Gregor's Run: The Universe is too Small to Hide

by Saxon Andrew

  “Then where did you witness it being done?”

  Gregor looked at Kaylee and turned back to the Queen, “They didn’t do it; we did.”

  The Queen’s eyes went wide in surprise for a moment and then she settled back on her throne as she wrapped her tail around her. The Monarch asked, “What is it exactly that they need from Bellingham?”

  “They need two very young children that possess certain mental gifts that they can train to control the filaments.”

  “And just how are you able to control them?”

  Kaylee answered, “Gregor and I were taken from Bellingham more than twenty years ago and trained to do it. We’re currently the only ones in existence that can control the filaments. But if the Movements come to Bellingham and take two children again, they will have the means to make it happen.”

  I find this difficult to believe.”

  “Send Kel out to ask the locals if it’s true.”

  Kel quickly said, “Majesty, the humans here already told me about these two having been taken from them and were once a part of this Movement on Earth. They say that they were taken as babies.”

  The Monarch turned from Kel to Gregor, “It appears you are no longer part of their plans. What happened to turn you against them?”

  “They killed my mother and adopted father and made the mistake of allowing me to find out. Besides, I would never agree to this! I do not hold with conquest and forcing intelligent beings to your will.”

  The Queen hissed slightly, “That is why I believe you. If you had bartered to get a high price for the metal, I would have my doubts, but you only wanted us to not use it in conquests. I can see your heart is pure. Even though I really don’t want to believe they can do this, I am going to have to act like they can. Why don’t you just remove their filament and isolate them?”

  “The people on Earth would starve. They depend on the food brought there daily by traders,” Gregor answered. “Billions would suffer for the actions of a few and I just can’t accept that.”

  The Monarch replied, “Are their lives more important than the billions of civilizations in the known universe.”

  The queen looked at him, “Would you ask that question if it were us that were going to strarve?”

  The Monarch looked at her and lowered his head, “Yes, I would. There are some things more important than our survival, Majesty.”

  The Queen smiled at the Monarch and slowly smiled, “You have just made me more proud of you than anything you have done before this moment and you’ve done much to make me proud. However,” she turned back to Gregor, “If everything fails and we’re not able to stop this movement, are you prepared to isolate you home world?”

  Gregor nodded, “I will. I just want to exhaust everything else before I’m forced to do it.”

  The Queen continued to stare at him, “Gregor, are you and your mate a danger to my children?”

  Gregor lowered his eyes, “Majesty, I will agree to never do anything that will harm your children. I give you my word on that.”

  The Queen’s eyes seemed to twinkle, “I believe this is what you call negotiating in good faith.”

  Gregor smiled slightly, “Yes, Majesty, it is.”

  “We’ll bargain with the Bellinghams after this is over, what happens now?”

  “The final fight will happen here, Majesty, and you will have to take your ships away before the Movement arrives with their fleet.”

  “Are you considering suicide?”

  “No, Majesty but your warships cannot stand up to the Movement’s weapons. They will all be destroyed and you’re going to need them.”

  “There is no way your two ships can either, even if they’re coated in the metal.”

  “They will not be used against the Movement’s Fleet. There cannot be a space battle above the planet.”

  “Why is that?”

  Gregor shook his head slowly, “Because any warships that are heavily damaged in orbit will fall on the planet and, though the tall trees are incredibly strong, they cannot withstand half-a-million tons of burning warship crashing into the planet’s surface. The ship’s impact would create a crater more than fifty miles wide, disrupt the climate, and people would die.”

  “So you’re going to have to defeat them on the planet’s surface?”

  “We are.”

  “I will send a hundred transports filled with my warriors to assist you in the fight.”

  “I don’t know how they can help, Majesty. I’m almost certain the Movement will be coming here behind force fields.”

  The Queen smiled, “I’m sure you’ll find a way to use them. I’ll leave my oldest male child there to lead them.”

  “When will he arrive, Majesty?”

