Olaf asked, "What is its ceiling?"
"On Earth I would say two hundred and fifty miles. As the matrix cross points lessen, its effectiveness to maneuver lessens."
Gustav opined, "That's impressive. How many of these can you deliver?"
I thought, 'Marvin, get Benjamin rolling'.
I said aloud, "Let me answer that, Jandor. We're using the captured ship to reproduce the fighter. We'll go all out on that. If you, Gustav, or Olaf, will send your top pilot to Jandor that might speed things up a bit?"
Gustav replied, "She'll be here soon."
I thought, 'Oh damn'. Marvin didn't move a muscle.
I said to Prestrillo, "With your permission Admiral, (he nodded) I'd like to pose a, no two questions. First, what the hell do we do now? Secondly what are we going to do about Nebu and the buildup of ANNU KI ships, which I think of as Battleships, or larger. In my time, you will recall, they are stacked up miles deep preparing for a new interplanetary invasion. If we don't stop that out-flux we, and our offspring will be slaves forever."
Lillian said, "As to now, we send out scouts, find some more ANNU KI ships and destroy them. I've read the reports about Nebu. I have no idea about that."
I agreed, "The killing should continue. Lillian, can your people act as scouts. They may be able to go where we can't."
"I'll arrange that. They will disperse over the planet tomorrow. We need to modify our ships to go through time. We need two days for that."
Prestrillo interjected, "That's good Lillian. We'll be waiting for their reports. I have an idea which might be possible. You'll recall the Phaeton manufacturing complex shut down for lack of raw material. If we were to kick any enemies off Nebu and position the complex around it, they will have a long time to chew. It doesn't matter what trajectory the planet has. They can follow it. If the gravitational constant will be affected, we can substitute an artificial gravity source. Comments?"
I asked, "Do we know where Nebu is now?"
He said, "Yes, I inquired. It will be closest to Sol's system, on its present orbit, in five hundred years. We can simply move the manufacturing complex out to meet it. Then when it comes to its innermost point, we will be able to ascertain what percent remains. We can adjust our efforts accordingly."
I said, "That's a go with me. Naturally what is going to be manufactured will have to be decided. Also security bears some discussion. I'd recommend Weapons balls and Carriers, if Carriers can be made?"
He said, "Unfortunately not now. I don't have the codes. It will take some effort to get them. But Weapons Balls we can do any day."
I said, "That's good with me, any other comments, from anyone?"
Olaf asked, "Our Carriers are crowded. Might we add another passenger ball to the fleet? Our two ships are just the first to arrive. There will be more. I want to tell you about our long range weapon. It's new. The lab took the Elders disintegrator and made a barrel for it out of magnetic force fields. The present model has a range of twenty miles. But I interrupt the conference with technicalities. Go on please."
Trist and I tried to speak at once. I motioned for him to carry on. He said, "Another Passenger Ball will take four days to arrive."
While he was speaking I noticed a tall wiry female with long blond hair enter the auditorium. She had the same Ranger black on as did the brothers so I must be seeing their top pilot. She looked the type. There were plenty of places to sit, she stood, not motionless, but sort of doing a dance in place. I started having visions, well damn me, only a wooden Indian wouldn't have.
Olaf motioned her over to the table and said, "This is Margaret Svenstrum. Have a seat. You'll be working with Captain Zorn adapting their saucer craft to be flown by us, well some of us anyway, those that can withstand the G forces."
Prestrillo harrumphed and asked, "I take it we're a go on the manufacturing end. Also, that we'll go kill the enemy, as soon as Lillian's people find them?"
Everybody raised their hand in agreement.
He continued, "Perhaps everybody, but Tildore would like to look at the Control Room of this place. I used to pilot one. Tildore used to fix them so they're old news to him."
Everyone assented but the pilot Margaret who was neck deep in some Saucer manuals, Jandor had pushed across the table to her. I don't think she was even here anymore. They understood. We were to meet in the main ball room later. I didn't have anything pressing so I just sat there watching her study. That got old after an hour, so I closed my eyes and tried to catch emanations from her with my bulb. Strangely enough I could see her life pattern in wave length format. There were some small discrepancies, some partial stops where there should be flows. I ran across her sexual flow, which, at the moment, wasn't strong. But there was a reservoir behind the dammed trickle.
She said, "Admiral, if you don't stop that I'm going to smack you."
I lost my concentration and opened my eyes. Her face had a reddish tint and she was breathing quicker than she had been.
I said, "I'm so sorry. I was just sorting out hesitations in your life flow.
"I liked it. We'll take this up later, you can be sure of that. But I have found a discrepancy in these observations. Are you familiar with them?"
"Are you talking about the ANNU KI not being able to do what they do?"
"Yes. There must be some assist system in the Craft, or, maybe in their gear, which we are overlooking. Do you know where the Saucer bay is?"
"Yes. Do you want to go there?"
"Yes."
So off to Saucer land we went.
She put me in the Saucer, cockpit lid open, to get a better picture, she said, of what the clearances were. The controls were simple. There was the usual joy stick out of the floor, also a left and right foot controls. A slide bar on the left controlled the speed. It actually had a reverse setting. If we could put the Ranger disintegrator on this platform, and fly it, we would have a mighty weapon.
