Space lizards

A Story by Chase H

This is a short story my friend challenged me to write featuring a band of sentient, alien, lizards who came to Earth through a rip in space.

Rain.

It was the first tangible thing they felt as the moved into the open.

Gentle as the touch of a sister, it kissed their backs as they cautiously moved out from the hole in the wall. Looking up, the first of them saw a broken window. Apparently the infrastructure and technology of the planet had not changed so much that it could spontaneously rain inside. Good.

The four turned back towards the insignificant hole they had escaped, watching as the inky black of it turned a brief, blinding white. With the sound of a tree turning inside out, the light went out and the wall was perfect as before their arrival. Now, the four stared at their own reflection in the tiled wall. The leader let his neck frills puff up a little in pride at such a handsome looking crew. It was a shame his lover had been too big to make it through such a small rip in the universe, but sacrifices must be made at times. That and Leader knew Lover had been fooling around with Rival for quite some time now. Rival was now dead.

It was beginning to storm. Such weather was not uncommon in the least this time of year, monsoon season had that effect on the environment. The city had gone too long without rain anyway, the Doctor needed the fresh rainwater any way.

As he opened his eyes, the Doctor could feel the life in the city breath with him, from the smallest patch of algae in drain water to the heavy set social engineer who lived in the apartment right next door. If he focused, the Doctor could even feel the jowls of the man flutter with each labored breath. It was in that disdainful inquisition of his neighbor that the Doctor first wondered why he would even be awake at this time of night. More importantly, why he would become awake at this time of night as suddenly as he had. Something was wrong.

A quiet tap on Leader’s shoulder brought him back to the reality of life now, tearing him from home. His frills lay flat again. Life was now uncertain. Leader turned toward Second, a large female who had barely squeezed through the rip. She blinked slowly, first eyelid moving slowly then a rapid slap of her outer lid. She was right. They had to move.

Rearing up on his hind legs, Leader puffed out his frills three times in quick succession then scuttled back towards the wall and onto it. The quiet patter of feet behind him and the rasp of Little’s breath near Leader’s left leg assured him of being followed. Up and up and up he led his small but deadly force towards the window. Within seconds, the four were seated on the ledge that barely held the large Second.

Little laughed at her discomfort.

Eye shoved him towards the edge.

Second laughed at Little’s discomfort.

Eye stepped on Second’s foot.

No one was laughing any more.

Leader ignored them as he tried to read the strange pokey human language on the other side of the corridor. Ignoring his companions he came to the conclusion that the large human woman with the unhealthy and bare skin was trying to convince Leader that the strange item she was baring her teeth at was the pinnacle of human goods. Why her soft underbelly and mammalian infant feeders were exposed befuddled Leader. Perhaps their banishment had been a good thing.

The light of the Doctor’s Portable was blinking, quite rapidly. Quite an easy nocturnal deterrent from the bliss of unconsciousness. A common occurrence as it was for the thing to turn on in urgent times, never had it gone off in such a shade of light as this one, one too far on the ultraviolet spectrum of wavelengths to be detected by a human eye.

For this reason, the Doctor knew exactly what was going on.

Within the blink of an eye, the Doctor was on the move. He had anticipated this for years, developed technology the infantile humans could hardly dream of in the slimmest chance that they would make an attempt to return.

Hardly a minute had passed between the Doctor’s awakening and the moment he left his home. The portable would lead him down the tightest alley, the most secluded terrace, the loneliest of roads to find his prey.

They would so foolishly return?

He would make the visit as unpleasant as they had once made his.

Eye nudged Leader and gestured towards another less prominent human picture. More pointy symbols to read. Leader had forgotten the chore of reading different human symbols. Focusing on the three lines of text, he grew angry again. They all said the same thing. He had forgotten the lack of intelligence in humans, now so great they needed to be told Prince Edward Station: Exit with a large arrow pointed to the left.

Gnashing his impressive teeth at his squabbling companions, Leader began to scuttle along the wall in the direction the arrow had pointed. Already his frills began to vibrate at the scent of slightly fresher air. His eyes narrowed to slits at the acrid stench the humans created, fouling the sweet natural air.

