The Ocoda Chronicles Book 5 Paladonians
Page 15
Richard, who is aware of Caleb’s history, bluntly asks, “Caleb, I’ve known you for almost three centuries, and never have I seen you with such deliberate and direct involvement with us. I’m guessing you’re planning on leaving again and want to make sure that we know you’ll be watching.”
Caleb smiles, lowering his head, answering, “Richard, you have always spoken from the cuff, at times it has annoyed me to no end, and this day is no different.”
Caleb takes in a deep breath, saying, “Yes, I am leaving, and none of you will live long enough to see me again. I will stay until Gabriel awakens, and then I must complete a mission that will hinge on not only the human race's survival, but also every species in this universe. Nevertheless, my prime laws will be heeded too, or Gabriel will be forced to take action, and I can assure you all, Gabriel is not known for his patience.”
The room chuckles, as Caleb looks at the room and says, “Goodbye.”
Caleb then shifts away, heading back to Paladin.
For the next year the Paladonian get back on track as annual council meetings take place regularly, and Catherine with Amiel’s guidance starts to blossom as a leader. The Tof and Rooke worlds slowly and reluctantly begin to follow the rule of the council.
Caleb, however has remained apart from everyone, while he prepares for his final goodbye.
Paladin states, “Cale, I have purged all records of Noskcaj from all Paladonian records as you have asked. Nonetheless, the Tof and Rooke still have separate record systems that cannot be destroyed.”
Caleb sighs, saying, “I cannot protect my daughter, but I hope to protect Abe from his sins of the future.”
Paladin reports, “I have left instructions in Celesta’s data core for Gabriel, including the course he will need to take through null space. However, Caleb, Benton’s mind is becoming even more and more unraveled with each passing generation, and soon not even Carla will be able to restore his mind.”
Caleb sighs, saying, “At least he will live long enough to die amongst his friends.”
Paladin then reports, “Allie is trying to make contact, she is trying to discover what you are planning. She has even asked her Black guard to investigate.”
Caleb lets out a long breath of anguish, saying to Paladin, “She must not find out what we are doing, if she learns of it, she could cause more trouble than help. No my friend, tell her I am busy and unable to speak to her. For now, no one must know what I am doing. I am responsible for Noskcaj and now that the Meli has taken possession of Noskcaj as well as the full power of Carla, I’m the only person alive that has any chance of stopping them.
Paladin replies, “Cale, your plan depends a lot on the others fulfilling their missions. Even if all your plans succeed, when the Meli from the other timeline arrives, it will be a force beyond anything this time is prepared for.”
Caleb sighs reflecting on what must be done. Finally, he asks, “Pal can you get Catherine on the holocom?”
A moment transpires when Catherine appears before Caleb, she is shocked at Paladin’s instant appearance and asks, “Caleb, what is it I can do for you?”
Caleb smiles and says, “Catherine, you look so much like Rachel it is amazing, but I need you to listen to me and I need to make sure that what I tell you is passed down to each of your descendants regardless what may come.”
Catherine concerned, but always respectful, answers, “Whatever you may need, I will make happen.”
Caleb looks directly into Catherine’s eyes and says, “You must pass a message from me to Jackson, and you must make sure it is memorized by those that he may encounter. The message is this ‘Do not play the hero Jacks. Be the leader.” Be sure he is instructed with just enough information to prevent his death without risk to the timeline. I’m entrusting you and your family Catherine to make sure Jackson lives.”
Catherine amazed at Caleb’s request, lowers her head, saying, “I swear on my families lives that this will be done by our people Caleb. I swear it.”
Paladin cuts the transmission, as Paladin says to Caleb, “You have never been so dependent on others.”
Caleb looks up out the view screen on Paladin’s main holocom. He stares out across the Paladonian systems and ponders on just what he and others must do to survive. Finally, he speaks, “Ok Pal time to get going.” Paladin quietly shifts away in the dead of night.”
