mutilate him unto death when that day comes.”

“Of course, Deceiver. I wouldn’t dream of such a deprivation. He shall certainly be all yours.”

Deceiver smiled. “Well, thank you, Changer. I’m glad you think that way. As for me...” She paused to let out a long, loud, yawn. The Deceiver was tired and weak from blood loss and the day’s events.

The Changer interrupted her before she could continue. “You should retire. You are weak, and your blood cells need time to regenerate without working on other things. You go ahead and have a nice, long, restful sleep--take the best bed, why don’t you. The Living Strength shouldn’t be joining us tonight and I’ll be just fine in my armchair. We’ll go over the battle plan tomorrow when you’re fully ready. But tomorrow is another day. Today, take your rest.”

The Deceiver smiled one of the only sincere smiles she had ever given. Without warning she embraced her comrade the Changer. “My gratitude, partner,” she said, as sincere as her smile was. “I won’t forget this act of courtesy.”

The Changer clapped her on the back once and then withdrew. “Oh, pish-posh, my dear. It’s of nothing. You get some rest now, all right?”

The Deceiver smiled once more for a long while as and after she settled into bed. Finally it faded as her soft, regular breaths filled the room; she was asleep.

The Changer was a shrewd and cunning leader. He kept morale high when things were down but switched to giving orders he made sure were followed when things were not. He was sly and he was crafty, but he was the epitome of a great leader, as far as the management of things go. There was no mistake about that.

“Hmm...let’s see how our hostage is doing. Probably going to be vehemently going against me. But, who knows? Perhaps she’ll surprise me.” Changer walked to the door leading to the adjacent room and opened it. He was not surprised. A stool’s legs were smacked at his face, hard. Angrily, the alien snatched the stool from Patty’s hands and smashed it over her head.

“Don’t get violent with me, girl,” he warned bad-temperedly, “or you won’t live to regret it.”

Patty was unresponsive, staying on the ground with her injured head in her arms. The Changer was annoyed. “Aw, did the little girl get a boo-boo? How sad. Oh, well, I’m over it now. Shall we dance?”

Without waiting for an answer, he lifted her off the ground by her hands until she was on her feet. Not wanting to get hurt again, she reluctantly submitted to her captor.

“Oh, good. A dance is always better without a struggle,” he noted. “Let’s dance in my favorite style--it’s my very own version of break dancing!” His smile changed to a twisted grimace as he battered Patty’s body against a wooden table over and over until it collapsed onto the ground in two pieces.

His grimace turned back to a friendly smile, looking at Patty’s face though the unfortunate girl was unconscious. “That’s the best way to do it, because that way, two things are broken!”

Still smiling, he turned away from the beaten form. “Oh, how I do love a violent episode with which to vent my rage. Now that my mind is cleared up, I can focus on what to do with the Living Strength’s army and the resources available to give the humans a taste of our power. Now, something that involves the White House. Hmm...this should be a good challenge of my mind’s abilities.” Closing the door behind him, the Changer strode to his armchair and settled deep into it with a sigh. The time for formulating had come.

The Jumble Hero was leading the fleet of fifteen colossal ships, each holding nearly 4,000 soldiers. Grashal was piloting the Hero, and Wweliopaszukk was standing next to him, ready to shoot at anything that came within range and appeared hostile and/or dangerous. The ships whizzed through the air, going many, many times faster than the speed of sound in spite of their gargantuan make. These were much too good to be manufactured by Saturanians--no, these ships had been taken from the Plutonians. They alone of the inhabitants of the Milky Way could create crafts so fine.

“I remember when first we got these ships*^*,” Wweliopaszukk said, half to himself. “I was in my office five minutes before a meeting with the king, and suddenly, the phone rang. I pick it up and ask who’s calling, and the guy’s like, ‘Hey, Wwelio ole buddy ole pal, this is Ralfax, the Neptunian general. Listen, how would you like a fleet o’ fifteen excellent ships? Seat 4,500 and go up to 600,000 mph, no joke. Listen, you can have the ‘ole dang lot for, say, 50,000 smalcets. How ‘bout it, buddy?’ And I says to him, I says, ‘Ralfax, you have got yourself a deal, pal.’ And Ralfax, he says to me, ‘All right, good. I’m sendin’ the ships over to you now with some pilots that will need to be escorted home. You can send the money with them. Pleasure to trade with you, buddy!’ and then he cuts off. So I put the phone down, talked to the king, and in a couple days, true to his word, these glorious craft came flying in to our landing strip. Oh, my, was that a dream come true or what? These vessels sure do fly smoothly, don’t they?”

After a brief silence, Grashal asked, “So this is the first time you’ve flown them?”

