I focused my senses out into the Void, following the section. I could feel Hector beside me doing the same. We needn't have bothered. When the section ran into the Atomic minefield, the result plainly came over mechanical sensors. The atomic bombs (in the Void) made only a slight pop on the sensor. Hydrogen bombs made a much louder pop. Then the pops ceased. Relieved that the battle had been won, I began composing my congratulatory speech.
Suddenly, the Universe ARK section rebounded back out of the Void, evidently powered by its own internal drive systems. It flew on an angled trajectory away from me. Momentarily my mind froze.
I yelled into the Comm Net, "Nikon, get that sun up here now. Stop this damn thing!"
I got no response, other than the sun, a black mass appearing in front of the escaping ANNU KI section. A wide, steady stream of heat emanated from the black mass and ate at the section. But the section changed course slightly speeding away at an angle from the sun; increasing its speed on a course into our Universe.
I yelled again, "Ram the sun into the section, now! Don't let it get away!"
Nothing happened. Then suddenly the sun shifted direction, winked out--and in--to appear immediately in front of the section. They collided. The ANNU KI ARK section drove halfway into the sun. Bulges appeared on what shape the sun still had. The sun's internal hydrogen eruptions began eating the ARK section.
Eventually, the last tip slipped into the sun, and the crater in the sun began contracting little by little. A crust formed on its surface which no longer read radioactive on my sensors. The sun's speed slowed even more, but the direction remained the same, dead on into the Void.
I observed until the ships instruments and my senses no longer detected even the faint pops of the sun going through our atomic minefield.
I could eat a cow's rump, cooked or not. Odd, that I should have such a primal reaction. I had a vision of being a spear tip, and everybody involved thrusting me deeper into the prey. I felt sexual stirrings, which I held close, secretly to myself.
Hector stirred beside me, "The rest is for the historians."
"Yeah, smart ass, with your serenity of age, I still need to wallow in it to let it become real."
"Do so. I'll tell the cook to singe mountains of meat, don't tarry."
"I won't. Comm Net, report."
My sub-commanders reported in turn. The backside had been especially hairy and many covering ships called into that area didn't exist anymore.
I called to Melin, "Are you secure?"
"Yes. Oddly, there is joy in the ARK, not only from the troops, but also from the vessel itself. It says I am the head leader. It has no capacity to change its mind. Best land your 'M' class ships into the prepared indentions, or depart the area and help in the general clean-up."
"Those of mine here in our vicinity I'll land, but I'd like to keep this Gun Ship for my personal use awhile. I'll bring it and the rest of my ten thousand back some day."
"Keep it and the other ships also. I intend to make more. It's a long story, read it in the news Vids. Keep in touch, Melin out."
"Pilot, destination Hendes I; the party is on me."
Every independent operator on my Comm Net said they'd be there.
"Calling Cmdr Jones, It's your baby now. Help Nikon with clean-up. Report the progress of yours, and Nikon's efforts, to Melin, until she doesn't need you. Then see me on Hendes I. Good luck."
"Thank you, Admiral."
I didn't do badly at being an Admiral, I thought.
Did I?
The End
EPILOG
Volunteer Thelma and Admiral Tildore Secallo took their much delayed honeymoon on Hendes I. Afterwards they traveled to Earth for an intense emotional visit with Junior. Prior to their departure, Junior expressed intent to volunteer also. A hasty agreement for him to spend alternate six month periods with his two sets of parents put a stop to that, for the moment.
Hector, Tel-Selma, and their people, went into the salvage business; time, for them, not being a constraint for any operation.
The pre catastrophe population of the First Federation resettled into present time First Federation space. CMDR Dick Jones took control of the combined forty nine planet's military forces.
Janus and Brianne returned to the world from which they had been recruited. They removed three layers of government; confined them to the high mountains, took over the planetary defense network; established a matriarchal system of government; and then went back to Intel HQ to assist in the clean-up effort.
Madam Jolene Quintel divorced her husband by killing him with a laser pistol. Then she returned to Moneslakia to help Lady W with her schools.
