by Saxon Andrew
“We open doors for females in my society as a form of respect.”
“Well thank you.”
Dat walked up the long hill with Gresha and somehow, it didn’t seem very long at all.
• • •
Dat set the dark matter field to the bottom of his shoes and then set the repulsive force. He took one step and flew nearly forty feet forward. It was a good thing it was dark. No one was out to see it so he dialed the force back. He ran six steps and didn’t really feel a difference in his normal speed. He moved it up slightly and suddenly he was really flying. He set the angle so the repulsion was horizontal to the ground. He again had to dial it back but found the force needed to increase his speed. He spend the next week working on the range of force he could use and not give away he was being helped.
He was amazed that his endurance increased remarkably. It was like running weightless. The effort required was ridiculously low. He began running for hours at various speeds and he learned all the streets and alleys that connected the community. He wondered how much faster the Master was going to be this time.
“Dat.”
“Yes, Loree.”
“I’ve been thinking about the recording you sent me.”
“And?”
“I think those black creatures are addicted to pursuing prey.”
“Yeah, so what?”
“I don’t believe it will let this next run be the last if you survive. I don’t think it could walk away from it.”
Dat stopped running and thought about Loree’s observation. The Masters had literally bounced back to their shuttle. She was probably right. “What can I do?”
“You either have to plan to be running the rest of your life or die.”
“Let me think about that.”
“I just wanted to tell you what I see.”
“Thanks, Loree.” Dat thought about what he could do to escape from the box he found himself trapped in. He didn’t sleep much that night.
• • •
Leigh Ann looked at Admiral Hull and said, “We have placed far too many eggs in one basket.”
Kat nodded, “Perhaps this is a wake-up call.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Send the wing the helmets.”
“Do you really think we should do that?”
“We need to see if they work as well for others. That wing is separated from the rest of the fleet and if it fails, no one will know.”
Leigh Ann stared at Kat and finally said, “You know Jill is there.”
Kat hesitated and said, “I do.”
Leigh Ann stared at Kat and thought about Jill’s drive to exceed her achievements. She would be given an opportunity to do so, “Get Captain Anders on the channel.”
Kat didn’t expect that response. Her suggestion to send the helmets was made knowing the President wouldn’t agree and would order Arvolo out but it was too late to prevent what was about to happen.
• • •
Jon met the shuttle in deep space with the other nine Rovers and each of them was delivered a small box. Jon just didn’t know about this technology. He worried that he didn’t have the necessary talents to make it work. Jon looked at the nine Rovers on his display and said, “Open the boxes you’ve been given.”
Jill broke the seal on the box marked Prime Security and pulled out a helmet with a coiled electrical cable. What is this, she wondered. She looked at Jon on her display and he said, “Put the helmets on and you’ll notice a hole immediately under the right arm of your command chairs; plug the cable in that receptacle.” She noticed that receptacle years earlier and never learned what it was for. Now, she knew. Jon said, “I am activating the command circuit and you should be immediately linked to your computers. Activate your links, now.”
Jill pressed the tactical button on her panel and suddenly the universe exploded in her mind. She saw space from the view of her ship. She and the ship became one being. She also felt the connection with the other nine ships. It was an incredible experience. Jon said, “I am going to bring up the formation of the two hundred enemy ships that attacked Captain Arvolo and start an attack in our system. The attack computer will make the enemy’s reactions real and you will fight together as a unit.”
Jill saw the tactical plan and stared at the enemy formation. She said, “Captain, before we do this…”
“Yes, Lieutenant.”
“If you spit us into two groups and come at the formation from each end, it will put more ships in our line of fire. We can join in the center and roll through their formation together.”
Jon put the suggestion into his system and saw she was right. He hadn’t seen it. He was ordered to take the wing and take on a superior enemy force and he now saw that he wasn’t up to the task. He knew this was no place for an ego in what was coming. He said, “Lt. Connor, the command control has been moved to your ship. You will direct our movements and all ships will follow your lead.”
“Captain, I don’t know that I’m the one to do this.”
“Well, you’ve just proven to me that you’re better equipped to do it than I am. I am not going to place our lives in jeopardy because of my ego. We have been ordered to attack a superior enemy force and we need to be at our best and I believe you see things I miss. You will direct our wing during combat, Lieutenant.”
Jill stared at the other ships gathered around her and felt a sudden weight on her chest. She had never commanded more than one ship. Rovers always fought alone. She took a deep breath and fought giving in to panic. She thought about why she left Dat years ago and remembered that it was because she wanted to be in command. It wasn’t what she dreamed it would be. “Yes Sir, I’ll do my best.”
“You should study the groups of enemy ships we’ve been able to scan and try to see if you can find any patterns they follow. We will do the same and will share our findings with you if we see any. However, tomorrow we are going to launch another Connor Probe and attack any ship that comes to destroy it.”
Jill fought her panic again.
