by Saxon Andrew
Sam stared at Jek, “You’ve never demonstrated this level of organizational skills in the past!”
Jek shrugged, “I didn’t have to, Sam. I always had you or your father to do it. My father is a member of the Ruling Party and he’s there because he has the necessary skills to do it. After all, I am my father’s son.”
Sam shook his head, “Jek…”
Jek smiled, “I know, Sam. But I’ll join you before things go bad. Heaven needs you to learn how to use this ship. I’ll take our nine ships back to Heaven and get the work started.”
Sam stared at Jek a moment and nodded. Jek stood up and said, “Hey, Blakely, why don’t you start your crew moving to their new ship?”
John lifted his communicator and began speaking as he, Freddie, and Jek left the conference room. Gregor looked at those remaining and said, “We’ll leave in a couple of hours. Go ahead and get organized and let me know when you’re ready.”
Ana looked at Sam, “Hey, cheer up, Sam. You said you wanted to see Bellingham. Now you have your opportunity.”
Sam sighed and lifted his communicator and began sending a recording to Jek’s communicator. He wanted everyone on Heaven to know that Jek was given the authority to command the fleets. He just didn’t know if going to Bellingham was the right thing to do but he was now committed.
Chapter Sixteen
Sam sat with his back against a large log next to a fire on Bellingham and stared out across a giant clearing toward the three warships. He could see the bright light from the giant heated vats the three ships were parked next to and sighed. He had wondered how they were going to go to Bellingham with the filament gone but Gregor took them around the star-system to another filament where he created a new filament from it to his planet. It disappeared when they arrived in orbit above the forest planet.
Sam thought back to the landing in the clearing and the huge crowd that was running to greet their arrival. Gregor met Leo, Desiree, Gem and Ana as they exited their ships. He shouted each of their names to the crowd and told them which sword they had given to be honored. The crowd erupted into cheers each time that echoed around the forests surrounding the clearing. Finally, Gregor introduced Ana and shouted that she had sent Duncan Muir’s Sword back to them. Everyone looked out at the crowd expecting another cheer but Gregor’s announcement was greeted with silence as the giant gathering all bowed their heads and went to their knees in silence.
Ana looked at Gregor with a bewildered expression and Gregor said, “They are thanking the Creator for the sacrifice you made for them.”
Ana looked out at the kneeling thousands and slowly started shaking her head. She turned to Gregor and smiled slightly, “I didn’t understand what my sword meant to your people. Now, I think I do.” She nodded toward the gathering and said to Gem, “Now I know what honor looks like.”
The Head Clan Leader stood up and shouted, “AMEN!” With that, the crowd went to its feet and rushed them. All four were lifted off the ground and carried around the community on the warrior’s shoulders as the crowd grew even larger. The celebrations on Bellingham began and Ana and Gem were swept away moving around the planet in a shuttle to take Duncan’s Sword out to be viewed by the Clans.
Gregor got the craftsmen started smelting the metal to go on the three warships but it was clear that it was going to take some time. After three weeks, only a third of the ships were covered. The crews of Gem’s and Leonidas’ ship began training his crew immediately after landing on how to operate their new vessel and he spent hours with Leonidas going over the various systems at his disposal. They had done all they could on the simulators and now they would have to wait for the ship to be ready for launch before they could put their learning into action. Still, everyone continued working on the simulators every day to improve their speed. He leaned something new every time he completed the tutorials.
Mornings and afternoons were full but everyone stopped working after sundown, except for the craftsmen. He was left alone on his ship’s bridge with the crew leaving to mix with the citizens of Bellingham. Shelly was spending all her time with Embree and Leonidas and Desiree spent their free time with Kaylee and Gregor. He missed Jek…a lot. Jek at least kept his mind occupied and safe from this terrible loneliness that was only a few moments of isolation away.
He looked up into the night sky and saw stars…but they were nothing like the stars he grew up with. These were beautiful but nothing like the billions of lights shining down on Heaven. Sam had to believe that the stars above Bellingham had to be as lonely as he was.
He pushed himself up into a more erect sitting position and felt the log behind him snag his hair. He moved down and pulled the long braid over his shoulder. He held it and wondered why he had never cut it. He sighed and knew it was because of the ancient story of what happened to the original Samson that had his hair cut by Delilah. He lost his strength and lost his life as a result. He also remembered his mother saying to never cut it and he let his braid fall as he missed her.
He sighed and looked out into the forest bordering the clearing. The giant trees soared more than two-hundred feet into the sky and they smelled wonderful. It was spring time on Bellingham and the inhabitants appeared to be as vibrant as the planet. They all appeared to be infused with good health and a happiness he really envied. He lived with the constant threat to Heaven on his shoulders.
“I apologize for interrupting ye alone time but the one named Shelly said it would be alright for us to come and speak with ye for a moment.”
Sam started at the voice and turned around. A young girl that appeared to be around eight or nine years old stood on the other side of the log beside a young woman that obviously had to be her mother. The young girl was a smaller image of her mother. The both of them wore a kilt and Sam thought hard and then said, “You are wearing a Connor Kilt and Beret.”
