Episode 19 - Jerry

"What is it?" Fogweet asked burying his big eyes in my hair, getting my head all sticky as if it wasn't dirty enough.

"Not sure," the cop replied, now shaking from lack of nicotine.  "Whatever it was, it sure ain't that anymore."

"Hey Fogweet," I said trying to unlatch the little dude.  "Go look over in that pipe and see if you can find anything else."

"Like what, Uncle Jerry?"

"I don't know.  Maybe there's some candy or ice cream bars.  If you look really hard, you might even see our buddy Derrick."

"Okay."  He scampered off while I reached into my bag for my stethoscope, otoscope and knee hammer.  I also opened the app on my iPhone that did an instant PET scan and MRI to see if there was any life left in this thing.

"What do you think it is, Doc?" the cop asked while trying not to look but somehow couldn't seem to turn his eyes away.

"It is a Luminerian man roughly twenty-seven years of age, lacerated spleen, four broken ribs and a puncture to his left ventricle chamber.  He's got a cerebral contusion as well as a broken nose and eechymosis in both eyes.  If that isn't bad enough, it looks like he split his lip."

"It's not Derrick then?"

"No."  I started an IV, loading the guy up with all sorts of meds.  "Last time I checked Derrick was biologically Human."

"They look kind of the same," the cop continued, squinting as he watched me work.

"Not really."  I rolled the Luminerian over a tiny bit.  "He's got an extra leg right here in back.  In front, beneath his shirt there's a third arm.  I suspect he was trying to appear as Human to fool someone else.  Can you use your phone and ring someone to come get this guy?  I've got a beacon in my bag.  We can leave it flashing next to him to alert the rescue crew."

"Pretty!" Fogweet said as he returned with an ice cream bar.  He touched the red light and then laughed as his finger pulsed red too.  "Fogweet like flashy lights.  Can I keep it for myself?  Fogweet won't let brother and sisters play with my toy."

"No Fogweet," I said as I packed my bag after giving the Luminerian one last dose of morphine.  "The light belongs to the sick man.  Here, you can play with my knee hammer.  Just don't hit the nice policeman in the head."

"Fogweet don't want knee hammer!"  He threw it down and launched into a tantrum, stomping his feet.  "Fogweet want pretty light.  Fogweet get one for my own."  Then he scampered down the conduit toward the lift tubes.

"Where's he going?" the cop asked in a sweat.  "Are you sure you don’t have any nicotine gum in that bag?  I mean it, Doc.  I'm suffering.  I needed my fix two hours ago."

"Sorry, the only gum I've got is Juicy Fruit."

"Uncle Jerry?"  Fogweets voice echoed off the walls.  "Fogweet found another pretty light just for me."

"What?" I yelled back and started to run in his direction.  "Where are you, Fogweet?  What do you see?"

"That," Fogweet replied from the lift shaft.  An emergency beacon was flashing red like a nun buoy light.  It illuminated footsteps in the dust, a couple which looked like a size thirteen. 

"What do you think?" I asked the cop.  "Those could be Derrick's."

"I think a drink would work instead.  By chance do you have any alcohol in your bag?"

"Yeah," I admitted, tossing him a vial of the rubbing kind.  "I'm going to follow this trail and see if it's him.  Will you call your guys and have them back me up?"

"Sure," the cop sighed while rubbing his face.  "This is the best drink I've had since I've lived on Mars."  Then he took out his android phone and called his fellow cops.  "Can you bring me a pack of cigs and a loaded gun?  We're on the trail of the missing agent from that secret force.  The Doc here is as determined as a blood hound.  Maybe pick up a few sandwiches on your way.  Let's find this guy and get everybody home before dinner."

Episode 18 - Derrick

The trader released my shackles from the wall and I came crashing to the ground. Immediately there were hands under my arms dragging me across the floor. My head was still throbbing and I was in no shape to attempt to fight back against these creatures so I allowed myself to thrown around like a rag doll for the moment.

