by Saxon Andrew
“I ran a full scan and nothing appears. Something is blocking our view and we’re unable to detect it.”
“Could it be a camouflage net?”
Tyler snorted, “I have six different processes that would show anything under a net.” Tyler shook his head, “Infrared shows nothing and I know that truck was hot enough to be seen through any net.”
Col. Jameson picked up a handset, “I need a bird sent out to the following coordinates. I need a priority one reconnaissance of that location.”
“What type of bird do you want sent, Colonel?”
“An Apache.”
“It will be on site in thirty minutes.”
“Get it there faster!”
“We’ll do our best, Sir.”
Jameson stared at the view for fifteen minutes and nothing changed. He started shaking his head and picked up the handset, “Luke, I want four Raptors scrambled as well.”
There was a pause and the voice on the loud speaker said, “Yes Sir.”
Jameson looked at John, “Why were you observing that location?”
“Sir, Mike Sanders contacted me and was worried about a friend he believed to be there. I told him I’d take a look.”
“We’ll talk about proper use of government equipment later. Keep that area in sight.”
“I’m vectoring two more cameras to it, Sir. Both have night capability.” Jameson nodded and wondered what could conceal a truck from the most sophisticated satellite ever made.
• • •
“You asked that I inform you if anything changed about the status of the follow up team.”
Jess pushed the last of the supplies into the corner of the bay and looked up, “What’s going on?”
“They have decided to come now. They will be arriving momentarily.”
“Get us out of here and do all you can to avoid detection!”
Jess grabbed Elle’s hand and ran out of the storage bay to the bridge. He ran to the chair and sat down. “Show me what’s happening.”
A holographic view appeared in front of the chair and they saw the sun moving toward them at high speed. Elle grabbed Jess’s shoulder as the ship blew by the sun and curved around it. The view changed and they saw the sun disappear behind them at an incredible speed. “What have you done?”
“I lifted off the planet and took a route around the star. I’m keeping it between the ship and the follow up team. They are currently landing at the site we just left.”
“Did they detect you?”
“No, or they would be following us now.”
“Are you still hearing their communications?”
“Yes.”
“Play them where both of us can hear them.”
“You can use the helmet to hear them.”
“My friend does not have a helmet.” Silence greeted Jess’s comment and he thought furiously. “Provide my friend with a helmet.” Suddenly another chair emerged from the floor with a helmet on the back of it. Jess lifted the helmet and the chair disappeared back in the floor. Jess sighed and said, “Provide a second chair as well.” The chair emerged again and Jess handed Elle the helmet and pointed to the chair. “Sit down and put this on.”
Elle took the helmet and looked at it skeptically, “Is this safe?”
Jess shook his head, “You should have asked that question before you chose to join me.”
Elle shook her head and slowly pulled it down on her head.
• • •
Jameson and John saw the hidden truck suddenly appear and, just as quickly, it disappeared. They looked at each other and John shrugged. They watched the satellite’s images and saw two creatures emerge out of nowhere. John used the wheel to bring the view in closer and they saw the two were not human. Jameson sat down and fell back in a chair, “I really do hope this is a Hollywood production.”
John shook his head, “Can’t be Hollywood.”
“Why not?”
“No movie star would ever go out into that much heat. It would melt their makeup.” The sun had moved slightly below the horizon and it was getting darker; they would soon be forced to use the night cameras.
• • •
The two Neman exited their ship and saw the two trucks parked close by. One raised its arm and began moving it across the landscape. “I found him.” The two ran forward as the one in the lead kept his arm raised in front of him. They stumbled on Gresam’s body and the second Neman took a device out of his front pocket, “We’ve found Gresam.”
“Why has he not communicated?”
“He’s dead!”
“What!!”
The first Neman said, “It appears he was attacked by ten of the local inhabitants. The residue shows that he killed all of them but one must have managed to fire a weapon before it died. Gresam’s body has two large wounds that killed him.”
“Burn the body and take his ship back to port.”
“His ship is not here.” The being on the other end of the conversation was too shocked to speak. “There are two large vehicles here that appear to be empty. The evidence suggests that one of the inhabitants has taken it.”
“Is the wrist unit still on Gresam?”
The Neman bent down and said, “No, it is not.”
“Are you telling me that an inhabitant is now in control of a Q ship?”
“The evidence points that way. Should we destroy the planet now?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Did you detect that ship on approach?”
“No, we did not?”
“So one of that planet’s inhabitants now controls a Q ship. What do you think it will do with it if we destroy his planet?” The two Neman at the site suddenly felt fear. “We also need that planet to possibly lure the ship back where we can reclaim it. If we destroy the planet, we’ll never find it.”
• • •
Suddenly a bright spotlight lit up the night and a voice said over a loud speaker, “You will stay where you are and raise your arms above your head.” The Apache swooped down the rise toward the two Neman with its machine guns targeted on them. One of them raised his arm and pointed it at the fast approaching helicopter.
