Chapter 6?

“It is time.” said an all to familiar voice from the other said of the bars. I groaned outwardly and turned to see Tober and a Steroid head waiting for me. I stood reluctantly, casting a glance back at Jink who frowned at me. The egg like device that Tober had given me was in the sleeve of my shirt. I had not shown it to Jink. I had wanted to and even started to, but something had stopped me and I had kept quiet about it. I just prayed I would not be searched.

“Aww, please don't start bawling or else I just might have to hit you.” Typical Jink.

“Goodbye to you to.” I responded, managing a smile that my eyes didn't match.

'Come on!' Demanded Tober, impatient as ever.

'Don't let him cook you like a crux.” Where the last words I heard her say. Some of the prisoners called out encouragement as we made our way down the hall. Others like, Zyrat not so much.

'I hope they fry you.” He hissed and I couldn't help but slow long enough to do the hand symbol again. I heard his insults even after we passed through the doors that led into the break room. My grin faded somewhat wondering if his insult held any truth. Could they fry me? We had the death penalty back home. Electrocution and lethal injection, but they where only reserved for the worst of the worst.

In silence now we made our way through the ship and to the room I had been first brought, the garage. I hadn't notice it before, likely because I was in a state of shcok, but there where other vehciles besdies the mini van sized one we had came in. There where ones even smaller that barley looked big enough for one persion to squeeze into. I guess aliens didn't have the obesity problems.

He selected one that was twice as big as the one he had traveled on earth, but still had the same desgin. There where four placed to sit. One was in the front and had the same kind of control panle like the last

“Sit!” He demanded pointo to one of the seats.

“I get a seat now!” I exclaimed with mock excitement and selcted the one in the middle. He did his growl agan, but said nothing as he took the seat in front. I was thankfull however. It beat laying motionsless like a rag doll on the floor. He powered up and the ritual of the doos opening and clsoing began and once more we where in the wild blue yonder that is space. Once more my mouth dropped to my chin.

We where not near earth anymore. In fact we did not even look to be in the solar system. I saw a carft whiz by ours, casuing Tober to grumble out loud. There was a planet to our right and above it three blueihs looking moons.

“Where are we?' I whsiepred in awe. Tober grumbled as if that was the last thing in the world he wanted to answer.

'The Yimark system. About 200 light years from your solar system.”

“Holy shit.” I whispered. How had we gotten here so fast? It had been two weeks on the ship, but it was anywhere near long enough to travel this far. Somethng suddenly sprang to mind. The hyper jump thing that the ship had done two weeks ago... could that have gotten us here? A way to leap frog vast multitudes of sapce? Or maybe they had found a way to create a worm hole? Or open a portal to a distant part of the galaxy! I was tempted to ask Tober, but thought better of it. Instead I decdied to occupy my time by looking out the window and there was lost to look at.

Planets of all shapes and sizes, ships of varying degsins, moons and astriods fields. It beat the pansts of any Hollywood tours of movei star houses. I got see actually stars! Severeal Swifts had past amd not a word was spoken. Tober seemed keen on pioting the ship and I was just keep on looking out the window.

'Where's the... bathroom?” I asked nerevously

“Back there.” Grunted Tober without looking back

After another swift.

“How long until we reach...”

'”Not until the next roundbaout”

After two more swifts and growling stomach.

“Is there anything to eat?”

“No” I sighed, this was begiinng to grow boring. We where going through an astriod field now as we had been for the last sevreal swifts After a while I got out of my chiar and laid on the ship floor in an effort to try and get some sleep. I failed. I tossed and turned as my mind whirled on a millon miles an hour as I tried to imagine what tomorrow was going to be like. After a while I got back in the chait. Then laid back down I must have finally passed out because I felt a hard jab to my side.

“get up!” grwoled Tober.

“We are here.” That got me awake I scrambled to my feet and looked out the window at where we where. It was a large field of grass. If I didn't know any better I would have said we where someone on earth and for one heartbeat I thought that we where. Earth didn't have a yellow sky however or a purple moon. I couldn't help but feel a tinge of dissapointment. This was where my trial was going to take place? In the middle ofa field? I was expecting something more along the lines, of I dunno... something like in Star Wars.

