The Ship Read online

  Chapter 4 – The Trick

  The Captain once again wore his trademark wicked grin as the giant pink one began pacing and rubbing its face with its hand, no doubt thinking and trying to conceive a solution to his “problem.” Unfortunately for him, his ship was in fine working order after all of his sleepless nights of diligent working and tinkering, finding ways to reroute the power flow and finally, FINALLY getting power back to his Gyser Gun, he was now poised to strike as he inwardly laughed and mocked the foolishness and cowardice of the giant.

  Quick as a flash, while David was gazing out of the window and stroking his chin thoughtfully, the tiny Captain leapt inside his command module and slammed his hand down on a large, pulsating yellow button. The entire kitchen was flooded with an intense orange glow and David, still standing and thinking, had the most peculiar sense of falling even though he was quite sure his feet were still beneath him. He managed one piteous squeak of confusion before the world swam black around him and he slipped into unconsciousness.

  He awoke with a very stiff neck and oddly swimmy vision a few hours later. He was lying on a very cold surface and was surrounded by unfamiliar noises. He heard a very chilling laugh and quickly leapt to his feet, which made his swimmy vision worse before finally clearing. He found himself in a small, silver room, completely smooth with no apparent entryways (or exits) and nothing around him but four smooth walls. He gave a startled gasp as one of walls seemed to melt into a doorway and then he positively screamed when the Captain entered…at a staggering two feet taller than him.

  “Oh silence yourself you pink coward. I am a Captain and your captor and as such I demand respect and QUIET.” David shuddered to the floor in a pile of whimpers and sobs, “How…how did you grow so large? Where AM I? WHAT in the world is happening?!” The Captain echoed the same chilling laugh David had earlier heard and gave him a dismissive wave of the hand. “I have not grown you fool, my Gyser gun has reduced you to a much more suitable and proper size. As for where you are, we are safely contained in the beautiful Ch’gwer, the pride of the entire Qerlurae space Navy. Do not fear though. We are fast headed home, my mission a success. Soon the testing will begin and you will have no head with which to worry (this statement, ironically, caused David to begin worrying quite a bit).”

  “M..m..mission? What mission? What are you doing with me? WHY am I being tested on?!” The Captain calmly stroked David’s head in an oddly comforting gesture before lowering his face to David’s and giving him a bone-chilling grin. “What is the mission you ask? Why you are of course. I was sent to shrink you down, contain you, and return you to my home planet so that our top scientific minds may poke and prod, electrocute and disembowel, and generally pull you apart and see how you tick!” David let out a high-pitched shriek of fear as the formally tiny visitor now turned giant captain made his way towards the door opening. “No one can hear you scream you know, we’re in space after all.” He then gave David quite a cheeky wink before exiting the room, the wall flowing closed behind him. On the other side of it his smile faded as he folded his hands together and walked back to his captains chair, “Then my boy, after we know your weaknesses, your soft spots, your genetic flaws, I will lead my glorious navy back to your spit of dirt and we shall wipe it clean of your putrid race and claim it in the name of the Qerlurae Empire!” Back in his room, David wet himself a little as he thought of his fiancé, their cat, his comfy apartment, and how he now had one HELL of a book idea.

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  About the Author

  S.M. Staggs is an active lover of sci-fi and comics. He enjoys writing for film and television as well as short stories. In his free time he enjoys reading Deadpool as well as watching Doctor Who and Torchwood with his fiancé. He has an extensive movie and book collection.