Granger, Tel-Selma and many others went back to Home. They eclipsed the sun with an armada of Saucers. The first five layers of government bureaucrats were sent to a moon mining settlement, from which no one had ever come back. A Tel-Selma unit; declared themselves planetary leaders, and developed an orderly process to find settlers hospitable worlds to live on.
Granger then resumed his and Lady Willowesen's trip to the mountains, watched over by Lil and Mary. Once there; they hung his Lordship, (and everybody involved in the wife killing scheme) in the forest for the night animals. (But they weren't hung high enough for the animals to not reach their vital organs.)
Afterwards Mary and Lil went into the arms business selling pistols, which never needed reloading and only stunned or killed snake DNA. They sold them for one currency unit across snake ridden planets.
Granger, Segdra, and Lady W eventually went back to Moneslakia to continue their efforts.
Admiral Lenh founded a prehistoric tour business with the motto: WE'VE MADE IT BACK, SO FAR. Business boomed. Imitators flourished. A Time Police Force became necessary. Once established, under Admiral Lehn, the tour permit fees supported many public projects.
Betty followed that 'X' road one more time, accompanied by the Torken brothers bearing anti ANNU KI rifles. She confronted Tgthr and said, "You betrayed me. You can now join your destroyed brethren in the Void. Aim. Fire." The three took one last glance at the resulting slime. Then they gathered every creation within the ship and left. Betty called to the Rail Gun Dock, "Burn the whole area down two hundred feet. When you're finished with that, you're on two months shore leave on any planet you choose."
With no sun to shepherd, Rangers Marion Prinz and Talar Harkness took assignments as co Ambassadors, along with Tilda Vand, to the Rim Alliance. They started a Technical Assistance Office for the purpose of achieving technical parity throughout the Alliance. They didn't tolerate any resistance. Changes of ruling classes ensued.
Rafe Berger, the scholar-farmer, took his reborn wife and two children back to Alabama, circa 1860, to live in a different USA.
Melin, commanding the Elder ARK, revived the 'M' class Gun Ship construction business. She sold two to each planet, with crews, to remind everybody to do what she suggested. Live long, peaceful lives.
GLOSSARY
ARK A ship 500 miles long, by 200 miles wide, by 5 miles high. In the middle is a Habitat 400 miles by 150 miles by 2 miles. Remainder is ships bays: quarters, various maintenance shops, messes, and a large Med Deck.
ARK -- Habitat Front one third is used by the Regiments, mountainous landscape, 1.5 Earth gravity. Rest is flat grassland with a forest around the edges. Has a central lake and around the lake Central City.
IL ANNU KI ARK -- Created by the ELDER races -- partially taken over by the ANNU KI when they arrived from another Universe -- In the end under control of Melin, a snake girl/Essence combination
ABSORBER --- Device primarily in Negative Space which absorbs and stores light and energy. Procedure reversible on demand.
COLD FUSION REACTOR --- ELC or TORQUE Uses two, or three man made compounds which will not co-exist in a confined space to produce a reaction -- thereafter, usual -- heat -- steam -- turbine sequence.
DAMPENER --- Electronic force field which forms instantly around exploding bombs and contains them.
DROP BACK/FORWARD --- Moving back and forth through time. Also referred to as SLIPPING.
ELDERS --- Ancient race unencumbered by anything, they prize ancient Earth as a vacation spot.
ERASER --- A frequency emitting mechanism which erases matrix binding rings. Result, free atoms, in place of whatever previously existed.
ESSENCES --- Souls---spirits---life units---theatans---bare bones basic individual.
FO --- First Officer subordinate to the Executive Officer.
H/FU---ELC / H/FU---TOQ --- Hydrogen Fusion Reactor, gets hydrogen by splitting water. ELC is a self contained unit which emits electricity, various voltages. TOQ has a shaft which turns at a fixed rate, comes in various sizes.
KENNING --- A method of education, which concentrates upon methods and formulas, instead of rote remembering.
L/L --- Latitude / Longitude Imaginary lines, which intersect at right angles, on a globe, or a chart used to fix positions, or to navigate.
