“Follow the leader,” Jim joked.
Twenty metres down the corridor, a bright, three-metre, oval shaped object blocked their way.
Its surface seemed to be fluid, colours changing between bright orange and grey in random movements. Almost hypnotically.
This was certainly not human, or Crillon.
Above it, the ceiling seemed to have been pushed up another ten metres.
“What do you make of it Jim?” Susanna asked.
“Well, it certainly doesn’t belong here, that's for sure.
Look, see that smoky looking ring up there,” he said, pointing to the now visible circle floating in the raised roof space just above the object.
“Shouldn’t we just blast it?” Bren forcefully asked.
“No,” Jim said. “Unless I'm mistaken it's sending information to something, through that circle. It certainly doesn’t look like a wormhole. But something similar that’s beyond our technology.”
“Even more reason to destroy it,” rapped Acarea.
“Wait a moment,” Susanna said, “I'll talk to Andromeda and Frank first.”
She touched the drone again, and Frank's voice came through her implant.
‘We've been monitoring your progress, thanks to the drone. Both Andromeda and I think you should destroy it.
There may be nothing at the other end now, but we can't take any chances. The information it may be sending concerning us must cease now.’
‘Then the heightened sensations that Bren and Acarea feel must be down to this thing's information gathering?’
‘We're pretty sure of this. It must have been going on for a long time.
Susanna, before you try to destroy it, take as many readings and pictures as you can.
Drone 23 has also been instructed to record everything, visuals the lot. Then we should know quite a bit more.’
‘Ok, give us a little while to prepare.’
‘Fine. But get as far away as possible from it before you destroy it. We don't know enough about that transit-ring.’
‘Don't worry, we'll be fine,’ she said and took her hand away from the drone.
“They want the object destroyed after we've collected as much information as we can about it, and about that transit-ring up there.
“And, just how are we going to destroy it, without killing us all?” The marine asked.
“Good question. Jim, start grabbing what information you can from it.”
“Already started Susanna.”
“Bren, you and Acarea had better go back to the entrance,” Susanna suggested.
“We may have to move fast, and I don't want to compromise your safety.”
“We’re missing all the fun as usual,” Bren said. As they both turned, and headed back through the cavern.
She grinned at them, then turned back to the job at hand.
“Jenny, can you and uh, Vance, is it?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Sorry, you didn't say your name before.”
“True, but we're only supposed to give it if asked,” he said. Winked at her, and added, “No one ever does, though.”
Then, guessing what she was going to ask replied, “Geeze. I don’t think even our nukes will destroy this thing.” He pointed a piece of analytical equipment at the object.
“The force-field only extends a metre, but it’s over a hundred times more efficient than anything we’ve got.”
“Then what?” Jenny asked. “That circle up there worries me.”
As he punched keys on his computer, Jim said, “See that ribbon of energy, Susanna. It's faint, but it's linking the two. It knows what we’re going to do; I'm sure of it.”
“How?” She asked.
“I don't know.”
He thought for a moment. “Maybe through the implants, it seems to like them.”
“True. But we've turned them off.”
“Yours is still operating with the drone. I'll bet it can monitor it, even though it's encrypted.”
“Are you saying it will go if we attack it?”
“Best case scenario, yes. Or it could flatten the area for kilometres around.”
“But, it wouldn't know the exact moment of detonation.”
“Maybe not, but I think it could sense it from us, and be gone.”
“We still have to try,” Jenny ventured.
“Then, we will,” Susanna said.
“OK. If we set a half megaton nuke, then get into our force-craft outside. Will you be able to screen us all?” She asked drone 23.
“Yes,” it replied. “If I am back with my body, to add to the force crafts field. Then I can leave a random trigger in the cavern and an optical transmitter with the nuke. The transmitted vision will survive for a second, but no more.”
“Ok, do it! Blank all our implants, including mine. Then set the random trigger, when were safely outside.”
“It will be done, Leave now.”
She felt mentally alone, as the blanking field excluded them all completely.
The rest looked at each other.
“Let’s go,” Susanna ordered.
Bren and Acarea felt the blanking field come into play as Susanna, Jim and the Marines came running.
“Quick, get on the force-craft,” yelled Susanna.
They all leapt onto the platform as drone 23's body lifted and moved close to them. Jenny hit the force-field’s controller to the maximum.
Seconds later, the drone’s detached section shot out of the entrance and dropped into its residential slot. The cover closed, and the drone’s force-field went to the maximum.
Both the force-craft and drone moved quickly away from the entrance and settled on the ground, and behind a hill, two kilometres away.
Within seconds the hill seemed to vibrate for a few moments, then all was still.
“That was close,” Bren remarked.
The visual recording from the nuked site then appeared on the force crafts tactical screen, as the implants started working again.
“Wow! It vanished, just as I thought it would,” Jim said as he looked at the recorded second of vision that Drone 23 had said would survive.
