by Saxon Andrew
Destiny turned and didn’t see anyone near him. There was a tall bush a few feet away but no one else. “Who said that?”
The bush moved and he heard, “I am a plant creature and a friend of the one that helped you. He will be here momentarily.”
Destiny was shocked. “I keep being surprised by what I see. You are the first plant I’ve ever encountered that was intelligent. Why did you destroy this planet? I must confess I feel great sorrow at what I see here.”
“Any good farmer would, Destiny. My race was once forced to consume tremendous amounts of organic matter to live. Another race had destroyed our normal food source and we were forced to kill planets to gather what we needed to survive. We fought a war with the race that agreed to help you. They could have destroyed my entire species but chose to help us instead. We are close friends now and our destinies are entwined together. I’m telling you this because they are beings that you can trust to keep their promises. Are you capable of keeping yours?”
Destiny looked at the plant and said, “You are the second voice I heard. I will keep my promise. Your willingness to protect my remaining family binds my future to yours. I will do all I can to protect you as well.”
“I hope so, Destiny, because we are going to ask some difficult questions.”
“You want to know how to kill our ships.”
Sprig was surprised. “You’re right.”
“Death was a diet I felt for just a short time and I must confess that it taught me a lot. You saved me from that meal and I will assist you any way I can. I can feel a change taking place in me and my children that is accelerating. My children are becoming individuals and thinking for themselves. They are developing talents that I never knew they possessed and I am amazed and pleased at what I see. I think the compulsions prevented us from being what we naturally are. I no longer desire a meal from intelligent beings and I can see my family is feeling the same.”
Sprig looked at the large eight legged creature with huge fangs and sensed a gentle soul. He could see the change as well. Matt appeared in front of them and stepped toward them.
“Hi Destiny, welcome to one of our work planets.”
“Hello, Matt; thank you for giving my family the means to possibly survive.”
“Destiny, did Sprig tell you why we brought you here?”
“Yes, you have some questions.”
“I do. The first question involves the thickness of your ships outer hull. We estimate that it is between thirty and forty of our miles thick. If you look at that building over there, it is about two miles away. Are we close in our estimate?”
Destiny turned and looked in the direction Matt was pointing and saw the burned out building. He converted the distance to his measurements and said, “You are remarkably close.” Sprig looked at Matt and nodded. Then Destiny said something that startled them both, “But that thickness only exists around the central part of the ship. The section close to the top and bottom is only ten of your miles thick.”
Sprig said, “Is that thick enough to support a structure that big?”
“Yes, especially with the bracing used in the central section. It is difficult to launch ships through a hull that thick. I think you have noticed that most of the launch ports are on the upper and lower part of my ship. There are racks that hold the transports and attack craft that rotate under the ports to launch our various types of ships.”
Sprig looked at Matt and said, “I’m going to take you to a lab.”
Destiny shrugged and said, “I’m all yours.”
Matt smiled as Sprig activated his teleport device. The three of them appeared beside one of the small attack craft that had been captured. Destiny flinched when he saw it and said, “I thought you had destroyed those ships.”
“No, we captured them and brought them here to study.”
“How did you get through the hull; my species thinks that our ships are impenetrable?”
Matt picked up a small gun and pointed it at the green ship and fired it. A small projectile hit the green ship and punctured its hull. Destiny watched the puncture and said, “We’re obviously wrong in that belief.”
“We have found two substances that can penetrate your green hulls. They are made from organic material. It seems your green substance is rather weak when hit by organic material.”
“I know that organic material will stop our small projectiles when nothing else will. I guess it would stand to reason that if there is a hard enough organic substance that it would also penetrate it in return.”
Sprig looked at Matt and Matt nodded. “Destiny, we are going to launch a sharpened shard made of this substance more than a hundred feet long traveling at three quarters light speed at your ships.”
“Then I suspect it will travel completely through my ship if you hit it at the lower or top sections. That is entirely too fast. It also wouldn’t do much damage if all you did was punch a hole that small.”
“Well, the shard will contain a bomb that will explode with a radius of five thousand miles larger than the diameter of your ship.”
“What kind of bomb?”
“An energy bomb with the heat of the core of a blue giant star,” Sprig said.
Destiny thought a moment and shrugged, “Then the ship will be immobilized. All of the control structures inside will be disintegrated. It won’t hurt the crew or ships still inside.”
“We have another device that will do that.”
Destiny looked at the two beings and pondered what they said. After a few moments he said, “If you have that technology, and I’m sure you do because that must be the way you killed our transport, then you might be able to survive the coming harvest.”
“How would you use these devices to survive, Destiny?”
“I would hit every ship of the main harvest that came through the universal door as soon as they appear and stop them at the door. If you can stop enough of them, they would block the entrance so that others could not follow them in to your universe. You would however have to kill quite a few of them to make that happen.”
