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

by Saxon Andrew

  The Queen’s head moved back even with her body and she said, “So?”

  “Well, I was thinking that if you had more wealth than you could spend in six lifetimes, you might not want to waste time going out to fight. It would be much more rewarding to take the time to enjoy life.”

  The Queen stared at Gregor and started shaking her head, “What in the universe are you babbling about!?!”

  “I’ve just sent the Movement’s Fleet packing and told them they’re going to have to find someone to employ them or starve. What do you think they’ll do, Majesty?”

  The Monarch snorted, “They’ll go out and become pirates. War is what they know.”

  The Queen looked at her mate and then turned back to Gregor, “My mate is right.”

  “Now I want you to consider this. How much would a commercial company pay for a force field that would protect their ships from pirates, especially now that thousands of new pirate ships are being released on the universe at large?” The Queen stared at Gregor and her eyes narrowed slightly. Before she could answer, Gregor turned to Bart, “Is piracy a problem for trading companies?”

  Bart shook his head, “You have no idea. Even without the Movement Fleet turning to piracy, the freight lost to pirates each year is staggering. These new pirates will only make the problem worse.”

  Gregor smiled, “Bart, how much would you be willing to pay for a force field to protect your freighter?”

  “Thousands.”

  “How much?”

  “Fifty thousand coins.”

  The Queen’s eyes snapped open, “FIFTY THOUSAND COINS!!!”

  Bart sighed, “Alright, sixty thousand.”

  The Queen’s jaw fell open and she looked at her Monarch who was also shocked at the amount. She turned to Gregor, “What are you suggesting?”

  “Before we left Earth, I had Bart move his freighter to the site of the Movement’s Headquarters and use the cranes on board to lift the five disabled warships into his landing bay. We have five ships on board his freighter with force fields installed on them and their computers were not programmed to prevent them being examined. Bart is willing to donate those five ships to you to extract the technology to build force fields. All he asks in return is that once you start installing them, you put one on the ships in his company at no charge.”

  Bart, Kel, Kaylee, and both of the Dragon Monarchs blinked at the same moment. Into the silence Gregor said, “There are more than a billion civilizations in the known universe and most of them have trading companies that go out and trade with each other. I think there is an average of at least ten trading companies on every planet and all of them have commercial starships. Once word gets out that you can install a force field to protect them from pirates, you will be overwhelmed with demands for them.”

  Kel said, “But once we install them, the companies will take them apart and build their own.”

  Gregor smiled, “I don’t think so. I have a young man and his mate on the freighter that can install a computer in the force field controls that will destroy it if the casing is tampered with and notify you instantly. You can then send out a signal to the computers on the ships of the ones attempting to steal the technology to destroy every force field in the company that attempts to do it and not sell them anymore.”

  “Can he really do this?” The Monarch asked.

  • • •

  Gregor nodded, “Yes, Majesty. I’ve discussed it with him and he can make it where tampering would destroy the ship as well but I think that’s a little radical.”

  The Queen smiled, “It would only happen once or twice and then it would stop.”

  Gregor shrugged, “Whatever, that will be your decision.” Kaylee moved close to Gregor and put her arms around his waist and he hugged her.

  The Queen stared at Gregor, “What’s in it for you? You’re not doing this out of love for us?”

  “Honestly, I am. I’ve come to love some of your warriors like brothers and I really think that if you continue your aggression ways, you will eventually have several civilizations come together to remove you from the universe. I don’t want that to happen. However, you are right about my wanting something out of this.”

  “And that is…”

  “I want you to go to Earth and purchase a contract to open force field installation facilities on the planet.”

  “Why would I do that? We would run out of a market for them if we opened multiple facilities!”

  Gregor smiled, “Majesty, there are at least a trillion commercial freighters in the known universe. If you installed a hundred force fields a day, how long would it take for you to do just half of them?”

  The Queen stared at Gregor and Kel yelled, “Thirteen thousand six hundred and ninety eight years, Majesty.”

  The Queen’s eyes went wide and Gregor said, “And remember, starships grow old and are eventually junked to be replaced by newer models. You’ll have a flourishing market just moving force fields from older ships to newer ones.”

  The Queen started thinking about the sheer magnitude of the vision and Gregor said, “There will be one requirement that will be part of the price of a force field.”

  The Queen asked, “What is that?”

