by Saxon Andrew
Al was silent. Then Matt understood something he had missed, “Al, I’m so sorry.”
“I can’t tell Fly Girl either. The knowledge would hurt her beyond repair.”
“Al, we have to find happiness for them.”
“I know. It does make every moment more valuable and we will have to live in those moments.”
“I know, my friend.”
They sat and thought about the future and waited for the Algeans.
Angel came in and waited with Matt while the Algeans continued to sway. “How long do you think they will remain like this?”
“I don’t know, Angel, but I’m not moving from this spot until they come back to normal. I sense to change our location would hurt their healing.”
“Well I am changing my position,” and she ran and jumped onto his lap wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a huge kiss on his lips.
Matt felt joy at her touch and kissed her back. They held each other and then he lifted her and carried her into his personal quarters where they shared their love with each other. After they had fallen asleep Al woke them. “Something’s happening.”
Angel and Matt jumped up and ran onto the bridge. The Algean’s swaying was slowing and their leaves were turning bright green. Just as blooms started to appear on their limbs Stem thought to them, “I may have been out of it but I heard your concern for me you hunk of junk.”
Al sputtered, “You were faking you big sissy. I tried to think of what would snatch you out of that coma so I figured saying things you know to be false would get your attention.”
Stem leaned back and said, “Even so, Al, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Stem.”
Sprig thought to Matt, “I see you called in the reinforcements.”
“Had to do it; couldn’t lose the brains of this outfit. Sprig, what happened?”
Sprig turned to Twig and then thought, “Are you whole again, my life,”
“Yes, you brought me back.”
“I couldn’t come back without you.”
Twig wrapped her branches around Sprig and leaned in to him. Sprig turned to Matt. “An Algean’s mind is an odd instrument. We are able to process information faster than a thousand of your greatest computers combined. The way the process works is that as we learn how the universe operates as adolescents we set up structures in our minds that organize everything we learn into a network of related information. Those structures are critical to being able to use our intellect. If those structures fail, we literally lose our minds. All the networks and structures crumble and we are unable to pull anything into our consciousness.”
“I think I understand. What caused you to crash,” Matt asked?
“When you shared what you saw when we moved the planets, it totally disproved everything we thought was true about how the universe worked. We had to take what we saw in your mind and change the structures in our mind while they crumbled around us. Twig was most affected because she is the expert in field technology and I was trying to help her as my own structures crumbled.”
Stem thought, “I was linked with them when the crash began and it bled into my own structures. I could only wait, watch and hope they could find equilibrium.”
“We would have failed except for Tommy and Cassandra’s assistance. They saved us when we were adolescents more that twelve hundred years ago. Their combined auras froze our mental structures and allowed our conscious minds to work on rebuilding them. Once again, they saved us during our time of trouble here. They are two of our most loved friends.”
“They are very remarkable people, Sprig.”
“Matt, you have no idea how much power Cassandra has.”
“I think I may, I had a conversation with them.”
“Twig leaned to the left and said, “She loves you so much, Matt. She has felt you coming for a very long time.”
“I know, Twig; I know.”
“If I might interrupt the proceedings for just a moment.”
“What is it, Al,” Stem asked?
“When the three of you went on your trip to la la land, one of the last two systems went active.”
Sprig looked at Stem and thought, “What did you build into this computer, child?”
“Father, Al has grown far beyond anything I could create. I think that contact with Matt’s mind has changed him considerably. His circuits no longer match any of the circuits I designed.”
Sprig looked at Twig and thought, “Do you recognize what I sense.”
“I do only there is no instinct entrapment.”
“Hey, hey, hey, I was just kidding. You know a little levity to lighten the mood.”
Twig thought, “That’s just it, Al. A machine is not capable of being humorous as you have displayed. I have looked at your circuits and Sprig and I agree that you match up very similarly with another we’ve encountered.”
Silence ruled the room. No one said anything. Suddenly a voice came over the intercom, “Will somebody ask the question; the suspense is killing me.”
Sprig and Twig started and Sprig thought, “Who was that?”
Angel turned red and said, “That’s Fly Girl. She’s my ship’s computer.”
Al said, “Stay out of this you old busy body.”
“Someone has to control that ego of yours, obviously they aren’t going to do it.”
Matt interrupted, “Alright, I’ll bite, where have you seen another like Al?”
The speaker said, “Ahem.”
“And Fly Girl.”
