by Saxon Andrew
• • •
Amy and the other Marine Officers were working on mastering the new armor on another carrier and she was about to decide to just give it up. She wasn’t as young and flexible as she was in her thirties. She came rolling in on the end of the corridor and tried to slide but lost her feet and slid into the wall. Her armor prevented her from breaking her legs but she felt the jolt through her entire body. A Sargent following her rushed up and helped her to her feet, “Are you alright, Sir?”
“Give me a minute.”
“Yes, Sir.” The Sargent skated off to assist another officer who had crashed.
Amy looked down at Jolly, who had been following her around for the last week. Jolly stayed right at her heels and never got in the way or missed a turn. Amy rubbed her butt and looked at Jolly, “I wish I could do it like you.”
Suddenly, Jolly slid under Amy’s boots and she felt them sink slightly into the small Griffet’s surface. She pushed with her arms and managed to stand up but she couldn’t move her feet off the copper colored Griffet under her. She could move them around on the surface to keep her balance but her boots would not come out of the Griffet’s top surface, “What are you doing, Jolly?” She rose off the floor slightly and then, Jolly flew into the corridor and it was all Amy could do not to fall over backwards. She forced herself into a tuck as she flew down the corridor at a speed that had her heart beating in panic. She screamed as they went into a corner but Jolly flew up the wall slightly and made the turn without any loss of speed. Amy was gritting her teeth and scared out of her mind but after six more portals and turns were negotiated, she began smiling and twenty seconds later started laughing. This was more fun than any amusement park ride she had ever rode. She looked at the speed she was moving on her visor as she flew down the long starboard corridor and saw Jolly had them moving at close to four hundred miles an hour. Her smile disappeared. This was impossible. She would be burning up in the carrier’s atmosphere if not for her armor.
Suddenly, they were in zero gravity and Amy was amazed that they flew even faster. Jolly moved up under her until they were horizontal to the deck below them and the walls became a blur. They made the final turn and flew past the start finish line at high speed and made the initial turn to complete another lap. The Sargent keeping times was shocked at the speed of the lap and the second lap set a record that no one would break.
• • •
Amy sat in the carrier’s conference room and stroked Jolly’s legs. “I really wish I could talk with you. I know you understand me but your thought processes are so different from my own.” Jolly wiggled and then started her legs moving again in ecstasy. If we could only get one of you for each of our Marines…but that’s wishful thinking. Anyway, I love you, girl.” Jolly’s legs moved faster.
• • •
The next day, Amy received an emergency message from Colonel Jackson, “Sir. You need to report to the landing bay on the Yellowstone.”
“What’s going on, Jack?”
“Thousands of those disk creatures are appearing and the troops are getting worried about what they’re doing.”
Amy ran to the tubes and said to the tube operator, “I’ve got to get to the Yellowstone! Order a shuttle prepared.” The Tube Operator nodded but Amy immediately disappeared leaving him stunned.
A moment later, she was standing on the Yellowstone’s landing bay. Her shock was immediate and she looked down and saw Jolly was wrapped around her legs. She knew that Jolly had somehow formed the orange field around her and taken her to the carrier where the First Division was being trained. She forced the fear aside and activated her communicator, “All Marines, Atteennnshun!!” Every Marine in the landing bay came to attention. Amy looked and saw thousands of Griffets moving around the floor among the Marines and realized a moment earlier that the Marines were attempting to avoid stepping on them. They all knew that the Admiral always had one of these creatures following her but they were in uncharted waters with so many of the creatures running around under their feet.
“All right, listen up! The creatures running around the landing bay are called Griffets and they are a species that can live in open space. They will bond with a human if they sense a compatibility. Now this is the important part; once they bond with you, you will be responsible for their care.”
A private standing close to her was rubbing a Griffet and he looked up and said, “How do you care for them?”
“Just like what you’re doing now. A Griffet loves having their legs rubbed. That’s about it. However, they will be with you wherever you go and you need to be willing to accept that before you allow one to bond with you.”
“How do we stop them from bonding, Sir?”
“Simply think, ‘Go away and find another’. Do you choose not to bond, Sargent?”
“On no, Sir. I like this one very much.”
Amy smiled as the tough Sargent rubbed the Griffet’s legs. “One you have bonded with a Griffet, go to your quarters and remain there until you’re called.” She waited and the giant landing bay began emptying.
Finally, two hours later, there were a hundred Marines without a Griffet. She walked up to one and said, “Did you choose not to bond?”
“No, Sir. None of them came near me.”
Any’s eyes narrowed and she wondered why. Then she looked at the Marine, “Why did you choose to join the Marines, Private?”
The Marine smiled, “I get to use some pretty cool weapons to kill aliens.”
Amy stared at him and said, “How about the rest of you.”
“That’s why I’m here, Sir! This is better than a video game!”
Amy activated her private frequency and said, “Colonel, these are not the type of warriors we need. Assemble them and have them report back to the colonies where they can be placed in support positions.”