The woman’s eyes twinkled as she laughed. The young girl smiled, “Very good! It usually takes visitors much longer to learn our kilts.” The woman looked down at the little girl holding her legs tightly and the daughter said, “I’ve been wondering about something.”
Sam smiled. What the young girl was actually saying was that she had a question. But it was impolite to ask questions on Bellingham, so she would have to form the question into a statement.
Sam looked into the young girl’s eyes and said, “You are troubled by something.”
The girl shook her head, “Oh no, I am not troubled. I am just fascinated by the length of ye hair. The people on ye world have beautiful hair. I could never grow my hair that long.”
Sam saw both the mother and the little girl had blonde hair like Kaylee and Gregor and though it was tied at their necks, it hung down to the middle of their backs. He also saw that they had the same multi-colored blue-green eyes that Gregor and Kaylee had. Sam smiled and said, “Come and sit down and I’ll tell you about my world.” The little girl looked up at her mother and saw her nod. They climbed over the log and sat down on the sand. Sam smiled and said, “I think that I probably have the longest hair on my planet.”
The young girl’s eyes went wide, “Really!”
Sam nodded, “My mother named me Samson. She told my father that I would one day be the strongest warrior on Heaven.” The little girl’s head tilted and Sam said, “My planet’s name is Heaven.” The little girl smiled and nodded. “My mother never cut my hair and after she was killed by one of the invaders, my father never had it cut out of honor to her. It’s grown this long since the day I was born.”
The young girl tilted her head, “We had invaders come here, too.”
Sam nodded, “I know; Gregor told me about them. You were fortunate that you were able to defeat them and turn them away. My planet was enslaved for forty years by the Huddes Invaders.”
The little girl’s eyes widened and her mouth slightly opened before saying, “That is awful!”
Sam nodded, “They are no longer there but we’re facing an even more dangerous enemy that is com
ing to attack Heaven.”
The girl nodded and said, “And ye believe that if ye cut your hair ye will lose your strength and not become ye planet’s strongest warrior.”
Sam’s head went back and the young woman smiled as her daughter said, “The original colonists brought The Book with them. We know about Samson and Delilah.”
Sam looked at her and said, “My name is Sam.”
The woman smiled as her daughter said, “My name is Elena and my mother’s name is Angel Connor.” Sam stared at the young woman who bowed slightly and thought, Indeed you are! Elena smiled, “I’ve been told by the one named Shelly that we are very much like the people on ye planet.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed and he looked at the woman, “You’ve been silent. Is something wrong.”
Elena shook her head, “No, mother took a vow of silence a year ago and she only speaks to me.”
Sam nodded and said to Elena, “We are both very much alike. We love our world and every species on the planet does everything possible to prevent any harm to it. We also love each other and will fight to defend each other.”
Elena’s eyes widened, “Ye have more than one species on ye world.”
Sam knew what she said could be taken as a question or a statement but that was how you maneuvered about the Bellingham aversion to asking questions. “We have thirty-three different species on Heaven.” The young woman tilted her head and Sam quickly said so her daughter wouldn’t be forced to ask a question, “Thousands of years ago, there was only one species. But over the centuries, ships would crash and their crews would settle on our world. Some of them were fleeing from aggressive civilizations and they were also welcomed to settle.”
The little girl smiled, “Ye people have a good heart.”
“We lived in peace for more than a thousand years but were forced by the Huddes invasion to learn how to become warriors. I admire the skill of your warriors here on Bellingham.” Sam looked at Elena and said, “I know you are very proud of your father.”
Elena’s eyes darkened as she said, “We lost my father in the deep forest to a large family of rogue Nagstas a year ago.”
Sam’s eyes went wide and he said, “I am so sorry!” He looked at Angel, “That must be when you took your vow of silence?”
Angel nodded and Elena said, “Don’t be sorry. Ye are right; we are very proud of him.” She paused and said, “There are differences between our worlds.”
Sam nodded and looked up, “The biggest difference is the sky.” Elena’s eyes went up and Sam pointed at a bright star to the North, “Above Heaven there are more than a million stars brighter than that one and it has been estimated that more than a billion stars can be seen in our skies at night.”
Elena’s eyes went to Sam, “A BILLION?!”
Sam nodded and continued telling her about Heaven.
Finally, Angel said to her child, “It’s bed time, Elena.” She stood up and looked at Sam. Elena said, “Thank ye for taking time with us.”
Sam looked at her and smiled, “Any time you see me here, I would welcome you to come and take some more of it. I enjoy talking about my home with you.”
Angel smiled and lifted Elena into her arms. She stepped over the log, turned, and walked toward the community. Sam sat down heavily; she couldn’t say she would. He guessed that if her voice was half as beautiful as she was, it would have to be pure music to hear. He looked up at the sky and realized that his loneliness was missing-in-action. He stood up and went to the ship to get some sleep; it was back to work in the morning. He fell asleep with a blonde hair blue-eyed angel in his mind.