The next day, in a major ceremony on Bentonia, the stasis chamber that holds Benton is revealed. The chamber is paraded through the main road in the capital city of Bentonia, with more armored vehicles and a full complement of military honor guards, until it is brought before the Capitol building itself. After much fanfare and long-winded speeches, they awaken the Great leader, General Gabriel Benton.
The chamber quickly begins to push out a mass amount of smoke as the chamber glows bright blue and Benton is pulled from the chamber.
He is immediately placed on a stretcher, as he wakes from a near seven hundred and seventy-five-year sleep, almost the longest a human body can survive within a stasis chamber. His eyes are clouded by the long sleep, and he struggles to hear anything, as the crowds all cheer his awakening.
Finally, after several minutes, Benton rises to his feet, and asks, “Where is Cale?”
Both Mary and Catherine are present, as Mary replies, “Caleb left yesterday, and has stated that he will not return for some time.”
Benton still dealing with the hibernation effects angrily states, “Of course he did, and I’m sure he left me a huge mess to clean up too.”
Mary bluntly answers, “Actually, he did a pretty good job cleaning up before he left General, sir.”
Catherine then replies, “Gabriel, I am Catherine Whitefeather, and leader of the council. I hope that you will help me guide our people to achieve Caleb’s dream.”
Gabriel smiles, while he gazes upon Catherine in awe, saying, “You look so much like Rachel it ain’t even funny.”
Catherine smiles as she blushes, answering, “Thank you Gabriel, I am honored by your comparison.”
Benton, shaking off the effects of his hibernation looks up in the sky, seeing Celesta, hovering directly above his city. He smiles from ear to ear, saying, “Now that's a real sight for sore eyes. Someone get me a shift cloak. I want to get back to my real home, Celesta.”
Mary lowers her head, saying, “We have much to discuss Gabriel, perhaps it would be better that we discuss Celesta here before you depart to her.”
Benton is overly concerned, asking, “What the hell happened to Celesta.”
Mary sighs, as she says, “Gabriel it is a long story.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LOST HERO
The year is one thousand four hundred and thirty-four. In the past one hundred and fifty-nine years, the uneasy peace amongst the seven moons of the Paladonians has surprisingly held. Gabriel Benton over this time has married Catherine Whitefeather and has had several children. Unfortunately, Benton’s relationship with Catherine has been strained by his prolonged absences, and this time is no different, as Benton and Celesta have been missing for almost seven months.
Null space, a place where nothing exists and the laws of time and space don’t apply. Here we find Celesta with its crew of one Gabriel Benton, navigating the time streams of null space. Gabriel asks, “Celesta, we have been in here for almost a day, do you think you have this time stuff figured out?”
Celesta replies, “Sunshine you are one of the most impatient men I’ve ever known, but to answer your question sweetie, yes I have this time stuff figured out. Paladin transferred a large amount of his data to me on null space, and time distortions so after multiple shifts I now have the calculations correct. We can shift directly into a time wave and ride it back to your time. Nevertheless, we may need to jump out from time to time to have Allie fix your noggin when you start getting grouchy.”
Benton frowns, saying, “Grouchy, hell Celesta you don’t know the meaning of grouchy until you have to deal with Catherine.”
Celesta, annoyed at Benton, states, “Sunshine you keep leaving that poor girl with all your children by herself. You know it will only be a matter of time before she’s had enough of you and all your shenanigans and leaves you.”
Benton lowers his head, and says, “I know Celesta, but there’s nothing I can really do about it. I guess I was not made to be the stay at home dad.”
Celesta sighs, as she is programmed to act just like Benton’s sister, she states, “She’s a sweet young girl who’s been with you for almost hundred years, but you are always leaving her on some crusade against the Tof or Rooke’s, and when you’re not doing that you’re off with me mapping the time distortions. Sunshine, you still have hundreds of years left to live. Why not take a few to be a dad and a good husband.”
Benton sighs, saying, “You may be right Celesta, but I think that advice is a day late and a dollar short, but if I get the chance I’ll give it a try.”
