Avery Trent - Chapter 11 (A Squid's Bride)

Captain Cornelius Quell had spent many many years searching for a bride. He'd traversed the depths of Saturn-6, dove to the bottom of Earth's oceans, and even once dared to plunge into the heart of a star. Alas, such missions always proved futile, and Quell's desire for a mate grew ever stronger. He hated having to listen to all of his friends boast about their own brides and how easily they'd found them. It only made his failures hurt him more.

Quell wasn't one for diaries – not many Cephalods were – but he did have a therapist who listened to every word he spewed. Granted, it wasn't like the therapist could choose not to listen. People tied to chairs often didn't have the luxury of choices. Nevertheless, Quell's therapist helped him through nights of depression and days of loneliness. The therapist once suggested that perhaps Quell's bride would be far brighter, or smarter, or caring than his friends'. Quell liked that idea very much, but his impatience was strong. He didn't care what his bride was like. He just wanted one.

There was one characteristic he searched out, but he'd never drawn close to finding anyone with it. According to Cephalod customs, a Cephalod's first mating should be with someone of exact or similar coloring to their own. Seeing as Captain Quell was a bright purplish hue, he'd had very little luck in his searches. Not many beings in the galaxy were such a shade.

Eventually, luckily, finally, though, he'd found one! He'd found someone whose skin resembled his own close enough that Cephalod customs had to allow it! They'd come from a shiny, silver can, floating through space. Quell's mind was racing, thanking all the gods of the universe, for he'd never come to terms with which one he liked most.

Smiling down at the tiny little man and his orange-tinted girlfriend, Quell squealed with glee.

“You see,” he said happily. “I've been looking for a bride for a very long time. And now I've finally been blessed with one!” He tossed his sights down to the beauteous pink creature lying unconscious on the cargo hold floor.

They had dark, spiky brown hair, a wonderful purple scarf, and a long dark cloak; but best of all was their skin – their fantastic pink skin. Quell's eyes sparkled as he stared down at his future bride. He finally felt happy.

Unfortunately, his joyous moment was brought screeching to a halt by a tiny cough. Quell turned his head and glared at the tiny man he'd captured with the pink creature. This one had terrible, unkempt tan hair and a disgusting pale skin. Quell gagged.

“What is it?” he demanded. The man blinked, then mumbled something to the orange girl.

“Avery, shush,” she said. The man tensed up, slightly but noticeably, and took to staring at nothing in particular. Quell adjusted the crown on his head and glared down at the girl.

“So,” he said. “Tell me. What is a Swae doing in this part of the galaxy?”

“I could ask the same of you,” Jasmine replied. “But I heard about the dolphins kicking you guys out.” Quell snarled. Jasmine continued. “I take it you haven't found a partner yet. You must be really desperate, choosing Jason.” Avery tried to suppress a laugh and was sent into a fit of coughing.

“Jason?” Quell asked, glancing at the pink person, now barely keeping from drowning in a pool of their own drool. Beautiful, Quell couldn't help thinking.

Jasmine pointed to the same pink person, now sputtering in the drool puddle.

“That's Jason,” she said.

“Jason...” Quell tried it out on his tongue. “Hmm.” He clicked his beak and repeated the name. He didn't particularly like it, but the girl was right; he was desperate.

“How much for the Jason?” he asked loudly.

“Wait, what?” the Avery man butted in.

“How much,” Quell started slowly, “for the Jason?” The man began to shake his head.

“No, no,” he stuttered. “You can't have him. Jasmine, he can't have him!” The girl sighed. Quell clicked his beak again and tilted his head.

“What? 'Him'?”

“Yes, 'him',” Jasmine said calmly. Quell turned his head back to Jason, beginning to feel his heart sink. The pink man was stirring now, and looked up from his saliva pond. Spit soaked his cheek, creating webs with the wet floor as his head rose.

“Wha-- What's happening?” Jason asked. Quell breathed in sharply and felt his heart racing. This creature had the voice of an angel!

Jason tried to stand, but slipped on the puddle his mouth had spilled. Avery started suddenly and moved to help him. Quell hissed at him, approaching Jason himself and holding the pink man's shoulder with a gentle tentacle.

“Easy, easy,” he said, hoping to sound soothing. Jason grabbed at Quell's tentacle arms blindly, glad for whatever help he had as he slipped and slid all over the floor. Gaining his footing somewhat, though greatly lacking any balance in his legs, Jason pulled himself up from near splits.

Finally standing, he held tightly to Quell's arm, breathing heavily.

“Well that was a workout!” he exclaimed. Quell chuckled. Avery thought he sounded like someone shaking a bottle of painkillers with only one pill left inside.

Jason looked around groggily at the cargo bay's occupants – Avery, Jasmine, the Cephalod captors, and finally Quell. As their eyes met, Jason blinked slowly and bleary-eyed, even smacking his lips and smiling a bit. Then he realized who he was holding onto. His eyes shot wide open and he stumbled backwards.

“Squid man!” he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the captain. Realizing the others were squids too, he shouted at them. “Squid men!”

“Uh, actually, I'm a girl!” one called back.

