by Saxon Andrew
• • •
The Tech Grengen looked at the recording of the space animals gathering inside his star system. He touched his console and a scientist appeared, “Is this the first time those animals have come this close to our star system?”
“It is in recent history, Grengen.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“They once could be found throughout the galaxy and some were often seen close to our planet. However, they were a nuisance and once we developed space travel, we used our blasters to drive them away. They stay out in intergalactic space now.”
“What were they doing here?”
“I have no idea, Grengen. We’ve never been able to understand their behavior and they seem to act like a sort of grazing animal. They don’t appear to have a high level of intelligence. Truth be told, they act pretty stupid.”
“Did you notice that all of them appeared to be gathering in one small area? It looked to me like they were circling something.”
The Scientist looked puzzled and said, “One moment, Grengen.” He looked away and after a moment said, “I see what you’re talking about. But we did not detect anything there other than the animals.”
“You are aware that the new enemy we’ve found in the distant spiral galaxy is not detectable.”
“You think one of their ships might have caused the animals to come to inspect them?”
“I want that recording examined down to the smallest detail and tell me what you learn.”
“Yes, Council Grengen.”
The Grengen ended the contact and wondered if this new enemy had decided to come to his civilization. If they are as powerful as he suspected…He leaned forward and said, “I want my personal ship to come and pick me up.”
“Grengen, are you leaving?”
The Grengen looked at his Father, “Yes, I am and you’re coming with me. I’m going to continue my work from my ship. Get everything ready to leave.”
“Yes, Grengen.”
• • •
“Steve, what is going on?”
Steve sighed, “It appears one of Essay’s Companion’s Friends wants to join our family.”
Lani was holding the disk in her lap rubbing it and watching its small feet move rapidly in enjoyment. “How did you get it?”
Steve shrugged and raised his hands, “I simply told it to come to me.”
“Where was it?”
“Uhhh…”
“Where was it, Steve?”
“Well, it was on the Prophet’s Eyes with Essay and Erica.”
Lani’s eyes narrowed and her eyebrows came down, “Aren’t they in Flasher Space?”
“They are.”
Steve! That’s…”
“I know, I know, about a hundred billion light years from here.” Lani stared at Steve as he shrugged, “I don’t know how it came here. But it appears to want to join our family.”
“It is not an it; it is a he!”
“How can you tell?”
“I don’t know, but I get the clear feeling it is a male. What are we going to name it?”
“Spot.”
“I’m not joking, Steve.”
“Lani, look at the center of the top.” Lani turned the disk over and stared at it. In the exact center of the disk was a one inch round crystal in the shape of a circle. Janell started laughing and Steve smiled, “It just seemed to fit him.”
“Spot it is.” Janell paused and said, “You know Spot is more attached to you than me.”
“No, I’m not aware of that.”
“Do this. Stand up and go into the Kitchen.” Steve stood up without looking at Spot and walked out of the living room. He stopped in the kitchen and a moment later, spot turned the corner looking for him. He shook his head and Lani yelled from the other room, “I think he wants to go to work with you. And everywhere else as well.”
“But…”
“Essay told you he would require a lot of attention. So pucker up and learn to accept it.”
Steve looked at the disk pushing up against his boot and he smiled. Companion is a good word to describe the little disk. “Come on, Spot, let’s go for a walk.” The disk beat him to the front door.
Lani put on her shoes and yelled, “Wait for me.” It was hard to tell if the small ball on top was still and the disk was rotating or the small ball was rolling around the edge at high speed. Either way, it was clear Spot was excited and ready to go. Steve remembered the pain from the cancer and smiled, he was stronger than he could remember ever being. He looked forward to the walk as well.
• • •
Kamela sat in her chair and listened to the thoughts of two Flasher Warship Commanders being played over the wall speaker. She smiled and said, “It didn’t dawn on me that Poul could use his telepathy modules to listen to them.”
“And since I can turn off my broadcasting module, they couldn’t detect me doing it even if they were telepathic.”
Essay sat back and listened.
• • •
“They didn’t look like they were going to back off.”
“No, even after we launched our Small Fighters, they hesitated to leave. I honestly think they were sent here to open hostilities with us.”
“I spoke with my father’s brother and he told me that there were Langloh Warships in the last confrontation.”
“WHAT!?!”
“I think the Council is keeping it quiet but he had an image on his personal recorder and allowed me to see it. There were a hundred of the Langloh Vessels in the second line.”
“I thought they were still at war with each other.”
“If they are, then those had to be captured warships.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Their ships have self-destruct circuits similar to ours.”
“I know. That has to mean they might be working together and if they are…”
“Their numbers will double.”
“That’s how I see it.”
“Your relative could get in real trouble if it becomes known he shared that image with you.”
“Not really. There’s been no edict from the Council about stopping the sharing of information between fleets. I think he’ll be ok. He wouldn’t have shown me if he really thought there was danger in doing it.”
