by Saxon Andrew
“Were any weapons developed for the ship?” There was a long pause and Steve said, “Did you hear the question?”
“I did and I’m looking to see if there are any prohibitions against answering.” Steve waited and heard, “The ship is the weapon.”
Steve sighed and said, “You will not reveal this to the other helmet, will you?”
“No, that is prohibited.”
“Do you know why the Prophet entrusted Essay Connor with this ship?”
“The Prophet told him that his hatred of the Traugh is what made him do it. His desire to see them eradicated prevented him from destroying this vessel when it might be needed to make that happen.”
“You sound different from any computer I’ve ever heard.”
“I am composed of eight central processors instead of the normal one. The Bosrean did this to make learning alien languages easier but it also radically reduced my response time. I have the capability to anticipate what information you want and other data that might be relevant to your questions.”
“Why would the Bosrean want the Prophet to be able to learn alien languages quickly?”
“They assumed the Prophet was going to assist other species to prepare against the Traugh Invasion after he visited his home world.”
“Do you have the freedom to act unilaterally?”
“I do not.”
Steve nodded and sat back in his chair. This ship was actually much more than he thought. He wondered if the Prophet was wrong in not destroying it. He said, “Explain to me how the scanners operate on this vessel. I’m really curious about how far away you can see a civilized planet.” Steve leaned back and closed his eyes as the computer began going through the program that explained how his console functioned.
Lani heard him talking quietly and couldn’t hear what he was saying. She wondered what could possibly be in the database but, without a helmet, there was no way for her to find out. She turned back to her panel and pulled up a field in the globe in less than two seconds. That was a new personal best. She would leave the ship to Admiral Connor and she’d focus on making sure the communications went off without a hitch. She had spoken to one of the pilots near the Andromeda Galaxy an hour earlier and expected that the ship would be released the next day. She decided that she was going to go out for a great meal no matter what it cost that evening. It was going to be a while before she had a good tasting meal again. Hummmm. Who could she convince to take her? She thought about it for a few minutes and then decided to go with Shelia. Her best friend at least wouldn’t bore her to death. This meal needed to be enjoyed, not endured.
• • •
“Admiral, I believe the Eyes will be released after its final tests tomorrow.”
“Have you notified Admiral Connor?”
“No Sir. You asked me to tell you before I told him. However, he is currently on board the ship looking at the computer’s database.”
Pam’s eyes narrowed, “Why did he show up?”
Admiral Hudson shook his head, “Sir, he has been calling me several times every day asking when the ship would be ready. He’s just about driven me batty and I almost contacted you to stop him from being a nuisance.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“He saw something that probably saved the lives of everyone in the hangar. I missed the details and it was a good thing he asked me about the accident.”
“Accident?”
“A huge support bar fell from the ceiling and hit the ship.” Hudson saw her expression and quickly said, “The ship was undamaged but we could have lost everyone in the hangar if he hadn’t suggested we link in more storage batteries. He’s been bored stiff and he came to try and find something to keep him busy until the ship was ready.”
“What do you think about the ship, Admiral?”
“I want it out of my hangar as quickly as possible. That thing is a death trap.”
Pam nodded, “I’m flying out in the morning. You might as well tell Admiral Connor that you expect the ship to be checked out tomorrow but tell him not to leave until I arrive.”
“Yes Sir.”
Pam put the book down she was reading and turned off the bedside lamp. This ship worried her. No one really knew its capabilities and that could get the crew killed. She shook her head as she closed her eyes. She didn’t want to lose Admiral Connor but she didn’t trust anyone else to fly it. Should she not send it out? It was too far along to do that. Prophecy Ten: Only Worry About Things That Can Be Controlled. This was not out of her control. The genie was out of the bottle and there was no putting it back. She failed to heed Death Prophecy Five: Revealing Less Is More. She decided that finding the hidden helmet was the Prophet’s way of telling her she was doing the right thing. She rolled over and fell asleep.
• • •
The Traugh Supreme Ruler looked at the scientist and his eyes were little more than slits in his wide face, “You are in your current position because I expect you to provide answers.”
“Great Leader, we have examined the blast sites and nothing remains larger than dust. We know that it was a machine of some kind but nothing remained large enough for us to determine its purpose. Two explosions happened inside our territory but none of our ships were anywhere near the events. If the machines self-destructed, it wasn’t done because of our presence.”
“You detected nothing else?”
“There was an energy wave that passed through our domain but we have no records of what it could have been. A number of my colleagues think it might have been some form of communication.” The Supreme Ruler stood up and the scientist quickly said, “Greatest Leader, it did not originate in the distant galaxy. It came from the other side of the black hole.”
The Supreme Leader paused and his claws were retracted into his hands, “What?”
“It came from the direction of the black hole.”
“Could the black hole have caused it?”
“The black hole sends waves across the galaxy on a very irregular basis but we’ve not seen a wave like this one before.”
