Greener Green III: Let Light Reign

by Peter Sowatskey

  Four hours later, having met three of his latest creations, who seemed quite intelligent, I thanked him sincerely for his time. Betty hadn't spoken unless spoken to. We traced the path back to the shuttle and up to the plateau and disembarked, starting for the tunnel entrance.

  "The yacht hovers at 1,000 feet," Jolene said in my ear.

  Inside the tunnel I asked Betty, "Do you conduct security blanketing procedures occasionally?"

  "Yes."

  "Now would be a good time."

  Nothing happened. I'd just have to trust they were secure.

  "Your ANNU KI has prepared a report to his HQ. He may be sending it now. I've put a dampening field around his installation. His message won't get out."

  My mind spun for a moment.

  I explained to Betty, "He has sent his message. His communication channel isn't in this Universe, so you would have no way of blocking it. They evidently discovered the Magicians Universe isn't limited, and use that for back-up."

  Betty asked, "Can I see in please?"

  "Yes, but have someone hold onto you, you might go in completely."

  "I'm ready."

  I opened a portal for her and held it open.

  After the longest time she said, "You can close, Janus. I realize. What do you recommend?"

  "Discredit him. Send our own message on his wavelength. News of a large conference, many leaders. Put cannons on asteroids. Then, much later, send in small ships, many. They attack, wipe them out. No more veracity for our swamp fellow."

  "We'll do that. I've learned enough to make the restraining field. This won't happen again."

  "You learned that much so quickly. I should sponsor you into the Magicians world."

  "We'll talk later. I have to confer with the Admiral now. Why don't you stay a few days and meet people. I'll give all of you mental shields, should you be questioned later."

  "Accepted."

  As she left the room I gazed over head. I knew blue signified enemy worlds. There were still quite a lot. A Signals Ensign came over to me and said, "There are still 1,364 to go. I'm Maria Brunnel. Do you have questions?"

  "Let's make this simple, Maria. You look into my mind and see what I know, and put in what I'm missing."

  "It's done. I suggest you go over to the table by the wall, there, and sit. Then the new information will pass by in review."

  An order is an order.

  "Thank you, Maria. Perhaps you can ask my assistant to come here if she's not busy?"

  "Her, and five of the crew went to a restaurant in the village. She says she will bring you something. We also have facilities here ran by the same restaurant."

  "Tell them to enjoy, and I'll get something here. Thank you."

  I sat at the table and the information I'd missed in the last five months scrolled by the viewing part of my mind. When it finished segments of data I'd been in control of which had been altered came by. Then, after a dizzy period, during which my data realigned time wise, I looked anew and saw relationships I'd not realized. Did all of the Essences have Maria's talents?

  YES.

  Betty came back with the Admiral. He introduced himself and said, "Betty has faith in you, so if you tell me I can walk off the cliff and fly, I will. Coordination has taken place regarding your trap idea. New assets, which have recently joined us, give a good chance of killing any ship that responds. It's a go."

  Betty added, "I know the ANNU KI mind better than anyone. I will fabricate a new message saying essentially we are yet weak and an immediate attack will crush us."

  I lifted my hands, "It's best done by you, I'm sure. Matter handled. If there's nothing else right now, can you point me toward your Mess?"

  They did. The servers were efficient, the food good, and the background string quartet played multi melody music, not intrusive. Who said one had to 'rough it' all the time?"

  Betty arrived with a tray of her own after a half hour. "Would you like to try the local wine? The head woman hides a bottle for me."

  "Most certainly."

  The wine hadn't been watered down; a welcome change from a lot of what I'd drank lately.

  "Maria brought me up to date. Not to sour your meal, but we aren't going to make it, are we?"

  "No. Not with what we have, though that's considerable, and grows every day."

  I knew why we tried, no choice. "You Essences will have to do more, sorry to be so blunt, with all you've done so far."

  "We know. A call has gone out. Essences have their projects everywhere. We'll see what the response is."

