by Saxon Andrew
Kenny glanced at his board and saw Jeff and Dolly listening in to the conversation. This was not looking good.
“Probably not.”
“Why?”
“We have learned that those planets that were placed under your shields became little more than slaves to your government. They are nothing more than laborers providing you with all their raw materials and products. That is going to end today.”
“Just how do you expect us to survive the Moet? We needed those materials to build a fleet in the hopes we could one day be free of their attacks. This structure is the only way for us to fight back.”
“Does that explain why you evacuate your planet and leave all the others behind to be destroyed by the Blue Ships? I see the huge transports under your screen and it’s clear you are only going to save yourselves. You’re nothing more than a dictator that cares nothing about those that labor for your benefit.”
“That’s true.”
Hemon, Kenny, along with Dolly and Jeff were stunned by the admission. “You admit it?”
“Absolutely, what else would you have us do? This structure is the only way for us to survive against the many species that come to kill us all. You are just one of many that want us dead. We need a lot more than just those planets in our Alliance to try and survive. We have been so pressured by the Moet that we have been unable to explore and find new worlds to assist us in building our defenses. With that new Moet Ship, we are once again, unable to take them on in combat. We hide behind our planetary shields and try to develop the tools that would allow us to survive. You have no right to question our attempt at survival. We have no way to build enough ships to transport our populations to safety. Moving this planet’s population would at least allow us to try and start over after the Blue Ships leave.”
Hemon stared at his board and said, “Then tell me why you attempted to kill me and why you killed my family?”
Yelt pushed his board, “We could not allow the Moet to get their pods on our gravity technology. Two of our gravity guns were missing and we didn’t have time to escape if we stopped to search for them. We assumed that you had one and the other was at your residence. I did what I must to protect us.”
Hemon was shocked speechless. It was his theft that had caused the death of his family. He lowered his head in his hands and wept. Kenny looked at him and pushed his com, “I’ve taken readings on your planetary shield and you should know that we can penetrate it at will. I’m going to demonstrate that now.”
Kenny launched a fusion missile at the shield surrounding the planet and it accelerated at three quarter light speed and hit the shield with a blast that spread over its surface and blew a hole in it bigger than the continent under it. Tenah saw the destruction of the shield and knew that before the shield came back on line three seconds later that the invading fleet could have launched more than one missile and destroyed the surface of the Capital. Silence ruled the channel. “We are not going to destroy your world.”
Tenah looked at the speaker on the wall and said, “What! What! Did I hear you correctly?”
“Yes but there will be conditions placed on allowing you to live that you will follow or we will destroy your Capital Planet.”
“And they are?”
“You will not be allowed to attack any planet in this galaxy. You will also stop your attacks against the Moet and that begins now.”
“But they have been trying to kill us for thousands of cycles.”
“We are going to notify them that their attacks against you will also stop immediately and that if they do not comply that we will come to defend your planets.”
“That new ship of theirs is invincible. They won’t listen.”
“One of our older ships has already destroyed nine of those ships in an earlier encounter. They will listen or they will die. Your heavy handed tactics with your member planets will also end today. You will no longer need to build a huge fleet for defense. We will assume that responsibility. Your Members live at poverty level and it’s time they started enjoying the fruits of their labor.”
Tenah looked around the room and didn’t know whether or not to believe the speaker. “What about the Blue Ships?”
“We think we have delayed their invasion by killing two of their main battleships. Our efforts are directed at being able to confront them and survive. If they invade, you should evacuate this planet and leave the others to our protection. I can’t guarantee we will be successful against their numbers but we are working on it.”
Tenah looked around the room, “How do I know we can trust you to protect us?”
“You don’t. Frankly, the way things have operated in this galaxy, I would be skeptical as well. However, here is what you can trust; if you don’t agree to these conditions, I will burn your planet to the bed rock and destroy every Alliance Ship in this galaxy.”
There was a moment of silence and Yelt said, “Hemon, can you do what he says you can?”
Hemon looked up and said, “Yes.”
Yelt looked at Tenah, “Hemon does not lie.”
“We still have thousands of warships.”
“You won’t if you’re dumb enough to use them. I would suggest you use them to plan an evacuation of as much of your population as possible when the invasion of the Blue Ships starts. This is not negotiable; if you don’t do as we say, we will destroy you.”
“How will we contact you if the Moet attack?”
“We will leave one of our ships in this system from this day forward until we determine that you are going to do as we ask. At that point we will give you a device that will allow you to contact us directly. What is your answer?”
Tenah saw his power slipping away as he sat down in his chair. “We will comply with your demands. I should be angry but I feel the constant pressure of defending my people easing. I just hope you are worthy of my trust.”
“It’s really not a trust issue.”
“Oh! Why not?”
“If we can’t stand up to the Blue Ships, we’re all dead. We are not your enemy and you shouldn’t be ours. We have a common foe and that should be enough for all of us.”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“That’s exactly how it works. We have no desire to rule your Alliance. We just want you to stop acting so childish.”
