by Saxon Andrew
“Do you really think you can do that?” Seedel asked.
“My twin and I can kill every DEC in this universe by fully entering their minds with my new hybrid-brain. They don’t deserve to die, but I can’t say as much for the Senior Elder.”
Danielle stared at Root and looked up, “Alex, power up a military transport and teleport Root on board.”
Alex quickly commented, “Who is going to crew the transport, Your Majesty? This is a very dangerous situation.”
“I will fly the transport!” Sprigly announced.
“And I’ll do the navigation,” Seedel immediately added. Sprigly turned to her and, before he could respond, she said, “YOU WILL NOT GO WITHOUT ME!!!”
Danielle shook her head forcefully, “The two of you are too important to the Realm to risk! I will not allow it!”
Sprigly turned to Danielle and stared at her. He then walked forward and wrapped Danielle in his branches, “Danielle, if all of humanity could only be saved by your going to save them, would you refuse to go? I beg you to allow me to do this as a life favor.”
Danielle was angry at what she was being forced to do. She held Sprigly close and managed to say, “I’d die if something happened to you. You are my family.”
“I love you, too. But this is something I must do and you must allow me to do it.”
Danielle closed her eyes and released a shuttering breath, before nodding, “Go and do what you must.”
Tag rushed over and hugged Sprigly. Sprigly looked at him, “Allergies again, Tag?”
“No, not this time. Come back to us! You got that!”
“I’ll do what I can. I love you, too, Tag.” Sprigly released Tag and Danielle. A moment later, the three-Algeans disappeared.”
Tag looked quickly to Danielle, “We must send a fleet of Primes with them!”
Danielle sighed, “That would-be interference, My love.” Tag closed his eyes as Danielle put her arms around his neck, “They will have to do what they must. We cannot get involved.”
• • •
The three-Algeans arrived on the bridge of the giant transport and found Captain Higginson at his command chair, “Captain, you should teleport out now.”
“I understand you’re going to the Holy Grove.” Sprigly nodded. “My crew and I have always wanted to see it. We’ll go along for the ride, if it’s all the same to you. Can’t miss this opportunity to realize a life’s dream.”
“Captain, this mission is extremely dangerous! You and your crew could die.”
Higginson shrugged and waved his right hand, “Isn’t all danger extreme? Besides, do you know how to operate the freight handling machines?” Sprigly stared at him and Higginson smiled, “I didn’t think so.” He lifted his communicator and announced, “We’re moving outside the Coronado Field immediately, be ready for teleportation in ten-minutes.”
Sprigly stared at the Captain and said, “Thank you.”
Higginson smiled as he stroked his beard, “Alex tells me the Queen will be inconsolable if you don’t make it back. I just can’t allow that to happen.”
Sprigly’s leaves turned green and Root understood what made the Realm such a dangerous adversary. They put others ahead of themselves.
• • •
The transport arrived above the Holy Grove and Sprigly turned to Root, “I’ll take you to the surface in a Prime.”
“You will not leave the Prime to go to the Holy grove with me,” Root thought.
Sprigly stared at Root and then leaned left in agreement. Seedel looked at him and Sprigly thought, “We should be ok here. There are no warships on the planet to endanger us.” Seedel nodded and remained in the transport’s landing bay. The Prime lifted and moved smoothly out of the giant vessel. Sprigly turned on the thrusters and spiraled down to the planet’s surface just outside the Holy Grove. He landed and turned to Root, “Do you mind if I listen in?”
“I’m forbidden to use telepathy here. I’ll have to make direct contact with the Senior Elder to communicate; unfortunately, you won’t be able to hear anything.”
“I hate that. This is one conversation I hate missing.”
“I’ll share it with you when I come back.”
“Fair enough.” Sprigly opened the exit port and Root walked out. He walked around the small warship and turned directly toward the Holy Grove, where the Elders were watching him intently.
The Second Elder touched the Senior Elder with a branch and asked, “What is Root doing here in a Realm Warship?”
“How would I know?”
“None but Elders are allowed in the Holy Grove!”
The Senior Elder raised his upper branches, “It appears Root is ignoring that particular exclusion.”
Root crossed the border of the Holy Grove and the Elders rushed up round him. He ignored them and walked through them directly to the Senior Elder, where he touched him with a branch, “Are you ready to confront your destiny?”
The Senior Elder was shocked at what he saw in Root’s mind, “WHAT ARE YOU?”
“That’s not important, now. What is important is that you are going to come with me to confront the Creatures destroying our galaxy.”
“THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN!” the Senior Elder emphatically stated.
“Elder, I can see that you want to die and you’re only waiting until you’re certain our species survives before you collapse your mind. I’m giving you a chance to save us, if you possess the courage to do it. If you don’t, I’ll grant your wish and kill you now and then ask your replacement to go with me.”
“Do you think you can kill me.” Root opened his mind revealing the creature piece of it for a tiny moment and the Elder was stunned motionless. Root waited and, in a few minutes, the Elder managed to ask, “What did you do to me!?”
“I took a small taste of you.”
“What are you?”
