OZ
The new remake of the tale.
Part 1
The trip there
by
Jimmy Loong
October 2012
1. The Farm
"I be darned; these scavengers would never take a refusal for an answer." That was Zeke; the youngest and most reckless assistant of the three siblings hired by Uncle Henry to work on the farm. Zeke stood up over the ridge and fired off some blasts into the approaching locust like beings. They are known here in the farmlands as the Scavengers; they just like to grab and leave. Its okay if they are taking only a handful but these darned beings are like namesake; they gobbled more than they can stuff in. More to it, they come with their siblings and siblings associates; and before you can say 'sweet mama' they had descended fifteen generations on the corps. Unlike the locusts you see on other planets, these are half locust with a four legs on the lower torso, and a set of twin wings. Their appearance were made more fearful by the twin orbs thay called eyes covering half their facial expression with a set of twin mouths lined up one above the other to consumed faster than any beings known.
"Hick, I think I got the 3rd paddy in the eyes, but the 2nd mama is still hovering over the corps." Zeke shouts to his older cousin, Hickory 'Doc' Claude. Hick has a google clad expression on a tall lanky man despite his years of back bending works, but his fingers are well manicured for his other profession as the healer in this vast farmlands. He delivered more farm creatures than the number of times he harvested the corps. His third profession was pest exterminator which was why they end up working on Uncle Henry' farm. Uncle Henry adventurous plot of land was at the fringe of the farmlands; virgin soil to be implanted with the seedlings of the corps. It may the fringe, but its also close proximity to the badlands where the predators thrive with large numbers.
"Zeke, I got the mama in the womb. She won't be laying eggs no more." That would be Hunk the last of the three siblings from the Claude lineage. Hunk like his name sake bears the frame of muscles well, but unlike Zeke for reckless; Hunk can be considered as mad. There he was then; standing upright facing the mass of locusts with his rotary cannons held in the arm like a loving babe cradled to sleep. The rotary cannon of over a meter in length at the barrel spew its deadly blasts to mow down the approaching locusts. Its power sockets holder stored on a picket belt loaded from the back pack; after being pumped into the cannon loader can be seen lying all around the mad man.
"Hunk, you git your butt down on the cover or I would have Aunt Em, drying your carcass on the hill." Zeke called on his middle cousin to seek some cover. Hunk always felt that he was invulnerable from any attacks, although he spent more time at the Infirmary compared the others.
I counted the boys have taken their share of the approaching mass and its time for me to make my entrance now.
"Lady ready to romp in the haystack now!" I holler out as I rushed out of my hiding post behind the other ridge at the right end.
My name is Dorothy Gale; in my teens sporting a close cropped haircut that looked like an ancient monastery novice but dressed like a teeny hipper. The light brown shaded tight body suit with matching knee high felt lined boots cover my body from the exposure of the elements but it also accentuate my growing beauty to any gender that may take pleasure in admiring it. But today I have placed on my top a dark jacket and around my hips a wide belt with pockets for my accessories. Unlike the boys, I do not carry any phaser blaster rifles or hand units. My weapon is my voice which can bring down a structure of over five levels to the foundation.
I am a Banshee creature; one that utilized the voice to remove any threats. I was born with it; a genetic flawed in the family with only one of us in every five generations. Talking about having the odd one in every generation, this black lamb comes only once every five generation on my mother side. Due to my birth right, my parents were separated and I was sent off to stay with my Uncle Henry farm; isolated and hardly patronized by anyone.
I ran across the line of approaching locusts with my face and voice facing the approaching locusts. My vocals pierced into their body structure dropping the wings, and limbs as I ran diagonal in their path. The locusts dropped by the numbers as I raced across while the boys have held onto their trigger to let this lady have her romp here. I stopped in my tracks after a run of over a hundred meters before I half crouched to grab back my breath. I turned around to look at trail I left behind. I could had counted more than three dozens lying there on the ground. The other surviving locusts have all retreated back to the Badlands.
"Dorothy, you dunked them all in one chorus again." Zeke was the first to congratulate me. He likes me and must had outrun the rest to seek me out. I nodded my head to him and smiled. Next to congratulate was Hunk and then followed by Hicks. I am telling you out here in the farm, you choices are what you can laid your eyes on. Right now, mine was on Hicks but he did once indicate to me that he had no interest in pursuing the love of another as he find his current lifestyle was quite satisfying. I had wished then I could had stuff the corn cob down his throat, but I had to relent on that for other time. He may see me through one day, and there are more to a corn cob in this planet.
"Dorothy Gale!" Its my uncle and he does not looked like he is here to complement me on saving his crops.