Margaret interrupted my thoughts with, "What you were doing to me, do it to this craft."
I opened my mouth to tell her the difference, but shut it. What the hell did I know about differences? I shut my eyes and expanded my self. I could feel the energy flowing out of my forehead. I continued the flow until I could feel the razor edge of the revolving disc which cut through the air. I maintained that effort for several moments. I became aware of some one trying to shake me. They couldn't. I was frozen in place. That fact startled me so I quit everything. When I opened my eyes Margaret looked like she had eaten the canary.
I asked, "What gives?"
"Their secret gives. The craft pushes back onto you when you flow through your bulb."
"Come on. I just had my muscles tense."
"You come on. I can toss two hundred pounds, in 3.5 Earth norm gravity. I know when some one is frozen in place."
"Well, well, as simple as that. Who would have guessed? Something good came of my intrusions."
"You'll get a chance to do intrusions later. Here comes Jandor. Jandor, over here, we've discovered something."
Jandor climbed up the stationary ladder next to the craft and said to me, "Prestrillo wants to talk to you before he leaves. The Ranger Captains are already gone."
"You tell him, Margaret. I'll be back in a while."
I climbed out of the cockpit and hurried down the ladder past him. Back to the auditorium I flew.
He was sitting at our conference table and he motioned to a seat next to him.
"Thanks for coming so quick Tild. I'm anxious to get back to the mine field control room. Two things, one, while you were gone we got in a shipment of massive cannons mounted on run-abouts. Something Taln dreamed up. It fires a Negatively charged circle of energy, will take out anything close up. I'm using them for mine field back-up, as you've probably noticed. Secondly, I wanted to tell you about the Ranger Captains and their pilot. Seems some measurements were done on their planet, Wielos, way off in nowhere, that indicated an ANNU KI nest. When action was to be undertaken by the Military,
to root out the nest, it ran into terminal civilian interference. The ANNU KI already had people in their pocket. So the Military gave in and welcomed it when it came out of its nest to greet its followers. Both Svenstrum brothers were Generals and were there to surrender. Margaret was flying honor cover with four other pilots. During the pass she dropped a hundred K-ton neutron nuke, right on the ANNU KI. Then she gets shot down. Result, Wielos has no more enemy and no more sympathizers. And Rangers have new recruits. We also have a recruitment office, if you're wondering. Gotta go now. Come on by and I'll show you around. We're forming a Task Force to escort the Manufacturing complex to Nebu. You'll be in charge, ETD four days."
He hurried off, Jace meeting him at the door. You can't fault their ways of keeping the home fires burning, speaking of burning fires. (Dropped a Nuke right down onto its head, eh.)
I walked back to the Saucer testing bay. Jandor was moving the craft back and forth rapidly about four feet off the deck. God damn, I realized now why he had made one too many Moon runs. He thought himself invincible. I sent a burst at him through my bulb to desist. He sat the craft down on its legs, opened the bubble lid, and said, "I can do it too."
"Good. Get all of our people up to your level, outside. Or have Prestrillo bring in a Maintenance- Rebuild Shop. Don't test inside, other than checklist tick offs, please."
He saluted, and went off to the Comm Station to pass the news.
Margaret said, "It's later now. Where can we retire to?"
"Follow me. I'd ask if you need help with your pack, if I was a patronizing idiot."
"You talked yourself in to showing off your muscles. It's over there by the door. Where are we going?"
As we walked toward the door I said, "I know a secret room. A VVIP hide out, and sometime conference location. I used to fix these things."
At the door, I caught up her pack. She felt my right arm, and said, "Not much tenseness."
"Odd thing about these bodies," I reflected. "We can do whatever we do without strain, or not at all."
"That is odd. I'll examine you myself, give you my opinion."
"I'd sincerely appreciate that."
I was serious, she had a slight smile, which flashed and disappeared.
We twisted and turned and went ever inward until we came to a stretch of corridor half again as wide as the rest. Walking along it, I pressed the eye of an eagle portrayed in the mural which stretched the entire length. A large round door swung inward to reveal another door, the eternal airlock. We went through the second door after we shut the first behind us. Before our eyes was the central room with its round table, and off of it, various other rooms.
Margaret said, "What do you know, eye of an eagle. I'm going to explore."
I deposited her pack and my canteen belt on the twenty foot diameter table. We were going to be peas in a gallon jar in this place. But why not, the Phaetons had paid for it. My recollection said they would have cheered us on. I went into the kitchen and opened the cold box, more 'phase out' tech. Stocked and left a trillion years ago. I was still on our drink. Maybe she would be adventurous, or maybe she had rations along.
Back in the central room I saw her pop out of a room without her clothes. I tried to decide whether she was muscular or whether she should be called lithe. She moved with sparseness of exertion, one moment she was there, the next there.
She said, "I discovered a group shower. You must tell me about the use of the different handholds. Back there is our bedroom. Put my pack in please and then come scrub my back."