  Kel stood up on his back legs, “I’m already here, Gregor.”

  Kaylee smiled, “Kel, you old lizard; you didn’t tell me you are a celebrity.”

  Kel burst out laughing and the Queen and Monarch joined him. Kel looked at his mother on the monitor and said, “Majesty, Gregor is right, the humans here are incredibly dangerous in the forests. I’d really hate to face them, even as good as we are. I think the Movement Humans will have more than they can handle.”

  Kel stared at his mother and she got the hidden message, sending warriors to take control after the battle wouldn’t work. She trusted Kel and she knew he was telling her the truth. These humans were really quite remarkable. She guessed she was glad she wouldn’t have to give in to the temptation to break her word. She heard Kel say, “Gregor, talking about warships crashing down on the planet started me thinking.”

  Gregor turned to him, “About what?”

  “I was wondering what would happen if a two ton young tree trunk was dropped out of the top of a tall tree on top of the mobile weapons hiding behind the movement’s force field?”

  Gregor’s head went back, “How would we ever get a two ton tree trunk a hundred and eighty feet off the ground?”

  The Queen laughed, “Gregor, we evolved in trees. Our first buildings were constructed in the tops of tall trees. We can carry much more than that a lot higher than a couple of hundred feet.”

  Gregor looked at the Queen and smiled hugely, “Send your warriors; we can use them.”

  • • •

  Gregor and Kaylee walked off the freighter and Kaylee said, “Gregor, why did you call me your mate?”

  Gregor stopped walking, “What?”

  “Why in your conversation with the Queen did you refer to me as your mate?”

  Gregor stared at her, “I don’t recall doing that.”

  “Take a look at what you have in your link. Let me know when you see it.”

  Gregor’s eyes half-closed and a few moment later they went wide. “I did say that, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, you did. Why did you say it?” Gregor sighed and tilted his head away from her. Kaylee grabbed both of Gregor’s cheeks with her hands and forced him to look at her, “Don’t freeze up on me! I’m not challenging you on this, I just wanted to know why.”

  Gregor stared at her and lowered his head, “I love you, Kaylee.”

  Kaylee went up on her toes and kissed him. She stepped back and smiled, “Was that so hard? Let’s go talk with William.” Kaylee turned and walked away and Gregor ran to catch up. After a hundred yards he said, “No it wasn’t.”

  Kaylee kept her head forward, “Good!”

  • • •

  The Leader sat in his office and stared at his prime spy on the display, “What’s going on at Bellingham?”

  “The Dragons don’t appear to be giving up. A hundred transports have gone through the intersection toward Bellingham.”

  The Leader sneered, “They will give up eventually. They’re making a huge mistake going into those forests.”

  “How much longer are we going to wait?”

  “Do you want to go down to the surface with the Dragons running around?”

  “Heck no!”

  “We’ll wait until they withdraw
or have lost enough of their warriors to be inconsequential to the outcome. We’ll give it another sixty days.”

  • • •

  The woman telepath sitting at her console in the Movement’s communication center listened to the conversation and later that night contacted a Hespan Company Trader. He took the information to another trader who in turn passed it on to the Queen. By the next day, the defenders on Bellingham knew they had 59 days to prepare.

  • • •

  Gregor sat outside the gathering grounds with Kel and the Commander of the Dragon Ground Forces. Gregor was arguing with the Commander and Kel interrupted him, “Gregor, Kil is right!”

  Gregor stopped yelling and turned to Kel, “No small aircraft will be able to make it through the canopy. I mean just look above you! Those branches are full of metal and will not bend and they won’t be able to burn a path through them!”

  “They won’t have to, Gregor!” Gregor stared at him in silence and Kel stood up, “Come with me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  Kel remained silent and Gregor and Kil followed him as he walked into the Gathering Ground and stopped at one of the giant trees. Kaylee came over and stood beside Gregor as Anderson and Ellie joined them. Kel stood at the base of a giant tree and started pacing off the distance from that tree to the next closest tall tree. He finally stopped at the base of the trunk and said, “A hundred and twenty yards.” He then started walking toward the next closest tree. Gregor said, “Stop!”

