Annihilation - Finding Keepers (Annihilation Series (Book Seven})
Page 15
Kathea thought about it and said, “Jake, if we are able to go back to this Realm you talk about, I don’t want it to go with me. I will get a new ring and start a new and happier history for myself and my children. This ring will only remind me of all the ugliness that happened here. Right now it reminds me of a better place than this. Can you understand that, Jake?”
Cynthia saw the affection Jake had for this young woman, but sensed from his thoughts that he looked at her as a sister he’d never had.
“Kathea, you are wise beyond your years. Please help keep everyone here in the center of the community.”
“I will, where are you going?”
“I have to keep an appointment with some Keepers.”
Jake looked at Cynthia and nodded. They saluted each other and turned on their armor. Jake hit his jets and Cynthia lifted right behind him. The Humans in the square felt the electricity of the moment and wondered what fate held for them. Jackson watched them leave, and knew that this moment was going to be historic for his people. Silence ruled the gathered thousands; then Kathea stepped out of the crowd and said, “I would give up my life for a chance to go with the Seniors.”
Jackson yelled in a loud voice, “We will live free or die! I choose freedom!”
The three-hundred-thousand-plus community raised the voices in cries of “Freedom!” Across the valley, the Glod and Cainth communities heard the sound echo off the hills and wondered what was happening.
Chapter Eleven
As Jake and Cynthia flew toward the Keepers’ garrison, Jake thought to Cynthia, “I need your help making this happen.”
“What is that, Jake?”
“I want you to go to the Glod and Cainth communities and tell them what’s happening now. They must gather in the center of the community so we can lift them quickly.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I am going to wait here at the compound and kill anything that pokes its head out of the ground. If a large number get out I’m going to fight a delaying action to give our ships time to arrive.” Jake saw Cynthia start to argue and said, “Cynthia, when my powers were released every Keeper in this garrison was stunned and knocked out. Those closest to the Human camp were actually so damaged that they will not be able to participate in the coming fight. I really do sense that they will not regain consciousness for at least three more hours. Go get the Realm’s Citizens prepared to leave, please.”
Cynthia started to protest, but then reluctantly nodded her agreement, peeled away from Jake, and headed toward the Glod colony.
Junior broke out of universal drive in the Realm and commed Fleet Command, “I need Valerie Gardner’s com code.”
“We need confirmation about who you are.”
“Oh forget it.” Junior hit another frequency, “Sprig, I need Valerie’s com code.”
“Junior, what are you doing back? What happened?”
“I don’t have time, Sprig. Connect me with Valerie now!”
Sprig reached forward and pushed a button. He also hit another button bringing Twig and Edison into the conversation.
Valerie saw her com blink, “Sprig, why are you calling me?”
“He’s not, Your Majesty, I am.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Junior and I am the ship that took Jake Talant to the other universe.”
Valerie’s heart went into her throat, “What’s wrong? Is he all right?”
“Yes, his powers have been released. But he’s refusing to leave until we bring transports to take the three colonies off that planet.”
“Junior, you were ordered to teleport him away when he released his powers.”
“I know that, but evidently none of you managed to get Jake to agree. He blocked every effort to cover him with a teleport screen,”
Edison said, “He did what?”
“He blocked the screen from forming. You’re wasting time. He says we have a ten hour window to get them out before the Keepers’ ships arrive. He is going to hold off the garrison on the planet.”
“Junior, where is Cynthia?”
“She decided to stay and assist him in the fight, Your Majesty.”
Edison hit his board, “Fleet command, I want three Delta-size transports readied to leave our universe.”
“Edison, Jake also said to set the teleport screens on the transports to only move the DNA of Human, Glod, and Cainth.”
Edison said, “That is going to take some time.”
“I’ll take one transport, Edison.”
“I’ll take the second.”
“Thank you Sprig and Twig. Newton and I will handle the third. How long until those ships are ready?”
Admiral Zergl, who had joined the conversation, looked at his board. We have to bring a much bigger teleport system on board and connect it. It’s going to take at least six hours to get the screen working.”
Valerie said, “That’s cutting it close. Admiral, have we managed to cover any of our Warriors in the telepathy coating?”
“About fifty of them have the new armor.”
“Get them on a ship and move them to the Keepers’ planet. We have to support Jake and Cynthia quickly.”
“It will take at least four hours to power up the armor and load all the weapons.”
“Then you had better start moving, Admiral.”
Zergl disappeared from the conference screen.
Valerie dreaded the next question, but had to ask, “So Jake found his initiator, Junior?”