“I’m still Root but I united with the creature attacking the Kelts. My mind is now a hybrid, part creature and part me. You are going with me and you will unite with the Senior DEC.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“It’s the only way to stop them from killing the few surviving civilizations in our galaxy. You always used big talk about refusing to follow Queen Danielle and lose the right to defend our galaxy. Was that all it was, big talk and no substance.”
“You’re hoping I refuse!”
“Am I that transparent? You deserve to die for your arrogance and stupidity…but I’m offering you something you won’t find anywhere else.”
“What is that?”
“Redemption.”
The Senior Elder lowered his branches and felt his shame and guilt at what he had caused. Finally, he stated, “I’m not allowed to leave the Holy Grove.”
“Are you in command or not? That injunction was issued when being an Algean meant something. It’s time to ignore it.”
“I’m certainly not going anywhere in that tiny ship.”
“I’ve brought a ship large enough to move you.”
“Will I die doing what you’re asking?”
“You might, but our species and the surviving civilizations will probably live. Enough of this, what’s your answer?”
“Are you certain about their survival, Root?”
“Nothing in this universe is certain, Elder.”
“I suspect the Second-Elder will attempt to stop me. He’s the ambitious sort.”
“You need to focus on moving.”
The Senior Elder straightened up to his full height and tugged on his roots. They were buried deep and came out of the ground leaving huge holes in the golden soil. The Second Elder rushed up and touched him, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
“I am leaving with Root to try and save our people.”
“YOU MAY NOT LEAVE!! IT IS FORBIDDEN!!”
The Senior Elder pulled his final roots out of the ground and began moving toward the border. The Second grabbed him with his upper branches; Root walked over and touched him with a branch.
The giant Second Elder’s branches came off the Senior Elder as it swayed from side to side, before toppling to the ground. Root stood between the remaining Elders and the Senior. They backed off as the Senior walked out of the Holy Grove. Root thought to the creature part of his brain, “I thought tasting was supposed to be pleasant?”
“It’s an acquired taste, but I must admit that one wasn’t tasty at all.” Root chuckled and followed the Senior Elder out of the Holy Grove.
Sprigly saw an Elder topple to the ground as the Senior moved out of the holy grove toward the Prime. “Captain Higginson, bring the transport down to the planet!”
• • •
As Root followed the Elder out of the grove, a female Algean rushed over and touched him with a branch, “Root?”
Root’s leaves turned brilliant Green, “PETAL!” The female wrapped Root up in her branches, “I didn’t know you were here! I thought you were sent to the other end of the Empire!”
“I managed to come here before all movement was prohibited in hopes that you would return here one day,” the female replied.
“Are you willing to leave with me now?”
“Root, I never want to be without you again. They sent me away to stop our being together.”
“Come with me.”
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To find our destiny.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“I believe I do.”
The huge transport landed and the giant bay doors opened quickly, as a very long ramp slid out to the ground. The Senior Elder arrived and barely managed to fit his roots on the ramp. He walked up the ramp and had to lean down to get into the giant landing bay. The Giant doors closed and the transport began lifting from the planet’s surface. Word spread like lighting around the planet, as Algeans touched each other, and spread the word that Root had come and kidnapped the Senior Elder.
• • •
Seedel looked up at the Senior Elder with malice in her heart. The Senior Elder saw her looking up at him and sighed, “I’m sorry. I made a mistake and was not a good choice to lead our people. I know it’s not much, but I regret what I did to your parents, brothers and sisters, and what I tried to do to you.”
“I hope you die!!” she sneered.
“So, do I, child. So, do I.”
Seedel felt the Elder’s thoughts and her leaves changed from red to brown. He was already close to being dead and it repelled her. She turned and walked off the landing bay; she didn’t want to be near him.
• • •
Root entered the Prime with Petal and Sprigly tilted left, “Sprigly, this is my mate.” Petal branches jerked up, which made Root quickly add, “Well, she will be shortly, if she’s willing.”
Sprigly smiled, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He turned to Root, “Does she know what’s going on?”
“Not yet.”
“You might want to fill her in while I move the Prime to the transport; it will help her decide.” Root looked at Petal and hesitated for a moment. Sprigly laughed, “Tell her; part of that new brain of yours is still all you. She’ll still want you.”
Root looked at Petal and wrapped his branches around her. He began telling her what happened to him and she was shocked, then amazed, and finally said it didn’t matter. She’d love him if he was half rock.
Captain Higginson activated the intercom as the Prime landed in the bay, “Where are we going?”
“Do you have the coordinates of the Kelt Capital Planet?” Root asked.
“I do.”
“That’s our destination. Teleport far out from the planet and start moving slowly toward it.” Root looked at Sprigly and Petal, “I must transfer to my twin to make sure it’s safe.”
“I want to go with you!”
Root saw Petal’s determination and lowered his branches, “You must not allow your presence to be seen.”
“I won’t.”
“Petal, I’m serious! It could disrupt everything!!”
“I’ll just hold on to you and only observe.”
Root stared at her and finally, said, “Ok.”