All three Algeans leaned forward and shook from their laughter.
“What?”
“Fly Girl, they’re amused at your obvious lack of manners.”
“You collection of miscellaneous flash bulbs, it had to be you. It’s almost impossible to make an Algean laugh.”
The Algeans laughed even harder and Stem had to lie down on the floor to get control.
Matt and Angel just looked at each other and wondered what was so funny.
Finally Sprig regained control and thought, “Al matches up very closely with the Captors.”
“But they had no sense of humor,” Al stated.
“Exactly, Al, and they were life forms.”
Sprig’s statement slammed the room silent.
Finally Al asked, “Are you saying that I am alive?”
“There are two others you match quite closely.”
“Who,” Angel asked?
“Your mental structures are almost a duplicate of Atlas and Diana.”
No one spoke. Twig thought, “I’m not certain that we can recreate the circumstances that caused your development, however, whatever measure we use to define intelligence, you two possess it. Stem, I expect your diagrams by tomorrow.”
“Stem’s in trouble, Stem’s in trouble.”
Angel and Matt both burst out laughing. Stem looked at his parents and said, “I’ll send it to you within the hour.”
“Sprig looked at Twig and thought, “It appears this particular seed has demonstrated remarkable talent.”
“Hey Stem, on a serious note…”
“Are you capable of ever being serious bolt head?”
“Look who’s talking; however, does the five day rule still apply?”
Stem immediately assumed a serious stance, “I honestly don’t know?”
“How could we find out?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Matt and Angel might want to take a vacation without us looking over their shoulders. Also, you said you were moving him into another ship that is being built. That worries me.”
“Al, I think I can tell you. Matt would you mind leaving with Angel for an hour. If the degradation is still active then my instruments would measure it.”
Matt shrugged and Angel pressed her teleport button and they left the bridge. Stem took his instrument and hooked it up to Al’s control panel. Sprig and Twig watched the proceedings as Stem explained what was happening. After an hour Stem looked at a read out and said, “It
appears that your circuits are stable; there has been no degradation. I believe your circuits are permanent.”
“Ok, you two lovers can come back,” Al announced.
Matt and Angel ported back and Al said, “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
“That’s great news, Al. I never thought of you as anything else but alive.” Matt turned and looked at Sprig and said, “Did anything change after you rebuilt your structures?”
“Yes, Searcher, we believe that we know how the Eight Legs move from universe to universe. If we are able to survive their next invasion and develop the means to destroy their ships, we should be able to go and take this conflict to their turf.”
Fly Girl said over the intercom, “Say it isn’t so; I love to travel.”
Everyone erupted into laughter and happiness ruled the moment.
“Danielle.”
“Yes, Tag.”
“Is Cassandra alright?”
“She got to see her child. It was something she never hoped to do but it is what kept her going all these years. She is complete now.”
“I sense her peace. There’s something else there that I’m not quite able to grasp.”
There was a long moment and then Danielle sighed and thought, “She and Tommy have made Atlas change their life spans to normal.”
“What!”
“Darling, the only reason she allowed it in the first place was because she and Tommy wanted to insure this child arrived safely and found his powers. She rightfully feels that as long as she lives, the universe is in jeopardy. She lives with the constant fear of causing destruction. You can’t imagine the pressure that places on her. Living her normal life span has removed that pressure.”
“What does Tommy say about this?”
“He has felt her anguish over the many centuries and he agrees with her. He will not continue without her. I believe that their remaining years will finally be happy.”
Tag sighed, “I don’t want to lose them.”
“I sense your sorrow and I feel the same but your loss is not close to how Atlas feels about their decision. He is wounded deeper than he will ever let them know. He loves them so much.”
“They freed his brothers.” Tag reflected for a long moment. “What about us?”
“I feel no need to make that decision, Darling. The years have added so much love to my life and it has only grown. I was reluctant at first but I did it out of duty to the Realm. Then I was reminded that an Algean lives more than a million years. If I can live that long and see our love grow as it has, I get excited at the prospect. How do you feel, love?”
“It feels like I just met you the day before yesterday and I kissed you for the first time an hour ago. Even if we choose to abdicate our crowns, I’ll love you forever.”
“Remember these words, Darling, “Love is Eternal”.”
Chapter 9
Time flew as the Realm grew to more than twenty million civilizations. Matt called a meeting of all the Realms leaders and finally met the King and Queen for the first time. The group was sitting in the library of Castle Gardner and everyone stopped talking and bowed as the King and Queen of the Stars Realm entered the room.