“Yes and no, Your Majesty.”
Valerie leaned back in her chair, “What do you mean by that?”
“Jake touched every woman in the human colony with no results.”
Valerie was puzzled, “Then how were his powers released?”
“A Keeper touched Jake; it released his powers. Evidently it took the combined mental connection of the entire Keepers species to break through that shell of his.”
Valerie was stunned; then she understood. “That’s why his psychic self keep bringing Keepers to wherever he was! It’s why the Searcher died. That colony of humans was the only place where Keepers regularly made contact with Humans without killing them. It makes sense now.” Then it hit her; Jake did not find the love of his life. She jumped up from her chair, “Junior, where are you?”
Joe Gardner, who had joined the conversation, said, “No you’re not, Valerie.”
Valerie ignored him, “Junior, answer me.”
Junior struggled, but knew he had to answer the Queen of the Stars Realm. “You have my coordinates.”
“Valerie, you can’t go there!”
“Valerie appeared on Junior’s bridge and said as she stepped through the silver screen. “Joe, you’re in charge until I return. Remember when you said you would never question me again?”
Joe looked at his Sister on his com and slowly nodded. “Don’t start, now.” Valerie sat in a chair and said, “Well, what are you waiting for?”
“Your Majesty, it is not safe there.”
“Do you intend to go back?”
“I have to, Your Majesty.”
“Maybe it’s because you left some friends there.” Junior said nothing, “Well so have I, so quit wasting time.”
“Is everyone going to accuse me of that all day?”
“Only if you keep doing it.”
Junior hit the drive and the ship disappeared from the Realm’s universe.
Joe watched Valerie’s face disappear from his com, contacted Admiral Zergl, and ordered him to speed up getting the Warriors ready.
Junior arrived back in the Keepers’ colony next to the moon. Valerie looked at her display and saw the Keepers’ ship on the moon’s surface, “Junior, is that what I think it is?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I think we killed it when I fired three penetrators up their drive ports.”
“Junior, we’re alone now; please dispense with the “Your Majesty” and call me Valerie. Did you share this information with Joe or Admiral Zergl?”
“Joe and Edison thought that might be a weakness in their design.”
“It is, Valerie, but using it is going to be difficult. If their drives are operating, the penetrator will explode before it can enter the tube. The weak point is located at the very front end of the drive.” Junior paused, then said, “Valerie, I am very uncomfortable with you being here. If we face any trouble I am taking you out of here.”
“Not without Jake, you won’t.”
“Sorry, but I will. You are too important to the Realm to risk.”
“Junior, my value is nothing compared to what Jake means to our success. I’m here because he broke a promise to me and I hope I can convince him to keep it.”
“Valerie, you won’t. We will either save those Humans on the planet or Jake will die trying to prevent their deaths.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s currently on the planet blowing up exits from the Keepers’ garrison.”
“Oh, my ancient ancestors! Take me there.”
“I’ll take you to where you can communicate with him, but I will not place you in danger.”
Valerie started to protest, but then decided that she did not want to force Junior to choose between being tried for treason for disobeying a direct order from the Queen or keeping her safe. She suspected he would take the treason charge. “Take me there.”
Junior teleported them to just above the planet’s atmosphere. Valerie looked at her screen and could see Jake flying over the Keepers’ garrison, firing hornets at any exit he could find. Valerie thought, “My, my; aren’t you the busy warrior?”
Jake could see the dark lines going down toward the ground and he fired a hornet every time one appeared, “Valerie, what are you doing here? Are you insane?!?”
“I was going to ask you the same question. You promised you would not put yourself in danger. You know how important you are to the Realm’s survival.”
“I’m nothing compared to you. You must leave now! Junior; why did you bring her here?”
“Because I swore an oath of allegiance to the Stars Realm and its rulers. I will not allow her to be placed in harm’s way no matter what she orders. Just promise you’ll come visit me in prison, Jake.”
“Junior, how can they arrest a ship? You could teleport out any time you wanted and besides, you might enjoy the rest and relaxation. Excuse me a moment, I need to destroy this hanger.” They watched as Jake flew close to the surface and fired a high speed penetrator into the doors of a hidden hanger. “There. I’m sorry, Valerie, but these people have become my family. Would you leave Joe behind to die?”
Valerie didn’t know how to answer, “If it meant the survival of the Realm I would have to do just that.”
