by Saxon Andrew
Pam’s expression changed and she leaned toward the monitor, “There is no place in our galaxy that is safe. You, more than anyone else, should know that. The time to go home and relax doesn’t exist anymore.”
Kam stared at the young woman and knew she was right. He shook his head and looked to the right again. He listened and then turned back toward them, “I’m sending you a series of courses to follow to get you back to Earth.”
Sparky stood up, “Prophet, have you been listening to us?”
“We’re bringing you home to add some modifications to your ship that will make a difference in the attacks you’re planning. You need to hurry so the Traugh won’t be suspicious about how long you’ve been gone.”
The loud speaker announced, “The courses have been received.”
Pam looked at Sparky and nodded. He turned to the monitor, “We’re on our way.”
“It will be good to see you.”
The monitor went dark and Pam looked at Sparky, “What was this thing you said about learning to love?”
“I had to say something to get him to allow us to stay.”
Pam stared at him and turned to the stardrive and saw the first course was on the display. She smiled and forced herself to not let Sparky see her expression. She hit the stardrive button and the ship went to full speed away from the Milky Way and made a hard turn after ten minutes. An hour later they saw Earth growing in the viewport. They stared at the planet as they flew toward it at high speed and Sparky said, “Slow us down a little. This is just as beautiful as the Milky Way hanging in space far below us.”
The ship slowed and Pam stared at the beautiful green and blue planet, “No, it isn’t.” Sparky stared at her and she looked at him with soft eyes, “It’s even more beautiful.” He stood up and went behind her chair and hugged her. “Now this is a harness I could get used to.” Sparky laughed and kissed her on the cheek as the Traugh Warship flew toward Japan.
The ship barely stopped moving when it was swarmed by hundreds of technicians and engineers that flooded into the ship as soon as the landing bay door opened. Pam and Sparky had to dodge their way between them as they walked off the bridge. The sound of drills started immediately and they stood in the landing bay looking around and shaking their heads.
“The changes will be done in forty eight hours.” They turned around and saw Andres standing in the open landing bay door. Pam rushed forward and hugged him. Andres threw out his arms and said, “HEY, HEY. I THOUGHT YOU DIDN’T LIKE ME!”
Pam had her head on his chest as she said, “You’re the one that started me on this mission. I promised to do that to you if I ever saw you again.”
Andres put his arms around her and returned her hug, “I’ve really been worried about the two of you. I’m really glad you made it back.”
Pam leaned back, “I didn’t think I’d ever get to tell you.”
“Well, you have. Andres looked at Sparky, “You look different.”
“How?”
“You don’t look like you’re wound tighter than a Pitbull with no teeth taking on a pork chop like the last time I saw you.”
Sparky laughed, “I was a little uptight, wasn’t I?”
“Oh yes. I’ve been asked to get you ready to attend a meeting of the World Council this evening to fill them in on what you’ve learned.”
Sparky shook his head, “I’m not very good at public speaking.”
Pam stepped back from him, “I’m not either.”
“You won’t have to give a talk, speech, or presentation. The recordings from your first message have been condensed into a three-hour video that they will be viewing prior to your arrival. You’re there to only answer questions.”
Pam looked at Sparky and shrugged. He smiled and turned to Andres, “I think we can handle that.”
“Good! Let’s go get you something to eat and clothes appropriate for the event.”
Pam smiled, “I am famished! Lead the way!” Andres smiled and led them through the rush of technicians running into the landing bay. As they stepped on the ground Sparky looked to the left and saw a huge stack of gleaming metal points sticking up out of a crate. He stopped and looked at Andres, “What are those?”
“I’ll tell you about them tomorrow. They are what might keep you alive when you go back to Traugh Territory. You’re going to like them.”
“You don’t say?”
Andres smiled, “Let’s wait until you’ve got your feet on the ground. I’ve got some people who are really looking forward to seeing you.” Andres opened the back door to a limo and Sparky and Pam stepped inside. It drove away from the ship and in forty minutes arrived at the front of a restaurant in downtown Tokyo. Andres opened the door for them and escorted them inside to a separate room. They entered and saw Admiral Whitehall, the Prophet, the Apostle and his family, along with their families. They were all standing and applauding as they entered and Sparky’s sister ran forward and jumped into his arms. Pam’s parents were right behind her and they embraced their daughter tightly. Things had changed. The tensions of the past were gone and the two cried with their families. The day began with the healing of old wounds.
• • •
Essay looked at the Prophet, “They’ve changed.” Kam nodded. “Why?”
“They’ve seen themselves in their enemy. Two things made the difference.”
“What were they?”
“They listened to a Traugh Leader order one of their Fleet Leaders murdered on a whim. Pam also queried the ship’s computer one night about what went on in the torture rooms in the Traugh Depots. She shared that with Sparky and it chased their demons away. They saw that they were on a path that would lead them toward what the Traugh were doing to their victims and they couldn’t deal with it.”
“So they no longer want to kill for the sake of killing?”
“Well, there is some residue left.”
Essay looked away from Pam and Sparky sitting with their families and looked at Kam, “Residue?”