“Are you sure about that, Sir?”
“I’m not but the Griffets are. Get them packing.”
• • •
By the end of the day, the Marines in the First Division were screaming around the course at incredible speeds. Amy looked down at Jolly and picked her up, “Thank you so much.” Jolly’s eye rolled around her top and she flipped over to be rubbed, which Amy gladly did.
• • •
“Amy, I understand more than a hundred thousand Griffets showed up and bonded with your Marines.”
“Yes, Sir, they did and it makes this thing doable but we don’t have enough information to make it happen.”
Steve sat back in his chair, “Why did they show up?”
“I told Jolly that I wish our warriors had a Griffet to help them move around the Flasher Warship and they showed up the next day. The skates and jets in the armor were just too hard to master to get the job done, Sir. Now our Marines step on their Griffet and their performance has improved more than two hundred percent. However, we don’t know enough about the bridge crew to get in and take control without them self-destructing the ship before we can take over.”
“What do you need to know?”
“Sir, I’m somewhat certain that some of the Flasher Officers on the bridge do carry hand blasters. They have to be taken out first and we have to know who sets off the self-destruct circuit. If that ship’s computer can do it, we have to take it off line within the first moments of insertion.”
“How are you going to gather that information?”
“We’re going to have to get Kamela to go and see.”
Steve stared at her and sighed, “I’ll contact Essay and have him go and ask for her assistance.”
“Sir, I would greatly appreciate it. I think we’re at the point where we can move in and take control of the ship but it’s all a moot point if the self-destruct circuit is activated or the officers with blasters on the bridge damage the systems to where we can’t open the portals. We also have to come up with a way to handle the small ships. They have their own environmental controls and opening the ports won’t have any effect on them.”
“I’ll contact, Essay. However, you’ve got to come up with your own method of knocking out those small ships. I don’t think Kamela will be able to determine a means of doing that.”
Amy shrugged, “I’m discussing it with George Senior and he’s working with Ali and Gabby to see if they can come up with something.”
Steve nodded and pressed his communicator.
• • •
“I didn’t think we’d be out again this quickly, Erica.”
“I think someone has been smoking something exotic to come up with the idea of trying to capture one of the Flasher Warships, Essay. That is a suicide mission if I’ve ever seen one.”
“Survival is never free. Erica, I’m nervous about you going on this mission.”
“Don’t be. I won’t be having issues for another six months.”
“Erica…”
“Essay, where thou go, I will follow…as long as I’m able.”
Essay closed his eyes and sighed, “Are you ready to shove off?”
“My systems are active. Ready when you are.”
The small scout ship lifted off the spaceport tarmac and pointed toward the sky. It moved vertical at high speed and after three minutes went to full speed causing a sonic boom in high atmosphere. Then it was gone.
• • •
Erica pressed a button on her panel, “Poul? Are you receiving this?”
After a few moments they heard, “I am. Why are the two of you out here?”
“We need some help.”
There was a long pause and then they heard mentally, “Has someone lost their mind!?!”
Essay rolled his eyes, “You must be listening to our thoughts.”
“I am and this is ludicrous. Who dreamed up this cockymamey nightmare?”
“Admiral Connor.”
“Your father must be going crazy in his old age, Essay.”
“He’s actually physically younger and mentally stronger now than before. Can Kamela go with us to do some scouting?”
“I doubt she’ll leave at this point but I should be able go and hear the Flasher’s thoughts.”
“Poul, I don’t mean any disrespect but this is too important to the lives of more than a hundred thousand humans. Kamela is the best at hearing what must be heard in the mist of millions of thoughts. Will you please ask her?”
“Oh, so now I’m not so amazing anymore?”
“Please, Poul. This isn’t about you; we need her help.”
“Give me a minute.”
Essay looked at Erica, “If Kamela has started a family…”
“Don’t try it, Essay. I’m not Kamela, I’m a warrior.”
“Yes you are Erica but you are responsible for more than yourself now.”
Erica looked up, “Hello, Kamela. Are you judging me?”
“Of course. And you know I’m right about this.”
“Am I more important than the hundred thousand Marines that are going to be sent into a Flasher Warship? How many of them have children on the way as well?”
“Erica, someone else could have come in your place.”
“If something happens to Essay, I don’t want to survive.”
“You’re carrying his legacy. That demands more respect than you’re giving.” Erica closed her eyes and blew out a breath. “Why didn’t you tell her, Essay?”
“There are some things she won’t hear, Kamela.”
“You should take her home, Essay!” Essay leaned back in his chair and was silent. “I will go with Poul and collect the information you need.”
“Kamela!!”
“Be quiet, Poul. You know that they can’t do what I’m capable of doing and neither can you. They’re right about the importance of this mission.”
“Kamela, you really aren’t up to doing what we need done alone.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Erica nodded, “We need information on the layout of the Flasher Bridge. You’ve said many times that you don’t understand the workings of a warship. I have a mock Flasher bridge program in my computer and I can put all the crewmembers you see in their places on it as you see them. Are you capable of doing that?”