  Kel turned around, “Do you see it?”

  Gregor sighed heavily, “I do now.”

  Anderson looked at Gregor, “I fail to see anything.”

  Gregor looked at Kil, “I apologize, you’re right. I wasn’t thinking.”

  Kaylee said, “You believe he is right about what?”

  Gregor waved his hand toward the tall trees around them, “Kil has been trying to convince me that the Movement will be bringing small air floaters with them to attack us. I took the position that the floaters could never make it through the canopy to the ground or even be able to see anything though it to fire on.”

  Kaylee, Anderson, and Ellie looked up. Anderson lowered his head and looked at Gregor, “I must say that I agree with ye assessment. Nothing can fly through those limbs.”

  “Anderson, where are all the clans located?”

  “In the forest, Gregor, and don’t think I didn’t notice ye question. Ye have to learn to speak politely.”

  “In the forest next to what!?!” Gregor emphasized the question.

  Anderson’s eyes narrowed and then they went wide. Ellie saw him, “You’re surprised about something.”

  Anderson started shaking his head, “Grahame knows where all the Clans are located, Ellie. He’ll know that every one of them is next to a large river, lake, or close to where a river flows into the ocean.” He turned to Gregor, “Ye know how big these flying things are.”

  “They’re about ninety feet across and they’ll be able to easily fly between the tall trees and above the shorter plants on the ground with no problem. They’ll follow the large rivers inland under the tree’s canopy and I can assure you that even if everyone in the Clan Communities left at this moment, the small attack floaters will use their scanners under the trees and run them down.” Gregor pointed at the large lake next to the clearing community, “They’ll also be able to fly under the canopy by flying in over the surface of lakes or any other body of water where a community it located. Even their freighters could move in close by coming in over the water.

  Kaylee looked at Gregor, “Do you think the floaters will be using the force field?”

  “What do you think? Of course they’ll be using the force field. They’ve had the technology for decades and ample time to install it on their advanced weapons. They’ll also be using the advanced blasters.”

  “We could hit them with our wooden arrows,” Ellie responded.

  Kaylee sighed, “The arrows won’t penetrate the Attack Floaters’ armored hulls.”

  • • •

  The six started talking at once and a young girl walked up to Gregor and pulled on his pants’ leg. He looked down at her and recognized her as the one that provided the wooden arrows at the force field demonstration, “Honey, I’m busy at the moment.”

  “Gregory, would metal inside the wooden arrow be stopped by the bright light?”

  “What?”

  “Would metal inside a wooden arrow be stopped by the bright light!?” the young girl repeated with her hands on her hips as if she were speaking to a child.

  Ellie quickly said, “Katy, you’re being impolite! The adults are having a conversation.”

  Gregor glanced at Ellie and turned back to the young girl. He stared at her for a moment and said, “I don’t know.”

  The other five stopped talking and Gregor said, “You say that because…”

  Katy held out three wooden arrows, “I’ve hollowed out these three arrows and poured some of the liquid metal being used to cover your ship inside them.”

  Gregor stared at her and thought about the question as Ellie told Katy in no uncertain terms that her bad behavior was unbecoming of a future archer. “Back off, Ellie. I need to talk with her.”

  Ellie’s temper started and Anderson pulled her into his arms, “Calm down, Love!’

  Gregor went to a knee, looked in Katy’s eyes, and smiled, “I honestly don’t know, Katy. Besides, it won’t be sharp enough to penetrate anything if it did.”

  “I sharpened them before I dropped them all the way into the slot.”

  “You did?” Katy nodded. Gregor grabbed her hand, “Come with me!” Gregor started walking out of the Gathering Ground holding Katy’s hand. The other five watched them and then ran to catch up. They heard Gregor say over a small communicator, “Computer, do we still have that small piece of armor in the recycling system?”

