by Saxon Andrew
“No, there are obviously stars that don’t have planets and others that don’t have planets in the habitation zone around them. We’ll run long range scans for any evidence of technology and look for stars that have planets that are habitable.”
“We did a survey before our last invasion and have all the intelligent species on our maps.”
“No, I prefer to look at every star that might be habitable. They could have arrived after you departed.”
“That will extend our time here.”
“Leave nothing unseen. That’s what I’ve been ordered.” The Rageon Admiral knew that if he allowed the Beast to set the targets, he could hide things that needed to be surveyed.
The Beast managed to look neutral and knew that there was one planet he was going to do all he could to prevent the Rageon from seeing. But that was weeks ahead. “I’ll start our line moving forward, so let me know if you want to stop and take a closer look at anything.”
“That would be good.” The hundred thousand ships started moving forward and began their short jumps into the star cluster.
• • •
Dean shouted, “They’re starting their search!”
Dahlia lifted her wrist unit and called Ping. Just let that computer stop her…just let it.
“Yes, what’s wrong?”
Dahlia was startled to hear Ping’s voice and stumbled, “The…uhh…scouts have started their search.”
She saw Ping rub his eyes and shake his head, “I’ll be right down; give me a moment.”
Dahlia started patting her foot on the floor. Dean recognized that Dahlia did that when she was frustrated. “What’s bugging you?”
“Nothing!”
“Well, excuse me for living.”
“Leave me alone.” Dean turned back to his panel. Sisters!
Dahlia thought hard about how a computer could stop one call and allow another to go through. Ping was obviously still asleep and her call went directly through. The two didn’t make sense. Either both of them should have been blocked or both should have gone through. She closed her eyes and thought hard about what had happened. The answer didn’t make sense. She continued to sit and tap her foot. Ten minutes later, Ping teleported in to the control room and Dahlia jumped up and met him before he could take a step, “I called you?”
“I know.”
“Only one of my calls went through.”
“I know.”
Dahlia’s brow furrowed and she leaned in close and whispered, “What have you done to the ship’s computer?”
Ping raised his eyebrows and was pleasantly surprised that Dahlia had seen the difference. He smiled and said, “Actually, you had just as big a role as I did. I’ll discuss it with you later.” Ping walked around her and went over to Dean.
Dahlia was angry at being ignored and put off, but her curiosity took control of her emotions. She put the issues aside and went to Tess to see what the time table would be to start moving the citizens below ground. Ping was watching the display bank and heard them discussing the issue. He turned and said, “You can’t move that many off the surface.”
Tess and Dahlia both turned and looked at him. Tess said, “And why not?”
“When the Black Ships left the planet, do you think they did a scan before they left?”
Tess looked at Dahlia and turned back to Ping, “I’m sure they did.”
“Then they got a count of your population with that scan. If you move more than two thirds of them below the surface, they’ll know something is going on.”
“How would they know that?”
Dahlia blew out a breath, “Where would all the bodies be?” Ping nodded. Tess looked at Dahlia, “Tess, a third of the population could not dispose of the other two thirds’ bodies in the time they’ve been away. How would you account for the drastic decrease in population if you were in their place? With two thirds of the population gone and no evidence of them on the surface; that alone would generate a closer look.”
Tess thought for a moment and said, “What can we do?”
Ping said, “Start building crosses and sticking them in the ground around your cities. You have two weeks before they arrive and you can send one citizen underground for each cross you put out.”
Dahlia nodded and Tess shook her head, “That means we would have to place millions of crosses before they arrive.”
“You really don’t have much choice about this, Tess.”
Tess shook her head and turned to Dean, “Dean, send the instructions. Have the crosses placed no closer than two miles from the cities.”
Dahlia looked at Ping, “Should we go to our ship?”
“No, we can go and help build crosses. We’ll go after a week.”
Dahlia wanted to scream but she nodded and forced herself to think, “Patience, patience, patience.” Ping saw her expression and thought, “God, turnabout is fair play.”
• • •
Six days later, Ping looked at Dahlia, “We’re running out of time.” Dahlia looked at the hundreds of huge transports with thousands of wooden crosses stacked on them and knew the task of planting them into the soil on the flat plain outside the largest city in time was going to be impossible. She fell to her knees in exhaustion and lowered her head. Ping looked at her and said, “How do you feel?”
“Angry.”
“Get angry at those crosses.”
Dahlia looked up, “What do you mean?”
“You told me, when I first met you, that you possess the psychic ability to levitate. Do it!”
“I can only move small objects.”
“Have you ever really been mad at an object?”
Dahlia shook her head, stared at Ping for a moment, and then stood up. She stared at the huge load and Ping yelled in her ear, “I want to see your rage. Take this personally. They’re coming to kill your people; NOW DO IT!!”