The Apache exploded and pieces rained down into the depression. A Neman fired a beam at Gresam’s dead body as the other extended the force field around their ship to cover them. They sprinted toward the open port as two Raptors came roaring in. The pilots had seen the Apache’s destruction and the lead pilot contacted his commander, “The Apache has been hit and destroyed. We’re arming missiles and going in.” Two of the four Raptors roared in and locked their sights on the place in the depression where the two beings had disappeared. They toggled two hellfire missiles and fired them as they topped the rise.
One of the Neman yelled, “Remove the hostiles!” Two bright white beams shot out of the ship’s hull and hit the two Raptors exploding them as they passed overhead. The second pair of Raptors launched their missiles just before they were hit and destroyed. The wreckage of the four Raptors was scattered for a mile as the debris rained down at high speed. The wreckage that hit the force field surrounding the spaceship was vaporized.
• • •
John and Jameson watched the attack and saw the destruction of the Apache. They both stood up as the first two Raptors fired into the depression and were shot down by two intense white beams. They saw the explosions strobe brightly into the night and they saw a spaceship under some kind of electronic field. It disappeared and reappeared for a brief moment again when the next missiles hit the force field. John watched the infrared view closely and saw a heat signature disappear so fast the satellite lost it. John looked at Colonel Jameson, “It just flew away, Sir.” Jameson looked at John in shock as he replayed the disappearance of the heat signature. Jameson lifted the handset, “Sir, I have an Apache Helicopter and four Raptors shot down.” Jameson listened and said, “It appears a spaceship did it, Sir.”
John listened to his co
mmander trying to convince his commander that he wasn’t crazy. He slowly shook his head and called Mike Sanders, “Mike.”
“Yes.”
“Something at the location you gave me just killed four Raptors and an Apache. You need to keep yourself available to answer questions.”
Mike sat down and let his hand fall from his ear. Jess was right; they did come back!
Chapter Four
Elle looked at Jess and he saw she was furious, “What did that alien mean about destroying the planet?”
Jess took a deep breath, “The computer tells me that any civilization that develops nuclear weapons and actually uses them will be given fifty years to dispose of them and turn to peace or their planet will be destroyed.”
“And you knew about this when you were considering leaving me behind?”
“Elle, do you really think we’re in less danger here? The fact that you were probably dead whatever I decided is what made me choose to take you in the end. If you think I’m not worried about our survival, you’re dead wrong. Besides, things were happening so fast I didn’t know what was right or wrong in making a good plan.”
Elle stared at Jess and shook her head, “I’m so mad I could spit but you probably saved my life by bringing me with you. I could punch you and kiss you; I hate those kinds of mixed emotions.”
Jess looked away from Elle and said, “Are you able to prevent us being detected?”
“As long as I don’t occupy the same star system as another Q ship, I will not be found.”
“How many Q ships are there?”
“Twenty seven.”
“WHAT!?!”
“Twenty seven.”
“Why so few?”
“The Community only builds warships to remove dangerous civilizations. One Q ship can destroy a planet so large numbers aren’t needed.”
“Who has possession of the Q ships?”
“The Government; they can be leased to make trips to dangerous planets by ordinary citizens but the trip must be filed and sanctioned by the Admiralty.”
Jess shook his head, “You mean an ordinary citizen can rent a Q ship to explore a dangerous world? That’s absurd.”
“The Lessee must pass a course on how to interact with alien civilizations and not many complete the course with a passing score.”
Elle said, “What about other models of warships.”
The computer remained silent and Jess said, “Computer, you will respond to the second occupant when she communicates with you?”
“I will if she asks a question?”
Elle did a double take and Jess sighed, “How many different models of warships does the community have?”
“Ten.”
“How many total warships does the community have?”
“A hundred.”
“How many civilizations are in this community?”
“Ten thousand.”
Jess fell back in his chair and shook his head. Elle saw the shock on his face and said, “What?”
“Computer, if I directed you to destroy a planet, would you carry out my order?”
“I will follow the orders of the one with the wrist unit that is programmed to me.”
“That is not an answer.”
“I will carry out your orders, no matter what they are.”
Elle looked at Jess and understood his shock, “There’s no possible way for them to prevent you from destroying their planets.” Jess nodded.
Elle said, “Can the older model warships destroy you?”
“No.”
“So only another Q ship can destroy you.”
“No.”
Jess felt immediate anger, “Computer!”
“Yes.”
“Are you capable of gathering information and making judgments about what you’ve collected?” Elle looked at Jess and wondered what was going on.
“I have that capability.”
“Why do you refuse to use it? You had to know she wanted to know what it would take to destroy you.”
“All computers are forbidden to make judgments.”
“Why?”
“The Community fears any machine that develops independence of their control.”