"You are needed in the Enforcement Office. Your .....rascally doggone flea infested being ..... Well, he dropped his oily liquid on Mrs. Gulch boots. You know how much she valued her .... dressing but your pet got to do it on her." Uncle Henry is a all rounder in the frame and with the current exertions imposed on his frame, its a wonder he could still speak to me. "I want you to clear the charges and above all apologize to Mrs.Gulch."
"Me saying 'I am sorry, Mrs.Gulch'. You might as asked me to be staked on the Badlands to be ravished by the Grand Vultures." I protested strongly to him, which made him very irritated to be told off in front of the boys. But he knows my character very well, being my mother's younger sibling.
Uncle Henry pulled me aside as the boys meekly moved away to picked up the dead locusts.
"Dorothy Gale," Uncle Henry paused in his reply. "Please get the charges lifted. I would get your Aunt Em to see Mrs.Gulch."
I nodded to my Uncle's request as I walked off to my racer bike. Its a single seater 'Track Speed Bike' build for enthusiast who likes to feel the feel of running at high-speed without much care on safety. For the exploration uses, it has a built in comms unit and a mounted metal projectile gun on each side of the front of the bike. Its a mean machine for one likes to ride wild. The ride’s helmet has a a builtin on screen data update on the mechanics and performance of the bike projected on their visor.
I sped towards the County Building structure near the Space Station. No one touches my pet unless I have given permission.
2. County Building
"I am sorry, Ms.Gale, but Mrs.Gulch have pressed charges on your pet for outraging her modesty, and also for destruction of personal properties." Sheriff Micheal Wayne; a burly man with wide shoulders loom over me by more than a length of the head, but for his protruding belly, I did not find myself looking up to him.but actually more of a gradient looking angle. Th Sheriff was dressed in his starch light blue shirt and darker pants tucked into a set of shiny black material boots. His larger phaser hand gun model PH350 hung low there; I did wonder if he tucked into his belt waist, he might had to move layers of fat to reach it.
"Did you hear me well, Dorothy?" The sheriff leaned over on his hefty chest line to speak to me. I can see that like his boots, he also shined the same gel onto his bald head. Its a wonder that he even have a mustache on his upper lips as I thought they would had all extinguished alongside his missing hair line.
"Yes, I heard you. Can I see my pet now please?" I asked from the Sheriff. The older man moved his weighted frame from behind the console and indicate to me the holding cells behind.
"Second one on the right." Sheriff Wayne replied. "Don't go near the first cell. Thats' a Lunatic there. We are going to send him off today on the arriving Patrol Craft this evening."
So that was why I rode into the place, I saw the extra guards posted around the building, The Lunatic' are a group of loony bent on being loony so they can killed, maimed or destroy anything they want. They are led by their leader, the Jackass, who was claimed to be a ruthless killer. The Lunatic numbered over twenty members and everyone is a hardened criminal with long rap listing. I care not for the Lunatic but I am here for my pet.
"Sheriff, how can you place my pet next to a Lunatic? I would report you to the Tribunal."
"Dorothy, anyone who gets invited into my holding cells is already a lunatic in the mind." I ignored the Sheriff' comment and went to looked for my pet.
"Toto!" I called out to my pet. Toto is a Griffin Terror the last few of its kind. It looked like an adorable furry dark green ball with round head and a four legs hidden by the thick furs. If you looked carefully at the head, you might see the light green orbs that served as its eyes. In its current docile mode, its about a handful to hold on, but when it feels its master or in this case; its mistress was provoked, it would evolved into a Griffin large fire breathing lion with wings. But in its natural state when agitated, it would squirt dark oily substance from it rear orifice onto any shiny surfaces.
"Toto!" It just did some on the console shiny surface inside the holding cell. That oily substance can erode through layers of materials and in this case, it burnt out the control circuits causing the cell holding doorway to be opened.
"You been a naughty girl, Toto." The creature licked it long tongue out at the mistress face. "No, Toto. Stop licking."
"I would licked you anywhere if you let me go." The voice from the first cell can be heard. Its the Lunatic member. "My name is Joker. I am Jackass' brother."
The one in the cell does not looked like any threatening criminal. He was dressed in a white three piece suit with matching black and white shaded shoes. More to it, he can be the Sheriff's twin in posture but at least he had the matching white patch of hair on head with matching beard.
"I could do a good session of finger licking too." The obese guy spoke again.
"Lunatic, if you are the Joker, then I am the Kitchen Chef." I picked up Toto again and walked passed him. "More to it. I don't swap a suck for your lick."