Angling his path up, Leader headed for the disgusting artificial suns the humans so favored. They had yet to discover superior technologies, for which Leader pitied them. Such an infantile race of being, barely beyond their fetal state.

Leader would rule them all.

Turning down the street, the Doctor could see the entrance to the train just ahead.

Little stepped on Leader’s tail.

Doctor felt his face fighting to revert to its natural state.

Second stepped on Little’s face.

Doctor had forgotten how good the chase felt!

No one was happy with this turn of events.

“You dare return?”

Leader nearly fell off the wall.

“You idiots, get down here.”

The four began to climb higher.

A large hand easily brushed them off the wall.

In a heartbeat Leader was trapped with his companions in an invisible cage.

His frills elongated to full size, as did his companions’.

Little knocked himself unconscious running for freedom.

Eye stood still and assessed the surroundings.

Leader began to screech his battle cry at the human.

“Do shut up you bumbling fool.”

Leader did not.

“And where is Foot?”

Leader did not stop screeching.

“Or Beat for that matter?”

Eye began to screech too.

“Your intellect is as miniscule as before, Squirrels.”

Leader’s voice stalled at the insult.

Leader hissed instead.

“Green, I cannot say it is good to see you tonight.”

Second spat at the human’s face.

“Second in command now? Good for you, my dear. Can’t say I miss Leg.”

Despite herself, Second preened a little at the human’s words.

“Now be honest, you precocious things: why have you returned.”

It was Eye this time who spat at the human.

Leader laughed.

Little began to wake.

“Is that how you would treat an old friend?”

Little rolled onto his back.

Second sighed.

Leader jabbed at Little’s belly.

Little squealed.

Eye sighed as well.

“I would find that world domination is rather difficult to achieve when you’re a cold blooded lizard only two inches long.”

Second looked sheepish.

Little hid his face.

Eye scratched at the floor of their cage.

Leader spat at the human.

“It is truly your loss that you never attempted to become human. And perhaps to my advantage as well.”

Eye’s only eye twitched.

“Oh I haven’t the faintest idea about how that would affect you, dear, but now really isn’t the time to try. You might harm your companions.”

Eye’s frills began to puff up.

Second stepped on Eye.

Eye subdued.

“Now, what to do with you troublemakers.”

Little stuck out his tongue for a moment.

“No, Little, letting you go is not even remotely an option. Do yourself a favor and don’t speak again.”

Little’s tail twitched.

Second stepped on Little’s tail.

Eye pretended not to laugh.

“For the record,” the human began as he carried the four out of the entryway, starting down the rain slicked street. “I am still the Doctor, I am your superior commanding officer. You should treat me with respect.”

Leader sounded as if he was swallowing his tail.

“Discharge? Regardless, in name alone I remain better than you.”

Little pretended not to laugh.

Eye squished like a crushed mouse tail.

“Eye, you and I know that Human would be a highly inaccurate name. You may call me Doctor or Master, the decision is yours, Scar.”

Second clicked like bones on marble.

“That was his former name, you and I know know it well, Green.”

Little sputtered like an incompetent fool.

“Shut your mouth, Little, no one cares about your unrequited love for the female.”

Little cracked like his heart.

“Eat my tail.”

Little was silent.

“Leader, you’ve been rather quiet. Alright down there?”

Leader hissed what almost sounded like where are you grace bus?

“I shall ignore whatever incomprehensible nonsense that was and let you conveniently know that we are headed to my apartment. It has a lovely view, but then they call me a Military Consultant here. It is much safer than my previous work.”

Leader chuckled in a manner very similar to the sounds of nails on chalkboard.

“Oh you misunderstand, old friend. I’m taking you there to use as test subjects for chemical warfare. I am preparing for the coming space age, then I’ll reclaim my throne on Homeworld.”

Eye gurgle like a human baby.

“Oh no, much worse. I have the power of human imagination now.” Doctor came to a stop outside a massive steel gate past which lay a burrow of human dwellings. He brought the cage close to his face, bulbous pure black eyes staring vacantly at the ensnared beings. “The pain will be beyond your comprehension.”

The gate clicked open.

Leader tried to imagine a possible escape.

Leader missed Lover.

Leader wished he had never brought his friends back to this wretched planet.