“How many would you estimate would have to be hit?”
Destiny thought and did some mental calculations and finally said, “About a million.”
Matt said, “That’s all.”
Destiny smiled and said, “I think that was sarcasm but yes, about a million. You would have to hit them at the rate of about a thousand ships a second.”
Matt just looked at the spider and then sent a thought, “Cassandra, we have just learned that we will have to kill a thousand ships a second to block that entry to our universe. Is the Kosiev capable of doing that?”
“I won’t know that until the moment arrives, Matt.”
“I’ll get back to you.”
“Ok.”
“Tell me what we should do, Destiny?”
“Unfortunately, you will have to allow about a million ships through before the needed volume begins to arrive. Start hitting them about two diameters of my ship from the entry and then move toward the door. They will start hitting the ships in front of them and they must be hit immediately to prevent them from jumping away. That volume is necessary to stop them. If you can do that then the follow up ships won’t have enough mass to push through. There is a possibility that once a ship coming through the door is stopped inside the door then the door will collapse and will not be useable again. They will never be able to come here again but you will also be unable to go after them in your quest to destroy them all.”
“My prime responsibility is to protect the life of this universe. I will take that and worry about my quest afterwards,” Matt replied.
“Well, I understand. If you had a powerful enough generator you wouldn’t need the door but we have never found such a device in all of our harvests.”
“How powerful would it have to be?”
“It would have to have enough power to generate a beam strong enough to vaporize a planet the size of my ship.”
Matt lo
oked at Sprig and Destiny saw Matt’s expression, “You already have it, don’t you?”
Matt smiled and said, “You are very observant and wise, my friend.”
“I am glad to be your friend, Matt. I will show you how to build what you need to travel from universe to universe if you do possess such a device.”
Sprig manipulated his device and a shiny object appeared at his feet. He took it and handed it to the spider. “Take this and place it on the floor of your command center in your ship. Stand on it and we will be able to teleport you directly from inside your ship. It won’t work if you wear the green armor but we will teleport you only where there is an atmosphere for your arrival.” He then handed a small device to Destiny and said, “This device will return you to that spot whenever you press the center button. I will teach you how to use it to come to us if you so desire.”
Destiny looked at the small bracelet and placed it on one of his front legs. “Thank you. I have a device that I will begin wearing that will totally destroy me in the event there is a possibility of being captured. I will not allow this technology to fall into the hands of those coming to destroy life.”
Matt looked at the strange being in front of him and said, “You have earned my trust today. My people and I will give our lives willingly to protect you and your family from all harm. I want you to leave your larger ships outside your main ship. We will begin installing the screen to protect them from being seen as soon as you return to your vessel. We will start with your transports first.”
“You might want to consider mounting some of those devices you will use to destroy the main ships. We can help you against the million ships you must allow into your universe.”
Sprig looked at the Spider and asked, “Why are you willing to do this?”
“I can now see my species for what we have been made to become. I look at this planet and feel sorrow for the waste of life here. I look at what we have been compelled to do and I feel extreme shame. My species must be stopped. I can see that now and I must bear some responsibility for what we have done. We are insane and unfortunately, it can’t be cured. My children and I will begin again and try to make up for all the horror we have caused.”
Matt shook his head, “I am sorry for what you have to endure, Destiny. I wish there was another way to save your species but I am thankful for the unique circumstances that brought you to us in our time of need.”
“It is I that am thankful.”
Sprig felt a kindred spirit and he also vowed that he would not allow him to be harmed.
The Supreme Male looked at his communication board and saw the Nest Mother. “Yes, Nest Mother.”
“How long before you leave?”
“Twenty dgzs.”
“I want two ships sent now to see if that main ship was destroyed or is still alive. If it’s alive I want it consumed.”
“Yes, Nest Mother, it will be done.”
“I don’t want them harvesting. Their sole mission is to find that ship. After they consume it, bring them back here for me to eat.”
“It will be as you order.” The communication board went dark. “I wonder what is so important about that ship.” He looked at his Sensor Male and said, “Follow her orders implicitly. Make sure the two ships know their orders.”
The Sensor Male turned to his board and pressed his keys.
Fleet Command heard the klaxon going off and a Searcher ran and looked at the feed coming in, “We have two mother ships entering at the entry point. Get the word out.”
Eyes was watching his board and suddenly started punching his keys, “Destiny, we have two main ships at the entry point.”
“Is our screen up?”
“Yes it is but I have two unscreened ships on the planet.”
There was no way to get the ships off before they would be seen. Destiny hit the bracelet and saw Matt appear on its display, “There are two main ships at the entry point. They will see two of my ships on the ground below. Is there any way you can teleport the crews out and leave the ships empty.”