Yelt pushed his button, “I’m sorry, Hemon. I’ll turn myself over to you if you so desire.”
Hemon took a deep breath, “No, not yet.”
Tenah saw the six hundred ships disappear leaving one behind that accelerated to the outer system and assumed a position above the solar system. Jdah said over the speakers, “I’ve ordered the fleet grounded until further notice.”
Tenah smiled, “I think that would be wise. Notify the planets that shipments of materials will be reduced to one tenth beginning tomorrow.”
* * *
Hemon remained silent during the jump back to Earth and Kenny released the fleet to resume their former assignments. As he arrived in the outer Solar System Kenny’s sensor alarm went off. He saw a small attack ship and watched a small shuttle leave it. He opened his landing bay and the shuttle moved in. Kenny waited and suddenly Sasha burst on to the bridge and ran to Hemon and threw her arms around him. Hemon felt the tears come again and Sasha quietly said, “If you had not taken those gravity guns we would all be dead now. It was your destiny to save our species…and me.”
Hemon put his arms around her and held her tight. Kenny went to .95 light speed and rushed Hemon home to heal in Sasha’s arms.
Chapter Nine
“Lt. Rosillo, Commodore Connor has requested our presence on the bridge.”
Izzy looked up from her board and said, “I apologize for my behavior earlier. It was not professional and I hope you’ll overlook it.”
“What was that?”
“I was concerned that you would lose your focus on our mission. We can be a good team if we really focus on what has to be done.”
Arvol
o stared at her and turned to go to the bridge without saying anything leaving Izzy to wonder what was going through his mind. She sighed and followed him.
Chris put the recording of the encounter with the Jenze up on the main display and narrated what had happened. After the video completed Chris looked at the two and pointed at the small Jenze ship on the screen, “We are going to attempt to find where that ship came from. I’ve been able to determine where it jumped into normal space and we’re going to launch the Ninja at the location and have you follow its jump trail. You must get into Sierra Space as fast as possible to prevent either the Moet or Jenze from seeing you on their scanners. You will be going more than 64 million years in the past and if you change anything it could have a disastrous effect on our future.”
Izzy looked at the display and said, “I think it’s called the butterfly effect.”
Jillian smiled, “Exactly right, accidently killing a butterfly that far in the past would cause a tidal wave of minute changes that would add up to history being altered.”
“I’m not at all sure that’s right.”
Chris turned to Arvolo, “What do you mean by that?”
“If you go back to that moment in time now and look at it would the Ninja be in it?”
Chris looked at Jillian and saw she was as confused as him, “I guess so.”
““So there are now two reflections moving out into the universe, the one where you did not take the weapon and one you did. I suspect that original universe probably still exists but another was created when you went back.” The three stared at Arvolo and he continued, “There is also the possibility that we have already gone back in time and searched for the Jenze Battleship and we are here now to make that particular history happen. Whatever takes place has already happened and the present will not be affected by whatever we do.”
“I’m not sure I agree with that. If we go back and kidnap Abraham Lincoln, history would be altered in a major way.”
“Only that point in history. The one where you didn’t would continue and a new history would branch off at that point.”
“You’re talking about parallel universes.”
“Yes, I am Admiral. I just believe that if the possibility of time travel exists, then creation would have a way to prevent major damage. The Universe is governed by laws that make things work. This technology has to be part of the big picture.”
Izzy stared at Arvolo like he had three heads. Where did he come up with this understanding? He must be crazy. Then he said something that shocked the three of them, “You can easily find out.”
Jillian said, “What are you talking about?”
“Let’s assume that the universe you went back in time to steal the Jenze Weapon is now a different universe than the one we’re currently in; just go further out and look at the event again and see if the Ninja show up. If it doesn’t, you couldn’t have done anything in that universe to affect this one.”
Chris rubbed his head with the complexity of the concepts, “We would have to appear because we were there.”
“And if you don’t?”
Chris looked at Jillian, “Are you getting this?”
Jillian shook her head, “No, but we should go look.”
“But Jillian, if we were there at that moment in the past, it would have to be in the light that was reflected at that time; at least I think we would.”
“I agree with the Captain; what if we aren’t?”
Arvolo shrugged, “Then we didn’t do it in this universe and nothing you could have done there would have affected us. We would be insulated from those events by the fracturing off of another universe.”
Chris turned to his control panel and said, “Take your seats. I’m jumping back to the coordinates where we originally went back into the past. We’ll see if you’re right.”
“Hey, hey, I’m not saying I’m right. I just thought about how the Universe would operate if a Cuban designed it. It would have to have some form of protection from civilizations that discovered this technology.” Chris, Jillian, and Izzy groaned and shook their heads. “I’m just sayin’.”
“Jump in ten seconds.”