“This is it?” I asked

“Yes, the Zarsks like to pay homage to their roots and where they come from. They hold all their important events here.

“Now let's go. They area waiting.” What? Already? I wasn't ready yet. I needed time. Like, to flee. To hide. I wasn't ready for this. Tober's eyes narrwoed and bored into mined at my hesitation. Was it just me or was it suddenly getting warmer?

Not wanting to be turned intoa human torch I followed him out of the ship. It was only then that I saw that not only did the field seemd to go on in all directions for as far as the eye could see, but there was building of some types up ahead. It had been behind me when I had been looking was why I hadn't seen it.

It grew bigger as we approched it and I was surprised at how... primitive it looked. It appeared to be made of concreate or it had the same dull color anyway. It looked like a giant gazabo. A large round area with a round roof that was suported by colums. As we grew even closer I could see that the area rose in the middle gardually and in steps, like raise rings. The middle was the smallest and about as big around as a sewer opening and about ten feet high.

The next ring was about three feet down and then there was one more level arund that. It was the bottom, the ground level that I was focused on. A numner of figured could be seen standing around the circle. I counted about a dozen in all. As the yards became feet I counted about a dozen figures and as the feet grew less and less I could see that they had on red robe like cloaks. I couldn't help but think of how cliché they looked.

I stoppe dead in my trek when I realized that the cloaked figures where giantic upright grasshoppers, just like the one I had seen in Tober's device. I shook my head. I didn't want to go any closer. Tober pushed me from behind and yet I held my ground.

“Let's go!” I shook my head and didn't move. Couldn't move. Not one for patients, Tober gripped my arm in his metal one and began to drag me forward. Finally I went, focring one leg in front of the otheer. Each step seemed to be harder and harder to take, until when we finally drew up to the platform, I was shaking. The cloaked figured turned as one to look at me and in thiere eyes I could see, well.... not much. I was not trained at reading the moods of grasshoppers.

“You are late.” Said one who had drawn to the front of the group. The voice was called and emotionless.

''I apologize.” said Tober simply. Anybody that could get Tober to apologize was to cautious of in my books

“You.” He said, his black insect like eyes boring into minds

“Get on the middle platform.” He commanded. I had a feeling that there where not many that went against his orders and I was not about to be the first. I climbed my way toward the highest area, trying my best not to shake. I could hardly hear myself think because my heart was pounding so loudly and I forced myself to take small even breaths. I would not start to hyperventilate.

I stood felling horribly exposed and as if I had been put on display and in a way I guessed I had. I was already ready to be down and for this to be over. Go ahead and sentience me to life in prison or to the death penalty. Juts let me hurry up and get down. Besides, the wind had picked up and it was rather chilly. The one who had spoke to me and Tober, at least I thought it was him as they all looked so much alike, stepped up to the ring below mine and looked out at those gathered.

“It is time for the trial for trial to begin. Well, duh I thought why else would we be here. I kept my mouth shut however.

“As you all know this... human has been shown in the act of killing one of our own. One who every one of us knew. One who had done great things for our kind.” He paused for a moment.

“We are here to sentience this human. To bring justice to Yin Yak who was tragically taken before his time”

I did not like the way things where going. Not in the least. Wasn't the judge supposed to be impartial?

“Are there any objections?” He asked the group. No one spoke up.

“Therefore let us proceed to the sentencing.” Wait.. what? Weren't they even going to speak to me? I wanted to say something, to speak before my behalf, but I was afraid to at the same time. What ended up happening was a half grunt half attempt at a protest. All eyes turned to me.

“Do you have something to say?” Comnaded the head hauncho.

“I, uhhh...” I stammered.

“This grows tediois. If you do not have anything to say then we will procedde I swallowed. It was now or never. I let outa breath of air and then began.

'I just wanted to say I was sorry for what happned. It was an accident. I know that does not change anything, but I wanted to aologize anyway.”

“That is of no concern!” Roared the one I had nicknamed double H for head haunco

“You are murderer and you will be codemned. It was being called a mudrer that seemd to put a chnarge in me.

'Manslaughter!” I snapped.

“Excuse me?”

'What I did was man slaughter. It means I killed Yink Yak, but that it was an accident. We call that man slaughter where we come from!”

