The Skin of the Gorgs

It was the hottest day of the year…which made today the day to take back their planet. In a time when blood dripped as much as sweat, this was their best and last chance to defeat the Gorgs. The thin skin of these half robotic, half wolfman-like creatures on a sweltering day like this made them vulnerable. This was the chance to strike.

James, a tall, muscular man built like a tree stump, struggled on hot days like this, but he knew they would need his strength. Everyone on the team brought something different to the table, and raw, brute force was all James knew. As he sat, hidden in a cave with the rest of his team, he slowly rubbed his right shoulder, knowing it wasn’t fully healed. As he took a deep breath, he nodded his head, knowing he had enough in him for one last go.

Daniel, who was known more for his ability to pull the team in and keep them focused than his fighting abilities, bent down on one knee and tossed James a caba fruit. Their rations were dwindling, but if there was a day to go all in and fuel up, today was that day.

James looked up at Daniel and smiled, then took a big bite. Juice dribbled down his stubbled face and he chuckled. Through a muffled voice, still slurping up the sweet-smelling nectar of the caba, James said, “Perfect day to take out some Gorgs, huh Danny Boy?”

Daniel smiled through the corner of his mouth, then replied back, “Every day sounds like a good day to take out Gorgs.” This brought out an array of grunts in agreement, as everyone enjoyed the sentiment.

This once great army of hundreds was down to the last eight. Little by little, battle after battle, the losses started to pile on top of each other. Sure, they had done some damage of their own, but the numbers were not in their favor.

Daniel stood up, put his hands on his hips, and looked out at the group. All eyes and attention were on their leader when he opened with, “Two years ago, I didn’t know a single person here. No one did, in fact. We were strangers on a planet that no longer looked familiar. The Gorg invasion tore apart our homes and our lives. That’s something I’ll never forget or forgive.” Daniel paused, lowering his eyes, as he thought about Sara. He thought about her laughing on the front porch. He thought about the way her hair smelled fresh out of the shower. He thought about the plans they made and the dreams they couldn’t wait to start. Just then, the piercing screech of a Provincial Fighter, the primary battle jet of the Gorgs, flew too close to comfort. Even though they were in a cave, every member of the team crouched down low and their eyes darted side to side. That was a sound they’ve heard too many times, typically followed by mass destruction. The sound also woke up Daniel from his flooded memories. He then thought about the time those Gorgs took his Sara from him. Suddenly becoming self-aware of his crouch, Daniel clinched, tightened his fists, then stood up tall. Through his grinding teeth, Daniel continued, “And today is the day we make them pay. Pay for what they did to our planet. Pay for what they did to our homes. And pay for what they did to the people we loved.”

Everyone sensed the rising tension of the room. James cracked his knuckles. Mary stretched out her left arm. Dave loosened his neck side to side. They knew what they needed to do.

Daniel motioned to Mary, saying, “Now we all know the plan Mary came up with. Mary, any last second words?”

Mary looked around the room. Her thoughts were on her parents, who she lost when the Gorgs attacked the university she taught at. Of all days for them to have made a surprise visit...but Mary knew this was the time to make up for it all. She said, “In another hour, they should all be back in their base. Because of the heat, they’ll lock that place up as tightly as your grandma would lock up that last piece of grassenberry cake.” This made everyone laugh, breaking the tightness of the room. She continued, “This also means, we need to stuff the belly of that place with all the explosives we’ve got!” She paused to listen to the joy and excitement building in the cave. Taking one last look, she added, “Let’s finish this, today.”

James shook off the snap-beetle that had crawl on his hand, then stood up, with his fist in the air. He pointed to the cave around them and said, “I know one thing…I won’t miss the smell of this stinkin’ cave, that’s for sure!”

Everyone laughed, taking a big whiff. But…there was a different smell in the air. Something was off. Daniel and Mary looked at each other. They both sensed it. At the same time, their eyes got big. Then Mary yelled out, “The detonators!”

Daniel and Mary ran to the back of the cave, where they kept a bag full of detonators. Everyone looked at each other, confused as to what that meant. When Daniel and Mary got there, the bag was wet and sitting in a puddle.

Mary knelt and frantically opened the bag. Slowly, she said, “Every single one.” She plopped down and sat, holding a detonator in her left hand, as it dripped water onto the ground.

Daniel leaned over, putting his right two fingers in the water, then looked up at the ceiling of the cave. “Blasted leaky cave!” He muttered between clinched teeth.

The rest of the crew had gathered around them, seeing the ruined objects. They looked at each other. Though they may not have said anything, the looks on their faces said it all. This was a disaster.

“What do we do, Chief?” Dave said in a low voice.

Daniel ran his hand through his hair. He looked at Mary, who was biting her lower lip. “What do you think, Mary? Can we still set them off?” He said, as he motioned to the explosives.

Mary looked up at Daniel. She was slowly shaking her head back and forth. Her eyes started to water. Barely audible, she muttered, “We have to do it by hand.”

The group started to murmur around them, with someone saying lightly, “What did she say?”

Daniel just stared. He knew exactly what she had said, and exactly what it meant. “There has to be another way.” He said, though he knew the truth.

James spoke up. “We have to set them off by hand.”

Everyone looked at Mary, while Daniel dropped his head low. No one wanted to admit the truth.

“I’ll do it.” James said.

Daniel whipped his head around and looked right at James. He was the first friend he had made after Sara had passed and was the reason he was there now. “No. There has to be something else we can do. Another way to set them off.” He looked back at Mary, who had covered her mouth and was shaking her head side to side. Daniel stood up and said, “No, I’ll do it.”

“You?” James laughed. “You couldn’t get half a mile carrying all this by yourself! Let alone climb in that thing. We need muscles for this mission, and you aren’t the muscles in this crew. I am.”

Everyone just looked at each other. Though they didn’t want to admit it, they all knew he was right. This was their one chance, and they had to take it, even if it meant sacrificing their friend.

Little by little, they all walked over, giving James a hug. Mary got up too and walked over to him. With tears in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his thick neck. She whispered, “You know how to set them off, right?”

James hugged her tight, then said back firmly, “Just like you taught us.” He smiled, then looked at Daniel, who was still trying to think what to say. He was the one who always came up with the creative solutions but here, in this moment, he had nothing.

“Are you going to make me leave without a proper goodbye?” James finally said to him.

Daniel slowly picked his head up and walked over. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. You know that.”

As they embraced, James said back, “It’s been an honor. I’ll let those punks know this was for Sara.” Then he looked at the rest of the crew. “And this is for everyone else we’ve lost, too! This is the day we end this.” Looking back at Daniel, he finished with, “This is the day we all stop losing those we love.”

With that, James picked up all 10 bags of explosives. He shifted back and forth, to get them settled correctly from the weight, then started to walk. “These things are heavy.”

He paused at the entrance to the cave. He halfway turned his head to the group but didn’t let them see the tear rolling down his eyes. Then he continued on his way.

For the first thirty minutes after James had left, no one said a word. Some were pacing back and forth. Dave was tossing a pebble up and down. Daniel and Mary were both sitting side to side, close enough their shoulders were touching. Twenty minutes later, the cave shook from the explosion. They could hear the squeals as five thousand Gorgs turned to dust in a second. And like that, it was finished. Their lives, their planet, everything would start to drift back to how it was. Or a new version of it at least. Some wept loudly. Others hugged. Daniel put his arm around Mary, who rested her head on his shoulder.

Daniel simply looked up and whispered, “It’s been an honor.”

THE END