The Monkey Boy Warrior

The Death Machine

Chapter 5

"Your defeat of Bos must have been an accident, human beast," Gar said in a dangerous tone.

"Yes, Instructor Gar," Monk said. "It was an accident. I could never have defeated such a distinguished warrior."

Gar tilted his head to the side as he scanned Monk's face as though trying to find telltale signs that he was lying. "You have many enemies among the Goom instructors here at the training site on Dagi's moon."

We are on a moon, not a spaceship! Monk thought as he kept his head lowered and remained silent.

"I don't know if I can protect you. I don't know if you are worth protection," Gar said; he tilted his head to the side again in a twitching movement. "Tor-dec wants to see what kind of warrior you will make, or I would allow Zek to kill you at his pleasure."

Not knowing what to say, Monk again said nothing.

"I would like to end the training of all human beasts. But the empire needs soldiers to die for it. Gooms have sacrificed enough in the war against the bugs. It is better than you naked apes should die instead," He glanced at Monk with a tilted head. "Strange that you are the only human beast with body hair. One might think you are a different race from the other human beasts."

"War against the bugs, Instructure Gar?" Monk asked, not wanting Gar to pursue his current thought.

Gar's head twitched to the side as he gave Monk a piercing glance.

"We are training you human beasts to battle a horde of bugs that are moving from planet to planet, destroying all lifeforms," Gar's head twitched again. "It is no secret."

"Where do these bugs come from?" Monk asked.

"From a galaxy beyond the void. Such a vast distance that the ships from the empire have never visited. It is a great mystery how the bugs travel from one planet to the next planet. On one has ever detected one of the ships."

"Is the empire winning the battle, Instructor Gar?" Monk asked meekly.

I got to keep him talking. He is giving me so much information!

"Enough questions!" Gar growled, and he pounded on his chest with his fist. "You human beast asks too many questions."

Monk bowed his head lower.

Good while it lasted.

"Go to your dormitory. I tire of your presence, human beast!"

Monk took a respectful step back before turning and hurrying to the portal, fearing it would close and seal him in the training room overnight.

"What did the big mucky-muck have to say," Jay Jay asked as Monk entered the dormitory."

"Monkey Foot was probably brown-nosing him so he can be his pet. Maybe the old baboon will put a collar around his neck and lead him around the training room like a dog," John called out as he glanced at Monk as though he was an alien himself.

"Monk might not stand up to you, John, but I will. Now back off and mind your own business, or I'll give you a knuckle sandwich," Jay Jay said, taking a step toward John.

"What are you? His attack dog?" John asked but backed up. He turned and walked back to his bunk as Jay Jay glared at him.

Jay Jay waited until the red-haired bully was out of ear range. "So what did the head twitching old Bab say? Hey, I just have them a good nickname. Babs!"

"That all the instructors wanted me dead."

"We knew that already. You caused the death of one of them. I guess you can't really blame them," Jay Jay said, still smiling over his proclaiming the baboon-faced aliens as Babs.