He woke the next morning and knew he was being stupid and foolish. It was his loneliness that made him so vulnerable the night before. He went to the bridge and powered-up his console. The large monitor activated and he loaded in the multiple-warship-attack simulation. He completed it and loaded the multiple-enemy-attack simulation and started maneuvering his ship. His time was the best to date and he smiled with a sense of satisfaction. He stood up and went to various crew members and observed their performance on their simulators. He was proud of their progress and told them so. All of them beamed at his complements. The day passed quickly until sundown and then he found himself alone on the bridge once again.
He went to the community center and ate with the others and looked around. Angel and Elena were not there. He gritted his teeth and thought, GET IT TOGETHER!! He left the building and took a step toward the ship before stopping himself. He saw the ever-present fire burning next to the clearing and he turned and headed toward it. He stepped over the log and sat down on it. He looked at the three warships and saw that half of their hulls were coated in the brilliant metal. His head went back slightly as he realized the craftsmen were making better time. They should be done in a few more weeks.
A stiff breeze was blowing across the clearing and he stared at the sparks blowing out of the fire. He smiled, the vision in front of him was beyond beautiful. The glow of the three ships in the distance coupled with the sparks flying away made the clearing appear ethereal. “I imagine ye are liking the beauty of our world.”
Sam looked to his left and saw Angel and Elena standing behind the log. Sam smiled at them and said, “I was just thinking that the only thing that could possibly make it any more beautiful was the two of you here sharing it with me. This is a vision I’ll remember the rest of my life.”
Elena squealed and climbed on the log and sat next to Sam. She looked up at him and said, “Hearing ye talk about Heaven last night was so…so…exciting. I’ve never been to another planet.”
Angel sat down next to Elena and smiled. Sam looked at the fire and said, “We have a species of insects on heaven that look very much like these sparks. They fly in huge formations and their lights have been known to brighten the forests with their passage.” Elena’s eyes were wide and Sam put his arm over her shoulder and pointed at the tall trees, “Most of Heaven is covered by forests and jungles. Some of our trees are as nearly as tall as some of those here but none of them compare to the kings of your forests.” Angel sat in silence as she watched her daughter’s compete fascination with Sam’s descriptions. Her eyes grew wider when he started telling her about all the planets he had seen in his quest to save Heaven.
Time seemed to fly and stand still simultaneously. Eventually, Angel said softly, “It’s time to go, Elena.”
“AWW, MOMMA!”
Sam looked at Angel and said to Elena, “We can do this again.”
Elena looked up at her mother with wide eyes and Angel nodded. Sam looked at Angel and smiled, “Thank you for making my time bearable.” Angel looked into his eyes and nodded. She picked up Elena and carried her away. Sam watched them disappear and suddenly realized that Angel hadn’t spoken a word to him the entire time during their two visits. He slid down the log to the sand and closed his eyes.
The next four weeks passed incredibly quickly and, though Angel never spoke verbally, her eyes told volumes about her. The old adage ‘Like father, like son,’ also applied to Angel and Elena, ‘Like daughter, like mother.” Elena was just a child but her wisdom was far ahead of any children he had ever seen that were her age. He could see that both Elena and Angel thought highly of him. Truth be told, Sam wished to his core that he could talk with Angel as well.
• • •
The next day, Shelly came on the bridge and Sam knew the moment he saw her expression that something was wrong. “Sam, I need to speak with you about an issue.”
Sam nodded toward his conference room. They walked in and Shelly closed the door. “What’s going on, Shelly?”
“Sam, I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to say it.” Sam’s eyes narrowed and he nodded for her to go ahead. “You have been speaking with a woman and her daughter for the last several weeks and that is causing some issues with the Clan Leaders.”
“WHAT?”
“Sam, that woman is considered one of the most influential and powerful females in all
of their clans and they do not want her to develop feeling for anyone but one of their own warriors. They have ordered her to not go and sit with you again. They also told me to tell you that they would not look favorably if you go to find her.”
“Feelings?”
“Yes, Sam.”
“She hasn’t spoken to me in any of our meetings. All I’ve done is share things about Heaven with her daughter.”
“Sam, she is here with her daughter, instead of being with her clan, so that six very influential warriors from other clans can try to convince her to allow one of them to court her. They’ve complained to the High Council that she has not made herself available to them for the last four weeks. That’s what has them concerned, Sam. The daughter has talked about nothing else with the other children but what you’ve told her. The Council sees that the daughter already appears to worship you and they are determined to prevent the mother from developing feelings as well.” Sam’s eyes opened slightly and he sighed. Shelly looked at Sam’s expression and said, “You’ve already developed feelings for them, haven’t you?”
Sam looked at the floor and said, “I guess.” He looked up at Shelly and blew out a soft breath, “Tell them I will honor their request.”
Shelly’s eyes closed and she went over to Sam and kissed him on the cheek, “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be, Shelly. It’s probably due to a bad case of being alone. I’ll be alright and Jek should be back before too much longer. He’ll help keep me distracted.” Shelly shook her head and hesitated before turning and walking out of the room. Sam stared at the floor and never felt as alone as he did at that moment.