Celesta, storing her data, states, “Ok sunshine, time to shift home.” Celesta shifts back to normal space and although just a day passed in null space, over seven months have passed in the real world. Celesta quickly scans the quadrant and reports, “Sunshine we are only two weeks away from home, but we have traveled over seven months into the future in just one day.”
“Seven months!” Gabriel yells, “Damn it Celesta, I’m in so much trouble with Catherine it’s not even funny.”
Celesta annoyed, says, “Don’t blame me Sunshine, this was your idea.”
Suddenly an emergency broadcast reaches Celesta as she relays the message, “Sunshine, we have a major issue. It appears the Rooke’s are reporting that one of their captains has discovered a direct descendant of Caleb and is planning on killing him.”
Benton confused, asks, “Wait, what? Wouldn’t that kill him and everyone on the Paladonian moons too?”
Celesta reports in more detail, “Sunshine this report is three weeks old, and is on a Black guard secured channel. It appears this Rooke Captain and his crew commandeered their ship from the Rooke central guard, and this vessel appears to be loaded with T-Challa based weaponry. The Rooke’s are reporting that this Captain and his crew, believe that their existence doesn’t depend on Caleb, and have decided to kill him off before he can ever be born. This will indeed create a time paradox and possibly destroy everything.”
Benton curious and disbelieving the report, asks, “Well, if they used the gateway they’d be on Earth already, and everyone would be dead, but since we’re still here, they must be taking the long way to Earth, so how long until we reach Earth?”
Celesta reports, “Gabe, the gateway is our best option, nevertheless, we are still at top speed ten days from the gateway. Currently the Black guard has over a dozen ships around the Earth. Should he try to go there they should be able to stop him.”
Benton sighs, as he looks over the data, saying, “Needle in a haystack. We are better off trying to find them on the deep space route. I doubt they would be cloaked traveling so far from Earth, and besides our sensors could easily see them before they could see us.”
Celesta responds, “Gabe that will take us over three months, or longer as I will have to pace our shifts while doing detailed scans. You’re really going to upset Catherine.”
Benton sighs, saying, “Yeah, she’s gonna be ticked off at me, but that’s not as important as saving the universe.”
Celesta starts reviewing the data for the past few weeks as Benton goes over the reports of the rogue Rooke ship. Virtually at the same time both see something amiss when Benton states, “Celesta does it seem odd that the Rookes contacted the First ones for help instead of trying to stop these people themselves. Let’s face it, Rookes don’t ask for help.”
Celesta then states, “Yes Gabe, I was just noticing that as well. I’ve also done some research on this ship’s Captain, his name is Iurie, and from what records I have on him he is originally from Tof.”
Benton smirks, saying, “Yeah, I read that, he’s one of those nut-job Caleb followers.”
Celesta is pre-programmed to respond and anticipate as Gabriel’s late sister Celesta, so much so, she is almost human in her responses as she asks, “Sunshine, how is it you know this and I don’t?”
Benton sighs, replying, “Because during one of the many Tof purges the Black guard rescued thousands of them from the Tof high security, and moved them to other worlds. I recognize him from one of the recent data reports, he was just a young kid when his father and mother were imprisoned and then died under questionable circumstances, I’m pretty sure that would mess up anybody. He could be out to kill Caleb for allowing them to die. It’s either that, or the Rookes figured out he’s a Caleb nut-job follower, and he’s on the run.”
Celesta curious, asks, “Gabe, those nut-jobs as you like to call them have been tormented for hundreds of years by the Tof and the Rooke’s, why would this Iurie go to the Rooke world knowing that he may be persecuted?”
Benton, looking over Iurie’s file shakes his head, saying, “The boy was brought to the Valen moon, but he became violent and angry towards everyone, and when he was old enough, he moved to Rooke. This kid has a lot of issues Celesta, and he could actually be out to destroy everything, or he could be just on the run from the Rookes.” Benton shakes his head in frustration, walking back to his quarters.