“They hated what they saw in themselves and like an alcoholic who has found sobriety or a smoker who beats the habit, they hate what they were. They want to stay to kill the Traugh. They honestly hate them more than I do and I hate them with every fiber of my being for what they did to my family. They’re like missionaries driven to fulfill a mission.”
“Is that good?”
Kam shrugged, “If the Traugh had any redeeming virtues, it wouldn’t be. But since they don’t, killing Traugh doesn’t really pose a moral issue. They may choose death over survival if they can make their deaths really count.”
Essay looked at the two again and sighed, “Making them stay here wouldn’t work, would it?”
Kam closed his eyes and shook his head. “They are going back to where they found salvation. Staying here would only cause them pain.”
“What happens if all the Traugh are one day gone?”
Kam looked at Essay, “On that day, they would find peace. But that is not going to happen during the time they’re alive. They’ll live what remains of their lives doing all they can to remove the universal cancer the Traugh represent.”
“Why are you rushing the modifications to their ship? I don’t see the need to get them back so quickly?”
“Did you listen to the Big Cheese talking to another Traugh Leader?”
Essay smiled at how Kam had picked up many human idioms, “I did.”
“The Head Traugh in Charge is going to murder eight of the other leaders. He’s probably already done it. In another five days they are going to meet to start implementing the plans to mass-produce more powerful warships. If they can get back before that meeting and attack some of those ship building stations, there will be a leadership vacuum that might make their response time longer than normal. It might make a difference in their survival.”
“Why do you say that?”
“No one is going to make a decision for fear of being killed like the other leaders. The newly chosen leaders won
’t be up to speed on taking control from the ones they’re replacing. At least I hope it works out that way. It’s worth rushing the modifications on their ship to take advantage of what’s going on in Demon Country.”
Essay snorted, “Demon Country. That’s a good description of them.”
Kam nodded and stood up to go and speak with the two pilots. Essay stood up and joined him.
• • •
Jim looked at Emily as Essay walked over to the two pilots, “Do you think I could meet them?”
Emily’s head tilted as Stella said, “Me, too!”
“Why do you want to meet them?”
Jim stared at Sparky and Pam across the room and shook his head, “I’ve seen the videos of the creatures they’re fighting alone. I hope that one day I will be as brave as they are. I admire them.”
Emily stared at Jim and Stella and sighed. She knew the two pilots were just short of insane and that was why they were sent. She looked across the room and saw they were laughing with their families and speaking with the Prophet and Essay. “Go and join your father. He’ll introduce you.” The two were gone in an instant. She hesitated and then took Michael’s hand and led him across the room to meet them as well. She was glad that she did.
• • •
Essay lifted the warship off the pad and lifted it slowly into the upper atmosphere. Pam stood behind his chair and watched him work the controls. Sparky stood at the left viewport and watched the ground move away. “Those controls are very much like the ones on my ship.”
“They are exactly like yours except for the new weapons controls.”
Pam’s eyes narrowed, “Is that what that small panel is to the right?”
“It is. It’s directly linked to the stardrive computer.”
Sparky looked away from the viewport and walked over to the main console. “Why would the stardrive be used with a weapon?”
“The new missiles use a stardrive.”
“What?”
“You’ll get updated on them tomorrow.”
“Is that why we were asked to keep our mission going an additional six months?”
Essay nodded, “We had to modify all the ships we previously completed to add the new system. We’ve completed that and now we can start building new warships. We’ll be in New York in fifteen minutes. Andres had new uniforms for you put in the rear quarters. You should change before we arrive.” Pam and Sparky turned and left the bridge. Essay sighed and wished the two would stay. The Traugh were focused on Andromeda and wouldn’t be sending scouts out for years to come. They had accomplished their mission. He shook his head. Kam was probably right though. They would never find peace living in peace. He turned the ship and began moving into the upper atmosphere as he came over the west coast of the United States. In ten minutes he was over the landing pad outside the One Planet Building. He slowed and brought the ship to a soft landing. He shut down the reactors and stood up as Pam and Sparky entered the bridge. He could see both of them were nervous, “Relax, you’ll be among friends.” They looked at each other and Sparky took Pam’s hand as Essay led them off the bridge. She smiled as they followed Essay out of the ship and to the stairs leading down into the building.
• • •
Essay led them through a door and they followed him out to the middle of a huge stage. They looked out and saw the huge room was packed with many standing behind those sitting in the main room. Pam and Sparky were immediately intimidated by the silence that dominated the giant gathering. Pam looked at Sparky and he squeezed her hand. He leaned in and whispered, “We’ll be out of here shortly. Smile.” Pam looked at him and forced a smile to match his. Essay pulled the microphone up on the podium and looked out at the gathering. “You’ve seen the recordings of our ship attacking Traugh installations. I present to you the two pilots that carried out those attacks.”
The room exploded. Every leader present stood and cheered them at the top of their voices. Pam’s face turned red and saw Sparky’s face was redder than hers. Sparky bowed and Pam followed his lead an instant later. The noise grew louder. Essay raised his hands but no one in the room stopped cheering. Essay tried three more times to bring silence and finally smiled and stepped back. He turned and applauded them with the others.
