Ancient Astronauts

What Are You?

"What the hell are you?" Hans asked a moment before the jaws closed around his face.

He figured his only weapon in this scenario was his voice and imagined the creature was just as curious about him as he was about it. Plus it held all the cards.

It worked.

The creature stopped and withdrew its long snout.

"You are the one from the shship," it hissed in barely comprehensible English, "I told you to free usss."

Hans looked up at it, shock written all over his face as he realized who he was speaking to, "I was burned on the bridge. I would've helped you if I'd been able."

"That's what they all sssay," the creature responded, "I would help you...but I have an exssxcuse."

"Perhaps I can help you now?" Hans said, "Tell your people to stand down. We are clearly both intelligent. We can talk this out."

"It'sss, too late for that," the creature's breath reeked of moldy water, and Hans had to do all he could not to wrinkle his nose. He imagined that was insulting regardless of species.

"Why is it too late?"

"Becaussese," the creature's voice held an angry rumble, "we have landed."

"Yes, we've landed and you're out. Free! Why attack us?"

"Becaussese the wicked man of the big houssse, holdss our familiess."

Of course it was something like that. Hans thought to himself. The oldest leverage in the book. If someone took away his Aly, what would he do to get her back? Or even just buy time to figure out a way to get her back?

"Youu, die now," the creature hissed, sliding out the claws on one hand, "I'm sssorry."

"Wait!" Hans cried, shifting slightly and wincing in pain as the lizard creature tightened its grip. Hans figured if it was intelligent it may have a concept of a dying wish, "You still haven't told me what you are...or who you are, specifically. I'm Hans."

The grip loosened ever so slightly. Suddenly, Hans wasn't just a meatbag that talked but someone with a name.

The creature regarded him for a long moment, "I am not much given to talking," its voice like a slow whispering hiss, "but I'll grant you what you ask. I am Ssaldarix, Chieftain of the Caelbodwin. Your ancssestors called uss Koboldss. We entered your mythologiesss az monssters even though it wass you who killed off all but my tribe," Saldarix leaned closer to Hans and whispered, "Ssso you ssseee now. Wee are not monssterss, wee are Earthlingsss."

"I'm sorry Saldarix," Hans said, stumbling over the pronunciation.

"Sssorry doessn't cover yoour geenosside, but we forgave mosst of you a longg time ago."

"I'm sorry for that too."

"Mm?" Saldarix looked down just in time to see the muzzle of Hans' Sig Sauer come up.

Hans fired five shots in rapid succession into Saldarix's chest at point blank range. The kobold slid to the ground with a sigh.

When Hans managed to sit up, he was astonished to see the kobold hauling himself backward toward the filing cabinets, blue rivulets of blood oozing slowly from his chest.

Saldarix looked up at Hans. If the human champion expected to see rage or hate, he was surprised to find only sadness in the sagging head and dull eyes of his adversary.

"Six thousssand years," Saldarix choked, blood oozing from his mouth.

"What?" Hans asked.

"Six thousssand years, I have lived. The lasst and youngest of the Caelbodwin elderss. Thiss iss enough. Finishsh me."

"Kill a relic?" Hans shook his head and stood up. Looking down at the kobold elder, "I'm going to make this right. We're doing things differently now."

The kobold on the floor made a wheezing, gurgling sound that Hans thought was an attempt at a laugh, "You sssound. Like. Jefferssson."

Hans shook his head as if to clear it. That was ancient history to him, but he accepted that Saldarix could've lived at that time.

"Do you know who attacked the bridge?" He asked. He thought he knew who was behind this, but he had to be sure.

"I can't ssayy."

"You can say, and you will. I can't help you if you don't."

Saldarix looked up at him through dimming eyes, "If I tell you," the elder hissed, "You will go to him...and you will die along with many many othersss. Can't you ssee, I am trying to protect your colony...without ssseeing my own children ssslain?"

Hans was shocked to hear those particular words sliding from the mouth of the creature attacking his town, "That doesn't make any sense. You mean to tell me, that whoever this is wants me to go to him, and the lives of your children depend on it, but you would kill me to prevent me from going. What kind of horse shit is that?"

Saldarix cackled softly, weakly, "You are not hisss target, Hansss. You are but one meansss to an end of many for hiiim."

Hans got low and close, dangerously close. The kobold could easily slash his throat from this range. Hans looked him in the eyes. "I am not afraid to die, Saldarix. I am afraid of what will happen to my people if the monster behind this doesn't. And now I have your people to worry about too. So tell me. Who attacked the goddamn bridge?"

Saldarix regarded him calmly for a long moment from the floor. Then hung his head and hissed, "Jamesss Martin'ss lackeysss."

Just then three men burst into the room sweeping rifles back and forth. More could be heard behind them. Hans held out a hand for them to lower their weapons. Cautiously, they obeyed.

"Leave him," Hans ordered, "We have bigger fish to fry."

"What about the town?" Laptop asked, his normally ecstatic expression grim.

"We will save the town," Hans said as he led them back down the hall, "By cutting off the head of the snake."

He brought the radio up, "Papa Bear to Angel Bird, do you copy?"

"I copy Papa Bear," Alyonna's frightened voice came over the radio.

"What's going on? Are you safe?"

"I am," Alyonna answered, "The house was attacked and Sgt. Batts is badly wounded. How he's even still alive, I don't know. Those claws are nasty Hans. They took out a good chunk of his skull. Ensign Matthews brought the jeep around back. We're heading for the fort. Admiral Kepler is sending men to meet us and escort us the rest of the way."

"Thank God," Hans replied relieved, "You get to that fort and stay there, Aly. I'm going to finish this."