Lost On Mars Read online

  Aulta had turned to piloting but Arida could see the intense frown on the side of her face.

  “So tell me Hubbit, are you going to help me or not?”

  Hubbit shook his head. “I can’t help you. Am sorry”

  “Be sorry for yourself and your girlfriend”

  “Girlfriend!” Hubbit shouted.

  “Because, I will have to kill you two, take the ship and help my human friend get back to his planet”

  Hubbit suddenly turned his head to Arida. “Nah, you aren’t going to do that after saving your butts out of that dangerous lands”

  “I should be killing you now―after leaving me on the deserts for the militia to capture me a year ago. I spared you thinking you would help me out, but it seems you aren’t gonna help me. So there’s no point in letting you live”

  Immediately she ended her statement, Aulta turned her seat and jumped at her. Arida jerked up from her seat, gripped her in midair and slammed her back unto the metal floor.

  “Okay! Okay!!” Hubbit screamed.

  Arida held Aulta at gunpoint with her laser pistol. Aulta laid still, her head shivering in anger and glaring at Arida.

  “Don’t think you are tough, lady” Arida growled. “I have seen and escaped worse things than you have. So keep piloting and never mess with me. You hear me?” she left Aulta’s vest, yanking her back on to the floor.

  Hubbit looked stunned as he looked back at them. Arida straightened up herself, she sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

  Hubbit saw Arida meant the words she said and never wanted to provoke her the more.

  “I think I can help you. But we got to fuel this ship first―am talking about lots of fuel” Hubbit paused. “And we got to have a lot of money to fuel this ship up”

  Aulta crawled back to her feet. She rubbed her palms through his vest and glowered at Arida.

  “No more fights Aulta. Get back to your seat and help me with the piloting”

  Arida stared at her closely. Aulta stared back with a frown. She turned to Hubbit and walked back into her seat. Arida also sat back in her seat and the whole place was quiet again.

  “You got lots of money?” Hubbit asked without looking back.

  “I don’t” Arida paused. “But since we are heading to the Upper Rim City, I know where to get the money”

  Hubbit chuckled. “Are you serious? You are wanted and we are heading to an all Khaghin city. You can easily be captured when you get yourself exposed. Chief Hakaz and the Militia could be there”

  “Chief Hakaz is dead”

  Hubbit shocked, quickly turned his head and looked at Arida with enlarged eyes. “You must be kidding me”

  Aulta had a startled face too but she kept on piloting.

  “The human killed him back in the Lower Rim―I would have doubted but the weapon he brought from his planet is very powerful. No one has survived it, not even you Khaghins”

  “I can’t believe it! How do that weapon look like?”

  “You would see it for yourself when he wakes up. He hasn’t have any sleep for the past two days” she nodded for a moment. “We have been to hell and back”

  Hubbit did not say another word back. He turned his attention back to piloting with hundreds of thoughts running through his mind.

  Chapter SEVENTEEN

  “Wake up sleepy human” Donnie heard Arida’s call.

  “Going back for another drama” Donnie opened his eyes and yawned. His wooly hair and beard had completely grown long and bushy.

  “Come on, we are heading to the city”

  “The city?” Donnie shrieked. “I thought your old pal would be taking me back to earth”

  Arida looked at Donnie like he was the dumbest being on the whole of Mars. “Yeah, he would, but we have to get fuel from this city first, you stupid” Arida kicked him.

  Donnie smiled and got to his feet. “So are we already there?”

  Arida turned away from him and began to walk out of the room. “We’ve landed a few kilometres away from the city. We will be walking there”

  Donnie shrugged. “Whatever―I hope we don’t get into any more trouble”

  Arida smiled as she walked on. “You know that one isn’t guaranteed. We are going into an all Khaghin city and you don’t expect to have trouble?”

  Donnie opened his mouth to reply but she was already gone. He shook his head and sighed, “Women”.

  He could feel all his energy had now been regained after long hours of sleep. He stretched himself with a smile and shuffled out of the room.

