Acting on Principle

Prompt
If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor. -Eleanor Roosevelt

I always played it safe in my life. I kept my head low... avoided trouble and stayed away from situations that were not likely to end well. I am the type of guy that would leave the bar at the slightest hint of a fight. I've stayed alive a long time because of it.

When the war broke out, true to form I stayed far away from it. This wasn't my fight. I didn't need to get involved... at least at the beginning. In sci fi films there is a popular trope of Aliens and humans making contact with one another. Sometimes, like in Star Trek it ends well with humans and aliens getting along with one another. The Nomads were the other scenario. A migratory species... they had journeyed to our solar system with the goal of "expanding" their territory. It wasn't long before we realized that for this species expand their territory meant to conquer someone else's. We didn't mind them taking Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn... those planets were uninhabitable for us. There was a little bit of a conflict on Mars as we had a colony there but we ultimately let it go.

The war started at Earth. For awhile Humans managed to hold their own. The Nomads had superior technology but our scientists had figured out how to neutralize it. It came at a cost however. We had triggered an electromagnetic pulse knocking out all technology within the Milky War Galaxy. Just like that Humans and Nomads alike found themselves in the dark ages... a time before electricity existed. The war was temporarily halted as both sides struggled to adapt to new life.

It didn't end there though. While Nomad ships were stranded in space, a few managed to drift within our planet's gravity. You can guess what happened next. The Nomad species is way more durable than humans and they survived a crash landing. We offered them areas of the planet where we could coexist but they weren't content to share our planet peacefully. We still had the numbers in our favor but when you are fighting a war with limited technology those who are physically stronger have the advantage. To put things in perspective, the Nomads have the skin texture of Quartz. The could easily lift 400 pounds.

These days the entire West coast of the United states is under the Nomad's rule. They didn't have complete control however. Similar to Europe in World War II... A resistance had formed. Despite living in the LA area where the resistance cells were the most organized I wanted no part of them.

I have seen what happens to people who challenged the authority of the Nomads. There were public executions every week. I was not about to give my life for a lost cause. Even if it meant being a slave... I would still get to live.

At least that was always how I used to think...

Under Nomad rule... Humans were put to work performing manual labor. I had been assigned to a Smith station which manufactured goods for our alien overlords. There was one common trait in all the humans working here. We were all cowards. Among the goods we produced were weapons. However we were too afraid to use them. The Nomads were careful in choosing the humans that would work in this factory. They had picked ones that wouldn't dare rise up against them.

A couple of weeks back... I had just finished my work at the factory for the evening and was about to head back to the barracks. As I exited the facility, I felt someone grab my arm. I turned and saw one of my high school friends Alex staring at me. He had his finger to his lips..

"Al What are you doing here?" I asked.

"We knew you worked at the Nomad Facility Chris." He explained. "We need your help."

"We?"

His voice got lower. "The Resistance."

The color dropped from my face. "You're a member?"

He nodded.

I backed away. "I can't be seen with you"

"Look I'm not recruiting you," Al hastily mentioned. "I just need some of the supplies here."

"Just give it up. You'll never be able to accomplish what you are hoping for."

"It is not hopeless." Al insisted. "The Human Army on the East coast is keeping the Nomads at bay. They haven't been able to make it past Louisiana. If we can weaken the Nomad hold of California, the US could be a free nation again."

"It's a pipe dream Al. LA has fallen, as has Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. We are all living under Nomad rule now."

"It doesn't have to be this way!"

"Look it isn't so bad. Even after the fall...they've kept most of the population alive. Why push it when it will make things worse for us?"

"What type of life is one under subjugation? It is a life without flavor."

I sighed. I was not going to be able to reason with him. "Look if you want to push your luck and rob the factory ... go. I won't stop you I don't want anything to do with this."

He nodded.

Over the next couple of weeks weapons would disappear from the facility. The inventory wasn't checked carefully but if you know something was happening you could spot the discrepancies.

Eventually though one of Aliens did a count.

Despite my insistence to stay out of things... I intercepted Al outside the factory gate.

"Give it up Al...you can't keep doing this The Nomads are onto you now. They have upped the security of the facility."

"I guess it was only a matter of time." He frowned. "I still need to try to get in. The resistance is almost ready to make a move. One more supply run is all we need."

"It's over Al you'll never make it into the facility let alone out of it."

"I could if you help me."

"Do I look foolish to you?" I softened a bit. "Call it a night. Maybe security will reduce after a few weeks"

"We don't have a few weeks." He said. "We are making the move next week."

"I don't know what to tell you."

He sighed. "Fine."

I watched him walk away but I knew my friend better than that. I stopped at the factory later that night in time to see Al being dragged away by a Nomad Guard.

"Come along Human!" The guard announced to my friend. "We have a particularly brutal execution arranged for you."

The guard looked at me daring me to intervene.

I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender but the guard wasn't interested in me. He had found his culprit. As far as he was concerned I was just a witness who could testify how futile resistance against the our Alien occupiers were.

I saw Al look at me pleadingly.

Something inside me snapped. I glanced to the supplies Al had been stealing that had been dropped in the struggle noticing one of the weapons. A spear that if used properly could pierce even a Nomad's hide.

My body moved on its own. These aliens had taken my home and freedom. I couldn't let them take my friend. I grabbed the spear and charged at the guard who had already turned his attention to pulling Al away again catching him in the shoulder blades.

The giant alien looked stunned for a bit but he quickly recovered. Apparently I hadn't dealt him a mortal wound. His arm backhanded me sending me flying 5 feet.

"Pathetic" he said. "I thought you had learned your place already Human!"

Blood form around my lips but I refused to give up still holding the spear. I looked at Al whose shoulder was still tightly within the Alien's grip. "I guess I am a fool after all" I told him. I got to my feet and lunged at the enemy.

This time he was ready for me though. In a quick gesture he grabbed the side of my spear with both hands and twisted it out of my grip. There was a sudden thrust by the guard, I felt the spear go through me. With the Alien's attention on me, I gave Al a nod. I could see his understanding. His eyes conveyed his gratefulness and sadness as he ran off. With the last of my strength I grabbed the guard's leg preventing the Alien from chasing after my friend easily.

The guard looked at me with disgust as he kicked me away. "What a waste" he said furiously. "What were you hoping to accomplish? Your friend will be captured before he makes it 5 feet from this facility. His resistance cell will be crushed."

I glared at him defiantly as I felt my body go numb.

He looked disgusted. "Humans are so stupid. You could have lived out your days as a worker... you have basically given up your life for nothing."

"Maybe." I couldn't help smiling at the irony as I accepted my fate. "But you know what I am ok with that!"

Word Count: 1542 Words