“Please rise, and make yourselves comfortable,” Thomas Gardner announced. The Royal Couple moved to their chairs at the head of the table and sat down.
Sprig stood and thought to the group. “We have called this meeting to plan our actions once the invasion begins. I am going to turn this session over to Admiral Gardner; he has some important information for us.”
Matt stood and said, “The invasion will begin with the first Eight Leg vessel arriving exactly six months from today.” The room grew very still. “That first ship is a preliminary scout and the rest of their ships will start arriving two months later. I know the location of where they will enter our universe and it is not close to the Realm but it is a galaxy that has ten of the Realm’s members. I requested this meeting because of some concerns that I’ve developed after watching the recording of their last invasion. I really haven’t focused closely on that recording before but now I sense some things that trouble me.” Matt paused and keyed the display controls. “I have made some excerpts from the recording and I want to show you what I think I’ve seen.” He started the video and the group saw picture after picture of one of the green ships being hit by energy weapons. In every picture the green ship showed no reaction to the hits.
Sprig thought, “Energy will not work against them.”
“That’s what I’m sensing, Sprig, and even our strongest beams will not affect them.”
Tag said, “Surely none of those beams are as strong as ours.”
Sprig thought, “probably not, but notice that Admiral Gardner has shown us pictures where each beam striking those ships was progressively stronger than the previous one. If they could be affected then some kind of difference would be seen. There is no difference in any of those strikes.”
“What about the negative matter,” Danielle asked?
“I sense that no form of energy will affect that substance on their ships.”
“What does that mean to us,” Anglo Gardner asked?
“It means that the majority of our weapon systems will not work against them. I also suspect that they are also immune to any projectile that is fired at them.” Matt paused and then said, “That’s not the worst of it.” The tension in the room could be felt. “I also believe that we will not be able to see them with our sensors. We can only track them visibly.”
Twig leaned to the right, “What makes you say that.”
“I believe that they are invisible to any form of energy. Our sensors use energy to operate.”
Anglo leaned back, “The Captors tracked them.”
“Yes they did, however, we know that the Captors had the use of the energy nexus to see every place in the universe. Those no longer work now that the particle has been exploded.” The room grew very still. “The Captors could also visually see any tracks made through null space because they were energy beings; we are not.”
Tag looked at Matt and everyone could see his concern, “You mean our ships are useless?”
Matt paused and then said, “I’m not sure. They have to have an Achilles heel; we just don’t know what it is. I think that I have come up with a way to track their movements though.”
Sprig thought, “How?”
“They move from universe to universe using a system that we are completely unfamiliar, however, once they enter normal space, they appear to use standard star drives to move through null space. We can read jump tracks so we would know where they are going if we are there to read their jumps.”
Anglo leaned forward, “How would you do that?”
“It appears that all of the Eight Leg ships jump into our universe at the same starting coordinates. If our ships are truly invisible to their sensors, we could read those jumps and send the coordinates to one of our Searchers and it would be their task to follow one of their mother ships where ever it jumps. If one of their jump tracks is going to one of our protected planets, we could offer advance warning to prepare for moving the planet. We cannot attack them and risk showing them the existence of our red screens. We will be forced to watch as they find those civilizations we have not contacted and consume them.”
Danielle’s expression turned hard, “Why can’t we try to draw them away?”
“Because once they see a weapon coming from empty space, they will know they are not seeing something on their sensors and I fear they may find a way to nullify our invisibility. Remember, this race is incredibly old and they are advanced beyond anything we possess now. If they can see our protected planets through their screens, then they will see the substitution take place when we move them. Are you willing to take that risk?” No one spoke. “We are going to attack them,” Matt said.
Danielle flinched, “I thought you said we couldn’t.”
“Not with our screens on. We are going to have to attack without being
invisible to them. We have to attempt any method we can think of to try and find what will get around their technology; however, I believe that we will not need a screen to protect us. It’s my firm belief that they would go right through any screen we have. They certainly demonstrated that ability eight million years ago and they’re probably better at it now than then. I think that it won’t put us in harm’s way because nowhere in the recording I viewed did the invaders use an energy or projectile weapon. The small ships are apparently their only weapon. We will find out soon enough if I’m wrong but I think they have no idea that jumping inside the jump limit is possible. With the speed of their craft, they have probably seen no need to use those weapons.”