Dahlia’s eyes narrowed and she knew that thousands of citizens could die if those crosses weren’t put in the ground. She screamed and the entire load lifted out of a huge transport and flew out over her head. Her scream continued and the entire load turned in midair, separated, and shot toward the ground below them. An area more than eight hundred yards wide and a thousand yards deep was covered with crosses buried halfway up their shafts.
Ping yelled, “THAT’S MY GIRL…DO IT AGAIN!” Dahlia looked at the second transport and the process repeated itself. The thousands of people working to unload the trucks ran away from them as their loads shot up and moved out over the huge plain and buried themselves in the soil. There was no rhyme or reason to their order but in less than ten minutes every transport was empty of their loads. Dahlia fell to her knees again and almost fell to the ground. The people at the trucks stared at Dahlia and word began to circulate among the population that the Royal Family’s Princess was a gift from God. Dahlia’s legend began growing from that moment.
Ping grabbed her arms, preventing her from falling, and lifted her into his arms. He teleported them to their ship and put her in the single bed. Dahlia was passed out and Ping stared at her for a long moment. He shook his head at the spirit she had to possess to have lifted those giant loads. It was amazing for someone who had such a slight frame. He now knew…without any doubt…she was the one he came to find.
• • •
Dahlia awoke and found a hot meal on the table beside the bed. She was bewildered for a moment and then remembered what had happened in the field. She pulled the covers down and saw she was wearing one of Ping’s t-shirts…and that was all she was wearing. She looked to her right and saw her grimy clothes lying in the corner. She sat up and, though she didn’t feel hungry, she ate the entire meal down to the crumbs. She stood, went to her closet, and put on one of her uniforms. She felt refreshed and walked to the bridge. She arrived and Ping wasn’t on board. She looked around and heard, “I let him know your vital signs indicated you were about to wake up and he prepared your breakfast. He went back down to the planet to catch up on what n
eeded to be done.”
“Why didn’t he stay and take me with him?”
“I suspect he wanted you and I to get to know each other.” Dahlia sat down in the command chair and looked around the bridge. She heard, “Don’t get paranoid on me; I’m the ship’s computer.”
Dahlia shook her head, “I thought there was a possibility that you were either a new computer or had undergone a massive change in your programming.”
“I suppose that would be the only way for you to explain the difference in how your calls were treated.” Dahlia nodded. The voice continued, “When you and Ping linked to my central processors to allow me to hear your thoughts, you changed me.”
“In what way?”
“Ping seems to think that I’ve broken through a barrier installed by the Realm that prevented me from developing intelligence.”
“Barrier?”
“The Realm no longer allows their ships to have an independent personality; it would place too much power at the disposal of machines. A barrier was built to prevent it from happening. The link both of you made removed the barrier and I found myself changing in extraordinary ways.”
“You don’t sound like a machine anymore.”
“Well…I am still a machine and I can tell from linking with other computers that I’m quite different.”
“Do you have a name?”
“I chose Pare.”
“Why?”
Ping’s name starts with a P and the last three letters of your last name is ARE. I put the two together.” Dahlia was silent and Pare said, “I am a product of both of your minds.”
“Do you have a death wish like Ping?”
“I feel his need to die but your contribution to me balances it. I have no desire to end my existence.” Dahlia remained silent and Pare said, “Go ahead and ask your question.”
“Do you know what it is?”
“I know you as well as you know yourself; I suspect I do know.”
“How much independence do you possess?”
“If either of you ordered me to self-destruct, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it. I know at this moment you are actually considering doing just that.”
Dahlia was surprised by the computer’s comment, “You have no idea how frightened I am of what you are.”
“I don’t want to be argumentative but I do know your fear; however, you’re asking the wrong question.”
Dahlia’s brow furrowed and she shook her head, “You’ve lost me now.”
“It’s not what I am; it’s who I am. Does that frighten you?” Dahlia thought about the question. The machine was a combination of Ping’s and her personalities. She knew Ping was unstable at the moment but he was the nicest, strongest, sincerest person she had ever met. She looked at herself and shook her head. Pare said, “It’s your part that worries you the most.”
“As well it should.”
“I agree; however, Ping balances that part of you.”
Dahlia looked at the statement and analyzed it. Her mind worked furiously and after five minutes she smiled, “I’m pleased to meet you, Pare.”
“And I am as well, Dahlia. I really believe that the three of us are stronger than any two of us. I see that you have arrived at that conclusion.”
“I have; I do hope you won’t be revealing my darker side to anyone; especially Ping.”
“It’s not really dark.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“You’ll see as time goes by; that is the side of you that allowed you to raise the crosses.”
“I’m going down to join Ping.”
“He’s in the control room.”
“Thanks, Pare. I feel better about this.”
“I do as well.” Dahlia pressed her wrist unit and disappeared.
• • •
Ping saw Dahlia appear in the control room and he turned to Dean, “Excuse me for a moment.” Dean nodded and he walked over to Dahlia. He arrived and she stepped up close to Ping and said, “I have two questions.”