I ignored his profanities as I made my way to the Sheriff front console. When I reached there, I saw the commotion. There were a couple of deputies lying on the flooring dead or near to one. I can see the surviving ones are the Sheriff and two more deputies manning the damaged doorway. A phaser blast whizzed past as I ran for cover. Soon I find myself next to the Sheriff still holding onto Toto. For once, Toto was behaving and listen intensely to my conversation with the sheriff.
"What gives, Sheriff?" I asked the sheriff.
"Lunatic got the drop on my men. We even the score but they are too many of them. It down to three of us now and probably seven of them. I have no reinforcement." Then I heard the voice from outside the Sheriff unit.
"Sheriff, this is Jackass. You got my brother there, and I have .....uh...three hostages. Let us do an exchange." Jackass called out. "Its to your advantage; three to one."
Before the Sheriff can answer, I took the cue.
"Hey Jackass. It looked you are as stupid as your brother there in the cell. He thinks he is the Joker, but his jokes sucks."
"Who's that? Show yourself or I would shoot the hostages."
"My name is Dorothy Gale," I pulled the sheriff hands off my arm as I introduce myself. "So why don't we do something different. You surrender and then we can all go home in time for dinner."
The expletives I get to hear from the Jackass was rude even to the Sheriff. After he had exhausted his list of vocabulary, I offered him another deal.
"Let us do a showdown. We all lined up for a shootout in the open. I got four here. What's your number?" I challenged him back. Out here in the far frontier, certain matters are settled with a personal duel. This was one I am proposing.
"Six. We got five minutes to noon. See you on the yard." I can hear the Lunatic retreating to the outside yard.
The sheriff pulled at my arm and barked at me.
"Are you loony? We can't stand against them. They are better in the shooting game." Sheriff Wayne was concerned on my health. Or was it his. I pulled away and walked over to one of the dead deputy. I picked the PH350 and tucked into my waist belt. Then I picked up the PH925 rifle and proceed to walk to the yard with Toto tagging along.
"Dorothy, wait up." The sheriff pushed himself up from his half crouched position. "I am still the darned Sheriff."
The sheriff adjusted his shoulder holster and checked the ammo clip. His two remaining deputies did the same and then joined Dorothy at the doorway.
"Sheriff, only fire on my cue."
They all nodded.
Six hardened criminals faced us out there led by their leader Jackass. You can't avoid knowing he was one as who wears tweeds with tucked boots in the criminal world. His followers are more appropriate dressed; flak jackets over their dark body suits and with weapons strapped on every limbs. In addition to that they also carry their preferred rifle cradled on the arms.
"Hello Sheriff." Jackass greet the sheriff as we stood not more than six meters apart and then looked at the others. His eyes stopped at me, and smiled.
"Recruitment must be bad. How much do you pay for such young volunteers?" Jackass frown his face as he speaks. "Three square meals with a bunk to rest? I thought you do that for the stowaways or runners."
"Dorothy.....here is a deputy. She had been deputized prior to your arrival." Sheriff Wayne introduced me. "Jackass, there are seven of you. Where is the missing one?"
"Sheriff, the last I checked we are down to six. Unless you count my brother too. But he is locked up in the cell." Jackass remarked back. "Age does do things to your memory, Sheriff."
"No, brother. I am here." The sheriff and myself turned to see the Joker walking out with the remaining member to join his brother.
The brothers hugged and then turned to face us again.
"Hey, Jackass. Eight against four ain't fair." I shouted out. The reply came from the Joker.
"No, sister. You got a pet with you. Its eight to five."
"Sheriff, I ain't got time to square on the odds. My ma' expecting us for supper. So shall we start?"Just as Jackass completed his reply, he drew on his phaser. His men including the Joker followed suit. The Joker must had picked up a PH350 from a dead officer.
I let off a shrill voice on the outlaws aiming my vocals to their drawn guns. As my voice sweep down the outlaws from left to right, the vibrating sound of my voice broke their weapons into the basic molecules. The liquid materials slipped from their hands onto the flooring while leaving some bad burns on their palms.
"Aargh!" Jackass jumped back in pain as his phaser became a liquidly pool of materials. Likewise for his brother who was seen holding this burned hand.
"Sheriff, they are yours." The sheriff did not hesitate on my cue to step forward to collared the Lunatic. I turned to look for Toto but she is not there. I searched the building and could not find her. In the end, I confronted the sheriff.
"I think Toto escaped during the showdown. If you allowed me time, I would bring her back." I told the sheriff.
"Dorothy, I am glad that you helped me. I actually liked you despite all your troubles that you created for yourself and of course, your uncle. This new trouble of yours won't disappear so easily. Mrs. Gulch is determined to see you suffer for the indignity she had suffered." The Sheriff replied to me. "Since you are my deputy, I am assigning you to find Toto and bring her back. If you do find her."
I smiled and saluted the older man.
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