Wweliopaszukk nodded. “Yes.”

Grashal hesitated, as if unsure whether to continue, but eventually decided that he would. “You do know what planet these crafts were made by, don’t you, General?”

Wweliopaszukk shrugged. “I never took the time to analyze them, but they seem perfectly Neptunian to me.”

Grashal shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s incorrect. These ships are in fact of Plutonian make.”

The commander shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Begging your pardon, sir pilot, but I fail to see where you’re heading.”

Grashal sighed. “Only here, Wweliopaszukk. Why do you think that the Neptunians were so eager to get rid of such superb vehicles from Pluto?”

Wweliopaszukk thought for a moment until it dawned on him. “Probably because they stole them.”

Grashal nodded. “Yes, probably. And if Pluto sighted us in their ships, we would probably all be dead, even with their firepower. General, I highly suggest we abort and return to Saturn. This mission is much too dangerous in stolen Plutonian ships.”

Wweliopaszukk was insulted. “What? Abort? Never! We will continue on course to Earth! Come on, Grashal, what are the chances of coming in contact with a fleet of Plutonians? We’ll be fine!”

“The chance of contact with the Plutonians is small, but you’ll notice their radar--”

The commander exploded at him. “Radar? RADAR?!? What do I care about radar? I DON’T!!! Now continue on our course, friend pilot, unless you’d like to settle this with a little hand-to-hand combat?”

Grashal seriously thought about it, but finally decided against it. He grumbled and set his eyes back onto the ship’s readings. “You’re stretching my patience, Commander,” he hazarded to say aloud.

Fortunately, Wweliopaszukk’s temper was not to return at the moment. “Well, good. I’m glad. It is good to stretch one’s patience now and again,” was his reply.

Grashal didn’t say anything else, making sure to keep himself faced away from Wweliopaszukk.

Meanwhile, on the second largest ship, the Fair Pendulum, Ubu was deep in conversation with Yipfnikh. The friendly and inquisitive ambassador had plenty to contribute and to ask about. “So, Yipfnikh, how is it that you’ve come to learn so many diverse languages? University, perhaps?”

“Yes,” Yipfnikh replied. “I graduated from the University of Hyperion when I was twenty-four and then went on a ten year tour of three galaxies. It was on that trip that I learned my Clowersian and my Genovarnarian. When I got back to Saturn, I bought an exhaustive ten volume set of books teaching Splakkish, which I wanted to learn after being intrigued by the planet Splakke and its inhabitants. I would like to make another journey to Splakke within the next year or two, as I’ve now covered the first eight books and part of the ninth. I imagine I could speak the language fairly fluently, though I haven’t really tried.”

Ubu encouraged him. “Oh, well, go on, say something in Splakkish!”

Yipfnikh thought for a moment and said, “Alviyarnstik orgher ohlm tuistilminay mangarek, fr-estualamikijarrr.”

Ubu smiled. “All right, what did you say?”

Yipfnikh smiled back. “I said, ‘Come to the pepper spring, Horace--it’s ripe for harvest!’ “

Ubu blinked, looking confused. “But...why?”

Yipfnikh was taken aback. “What? Don’t tell me you haven’t read Laeteska’s Beauty of the Moorlands!”

“Well, I’m sorry, bud, but I have not.”

“But...but...hasn’t everybody--”

Ubu sighed. “Look, Yipfnikh, I think it’s time to face the real world. Not everyone is a scholar who studies literature and foreign languages for fun. I’m sure you were with all your scholar buddies on that ten-year tour after college, and you’ve probably been isolated since that time, but now that you’re out and about with the bulk of the population, it’s time to realize that not everyone is going to have read every best-selling book ever written. I’m sorry to be the one to pop your bubble, but I am, and I shan’t take it back.”

Yipfnikh looked bewildered. “Well...I mean...I knew that people indigenous to other planets weren’t always as educated, but I thought sure that every Saturanian...”

Ubu shook his head no.

“Dang it!” Yipfnikh exclaimed rather vehemently. “Why didn’t somebody tell me that before?”

Ubu shrugged. “Well, there’s no use in crying over spilt milk, so I suggest you keep that in mind and we move on.”

“Move on?” the Saturanian was indignant. “MOVE ON? I’ve just had a startling--no, had an astonishing revelation, and you’re telling me to just move on? I can’t move on! How can I grasp such a concept so quickly?”

Ubu sighed exasperatedly. He couldn’t think of a reply that would be both truthful and tactful. After about a minute of awkward silence, he was saved by an incoming message on his radio.

“All ships cloak immediately! Two Plutonian craft are within radar. Repeat, all ships cloak immediately! P-1 out.”

