by Saxon Andrew
“If we move a light year out, it will take a year to see it.”
“We’re only going to move twenty thousand miles above it. If I need to move further out, I will.”
“Optical system is locked on.”
Kuhn sat back in his chair and watched as the large warships arrived and began forming long lines out from the black hole. He heard the wall speaker say, “They’re forming a line with thirty thousand miles between their vessels.”
Kuhn blew out a breath, “Moving out to forty thousand miles.”
They waited and three hours later Gibbs leaned forward and looked at Kuhn, “Sir, there are four lines in place extending about a billion miles out from the each of four facilities around the event horizon. Whoops, the globes on the ships are turning on.” Kuhn jerked his eyes back to the optical monitor and saw the incredibly long line of warships had begun firing their beams and it appeared that the brilliant green beams connected all of them. The beams were firing directly above them and it looked solid from one end of the line to the other. “Sir, the beams are overlapping above that line. That’s why the beam is solid instead of a fan shape.”
Kuhn nodded and stared at the monitor. Suddenly, the massive wave of green began moving slowly around the long line of ships as the huge globes began rolling in their slots. It slowed and then stopped and Gibbs shook his head, “It appears some of them lost the link. They’ve slowed down to allow them to relink. They must not do this very often.” The brilliant beam stopped moving as the globes came to a stop. After a few moments, the globes started rolling again as the long line of grey warships began moving slowly forward. The giant beam started flashing around the long line of warships as the globes started rolling faster. Kuhn shook his head as the huge beam started flickering as the globes picked up speed. Soon, the long line of ships looked like it had a solid green beam completely surrounding it.
Kuhn looked up, “Ron?”
“The globes are moving around the ships two times a second. Now three times. Now ten times.” Ron watched the long line and it looked like it was completely enclosed by a giant green force field. The beams were moving so fast that they looked like a solid globe. Then the long line moved forward at an increasing speed until the ships activated their stardrives. The line disappeared and Kuhn shook his head. They waited for an hour until one of the lines arrived from one of the other facilities located around the black hole. The line stopped and moved thirty thousand miles away from the facility and the process repeated itself again. With the greater radius on the second sweep, it took an hour and a half for the next line to arrive. The next line immediately moved out another thirty thousand miles and the process began again. It continued for the rest of the day.
• • •
Kuhn stared at the monitor and heard the wall speaker activate with a new communication from the strange warships. “We’ve completed our sweep and nothing showed up on our scanners.”
“It could have moved outside your coverage before you were able to organize.”
The Guide blew out a breath, “Do you want us to continue sweeping?”
“No. Logic seems to indicate that if it were an alien ship it would have remained close to determine what you were doing. However, nothing else could account for what happened.”
“Perhaps you should discuss this with the builders.”
“Please remain in place until our conversation is completed.”
• • •
Kuhn looked up, “Can you track the line of communication being used by that facility?”
“Give me a moment.”
They waited and after two minutes they heard, “You do not agree with my assessment.”
“We don’t entirely disagree but the existence of an undetectable ship is difficult to accept.”
“I have no other way to explain the event.”
“Sometimes the universe throws things at us that are not explainable and we arrive at conclusions that are not plausible in an attempt to explain them. We will notify all of our forces to be looking for anything that would support your theory.”
“And if you discover my theory is correct?”
“Then we will start our invasion.”
“That is the logical thing to do.”
• • •
Kuhn looked at Pondern, “I’m calling off the scouting mission.”
“Why?”
“One mistake and this galaxy will send their ships into your civilization. We need to get the information we’ve collected back to your Leaders to let them decide what to do.”
“I’m of the opinion that we should perhaps attack those giant structures. They’re not defended by any warships.”
“And that would confirm their suspicions about our presence and we have no idea how long it would take them to build new structures. If we fail to destroy them, we know they’re going to invade immediately. For the moment, they’re not moving to invade.”
“We don’t know their timetable to invade. It could be a week from now.”
“The decision will have to be made by your leaders. We also need to take a look at the data we’ve gathered and determine if we can penetrate that field surrounding those launch tubes. If we attack them and fail…”
Pondern was struggling with what to do but decided that the alien was right. “We’ll do it your way.”
Kuhn nodded and lifted his communicator, “Attention all Scouts. You will return to the black hole at a location halfway between the facility we found at entry and the one to the port side of it. Move high above the galaxy to arrive and don’t do anything that would allow you to be detected. Start moving now and once we’re all present, I’ll lead you back through the singularity.”
Kuhn turned the ship vertically and flew out of the galaxy. Three hours later, all the scouts were present. “Send me everything you collected.” The data started pouring in and Gibbs looked up, “We found a lot of the planets where those warships are located. It appears the species on them are carnivores.”
“Pondern’s Leaders need that information. Ron, collect the information and put a copy of it on a datacube. I want a copy sent to the four wing commanders in the event we don’t make it through.”
“Starting download now.”
