Fast Fiction: Survivors
Next day, silver-suited Falmer came to claim her, as he did all female survivors (when there were any)... In this enigmatic short story Richard Mallinson gives you freedom to paint your own background scenery.
Falmer was briefing us - four males and four females. His enormous sidekick, Hassler, was present in force, you might say.
The briefing was about our next hit-and-zoom low-level flights from which, judging by previous results, most of us wouldn’t return.
‘Do pay attention,’ said Falmer to Alinora, who giggled.
Falmer wasn’t pleased.
‘Deal with her,’ he said to Hassler.
We watched Hassler waddle towards Alinora. The weight of the man, the height, the breadth - it was all so unnatural.
‘No,’ I said and Falmer glared at me. Hassler halted in front of Alinora.
‘What did you say, Selsey?’ said Falmer.
‘I said no, it’s not a good idea.’
‘What’s not a good idea?’
‘Having Hassler deal with Alinora.’
Falmer said, ‘So who the hell do you think you are, her protector?’
‘Yes, I suppose I am,’ I said.
He signalled to Hassler, who turned away from Alinora and approached me and reached out and clutched my neck in his steel fingers.
After about a minute he let go and at first I could hardly breathe or see or hear but I recovered, which was just as well, given the task ahead.
When the briefing was over Alinora said to me, ‘You shouldn’t have stuck your neck out,’ which I thought was a joke in bad taste - but she more than made up for it that night after we’d come back as the only survivors.
Next day, silver-suited Falmer came to claim her, as he did all female survivors (when there were any).
‘At least it’s not Hassler,’ Alinora said, ‘I don’t think I could bear him.’
Another of her bad taste jokes.