“Squid men and girl!” Jason cried. He tossed himself on Avery and Jasmine, firmly grabbing just above their elbows, then broke into a wild run across the hold, dragging them with him. The Cephalods quickly opened fire with their paralysis batons. A blast nearly caught Jasmine in the head, but she dodged it. Another exploded right on their heels, launching the trio several feet into the air. They landed heavily, but Jason's grip held and the three quickly regained their pace.

“No! No, stop!” Quell cried loudly, both at Jason and the Cephalods. The firing slowly died down, but the escapees continued with their escaping.

The rip in the floor between the Cephalod ship and the silver can was getting closer. Jason readied himself, hoping the others were readying themselves too. Releasing the two arms in his hands, he dropped to the floor and slid the last few feet, right through the giant tear in the floor.

“Hole-in-one!” he called as he hit the dusty floor of his own ship's spare room. Avery soon tumbled in after him, nearly utilizing Jason's stomach for a landing pad.

“Yeah! High five!” Jason said, pulling Avery to his feet and holding a hand in his face. Avery didn't have time to return the gesture before Jason groaned exasperatedly.

“Really, Jazzy?” he asked, miffed. Glancing upward, Avery found that Jasmine had been caught on a pointy edge of the hole and was now dangling by the back of her vest. She didn't reply, or indicate that she'd heard Jason at all.

“Jazzy, come on, just slide out of your jacket or something,” Jason prompted. “We can get you a new one, just come on!” Once again, there was no reply, and her expression remained the same – a sort of bored, detached look.

Avery was beginning to worry; maybe a blast from the Cephalod fire had caught her. Jason waved his arms and tugged at her foot.

“Jazzy! Hello?”

Suddenly, the sound of what could only be describes as tentacles on metal reached their ears. Above Jasmine, glaring down at them, enraged, was Captain Quell. Apparently squid men weren't very fast runners, or they just thought of chasing after escapees considerably late.

Two more Cephalod heads popped up on either side of the captain, followed by a tangle of tentacles slithering down towards Jasmine.

“Hey, no, watch it!” Jason warned, hopping up and pulling at Jasmine's leg, trying to get her down. “Avery, give me a hand!”

As the two tried to get her vest loose from the torn metal, or her loose from the vest, the squids wrapped their tentacles around her arms. With the squid men pulling upward and he and Jason pulling downward, it struck Avery that they might hurt Jasmine. He quickly let go of her leg and looked around at the floor.

“Avery, what the hell are you doing? Do you want to save Jazzy or not?” Jason grunted, taking hold of the ankle Avery surrendered. Ignoring Jason, who was now cursing at him, Avery scanned the dusty room.

“Dammit,” he muttered.

“Yeah, 'dammit' works too!” Jason yelled.

“Jason, I need a gun!” Avery yelled back.

“Does it look like I have one? They took our weapons, Avery! That's what you do when you capture someone!” Avery paused, felt very stupid, then hurriedly returned to helping Jason.

More tentacles trickled over the edge of the hole and found their way to Jasmine, causing Avery and Jason more and more difficulty in trying to get her down. Eventually, they were so outnumbered by Cephalods, that Jason couldn't do it anymore. His arms flew out to either side of him and he fell backwards. While Jason gripped an injured wrist, Avery tried to take over the boot he'd left, but the Cephalods were too strong. They ripped Jasmine right out of Avery's grasp and slipped her over the edge of the hole, taking her right into their custody once again.

Avery stepped back and stared up in horror. Quell disappeared from sight for a moment, then returned with an evil smile plastered across his rubbery face and crude, curved beak.

“It looks like your friend was injured by your escape attempt,” he said. “Seriously injured, I'd wager.” Avery's heart skipped a beat.

“All I wanted was your ship. Then all I wanted was your Jason! Now,” he paused for dramatic affect. “I have a bargaining chip!”

Jason ignored the squid's monologue, pushed Avery through the door, into the flight cabin, and slammed it shut behind them. He grabbed a large wrench from a shelf beside the door and swung at the door handle, breaking it. Avery tossed himself on the door, shouting.

“Why did you do that?” he cried. Ignoring Avery now, Jason hurried to the giant array of ship controls at the front and slammed his fist down on a big orange button. A big, heavy metal door crashed down over the original. Avery moved away from it just in time to save his hands. Pressing a series of other buttons and adjusting a lever, Jason fell into the pilot seat.

“Buckle up, Avery.”

“What about--”

“Avery,” Jason said sternly. “Just buckle up.” Avery clamped his mouth shut and sat down, fastening the large seat belt as fast as he could.

With one last flip of a lever, the can shook and shot forward at a blinding speed. Avery gripped his armrests so hard that his knuckles turned white. Jason whooped excitedly.

Checking the backwards-view screen, Avery saw a huge spaceship shrinking behind them. It took him a second longer than it should have for things to register in his mind.

With the silver can shooting through space at lightning speed, dropping behind a trail of cardboard boxes through the giant tear in its side, Avery Trent sighed and watched the Cephalod pirate ship disappear behind him, Jasmine Jupiter still on board.