  “Charge fifty thousand coins and allow the other ten thousand coin of the payment to be used for any ship that signs a contract to have a force field installed will also have to deliver a full load of fertile soil to Earth. It will be unloaded where Earth’s Government directs and once that obligation is met, they will go to the facility to have it installed on Earth or here.” The Queen smiled as Gregor said, “One freighter of soil won’t make a big difference but a billion of them will. In less than a hundred years, humanity will be able to feed itself again and Earth will find its place in the universe as a wealthy member of the civilizations.” Kaylee’s eyes were moist as she held on to Gregor.

  The Queen looked at her Mate who said, “There will still be a problem.”

  “What is that?”

  “Our warriors will grow restless at not having a challenge.”

  “That won’t be a problem, Majesty.”

  Everyone in the room looked at Gregor and the Queen said, “And why is that?”

  “Because your warriors are going to be incredibly rich.” Gregor looked at the Queen with lowered eyes and said, “May I assume you are going to share this wealth with them?”

  “You may.”

  “Well, most of them will want to pay the incredibly high price of going to Bellingham to hunt the giant Nagsta’s in the forest. They’ll climb trees more than two hundred feet high to chase a predator larger than them. You will also want to pay Bellingham for the metal to coat your own commercial ships. Eventually, the Clans will decide to go out and spend the wealth they’re making and become part of the communities in the universe. The universe will be better for getting to know them.”

  Kel said loud enough to be heard, “OUTSTANDING!!”

  Gregor looked at Kel, “Every one of the Dragons that fought on Bellingham will never pay for that privilege. They’ve earned it and will be welcome at any time they choose to visit.”

  The Queen looked at Bart, “And you have agreed to this?”

  Bart looked at Gregor before saying, “Apparently, I have.”

  “Well, bring the five ships down and we’ll start work on taking them apart. We will install force fields at no charge on any ship you own.”

  Bart looked at Gregor with concern on his face and Gregor smiled, “I want you to think about how much an owner of valuable commodities would pay if you insured that none of them will be lost to pirates. Remember, your ships will be the first to have force fields. I suspect in less than a year you’ll be able to purchase more than a hundred additional freighters.”

  Bart heard Leelah say in his mind, “More like two hundred.”

  Bart smiled and said, “Majesty, you have a deal.”

  Gregor looked at the Queen, “You will need to keep your fleets around your plane
t to make sure no one comes to steal the technology.”

  The Queen laughed, “Gregor, I can see it. It does look like our warring days will be behind us. What are you going to do?”

  Gregor looked down at Kaylee and answered, “I have a wedding to plan and we’re going to disappear into the forests on Bellingham for a time.”

  “Why are you going to do that?”

  Gregor looked at her, “Because the word is now out that we have the ability to control the filaments. I don’t expect anyone is going to come after us on Bellingham after what happened to the movement. However, there will be some fear at what we can do.”

  The Queen Dragon nodded, “No, I don’t think they will go to Bellingham and especially if they know we have a defense agreement with them.”

  Kaylee looked into Gregor’s eyes, “I told you I wouldn’t be happy on Bellingham.”

  Gregor smiled, “That was before you loved me.”

  Kaylee laughed, “You’re right. And now I wouldn’t live anywhere else in the universe.”

  Gregor pulled her close, “It’s home, my love. It’s our home.”

  Epilogue

  The small shuttle came down to the clearing and several members of the clan moved out to meet it. The shuttle touched down, a man stepped out, and the shuttle took off at high speed. The man walked forward, went to his knees, and put his head on the ground, “I wish to speak with a member of your Clan that spoke with me five years ago.”

  The people looked at each other and suddenly heard, “There ye go putting ye head in the dirt again. Can I teach ye nothing?” The man lifted his head and saw the old man walking through the gathering. What took ye so long to get back?”

  “I had to work to raise enough to make the trip.”

  “Sorry about that. I put the thought in ye head to come back. I will repay you what ye spent.”

  “What?”

  “That’s why me brother was able to take control on Earth. This planet gives us some talents ye don’t have. But that’s not important. I wanted to see ye again.”

  “Where will I live?”

  “With me, of course. We have a lot to discuss. It’ll take years to hear all ye have to say. Welcome back.”

  The former priest rose to his feet, “I don’t intend to come back a fourth time.”

  The old man slapped him on the back, “Ye won’t. You’ll take my brother’s place in the family; this is ye home now.” The man smiled and walked through the gathering with his new brother. Maybe his children could join him here in the future. A year later, they did.

  THE END

  Copyright © 2016 by Saxon Andrew. All rights reserved. Screen Writers Guild no. VQEA3E380432.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.

  First Electronic Edition: July 2016