by Saxon Andrew
Wes knew that careful consideration from an Algean meant that he had better go quickly with him because if Sprig needed help then disaster was not far away. He followed Sprig as he moved quickly thru the ship. What have you done this time, Sprig?”
Sprig kept moving and thought to him, “I’ve actually discovered a situation that I don’t think anyone else but you at the facility can help me resolve.”
“Sprig, I’m a sensor officer. What have you done to the sensors?”
Sprig stopped in front of a door and rang the entry chime. Wes stood beside Sprig and said, “Do you need someone else to help?”
The door opened and there was Linda Kay looking at them. Wes thought his heart stopped beating; Linda Kay lost her breath. That moment seemed to last forever but was actually less than a second. They reached for each other and held on tight. Wes had his eyes closed and Linda Kay was crying. Sprig thought to Wes, “I told you that in my carefully considered opinion that you were the only one on board that could handle this situation.”
Linda Kay held on to Wes like he was life itself. Wes said back to Sprig, “This makes up for any trouble you caused me. You have brought me a hundred fold more happiness than the pain from our little incident.”
Sprig’s leaves turned bright green showing his happiness and said, “Thank you, 3D.”
Linda Kay backed away so she could see Wes’ face and said, “What little incident and “3D”?”
Wes laughed and said, “I’m sure you’ll hear about it later but I want you to hear this; I love you to the bottom of my heart and I want you to marry me.”
Linda Kay reached up and softly kissed Wes. Then she said, “Who needs a big wedding? Captain Dodd can perform the ceremony tomorrow.” They stepped inside Linda Kay’s cabin and the door quietly shut.”
Sprig walked back to the library taking what he had just sensed from Wes and Linda Kay. Their emotions were complex and Sprig felt somewhat jealous of their joy. “I wish I could experience what they have,” he thought and then entered the library to continue his download with Twig.
Twig thought to him, “That was beautiful, Sprig,” then she continued her learning while Sprig separated a tiny part of his mind to think about what he had just experienced.
The twelve hundred selected to take part in the mission were assembled in the auditorium at the learning facility after all the students had completed their test on the material studied the night before. Now it was three in the afternoon facility time and they were quietly speculating among themselves what they were going to be doing when Tommy walked in and stood behind the podium. The crowd immediately grew silent. Tommy looked out at the smartest and most talented of the Stars Realm’s services. He thought about what he was going to say and then began, “I want to welcome each of you to our facility and thank you for your participation. I had originally decided to only tell you a limited amount of the classified information about what we are doing here but after careful consideration I have rejected that idea.” Tommy walked out from behind the podium and looked out at the group and said, “There is a real possibility that we could precipitate a war between the Stars Realm and an advanced civilization that is hundreds of millions of years ahead of us technologically.” The room grew still and everyone tried to comprehend the magnitude of what they had just heard. “Originally my efforts were directed at freeing a race that has been held captive for more than sixty million years. However, as most of you know, my family is somewhat gifted in psychic ability and we have sensed that even if we decide not to attempt that liberation, the advanced race in question is going to be a danger to our citizens in the future. We have even determined that the danger is somewhat diminished by moving forward with my project. Please keep that in mind as we discuss what we are up against.
Captain Dodd watched Tommy speak and was impressed with the maturity that he exhibited. She never saw his fine qualities when she was at the Academy making his life miserable. She could now see that he was someone she could follow into battle without reservation and know that the cause was just and worth risking her life. She couldn’t help herself; she was drawn and attracted to this young Duke.
Tommy paused and looked out at the audience for affect and then said, “One of the mysteries of our civilization is why an advanced race totally disappeared from the universe millions of years ago; no one has been able to explain why the Alfont disappeared so suddenly from history’s stage. Now we know. This race totally eradicated them and captured more than a million of them and imprisoned them. My father found the only Alfont that survived their attack and he is assisting us in trying to free his brothers.” The room was suddenly filled with exclamations from the assembly. Tommy stood and waited without attempting to silence them. After fifteen minutes the room grew quiet. Tommy said, “My father met that survivor on the moon and named him Atlas. He chose that name because he had the earth over his shoulders, metaphorically speaking for more than sixty million years while he hid from the captors that killed his race. During that time he would go out and put his DNA in some of the higher life forms that were developing on the planets in our galaxy during that period. He is the father of most, if not all, of the races that became the Alliance of Worlds.”
This was something that Captain Dodd had not been told and by looking at Sten and Admiral O’Donald she could tell that this was something that they did not know either. She turned her attention back to Tommy.