Gibbs saw Pondern turn almost purple, “Relax. We have a ninety nine point five percent of being fine.”
“Tell that to my heart. It doesn’t appear to be hearing you.”
Kuhn delivered orders to Swain, his Second-in Command, “If I don’t make it through, take the data and deliver it to the Darkness Leader.”
“Yes, Sir.
Kuhn changed to the general frequency, “All ship will line up behind me and we will go around to the selected location and start our exit.” Gibbs watched the monitor and nodded to Kuhn. “We will start our run…NOW!”
The line of ships accelerated to super light speed, moved into the galaxy and turned toward the black hole. Pondern looked at Kuhn, “Please hand me your communicator and set it to the following frequency.”
“Why?”
“Because you will be entering on a different course than the one you used to come here. I need to tell our defenses not to open fire.”
Kuhn set the frequency and handed the communicator to Pondern. He started speaking before they crossed the event horizon.
• • •
The Watcher saw ships start moving out of the black hole’s event horizon and he gripped his controls as he turned the gravity tower’s main barrel toward them. The tower went to full power and he gripped the trigger as he heard over his communicator, “DO NOT FIRE! WE WERE FORCED TO USE A DIFFERENT COURSE TO RETURN! DO NOT FIRE! WE WERE FORCED TO USE A DIFFERENT COUSE!” The Watcher jerked his finger off the trigger and rebroadcast the message to all of the Darkness defenses on that side of the black hole.
Kuhn listened to Pondern SCREAMING and looked at Gibbs, “Tell Stella what’s going on!”
Gibbs lifted his communicator and started speaking as Kuhn turne
d his ship back toward Pondern’s station. The other scouts accelerated away from the black hole and passed through the line of giant gravity towers and warships.
Stella heard Gibbs on her panel and pressed her communicator, “What’s going on? You were supposed to return on the course you entered the black hole!”
“We’ve found a dangerous civilization on the other side of the black hole and one of their structures blocked us from using the same course. I’m sending you the data we collected.”
Stella looked up at the wall speaker and heard the watcher on Kuhn’s Ship still yelling. Then she heard, “All defenses, withhold your fire. Please put me in contact with the one that we sent with your ships.”
Stella said, “Poul, pass that on to Gibbs and give him the Leader’s Frequency.”
There was a slight pause, and Poul said, “Sent.”
• • •
Gibbs received the message and put the frequency in his panel. He stood up and took his communicator to Pondern who was still screaming into Kuhn’s communicator, “Your Leader wishes to speak with you.”
Pondern immediately stopped yelling and took the communicator. He shook his head and pressed the button, “Yes, Supreme Leader.”
“What did you see that caused you to return on a different vector?”
“The enemy in that galaxy is preparing an invasion and their ships are very much like the one that came through the black hole years ago.”
“What information were you able to gather about this enemy?”
Pondern looked at Gibbs, who said, “I’ll send a download or you can take the cube to him.”
Pondern nodded, “Leader, do you want the information sent electronically or do you want me to bring you a data device with it?”
“Send it and bring the data device to us.”
“My friends are taking me to my station and I will have the cube when I arrive.”
“That would be good.”
The Leader looked around the room. One of the Leader’s Advisors said, “He called them his friends.”
Another Leader spoke up, “He’s not thinking clearly due to his fear, which leads me to believe he’s telling the truth.”
The Supreme Leader’s expression was stern, “Let us see what we’re up against. I don’t see them as friends.”
• • •
Stella pressed her communicator, “Kunny, what’s going on?”
“Sir, there is a civilization on the other side of the black hole that is planning a massive invasion of this galaxy. They have the structures ready to start the attack and will probably begin in the near future. It is my belief that they are more advanced than the Darkness.”
Stella shook her head, “I don’t like hearing that.”
“I’m having Gibbs continue to send you the data we collected. You should get it to Fleet Command as quickly as possible.”
She heard Poul say, “I’m receiving the download.”
Stella pressed her communicator and spoke to the Darkness’ Leader, “If it meets with your approval, I need to take this information to my Leaders.”
“I wish to discuss this with you.”
“When?”
“Be back in four days.”
“I’ll be here then.”
The Darkness Leader began viewing the incoming data on his console and began to feel his fear rising. This was not good, not good at all. He needed the watcher to arrive for questioning to find out what was going on. He also wanted to know why he called the aliens his friends.
• • •
“Steve, I’m sending you the data over the communicator that Kunny collected. There’s a real dangerous civilization on the other side of the Darkness’s black hole that is preparing an invasion. You need to decide what to do about this.”
“How dangerous?”
“Kunny is of the opinion that it is more advanced than the Darkness.”
Steve shook his head, “Continue sending the data. Get back here as quickly as possible and tell Commodore Kuhn that he needs to come with you.”
“Yes, Sir. We’re on our way.” Stella looked up, “Poul, what have you seen in the data?”
