Defending Earth-Searching for Death Feeders

by Saxon Andrew

  Kyle sighed, “Most wars are.”

  Nicole tilted her head as she turned back to her display, “I was wondering something.” Kyle looked at her. “The Fleet Leader had to have the records of the scout that found the planet of telepaths the Red Aliens conquered pulled to examine them.” Kyle nodded. “Why didn’t he just ask the scout?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, if the scout wasn’t there at his fleet, where is it?”

  Kyle stared at her for a moment with his brow furrowed and then his eyes flew wide open, “Oh my God! Amber, take us out of here to Fleet Operations!”

  “But this battle is long from being decided.”

  “AMBER, DO IT NOW!!”

  Nicole shook her head and wondered what was happening, “Kyle, you need to stay and make sure our fleets do what’s necessary to win!”

  “Nicole, our Admirals are going to have to earn their keep. Where did that question come from!?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “If you had to guess, where would you say that scout is now?”

  Nicole stared at Kyle with a blank expression and then her face showed shock, “It’s gone to scout the target after the Red Alien’s planet of telepaths.”

  “And where would the next target be located?”

  “It’s headed toward our cluster.” Nicole’s eyes narrowed and she shouted, “Stop us now!”

  Kyle looked at her, “What?”

  “Stop us at above our cluster and start moving back toward the Coma Cluster. I need to see if I can sense that scout.”

  “It might already be in our cluster.”

  “That’s not likely.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it would have been checking out the galaxy the Feeder Fleet is currently located for another planet of telepaths before it started toward us. If it found another planet, it might still be in that galaxy; I doubt it’s arrived in the Virgo Super Cluster.”

  “Amber, notify Kyley what’s going on and take us above M-87 and start moving toward the Coma Cluster. Nicole, do you honestly think you can sense a single Death Feeder traveling in the intergalactic void?”

  “We should use the barrier.”

  “That’s not an answer?”

  “How would I know? Can you see another way to do it?” Kyle shook his head. Nicole looked up, “Willow, you should contact Grengel and tell him to order every Goran in their galaxy to put on a thought blocker and keep it on until we locate this scout.”

  “Kyle?”

  “Do as she says, Willow.”

  “How did you know about the Goran carrying thought blockers?”

  “When I met with Grengel, I saw one on his robe’s belt. I didn’t know what it was at the time but it makes sense that the Goran would have to prepare to eventually use them if the Feeders showed up.” Kyle stared at Nicole and she shook her head, “I wasn’t nudged. So that tells me we’re not in critical danger…yet.”

  Kyle blew out a breath and shook his head, “That’s the damnable thing about this, there’s no way to know for certain.” Kyle said, “Amber go in the barrier and start moving toward the Coma Super Cluster. Try to keep it centered above M-87.”

  “How fast do you want to move?”

  “About twenty times faster than the scout can move in the void.” Kyle looked at Nicole, “I’m contacting Kyley and telling her what we’re doing. If you sense anything, interrupt me.” Nicole nodded and closed her eyes.

  • • •

  The Scout moved out of the galaxy and felt his anger starting to get the best of him. He wasted more than two weeks attempting to locate a telepathic species on a planet only to find it was a species of large fish. The thought field around the planet could be detected more than six light years away. He arrived and searched the planet and was sure the species that was telepathic was hiding only to find…stupid fish. They weren’t intelligent, so they wouldn’t be a good meal. He shook himself and tried to put his frustration aside. FISH…STUPID FISH!! What a waste of time. He looked out across the void and saw the distant lights of another galactic cluster in the far distance. He looked at his display and saw it was about three hundred million light years away. One of his species had reported a highly telepathic species in that cluster more than a hundred revolutions in the past. He had eight paralyzed bodies in his hold and he hoped they would be enough to feed him until he arrived and could gather others. He pushed the engines and knew he had more than three weeks before he arrived. He sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling as he screamed mentally, FISH!