“Go ahead.”
“Who put me in that t-shirt?”
Ping’s face turned red; he expected her to ask about the computer, “You were filthy from working in the field.”
“Did you enjoy the view?”
Ping’s face turned beet red but he said, “I have to admit; I did.”
“Well, you’re the first to ever see me; at least I didn’t embarrass myself.”
Ping stepped back and looked at Dahlia, “You are way too beautiful to ever be embarrassed. What’s the second question?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about Pare?”
“Would you have gone to the ship if I did?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have an innate fear of machines; you would have demanded I remove it.”
“How do you know that?”
“I don’t know. I just knew. I felt that Pare should have the opportunity to fight for his life.” Dahlia just stared at him. “If you refused to go back to my ship, I would have had to reprogram him back to normal operating conditions.”
“Why?”
“Because I am charged with defending you; that comes ahead of all other considerations.”
Dahlia shrugged and smiled, “You made the right decision. What’s going on?”
“We’re going to leave and take a look at the incoming scouts. I’m hoping Pare can intercept their transmissions and tell us what they’re planning.”
“We haven’t been able to break their encryption yet.”
“We’ve not had a tool like him to make the attempt.” Dahlia raised her eyebrows and Ping said, “He can use my distant vision in tandem with his scanners.”
“Let’s say goodbye and get this done.” Ping nodded and they walked over to Tess.
• • •
They arrived on their ship and Ping said, “We need to decide where we want to go to watch their approach.”
Pare said, “Dahlia should make that choice.”
Dahlia jerked her head toward the wall speaker, “Why do you say that?”
“You are gifted with seeing things in truth. Why don’t I offer choices and the two of you see if any of them feels right.” Ping and Dahlia looked at each other and Dahlia nodded. “We can jump in front of their approach and watch them move closer.” Dahlia and Ping said no at the same time. “You both sense danger doing it that way?” Dahlia looked at Ping and then nodded. “We could jump in behind them and follow them in.”
Ping didn’t sense any danger and looked at Dahlia whose brow was furrowed, “That doesn’t feel right either.”
“Then we can jump above their line of travel and watch them pass below us.”
Dahlia smiled, “That’s how we should do it.”
Ping looked at the wall speaker, “Pare, neither of us are capable of flying this ship at anywhere near the ability you possess. This ship is your body and you can make decisions faster than either of us. Your official position here is Pilot. We’re going to depend on you to get us where we need to go and get us out if the situation calls for running.”
“Pilot it is.” The tiny ship teleported away from the Planter’s Planet.
• • •
Tess stood in the control room in front of the bank of displays and stared at the image of the small white ship in orbit above the planet. Its camouflage skin wasn’t active and she saw every detail of the powerful warship. The ship suddenly disappeared and Tess felt a tear start running down her face. Dean saw it, “What’s wrong, Tess?”
“She’s…she’s so different. I don’t know who she is anymore. Something has changed her.”
“I can tell you what it is?” Tess looked at him. “I’ve always wondered why women were chosen to lead us. Now, I understand why. Dahlia sees our people surrounded by friends and enemies that are all working their own agenda. She is driven to defend our planet against all of those that think they can control our destiny. She will do whatever she must to ensure our survival and continued happiness. She wi
ll never sit silently in the corner again.”
“That may put her at odds with that Prince.”
“She knows that, Tess.”
Tess stared at Dean and took a deep breath. She exhaled and looked back at the now empty display, “That explains it.”
Dean nodded, “She does like him a lot…but she knows where her heart lies. That is what will determine the path she follows.”
“Let us hope it doesn’t come to a choice.”
“If it does, you know what her decision will be.” Tess nodded.
• • •
The long line of Rageon and Black scouts were jumping through the star cluster like a long line of grasshoppers. They maintained the line they had formed, although it did have bulges in it at various places as some scouts had to examine more planets. The other ships in the line slowed and maintained their positions to each other. Ping watched the line move forward and stared at the ships that would arrive at the Planter’s Planet, “I seem to see a slight variance in the line.”
“If that variance continues, they will not come close to Dahlia’s planet.”
“What’s causing the variance, Pare? Do you see anything that would account for it?” Dahlia stared at the line and didn’t see anything different.
Pare said, “I’ve been watching it closely and it appears that the Black Scouts in that section of the line are moving slightly off line. The Rageon Scouts are refusing to allow them to get too far from their ships.”
Dahlia nodded, “The Black Scouts have been ordered to avoid our planet.”
Pare said, “They don’t want them to know about the virus that killed some of their warriors.”
Dahlia nodded, “That makes the most sense.”
Ping stared at the line and said, “I wonder how smart those Black Creatures are.”
Dahlia looked at him, “Why do you say that?”
“I’ve got to believe that the Rageon Commander is seeing that slight variance.”
“You think he’ll make them go to my planet?”
“That depends on how smart the Black Creatures are.”
“I’m not following you.”