Grendel Unit 3: Fight the Power Read Online Free Page B
Author: Bernard Schaffer
at how many times you got demoted and cost the rest of us pay and time with our loved ones. Why? All because you couldn't follow the rules, or play their little game, and now look at where we are. General Milner wanted you to be a spoke in the wheel, but instead, you insisted on being a damned landmine! Well done, captain. Well done."
Vic felt like one of Monster's massive feet had slammed him in the stomach and knocked all the air out of him. "Did you always feel that way? Did…Frank and Bob feel that way?"
"Of course," Monster said.
"So why didn't you all say something then? You could have tried. It was your job to protect me too! A lot of damn good it does us telling me now."
Monster looked up at him in the darkness, seeing that the man he'd once considered great was becoming nothing more than a pale, shadowy version of his former self. Both of them were dressed in ugly orange prison jumpsuits. They were eating prison slop and breathing fetid prison air. Soon, they'd be as diseased and hollowed-out as the rest of them. There were already patches of fur missing from Monster's back and arms. At least there were no bugs. Every day, the sanitation jets on the ceiling sprayed them all with disinfectant and the Gods-Knew-What-Else. Hell, that was what was probably making Monster's fur fall off.
The Mantipor shook his head and said, "We never told you because you made us believe. In you. In the mission. In doing whatever it took to win. But if there is one thing I have learned, sitting here in this cell, day after day, night after night, weeping for my little ones who I will never see again, it's that the people who believe are the ones who suffer. It is better, by far, to be a spoke in the wheel, because then you don't get run over."
Vic stood in the darkness for a while after that, not speaking. Monster closed his eyes and settled down once more, trying to go back to sleep. Vic tapped him on the foot and said, "You could look on the bright side."
Monster opened his eyes again and said, "Please, illuminate me as to what the bright side of living in this never ending nightmare could possibly be."
Vic smiled lopsided at him and said, "You always complained about not being to go on away missions with me. Well, here we are. Ta-dah!"
Monster laughed in spite of himself and said, "Now I'm sure of it. You're definitely insane."
Vic waved his hand for Monster to come out of the cell and said, "I know what you need. Come on. It's been too long."
"Too long since what?"
"Since you had any exercise. I have just the thing. It will help clear your mind."
Monster squinted at him and said, " I do not feel like going outside."
"What, you're going to sit there until the rest of your fur falls off? The sun might do you some good, and besides, I don't think I could stand the sight of you bald all over. Come on. Trust me."
"Trusting you was how I got into this mess."
"So maybe it will also help you get out. Come on. You'll like it, I promise."
Monster shook his head and lowered it into his shaggy paws, using them to block out anything else Vic said. As he did so, he looked down and saw a new patch of hairless flesh along the underside of his right arm, revealing the embarrassingly pink skin beneath his fine, chestnut brown fur. He turned his head and inspected underneath his other arm, seeing the beginning of two bald spots. Monster slumped his hands down in his lap and muttered, "Damn you, human."
3. Rebel Without a Pause
Sgt. Bob Buehl looked down at the computer console and his eyes widened. There were flashing red dots indicating multiple anti-spacecraft weapons systems on the surface of the planet below, and many of them were now trained on their ship. "I thought he said this place was not well guarded!" Bob said.
Frank was too busy staring at his own schematics to pay attention to the edge of panic in the sergeant's voice. Maybe he'd just gotten too used to hearing it by then. "He said the guards don't get involved with
Vic felt like one of Monster's massive feet had slammed him in the stomach and knocked all the air out of him. "Did you always feel that way? Did…Frank and Bob feel that way?"
"Of course," Monster said.
"So why didn't you all say something then? You could have tried. It was your job to protect me too! A lot of damn good it does us telling me now."
Monster looked up at him in the darkness, seeing that the man he'd once considered great was becoming nothing more than a pale, shadowy version of his former self. Both of them were dressed in ugly orange prison jumpsuits. They were eating prison slop and breathing fetid prison air. Soon, they'd be as diseased and hollowed-out as the rest of them. There were already patches of fur missing from Monster's back and arms. At least there were no bugs. Every day, the sanitation jets on the ceiling sprayed them all with disinfectant and the Gods-Knew-What-Else. Hell, that was what was probably making Monster's fur fall off.
The Mantipor shook his head and said, "We never told you because you made us believe. In you. In the mission. In doing whatever it took to win. But if there is one thing I have learned, sitting here in this cell, day after day, night after night, weeping for my little ones who I will never see again, it's that the people who believe are the ones who suffer. It is better, by far, to be a spoke in the wheel, because then you don't get run over."
Vic stood in the darkness for a while after that, not speaking. Monster closed his eyes and settled down once more, trying to go back to sleep. Vic tapped him on the foot and said, "You could look on the bright side."
Monster opened his eyes again and said, "Please, illuminate me as to what the bright side of living in this never ending nightmare could possibly be."
Vic smiled lopsided at him and said, "You always complained about not being to go on away missions with me. Well, here we are. Ta-dah!"
Monster laughed in spite of himself and said, "Now I'm sure of it. You're definitely insane."
Vic waved his hand for Monster to come out of the cell and said, "I know what you need. Come on. It's been too long."
"Too long since what?"
"Since you had any exercise. I have just the thing. It will help clear your mind."
Monster squinted at him and said, " I do not feel like going outside."
"What, you're going to sit there until the rest of your fur falls off? The sun might do you some good, and besides, I don't think I could stand the sight of you bald all over. Come on. Trust me."
"Trusting you was how I got into this mess."
"So maybe it will also help you get out. Come on. You'll like it, I promise."
Monster shook his head and lowered it into his shaggy paws, using them to block out anything else Vic said. As he did so, he looked down and saw a new patch of hairless flesh along the underside of his right arm, revealing the embarrassingly pink skin beneath his fine, chestnut brown fur. He turned his head and inspected underneath his other arm, seeing the beginning of two bald spots. Monster slumped his hands down in his lap and muttered, "Damn you, human."
3. Rebel Without a Pause
Sgt. Bob Buehl looked down at the computer console and his eyes widened. There were flashing red dots indicating multiple anti-spacecraft weapons systems on the surface of the planet below, and many of them were now trained on their ship. "I thought he said this place was not well guarded!" Bob said.
Frank was too busy staring at his own schematics to pay attention to the edge of panic in the sergeant's voice. Maybe he'd just gotten too used to hearing it by then. "He said the guards don't get involved with
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