Jake continued to fire wasps and hornets while he thought about what Valerie said, “All right, we have a ten hour window before the Keepers can get a ship here. It’s probably longer because when I released my psychic abilities I think I knocked the central intelligence that directs the Keepers off line. I don’t sense that it has recovered yet, and no ships will come until it does. Our main threat is the Keepers in the building below. I also sense that all of the Keepers on the western side of the structure were either killed or so damaged that they will not be able to take part in an attack. Cynthia will be back soon, and she will help with the defense of the communities. You can help, Valerie.”
“How, Jake?”
“Junior, take her down to the Human colony and talk with them. I know they’re terribly frightened and you can help calm them down.”
“Jake, I’m going to hold you to that promise. If it comes down to it, you must leave with me.”
“I love you too, Valerie.”
Valerie felt the tears. He had seen inside her thoughts and knew how she felt. “Junior, take me down.”
Jackson worried that the community was close to panicking. They could hear huge explosions coming from over the hills to the east. He tried to sooth their fears but just didn’t know how to answer their questions. Suddenly everyone saw a ship coming down at a high rate of speed and stop just above the surface of the central square.
Valerie stepped through the silver teleport screen and appeared in front of the gathered community. Jackson saw this beautiful young girl and wondered why someone so young was here in an obviously dangerous environment.
Valerie smiled, “Hello everyone. I know that all of you are scared about what is going to happen to you after the death of these Keepers. I am the Queen of the Stars Realm and I am doing all I can to get ships here to move you safely away from this planet. I see from your expression that you think me too young to actually be the Ruler of the Realm, but I was chosen because of my psychic abilities. I do not know if we will be able to make your escape happen before the Keepers arrive, but we are doing everything in our power to save you. I want you to know that there are more than twenty million planets that are members of the Realm, and three of them are the races from which the three colonies here are descended. The original home world of your race is one of the founders of our Realm, and I am descended from those founders. Take heart and know that you are not forgotten and we will do all we can to protect you.”
“Why was Jake sent here?”
Valerie looked at Jackson and said, “We are now at war with the Keepers. There are a hundred thousand of their ships in our universe and we are working hard to develop the weapons to kill them. Jake is going to be the Realm’s strongest psychic, but he needed to have his abilities released. We know that our founders which were super psychics had to have their powers released by what we call their initiator. I believed that she would be in your population.”
Jackson thought a moment “Is that why he was touching every female?”
“Yes, but I was wrong. There is no woman that could have broken through the psychic shell that contained his powers. I’ve learned that it was necessary for him to be touched by a Keeper, and the combined telepathic connection of their entire species was needed to make it happen. This is the only place where the Keepers make contact with Humans without killing them.”
“Oh, they kill us.”
“Yes, but they also come among you to remove those chosen by them. Jake’s inner psychic self saw this and manipulated events to bring him here.”
“His coming here can get us all killed, Young Queen.”
“Do you call this living? Your species in the Realm live a hundred and fifty years; you are taken at around 35 years of age. You slave in the fields to feed yourself for the Keepers to consume. You are allowed no technology to spare you the hard labor. You are livestock here, but in the Realm Humans are admired and respected by all the trillions of citizens.”
“So what happens now?”
“We are not taking you to the Realm if we can move you.” The gathering started talking among themselves so Valerie switched to telepathy to communicate with them, “It’s not what you think.” Everyone heard her in their thoughts and even Jackson was surprised. “We have citizens in more than a thousand universes. I am not going to take the chance of taking you to the Realm where the Keepers Fleet might scan you and come to take vengeance. I am sending you to a planet of humans who will take care of you until this conflict is resolved. It is time to learn who you are and to know that humans do not give in to tyranny or slavery.”
A young woman stepped out of the crowd and said, “You came here to take Jake back to the Realm didn’t you?”
Valerie looked at the woman and marveled at how beautiful she was, “Yes, but he would not go without you. Our survival depends on Jake and his developing psychic abilities. I was hoping he would listen to reason and leave.”
Jackson shook his head, “You are at least being honest about it.”
Valerie looked around and saw the goodness of the people around her, “He forced me to make this attempt to move you. I could not
understand why he was taking this risk with the trillions in the Realm at risk if something happened to him.” Valerie paused and then continued, “But now, after seeing you, I know the truth that he saw before I could grasp it. To turn away from the few to try and save the many is a wrong that only corrupts the values our Realm was founded upon.” She left her thought open so everyone could hear, “Junior, have you been listening to this?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I will not leave without these people. Do you understand?”
The hundreds of thousands of humans waited for a response, “If it comes down to it; we will all die here together, my Queen. I will not abandon you.”