“No, but I can.”
“Poul, you are going to be assisting her in listening to the Flashers. Can you do both. And if both of you are collecting images, are you capable of doing everything?”
Kamela paused, “I see you’ve thought about this.”
Erica nodded, “I have. And no one in fleet is as fast or as capable at using my systems to input data into a structure. And I do understand the workings of a warship.”
“Kamela, you are also expecting. I really think you shouldn’t do this.”
“Poul, a hundred thousand humans are at risk and my home world is in jeopardy if we lose this war. I’ve been driven to participate in this venture for a reason. This might be it.”
“What are you going to tell Jak?”
“He will insist on coming with me. Essay, land your small vessel outside the Traugh Community and Poul, come and pick us up. We’ll go and collect Essay and Erica once we’re on board.”
“You’re the boss. I’ll be there momentarily.”
Essay activated the stardrive and accelerated into the Kindred star system and entered the planet’s atmosphere ten minutes later.
• • •
Jak was introduced to everyone and he took a chair next to Kamela that Poul had provided. Essay and Erica were amazed at the male Kindred’s height. He was close to seven feet tall. Erica’s eyes were wide as she said, “Aren’t you rather tall for a Kindred?”
Jak smiled, “Sort of. Kamela is short for a female.”
Kamela elbowed him in the ribs, “I am not!”
Erica started laughing as Jak said, “Most of us are taller than our parents.”
Kamela looked at Essay, “How do you want to do this?”
“I’m hoping that we can get the fundamental layout of the Flasher Bridge and where the real threats on that vessel are located. I also hope that we can select a warship for our forces to make this attempt. With that in mind, we need to move around Flasher Territory and see if we can find a likely target and collect our information from that vessel.”
Kamela smiled and looked at Jak, “That sounds like a plan. We’ll also be able to use Jak to take a look with Poul and me. He’s a strong telepath in his own right.”
“Thank you, Kammy.”
“You’re too modest, Jak.” Kamela looked up, “Poul, you should go to Flasher Space and do a search for likely candidates.”
“How long will it be before this thing is attempted?”
“Why do you ask, Poul?”
“It’s not a good idea to choose a Flasher Warship that will be moving before you try this. We’ll need to choose one that will be there when the Marines go in.”
Essay said, “I understand that they want to do this within thirty days.” They all heard something mentally and Jak burst out laughing.
Kamela looked at him, “What’s so funny?”
“Poul just thought that whoever was planning this has the intelligence of plant.”
“You heard me?”
“I did.”
“Humph, I need to hide my thoughts better. I’m going to assume that the two of you will not be participating in this fiasco.”
Erica looked at Essay and sighed, “We were hoping you would be there to help us listen in on the Flashers and tell our forces when to go in at the appropriate moment.”
“I’ll do that on one condition.”
“What is that?”
“That you aren’t there, Erica.”
“But…”
“Take it or leave it.”
Kamela looked at Erica, “I won’t be there, either. You know he’s right.”
Erica closed her eyes and then opened them slowly, “I’ll stay at home but you have to promise me you’ll keep Essay safe.”
“I will certainly endeavor to do so. However, nothing is certain in wa
r and this mission is going to be a doozy.”
Erica looked at Essay, “Promise me you’ll stay out of it!”
“I will do the right thing, my Love.”
“That’s not a promise!”
“No, but it’s how it will have to be.” Erica fell back in her chair and nodded.
Poul said, “May I assume your nod means you’ll stay home?”
“Poul, I still think you’re amazing but you can be a royal pain in the…”
“I know, it’s what makes me adorable. Does it mean you’ll stay home?”
Erica blew out a breath, “I will stay home.”
“Ok, let’s get this party started.” The Prophet’s Eyes lifted off the Kindred Planet’s surface and headed toward space.
Kamela looked at Erica, “Pull up the Flasher Bridge you have in your computer.” Erica pressed a button and she looked at the image on her display. Kamela said, “Oh my! That thing is huge.”
Erica nodded, “It’s a little over a mile long.”
“How many chairs are on it?”
“Fifteen hundred and seventy six.”
Kamela started shaking her head, “Alright, let’s start practicing this. Pull up a duplicate of that layout that was scanned with the crew on it. Jak and I will start sending Erica mental images of Flashers. We’ll designate the ones with a weapon by making them red colored. We need to see how fast she can input what she receives.” Kamela looked at Erica, “Are you ready?”
Erica nodded and images began pouring into her consciousness. Her fingers flew over her key board but after five minutes she said, “I’m losing it. I’m behind on what you’ve sent and the new images are getting mixed up with the old.”
Kamela nodded, “Alright, let’s try it again.”
They worked on the process for four hours before calling a halt. Erica was exhausted from the effort and needed some time to rest. Poul had still not found a good candidate for the assault.
Erica looked at Kamela as she was drinking some orange juice at her station and said, “There are also three places on the Bridge that we’ve got to determine how they’re manned.”