The Erliks
by obohobo
Chapter 1. The warning
Noon GMT, March 25th 2027.
"Good morning, I'm Penny Leggorn." All TV channels world wide flickered and then
cut from their usual programmes to a clear picture of one of the top BBC
newsreaders. Her voice was shaking, her appearance dishevelled, tears were in
her eyes, quite unlike her normal polished performances and fashionable dresses.
But today it was no ordinary broadcast.
"Today, this morning, at least I am told it was this morning, I was abducted by
creatures that call themselves Pterodens and brought to what appears to be a
space ship. As you can see there is zero gravity." Penny pushed a few things
around in space. "I am not moving because I am shackled to the floor." The
camera cut to her ankles so viewers could see the bonds and then slowly panned
up taking in her bare legs and thighs and the hem of her sheer night-dress which
barely covered her pubic hair. Everyone would see the darkened area through the
near transparent material. Continuing upwards the camera lens revealed half
concealed breasts with dark nipples before filling the screen once more with her
face.
"The Pterodens tell me this is to be cast throughout the world. I just hope this
is an elaborate joke but the creatures seem very real. I am ordered to tell you
something about what I have seen so far and then to read a prepared statement."
Her voice almost broke but metallicly clipped words came from offstage "Get on
with it. You have five of your minutes."
"I do not know what happened. All I remember is getting out of bed to go to the
bathroom and waking up here surrounded by these creatures. They are like
something from a sci-fi novel, scaly and lizard-like but in beautiful iridescent
colours. I can speak to them but their voices sound as if they are replying
through a mechanical translator. Amongst themselves they seem to talk with a
high singing voice. From what I have seen their technology seems far more
advanced than ours. This space ship, if it is indeed one, is vast. The little I
have seen is in warehouse proportions. Everything is spotless and there is no
noise. No background hum of engines." Penny again faltered, "Please if this is a
joke, let me know and take me home."
"Read!" Again the odd voice and viewers saw the claw-like fingers of a hand as
it passed a stiff sheet of 'paper'. Penny felt it. Some sort of plastic she
guessed. The words though were in english and in computer print out format or so
she thought. Only one paragraph but as she read more appeared.
"We, the Pterodens are bringing a colony of Erliks to settle on Earth. Even by
your standards they are backward creatures but their own planet has been
destroyed and they need somewhere to live. Earth is ten percent smaller but has
similar atmospherics.
To help them survive, we are going to encase Earth with an electronic shield
that will prevent all explosions. This means you will not be able to shoot or
bomb them. They are excellent swordsmen and skilled in what you would call
medieval warfare so they should hold their own in any combat with earthlings.
However, the electronic shield also prevents the explosions that occur in your
antiquated petrol and diesel vehicles. These too will cease to work.
We will activate the shield at noon GMT on April 1st. At that time all cars,
aircraft and ships will lose power. To avoid loss of earthlings, make sure this
warning is heeded."
Penny again faltered. "This has to be a joke," she announced.
"It is no joke, Earthling," the synthesised voice answered, "Ignore it and many
will lose their lives." Viewers saw a little more of the Pteroden's arm as he
took the sheet from Penny and the transmission ended.
11.45 GMT, March 30th 2027.
"In a short while we will link you with your colleague Martin Timpson in London.
You have been with us three earth days now and they are still largely treating
our previous transmission as a hoax. It is up to you to convince them it is not.
Otherwise many earth lives will be lost."
"I can't go on television like this!" Penny stood naked in front of the Pteroden
called Steirnon who seemed to be in charge.
"You earthlings worry too much about covering your bodies. It is up to you to
convince them about what we are doing. You know a lot more about the Erliks now.
They will not try to take over the whole world, they just want a space to live."
Indeed she did know more about them than she did and it wasn't at all
comforting. After the last broadcast the Pterodens had implanted a small device
in the back of her neck which allowed her to understand the Erlik language and
placed her in the care of a small Erlik family unit. This consisted of a male
and two females. Most units had four or more females. Penny was a replacement
for a female that had died.