Chapter Seven
Gresh sat beside Dat on the waist high wall at the edge of the community. They sat in silence and watched the farmers toiling in the fields that extended out from the community. Gresh blew out a breath and turned to Dat, “Tomorrow night.”
“I know.”
“Are you ready?”
“I’m as ready as I can be. We’ll see what happens.”
“I want you to know that if you choose to use your technology to escape, I wouldn’t blame you.”
“You world being in jeopardy is my fault. If I escape, I don’t believe I could live with myself. I’ve got to do this.”
“Do you think your people will be able to defeat the Masters?”
Dat shook his head slowly, “I don’t know. We really don’t have a technology advantage but neither do they. They do outnumber us…I just don’t know. I feel that their numbers will be greatly reduced if we go to war with them.”
“If that’s all we can get, that’s more than we have. Fewer would die in their embrace.”
Dat looked at Gresh and then out at the fields, “Let’s just take this one day at a time; or in my case, one moment at a time.”
Gresh nodded, “You don’t have long.”
“I wish you hadn’t said that.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I know.”
Gresh turned around and saw Gresha approaching, “She’s really worried about you.”
Dat snorted, “I’m worried about me.”
“Yeah, but this could really hurt her if something happened to you. You saved her life…twice.” Dat turned and lowered his head and then looked Gresh in the eyes through his eyebrows. Gresh said, “You won’t be around to feel sorry. She will. She has developed an attachment to you.”
“I do wish you didn’t talk like that. I’ll try to keep it in mind when that monster is chasing me.” Dat turned around and saw Gresha moving toward the wall, “She’s the reason I did
this. The community really loves her.”
Gresh smiled and moved his head slightly to the right and back, “She’s like that, Dat. Good luck.”
Dat nodded at Gresh who stood and walked out into the fields. Dat saw one of the farmers had broken a shovel on something underground and Gresh went to take the shovel for repair. Gresha came over and sat beside Dat on the wall. She didn’t say anything but just looked out into the fields with him. Gresha continued to stare out into the fields and said, “I think I agree with my father. If you can escape, you should do it.”
Dat looked at her, “You know what would happen if I did.”
“The Masters would end our never ending nightmare. This isn’t living. We’re nothing more than livestock to them; it might be a blessing. I don’t want you to die.”
Dat shook his head and looked at Gresha, “This existence created you. It can’t be as bad as you think.” He turned back to the fields and thought about the next day. Dat watched the shadows begin moving out into the fields and the people started moving back inside the walls. Sundown was not far away. Gresha reached over and put her hand on Dat’s. He continued to stare at the fields but he turned his hand over and held her hand gently in his own. Dat said, “You need to be starting home.”
“I’m staying with you tonight.” Dat looked at her and saw something in her eyes that was different. “Don’t even think about saying no.”
Dat looked in her eyes, “Gresha, I don’t have enough will power to resist you.”
Gresha nodded and took his hand as they walked to his house. The night seemed to be the shortest he had ever experienced.
• • •
The next morning Gresha walked home and Dat had difficulty watching her leave. “Dat.”
“Yes Stein.”
“There’s a problem.”
Dat’s attention was ripped away from Gresha. Whenever Stein said there was a problem, there was something of biblical proportions about to happen, “What?”
“Fleet has decided that they have made a mistake putting all their hope in you. Your close call with death has convinced them that they have to trial the new command system with others.”
“What others?”
“Captain Ander’s and his wing have taken possession of the command helmets and are planning an attack on a superior enemy force.”
“They can’t do that! They need time to acclimate themselves to the system.”
“It gets worse.”
“How could it get worse?”
“Captain Anders discovered during the first simulation they ran that he was not up to the task. Jill made better command decisions than he did. He turned the command system over to her. She will be commanding the operation.”
“How could her mother allow this to happen? She knows how difficult the system is to operate.”
“It appears she doesn’t have the motherly instinct one would expect.”
“Can you get fleet to delay the attack two days?”
“They won’t delay it even if you could make it back. They need to see if another can use it. We have been ordered not to participate.”
Dat went inside and said, “Get Jill on the communicator and patch it in to me.”
Dat waited a moment and then he heard, “Oh Dat, I’m so frightened.”
“Calm down, Jillian. Tell me what you’ve learned about the system.”
“The view is unbelievable. I can see everything in minute detail. It’s overwhelming.”
“That is what will get you killed. Stein, is my helmet still connected?”
“It is.”
“Jillian, activate your helmet and Stein I want you to transfer the protocols I used during fleet maneuvers.”
“Dat, that is beyond Prime Secrecy.”
“Stein…”
“Alright, alright, I’ll do it.”
Jill watched as the download arrived and began making its way through her system. “I have it.”
“Pull up one of the simulations and tell me what you see.”
Jill activated the last simulation that had given her so much trouble and said, “All I see are large energy balls with bright dots on them.”
“Those balls are ships and the dots are their weapons. Tell me what you would do.”
“I’d never approach them from the sides. That’s where their weapons are oriented.”
“Good, now put the simulation in motion and tell me what you would do.”