The Supreme Leader sat down. The scientist could have lied to save himself by saying it did come from the black hole. He appreciated his honesty. This one he could trust to tell the truth. “I’m concerned about those two explosions.”
“We are as well. We’ve tried everything to determine the purpose of those two machines but there just isn’t enough material to make a determination.”
“Keep working on it.”
The scientist bowed, “Yes Greatest Leader.”
The scientist left the chamber and the Traugh standing next to the door said, “I thought you were going to kill him.”
“I came close. But he surprised me with his honesty. Finding those that will tell the truth even when their life hangs in the balance is rare. That one earned his life.” The Traugh Leader stared at the wall and his subordinate said, “Is there something you require, Great Leader?”
“I want ships sent out to the black hole. See if there’s a civilization that could have sent that wave.” The Traugh turned to go and the Leader said, “It’s time we started looking in the other galaxy for the civilization that sent that demon ship to attack us. They’ve not returned and that may be due to their not having enough ships to attack. I’m tired of waiting for them to make another move. Send out two fleets to start the search.”
“I’ve been hoping you would take action against them.”
“Your ancestor was killed in that final attack.”
“He was and my family has sworn revenge against his killers.”
“You will not go with the initial fleets. You will wait until they find something for you to sink your claws into.”
The Traugh bowed and left the chamber. The Great Leader watched him leave. That one was dangerous. Perhaps he should have sent him. He thought about it and decided against it. Like the scientist, he had proven his loyalty in the past. Not many would challenge him. To do so would mean death and he would proba
bly be the survivor. He pressed a button on his panel and the Lead Engineer appeared. “I want an update on how our current warships match up with the ship that attacked our planet.”
“Great Leader, they are a match for that ship. Their speed is as fast as that of the ship that attacked. The new disintegrators have more range and the force field is just as powerful. In a battle, our ships would have the advantage due to the more powerful disintegrators.”
“Have you factored in that the enemy has had sixty years to develop better technology?”
“Then it will come down to numbers. This time they will not be able to flee at will. And our numbers are beyond anything we’ve ever encountered.”
“How many warships do we have in our fleets?”
“Close to three million, Great Leader.”
“You better be right!”
“Yes Greatest Leader.”
He ended the call and leaned back in his chair. There was no longer a Supreme Council. After the last one was killed in the attack on the Government Planet, Growler assumed control of the Empire and ruled it with an iron fist. Since that time, the Traugh were ruled by a supreme dictator and no one dared challenge his orders. The time of having to get others to support a decision was over. He decided that the warriors were getting restless and it was time to give them something to sink their claws into, both figuratively and literally. Expansion of the Empire had stopped in the effort to build the ships necessary to meet the enemy that killed their leaders. It was time to take action. He suddenly remembered the wave from the black hole and wondered if he should delay sending the two fleets to the other galaxy but decided that a hundred thousand warships wouldn’t be missed if something was found in that direction. He settled back in his chair and hoped his body guard would quickly return. Uneasy is the head that sits on a throne.
• • •
The next morning, Pam arrived in London and was present in the ship when Lani made contact with the scouts outside Andromeda. Admiral Hudson announced the ship was operational and the entire construction crew cheered the announcement and broke open the champagne. No one smashed a bottle against the ship’s hull because no was stupid enough to be holding the bottle when it hit.
Pam looked at Lani and saw that she was really pretty, in an exotic sort of way. She looked at Steve, “I understand she was your communications officer on the Kindred.”
“She was. She did a great job there and I was shocked to see her here. It appears she was the best at operating the new communication system.”
“What nationality is she?”
“Hawaiian, why do you ask?”
“She looks different from most I’ve seen. Do you think she can handle the job?”
“She’s the best that fleet has. If she can’t, no one else could.”
“Why don’t we join the celebration? I came here to make sure you keep us informed on what you see. I expect regular updates from you.”
“Yes Sir.”
Lani looked up from her console, “Sir!” Connor and Pam turned and looked at her. “I’ve just received a message from the scouts outside Andromeda that a huge wave of Traugh Warships is moving toward them.”
Connor and Pam looked at each other and Pam was frozen on what to do. Connor saw it in her eyes and said, “Recall the scouts and get them out of there now!”
Loni nodded and started talking. Pam looked at him and shook her head, “I didn’t anticipate this would happen in my lifetime.”
“This isn’t something that can be anticipated. Forgive me for stepping over you.”
“I’m thankful you did. Your mission to scout the Unknown Enemy near the core has been changed. Get out to Andromeda and find out what’s going on!”
“Yes Sir. You should notify Fleet that all of our scout fleets should be recalled.”
Pam gathered her wits and nodded, “I want suggestions as soon as you can make them, Admiral.”
“Yes Sir.”