Several weeks go by, when Celesta reports, “Sunshine I’m picking up an energy trail.”
Benton looks up from his console seeing the data, and says, “What gives Celesta? This energy trail is less than a few days old. We should be able to detect them?”
Celesta responds, “You’re right Sunshine, but I can’t detect him anywhere.”
Benton annoyed yells, “Shields up!”
Celesta powers up her shields as she maintains a constant scan of the entire sector. Even cloaked the Celesta’s sensors should be able to detect a Paladonian ship.
Benton, concerned by Celesta inability to detect the ship asks, “Celesta when was the last time you had your systems checked?”
Celesta, overtly annoyed by Benton question, angrily replies, “Oh no you don’t. Don’t you dare think this is my fault that I can’t see that ship.”
Benton, sensing how frustrated Celesta is, states, “Celesta, for me, just do an internal diagnosis of your scanning systems, please.”
Celesta mumbles on, complaining aloud that if she had hands, she’d be slapping Gabe all over this ship. Nevertheless, she does a complete internal diagnosis. After several minutes, Celesta shocked reports, “Oh my goodness. Gabe someone got into my systems a few hundred years ago. They reprogrammed several sub-systems and tampered with multiple others. I’m so sorry Gabe, I don’t have any idea how this is possible. It appears that every system on this ship was scanned in complete detail and adjustments were made to my internal systems. I have reset my systems, but I don’t know who or how this happened.”
Benton sighs, answering, “Celesta, I know this might be a lot for you to deal with, but Paladin programmed a shutdown command sequence that could only be activated by me or Caleb. Regrettably, that information was found out by the Tof several centuries ago, when the Tof captured a Black guard spy.” Benton stops himself, thinking about how he has removed all mention of how Celesta was used to kill innocent civilians from all historical records. He decided long ago not to share with her what happened, instead, saying, “Caleb discovered you about two hundred years ago shut down, floating free in space. He has since removed that shut down protocol.”
Celesta confused, asks, “Why is it I don’t remember any of this?”
Benton lowers his head, saying, “Celesta, you were stolen from Bentonia and found floating in space a few months later, your program was shut down for a very long time and many of your systems were corrupted. Paladin had to reinstall you from scratch and then updated your memory core with what information they had from a previous backup, but Caleb felt that your programming would be damaged if you knew what happened to you.”
Benton alarmed, yells, “Get us out of here!”
Celesta instantly shifts away, reappearing behind the vessel, as she brings all her guns to bear on the ship.”
Benton curious, asks, “Celesta, how long do you think he was there before you detected him?”
Celesta quickly replies, “He could have been there for hours Sunshine. He knew just how to hide his cloak from my sensors. He easily could have ripped us apart at any time.”
Benton growls, saying, “Ok Celesta, ring him up on the holocom please.”
A moment later, Iurie appears on the holocom, saying, “Hello great leader, I see you can see me now. I guess you discovered the adjustments that were implanted on your ship.”
Benton annoyed replies, “Yeah, we figured it out. So Iurie what's up with creating a paradox thing?”
Iurie laughs, replying, “If my intent was to kill you and everyone, why would I have hesitated in firing all my T-Challa based torpedoes at you. No great leader, the Tof and Rooke governments are lying to you. The truth is that they discovered one of the hidden colonies created by my people when the Tof started persecuting us hundreds of years ago. I was supposed to lead a fleet to decimate the colony, but I chose to defend them instead.”
Benton, unsure of Iurie true intent asks, “Sounds like a neat and cute story, but it’s kind of hard to believe you when you left the Valens to join up with the Rookes.”
Iurie, unconcerned answers, “Your belief is irrelevant. If I wanted to kill you, I could have easily had done so, and as for why I left the safety of the Valens to join up with my enemy’s best friend, well I would think you being the military genius that everyone claims you are would know one of the old Earthers expression. ‘Always keeps one’s enemies closest to you’.”