the bottom of his feet gripping like the green slim he had gotten on his boots.
Reebak struck out with several vicious blows, but did nothing apart from make more holes in the walls. Reebak then broke off the attack as suddenly as he had begun and smiled up at Neekay baring all of his serrated dark blue teeth.
“Poor old Neekay, stuck with the same old technology. So predictable,” scoffed Reebak.
“Perhaps, but it's still deadly enough to kill you!” spat Neekay fiercely.
“Ahh, that’s where you’re wrong Neekay! I am the culmination of eight years of the most advanced research in the known systems. I’m here to prove once and for all that Sangakaran technology cannot match the new technology of the Varkian collective. I’m going to kill you Neekay and I’m going to enjoy it even more than killing your brother.”
Neekay ignored the anger and hatred swelling inside him. Though it felt like swallowing jagged glass, he could not afford to lose focus. Quietly under his breath he spoke the ancient tongue and a new set of filter cells slid down over his eyes. As the cells slide down Reebak began to laugh.
“Having trouble finding my weak points Neekay?” chuckled Reebak as Neekay immediately blinked back the filter cells in confusion. “Just one of my new technologies. How about I show you another?”
Suddenly Reebak bared all of his sharp blue teeth again and as he did several shot out at Neekay like darts. Neekay bounced from wall to floor and back again narrowly dodging each of the missiles only to end up in the corner furthest from the outside window and his front door.
“Careful now Neekay they’re poisonous,” teased Reebak.
Neekay stared at Reebak in disbelief. There was no way Reebak could have spoken commands to eject his teeth, which meant only one thing. The Varkians had finally developed mind controls! For the first time since the capitulation of his people Neekay’s heightened sense of smell detected his own fear. It swirled around him with surprising ferocity, threatening to strangle him.
Neekay looked around the room desperately, it was clear to him now that he had to get outside and into some open space. The only problem was that to get outside he needed to get past Reebak. The only slim hope he had was that for all his new technologies Reebak was still arrogant.
Neekay allowed Reebak to manoeuvre into position where there seemed no way out except to fight, then quietly whispered the most sacred of the ancient words. As he did so the spike of pink hair on top of his head began to wind itself around and around until it had formed a solid harp unicorn like horn.
Reebak suddenly stopped his advance just long enough to initiate his most important new technology.
“I see finally you are willing to fight!”
Neekay said nothing simply letting intense hatred and loathing burn freely through his eyes, his only defence against the suffocating fear that now wrapped around him completely.
Neekay made the first move, making a sharp headlong lunge at Reebak. Reebak manoeuvred to block the oncoming attack. It never came, however, for as Neekay flew through the air he grabbed the top of his sofa and flipped himself over Reebak. Reebak, momentarily startled by the move, did not react in time to prevent him from escaping out the window.
Neekay scampered vertically up the outside of his apartment block and onto the roof. His spike of pink hair pulsating rapidly in rhythm with his heartbeat. Now that he was outside every cell in his body, modified or otherwise, screamed at him to flee. Yet in his heart he knew that if he was ever to free his people he had to stop running.
A quick glance around the rooftop ensured it would provide enough room to fight. Another glance back over the edge showed him Reebak was close behind. Neekay moved to the centre of the roof area and began frantically analysing all of the data he had just accumulated to try and find a weak spot in Reebak’s rock hard skin. If he could not find a weak spot he had no chance to defeat Reebak and save his people. He still had no answer when Reebak appeared, which meant he’d have to do it the hard way.
Reebak leaped into the rooftop landing with an angry roar.
“Enough games Neekay, time to die!”
He pounced immediately on Neekay firing off punches kicks and teeth in a whirlwind of violence. Neekay for his part fended and dodged frantically against the onslaught.
As soon as the two came apart Neekay launched his own attack. His nimble form was still faster than Reebak and he managed to land several blows. They appeared to have little or no affect and Neekay felt as though each blow he landed was against ice cold solid stone.
As the two drew away from each other temperature readings from the sensors in the knuckles of Neekay’s hands flashed in the bottom corner of his vision. As Neekay suspected they were all low, typical of Varkian skin. He needed to find a warm spot to find a weak point, if there was one.