It took twenty minutes before the volume began to diminish. Essay raised his hands again and the gathering slowly quieted and took their seats. He looked off stage and nodded. A man rolled three chairs out and put them beside the podium. Essay nodded for them to sit down and removed the microphone from its holder. Essay sat in the middle chair and Pam sat on his left and Sparky on the right. Essay smiled, “I’ve requested chairs because this could take a while.” He looked out at the assembly and smiled, “I believe the Asian Continental Leader has the first question.”
The former Chinese Premier stood up, “You’ve been in Traugh Space for almost a year. What have you learned about them that we should know?”
Essay looked at Sparky and he nodded toward Pam. He handed her the microphone and she shrugged. “We’ve been listening to their communications the entire time we’ve been there and they are quite clear in communication who they are. The Traugh are driven by two motivations, greed and murder. Every Traugh Warrior is constantly seeking for ways to make enough profit to purchase a warship to go out and conquer a planet and replace the funds they spent to buy their ship. The Traugh Leaders build massive facilities to sell their warriors the ships and supplies they need to keep their warships operational. Their Supreme Leaders have wealth beyond anything ever seen on Earth and they use that wealth to grow it even more. Greed is a defining trait of the Traugh. Their Ultimate Leader is murdering the current members of their Supreme Council because they are unwilling to give up their wealth to mass-produce warships to take on the imagined threat from the Andromeda Galaxy. I’m not fully certain he will be able to change their life long habits of making a profit to make that happen.” Pam looked at Sparky, “Why don’t you tell them about their need to kill?”
Sparky nodded and Essay took the microphone and handed it to Sparky. He looked out at the assembly and asked, “Were you shown what the Traugh do in the torture rooms on their space facilities?”
Essay said, “The recording was shown to the assembly.”
Sparky nodded and looked out at the room. “The beings murdered in those rooms are purchased by the station commander and sold to the Traugh Warriors that come on the station. The species that can scream the loudest have the highest purchase price. They have killing down to a science.” Sparky paused and shook his head, “I heard one of their Supreme Leaders promote one of their Fleet Commanders to Fleet Admiral and sent him to kill the one he was replacing. They have no regard for any one in their forces or any other life form. A Traugh is the most dangerous species in our galaxy to be near. They are constantly looking for a kill and there doesn’t have to be a reason for them to do it. They revel in it.” Sparky paused and looked at the silent assembly. “The only answer to them is to eradicate every one of them. If any survive, they will be a danger to every species they encounter.”
Essay took the microphone, “The North American Leader is next.”
Hodges stood and looked at them, “I saw on the recordings of your attacks that the Traugh responded at an incredible speed. How were they able to do that?”
Sparky looked at Pam and Essay handed her the microphone. “I believe that as a planet is conquered, it is assigned to a Traugh Fleet Leader to defend. Their entire domain has every planet covered by massive forces that are constantly on alert, especially if attacks are taking place. The responding warships are not located far away from wherever an attack takes place and can arrive incredibly fast.”
Sparky said something and Pam passed the microphone to him, “That’s why they advance on a line and don’t go after planets outside their line of advance. They maintain the coverage of their forces. Sending out scouts to look for their missing ship is not something they would normally do.”
Hodges said, “Does that mean Earth is now safe for the foreseeable future?”
Sparky looked at him, “It would be outside their normal processes to do it. Especially if they’re convinced Andromeda represents a threat to them.”
“Then should we send ships there? Should you go back?”
The room started murmuring and Essay took the microphone, “Please be silent.” He handed it back to Sparky and he saw Pam’s concern that they might be prevented from going back. Sparky smiled, “I understand that our ship is being modified with the new missile system. I believe that it’s necessary that we go back to further convince them that we came from Andromeda. We are the only ship that can do that. Sending one of our new warships will cause them to search for the civilization producing them in Andromeda. Not finding it, they may look elsewhere.” The room was silent and Sparky used his ace in the hole, “They have sixty-three ship building facilities orbiting planets. If we can take some of them out, we can slow their ability to grow their numbers.”
Hodges looked at Essay, “Do you agree with that assessment?”
Essay took the microphone and saw the tension on Pam and Sparky’s faces. He thought about what Kam told him and looked at Hodges, “I do.”
Hodges shook his head, “As murderous as they are, I’m surprised enough of them survived to conquer anyone.”
Sparky looked at Hodges and lowered his eyes, “The Traugh Warriors do not kill each other. They feel like a brotherhood and brag about other species they kill but none of them would kill another Traugh. The Traugh Leadership will kill anyone including their own warriors. However, the Traugh as a species do not, as a rule, kill each other. Any one of them that does is treated by the other warriors as a pariah. They just don’t do it.”
Essay said, “We can’t say the same for ourselves. What other questions do you have?”
The meeting continued for another three hours but sending them back wasn’t mentioned again. At the end, Pam and Sparky went to the quarters on Essay’s ship and went to sleep. They were totally exhausted from the tension they experienced during the long meeting. They both still had the Medal of Valor hanging around their necks, which was the last thing the assembly did before adjourning. They were the first recipients of the new highest award Earth could give to its heroes.