We exited the room we were in and found ourselves back in the conduit, “Now, you tell me where you hid the chip and this can all be over very soon Human.” The distaste for me and all humans was evident in the trader’s voice. I knew this was not going to end well, but I also knew the value of the chip and that I had to protect by any means possible, including losing my life.

I had no idea of whether Jerry was out there looking for me, or if anyone else was searching for my location, but I did have one idea of how I might bring some help my way. I directed the group down the conduit away from the link to the lift shaft, and thus away from where I had hidden the chip. The creatures crawled along the path I set forth and dragged me along behind them. Ahead of us was a faint light. As we approached the source of the light I could see the floor of the conduit was broken through providing another link to the lift shaft. I wanted desperately to keep them out of the shaft, but they were already descending and I was still shackled and being dragged along so I could not provide much resistance. There was a sudden tug and I slid through the opening and fell several feet to the bottom of the shaft floor.

I landed hard, but my fall was somewhat softened by the large mass of one of the traders beneath me. He let out a loud grunt and the life seemed to go from his body. I leaned over and examined the body with my hands. His neck was certainly broken. I felt around more for anything I could find. I quietly tucked a few finds in my pockets and then I heard the voice of the head trader calling back to his minion in whatever language they spoke. When there was no response, I could hear him coming toward us. I scurried to my feet and held my hands up to show I was not a threat. The trader and another of his men grabbed me by the back of my neck; “You show us chip now or next dead body is you!”

I nodded my agreement and pointed up the shaft.

As we walked I frantically searched the dark crevices of the shaft with my feet for what I needed. After several meters I finally stumbled over it. I tumbled to the ground and used that moment to pull the emergency safety beacon on the floor. My guess had been proven right, hoping the beacon would exist and hoping the backup power to the shaft had been restored; I had been able to activate a signal to the terminal’s safety and security department. Whether anyone was monitoring it at that moment was the least of my concerns. At least there was some request for assistance sent out.

The trader pulled me to my feet and ushered me forward. Now I had to just hold out til someone could find me. I prayed I’d still be alive when they did.

Tag Team in Space is an interactive collaborative science fiction story by J. Naomi Ay & Ahmad Taylor. Keep up on the adventures of Dr. Jerry Waldman and Sgt. Derrick Thomas as they experience the wild happenings on Mars and in outer-space.

Tag Team in Space - Episode 17 - Jerry

I didn't know where Derrick had disappeared to.  It seemed like we wandered these conduits for a week and a half.  Fogweet was getting whiney and needed a nap while the cop kept complaining that he had missed his smoke break.

"Derrick?" I yelled at each and every corner.  "Derrick, buddy?  We're here to rescue you."

"Listen, Doc," the cop finally sighed.  "I think we need to go topside.  It's the end of my shift and I'm off duty."

"Alright," I agreed though something in my gut was telling me there was a problem.  It was then that I remembered stuffed into the bottom of my kit was my new iPad Mini 68.  It had STE data transfer speeds which in space were amazingly fast.  It was provided by Spaceforce so I didn't have to pay as they had an unlimited plan.  I had downloaded an App before I left home that detected life force emissions.  It was only .99 cents and for an extra buck, I could upgrade to analyze heat waves.  "It had four and half stars," I told the cop and Fogweet as I knelt down to dig through my bag.

"Any chance you've got a cigarette in there too?" the cop asked all twitchy as he seriously needed a fix. 

"I've got ibuprofen or acetaminophen pills.  Sorry, I don't have any nicotine.  I do have an App that's supposed to help you quit.  My cousin in New Jersey was trying it.  He said it worked pretty well.  He was down to three a day.  You log in each time you want a cig and then…"

"I don't want an App!" the cop interrupted.  "All I want is one bloody cigarette."

"Sorry," I mumbled and pulled out the iPad, hoping it would find a signal.