Matt looked at his com and said, “Sprig, do we have time?”
“Destiny, order your crews outside and have them gather behind one of the transports. Make it fast.”
Eyes began issuing the orders immediately. On the planet the crews began exiting the ships as fast as they could run. “What is your plan?”
“They will see those transports. If we lifted them off the planet they would know that someone is still alive on them even if they were hidden. By leaving them there and moving the crews elsewhere, they will find two abandoned ships and think that everyone was killed. At least that is what I hope. Move the ship away from the planet. I want to watch them come in.” The huge red glowing ship moved out toward the next planet in the system and settled in its shadow.
The Senior Ship’s Male looked at his Sensor Male and asked, “What do you see?”
“I see two ships in a galaxy halfway across this universe but they are too small to be the main ship. They are not moving and appear to be on a planet.
Should we go there now?”
The Ship’s Male thought a moment and then said, “Not before you have scanned this universe for the main ship’s location; that is our main responsibility. Notify the other ship and get their assistance performing the scan.”
Sprig appeared on the planet behind one of the transports and watched as the millions of crew members exited their ship. “Twig, have you found a suitable location?”
“I just have, dearest. You have the coordinates. There is plenty of life to sustain the crew until they can be picked up.”
“I am sending the first group now.” Sprig pointed his device at the huge group of spiders and pressed the key; they all disappeared instantly.
“Destiny, how much longer before they are all outside,” Matt asked.
Destiny looked at Eyes and he said, “Tell him five of his minutes. The two main ships are conducting scans right now. It looks like they are searching for our ship.”
Melanie broke in the conversation and said, “You have five minutes, Sprig. I would suggest that if you can place a screen over the site behind the ships then you should have time.”
Sprig felt stupid, he punched a key on his device and a red screen covered the ground from the transports to where the crews were gathering. “Let me know if they jump to this system.”
“You’ll be the first to know.”
Sprig keyed his com, “Matt, what do you want to do with those main ships?”
Matt thought a moment and then thought, “Melanie, do you have two megaships armed and ready for action?”
“Stand by, Matt.” Melanie looked at Leo and said, “We have two main ships that just entered our universe. Do you have two ships armed to handle their class?”
Leo hit his com, “Sen-Gen, is you ship armed for invader mother ships?”
“We loaded the new penetrators four days ago, Sir.”
Leo looked at Melanie, “My ship and the Rossville are loaded with the right weapon mix.”
“Matt, we have two ships armed and ready.”
“I’m sending you the coordinates of the system I believe they will be headed. Get those ships there and be prepared to launch an attack if the Royal Family approves.”
“We’re on our way.”
“Tag!”
“What is it, Matt?”
“We have two mother ships just enter our universe and Destiny thinks they are here to find his ship. He has two transports on the ground and he left them there to prevent the mother ships from seeing them move. I want to hit these two ships if they come to this system.”
Tag focused on his sense of danger looking at attacking or not and saw no difference. “You have our approval to take whatever action you think appropriate. Keep us informed as to the outcome.”
“I will.” Matt said, “Al, are the crew members all gone now?”
“The last group teleported away two minutes ago; Fleet Command just notified
me that the two mother ships have jumped.”
“Melanie, you have a weapons clear order. I want those two ships destroyed.”
Melanie looked at Leo and said, “You are authorized by the Stars Realm to commence action against the two mother ships. You are in command of this action Admiral Kosiev.”
Leo looked at his board and saw the two huge green ships appear at the jump limit of the system. “I am going to hit them before they can launch ships, Admiral.” He hit his com and said, “Sen-Gen, we are going to take out the two ships. I will target the one on the bottom; you will target the one above.”
“Aye-aye, Sir.”
Leo listened to the klaxons blaring, Battle stations, all hands to battle stations.” He pressed a button silencing the klaxon and hit his com, “Weapons, I want a full penetrator targeted on the bottom of the lower ship. We will approach it from that direction. I want a second penetrator ready for launch on my order.”
“Standing by for launch order, Admiral.”
“Sen-Gen, I will fire first. As soon as your sensors detect the launch, launch your penetrator.”
“Standing by, Admiral.’
Melanie stood on the bridge of the Rising Sun and thought about why Admiral Kosiev had chosen it for his flag ship. She had looked up the ship’s history and learned that it was originally commanded by Admiral Mikado who was the original Admiral Kosievs’ best friend. This ship played a major role in the early wars of the Realm. She looked at the display showing the four ships and their positions. Leo planned to hit them as they came inside the jump limit. She took her chair behind him and gripped the rails.
Al thought, “Fly Girl.”
“Yes, Al.”
“You are watching out for Melanie?”
“I have her on my teleport board as we speak. If anything looks like it might endanger her I am pulling her out.”