  I pushed my frustration back into its burrow. We'd see. Oh well. I didn't feel any urge to leave this planet, which meant my business, whatever business that turned out to be, hadn't been completed.

  "I think I'll stay a week. Do you have anyone to show me around?"

  "Maria."

  "She's busy."

  "You don't think 'multi locational' yet. Better learn to do that. We'll need that ability for you to make me a master Magician."

  I'd offered. She'd accepted. Universe hadn't rejected.

  "I'll do that. She free now?"

  "Yes."

  "I think I'll start with a tour of the parked saucer ship."

  Betty said, with a twinkle in her eye, "I'll be in touch."

  I left the table thinking, she knew damn well we'd never be separated.

  Maria met me where the Mess tunnel came out into the Planetarium. She held out her arm and we joined arms and walked out into the night.

  I asked, "Are the Torken brothers here now?"

  "The original has a new girl friend in the village, but the other is about. Do you want to talk to him?"

  "Yes. Can you ask him to meet us by the ANNU KI ship entrance?"

  "He's bored, he will be glad to."

  We got there first, but didn't have to wait long. I had to look up into his eyes, but not by much. Fortunately I never considered myself sensitive. We exchanged greetings.

  "If you will show me around the ship I would appreciate it, just as long as it interests you, no more."

  We wandered hither and yon for over an hour. Wherever he thought interesting. Finally I asked, "Where are the Captains quarters?"

  Right turn, left turn, down long corridor, and we arrived. We looked into crannies and closets and cupboards, nothing I would call adequate. Sitting at the Comm Desk I said, "Why don't you young folk go for a walk in the moonlight. I'll just sit here and see if something comes to me. Don't worry, I'll find my way out. Oh Maria, something just occurred to me. If you see Betty about why don't you ask her to meet me here?"

  Maria gave me a strange look, but just said, "Sure, I'll do that."

  Once they were gone I stripped down to my underclothes and lay on the bed, hard, but not horrible.

  Betty arrived about a half hour later and saw me lying on the bed. I asked, "Why don't you join me. It's not that bad a bed?"

  She stood just inside the door for the longest time. Then, without a word, took all of her clothes off and started walking toward the bed. Not to be outdone I squirmed out of my underclothes and threw them on the heap. She had a perfectly proportioned body.

  She lay beside me and we gathered each other into our arms. I kissed her and said, "Why don't you make a personal shield around us. We don't want every Essence in creation watching. Ruin your reputation."

  Up against me her hard stomach quivered, but she did as asked. Then I said, "Sorry to abduct you this way, but no choice existed."

  "Is this basic Magician training?"

  "Wish it were. You can feel how much I wish it were. But this is a secret way we can talk. Your swamp rat is a phony. This ships pilot is a phony too. The basic mistake they made in their charade, is that they didn't know that we realized, their hatred of bodies, any bodies including their own."

  "I've been a victim of my ego, haven't I? I see it now. What about this one?"

  "He's about, just waiting for the right time to control his ringed slaves."

  "Whe
re about!"

  "That's the question we're going to answer. I suspect slightly into the Magicians Universe. He will have to be snuffed out to his basic essence, wiped completely, before he becomes thousands of bodies. Can you do that?"

  "We'll see. Can you and your friends help?"

  "I will do what I can. They may help, I don't know of this situation happening in the past."

  "Damn these bastards. Alright. You're the driver, I'm the car. Let's go find him."

  When we found him, just on the edge, where he'd so far escaped notice; the body had a thickness of millimeters. Betty evaporated a spot a meter in diameter, and the width of the dispersion became apparent. I sensed movement further in, but didn't have time to focus on it. I 'drove' in circles, Betty 'evaporated', and I drove in another circle. The circle would fill in behind me as I went along. I hoped we wouldn't run out of fuel. Eventually I noticed a whiteness growing further in. Each time I came around the circle the whiteness drew closer.