  They all stood outside minutes later, staring at a hundred feet sandstorm they had flown from earlier.

  “Did you fly through that?” Donnie pointed.

  Arida nodded. “Yeah. You were asleep” she paused. “That thing you see right there prevents aliens from another planet from knowing or seeing the Upper Rim City―from knowing if life exists on Mars”

  “Oh okay” Donnie glanced around. “But I don’t see any city here”

  Hubbit pointed to a hill behind them and said, “When we get past that hill, you will see what she is talking about”

  “Oo―kay” he stretched his reply.

  The spaceship was parked far on their right, near a large rock. Hubbit had made it invisible to prevent the militia or any Khaghin from noticing it. Hubbit had a long history with the Upper Rim’s Militia and did not want any more trouble with them.

  “Let’s go now―we would have to bring a whole fuel tanker truck to fuel this ship up. It will be very risky though” Hubbit announced as he tied a dirty brown scarf around his head, only his eyes visible through them.

  Donnie thought about Hubbit’s words and turned his head towards him. “Are we going to steal the fuel truck? I don’t think we should be doing that”

  “You don’t have to worry alien―Arida here” he gestured his hand to his side. “Will be getting us the money we will be needing to buy the whole fuel truck”

  “A whole fuel truck, wow, this place is something else”

  “The problem will be, getting the fuel truck out of the city with all the Militia guards around” Hubbit paused, forcing out a big smile. “But thanks to you, it will be a lot easier now”

  Donnie threw his head back, his face drawn with confusion. “Thanks to me? What is he talking about?”

  “Arida told me what you did back down there―in the Lower Rim City. You killed the chief of the Upper Rim Militia; Hakaz!”

  Donnie huffed in relief, knowing what Hubbit was talking about now.

  Aulta and Arida silently watched the two males speak, like they have known each other for a very long time.

  Arida chuckled and shook her head. “Males”.

  Hubbit walked towards Donnie and whispered into his ears. “Can I see the weapon you killed him with? I heard it’s powerful”

  Donnie without hesitation reached down to the side of his belt and pulled the pistol from its grip.

  “Wow! Such an amazing artwork―earth weapon, right infront of me” Hubbit’s eyebrows upstretched with a surprising smile. “Humans must be very wise―”

  “Not wise as we Martians” Aulta spoke for the first time, her arms folded and leaning on a rock. Everyone turned their attention to her.

  “Oh so you can speak after all. So you think Martians are wiser than humans? You wouldn’t mind if I smash your head with an AK-47!” Donnie shrieked towards her.

  “What’s that? Another earth weapon?” Hubbit asked.

  Donnie turned his attention back to him. “Earth got a lot of weapon you can only imagine”

  “Mmm” Hubbit nodded continuously. “I would stay and check earth out when we take you back”

  “And I will accept your challenge to smash my head when we take you back to your shit planet!” Aulta shrieked back with a sneer.

  “It will be my pleasure you dumbass!”

  “Okay!” Arida declared. “Talk
time over―now let’s go and get the fuel truck”

  Everyone suddenly turned their heads to Arida, who seemed to have brought them back to the reality that was ahead of them.

  “Yeah you are right, it’s sunset and we should get going” Hubbit added with a low tone.

  Everyone covered their whole head with dirty brown scarfs, only their eyes were visible in them. Arida and Donnie covered every part of their body with dirty brown clothes. They were heading into an all Khaghin City and did not want to get noticed.

  “Alright everyone is set here” Hubbit said.

  They all shuffled behind Hubbit as they walked through the barren hard grounds under the twilight skies.

  Chapter EIGHTEEN

  The cheering and shouting by the all Khaghin crowd became more intense. Arida grabbed her now weak Khaghin competitor and bent him. She began striking her knees into his stomach repeatedly and then threw him onto the tiled floor.

  They had already made it into the Upper Rim City and Arida was fighting in a night club to get them the money they needed. Donnie and Hubbit stood in the crowd, cheering for her. “Damn! Is she always like this?” Donnie asked, a huge grin on his face. Hubbit looked at him. “Like, tough always?” Donnie emphasized.

