Derrick stormed over to me leaving a trail of dead and mutilated big heads in his wake. He was waving that plasma thing like I was going to be his next victim. I scrambled to my feet and picked up my bag, holding it in front of me to block his advance.
“Listen, friend,” I called. “I’m not your enemy. I don’t know what the dude is talking about. I don’t have any chips although I’m growing a giant one on my shoulder when it comes to you. You didn’t have to kill all these guys. If you weren’t under some kind of government protection, I’d have half a mind to arrest you for violating Allied Initiative 57-3, Protection of Lower Life Forms and Otherwise Unknown Species.”
“Where’s the chip!” Derrick screamed obviously ignoring everything I had just said. I was about to protest again but I heard a whimpering voice calling my name.
“Jerry,” it pleaded. “Jerry, friend Jerry?”
“Fogwat!” I turned to find Fogwat splayed on the floor. He was missing an arm, his one remaining clutched at the empty shoulder socket, all three of his big eyes leaking with tears.
“Ah, Fogwat, hang on there, buddy.” I knelt down beside him and fumbled through my bag. ”I’ll give you something for the pain.” I found a syringe and injected his empty shoulder with morphine, quickly calculating in my head his height, weight and dosage.
“What about his arm?” Derrick asked suddenly sounding contrite. He had found either Fogwat’s or another dude’s limb and was holding it out to me. “Can you sew it back on?”
“I don’t need to. Big heads are evolved from planeria and can regenerate limbs fairly quickly. It’s painful but temporary. Are you feeling a little better, Fogwat?”
“Yes, friend Jerry.” Fogwat sniffed and sat up. He glared at Derrick. ”You killed my arm. My arm liked to push buttons. My arm was my friend.”
“Listen Fogwat,” I said and helped him to his feet. “Neither of us know anything about a chip. Why does the Big big head want it?”
“Fogwat only ride lift and bring human guys. Big big head need chip to pay off mean trader.”
“Who trader? What trader?” Derrick demanded. “Come on, Fogwat dude, tell me about that guy.”
I looked over to Derrick and we exchanged glances. “What if there is another pair of humans stuck in a lift somewhere and Fogwat ended up with us by mistake?” Derrick started pacing and stroking his chin. His eyes flickered in the darkness as he considered the ramifications. “I’m on it,” he said and started running down the tube.
“Not without me,” I cried and grabbing my stuff, bolted after him.
“Me too!” Fogwat jumped up and lit up his head, a tiny little hand now sticking out of his shoulder stump.
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