Every pilot responded to the command with immediate obedience despite the fact that they didn’t know why they needed to stay out of Pluto’s sight, but it was too late. By the time the last ship had been cloaked, the craft were within sight, and even if they had not been, the Saturanians still would have been detected by the Plutonians’ radar by the time they had detected the Plutonians, as the craft were of very similar make and therefore had the same radar capabilities.

However, it seemed they were lucky--the Plutonians merely stopped for a second and then continued on. Soon after the incident was over, Grashal announced a logical surmise that clarified this point for everyone. “Unfortunately, the Plutonians undoubtedly noticed us. In spite of the fact that they continued on their way, the situation has become unequivocally and undeniably egregious. The reason for this is that I am sure--and the leaders that I’ve talked to agree with me--the reason why they did not try to fight us is because two craft do not win against fifteen of the same type. They are almost definitely going to Pluto--probably the direction they were already headed--to muster an army and return to fight us. Yes, for most of you, all this information is bewildering. As head pilot, I feel it is my duty to inform you of the reason for the Plutonians’ enmity with us. This may be shocking for some of you, and I’m sorry none of you were told prior to now, but let me tell you before my remorse for my procrastination becomes unbearable. We are all riding in stolen Plutonian craft.”

He paused for a few seconds to let his words sink in, but continued before the fourteen other pilots (the only people who heard the announcement) could announce it to their crew and cause complete chaos. “I myself only realized the significance of their origin after we began our flight. However, returning to Saturn now will get us nowhere. The Plutonians will certainly consult with the lord of every planet in the Milky Way in hopes of finding us, and if Korrank finds out that it was us, he’s sure to be happy to relinquish us and our craft to the Plutonians in return for our treachery to him. Also, if we continue on our course to Earth, we’ll probably end up trying to fight the Changer’s group and the Plutonians simultaneously. No, the best thing would be to find somewhere out of the way to lay low for awhile, a moon rather than a planet. My suggestion is Jupiter’s moon, Io. It’s the last place the Plutonians will look and among the easiest places for us to hide. Under the authority of Wweliopaszukk, I am changing my course to Io now. All those loyal to him or to me will change your course, too. That’s an order! P-1 out.”

Most of the pilots were disgruntled at this sudden change of plans, but none so much as to disobey a direct order from both the head pilot and head general. Soon, all fifteen of the ships were headed for Io, prepared to arrive there approximately 41 hours from the time they diverted their course, the actual time of day depending on where on the moon they decided to land.

In the cockpit of the Jumble Hero, Grashal warned Wweliopaszukk to be careful. “You’d better keep an eye on the soldiers, general. I’ve had dealings like this before--the captain of a ship or the commander of an army makes an unpopular move, and he’s annihilated within the blink of an eye. Mutiny is never a gradual thing; mark my words, general--your decision to find an inconspicuous place to lay low for awhile may not be unpopular, but withholding vital information from your troops, no matter how long you’d known about it, is going to critically lower your morale. People are just stubborn that way, I guess. You didn’t realize that this was a Plutonian craft, or that being Plutonian would even have any significance, but as soon as your men find out, they’re going to jump on you like a pack of wild hyenas. Me being the captain and your being the commander, we both had better watch our backs.”

Wweliopaszukk sat in his chair pensively, resting his face on his fist. Grashal was relieved that the man wasn’t trying to bite his head off. After a few seconds, the general made a reply. “I get your point, pilot, but my army would stay true to me to the end, I’m sure.”

Grashal smiled. “Commander, I’m sure we’d all like to think that, but this is reality--and in reality, any army could be mutinous.”

Wweliopaszukk sneered. “Are you calling my army just any army, pilot? Because my army is not just any army. It’s a great army!”

Grashal sighed. He was grateful he didn’t have to put up with this man every day. He wasn’t a stupid man, but he was so ignorant, and so wrongfully indignant about it, too! It was sickening. However, Grashal didn’t want to pay the price of his and the commander’s lives at the hand of the troops, so he tried his best to further explain some things. “Commander, every army can be included in any army. And believe me when I remind you that any army could and probably will be mutinous if the circumstances give opportunity, which they have. I’m going to tell you one more time that I think we had better both watch ourselves and your men. Are you with me?” And the head pilot stuck out his hand.

Wweliopaszukk stalked out of the room without so much as touching the other man’s hand. Over his shoulder, he said before he left, “Perhaps they will antagonize you, friend Grashal, but I know when I have control of my own men. And I still have control! I will leave you to take your own precautions, pilot.” And on that note, he disappeared from sight.

^* For simplicity’s sake, Saturanian will no longer be put into <>‘s. However, they will still be speaking in Saturanian unless it is specifically indicated in words that they are not.

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