  He almost activated his communicator to talk with someone in the fleet but that would be a violation of his protocols. He started to go back and consume one of the beings but decided he should be careful. He’d be in trouble if his food stores ran out. He stood up and walked around the tiny bridge. Who would have ever considered that a primitive fish could be telepathic? Fish for star’s sake! He shook his body and forced himself to release his anger. Could this constant thoughts about them be a byproduct of making mental contact with them? He forced his thoughts on another subject but after a few minutes he was back to thinking about those damnable, stupid, primitive, water logged, scaled, slimy, orange colored FISH! The things had infected his psyche. He sat back and closed his eye. Damn fish.

  After thirty minutes he opened his eye and slumped in his chair. He saw the distant lights were a little larger and hoped this mental infection would pass before he arrived at that distant cluster. He focused on the minds of the beings in his hold and could barely hear them. How was he going to find a telepathic species if he couldn’t detect minds less than a hundred feet from where he was sitting. He put his head in his hands and shook it. All he could see was orange fish swimming in giant schools. This was a unique form of hell. He almost turned back but decided that there was a possibility he could infect others if he made mental contact with them. He slammed the arm of his chair with his clawed hand and wailed mentally.

  • • •

  Nicole’s eyes snapped open, “Slow down!”

  Kyle sat up straight, “Do you sense something?”

  “I just heard a Feeder wailing. We’ve not near it…yet. But slow down, it’s in front of us.”

  “Willow?”

  “I don’t hear it, Kyle.”

  Nicole shook her head, “This particular Feeder is really suffering.”

  “From what?”

  “I’m not sure. However, something has it really bothered.”

  “Willow, take a look in Nicole’s mind and see if you can determine what’s going on.” After ten minutes, Kyle looked up, “Well?”

  “I can hear it and something is going on with that Feeder.”

  “What?”

  “It appears that Feeder found a planet with a species of telepathic primitive fish and made mental contact with them. Now his mind is being plagued by that contact. He can’t get them out of his thoughts. He just wondered if he would infect other members of his species if he makes mental contact with them.”

  “Boy, if he made mental contact with the Feeder Fleet while they were linked he could infect every one of them.”

  Kyle’s eyes widened and he looked up, “What?”

  “I’m just saying.”

  “Amber, that’s a great suggestion.”

  “Sure, but how do you make it happen?”

  “Don’t even think about it!”

  “Come on, Willow. This is worth doing.”

  Nicole listened to the exchange and tilted her head, “What is worth doing?”

  “Kyle is thinking about taking control of the Scout’s mind and sending it back to the Feeder Fleet.”

  Nicole’s eyes went wide, “Oh no you didn’t consider that?”

  Kyle’s lips tightened and he shook his head, “Remember that Hensel killed a Feeder mentally by making it commit suicide. I have the same mind he had and it’s only one Feeder.”

  “No!”

  “Nicole, this could save thousands of
our pilots if we could pull it off.”

  “NO!”

  Kyle sat back in his chair, “Why are you adamant about this?”

  “I just don’t…it shouldn’t be done.”

  “You just don’t what?”

  Nicole shook her head, “I don’t want to lose you. It’s not worth the risk.”

  Kyle stared at her for a long moment, sat back in his chair, and sighed, “Nicole, our fleets are going to attack those Feeders when they’re linked. Are you suggesting my life, against the tens of thousands that could die, is more important?”

  “I am.”

  “If you could do it, would you? Remember that most of your people are on ships with our pilots assisting them.”

  Nicole closed her eyes and shook her head, “I would still insist you not do it.”

  “Is this a nudge?” Nicole stared at him, lowered her head, and shook it.

  “I have to try.”

  “Kyle, I can hear the Scout now and have it pretty much located.”

  “Willow, give the coordinates to Amber and move us close to that scout in the barrier.”