They looked and could see. Just point two of a second, and the orange oval seemed to stretch into the ring, then was gone. Point one of a second later, the ring had also gone.
“Maybe there’s a ship waiting around for it,” Susanna said.
“It could be light years away, of course, and obviously too far away for us to worry about. Agreed?”
‘Yes. Well done,’ came Frank's voice through their implants. ‘We've got it all as well.’
‘We’re finished here.’ Susanna thought, ‘I would like to come home, Frank. Now, please.’
‘Of course, drop Bren and Acarea back.’
“Captain, how long before you can help us get our lives back together?” Bren asked.
‘Not long Bren. It may be three or four planet days before the crystals are ready. Oh, and please call me Frank.’
“Sorry, I'll remember not to be so formal in the future.”
‘That's all right. Drone 23 will be coming back to Andromeda for servicing after dropping you off. I’ll see you both later.’ With that, he was gone.
“Well, you heard the man, let’s go.”
“Not to madly, please Jenny,” Acarea said. “I'm pretty nervy as it is.”
“Don't worry, I’ll fly carefully.”
“Yea, if you believe that, you'll believe anything,” Bren added.
The other marine, Vance, sat back and closed his eyes as Jenny made a few flight checks. Then the force-craft lifted off and accelerated rapidly away towards Bren and Acarea's cabin.
Seven minutes later, Bren and Acarea said goodbye, with the usual hugs.
The force-craft and drone 23 drifted away from them, tilted upward, and shot forward, accelerating rapidly with every passing second until they were out of sight.
A clap of thunder echoed, and Bren and Acarea were alone again.
Frank watched on his main screen, as the force-craft approached Andromeda's holding bay. He was glad to see it coming back safe and sound. Especially with Susanna on board.
He sat thinking, then said. ‘Andromeda, how far have you got with your analysis of player three?’
To anyone, not acquainted with transceiver implants, you would be forgiven for thinking Frank was dreaming, and far, far away, instead of having a serious two-way conversation.
‘Not very far at all,’ replied Andromeda. ‘But maybe, as the droids’ records seem to indicate, the Acarea’s first crew officers had implants fitted as the norm.
So, maybe they began experimenting and then providing the implants towards the end of their voyage.
The next generation, obviously wouldn’t have been able to insert any implants, because the ship crash landed. Thereby, losing the surgical facilities that were needed.’
‘Perhaps the survivors were able to rescue some of their specialized services from the ship, so, were finally able to start producing implants again,’ Frank said.
‘Perhaps, and I think it’s most likely that later descendants, like Bren and Acarea, probably had their implants fitted when they were about twenty years old after their bodies stopped growing.’
‘But there were no surgical facilities to insert them?’ Frank thought.
‘That would have been a problem, except, Bren and Acarea told us about the underground labs on the outskirts of City Atreen.
They probably had the ability, before the Crillons wiped them out.’
‘Yes,’ he replied, thinking on.
‘Then came the third player. Take some locals aboard and modify their implants, to allow them to monitor what's going on,’ he paused momentarily.
‘But then, they would have remembered having it done,’ she suggested.
‘Not necessarily. Later, when they were taken aboard the alien ship to have the implants modified, they could also have had false memories planted. Like this Ops training. So, they would have forgotten everything else.’
‘Yes. And, the ‘third player’ must have left a continuous monitor here. Probably our orange friend. Sending a real-time status direct to them. But why?’
‘That, we don't know. It could just have been a scientific study. Or something more sinister. Only time will tell.’
‘Ah, Susanna’s approaching, Frank.’
He was surprised, he hadn't noticed that the force-craft had docked, and the holding bay was empty of personnel.
His control room door annunciator chimed.
“Open,” he ordered. The door slid open, and in stepped Susanna.
They embraced, and kissed passionately, and as they separated, Frank enthusiastically said. “I missed you, Sues, both of you.”
“Missed you too. I think junior will be glad of some calmness now,” she replied while eyeing him up.
“Are we going to be together tonight?” she asked, with a devil look in her eyes.
“Seems like we will, after that look, Sues.”
She kissed him again, moving her full lips suggestively over his.
Then, suddenly becoming serious, asked, “What about the crystals, and the preparations to get rid of the Crillons?”
“Well, it’s all going to plan now. City Marca has two ready and in their globes. The other three pairs should be in their globes sometime tomorrow.”
She looked pleased with that news.
“Then, hopefully, by tomorrow night they should all be installed in the Crillon shuttles,” he finished. Then reached out to touch the food dispenser's menu panel.
“Do you want a drink? I tried a combination this morning which I think you’ll like.” He tapped in the code, not waiting for her answer. Ten seconds later, two cups of steaming hot liquid popped onto the serving tray. “It's something called, hot chocolate.”
They both sat quietly sipping their drinks while watching each other. “That does taste good,” Susanna agreed.