  “Yeah” Hubbit nodded. “For as long as I have known her”

  “How many years?

  “Almost three”

  “She has beaten all fifteen competitors nonstop and―”

  “And that means big sum of money” Hubbit grinned and turned his attention back at cheering for Arida.

  Donnie glanced around, only his eyes visible in his scarf, he crinkled his forehead and tapped Hubbit’s shoulder. “Hey, where is your female pilot? I haven’t seen her for the past twenty minutes”

  “Oh, Aulta?” He asked with widened eyes. “Don’t worry about her” Hubbit pushed his head closer to Donnie’s ear and whispered, ‘Aulta and Arida aren’t in good terms so I don’t think she want to be enjoying her match at this moment”

  Donnie nodded slowly. “Oh okay, I didn’t know that”

  Arida knocked out her opponent and the whole place suddenly became noisy with cheers. The fat Khaghin host walked into the circular arena and grabbed Arida’s wrist from behind. Arida swiftly turned to punch him, then realized who it was. Her fist stuck in midair, the host threw his head back. ‘Hey cool down―am no fighter, am Big D, the owner of this club”

  Arida lowered her fist without saying a word. The crowd barked into laughter. The host lowered his head to her ears. “Hey what was your name again?”

  “Kami, my name is Kami”

  The host looked at her from head to toe, his face showing disbelief. “You are a female?”

  “Yes. Is it a crime?”

  “Oh no, no. Its just―”

  “Just go on an pronounce me the winner and don’t forget my winning prize too”

  “Yeah, yeah” The host nodded and raised her hand up. “And here is your winner Kami!”

  “YAHH!!” the crowd shouted for joy.

  “And why is your whole body covered? I can only see your eyes” the host continued to ask her questions.

  Arida looked up at him and down to his hands. She noticed the bag of money in his hand. She grabbed it from him and rushed into the surrounding crowd. Donnie and Hubbit followed her out of the club and they were soon on the City’s street.

  Donnie glanced around and up at the tall skyscrapers. It seemed to him like he was standing in a more advanced New York City. “This isn’t the way I pictured this place―this city is much advanced, just like the Lower Rim”

  “Don’t let the Upper Rim Militia fool you into thinking all Khaghins are bad and love the wastelands. The militia up here are ruthless and love destruction, the dirt and a whole lot of crazy stuffs― unlike the Khaghins in this city, we are just like the Martians on the Lower Rim―”

  “Can someone get me out of these rags, am sweating in here” Arida interrupted.

  “You shouldn’t do that―you take them off and our cover is blown, and if our cover is blown, we will be heading for instant execution. Don’t forget you are― no, no, we are most wanted”

  Arida rolled her eyes. “Now we have the money. Let’s go and get the fuel truck so I can get out of these stupid rags”

  “Alright, alright, let’s go”

  As they walked past two skyscrapers, Donnie halted behind them. “Isn’t it awkward your female pilot isn’t around? We planned all this thing together right?”

  “Yeah you’ve reminded me” Hubbit glanced around, scanning through the Khaghin pedestrians on both sides of the sidewalks. “She should be with us by now”

  “Let her be!” Arida glazed. “You know it’s been a long time since she came back home. She may be somewhere having fun or doing any other thing she wants―this city is very vast” she chuckled and added. “First things first, let’s go and get the fuel truck and after that we can come back and search for your girlfriend”

  “Girlfriend?” Hubbit broadened his eyes. “She is not my girlfriend”

  “Whatever you say captain” Arida giggled and began to walk away. Hubbit shook his head and followed behind her.

  Soon, they were standing fifteen feet away from the gas station, a little isolated from the city and closer to the wastelands.

  Hubbit turned and faced them. “Give me the money, am the one going over there”

  Arida tilted her head slightly, looking at him more closely. “It wouldn’t be a problem” she pushed the bag of money on his chest. “But don’t come back without the truck. If you do―” She turned to Donnie and shrugged, trying to tell Hubbit he already knows what she would do to him if he fails.