"Pull yourself together, Penny. We will be live on air in a few moments. Be
proud of your body. Tell them what will happen if they take no notice of our
warnings."
"But the bruises..." Penny was beginning to sob.
Steirnon rubbed a sponge over her face. Another voice counted "Five, four,
three, two, one."
A screen in front of her lit up and she saw the familiar face of Martin and
heard him state, "And now we are hoping to go live to Penny Leggorn somewhere in
space. Are you there Penny?" A full length picture of Penny filled half of the
screen showing her naked to the world and showing she was tethered by one
binding to a ring in the floor so she couldn't run out of camera range.
Gradually the camera panned closer. Bruises showed on her thighs and on her
breasts. "My God, Penny, who did this to you?" came the shocked voice of Martin.
Penny tried but no words came from her lips. Martin repeated, "What has happened
to you Penny?"
"Tell him the warning is not a hoax," Steirnon reminded her.
At last words came and when they did they poured out and with them a lot of pent
up emotions. Forgetting she was broadcasting live she replied "Oh Martin, it's
been terrible. I've been put with an Erlik unit. I am being mated. They are like
baboons. I've been raped and raped. They're tough and hard but treat females as
just things to be mated and used. Erlik females have tough hides but even when
they try to be gentle, they hurt. When I didn't do what they wanted I was
spanked." She turned round and showed her red and blue bottom. "They don't spank
us over the knee but lay us on our backs and push our legs alongside our faces.
That way we have to watch each spank as it hits us. It's really painful. It
would be very difficult to sit if there wasn't zero gravity."
"Tell him the warning is not a hoax," Steirnon again reminded her.
"Martin, tell everyone the warning about all explosions being stopped is not a
hoax. I believe many papers have suggested it is an April Fool's joke. It
doesn't seem like it here. There are hundreds of Erliks in the room where I
live. I've seen them train with swords and spears and its incredible. The speed
and dexterity of them. And they use their tails too. I've been given an implant
so I can understand their grunt language and can speak to them so I know what
they expect to happen. The Pterodens are the intelligent ones. Their technology,
what little I've seen of it is light years ahead of ours. I can quite believe
they have the means to silence all engines. So please tell whoever, that it
doesn't seem to be a hoax."
"Penny you are being broadcast world wide, not from our transmitters but from
wherever you are. Our schedules have been overridden. Your last appearance was
on every station world wide and most then showed it again with translations."
"And they are all seeing me now? Like this?" Penny was suddenly overcome by the
thought but was brought back to being a broadcaster when Martin asked,
"Do you know where the Erliks are going to take over the land?"
Penny shook her head. "No, they have not said where but it is probably in a
english speaking area because some of the top Erliks have english language
implants and it seems more English english rather than American english. They
gave one to my male whose name is almost unpronounceable but who I call Cyril.
In Erlik it sounds similar but without the vowels and said with a sort of
growl."
"Can you describe the Erliks for us?"
"Baboons. Like I said before. That is about the best description. But they're
about as tall as a normal man or a little taller. Covered with quite a soft fur.
They stand upright like we do. Amongst themselves they seem peaceable but it is
a very male dominated group and there is a hierarchy with a big male at the top.
Females are all subservient. They do exactly what the males order and if they
don't they are spanked. Unlike me, they have tough hides but even so it seems to
hurt them. Mind you at times they seem surprisingly kind and gentle and spend a
lot of time grooming each other's fur.
"What are living conditions like there?"
"The Pterodens seem to have nice rooms but I am with the Erliks and they are all
in a sort of large room with bed spaces on about four levels. Its all open. Each
family unit has one bed space. The males seem to mate for most of the night all
in full view of one another."
"Perhaps we had better leave that subject for now. What is the food like?" asked
Martin.
"Vegetarian and pills at the moment. They have a growing area with lights and
things. Only had a peep in. The Erliks seems to be farmers and will talk about
growing things. Probably that is why they want land of their own."
"Repeat the warning," Steirnon again ordered her before the transmission ceased.