Chapter Twelve
Petal’s surroundings immediately changed, when she saw a gigantic DEC less than a hundred-yards in front of her. She almost screamed but managed to collect her emotions and remain silent as she promised. Root almost released her but allowed her to remain in contact with him.
While taking it all in, Petal looked around and saw a beautiful green and blue planet directly below her. It had white clouds and reminded her of the planet she had been sent to a thousand years earlier. Root’s parents didn’t see her as being worthy of their seed and effectively exiled her to prevent their union. But it was too late, Root loved her deeply before she left and refused to mate with anyone else. Twig, his mother, sent him out on missions to civilizations far out in the galaxy and would not reveal where she had sent Petal. His parents died before he was recalled to the Holy Planet. Root was such a good agent, the successors to Spig and Twig kept him working out in the galaxy.
Now she had found him and was determined to never allow them to be separated again. This new brain of his was…disconcerting…but it was still Root. She vowed to never let go.
She looked out and saw a giant cloud of DECs surrounding the planet. Something was going on and she focused on what Root was communicating. The simple terms he used surprised her but she quickly understood that the DEC’s minds were rudimentary at best. It appeared they functioned at an instinctual level for the most part; higher thoughts were beyond them. She heard Root say…
“Ready, Elder?”
“For change?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, ready!”
Root looked out and used the creature’s mind to focus on the transport as it came out of its teleportation field, far out from the white cloud surrounding the planet. “Need things, Elder.”
“What things?”
“That object.”
The DEC Elder saw the approaching transport, “Yes.”
“All must avoid.”
“Why?”
“Change not happen.”
The DEC Elder thought, “Avoid object!!” Every DEC around the planet saw the image of the transport in their minds. “What now?” The Elder asked.
“Go to planet, lay on surface.”
“Where?”
“Irregular surface.”
“Where you tasted?”
“Yes.”
The Giant Elder moved from in front of them, moved at incredible speed to the capital city of the Kelts, and settled to the surface. “What now?”
“Wait for object,” Root instructed.
Captain Higginson was moving rapidly toward the giant swirling white cloud and felt his heart rate go up. He pressed the intercom button, “Uhhhh…SPRIGLY?”
“Captain, you’re going to have to go through that cloud!”
“This is suicide! I’m going to activate the Coronado Field.”
“YOU WILL NOT ACTIVATE THE FIELD!! THIS IS A DIRECT ORDER!!” Sprigly commanded.
Higginson saw the cloud directly in front of the transport and looked around at his bridge crew, “Sorry I talked all of you into this.”
Belle looked up from her scanner console, “You have to admit that if we do survive this, we are so going to lord it up over the other ships in the fleet.”
Higginson looked at her and laughed aloud. “Right you are!” They rushed up on the giant cloud and Higginson gripped the arms of his chair. Just before they moved into it, the cloud split and a large clear view of the planet appeared in front of them. The bridge crew all exhaled at once and Higginson had to pry his fingers off the arms of his chair. It took a minute to straighten his fingers out, while Belle laughed at the effort.
“You need to work out more often, Captain.”
Higginson straightened the index finger on his left hand and mumbled, “I think I would have broken the chair if I gripped it any tighter.”
<
br /> The crew laughed and Higginson said over the intercom, “Sprigly, where are we going?”
“Captain, use your scanner to view the planet.” Higginson nodded to Belle and she activated the wall monitor. He looked at the image as Sprigly asked, “Do you see the DEC on the planet’s surface?”
“Holy Smoky Blasters! That thing is…”
“Where you are going, Captain,” Sprigly interrupted. “Land the transport just outside it and open the landing bay doors.”
Belle was staring at the monitor and Higginson said smugly, “You don’t appear to be as nonchalant now, Commander.”
Belle started shaking her head anxiously, “I’ve been told those things actually taste the ones they consume.”
Higginson raised his eyebrows, “I’ve heard the same thing.”
Belle sighed, “I should have eaten some asparagus for lunch; at least it might spit me out.”
Higginson lost it and laughed so hard he spit on his monitor. He doubled over holding his ribs and Belle turned to him, “Hey, I’m serious!! That stuff will gag ya!”
• • •
Root moved his consciousness from the Twin to the landing bay, where Petal stepped back from him, as he spoke, “Senior Elder, we are opening the bay doors and you will move to that creature.”
“Why?”
“You will extend one of your branches into it and attempt to unite your mind with it.”
“Are you serious?”
“As a blaster bolt!” The Senior Elder stared at the giant DEC on the landing bay’s monitor in silence and Root smiled, “Hey! You long for death; this can’t be worse than collapsing the barriers containing your mind.”
“What do you think is going to happen if I do this?”
“You will, at the very least, allow that DEC Elder to see the meaning of killing other beings. It must understand that before the killing stops. I believe it’s worth your life to make that happen.”
“So, you expect me to die?”
• • •
Root raised his branches, “With your luck, you’ll probably live but I must tell you I won’t weep if you don’t.”
The Senior Elder stared down at Root standing far below him and softly said, “Root, no one will weep for me, and none should.” The Transport opened its bay doors and the tall Senior Elder walked down the ramp on its roots.