“I’ll get the hangar door opened, you need to go!” Connor nodded as Pam ran to the port and sprinted down the ramp. “EVERYONE MOVE BACK AND OPEN THE HANGAR DOOR NOW!!”
Admiral Hudson looked at her for a moment and then ran to the door operator. He pressed the button and the giant door began moving up. Everyone in the hangar ran to the back wall. None of them wanted to be anywhere near that ship as it left the building. Pam moved to the back of the room with the others and saw the ramp move into the ship and the port close. Once that happened, she couldn’t see the ship. After two minutes she looked at Admiral Hudson, “Has it left yet?”
Charlie raised his shoulders and picked up a wrench off the cabinet beside the door. He threw it at the place the ship was located and it hit the floor. He shook his head, “It’s gone, Sir.”
Pam shook her head. Even in leaving the Eyes was silent. She ran to Charlie and said, “Take me to your office, I need to make some calls now!” Charlie ran out the door and got in a vehicle parked next to the building. He made it to the main facility in less than three minutes and Pam was speaking with Admiral Malone two minutes later. Earth’s massive fleets of warships began flying home at maximum speed.
Chapter Seven
Steve lifted the ship and flew it out of the hangar. He turned the ship vertical immediately and pushed the thruster handle forward. The ship disappeared from Earth in a heartbeat and Steve pulled the handle back slightly, “Whhooooaaaa.” Lani looked at him and he shook his head, “I forgot this ship doesn’t need a stardrive to exceed light speed.”
Lani looked out of the viewport next to her station and saw the streaks of stars flashing by them, “How fast are we traveling?”
“I have no idea.” Steve pulled the thruster handle back and the streaks slowed and moved past the ship at normal speed.
“How can this ship exceed light speed without a stardrive?”
Steve looked up, “How?”
“The hull material is not actually in full contact with normal space. It exists in a small space between the two.”
“Why is that?”
“The best answer I’ve heard is that both the void and normal space resist its presence so it exists in both and neither.”
“What happens if the ship hits something? It doesn’t have a force field.”
“In the trip to the Prophet’s home world, he determined that the ship becomes little more than an electronic wave as it moves faster than light. It will pass through anything it encounters without slowing.”
“How fast can this ship travel?”
“That has not been determined but if I heard your orders correctly, you might want to slow down now.”
“Why.”
“You’re going to pass Andromeda in another fifteen seconds.”
Steve’s eyes went wide open and he pulled back on the thruster handle. The stars moving past the hull slowed and he saw the giant spiral galaxy filling the forward viewport. He shook his head and Lani said, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
He looked at her, “No, I guess we’re not. Steve took control of the ship and activated the scanner. He didn’t see anything on the monitor and he started moving toward the Milky Way at a slower pace. He still didn’t see anything after an hour and said, “Do you have any idea how far the Traugh Fleet is from our current location?”
“It’s going to take the Traugh four to five days to arrive here if their best speed is close to our warships’ best speed.”
Steve nodded, “Take control of the ship and move us to the Traugh location.”
Suddenly the stars changed to streaks blowing past the viewports. A few minutes later, blips began appearing on the monitor. “I’ve meant to ask you, can my scanner be detected by the Traugh?”
“An active scan will be seen although they will not be able to determine where it is originating.”
“Why not?”
“When they scan for the source, their scans will pass without detecting us.”
“Go to passive scans. I want a determination of their max
imum speed and the power of their force fields.”
“Passive scanner active.”
Lani looked at Steve, “That computer sounds different.”
“Doesn’t it.”
“It doesn’t sound like a computer.”
“I know.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Death Prophecy Ten, Lani.”
She stared at Steve and slowly started shaking her head. She heard the computer say, “Only worry about things you can…”
“I know the Prophecy!!” Her response was greeted with silence.
Steve shook his head, “I need to give you a name.”
“Why?”
“If for no other reason to make me comfortable speaking to you. Do you have a preference?”
“Not really.”
“Then your name is Poul.”
“That was the Prophet’s father’s name.”
“I know. Now Poul, here’s what I want to happen as the Traugh Fleet passes us. Lani, you will capture the images from the monitor and record the analysis that Poul will deliver over the wall speaker. I want both sent to Fleet Admiral Osborn and Fleet Intelligence. Can the two of you manage to make that happen?”
Lani frowned, “I need the analysis spoken loud enough to be heard by my communicator.”
“No problem.”
Lani began pressing buttons on her console and in a few moments began talking. She turned to Steve and said, “Fleet Intel is standing by to receive the data stream and Admiral Osborn’s XO has sent me the frequency to send the data directly to her terminal. She’s en route from London.”
Steve shook his head. They made it to Andromeda before the Admiral made it back to New York. The Traugh Fleet is six minutes out.”
“Do you have a number of ships?”
“It appears there are two formations with fifty thousand warships in each.”
Steve looked at Lani and moved his hand in a circle. She jerked and started the recording. “What conclusion can you draw from that arrangement?”