“If this is accurate, Commodore Kuhn is right. And according to the representative that went with him to that universe, it is the same civilization that sent a vessel through the black hole long ago that did massive destruction to the Darkness. It has an interesting weapons system.”
Stella sighed, “Why can’t things ever be peaceful?”
“Perhaps it is the nature of creation that war is the natural state.”
“Poul, you’re probably right.”
• • •
Janell looked at Admiral Connor on her monitor, “Sir, we’re starting our run toward the black hole in two hours.”
Steve shook his head, “We have some issues that have just popped up in Andromeda. Go and scout that galaxy but I want you back here in a week.”
“Sir, that doesn’t give us much time.”
“Sorry, Admiral. Be back in a week. I may need your warships to go through the change so we can use them in Andromeda. It will take some time for the process to complete.”
Janell looked at Gabe and he shrugged. “Yes, Sir. We’ll do as much as we can in the time allotted.”
“Admiral, Get in and get out.”
“Yes, Sir.” Janell picked up her communicator, “First Fleet, power up your systems. We’re going in immediately. Second Fleet, you will follow First Fleet ten minutes after the last ships have entered the black hole.”
Amy picked up her communicator, “What’s happening, Sir.”
“We’ve been ordered to return in seven days. I’m not going to waste two hours.”
“Why are our plans being changed?”
“I’ll let you know as soon as we arrive on the other side. Get your fleet moving, Admiral!”
“Yes, Sir.”
Chapter Eighteen
The Dream Catcher arrived through the black hole and immediately moved two hundred thousand miles out. First Fleet was already formed up and she moved her vessel inside the inner layer of defenses. She looked at Gabe, “Have we been detected?”
“Long range scanners have Carand Warships patrolling the event horizon but none of them are currently changing course.”
Janell touched her battle helmet, “Admiral, get your outer layer of warships to form a line between those Carand Warships and Admiral Hart’s entry point.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Gabe, let me know if any of those ships change course and start moving our way.”
“They’re still holding their course, Sir.”
Janell should have ordered Amy’s Fleet to come after two minutes but it was too late to change it. The clock seemed to take forever but then she heard Gabe say, “Second Fleet is transiting the black hole.”
“Have them move twenty thousand miles out from First Fleet and form up.”
Gabe looked at his communications officer and he nodded as he began speaking into his communicator. He looked at the warships from Second Fleet start changing course on the tactical monitor and he looked back at Janell, “Second Fleet is moving to the new location.”
Janell nodded and started at the Carand Warships on the long-range scanner. In another twenty minutes, Second Fleet was through and formed up. She pressed her panel and Heinrik and Amy appeared on her panel, “Admirals, it appears there is a larger threat to the Earth Bosrean Alliance in Andromeda than there is here.” She saw the surprise on both of their faces and she continued speaking, “I don’t have any details but I know Fleet Command sent a thousand of our scouts through the black hole in Andromeda and they must have brought back some disturbing news. Admiral Conner sent us here so that our ships will undergo the change to a neutral charge when we return. I suspect he will be sending us to assist that civilization in the center of the Andromeda Galaxy to meet this enemy. We only have seven days to scout this galaxy, which isn’t much time. Suggestions?”
Amy�
��s eyes narrowed, “We’re not going to be able to do it with large groups of ships like we planned.”
Janell nodded, “We’ll never get anything done if we do.”
Heinrik shook his head, “I would recommend that we move our three Flagships inside Second Fleet’s defenses and release all of our warships to go and scout specific areas.”
Janell looked at Amy, “What do you think about that?”
“I’ll have Commodore Roland’s inner layer of warships remain behind and expand his weave to include our three ships. We should set up so that each ship can defend one third of the area inside his weave. I’ll send the outer layer with the other warships to scout.”
“I’m hoping that we won’t be seen. However, we’re going to have to take a chance and make the most of the time we have.” Janell looked at Gabe, “Get our scanners to start sending coordinates out for each ship to scout.” She looked back at her panel’s display, “Make sure your pilots know that they will avoid conflict! I will not lose ships here that will be needed when we return.”
Janell ended the call and looked at Gabe, “Get those coordinates out as quickly as possible!”
“We’ve already sent two thousand. We should have them all done within two hours.”
“Get it done in one!”
Gabe stared at her and then nodded. He went to one of the scanners and took their chair. Janell was amazed at how fast he could type on the keyboard. She looked back up at the long range scanners and saw the Carand were still holding their course.
• • •
The Carand Royal heard his alarms go off at full blast and he immediately silenced them. The looked at his panel and saw a message appear on his panel, “Something has passed through the probe’s field. I’m shutting down communications and moving your fleet. I will not be able to receive any other messages.”
The Royal looked at his panel and saw the new probes had recorded something massive passing through its field…twice. He had no idea if it was two incredibly large warships or numerous ships passing through twice. He looked at his panel and pressed a button, “Have you detected anything?”