“Did he tell you anything?”
“He said to keep it to myself.”
“Thank you, my friend. This tells me you trust me.”
“I do. I want you to have a chance of surviving if we’re attacked.”
“The Langloh’s Warships are tough.”
“Just make sure your Scanner Greng is looking for them. You can’t allow them to get inside their blaster range.”
“Thank you again.”
“Are we just going to wait for them to attack?”
“My Fleet Grengen has told us to be prepared to fall back fifty light years if a major force approaches. He says that there will be additional forces to join us.”
“How many?”
“Sector Nine’s entire inventory of ships are holding formation. I think the Council is taking the last confrontation seriously.”
“I notice that we are in the third rank behind the front line.”
“That was my father’s doing. It helps to have family in high places.”
“Well, thank you for looking out for me.”
“Actually, I think you were moved with me to look out for me.”
“Either way, it’s safer off the front line.
Suddenly, the wall speaker began playing a different voice, “I’m being pursued by fifty Langloh and Spearan Warships.”
“What were you able to learn?”
“I was detected just outside the inner boundary of the Spearan Galaxy. There is a massive fleet gathering there with more than a hundred thousand major battleships from both civilizations. It appears they are being provisioned in preparation for an attack.”
“Are you in danger?”
“The Spearan Warships are fi
ring but I’m outside their blaster range. I’m able to match their maximum speed and I think I’ll be able to make it back to our lines before they can overtake me.”
“This will probably move their time table up.”
“I would sus…”
“REPORT!” “REPORT!!” “Fleet Grengen, one of my scouts has just reported a massive buildup of Spearan and Langloh Warships just inside the Spearan Galaxy. He says he was outside their blaster range but he suddenly stopped reporting. That has to mean their blasters now have a longer range or he was attacked by one of their powered down warships.”
“Did he get a number?”
“He said more than a hundred thousand!”
“And he said there were Spearan and Langloh Warships?”
“Yes, he was quite clear about that.”
“ATTENTION ALL FLEETS. START BACKING AWAY AND BE PREPARED TO REVERSE COURSE AT MAXIMUM SPEED.” There was a pause and Essay heard, “Shell Greng Mzel, take your shell out twenty light years in front of our lines and report anything you detect.”
• • •
Essay looked at the Tactical Monitor and saw that the Prophet’s Eyes was high above and three million miles in front of the Flasher lines. He heard something, looked at Erica and saw Penny’s edges were knocking on the Deck, “Poul, move us back!”
The Prophet’s Eyes instantly accelerated away from its position and, a moment later, twenty brilliant green blaster beams went through the space they formerly occupied. Erica yelled, “They can see us.”
“Where are they, Erica!?”
“They’re directly above our former location and moving in at high speed.”
“Poul, this is the last time we power down and leave our force field off.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Erica, did you get a reading on those blaster beams?”
“They’re as powerful as the Flasher’s main blasters.”
“Why didn’t you detect them?”
“All of our passive scanners were directed toward the Flasher Warships.”
Essay looked at Erica and Kamela, “That ends now as well. We are going to combat conditions and will remain in them until I order otherwise. Armor up and Poul, see if you can move in behind those ships that attacked us.”
“What do you want to do that?”
“We need to determine if they can detect us with our DE Force Field in operation.” The Prophet’s Eyes made a huge circle and came in behind the ten huge warships that fired on them earlier. It moved in closer but the ten warships continued on their trajectories. “Poul, deploy the scoops and top off the DE Containment Vessels.” Essay looked at his panel and saw the gages move from three quarters to full. He glanced at Penny and saw she had stopped knocking the deck with her edges. “Poul.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Could you hear the noise Penny was making hitting the deck with her edges?”
“I could.”
“If you hear that noise in the future, run first and ask questions later.”
“Do you seriously think she knew about those ships?”
“I do!”
“Run it is, Essay, though I seriously doubt she knew what was happening.”
Kamela looked at Essay, “What are you planning to do?”
“I came here to see what sort of threat the Flashers were facing and it appears I’m going to get my wish. I want every recorder on the ship operating if a battle breaks out. I will not move the ship inside the space the battle takes place but I will not miss this opportunity to record what happens.”
“Sir, I suspect the two forces will be using their active scanners during any conflict that erupts. With the numbers we anticipate, we should be able to actively scan the participants and not be noticed.”
Essay thought for a long moment and said, “If, and only if, the region is filled with active scans, take a quick active scan of each type of warship taking part.” Erica nodded and turned back to her panel.
Kamela looked up, “Poul, can you hear the thoughts of this new force?”
“I can.”
“And?”
“They are really ticked off. These two new species appear to be angry, stay angry, and ready to fight. They’re looking forward to the coming combat with an enthusiasm that’s hard to believe. It almost feels like they’re…”
After a very long moment, Kamela asked, “What, Poul?”