Neekay tried another probing attack landing as many blows on Reebak’s body as he could without committing too far. Still he came up with nothing. The two came apart again and this time it was Reebak who renewed the attack. Neekay again fended off the fatal blows. However, the amount of energy his body was expending wasn’t going to last forever and he knew that if he did not end the fight soon he had no chance.
As the blows subsided Neekay backed away from Reebak feigning an attempt to escape again. Instinctively Reebak closed on him, but instead of running Neekay ducted under Reebak’s blows and threw as many of his own as he could. His fists were a blur as they pummelled Reebak’s stomach side and back. Getting in close was dangerous though and Reebak made him pay with a clawed hand gouging deeply across Neekay’s chest and stomach. Neekay cried out in pain and spun away outside Reebak’s reach again. Although his chest and stomach felt as though a blowtorch was being applied, Neekay managed a wry smile. A warm spot!
Reebak spun to face Neekay spitting several teeth at him as he did so. Neekay narrowly dodged them and recovered just in time to meet Reebak’s most enraged attack yet. Neekay blocked and parried is desperation yet he could not deflect everything. Reebak’s grey forearm smashed into Neekay’s chest in a spatter of blood. The blow shook his spine and sent him flying backwards landing heavily on the ground. He did not stay there long as he rolled away from Reebak’s attempt to finish him and jumped to his feet.
A new pain racked his chest as several broken ribs pushed into his right most lung. Neekay quickly whispered a command to shut it down. He would just have to make to with his remaining three. As he spat out a mouthful of blood he knew it was now or never. He tried to look finished, not hard given his current state.
His arrogance like a shining star, Reebak took the queue and attacked again with renewed vigour. Neekay fended each of the dangerous blows until finally he was able to let Reebak connect. The kick knocked the wind out of him and probably broke the rest of his ribs, but it had the desired result. Reebak pursued him instinctively to make the final blow.
Neekay was quicker, turning sharply into Reebak, he brought his head up and into Reebak’s exposed side. His pink spike of hair crashed through the weak point in Reebak’s rocky outer skin layer and pushed deep into soft flesh. Reebak roared in pain and as Neekay extracted himself one of Reebak’s hands grasped him firmly around the neck. Reebak’s other arm then quickly wrapped around Neekay’s body and began to squeeze the life from him. As the air was being forced from his body Neekay managed a red faced smile. Reebak suddenly loosened his grip slightly and smiled back.
“No, not yet Neekay not until I see your face when you realise your little neuron toxin doesn’t work. I mean I should be dead already, shouldn’t I? Oh, that’s right we discovered a chemical agent to render your little toxin harmless!”
Reebak waited smugly for Neekay’s reaction. He got nothing but a cold stare.
“Do you understand Neekay? The last hope of the Sangakaran people will end with you today!”
With some considerable effort Neekay managed a blood gurgled reply.
“Kasklasca!”
It was ancient tongue for stop and even Reebak
knew that much.
“I think not Neekay. It’s time to join your ancients.”
Reebak attempted to close his hand around Neekay’s neck and crush it. Nothing happened. He tried to bring his other hand up to Neekay’s neck, but it would not move!
“What is this, what have you done?” roared Reebak.
Neekay’s smile broadened into a coughing laugh. In exhausted half conscious happiness he whispered several more commands and Reebak found himself letting Neekay loose and coming to attention like a soldier on parade.
Neekay sank to his knees and ordered his special glands and cells to shut down before they used all of his energy and killed him. Where fear before had tried to strangle him now joy and elation almost overwhelmed him. So many years of running, research, sacrifice and it had worked!
Neekay ignored Reebak’s enraged ranting a few moments more as he initiated various specialised repair cells and glands to start healing his body. Even with all of his technology it was a few long minutes before he had the energy to stand and finally face Reebak.
“How do you like my new technology?” asked Neekay.
“As soon as I get free I will snap you like a stick Neekay!”
“Only if I tell you to,” laughed Neekay.
“What?!” growled Reebak.
“Did you really think our technologists would not spend every living moment of their freedom striving for a