Jill watched the ships moving through space and saw a line over the top of them that didn’t have any dots below it. She said, “There is a line where no weapons are pointed.”
“And that is what you are going to have to find before you skip in. All the ships will be linked to your ship and you are going to have to find those lines and skip into them and then out. Fire as you pass and look for another line as you come around.” Dat paused, “It’s not that easy. Most would never see those lines. You obviously do so you do possess a natural talent at using the system. Don’t rush, take your time and find the lines. You can do this. Take the time you have remaining and go through as many simulations as possible. You’ll teach yourself to find them.”
Dat, I’m so sorry for what happened between us…”
“Now’s not the time Jillian; you need to focus.”
“My name is Loree and I’m still wearing your locket. It never leaves my body.”
The connection ended and Dat was shocked. He didn’t know what to think. He tried to remember Loree’s face the night she left him but all he saw was Gresha’s sad eyes. He knew he should leave, damn fleet’s orders, and take command of the wing but he just couldn’t force himself to do it. He put his head in his hands and shook it. He made contact with the ring on his right hand and set the coordinates for it to activate. He prayed the Wing would survive. Then he prayed for his survival.
• • •
Jill collected herself and pulled up a simulation and started it running. She found a line immediately. She had her ships skip in and fire and then skip away. She continued to watch the ships maneuver after her attack and saw another line appear. By the end of the simulation, all the enemy ships had been destroyed. She pulled up another one and increased the speed of the playback. By the tenth simulation she was shocked at how easy it was to see the patterns. She leaned back and knew that simulations were only that, a simulation and didn’t match up with real space battles. But she was gaining confidence in the system and felt her fear start to diminish. Dat had given her hope. She now wished she hadn’t said anything. She sighed and knew she couldn’t stop herself.
Jon Anders appeared on her display, “How’s it coming, Lieutenant?”
“I want you and the others to link in with me and go through three simulations. I need to get a feel for directing other ships in the system.”
“We’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
The Wing went into the simulation and all of them were shocked at the difference in Jill’s control. At the end of the third simulation the Wing was ready to follow her lead. After the others dropped off the channel Jon asked, “What happened?”
Jill slowly shook her head, “I really don’t want to say, Sir.”
“I need to know, Lieutenant. My Wing’s survival is being placed in your hands. Now what changed?”
“Dat contacted me and downloaded some protocols he had developed. He took some time to show me how they functioned. It really helped a lot.”
Jon stared at her, “You know that information is a Prime Secret?” Jill nodded. “Let’s just keep that between us.”
“He did it to help us survive, sir.”
“I know; but sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t matter. Let’s just say you are very talented and leave it at that.”
“Yes Sir. If Fleet finds out you knew about this and didn’t report it…”
“I know. Let me worry about that. My primary responsibility is to those under my command. Don’t let me down, Jill.”
Jill stared at Jon and
nodded. It was the first time he had called her by her name instead of her rank. Her respect for him grew because of his disregard of personal consequences. She knew that she could trust Jon to do the right thing. That trust is critical with warriors.
She turned back to the most difficult simulation and started her attack. She began seeing individual ships with lines moving across them and she targeted a single ship on them. She found holes in the enemy ship’s formations that allowed her to skip in and kill ships. After an hour she learned an important lesson. In fleet combat, rushing in was tantamount to suicide. Never go in without a clear objective and target and never get greedy.
• • •
The sun was dropping quickly and Dat knew the Masters would be arriving shortly. He looked over his shoulder and saw the lengthening shadows. He was amazed at how quickly it grew dark after the sun disappeared below the horizon. “You need to come inside.”
Dat looked over his shoulder and saw Gresha standing in the doorway, “No, you should close the door. I’m going to need you if I can survive this.”
“I don’t want to leave you, Dat.”
“The Master said that only those on the roof would be safe. I need you at the door.”
“Here they come!”
Both of them looked up at the one that yelled and then looked out at the field. A cloud of Master shuttles was moving slowly toward the planet. “It looks like the Master has brought an audience with him.”
Gresha said, “If the only safe place is on the roof, you’re in danger staying out here.”
Dat laughed and shook his head, ““Do you think for a moment that the Master would deprive himself of the victory by killing me before he has an opportunity to run me down. No, I’ll just sit here and wait. Now get inside and close the door, Gresha!” Gresha rushed out and put her arms around Dat’s neck and kissed him. She moved back and went inside her home and closed the door. Dat looked out at the field in the gathering darkness and saw the shuttles had landed. He saw thousands of Masters gathering into a large group with one that looked larger than the others in front of the gathering. That must be him giving orders to the attendees.
Dat lifted his shoes and saw the slight disturbance just under the heels. When they were on the ground, the disturbance wasn’t visible. He looked up and saw the Masters moving out of the field. He felt fear but refused to give into it. He remained seated in the chair that was just outside Gresha’s door. The hoots and squeals were getting louder and Dat knew his run was moments away. When the Masters arrived and he saw his pursuer, Dat’s fear emerged full force.