Everyone buckled in and Izzy looked at Arvolo, “Do you believe any of that crap you just spouted?” Arvolo smiled and leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
* * *
The Jukebox arrived in normal space and they saw the huge cloud of debris hanging in empty space. Chris looked at Arvolo and said, “Here is evidence that the Ninja did go into the past in this universe.”
Arvolo opened his eyes and shook his head, “No it doesn’t. You can go back and bring things back with you. We still have the Jenze Weapon so we know we can take things.”
Jillian smiled, “I think he’s right about that. What are you going to do now?”
“Well, we know that this is the place where the light from the asteroid strike arrived. I’ll take us a light day further out and look at the event again.”
“Uh, actually you’ll have to go further than that.”
Chris looked through his eyebrows at Arvolo, “And why is that?”
“This is where the light was when you originally came. How long ago was that?”
Chris started shaking his head, “You’re right. We’ll have to go more than a year to be at that light again. Captain, maybe this Cuban idea is not so off base.”
“Of course it isn’t. Have you ever been to Cuba?”
Chris started laughing and said, “I have.”
Jillian said, “I haven’t.”
“No, but you’ve been infected by him.” Arvolo leaned back in his chair and everyone saw his I told you so expression.
Chris made an adjustment on his board and jumped the ship. “Alright, I’m extending the fields.”
Everyone started staring at the main display on the wall and waited. After twenty minutes the alarm sounded and Chris moved the ship to the location of the signal. He adjusted the focus and the Earth appeared in the center of the display. Jillian looked closely, “The asteroid hasn’t hit; the atmosphere is clear.”
Chris brought the planet in closer and brought the view down to the surface. “I’m moving in; it appears the Yucatan is on the other side of the planet.” Chris moved forward at high acceleration and slowed as the Western Hemisphere moved around into day light. Chris moved the view back in and they saw the Jenze ship on the ground. Arvolo and Izzy were amazed at the dinosaurs on the plain and were watching a couple of T-Rexes attacking a huge herbivore.
Chris watched the Jenze ship closely, “I used the ships chronometer to make that jump. This system George put in is phenomenal.”
“Is today the day?”
“I think it is. Hold on just a moment.” Chris put the former view up on the screen beside the current one and both views had the two T-Rexes killing that herbivore. “Yes, this is the day.”
“Well, it shouldn’t be long now. He went hunting just after dawn.”
For Chris and Jillian it was déjà vu but Arvolo and Izzy watched with fascination. Jillian stood up, “Now is when it happens.”
They watched the Jenze run out of the woods as his sled was destroyed and shoot down two Moet Attack Craft. Then the T-Rex took the Jenze in its jaws and killed it. They waited and the asteroid struck. The Ninja did not appear.”
Chris and Jillian turned to Arvolo and stared at him. He looked at Izzy who was also looking at him, turned back to Chris and Jillian and shrugged.
“Where is the universe we went into to retrieve that weapon?”
Arvolo looked at the display, “I don’t know. However, by keeping that screen open for Jillian to return she was able to come back to our current reality. If you had not kept it open, I suspect she would be in that universe now.”
Jillian sat and thought about the ramifications of what Arvolo said, “So we can’t damage our history by actions done in the past?”
Arvolo shook his head, “How would I know? I just thought about this and considered it
a possibility. You’re the ones with brains and degrees here.”
“What made you think this was a possibility?”
“I just couldn’t believe that anything could exist that could remove history. It didn’t feel right. If it couldn’t remove it, then something else had to happen.”
Jillian looked at Chris, “It appears he’s right but I don’t want to take the chance he’s wrong. Do you?”
Chris looked at the display and said, “Jillian, we will do what we have to do. I’m not so worried about what will happen now. We are here and our original visit does not exist anymore. I think we need to do whatever is necessary to get a Jenze reactor.”
“What are you saying?”
“The Ninja has the same system as the Jukebox. It was designed that way so that if this ship was damaged we could still get home. I think you and I should stay in the Ninja and let Arvolo and Izzy take the Jukebox.”
“For God’s sake why?”
“Do you think a reactor from a Jenze Main Battleship will fit in the Ninja’s cargo bay?” Jillian shook her head. “So if they find an opportunity to acquire one, we would still have to go back with a larger ship to take it. I think we need to let them take their best shot on this trip.”
“Then I’m going with them.”
“Jillian, you can’t. We’ve been ordered to stay on the Jukebox.”
“And that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
“You know what they meant?”
“Yes, but Arvolo, do you know how to detach a reactor for transport?”
“No, I don’t.” Jillian looked at Izzy and she shook her head. “One of us needs to go with them and you’re the one that best understands our systems. It falls to me to make the trip.”
“Jillian, you know what we went through the last time. I’m not willing to take this kind of risk again.”
“Chris, another ship will have to go if we’re able to find a reactor. That means we will have to hit the exact point in time on the return trip. This is the best way to make this happen. If you insist on going I will stay behind and work the fields but one of us must go.”