“Your human terns are none of our concren. It is time for the sentcing to begin.”

“We have deided that for your taking of Yin Yak's life and the way your species has been sprawling out of control that we will execute the human race!”

It took a moment for the words to sink in. I could not have heard him correctly, I just could not have.

“Whu what?” I asked praying I had heard wrong.

“The human race will be executed at the end of thirty roundabouts. You will continue with your sentince under Tober's case in psrion until you had passed away from natural causes.” A mninute went by and then another. Yet I stood thete unmoving. The world could have been coming to an end and I wouldn't have known it

'That's not fair.” My voice was barley about a whusper and it trembled. The Zraks where already getting ready to leave, talking amonsgt themselves as if what had just ahppened was nothing as if they had not sentinced an entire race to dearh.

“That's not fair.” I was louder this time and my voice carried loud enough for the one in charge to turn back.

“Excuse me?”

“I said that's not fair. It isn't right! You can not codeme an entire race for the actions of one!” I had lost control of myself. I was screaming now at the top of my voice. I felt I had a right to be though. They could not due this. Punish me yes, but not evreyone.

“Enough!” He shouted, for the first time displaying some sort of emotion

“No.” My voice was calmer now steadier but my hands where drawn into tight fists.

“You want to punish someone? Then punish me. Execute me if you will, but don't codename an entire race because of me.” I was willingly to do it to. There was no way I could let six plus billion people die Not if I ever wanted to live with myself.

He had been on the main platform, but now he stepped up to the second one and closer towards me.

“We have watched your people for hundreds of years. We have watched them progress more and more yet go nowhere, go backwards even. I am surprised your species haven't destroyed each other yet. It is bond to happen soon. We have visited other planets, studied other races and none of them compare to yours in terms of the sheer cruelty and savagery they inflict on themselves on a daily basis.”

Each word that was spoken only caused me to grow more and more angry.

“What the hell did you know about us? Have you ever meet one of us? Have you ever tried to inteact with one of us. You haven't because then you would see that not all of us are like that. Not all of us are monsters. There are a lot of good people in the world. People who try and do better in the world and they don't deserve to die.”

“That is of no concren. When a batch of crops becomes infected we destroy them, the good and the bad for there is no other way to control the infection.” It was then that I lost it again. He was actually comparing us to nunch of damn crops. I swung back my fist and I struck him as hard as I couold. I watched as he tumbled bcakwards down the platform and hit the ground hard. I followed hands drawn into fists, ready to strikle again. Wanting to strike agaian and again and again.

Others rushed over, including Tober, but he waved them away and shkaingly got to his feet. He turned to me.

“You see? Look at yourself. You are no better than any other of your kind. You let your emotions overide you.r anger, you hatred take control of you. Our decson has been made.” and with than he vanished, just dissapapred, as did the rest of them.

“Where are they? Where the hell did they go!” I scaremed at Tober who for the first time ddid not seem to get angry at me

“They are gone. They used their transporting device. They went home more than likely.” So that was it then. It was over. The world was going to be destroyed and there was not a damn thing I could do about it.

I took of running, just picked a direction and went. I did not care if Tober came after me. At the time Tober was the very least of my worries. I just ran. The field never seemed to end, just go on forever and ever and who knew, maybe it did. After a while I collpased to the ground on my knees in utter exhasution.. I gasped for air in big heaving breaths and cried, just cried.

When I grew tired of that I switched to ripping up chunks of grass. Handfull after hanfull came up and where shredded. I pounded at the ground with my fists and screamed worlessly at the top of my lungs until my thoaht was horse. Finally I rolled over and curled up into a ball to exhasuted to do anything else. I don't know how long I lay there. It had grown drak and colder and still I did not move. I wanted the world to open and and swallow me

“We have to leave.” Said a voice from above me

'Go away, please just... go away.” I answered without looking up. Let him kick me. I did not care.

“I can't do that.” I rolled over finally as it was obvious he was not leaving.

“I suppose you are happy now.”

“happy?” He echoed.

“That I got my punishment. Congrdulations You will not have to worry about arresting any more of us humans.” My words where bitter and angry. More tears trickled down. Who had known one person could cry so much.