“I often wondered what Atlas’ race did to cause their destruction and he shared that information with me recently. One of his brothers simply entered their home system on a routine jump. This caused their total destruction.” The crowd grew noisy again and once more Tommy waited. Finally the room was quiet again. “I know what you’re thinking; why don’t we just avoid these creatures all costs and keep our distance?” Tommy saw that he had hit a nerve and there were some guilty faces in the crowd. “My family and I thought about doing just that by quarantining their section of the universe. Our combined psychic senses told us that that is the path that is most dangerous. We don’t know why but we know it to be true. Atlas is of the opinion that if he reveals what he knows about these creatures, then they will know it and come looking for us. He believes that they can sense every electronic event that happens in our universe. Quite frankly, I’m not going to run the risk of seeing if he’s wrong. Once that Alfont ship accidently entered their home system, every Alfont in the universe regardless of where they were had one of those creatures jump in directly to their location and attack them. It took more than a hundred years to kill them because the Alfont outnumbered their attackers. Atlas was able to escape strictly through luck and a timely act of God. He hid from them fearing that they would sense him.”
Tommy moved back behind the Podium and said, “In order for me to help him, I have to know what he knows and I have to find out without endangering the Realm. We know that all those creatures had to do to destroy the Alfont was just sense one of their ships and then they could see any ship like that one in all the galaxies. We cannot let them sense us in a ship that would allow them to see the Realm. It requires a ship that is unique and unlike any ship in the Stars Realm’s fleet. There is only one ship that meets that requirement, the Alexander Kosiev. You will be learning how to fly and fight that ship during your training here. If we are to be successful against this dangerous civilization, we must discover some technological breakthroughs that would allow us to survive their attack. That is why you were brought here. What we are attempting is dangerous and could get us all killed. I sensed before I started speaking to you that you should have a choice before risking your life. If anyone chooses not to participate in this operation, you will be allowed to return to your previous assignment with the understanding that if you reveal anything you have heard today you will be court marshaled and executed. This is information that we cannot allow to destroy the harmony of the Realm. That is why you have not been allowed any communication with anyone other than those present. I will give you th
irty minutes to decide what you want to do. If you choose to take part, then report back to this auditorium in thirty minutes. Those who do not report will be shipped back to their previous assignments. Thank you for your attention, dismissed.”
No one moved. The entire assembly sat there thinking about what they had just heard and knew that there was real danger in this mission. After fifteen minutes, Wes stood and said, “You highness, we’re wasting fifteen minutes of precious time when we could be learning how to kick the groad out of those captors.” Wes turned around and faced the assembly and said, “Anyone else feel like me?”
The entire room stood and cheered. They turned to their fellow crewmates and began shaking their hands. The crew shared a vision. Tommy stood from his chair and said, “Just one more thing.” The crowd remained standing and grew very quiet, “Why don’t you say hello, Atlas?”
From the intercom a voice said, “I am moved in a way that I can never express to you. Regardless of the outcome of our adventure, I know that I have a family here that means as much to me as my captured brothers. Thank you, thank you for sharing my journey.”
The assembly broke into cheers again and continued for twenty minutes. Tommy stood again and said, “Well, we lost the fifteen minutes; report to you assigned class rooms and let’s get to work.” The room emptied in less than five minutes.
Tommy watched Wes and Linda Kay approach Captain Dodd when the meeting ended. He walked off the stage to welcome Linda Kay and heard Wes say to Captain Dodd, “Captain, we would like to request that you marry us at your earliest possible convenience.”
Captain Dodd looked at the two of them and said, “Wes, your family will insist on a wedding at Castle Gardner. I don’t know that I have the authority to do what you’re asking.”
Tommy looked at Wes and Linda Kay and could feel what they were experiencing. He was almost overwhelmed by what he sensed in them. He looked at his best friend and said, “Who is going to be your best man?”
Wes looked at Tommy and said. “I thought you were psychic.”
Captain Dodd was worried about the situation but when she heard Wes’ comment to Tommy she burst out laughing. It struck her funny and she couldn’t restrain herself. She doubled over and finally caught her breath and said, “I’ll marry you. I can look at you and see that not to do that is a greater wrong than worrying about politics. Who will be the maid of honor?”
While Captain Dodd was talking with the happy couple, Tommy thought, “Rose.”
“Yes, Tommy.”
“Wes and Linda Kay have just asked Captain Dodd to marry them.”
“Oh Crap,” Rose thought. “Leila, come in here right now”
Tommy closed his eyes and watched as Leila entered the room. “Leila, Wes has just asked Captain Dodd to marry him and Linda Kay. She has agreed to do so.”
Leila said, “Now without Eric and me, she won’t.”
“Tommy, you’ve got to stop them.”
“I can’t, I’m the best man.”
“Then I’ll stop them,” Rose said.
“Bunny, there has never been a time I’ve said no to you but this time I will not allow you to intervene. Before you do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life, I want you to look at their thoughts and share them with Leila.”
“Tommy, that’s not ethical.”
“I think it is. Please do as I’ve asked,”
Rose was silent for a minute and then Tommy heard Leila say, “Oh, crap. They had better be married before they leave the room. Tommy, we’ll be there in the morning. Can you hold them off that long?”
