Posted by Leif G.S. in Amott's Hearth Series, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Sci Fi | 0 Comments
Sci Fi Flash Fiction: Amott’s Hearth (Origin)
The * entry in the Sci Fi Flash Fiction series Amott’s Hearth; filled with aliens, gods, conspiracies and a lost man from Kansas transported to the Hearth. Thanks for reading the series and enjoy!
“Ah, you are still amongst the living. I was worried for you; I did not expect you to survive after your immune systems started to fail. Do not try to move yet, we are in the process of getting your equipment registered and functional.”
The man shook his head as he moaned, blinking his eyes as he struggled to see against the bright lights glowing above him. The air felt cold against his sweat drenched skin, causing him to shiver. He tried to move his hand to his face but found his arms restrained by large leather bands. As his eyes focused, he noticed a large metal bracer clamped on his arm. Attached to the bracer were hoses of various colors, some hissing with steam while others pumped bright-green liquid. He smacked his lips and tried to speak, his tongue unable to work. The voice chimed in again somewhere behind him. “Do not struggle; the bracer is not ready to support your life force. You will be released soon; I promise no harm will come to you.”
“Where am I? Why am I here? The last I remember, I was driving away from a crash site. I pulled three children and their mother from a burning wreck before it exploded.” The man rasped.
“This is why you were chosen to join us, Craig T. Amott. Our god decided it was a waste to lose a hero to the universal abyss. He decreed you should live as long as you serve with honor and prove your worth on the battlefield.” The voice replied.
Craig struggled against his bonds, causing the lights to flare to the point he couldn’t see. He screamed in agony as he turned his eyes, hissing his words through gritted teeth. “Stop, wait a minute! I never fought anything in my life! I’ve shied away from guns, I use knives to cut my food and that’s it!”
The lights dimmed over his head, allowing him to see the figures in front of him. A loud groan rumbled to his right as the hoses attached to the bracer detached themselves. As the hoses retracted, the leather bands around his body retracted. Craig leaned forward, his eyes rolling back to his skull as he blacked out. A few moments later, he felt hands running over his frame and the murmur of alien voices. His eyes fluttered open spotting two large-horned humanoids speaking to each other. Their skin was a bright-red color and looked as if they were covered with thin scales. As his jaw went slack, he saw a third creature stand over him with a smile, his golden scales and sharpened teeth glinting from the radiating light. “Greetings, Craig T. Amott.”
Craig screamed in terror. He struggled as hands held him in place, his arms and legs flailing and thrashing. The golden creature nodded to the other two red reptilian looking creatures. The one closest to his bracer flipped open a small hatch and pressed a combination of buttons on the touch screen. Craig tried to scream again but stopped as his body started to relax, his violent emotions subsiding. The golden creature nodded to the two assistants before turning to Craig with a more subdued smile. “I am sorry; Craig T. Amott. I should have made sure you were acclimated to our world before you were revived. However, I could not risk losing you after all the trouble our god went through.”
“Where am I?” Craig asked.
The creature shook his head as his shoulders shook from laughter. “Forgive my manners; I tend to forget myself when a new species has arrived. You are now on Helke, commonly known as The Hearth. You are now an unwitting part of the struggle to maintain peace on this horrible chunk of cosmic garbage.”
Craig tried to move but fell back to the table with a groan as he clutched his head. The two assistants raced forward and helped him sit up, one gently patting him on the back as the other motioned for someone out of sight to come to them. “For someone who keeps saying how great their god is, you don’t sound too thrilled to be here.”
The golden creature nodded at Craig. The large horns on his head curled around his fin shaped ears much like ram’s horns on Earth. He opened his golden eyes and offered a smile as he motioned for Craig to follow him. “Come walk with me, Craig T. Amott. I have many things to tell you before our god shall meet with you. Our conversation might change your opinion of this place but it will also inform you of the matters at hand.”
Craig shook his head. He glared at the golden creature waiting for him by the door. “What if I refuse? I say no, you place me back in whatever it was that brought me here so I can return home to my daughter in Kansas.”
The golden creature hung his head for a moment, closing his eyes as he drew in a deep breath. He motioned for the remaining creatures to leave them.
“Are you sure that is wise, Herald? We do not have the restriction fields attuned to his bio-rhythms.” A red reptilian commented.
“Leave us; I must consult with the exotic alone.” The Herald nodded.
The Herald stepped aside as the three red reptiles filed past him. One stopped at the doorway and turned to give Craig a wink with a flick of its tongue. The Herald hissed and slapped the red reptile on the back, causing it to shuffle out the door. “You will forgive Ssshdra, she adores exotics. She was not supposed to be on this shift today, her affections can become unbearable at times.”
Craig’s eyes opened wide as he looked at the door. “That was a woman?”
The Herald waved the question off, taking a step away from the door. He looked at Craig with a guilty look on his face. “I regret to say you will not be able to return to your world. Even if you could do so, people on your world believe you have perished.”
“So you’re saying I’m a prisoner.” Craig said.
“I am saying you have a chance to make your existence mean much more in a cosmic sense here than you did on your world.” The Herald said.
Craig choked back tears as he looked at the floor, his chest heaving from sobs. The Herald turned his head, cleared his throat and folded his arms in front of his body.