MATRIX---ANTI MATRIX --- Field of thought which views objects as their matrix (look at a Rubrics cube and take away the mass). Matrixes are many and symbiotic. Some are in Negative Space and push against their cousins in Positive Space. Procedure used to isolate/insulate ships hulls.
NEGATIVE SPACE --- The counter revolving universe, which balances the positive universe, thereby allowing both to exist.
NEW BORN --- Re born who have volunteered for a mission in which the first step is copying their mentalities and putting them in nine foot tall 450 pound bodies.
OIC --- Officer in Charge, of some function usually outside of the usual daily chain of command.
OUT OF PHASE --- A fold into the Negative Universe which results in a cessation of molecular activity.
PLASMA RIFLE/CANNON --- Fires a ball of electricity, consider, directed lightning.
SEED SHIP --- A very advanced CAD/CAM system with much memory which is in control of building what it designs using force fields.
SHIP BORN --- Those mentalities given new human like bodies on one of the ARKs
TIME WAR --- Fought through trillions of years against an enemy which considers, and operates through time, as if all time, were present time. Consider a vine which sends out feelers, which put down roots, from which more feelers are sent etc. The vine could be thought to have the initial root in the past, and evolved. Usual consideration would be to say the vine is all in present time. Closer examination shows that not so.
TO&E --- Troop Organization and Equipment, How a particular group of soldiers are organized and equipped.
UNIVERSAL DRIVE --- Enables a ship surrounded by a Negative and a Positive force field (Results in no influence from either Universe) to rapidly move interstellar distances by focusing pusher/puller beams on three, or more, anchor points, usually large suns. The ship assumes any position in relation to the anchor points and can thereby, in effect, move through time by allowing for stellar drift.
VOREWELLEN --- Reg Speak - Roll over the bastards.
W/P --- White Phosphorous --- Burns through everything, usually sprayed out of bombs etc.
XO -- Executive Officer, subordinate to the Captain
CHARACTER LIST
Humans---age at start of Book One
Rafus (Rafe) Berger-- 45—Ex Confederate Army Colonel born 1835 in Alabama
Tildore Secallo---same person, name when involved in Earth Terra Forming effort. Later Rafe captains ARK IV
Thelma Meadows 235--- Nurse born 1855 in Pittsburgh, PA
Later Captain of ARK I
Ike Brestol 45---soldier/farmer born 1835 in Alabama
Later Captain of ARK II
Louise Knight 25—Librarian, born 1855 in Boston Mass.
Jason Burns 46-- soldier/farmer born 1834 in Alabama
Later Captain of ARK III
Marilyn Tobias 26 – nurse born 1854 in Hartford Conn.
Doctor Lawrence Wallace 31- born 1849 in Philadelphia
Molly Trueblood Reborn American Indian from tribe wiped out in 1500s
Sally Runtree Reborn American Indian “ “ “” “ “ “”
Stalorne Reborn African Nubian from 1500 BC
Adrons Klinster Reborn WWII Military Intelligence specialist CO MI Bn.
General Ted Niken—Reborn--- World War II US Air Force Commander---In charge of all Air Wing Tactical
Sir Edgar Alstons---Reborn --- British World War II Organizational genius---In charge of Support Wing
The reason for the different fonts which you will encounter is:
WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER A ONE WAY, OR A TWO WAY, TELEPATHIC COMMUNICATION IT WILL APPEAR LIKE THIS,
In crises -- most of the time – the war room computer on the ARKs will broadcast a telepathic running commentary of readiness of different situations and systems
[Questions and answers in the middle of a regression session will be bracketed in this manner]
Human like from Irkilion IV
(A drab- exploited- polluted- early industrial world- poor health care- high early death rate- multiple-countries; many personality based religions-frequently war between planetary alliances)
All of them are Reborn, on Ark I to start and are two way telepathic
Instructors:
Tina Belsen
Nerrefetti (Nerre’) Walstrom
Heidi Strungford
Helga Strungford
Gina Tourne—Graduate student-advanced theoretical physics-University of Bersto
Derek--- personal steward/aide for Thelma on ARK I
Regimental members from Tosolinko
Think 7.5-8 foot tall short haired bear with human limbs and appendages and face.