Tommy leaned over and tapped Captain Dodd on the hand to get her attention and both Tommy and Captain Dodd jerked at the shock that hit them. Captain Dodd was stunned and Tommy was knocked to the floor. Wes ran to Tommy and helped him up while Linda Kay helped prevent an obviously disoriented Captain Dodd from falling. Tommy said, “I was trying to tell Captain Dodd that we will hold the ceremony in the morning at nine hundred hours before the assembled crew.”
“What happened,” Wes asked?
Tommy looked at his best friend and said, “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
Cassandra Dodd stood there disoriented and dazed but discovered two things simultaneously; she could now feel every inch of the Alexander Kosiev and knew that she could control the ship just by thinking about it; It felt like the ship’s computer and her mind were identical. She also discovered that when Tommy Gardner touched her she felt him and saw him for who he was and she knew that he was more than she ever imagined. Cassandra said, “We’ll do it in the morning like Duke Gardner has requested. Now, the two of you cannot see each other before then. Remember, you don’t want bad luck.”
Tommy’s brow was furrowed, that was exactly what he was going to suggest to the two love birds. Tommy said, “I agree completely.” He wobbled to his feet and took Wes by the arm and led him out of the room while Captain Dodd took Linda Kay the other way out. Both Captain Dodd and Tommy noticed that even while they were being led out of the room, Wes and Linda Kay could not take their eyes off each other.
Later that evening Cassandra was in her quarters trying to recover from the shock she had received from Tommy touching her hand. Her com buzzed and she was surprised to see Rose Gardner on her screen. “Good evening, Captain Dodd. I’m sorry for disturbing you so late but I need to discuss tomorrow’s proceedings with you.”
Cassandra stuttered, “It’s my pleasure to be at your service, Your Majesty.”
“You will not be conducting the ceremony tomorrow, Captain,” Rose said. “I will be arriving with the Royal Family, Wes’ and Linda Kay’s parents, and Tgon-Gee who will be performing the ceremony.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, you’re not getting off that easy, Captain,” Rose said with a twinkle in her eye. “We are limited in the required people to fill positions. You will be the maid of honor.”
Cassandra panicked and said, “I’m sorry but I do not have anything appropriate to wear for such a ceremony.”
“We have taken that into consideration, Captain. I will transfer you to Leila after our conversation and you will give her your exact measurements and we will bring your apparel. I expect you to participate with a smile.”
Cassandra tried to remember the last time she had dressed up for anything and drew a blank. “Yes, you highness, I am thankful for the opportunity.”
Rose looked hard at Cassandra for a moment and then Leila McAnn was on the screen. “Hello, Captain Dodd. I need some information that should take less than an hour to provide. If you do not have a tape measure you might want to go get one. My first question is, how long is your hair when not in that tight bun?”
Cassandra sighed and thought, “Oh, crap. Isn’t this going to be a hoot.”
Chapter 8
The First Male was enjoying the storms raging below his cell on the planet below when all of his attention was suddenly directed toward the Watcher. The Watcher was screaming and vibrating so fast that it was nearly impossible to see his lines clearly. Then all at once he exploded. The First Male along with two million other ships exploded from the surface of the construct and swarmed around the nexus that the watcher had been reading. This was the first death among the Captors in more than two hundred million years. The first Male arrived at the nexus and started to extend one of his feet into it to see what had happened.
“Stop, do not read that nexus,” the Queen Mother ordered from the construct.
“We must determine what happened, Mother.”
“I have sent another watcher to do that. I will not risk losing your leadership.”
The old watcher arrived at the nexus and began to insert one leg into it and immediately pulled it back. The leg was melted and half of it was gone. The Watcher did not scream but had one of his remote ships go out and cut away what remained of the damaged leg. The old watcher said. “The nexus is too hot to enter. Something has raised the temperature higher than a star
’s core.”
The first Male ordered all watchers to go check the other nexuses that were in their galaxy but to use caution. In less than an hour it was determined that every nexus was too hot to enter. For the first time in their long history, the Captors were blind to the universe around them. The First Male was extremely agitated about what was taking place. “Watcher, can you determine what has caused this?”
“No,” the old watcher said, “and until the nexus cools enough to enter I will be unable to find out. I have never seen this before.”
The first male was concerned. This watcher was one of the oldest members of their ancient society. He thought a moment and ordered, “All warriors spread out and make sure nothing enters our domain. You will maintain your positions until Watcher is able to reenter the nexus.” Throughout the Captor’s galaxy, the huge red ships swarmed looking for what could have burned the nexus.
Tommy was standing at the center of the stage with Wes waiting for Linda Kay to walk down the aisle. Everyone in the facility was there to witness the wedding. Tgon-Gee stood next to Wes waiting to start the proceedings. Leila, Eric, Linda Kay’s parents, Danielle, and Tag were seated on the front row. Rose stood next to Tgon-Gee looking beautiful in her rose colored gown. She wore the crown of the Stars Realm which Tommy had not seen her do very often. Even Twig and Sprig had left their readers to attend.