Chapter 4: Father and Son (One Year Earlier)

The following has been translated to English from the original Barg language.

A dull engine sound, like white noise, was constant through the ship.

The elevator came to a halt.

The doors were silver in color, they opened with a soft mechanical whoosh.

The Barg walked through one of the massive hallways of the ship he knew so well.

Along the walls were metal, electronic doorways, which could be opened by a simple scaly fingerprint. The hatches led to doorways, to bedrooms and offices. Between the spaces of each doorway, walls held bright and colorful monitors which operated numerous machines.

The floor was completely flat and a shade of dark blue to match the interior design. Tiny lights illuminated from the floor, which made up the entire lighting system of the Barg's ship.

Gunner pressed his hand onto a control pad installed directly beside his father's office door, the door slid open.

The office desk was long and metal, behind the desk was a clear, large window looking out into the endless void of outer space. The stars looked tiny and twinkled.

"You wanted to see me, dad?" Gunner approached the desk casually.

Taurus donned a dark blue jumpsuit, worn only by the aliens in high power. On his left breast sat a golden pin, which he was given directly after being voted into his position of power.

Taurus wasn't the boss of all bosses. He was both a captain of his ship and a senator of Barg society. A vote cast by him could mean the life or death of any being in the galaxy.

Much like his son, he was a humanoid lizard. However, he stood at a little over 7ft tall, with rippling muscles, his stomach stuck out slightly, his shoulders were bigger than most of his species.

Many Barg walked out of his office trembling and covered in bruises but were subservient to their captain. Lest they want to be sucked out of the ship through an airlock.

His scales were dark green, he had more of a shine to his flesh than his son did. His eyes were a darker shade of yellow, with age the Barg's natural colors tend to dim.

"I did, son. I need to show you something." Taurus stood from his black leather chair which sat behind his impressive desk.

Taurus and Gunner exited the office, while walking down the hallway they were met by other lizard-aliens. Wearing armor and holding large laser guns over their shoulders.

Taurus had to input a special code for the elevator to go down as deep as he wanted. Deeper than most had been.

The hum of the elevator stopped, and Taurus led his son down into a new hallway. A dark hallway.

The smell of oil wafted through Gunner's nostrils as he followed his father through the hull of the ship.

Gunner was quick to notice that they're no windows looking out into the eerie beauty of space.

Time seemed to be lost. Who could tell the time in such a dark place? Where the engine of the ship was your only source of the sound.

At the end of this hallway, which was mostly made of cold, hard steel and lights which flickered and buzzed-was a doorway.

Taurus placed his reptilian hand upon a bright screen that sat to one side of this door.

The door opened slowly. The mechanics of the door were old, far from what the upper level of the ship had.

Taurus gestured his son inside this room of mystery.

The walls were white, the lights from the ceiling reflected this whiteness.

The smell of medicine and human sweat permeated the white room.

Sitting in the middle of the sterile room, was a metal bed.

Lying upon this sheetless bed was a human male. Strapped by metal cuffs, unable to move his wrists or ankles.

Nervously stepping into this room, Gunner saw various human diagrams adorned on the walls. A metal tray on wheels was close by this poor, tortured human. On this table, were needles and knives.

Also on the table, the most gruesome sight. The human's tongue sat in a glass jar full of a clear liquid. The pink appendage seemed to float in the jar.

The young alien turned from the human in pain and whimpering softly, to his father standing proudly by the doorway.

"What have you done?" Gunner swallowed hard.

"These specimens. These humans. Are so, so fascinating. Their organs, their brains. Evolution did a damn good job with them. Our species is dying. I told you our resources for procreation aren't cutting it." Taurus nodded. "Their bodies hold organs the likes of which I've never seen. Imagine it." He walked toward his son, hands waving excitedly.

"We can mix human DNA with Barg DNA. Create a super race. And you'll be by my side." His lizard tongue and teeth were on display as he spoke. He placed one hand on Gunner's shoulder.

With a flinch, Gunner looked at the dying human one more time. He saw the pain and suffering in his eyes.

Looking straight into his father's eyes, he spoke. "No."

"It's time to invade earth and harvest these humans. Rule by my side. Kill and enslave the weak. For life has no use for them." Taurus smiled, watching his dejected offspring leave.

Gunner continued his walk out of the depths of the ship and took the elevator back to the upper level.

The image of the tortured human sat in his brain for hours.

***

Leaning against the bed, Gunner could do nothing but stare into his empty room. Stare at the walls, stare at the buttons which flashed rhythmically on the walls. Listen to the deep hum of the ship's engine, maybe here a crewmember talking outside.

A beep from the bedroom door interrupted his thoughts. Gunner stood, rubbing his eyes.

"Go away, dad!" Yelled the Barg.

"It's me, Gunner. Astro. Can I come in?" A familiar voice crackled through the intercom.

"Yeah, whatever." Gunner unlocked his bedroom door, a simple thumbprint mechanism let his best friend in.

Entering Gunner's room was a red lizard, the same height as Gunner. Wearing the same uniform as well.

"Your dad giving you shit?" Astro commented, letting the door close behind him. His green eyes darting around the room.

"Wish he was. At least I'm used to that." The young alien paused, approaching his best friend. "He had a human chained to a freaking table. Like-all torn up."

Astro shook his head swiftly. "You from the planet Zean or something? You're talking crazy stuff!"

His red hand gripped his friend's green hand.

"I'm done. I'm done with Taurus screwing with earth. He's been doing it for a long time. Sneaking in on their conversations, learning their languages and customs. Taking the planet's people. He's planning an attack."

"Come on, Gunner. Your dad isn't going to hurt living beings." Astro sighed.

"He hurts his own people! What makes you think he wouldn't hurt a different species? I am leaving." Gunner stomped his foot. "You can come with. Or I can leave you here."

He reached under his bed for his utility belt and snapped it into place.

"What are you gonna do? Huh? Steal a jet and blast off into space and think you can start a new life?"

"Yeah." Gunner spoke matter-of-factly and checked all the pockets in the belt.

"You're crazy. I can't let you do this. Really. You're gonna get everyone worried sick. All the Bargs are going to be after you. I can't let you do this, man."

Gunner frowned and from the underside of his pillow, he reached for his phaser pistol. He aimed it at the red lizard who backed away slowly.

"If you don't move, Astro I'm going to shoot you," Gunner spoke, venom practically dripping from his words. "I'm not going to hang around while that bastard destroys a planet and everyone on it."

Astro swallowed hard. His heart sank to his feet. "If you really think your dad is going to do this then I guess you have a point. I can't come with you. I have a whole family on this ship."

Gunner pressed the barrel of the gun to Astro's red neck. "You're my best friend, Astro. I don't want to hurt you. Dammit, I will though if I must. I can't go along with what my dad wants. Neither should anyone else. I really think you should move aside."

Astro did indeed step aside and watch his friend leave. He understood his plight, but he had pledged to always listen to captain Taurus. He was loyal. Loyal to a fault.