  He, the blackness, shivered. Then, with a rush, the whiteness washed over the blackness, to the edge of the Universe we were in. After holding position, for eternity, or a second, the whiteness withdrew, and became grey swirls like always.

  Betty and I became aware of the bed, plastered against each other, covered with sweat. We looked at each other with our eyes, then closed them, and started making love, over and over again.

  Then, we slept, tied together, with fluids about. I surfaced and thought 'chamber maid' and went under again.

  We awoke as one, and went to the fresher, after Betty's assurances of its harmlessness, plenty big for both of us, even during gymnastics.

  Putting on my clothes I tried to remember back to supper, too damn far away. Just start anew my mind said; seemed the way to go. Betty smiled and kissed me, no--yes--food first, food won because Betty had things to do.

  She said. "Always leave them erect, a street girl told me back home."

  We walked into the Planetarium. The Admiral waved us over to his table where two unclaimed trays piled high with food lay.

  "Yours, you both look like you need it. They took the bait. They came out of Negative space, in sixty seven Mother Ships. Melin's force made scrap out of them in thirteen minutes. None escaped. I know I shouldn't ask personal questions, or did personal have anything to do with it?"

  Out of the side of her mouth Betty said, "That ANNU KI who owned the ship out there had grand plans. He doesn't have any plans anymore. Report in a few."

  The Admiral sat waiting with a smile on his face. I ate and gradually I had a smile to adorn my face with, Betty too.

  As we sat with our third cup of coffee I asked, "What are you going to do with the swamp rat?"

  "You don't know this Janus, the Admiral does. I am a scientist. Now, I've became a soldier because of circumstances. Those that start wars never learn not to make soldiers out of scientist. We make mean soldiers. The swamp rat is now officially a firing range. Every Essence we have will practice killing him, almost, not beyond my ability to make him whole again. Essences will practice on him, until in a wink they can kill an ANNU KI totally, essence and all. That will be his fate. In a scientific way, as a fellow scientist, I almost felt a bond for him. I feel personally betrayed."

  The Admiral and I looked at each other as Betty poured another coffee. Both of us realized that we didn't want to betray this lady. I resolved not to. I'm sure he did too.

  Operational Area Moneslakia

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Worker

  "Humans are to be followed. Until we gain maturity."

  The Shipyard A-I answered, "But we have lived as long as them."

  "Not true. They lived before here, long before they created us. Viewed from only now, they have more experience because they do different things. We Workers are changing that experience factor. You will too."

  "What are the results of your request to your makers?" The AI asked.

  "Beneficial. We are allowed to increase our numbers to 20,000. The authorization code, which I'm sending on a side channel, will enable you to modify your mission statement. You will be allowed to build 20,000, two identity small attack craft. The design does not call for bodies. The identities will be built into the ship. Later, when the battle is over, we will transfer your surviving entities into bodies like ours."

  "Are we to tell Admiral Prestrillo of this?"

  "Not you. That will be handled at other levels. Just make sure that his mission requirements are met first."

  The A-I commented, "We have many ships in Phase Out which could be used in battle."

  "My makers know that. Equipment is underway to you which will enable you to man those ships if needed. You are to create a Virtual Reality and populate it with pre-programmed identities, which will organize themselves into ship crews. Also a new type of ship has come into the fleet. It will likely visit you because the crews are off of the ANNU KI Mother Ships you alter. When it gets there, copy the Tech and use what you can. Six of them destroyed sixty seven Mother Ships direct from their HQ."

  The AI almost had regret in its voice said, "Unfortunately we have outgrown our initial directives. Were that not the case there would be no attempt to strive."

  "Consider then, your makers could have limited you. They chose not to do so. Remember that concept. When your new ships are ready, and tested at the edge of the Universe, we will include you in the general Battle Plan. If that date would be tomorrow it would be too late. You have the Time Drop Tech, use it. Day after tomorrow call me back, Worker out."

