A HERO KNOWS WHEN TO RUN
Original Character by Anarchangel; Story by The Atomic Punk
“Saboteurs had destroyed our main generator and beam stations. We had no power. The A’sing tanks had broken our mainline defenses. This was going to be our last stand. With our shield wall down, our soldiers were able to flee just as easily as the A’sing invaders would be able to overrun us. Though the penalty for desertion is death, I could not bring myself to shoot them in the back.
“Kattarrok approached me. For certain I thought that he was going to crush my skull with his mighty Badak hands. The explosion that took out the generator also killed three of his engineers and damaged his translator comm. With no idea what he would do, I dropped to my knees and begged for mercy. The lumbering giant lifted me into the air by my throat.
“I looked into his eyes. This beast was going to snap my neck. Instead, he lowered me to the ground. He pointed to the row of damaged vehicles in the motor pool. He held up eight fingers then led me to the garage. Kattarrok pointed to the power plant of one of the hovertanks. He ripped the hood off in one clean jerk. That could have been my head!
“Again, the Badak chief engineer held up eight fingers. Then he pointed to the shop tools. He looked across the way and pointed to a group of soldiers awaiting orders. Eight… he needed eight power plants for salvage. Quickly, I called the men to the motor pool. The troops began cannibalizing the wrecks.
“In the meantime, Kattarrok had found more volunteers who were willing to fight to the last. He sketched a grid of the base’s power lines. He pointed to several areas then drew lines that led to the motor pool. The engineer wanted us to re-route the network. I tried to argue that we should be establishing a defensive position. We had but a few hours before the A’sing on-slaught. Kattarrok snorted. I was in no position to argue with a Badak.
“He left us to work. I saw him take one of the few remaining loading trucks over to the base gym. What was he getting from there? He returned soon with a treadmill sized for his race. After a quick inspection, we lined the power plants in a chain. The engineer attached the electrical cables using a few clamps and tape. More bizarrely, he closed the circuit by coupling the mainline to his safety harness.
“Kattarrok gestured for everyone to stand clear of the motor pool. He stepped aboard the treadmill then began to run. Faster and faster, I believed a Badak could sustain a pace of 50 kilometers per hour. This engineer, he must have been a champion marathon runner among his people!
“There were loud sparks and shots of electricity coming from the power plants. Even Kattarrok’s harness took a few hits. Still, he ran. Slowly, the defense shield began to rise. The laser batteries came back on-line. Saints be praised!
“Over the frequency, we heard New York Command announce incoming air support. The soldiers rushed to man the batteries. The men’s morale boosted as we sang the Allegiance to Honor. If we held the line for another hour, earth would remain free. As I am here to tell you this story of a brave Badak engineer with this shiny new medal on my chest, you can guess the outcome.
“Kattarrok, when are you going to learn English? The Badak language is so hard on the human throat. There he is, ladies and gentlemen. Salute to the rhino bastard whose thick hide saved ours!â€
Cheers!