Sparse talk too, I decided. I did as ordered. Scrubbed backs and thoroughly examined we fell onto the bed an hour later. She wiggled on the smooth sheets and urged me to do so too. I did too, like a small child. Then I grew up.
Considerably later she observed, "We're interacting quite well, but I must tell you I'm under orders to investigate how we Rangers are going to carry out the plan."
I rolled over onto her, "Now you're under me."
She threw me off without much effort and continued, "I want to dally as much as you, but let's be serious for a moment. We've answered the question whether us Rangers and you, the New Born can interact sexually. In fact I've relaxed with you and felt emotions which I've held in check for a long time. But, the question of whether we fight in conjunction with you, or alongside has to be answered. With would be better, easier command functions, supplemental skill usage etc."
I plumped some pillows between me and the headboard and leaned against them. "Let's get this covered so I can show you what further to do with those hand holds in the shower. Lillian pointed out to us that we weren't mentally prepared to do battle with the ANNU KI. Then she resolved that problem with one of us. She is teaching what needs to be altered in our mentalities to be ready. Our successes in the raid proved the methods are working. Now you come along, ten thousand of you, and want to, overnight, be up to us in mental toughness."
She moved away from me on the bed and said, "I'm insulted."
"Don't be. It may be possible to do overnight with mental adjustments."
She moved back, "How?"
"I'd have to go into your mind and adjust flows with my bulb. I never tried except for the moment when I watched you study. I could make a mistake. You could end up someone else."
"Do you honestly think you could do so much damage that Paula couldn't fix it?"
"Now that you mention it, no. So you want me to try?"
"Yes. We have no choice. We know Rangers must adjust. Go on with it."
"Fine. Make yourself comfortable and try to relax."
She wiggled around. Her breasts wiggled when she did, and stayed still otherwise. Heavy gravity must do that."
She said, "I can read your mind. You're not mission orientated at the moment."
"Very well. We'll cover those subjects later. Here goes."
I relaxed against the headboard and closed my eyes. Her different life flows and mental considerations were laid out before me in wavelengths. For the state of mind we were seeking, some had to have their importance's realigned. I started with reasonableness. Reason was fine, but the attempt to see the enemies reasoning, just resulted in you giving them a moment to kill you. Compassion for life was fine, but applied to the enemy slowed your sword arm. Even momentary fear of losing your continued existence led to regroup and fight again another day, and you were fighting another day in another universe, because you were dead and hopelessly mentally disarranged in this one, and on and on. I lost track of time because there was no time there, just thought. When I encountered resistance, I drew upon her pent up sexual energy to assist me in moving her fixed points of view. Some of the released energy spilled over into channels which I learned went to her body. I went through the attitudes I knew had to be changed and thought perhaps a discussion would be appropriate.
I opened my eyes and said, "That's enough for now."
She sprung up out of her resting position and straddled me with a savage look on her face. Her hips moved back and forth demandingly.
"I'll tell you when it's enough!"
I was taken aback for a moment but something within me stirred and I recovered quickly. In our combined savagery there was no time either. We were man and woman and the whole of our races continuation depended upon us.
The bedroom was still there when during a change in position we opened our eyes and looked at each other. There was no submission, or compromise in her gaze. I gathered my strength to continue, but she said, "Damn, I need some fuel. We'll come back to this later."
I was not of a mind to stop and her eyes started to focus inward, but I got a grip and said, "Damn right we will."
We relaxed. Then went to the shower and washed each other's back possessively, almost like we were one another. That was an odd sensation for me.
Afterward we found thick robes with cowls in a cabinet by the door. I followed her to the kitchen where she took a hunk of meat out of the cool box.
She said, "I don't care what it was. Just
put it on a plate half cooked."
"Say no more."
I did what was necessary, fire pits evolve, and she took small bites. I was glad she used the fork and knife I found in the drawers instead of the Force Knife that hung on her pack. I recognized it as the one M.Verdai's 100 People had produced many life times ago, in the future.
"Careful, I'm getting jealous."
I focused my eyes on her. "Sorry, it won't happen again. Paula says we will get telepathy when the last of us is born. I'm looking forward to that."
"It can be a two edged sword and cut you. The moment you're certain you've reached a meeting of minds, someone will do something entirely opposite to what you've agreed to."
"Why?"
"The why, is that the person doesn't have enough control over their body to alter ingrained habit patterns. Also the Primeval mind will slough off attempts to contradict it. So you have an agreement with an Analytical Mind, which is about five percent in control of its body."
I considered, "That could lead to confusion and could get one killed. What's the solution?"
"Ask a few vocal questions. That will enable you to fix the person on a scale of comprehension. You'll know after that whether to trust your telepathic agreements, or not."
"Sounds awfully uncertain. But I've used it between staff members. It worked fine."
"Between people of like mind, base upon shared values and knowledge, it will work, and expedite everything."
"So, it will be a plus for us, to be used sparingly with outsiders, including you?"
She laughed, "I'm hardly an outsider. As I remember a short time ago, inside was what we were doing."
"Ready to continue?"
Greener Green II: The Balls Brigade Page 20