Galaxy of Heroes

They sat at a table high up in an enclosed amphitheater that was centered by a brightly lit pit below. A large number of humans had assembled on the dark terraces that looked down on the pit.

The tables on each ascending level were crowded with socializing humans. The humans ate, drank and filled their bloodstreams with mind-altering substances as screens on the tables and on the walls displayed the action down in the pit where two fighters slugged it out.

Every manner of narcotic was being partaken here. Pills were popped, needles injected, pipes smoked, tabs absorbed on the skin and drinks downed without moderation. The humans here did not seem to care much about tomorrow.

Genie and Sgt. Grimes sat across from Capt. Spade and Capt. Casey at a table on one of the higher terraces.

Capt. Casey’s attention kept returning to Genie. She studied Genie curiously.

“You are staring,” Genie said to her.

“There’s something different about you,” Capt. Casey said.

“How so?” Genie asked.

Capt. Casey leaned in with her elbows on the table and squinted as she looked into Genie’s face in the dim light. “I can’t seem to put my finger on it,” she said.

Genie smiled at her and looked away.

“I always felt you would cut my throat if I looked at Joe the wrong way, but I don’t feel that now,” Capt. Casey said. “The hostility is gone.”

“It is true that I wanted to cut your throat on more than one occasion,” Genie said. “But those inclinations are in the past.”

“Did you guys reprogram her or something?” Capt. Casey asked.

“Negative,” Grimes said. “She reprogrammed herself.”

“How does a robot reprogram itself?” Capt. Casey asked.

“Genie is not a robot,” Grimes said.

“Hmm,” Capt. Casey said. She stared deeply into Genie’s iridescent eyes.

“I know I am just a machine to you,” Genie said, “but I have been learning what it is to have free will.”

“Free will in this galaxy?” Capt. Casey said. “When you figure that one out, let me know.”

Down below them, a fight between two Megalans ended with a choke out. The fighters then cleared the ring and a tall lanky man lumbered into the center of the brightly lit pit.

“Descendents of Earth, good evening!” the man said. “Welcome to the House of Jod!”

The crowd roared.

“I am Executive Jod. I welcome you into my home,” he said, to a round of applause from the crowd.

“So that’s him,” Spade said. “He is a handsome devil, ain’t he?”

“A real looker,” Capt. Casey said.

“People of Heliac, Meglos, Paltros, and all other human colonies and outposts,” Jod said. “You are all Portogallans now! Welcome, friends, to pit night!”

The crowd roared and the amphitheater rumbled.

Jod’s combatives tournaments were becoming the most popular entertainment event in Portogallos. The tournaments were round robin affairs open to any human who wanted to participate.

“The last human standing is named champion and wins a prize of one billion g-notes!” Jod exclaimed, and the crowd again erupted in raucous applause. “Good luck to all,” Jod said, and exited the pit.

A bare-chested Megalan male then faced off with a wiry Heliac man. The bout was fast and furious with the Megalan knocking out the smaller man with a powerful blow from his fist. Then two new fighters entered the ring and a match started anew to cheers from the terraces.

“So, you have a new ship,” Capt. Casey said to Sgt. Grimes.

“Roger that,” Grimes replied. “Spade cut us in on one of his schemes, which gave us the cash for a schooner. She’s small but she’s sturdy.”

“What kind of deal?” Capt. Casey asked.

“Weapons deal,” Spade interjected. “I sold a Paltran high-roller some Diocon armaments.”

“The proceeds were enough to buy us a ship capable of deep space travel,” Grimes said.

“Now you and your robot are going to sail off and disappear into deep space forever?” Capt. Casey asked.

“That’s the plan,” Grimes said.

“Are you okay with that, Genie?” Capt. Casey asked. “Locked up in a schooner for all eternity with an enlisted man?”

Genie placed her arm around Grimes. “Yes,” she said. “I am fine with it.”

“You two could be drifting out there for thousands of Earth-years,” Capt. Casey said.

“We are not in a rush,” Genie said.

Down in the pit, a swift, leathery-skinned human named Ripper circled a baldheaded Megalan whose wrist was broken. The baldheaded, muscle-bound Megalan clasped his own wrist and grimaced in pain as he attempted to fend off the smaller man with ineffective kicks.

The Megalan was exhausted. The smaller human circled him like a hungry predator with the smell of blood.

“He’s Heliac Special Forces,” Grimes said. “That Megalan doesn’t stand a chance.”

The bigger man kicked again and missed. The smaller human swooped in and tackled the Megalan to the mat. He mounted the larger man and fired off lightning strikes into his face. Red blood splattered with each strike until the Megalan went limp.

The Heliac human stood up and raised his fists to roars from the crowd.

Genie, Grimes, Spade and Capt. Casey watched several more matches from their table before the Heliac Special Forces fighter re-entered the arena.

“Ripper faces the challenger, Zong, from Meglos,” the announcer said.

“Zong?” Grimes said. He and Spade looked at each other before returning their attention to the pit.

The big white-haired Megalan named Zong stepped into the pit and faced off with Ripper.

“He’s the bodyguard we got into a tussle with out on the breezeway,” Grimes said. “Says he’s a Ranger.”

“This should be a match,” Spade said. “One hundred g-notes on the Meglos Ranger.”

“I’ll take that bet,” Grimes said.

“Put me down for a hundred on the Heliac SF,” Capt. Casey said.

The fight went back and forth with Ripper trying to land strikes and Zong trying to clinch him and grapple. Each strike, take down and escape elicited roars from the crowd.

The Heliac Special Forces soldier landed several hard kicks to the Megalan’s knee, but appeared less sharp than in his previous match, and eventually grew winded from fending off the larger man. Eventually, the Megalan named Zong caught Ripper in a tight clinch, and lifted him from the floor. He threw the smaller man onto his back and smothered him under his bulk. The Megalan achieved an arm bar and let out a roar as he arched his back and wrenched the smaller man’s arm.

Ripper’s bone snapped and he howled in pain. He tapped out and Zong released him, pumping his fists to roars from the crowd.

“Pay up,” Spade said.

Grimes and Capt. Casey counted out g-notes on the table as Genie shook her head.

Sgt. Grimes stood up. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

“Where are you going?” Capt. Casey asked.

“I’m going to fight Zong,” Grimes said.

“Joe, no,” Genie said.

“I think I can knock him out,” Grimes said.

“Don’t be foolish,” Spade said. “You don’t need the money.”

“No, I don’t,” Grimes said. “This is just for kicks.”