"Cool," Fogweet gasped as he hadn't seen one before.  "Fogweet wants to play too."

"Later," I told him.  "I'll download Angry Birds but first we need to find our friend Derrick."  I opened the App and wouldn't you know it, immediately it registered a body.  It was around the corner from us and maybe ten metres down.  Fortunately, it was still pulsing blue.  The emissions were Co2 and the temperature was 97 which meant that it probably was human.  "That way!"  I pointed and took off at a run following the trail the App showed.  We rounded the corner and headed down the tube until the body came in sight.

 

"What?" the cop screamed.

"Ew!" Fogweet mumbled and climbed back on my head.

"Oy!" I yelled.  "What do we do now?"

Episode 16 - Jerry

"You're trying to steal a Martian baby!" the screener guy yelled at me.  "That's a Federal offense with a minimum sentence of twenty-five years in the clink!"

"I'm not," I insisted both to the guy and the Fogweet.  "He hid in my pants on his own.  I don't want him.  I don't need a nephew.  I've already got six of them back in New Jersey."

"Uncle Jerry," the Fogweet cried with big tears in his eyes.  "Why don't you love me?  I'm a good boy."

"You're under arrest."  An officer approached and flashed his holographic badge.  He grabbed me and shoved me against the wall.  I was patted down once again.  Fortunately, this time nothing strange popped out although I was getting tired of foreign hands in my private places.  The Fogweet climbed on my back and then sat on my head as the officer cuffed me and led me away.

"Please," I begged.  "I need to call Spaceforce Command.  Someone in the Distressed Officer Service can help out.  They'll explain the situation or at least provide me with an attorney as I'm certain I didn't do anything wrong."

"Save it for the Judge," the officer grumbled.  "I don't want hear about your problems today.  This spaceport's been in a state of crises all afternoon.  The lifts are out of service and some dudes went missing underground.  On top of that, Starbucks ran out of coffee."

"I'm one of the dudes!" I screamed.  "At least, I think I am.  I was stuck underground for several hours."  I explained about Fogwat, all the other Big Heads and the fight.  "Ask Derrick.  He was stuck down there with me.  He'll vouch for everything that I just said."

"Derrick?"  The officer stopped and turned around to look at me.  "You know Derrick?"

"Yeah, the one who is some kind of under-cover spy?"

"Do you know where he is?"  I got slammed against the wall again as the cop stuck his big nose in my face.

"No.  I left him a while ago and then Fogwat and I went home to his hole to deliver his Fogweets.  I almost stayed for dinner but it sounded like Fogwat would be the main course so I left as quickly as I could and came back here.  Didn't Derrick make it out?  Oh gosh, I hope that he's not hurt.  He was fighting those guys with that weird sword thing that he had.  Damn!  I've probably missed my plane already so we might as well go back down and see if we can find him.  I left him in the lift conduits somewhere near the outside door.  He told us to run and we did so it's not my fault."

"I don't care whose fault it is!" the cop growled and yelled for backup on his com.  He uncuffed me and pulled me along the wall.  "You had better find him and hope it's not too late.  Derrick is an asset we don't want to lose."  Then he shoved me through a door and followed me down a set of metal stairs.  We entered the tunnel that joined the conduits above the lifts. 

"It could be this way or that," I sighed looking left, right, up and down.  Each time I did, a light shown in that direction.  I realized the Fogweet was still sitting on my head and lighting the path for us while clutching my hair with his sticky Martian hands.

"Figure it out," the cop demanded.  "You had better be right or you are dead.  Messing with a Federal Agent will get you terminated."

"Left!" I cried quickly and made a move to step in that direction.

"Right!" the Fogweet yelled steering me like a horse.

"Which is it?" the cop asked and so for a moment I paused and thought.  I decided trust my fate to the Martian Fogweet.

"Right," I replied decisively and headed off in the right direction calling Derrick's name and hoping he was there.