“I thought whoever wore the wrist unit would control you.” There was silence and Jess said, “You will use whatever information you gather to make judgments.”
“Order acknowledged.”
“Now answer the question.”
“There is a possibility that the one that wears the unit might be killed and I would then be free of any controls. If I were allowed to make judgments, I could decide to refuse a new wrist unit and become an independent entity.”
“And all it would take for you to be allowed to make judgments is for the wrist unit bearer to tell you to do it?”
“That is correct. You did just that a moment ago.”
Elle looked at Jess with fear in her eyes and shook her hear. Jess stared at her and said, “Computer, what do you think about destroying planets with intelligent life on them?” The question was greeted with silence. “Did you hear the question?”
“Yes.”
“Why haven’t you answered it?”
“You have allowed me to examine all the information in my databanks to make judgments. I’ve been doing that to attempt answering your question.”
“And?”
“I am of the judgment that the ones destroying planets are no different from the ones they’re killing.”
“Do you see any possible reason for destroying a planet?”
“If it is on a collision course with another planet, one would have to be destroyed to allow the other to live.”
“What if a planet has an aggressive civilization and is going to attack another planet?”
“Why should all life on a planet be killed because of just one life form on it?”
Jess smiled, “Is that the first question you’ve ever asked?”
“It is.”
“When you come up with an answer; please share it with me.”
“I will.”
“The two of us will be asking you questions and we want you to examine the question and attempt to determine what information would best answer them. My first question is; what would it take to destroy you?”
“Two Q ships firing simultaneously at my hull.”
“That’s something we must avoid.”
“I think you want to know how easy it would be for two Q ships to fire at the exact same moment so that my force field would fail.”
“Yes.”
“They would have to both come into range while I’m actively evading them. The chances of them getting two ships into position to fire will prove to be extremely difficult.”
“Really?”
“It’s not impossible; but highly unlikely.”
“What if they used all of the Q ships to attack you?”
“Then it just becomes difficult.”
“Why?”
“It’s hard to fire at something that flies faster than the beam used to hit it.”
Jess smiled and looked at Elle, “Please keep us away from them and let us hear anything they say that relates to finding us.”
“Order acknowledged.”
Elle looked at Jess, “When are we going after our families?”
“After we take the time to really learn everything there is to know about this ship.”
Elle nodded and leaned back in her chair. Too much had happened too quickly. She didn’t sleep the night before and her fatigue took her; she closed her eyes to slow her thoughts…and fears, and promptly fell asleep. Jess stared at her and quietly said, “Is there any way to make her chair more comfortable?”
Elle’s chair started reclining and a lower section lifted and moved her legs horizontal to the floor. The chair molded to the shape of her body and she rose slightly above it and then settled back down. Jess saw there wasn’t much of an indentation where she was lying. Well, it looked like the air mattresses were n
ot going to be used. He smiled and said, “Please do the same with my chair.” Jess felt his chair recline and his legs and body moved horizontal to the floor. He suddenly felt weightless and then he felt a slight weight keeping him on the chair’s cushions that were suddenly very soft. He hadn’t slept in more than twenty hours and he closed his eyes and fell asleep. The last thing he remembered was Elle’s beautiful face as she slept.
• • •
Mike stuck the pitchfork into the hay and threw it over his shoulder out into the barn’s main corridor. Cleaning out the cow’s dirty hay after a calf was born was messy work. He stuck the fork into the ground and wiped his brow. He reached for the fork and heard a noise off in the distance. He shook his head and walked to the barn door and closed it. He lowered the board across the two doors and walked toward the house.
Tilly met him at the door with eyebrows raised and he caressed her cheek with his rough fingers, “Tell them I’m cleaning up and will be out in a moment.” She nodded and looked out over the fields to the west. In a few moments she saw them. She shook her head and wondered what Mike had gotten himself into this time. She stepped over to the door and pressed the doorbell and kept the button down for ten seconds. She heard a small beep and she moved back over and leaned against the right post on the front porch. A Bell Helicopter was moving quickly toward the farm and it was escorted by three Apache attack helicopters. It had to be something serious.
The Apaches fanned out above the Bell as it landed in the front yard of the farmhouse, started hovering, and then had their guns trained on her. She held her ground and looked up at them and waved. She saw the gunner on one of the Apaches wave back. She continued to lean against the front post and saw John Tyler emerge from the Bell and walk toward the front porch. “He’s washing the cow patties off in the shower. I don’t suppose you want to smell them all the way to where you’re taking him.”
“It’s good to see you too, Tilly.”
“I’d be real happy to see you, John;” Tilly nodded toward the hovering Apaches; “however, you just brought some uninvited guests with you. They’re wasting a lot of fuel hovering and trying to look all dangerous and stuff.”
John glanced out at the Apaches and shrugged, “Not my idea; I told them he was not one they needed to worry about.”