Meteor Soldiers - Episode 1-5

The interior of Tokusatsu’s base looked much more operational than the outside - futuristic even. Lengths of cable ran the beige walls, bending at sudden angles into unspecified locations. Perhaps they only served to make Corey believe he was in a UFO. Come to think of it, am I in a UFO? he thought. This swamp was an absurd place to build any structure, so maybe this post-modern hangout had fallen from the stars.

            His gang followed Mr. Tokusatsu and Penta around many corners, passing countless metal doors. One was opened to reveal a run-of-the-mill room with a mid-sized television and worn couch. Television... A comfort Corey was grateful to see, even if every current show was titled “[country’s] [adjective] [noun]”. Soon enough their host reached a door and pressed a button beside the frame. Like something from a sci-fi film, the door panel slid up into the wall, and the party walked through.

            Surplus amounts of flat-screen monitors littered this room’s walls, roughly three to the metre. Just as many keyboards sat beneath them, along with mixing boards reminiscent of a recording studio. Many swivel-stools were stationed by the controls, and the walls were blacker than a thirteen-year-old white boy.

            “This,” said Tokusatsu proudly, “is the Control Room; the HQ of our HQ, where we monitor the world for enemy activity.” He looked from child to child, inhaling deeply. “I’ve stolen the army’s registration papers, so they won’t know who exactly escaped. Regardless, I presume your families would expect you to be living at the army camp. Thus, this shall be your new home.”

            “Okay, but we’re safe now right?” Corey asked, anxious despite believing his own words. “No alien zombie soldiers or hooded claw-monsters chasing us? Then please tell us what’s going on.”

            Tokusatsu closed his eyes, with Penta standing obediently behind him. He then scanned the clueless four, and began: “There are dark forces hidden throughout our world, never treading beyond the cloak of obscurity yet forever decaying our freedom. These beings of cruelty remain invisible to most, but those who sacrifice bliss for truth are forced to rise against them. We”- he made a hand gesture indicating that he was referring to everyone present- “are such people, abandoning comfortable lives to battle this injustice time after time. Upon learning the truth, your old lives will be obsolete. All that you once found disturbing will become pleasant memories you wish to return to. Like that time you saw a big hairy spider after midnight, and you said ‘Whoa, I won’t be able to sleep now’. Memories like that shall be replaced by worse ones. Remember how after turning fifteen you wrote angst-filled poems about how your childlike innocence had died, wishing you could return to your primary school years? From this day, you’ll be writing poems about how you wish to return to the time when you wrote those original angst-filled poems. If shock was a roast chicken, what you learn today would be a roast chicken stuffed with cheese. Picture your worst nightmare, multiplied by-”

            “Holy donkey bonking shit, we get the goddamn point!” Burt snapped. “Just tell us who the friggin’ enemy is!”

            Tokusatsu sighed. “Very well. I just don’t feel I’ve warned you enough... As you know, your military has been corrupted by a private benefactor. Their goal is surprisingly simple: world domination. And not in a Walt Disney kind of way. I mean in a kill-everyone-who-opposes-us kind of way. This company - our enemy - is known as Devil’s Maw. Not a subtle name, but I guess they just assumed that their actions would seem demonic to most people. You’ve noticed how some in their ranks... aren’t exactly human.”

            “Like those zombie creatures that attacked us?” suggested Chess.

            “I’m afraid the Hellmarchers aren’t all I’m referring to. There are stronger, higher ranked monsters in the force - fighters of grave power and ravenous hunger. In fact, some of history’s most feared monsters have been creations of theirs. Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, those two fat women who stand in front of doorways chatting... All creations of Devil’s Maw.”

            “They... create monsters?” Corey gulped nervously. “How?”

            “It’s the product of advanced genetic splicing mixed with occult magic. Being off the map and lacking morality, they can experiment freely.”

            “Wait, I’m having trouble understanding this,” said Gina.

            “You don’t have to understand the methods by which they create the monsters,” said Tokusatsu.

            “What monsters?” she asked. “And who are they?” She studied the room with a lowered jaw. “Hey, where’s the van?”

            Tokusatsu rubbed his temples as if suppressing a migraine. “Okay, I’ll explain it to the rest of you; Devil’s Maw have created many fearsome monsters to act as their assassins. To name a few, they created Dr. Frankenfrottage, Emperor Bukkake, and the Chrome Cockblocker.” Corey hadn’t heard of them, but as if to answer this thought Tokusatsu said: “Some better known beasts include the Word Paperclip, John Howard’s eyebrows, and the Thespian of Magazine Cover Douchiness - also known as Robert Pattinson. Additionally, they created a synthetic virus that gives teenage girls the impression that they’ve matured because they drink Vodka Cruisers at parties. Basically, all the assassins are malicious manifestations of people and things that remotely irritate you.”

            “Oh, I get it,” said Burt, “By listing all the different monsters, you’re making satirical commentary. Is a monster the reason why this year’s Australian Idol finalists look and sing like younger versions of all the previous years’ finalists?”

            “Sure, why not,” Tokusatsu replied dubiously.

            Corey turned his attention to his feet. This lecture was unresting his soul, as the man had promised it would. Not that he couldn’t understand it; this was the simplest concept ever. But just considering that it was real... Was the guy who’d saved him telling the truth? Honestly, he thought, a virus that makes teenage girls drink Vodka Cruisers? This just had to be a load. There was no way Corey Draiman would believe him.