“Insane.”
Erica looked up from her monitors, “Those ten warships that fired on us were detected by the Flashers and several hundred of their small fighters are engaging them now.”
“Record it, Erica!”
Essay heard a background noise and turned around as the sonic scanner began growing louder by the second, “It looks like the party is about to start. Poul, keep us out of harm’s way if you detect anything Erica misses.”
“The Flashers missed the thousands of Warships that were moving in above the range of their scanners. We’re between those incoming warships and the Flashers. I’m moving us back!”
The Prophet’s Eyes flew away at top speed as the Flasher Fleets detected the warships coming in from above them. They turned and went to maximum speed and fled toward their assembled fleets in their rear. More than two thousand Flasher Warships were under attack as they fled and then the massive explosions began as warships in both factions began going up in huge blasts.
Chapter Twelve
The Pilot of the small Flasher Fighter had each of this three eyes focused on a different blaster on top of the Spearan Battleship’s hull. He was moving in at high speed toward the giant and knew the scanners had detected him. One of the blasters swiveled toward him and he saw the glow at the end of the blaster’s barrel. He moved the ship left as one of the other two blasters had swiveled and was firing from the right side of the first blaster. The third was also swiveling but had not locked on his ship. The two giant beams missed to the right and he dove slightly as the third blaster fired directly at him. All three missed and he moved up as the first fired again. He was in a dance of death and only his complete focus on the three blasters prevented him from being hit and destroyed. He moved inside his blaster’s range with a move left and immediately right. He opened fire and the second and third blasters went up in a giant explosion rupturing the battleship’s hull taking out the first just as it fired again. He activated his stardrive and was away in an instant. Trying to fly past the giant warship was futile; there was no way he could keep the blasters moving toward him in sight. He exited subspace and lined up for another run. Why-oh-why didn’t his species evolve with five or six eyes instead of three? He could actually use ten but that was ridiculous. Well, five or six was also ludicrous but who cared at this moment. He saw the burning warship he had attacked in front of him and saw that the area he had hit was not under attack. The blasters around the ruptured hull were all locked on other Fighters attacking the giant from below. He accelerated to top speed and searched for a blaster swiveling toward him but didn’t see any. Where were they? There had to be more than just three blasters around that section of the hull. OH BRETE! The two on the opposite sides of the blasted hull were swiveling toward him and they would have him in a crossfire. He watched them closely and their barrels both started glowing simultaneously. He counted, ‘ONE’ and hit the forward thrusters, slowing his Fighter almost to a stop. Both beams flashed by in front of his Fighter as he accelerated at his fastest possible speed. Two more blaster beams crossed behind him as he moved into range and fired at the ruptured hull again. The red blaster beam flashed into the damaged section of the hull and penetrated all the way through ten decks into the forty reactors powering the battleship’s blasters on that side of the vessel. The giant went up in a massive explosion that he didn’t see. Another Spearan Battleship had moved in behind him and his Fighter was vaporized by two massive beams just before his target went up. His scanner warned him a second too late. He should have prayed for eyes in back of his head.
• • •
<
br /> Erica said loudly, “Essay, the real damage is being done by their small ships.”
Poul said, “I’m listening to the pilot’s thoughts and they’re able to use their three eyes to focus on the blasters being fired at them and dodge just before the blaster can fire.”
Essay nodded, “I can see that. The Flasher reflexes have to be incredibly fast for them to be able to dodge those beams.”
“Their brains can react to anything each eye sees.”
Erica could only stare at her monitors in fascination, “I find it amazing that the beam from those Fighters is powerful enough to penetrate the force field and hit the hulls with devastating effect.”
“Remember, it’s not the power but the gravity that makes them dangerous. The Fighter’s beams are just as powerful as the giant Flasher Warships.”
“Uh oh. It looks like the rest of the attacking fleets have arrived and they’ve got a method to deal with the fighters.”
Essay looked up at the long range monitor and saw the long line of battleships were moving in at high speed with all their blasters being continuously fired in front of them. The second line behind them were firing over the top of the first line leaving no avenue to approach them from any side. “The Fighters could possibly attack the second line but they’re moving too fast for them to pass, turn, and catch them.”
“The Fighters have been ordered out of the path of the approaching warships and have stopped above and below the two lines of giant battleships.”
Essay smiled, “They’re going to fall in behind them as they move by.” Suddenly, the two lines of giant warships stopped, turned, and moved directly toward the mass of Flasher Fighters falling in behind the two lines. The Fighters were massacred. The numbers destroyed were beyond counting and the two lines of warships continued speeding away from the massive Flasher Formations sitting still in their formations waiting for the attackers to arrive. They finally accelerated toward the two lines far ahead of them but it was clear they weren’t going to catch them as the two lines activated their stardrives and fled toward the distant galaxy they had come from.