  Hubbit, glazing at her, grabbed the bag of money. “I was born up here, Arida and I know a lot of Khaghins, trust me” he shook his head and walked off with the money.

  Donnie’s eyes were half asleep for the past fourteen minutes. Arida, standing right beside him, flicked her index finger and hit his head. “Are you still here with me?”

  Donnie sighed. “Are they doing some kind of conference in there? It’s been an hour now and he hasn’t still shown up with the truck yet”

  “Fifteen minutes Don, fifteen”

  “Whatever―fifteen minutes here is like an hour on my planet”

  “It isn’t true, you liar”

  “It is”

  “No, it’s not”

  As they continued arguing, a fuel truck came out from behind the gas station onto the road. It drove towards them and pulled up where they were. Hubbit pushed his head out of the window and blew the truck’s horns. “Come on, we got a ship to fix”

  “Dumb head” Arida smirked then they rushed into the truck.

  Whiles on the road, Arida sat at the back with her back slouched into the seat and eyes closed. Donnie and Hubbit sat at the front. Donnie stared quietly at Hubbit, nodding his head to the slow tune coming from the radio.

  Hubbit returned his stare with a smile and continued nodding his head. ‘Feeling the Martian vibe?”

  Donnie nodded with a weak smile. ‘Mars got some good tunes”

  “This song right here―” Hubbit pointed to the radio with a left finger and continued to steer with the right hand. “This song right here is called Highway Blues”

  Donnie nodded again and then they both turned their attention back on the road. They drove through the long city highways and was almost at the border, now entering the wastelands on the north.

  Right before they could cross the border out of the city, an army of Khaghins stood in their way.

  Hubbit hastily pulled up the truck seven feet away from them.

  “Oh no, oh no” he began panting.

  A short panic raced through Donnie. “Here we go again”

  Arida opened her eyes and saw what was just ahead of them. “Crap, how did they know we are in the city?”

  “Look! Isn’t that―” Hubbit pointed.
/>   “Aulta and the Chief Hakaz?” they asked in unison.

  Hubbit turned his head slowly to Donnie with a frown. “So you lied―you didn’t kill that fool”

  “Hell! I saw him die” Donnie pulled his head back.

  “Then explain that?” Hubbit pointed at Hakaz through the windshield.

  “I don’t know!” Donnie raised his voice.

  Arida seemed relaxed, like always, never afraid of anything. “I told you Don, I have seen that crazy bastard escape terrible things. And there he is again, proving that your earth weapon can’t do him any harm”

  “Are we going to continue talking about the chief whiles we can all agree your female pilot was the big brain behind all this?” Donnie asked.

  Hubbit sighed and took his scowl away from Donnie. “I should have seen that coming”

  “Yeah, you should have, Hubbit. Your girlfriend is a traitor and am going to blow out her head for that” Arida said, while scanning a laser pistol she had just taken out of her holster.

  “Can you stop calling her my girlfriend” Hubbit slapped both hands on the semicircular steer.

  “Nope”

  Hubbit sighed intensely. “You are just as crazy as her”.

  “So what now―how are we going to escape from these group of angry Martians?”

  “The Upper Rim Militia” Hubbit emphasized.

  “We fight them Donnie―I told you back on the ship, you can’t come into the upper Rim City and go out without a fight”

  “Yeah, I guess you were right about that” Donnie clasped on his pistol, staring into the windshield.

  Chapter NINETEEN

  “Well, well, well!” Chief Hakaz’s voice echoed through the microphone in his hand. “This was the least place I’d expected you to be―back on the Upper Rim and right here in my city!”

  The three of them looked at each other’s faces when they heard the chief speaking.

  Hakaz pointed to Aulta by his side. “Your beloved friend here, told us all about your stupid plans and the location of your spaceship and I guess she did the right thing. She will be rewarded right after we are done with you two and that traitor among you”