  Nicole turned to her panel and fought the tears that screamed for release. She prayed Kyle was right but worried he wasn’t. She activated the main disruptors and set them to automatically target the next vessel they encountered. She turned and kept her eyes on Kyle as she put a finger on the firing button. If he showed any indication that he was affected by the Feeder, she wouldn’t hesitate to push it. Kyle saw what she was doing and smiled, “Don’t be too fast on that. I’ll raise my arms when I make contact, if I lower them, then fire away.” Nicole nodded.

  The Scout appeared on the main monitor and Kyle said, “Amber, lower the force field.” The force field around the light ship disappeared and Kyle raised his arms and removed his thought blocker. He closed his eyes and saw the Feeder’s mind.

  • • •

  The Feeder was in misery. It was struggling to remain coherent. “I should go back to the planet where the enemy is located that’s attacking the Fleet and wait for them to participate in the link.” It never considered that it had no way of knowing about that planet. It saw the coordinates of the planet and entered them into its console. It turned the small ship and headed back toward the galaxy it had left. It went to its fastest speed in the void and rushed back toward the distant planet.

  Nicole saw Kyle’s arms drop slightly and she almost opened fire but she could see the main monitor and the scout was changing course. Her eyes were little more than slits when Kyle opened his eyes and smiled, “Done.”

  Nicole collapsed in her chair and wept. She turned her back to Kyle and shook as she released her fears and tears.

  Kyle saw her and slowly stood up and walked over to her chair. He turned it around and Nicole put her hands over her eyes. He knelt in front of her and took her in his arms. She put her arms around his neck and wept. He slowly rocked her and softly said, “It’s alright. It’s alright.”

  “No it’s not.”

  Kyle smiled, “Yes it is. I’m fine.”

  “What if you were infected by that Feeder?”

  Kyle paused and his smile disappeared, “I didn’t consider that?”

  Nicole leaned back and hit him on the arm, “Of course you didn’t, you big idiot.”

  Kyle thought for a few moments and said, “I didn’t really go deep into its mind. I just sent some suggestions it can’t ignore. However, that was pretty stupid wasn’t it?” Nicole stared into his eyes and burst out laughing. “What?”

  “I sensed the Nudges protected you from that infection or I would have blasted that scout into dust.” Kyle looked into her eyes and sighed. Nicole lowered her head and said, “Don’t worry about me, Kyle. I know you still belong to Callie.”

  Kyle’s eyes narrowed, “What?”

  “It’s alright. I know how much you loved her and how much you miss her.”

  “Just how do you know that?”

  Nicole stared at him, “It’s obvious. Now let’s get back to work.” Nicole turned back to her console and Kyle remained on his knee for a moment before he stood up and went to his chair. He turned around and stared at his display showing the scout moving through the void. He remained in that position for a very long time.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Fleet Leader, we have lost more than a third of our warships. We can’t continue to lose ships like this. There won’t be enough left to take this planet.”

  The Fleet Leader didn’t want to leave this prize but knew his Second was right. “All ships; prepare to jump to the coordinates of these attacker’s home world. We will be jumping in fifteen seconds.”

  • • •

  The Red Fleet Commander was worried about losing all his ships to this telepathic species and was about to issue orders to reform when every enemy ship disappeared from normal space and didn’t reappear, “What’s going on?”

  “Commander, the enemy has entered the void and they have left on a course toward our home world.”

  “ORDER ALL SHIPS INTO THE VOID AND GIVE CHASE! We have to stop them from attacking the planet.”

  The void was full of warships headed toward the Red Aliens’ home world. The Red Ships were faster than the Feeders and would arrive slightly ahead of them. The Feeder Fleet Leader smiled and slowed his ships slightly. They would arrive linked and then he’d see how this species faired against his ships. He would enjoy killing every one of them.

  • • •

  “Admiral Norden, delay your attack until I authorize it!”

  “Sorry, Sir, but the First Commander has ordered us to attack as soon as the Feeders kill the Red Alien Fleet.”