First Reg Torme Realle-- Leader of the Regs planet (Supreme Council System)
Buster Brailt—Regimental Commander ARK I
Jan Walting—wife/consort/concubine—left hand to Buster Brailt ARK I
Berda Linsei Centler (sub commander) ARK I
Roser Baelorson
RANGERS
Marion Prinz AKA M. Verdai Dunn-Berger-----Rafe Berger’s second wife, Home world Sylvern
Talar Harkness originally Sgt. in Lordships Marines, Wiltorne Second Galactic Federation
Hortimer Throckmorten-Special envoy from Ranger HQ. To Thelma
Captain Tristel Prestrillo-Special envoy from Ranger HQ regarding Phaeton
Tilda Vand---Duty Area---2nd Galactic Federation
Erlo Fracule---Duty Area---Senior Ranger for the Second Galactic Federation
Captain Louis Foulkern---Rim Worlds Uplift Command
ESSENCES
(Spirits-Souls-Theatans-Pure Thought)
Commander Steven Turquill
Commander Paula Lesten
Ensign Betty Trill---specialty; debriefing minds with erasure circuits. Later promoted to Commander
Ensign Tony Bressler
HUMANS from SECOND GALACTIC FEDERATION
Sgt. Jill Clelland---Lordships Marines—Wiltorne—Second Galactic Federation
Lord Walter Wiltorne
Lady Bernice Tracler Wiltorne
Joshua Bilik
Artificial Intelligences/ Androids, from the ancient Germanic Manufacturing Complex
Rork and Rorklin - initial couple contacted
Adam and Eve - dispatched as diplomatic liaison to ARK I
Jesse and Jane - active with The Balls Brigade in Phaeton/Terra Forming of early Earth time
Burt and Lin
Additional characters appearing in Book Three-Let Light Reign
Thelma, as a Volunteer
Melin, Snake lady/Essence combination
Lawrek, Melins assistant
Admiral Lenh, Essence
Captain Greta Lindross, Captain of Admiral Lenh's Flagship
Ranger Alisha Venton, Swarm leader
First Officer Marly Tenyore and her crew (created 14 foot friendly bodies, creator Paula)
Dendon Proule, reborn body, from First Federation space
Granger-Tel-Thelma, Metallics from Home(Gorstofhen)
Janus Malcolm Peabody, Magician-spy
Segdra---Madam Jolene Quintel ---his helpers
Ranger Captain Louis Foulkern, Ranger Uplift Command
Raquel---Bonnie--- his helpers
Reverend Haskins, head of the Church of the Open Door
Tildore Secallo Phaeton time/space identity of Rafe Berger - reborn, Earth
Jandor Zorn - reborn, Earth - black Ops pilot for area 51, did one too many Moon run
Ted Markus - reborn Earth Universe Drive-Negative Space expert
Captain Yossa Singh reborn Earth Ballistics expert
Captain Jace Manyard reborn Earth Prestrillo's flagship Captain
Captain Carol Skiller " " Secallo's " " " "
Captain Jeremiah Hawsters C O ARK V
Lieutenant Lawrence Skiller X O ARK V
Captain Nerrefetti (Nerre') Walstrom reborn Irkilion IV
Captain Tina Belsen " " "
Heidi Strungford " " "
Helga Strungford " " "
Lieutenant Julia Shane " Earth- Navigator
RANGERS
Captain Tristel Prestrillo former Phaeton Terra Forming Space Station Commander (Earth's Moon)
Captain Olaf Lundgrun Wielas
Captain Gustav Lundgrun "
Lieutenant Margaret Svenstrum Ace Pilot "
Captain Lewis Foulkern Born in space
DRAGON RIDER PERSONNEL
Lillian
Menalo
Enlo
ESSENCES
Commander Betty Trill
Commander PAULA LESTEN
Ensign MARVIN STERKETT Signals
Ensign BENJAMIN STILLS "
Ensign Jim Barto "
Ensign Hank Twill "
Australian area of Operations
Long Tom Ludholm Alternate Earth Reality Trucker
Merele Small Person
Greener Green III: Let Light Reign Page 32