Read Online Monsters Win Wars: A Novella by Edward Punales - Free Book Online
Authors: Edward Punales
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Rand said.
Henry’s eyes went wide. He knew he had a good
shot at hitting Rand, but he didn’t want to risk hurting Emily.
Again Rand said, “Put down the weapon!”
Henry obeyed. Rand sliced Emily’s throat
open, before dropping her to the ground.
“No!” Henry said, scrambling to the place
where Emily lay on her side, bleeding onto the floor. He took her
in his arms, as she stared up at him. He watched as the light
slowly left her eyes.
“You should’ve killed me when you had the
chance.” Rand said. Henry looked up at him, anguish and rage clear
on his face. “Don’t get so upset. I’m sure they’re plenty of women
who’d be glad to be the president’s plaything.” Henry reached for
the blood-stained rifle at Rand’s feet, when the saurian slammed a
green foot on it.
“You can’t beat me.” He said. “I’m-” Rand’s
words were interrupted by a howl of pain. His eyes went wide, and
he collapsed to the ground. A large gash ran down his back.
Standing behind him was Aric, red saurian blood dripping from his
fingers.
He stared down at the corpse, and said, “You
were my best solider. But you could never play well with others.”
He turned to Henry, and asked, “Are you alright?”
“Why did you help us?” Henry said. He looked
over at Rand. “He told me that you didn’t need my help to get rid
of Sallis.” Aric’s expression remained blank, as he began to
explain.
“Your solar system is rich with minerals and
materials that people from my world would pay good money for. I
wanted it.” Aric’s voice had lost its warmth and friendliness, and
had instead become cold and clinical. It was as though a façade had
been taken away, and Henry was seeing the real Aric.
“But this system was inhabited, and we had to
consider dealing with the locals. Rand’s initial suggestion had
been to simply wipe you out. He was always very direct. You can
attest to this.”
“He was a psychopath.” Henry spat.
“A psychopath on your world, a model citizen
on mine. We have very different values, but that’s beside the
point.
“We knew the native population could provide
cheap labor, but forcing them would cause problems. It always does.
That was when we sent the probes out, to survey your system, gather
materials for us to study and research.
“You’re a very dramatic people.” Aric said.
“Romantic. Sentimental: a large emphasis on pathos. This wasn’t too
surprising, such traits are very common in mammals. I’d heard of
planets with intelligent mammalian species, but had never visited
one myself. Neither had Rand. It was a shock to both of us. Our
species is more solitary, yours more social.
“We discovered that the system had recently
been taken over by a less than popular administration, and that a
ragtag group of freedom fighters were trying to take it back. Our
plan had been to back up your revolution, thereby not only gaining
the trust of the new government, but that of the people as
well.”
“I’ll never let you do this.” Henry said.
Emily’s body still felt warm in his arms. “I won’t allow my people
to become your slaves.”
“Then we’ll do it by force.” Aric said. “The
army I brought with me was small on purpose. We wanted it to still
feel like a small revolution. But at the touch of a button, I could
have millions more summoned, with ships that make your most
advanced dreadnoughts look like scrap-heaps. It will be tedious,
and there will be much more blood-shed and violence, but your
people will live under our boot no matter what you do.
“But if you play along with us, you will help
to facilitate this change. It will take longer, maybe a few
decades, and it will have to be under the guise of government work
projects. You’ll also need to emphasize the importance of
inter-species interaction, and the value of opening relations with
extra-terrestrial beings.”
“No.” Henry shook his head. The world around
him was spinning, and he felt like he could
Henry’s eyes went wide. He knew he had a good
shot at hitting Rand, but he didn’t want to risk hurting Emily.
Again Rand said, “Put down the weapon!”
Henry obeyed. Rand sliced Emily’s throat
open, before dropping her to the ground.
“No!” Henry said, scrambling to the place
where Emily lay on her side, bleeding onto the floor. He took her
in his arms, as she stared up at him. He watched as the light
slowly left her eyes.
“You should’ve killed me when you had the
chance.” Rand said. Henry looked up at him, anguish and rage clear
on his face. “Don’t get so upset. I’m sure they’re plenty of women
who’d be glad to be the president’s plaything.” Henry reached for
the blood-stained rifle at Rand’s feet, when the saurian slammed a
green foot on it.
“You can’t beat me.” He said. “I’m-” Rand’s
words were interrupted by a howl of pain. His eyes went wide, and
he collapsed to the ground. A large gash ran down his back.
Standing behind him was Aric, red saurian blood dripping from his
fingers.
He stared down at the corpse, and said, “You
were my best solider. But you could never play well with others.”
He turned to Henry, and asked, “Are you alright?”
“Why did you help us?” Henry said. He looked
over at Rand. “He told me that you didn’t need my help to get rid
of Sallis.” Aric’s expression remained blank, as he began to
explain.
“Your solar system is rich with minerals and
materials that people from my world would pay good money for. I
wanted it.” Aric’s voice had lost its warmth and friendliness, and
had instead become cold and clinical. It was as though a façade had
been taken away, and Henry was seeing the real Aric.
“But this system was inhabited, and we had to
consider dealing with the locals. Rand’s initial suggestion had
been to simply wipe you out. He was always very direct. You can
attest to this.”
“He was a psychopath.” Henry spat.
“A psychopath on your world, a model citizen
on mine. We have very different values, but that’s beside the
point.
“We knew the native population could provide
cheap labor, but forcing them would cause problems. It always does.
That was when we sent the probes out, to survey your system, gather
materials for us to study and research.
“You’re a very dramatic people.” Aric said.
“Romantic. Sentimental: a large emphasis on pathos. This wasn’t too
surprising, such traits are very common in mammals. I’d heard of
planets with intelligent mammalian species, but had never visited
one myself. Neither had Rand. It was a shock to both of us. Our
species is more solitary, yours more social.
“We discovered that the system had recently
been taken over by a less than popular administration, and that a
ragtag group of freedom fighters were trying to take it back. Our
plan had been to back up your revolution, thereby not only gaining
the trust of the new government, but that of the people as
well.”
“I’ll never let you do this.” Henry said.
Emily’s body still felt warm in his arms. “I won’t allow my people
to become your slaves.”
“Then we’ll do it by force.” Aric said. “The
army I brought with me was small on purpose. We wanted it to still
feel like a small revolution. But at the touch of a button, I could
have millions more summoned, with ships that make your most
advanced dreadnoughts look like scrap-heaps. It will be tedious,
and there will be much more blood-shed and violence, but your
people will live under our boot no matter what you do.
“But if you play along with us, you will help
to facilitate this change. It will take longer, maybe a few
decades, and it will have to be under the guise of government work
projects. You’ll also need to emphasize the importance of
inter-species interaction, and the value of opening relations with
extra-terrestrial beings.”
“No.” Henry shook his head. The world around
him was spinning, and he felt like he could
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