  “We do. I’ve been reluctant to send it to be broken up out of fear it would break the blades.”

  “Move it out of the recycler and have it at the removal port.”

  “Why?”

  “Just do it! And open the port.”

  “You’re lucky they’ve finished coating the port.”

  “I’ve seen that. I trust you’ve made sure the metal didn’t freeze the door shut?”

  “Of course, I’m not dumb; I kept it moving while the metal solidified.”

  “What are you doing Gregor?” the computer asked.

  “I’m not sure. But Katy has tickled my curiosity bone and I need to scratch it.”

  • • •

  They arrived at the ship and Gregor went inside and then came back to the port and called Kel to join him inside. A few minutes later, Gregor followed Kel out of the port and they saw Kel was carrying a heavy piece of metal about three feet square. “Stand it up behind the thrusters.”

  Kel carried the metal square to the rear of the ship and dropped it heavily into the dirt where it stuck standing up. Gregor walked away from the metal and said over his communicator, “Computer, activate the force field.”

  “Before I do, I need to tell the metal workers on the other side to stay away from it; give me a moment.”

  Gregor took one of the arrows from Katy and weighted it in his hand. He turned to Ellie and said, “How does this compare to the wooden arrows.”

  Ellie took it out of his hand and held across her palm. “It’s about six ounces heavier.”

  Suddenly, everyone jumped as the force field energized and surrounded the ship. Gregor looked at Ellie, “Take a shot at that piece of armor with one of these arrows.”

  Kel and Kil came around to get a look and Kil said, “You have got to be kidding me, Gregor! That piece of armor came off a major warship. That arrow won’t faze it!”

  Gregor turned back to Ellie, “If you please.”

  Ellie shrugged and notched the arrow, she pulled it fully back, and released it. The arrow hit the armor and shattered. Kil snorted, “Told you so.”

>   “Turn off the force field, Computer.” The force field went down and Gregor said, “I didn’t see the metal ricochet.”

  Kel and Kil looked at each other and sprinted by Gregor. He arrived at the armor and heard Kil say, “By my mother’s poison!!” There was a small hole punched through the armor.

  Anderson and Ellie arrived and Anderson said, “What good will a small hole do us?”

  Gregor smiled and then started laughing. Anderson looked at him, then looked up and rolled his eyes. Kel turned around, “The Attack Floaters are packed tight with wiring and electronic systems that allow it to fly. Punch a hole through a few systems and it will come down.”

  Gregor looked at Ellie, “How many of these arrows can be made and how long will it take to get them out to the Clans?”

  “We can make them fast enough here but it will take weeks to get them delivered to the clans.”

  Kaylee smiled, “Not if we use the mini-shuttle to deliver them as they’re being made and the Dragon Transports can deliver the remaining ones just before the Movement arrives.”

  Everyone looked at her and Gregor pulled her into his arms, “You are a genius!”

  “Takes one to know one, Gregor.”

  He hugged her tightly and turned to Anderson, “Get moving on this! This is going to be the difference between death and survival.”

  Ellie bent down and took Katy’s chin in her hand, “Ye are going to be one of our greatest warriors, Katy. I’m so proud of ye!” Katy’s face turned red and she leapt into Ellie’s arms.

  Gregor looked at Kaylee and whispered, “She has the eyes. I suspect that the Movement will be taking her even though she’s older than we were. She sees things others miss.” Gregor turned to Anderson, “You should move Katy a long way into the forest.”

  “Ye believe they will try to take her?”

  “I do.”

  “Would it be possible to use that tiny ship to take her away?” Anderson asked.

  Gregor gave no indication he noticed Anderson’s question, “I want some warriors sent with her to defend her.”

  “Aye, it will be done.”

  • • •

  Gregor’s link activated, “Did I hear you right that we will not be participating in this fight?”