            “What’s wrong? Forgotten me already?”

            From the badlands of his mind, Dave casually spoke to him despite the bloody hole in his chest - the hole that had been stabbed into him by a grotesque tormenter in a robe. Almost instantly, Corey’s doubts slid down a mental drain and flowed into his heart, converting into rage. He raised a tightened fist to his chest, trying to his clutch his stained memories. He wanted to tear them out and show everyone, but instead merely spoke.

            “That creature... I saw it. It was wearing some kind of canvas hood, but I could see its claws...” Despite his withdrawn nature, Corey said “It should pay for killing David.”

            “The devil you speak of somewhat fits the description of Kolanyde. He’s no mere assassin - he’s one of their highest ranking officers.” A sudden fear iced Corey’s revenge fantasies. One of the highest ranking officers?

            “Kolanyde?” said Chess, followed by a snort. “He sounds like something you’d take to flush out your dump muscle.”

            “True, his name demands ridicule. But you’d best avoid confronting him, for Kolanyde is like the menace from every horror film ever made. And by that, I mean he lurks around in the dark for most of the movie freaking you out, and then when you finally see his face you’re severely disappointed.”

            “This is all starting to make sense now,” said Chess, “albeit a typical flash-cartoon ‘I’m laughing but I don’t know why’ kind of sense. But there’s one thing I don’t get...” Something didn’t sit right with Corey either, and Chess’ question sparked his memory of the entire night: “What does Devil’s Maw want with the military? I mean, if they have an army of ugly freaks, why do they need to hijack our armed forces?”

            “Ah, the reason you’re in my hideout, the invisible thread that pulled you all here...” Tokusatsu looked to the ceiling with a subtle grin, and Corey wondered what the hell he found pleasant. “The monster assassins are tough, no doubt. And there’s no shortage of Hellmarchers. They could take the world by surprise at any moment, and Earth’s forces would tremble at the sight of never before seen terrors. But Devil’s Maw will always have one disadvantage - humans show no remorse in wiping out such foul creatures. The combined militaries of first-world countries could easily fell their minions, but to turn on their fellow man...”

            “So...” Burt pieced the rest together. “They’re turning the army into a giant human shield!”

            “Correct. They’ll find a way to hypnotise your hapless army friends before long, so we must act fast.”

            “We?”

            Everyone turned to Corey.

            Well what was he supposed to say? “I’m sorry, but how are we supposed to help? Can’t you just explain all this to the government?”

            “Are you Mary Sue on a vendetta?”

            “The hell?” was his response to Tokusatsu’s question. Instead of answering, the man got face to face with him and began curiously observing him from all angles. What the turd is this loony goon doing? Looking for my serial number? Corey stepped back to increase his own radius of personal space. “I don’t know who you think I am! And who are you for that matter? How do you know so much about this conspiracy?”

            “I’ve told you,” said Tokusatsu, “my life story isn’t of importance. All that matters is that you join my rebellion.”

            Corey bit his teeth in frustration. He was being told fragments of a story by a man who wouldn’t disclose his origin, and was still expected to fight? “Listen, I don’t care how devious these assassins are, but I’m not going to fight just because you’ve rescued me.”

            “Then you’re a coward.”

            The four kids and the man turned to Penta, as if having forgotten she was there. At first her silence was eerie. Then, she had just seemed redundant. Now, the second sentence they’d ever heard her say had carved into Corey and shocked the room into submission.

            “You know that your world’s in peril,” she said. “You’ve seen the enemy for yourself, and you’re aware that people are going to die simply to defend an evil elite. Unless you want Devil’s Maw to succeed - in which case you’re as twisted as they are - your only reason for not fighting could be cowardice.” If there was a pool of anger inside Penta, only a drip reached her voice box, and less of it still reached her face. Her pitch followed a straight line, almost without cadences, and her tone was barely harsh enough to cut air. It’s as if she was explaining that Corey was a wimp; trying to feed him the information without evoking an emotional response.

          Ironically, the words alone shook him. “But what can we do to help? I’ve only been in the army for one day, and four people can’t logically defeat an army of mutants.”

            “Dude,” said Chess, stepping up and putting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll just try our hardest. Take some guns and infiltrate their base, one mission at a time.”

            “Besides,” added Gina sympathetically, “I’m sure Mr. Sigatoka-”

            “Tokusatsu.”

            “-will teach us how to fight.”

            How could these two have been so calm about everything? The last thing Corey expected when he joined the army was that he’d be learning guerrilla combat and going off to war. The room died for a minute, as if everyone had more to say but didn’t know how to word it. Soft whizzing from the computer equipment became audible, and Corey briefly studied one monitor to find several command prompt lines of incomprehensible text. He then faced Burt, who breathed out heavily while eyeing the ceiling. Chess just stood with his face down and his slim hands tucked under his armpits, while Gina stared at a wall, waiting for something to happen.

            Finally, Tokusatsu said “We may have one crucial weapon that could more than turn the tides of this war. I could only hope when raiding the army camp that I would rescue five cadets, yet I fell one short. However...” He lifted his eyes to Penta. She let her lower lip drop in surprise, but quickly regained her cardboard composure. “Come down this hallway,” he said. “I wish to show you something.”