Chapter 30
Departure, almost.
Frank, felt refreshed after having had some real time with Susanna, and was sitting in the control room looking at the status reports that were continually updating as they scrolled across his screen.
Everything had pretty well gone to plan. The buoy that Illustrious had despatched to Earth was still passing through the vast distance.
Their force-craft, together with the Crillon’s surviving shuttles, were ready to bring the globes up to the two Crillon battlecruisers when needed.
At the moment, Earth would be oblivious to what was happening here, but he felt confident that all would work out well.
“Andromeda, did we get any lead on where our third player may have come from?”
“I'm afraid, not Frank, we can’t establish anything from the droid's first picture. There are too many variables, like the exact moment, rotation of the planet, and so on. It's impossible to predict the direction.”
“Ok, we'll leave it for now. How long before we know if the crystal globing is successful?”
“Cities Atreen, Marca and Velcray have already reported success. We’re just waiting for City Vicrea.”
“Good. Are there any shuttles on route to the Crillon ships yet?”
“Yes. Marca’s shuttle has already left. Atreen and Velcray's shuttles will leave in about an hour.
But City Vicrea was the last to start the crystal growing process, and Michael’s report shows they are still waiting for the critical moment, which we are expecting in about half an hour. So, their shuttle probably won’t leave for another three hours.”
Frank thought for a moment, then said. “Andromeda scan my thoughts, under shielding.”
He then gave her a set of instructions that involved Susanna.
Almost four hours later, the icons for both Crillon commanders, Tripicac and Bovonivo, flashed on his screen.
He tapped them. “You want to talk to me again Commander? Can I assume you have good news?”
Commander Tripicac's face seemed to stretch, with a grin. “We believe so captain. All the crystal globes are on board and are being mounted on the rails as I speak. All of our people are now back on board our ships.”
“That is good news.”
“Yes. We anticipate another four hours to complete the testing and simulations.”
“Sounds good. So, when do you want to start for home?”
Tripicac looked a little worried. But it was Bovonivo who asked the question.
“Are you really letting us go captain?”
“Yes. You have my word. You kept your side of the bargain, and you haven’t caused us any trouble. Why shouldn’t I?
“It's just that you have such a different set of rules of engagement than we've always been used to.”
“Agreed, but look at it from our point of view. One day, we may really need each other.”
Both Tripicac and Bovonivo seemed to look at each other. Then Tripicac replied.
“An interesting concept captain. As to your question of when we want to start our journey home. In six hours, would be good for us.”
Susanna's icon suddenly popped up on Frank's screen. He touched it but said nothing.
‘The package has been delivered Frank.’
“Yes, that'll be okay with us also Commander Tripicac.” He paused, then added.
“Just to clarify events; The Andromeda and Illustrious will create the wormholes for the first leg of your journey.
When you reach Zeta Reticuli, the Derringer and Turpin will be waiting. Ready to help you if something goes wrong.
The calculations are still the same. The journey will take almost seventy-three of your days, and three more jumps for you to reach Crilla your home planet. But if, by some miracle, the natural wormhole has re-established itself, then you’ll definitely make it back.”
“Now, that would be something!” Bovonivo replied.
“Lastly, I won't tell you how. But when you start your second leg your onboard computers will
automatically open a file that we've placed there.”
Seeing their expressions, he added. “Don't be alarmed, it’s only information, and some images that I think you ought to have.”
“Why not just give them to us now then?” Tripicac asked.
“There could be a risk to you. You'll have to trust me on this.”
“Very well Captain. We will wait,” he replied, and both of their images disappeared from Franks screen.
“Andromeda. Set up a Ships Captain’s video conference, to start in one hour.”
“Organizing now Frank.”
On the hour. The captains’ icons all lit up on his screen.
“Welcome, gentlemen. Are we all prepared?” They all nodded yes.
“Derrick, are you confident that you can create one of the wormholes?”
“Well, Barry and I agree that all the new simulations we made with Andromeda have been excellent, so, we’re ready.”
“Good. We'll try to sync the generation of both of our wormholes together.”
He looked at his schedule.
“Tony and Harry. You know you need to leave for Zeta Reticuli by fourteen hundred hours. Don’t you?”
“Yes, Tony confirmed.
“Harry and I have been over the scenario several times. If they try anything, we'll be ready.”
“Excellent. We consider the Crillons are on our side now. But, nevertheless, keep your wits about you.
When they've gone, come back as soon as you can.”
“Definitely,” they both replied.
Then Harry asked. “What about the stealth drone you left at Zeta Reticuli?”
“Good question. We'll leave it there if it still has plenty of power.”
The Definitive SpaceFed Trilogy (SpaceFed StarShips Trilogy).: A thrilling, action-packed Sci-fi space adventure. (SpaceFed StarShips Series Book 8) Page 38