  Kyle almost lost his temper but he forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and keyed the communicator, “Admiral, I chose you for promotion because of your ability to look at things and make a good decision. Don’t prove me wrong in choosing you to lead our fleets.”

  Eric looked at Kelly and rubbed his fingers through his hair, “Sir, I don’t have enough information to make that decision.”

  “I’ve sent the scout that was going to find the Goran back to the Feeder Fleet. It’s been infected by contact with a species of telepathic fish. If that scout links with the Feeders when they’re linked, it could infect them as well. We need to see if it happens.”

  Eric’s eyes narrowed, “What does this infection do?”

  “It prevents them from doing anything but focusing on those fish.”

  “Sir, I’ll delay but we have to hit them before they skip away.”

  “Fair enough. The scout will arrive about an hour after the Feeder Fleet. I suspect they will take at least that long to kill the fleet and go after the planet.”

  “Will they stay linked that long?”

  “They’ll stay linked until they complete the destruction of the planet. If they finish faster than that, go ahead and attack them but make sure every ship has their thought blockers at full power.”

  “Yes Sir. I am going to notify First Commander Ambrose about the change in my orders.”

  “Tell her what I just told you.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  • • •

  “That was a little heavy handed.”

  “I know but he listened and is doing the right thing. How long before the Feeders arrive at the Red Aliens’ home world, Amber?”

  “The Red Alien Fleet has already arrived and is forming up around the planet. I think the Feeders deliberately slowed their approach to make sure they were all there.”

  “That has to mean they’ll arrive mentally linked.”

  “Kyle, the Fleet Leader has ordered all ships to prepare to link prior to entering normal space.”

  “Thanks, Willow.” Kyle turned around and looked at Nicole, “You mentioned earlier the Nudges prevented my mind from being infected.”

  “They did and they took a huge risk to do it.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “The scout sensed them. If it
doesn’t infect the Feeder Fleet, they’ll learn of their existence, which will lead to every Feeder Attack Fleet coming to find them.”

  Kyle’s eyes narrowed, “Why would they take that kind of risk?”

  Nicole sighed, “It appears there’s more to you than you, or I, think. I sense they believe you are critical to their survival. I’d have Admiral Norden attack before the scout arrives to possibly prevent the Fleet Leader from having an opportunity to take a close look at its mind.”

  Kyle stared at Nicole and then looked up, “Willow.”

  “Yes.”

  “Did the probes collect the light signature of the Fleet Leader’s vessel?”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I want you to really focus on that Leader and if it determines the existence of the Nudges, we are skipping in and attacking that ship.”

  “Kyyylllleeeee!”

  “Willow, we’ll skip in and skip out. Nicole will fire as soon as we arrive next to it.”

  “But it’s going to be at the strongest spot of their linkage.”

  “Then we’ll find out if our thought blocker force field is all it’s cracked up to be. We will do this.”

  “It might detect me listening to it.”

  “That’s not necessarily bad. It will distract it from focusing on the scout.”

  “There’s a better way to accomplish the same thing.”

  Kyle looked at Nicole, “What is that?”

  “Skip in and kill the scout if Willow doesn’t detect the infection in other Feeders. I suspect the Feeder Leader will be preoccupied and will take a few moments before it focuses on it.”

  Kyle shook his head, “This is the second time you’ve come up with an extraordinary tactic. Was that idea a nudge?”

  “No, it just seems obvious.”

  “Willow, what’s going on with her?”

  Nicole’s eyebrows went up and she opened her mouth but heard Willow say, “It appears her kerit and Human brains are organizing in a rather remarkable way. It’s like when Lukas changed his DNA to human. His mind improved over time and he became much more than he was when he initially arrived on Earth.”

  “Will she become telepathic?”

  “I don’t know. But the level of energy in her brain is fifty percent higher than it was when she first converted her DNA.”