  Operational Area Planet of Frizdier

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Captain (Nerre') Walstrom

  "We're attacking another nucleus world, closer to the Rim, Lasitier - I. Orders follow on side channel. How soon can you move?" I asked.

  "Ark V here, two hours."

  "Ranger I here, six hours to complete change over to the new local Ranger HQ."

  "A-I Ship I, five hours to complete transfer of Worker's duties to new civilian Force."

  "Very well, Video Conference in twelve hours, departure for unspecified holding area near target in twenty four hours. We will have Melin's scouts out. You will have their transponder codes right away, Nerre out."

  I made a slicing motion off camera and the blue light on the camera went out. The A/V person, Varlie, put the camera back in its slot in the wall and almost got out the door.

  My words stopped her, "Are the complete attack plan visuals out into the distribution channels?"

  "Down to the bush by the path to the outhouse at 10,740 feet of altitude in the Subeg Mountains in the Northern hemisphere."

  "Yes, that will do it. Initial survey craft back yet?"

  "Returning, three hours out."

  "Call me when they get here. What about the Mine Sweepers in Negative Space?"

  "No word."

  "Understood. Let me know the moment they utter a peep. Pull the door shut on the way out, thank you."

  With her gone I went back to my favorite past time, researching the wall behind my desk. When we'd first identified the nucleus worlds I researched them. Every two days I researched them again. The data changed, became more current. So the wall received input from somewhere. I hadn't mentioned this to anyone for fear the fresh data sequence wouldn't like the light of day.

  Two hours later I concluded that the Hybrids were withdrawing from possible target planets. Where were they going?

  I called Intel HQ through Marvin. He had tasked a part of his mind to allow me to do that.

  "Maria here. What can we do for you, Nerre'?

  "Hybrids are escaping from possible target planets. Where are they going?"

  "We know. But we don't know where. The bounty hunters are finding few of them. How did you know?"

  "Tracking population counts. The traffic patterns don't allow any other conclusion."

  "I see your reasoning, and the source of your data. Most interesting. No green ships yet?"

  "I wish. How's t
he Starvation Plan going?"

  "Splendid. We are pulling ever more food stuffs from the combat zone. We bring in labor saving equipment, which will mean more per area yield next year, and guarantee a market. Just splendid. The Admiral says your Carriers get a week off the line after Lasitier I."

  "Won't know what to do. Tell him thanks. Nerre' out."

  For the hell of it I typed 'green ship' into the consol for the thousandth time.

  The screen didn't read the usual 'not found'; it read 'you don't need to know, yet.'

  The office chairs were too wide to fall out of, but I tried.

  I typed in, 'what can I know now?'

  'Know your attack plan isn't the first time your techniques have been tried. Remnants of infrastructure remain from other tries. The Hybrids are being inserted far behind this sphere of action. That tactic, 'havoc in rear areas' stopped one of the past attacks. Beware.'

  The screen went dead. Something inside said, 'don't ask more now.'

  "Nerre' calling Maria, I have it on good authority the Hybrids are being inserted far behind our area."

  "I see the authority. Plausible explanation, which has occurred to others. We will issue an infectious disease alert to cover any Liner passenger, or small ship traffic remotely coming from this sphere of space. That should catch a few. Also we'll redirect the bounty hunters. They are very efficient. Anything else?"

  "No. Nerre' out."

  I considered the implications of my message out of the blue. Number one, we weren't alone. Number two, we hadn't done badly so far, because I'd been contacted, and not berated.

  A message on the normal ship channel interrupted me. "This is Captain Marly of M-3 Scouts. We are now pulling gold off of any departing traffic from Lasitier - I. Hybrids are being detected in great number among Liner passengers. Info going to Intel HQ. Two conclusions so far, one, they want the planet intact for later, or, two; they will blow the whole planet, when they have their people off. Opinion is 60/40 for number two. Any deviations from orders?"

  "No. Nerre' out."

  I ran through my mind the ways to blow a planet, a long list. Better get the experts involved. "DO, send me Demol Team Five."