by SJ McGarry
"Please excuse Purry,” Kisa added coming to Purry’s defense. “She had a traumatic experience. As a young astrocat, some aliens found her and tortured her. They left her to die on a deserted planet. As a result, she is skittish around any small life-form. Purry will be one of our contacts here at the castle. She has no superpowers, at least not to our knowledge, but she is dependable and will do her best to help us with the success of the mission."
"Nice to meet you, Purry."
"My pleasure," Purry replied.
"What are your responsibilities?" A grin spread across her face as she waited for Scruffy's reply.
"Me? Oh! Well, I guess I am an overseer or administrator. I'm to make sure everything goes smooth and as planned. I also send reports back to King Montrobius and the Council Members of the Centaurian Empire while keeping all the Fur, and Feathered Warriors focused on the mission."
"So, you're saying while I'm growing up and training to become a warrior, each of you will stand by providing help and protection and also be with me on the trip to Earth?"
"Correct, Princess. I am in contact with my best friend, Bedad. He is a noble and feared warrior in the country of Wethersfield, and has magical powers, which you will understand at our first, official meeting. He is the protector of Grizel, your great-grandmother, who will take care of your earlier duties on Utropia during your absence from the planet of Centaurius."
"Oh!" Nella's mouth curved into a round ‘O,’ ending in a big yawn. "It'll be comforting to know I will have protection and friends to help me." BC Memories flooded into Nella's new, little brain as visions faded in and out of her BC memory bank.
"That's the plan. Again, let me speak for each of us present. It is an honor to serve."
"Good. Now, if you will not think me rude, I am tired and need to sleep. I'm counting on each of you to follow through with your assignments to assure the success of the mission and thank you for your loyalty and service."
"For the planets, Centaurius and Earth and all within," Scruffy saluted.
"Hear, hear to the planets Centaurius and Earth," Cluck-Cluck, Kisa, and Purry echoed.
"To the planets, Earth, Centaurius, and to the future of all galaxies of the Universe," Nella added. Her eyes closed as she drifted back to sleep, unaware of the inevitable summons awaiting her at the turn of 1,600 Centaurian rings.
CHAPTER 16
The Summons
Spiral Ring
Years spiral by without notice when you are having fun. Sixteen-hundred rings in time revolved since Nella’s birth.
Around eight-hundred rings into her childhood, the Royal Family received a summons from the King of the Centaurian Empire. She remembered her dad reading the message scrawled upon an old parchment scroll and whispering to her mother. Nella put in the BC memory chip to watch on the VIV screen.
BC DOWNLOAD BEGIN:
‘To make a point here, Megan, this happens to be the first time the Royal Family of Utropia has ever received a summons to appear in peace times before the governing powers of the Empire. This unexpected summons has me concerned," Johan said, raking his hand through his silvery hair shimmered like the snow-capped peaks of the majestic Mt. Ijuf.
"I know," Megan replied pushing back a long strand of persimmon curls falling over her shoulder. "I dislike all the mystery. The subtext is worrisome. Why did they not contact us by a hologram form or send us a BCC? Why do they demand our presence in person?"
Little specks of golden dust swirled around her apple-green eyes as she narrowed in on the signature section of the summons.
"What's so top secret causing them to revert to something so arcane and ancient methods of delivery-sealed in wax, no less? According to the timeline, we still have another 800 spiral rings until the actual summons."
"I'm as confused as you. Must be another breach with the OMNIS III computer. I'm sure we will find out soon enough."
Holding at bay the tears threatening to spill from her frightened eyes, Megan dabbed at them with her handkerchief. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked up at her husband to see the storm brewing in his tired eyes.
"After the last battle with Zennibar, I loathe the thought of you returning to active duty, status, Johan. I don't want to lose you!’
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Nella did not miss the non-verbal looks passing between her parents as she viewed the VIV. The concern etched on her father's rugged face almost broke her heart as the scene faded from the screen. Since she only lived in peace times, she could only speculate the after-effects of war.
At 1600 rings, the day of the summons arrived causing a wave of panicked emotions to hit Nella full-scale. Her stomach cramped, and it felt like a hungry, slithering space-serpent squeezing her like its prey.
“Tessie, I don’t like the feelings I’m getting about this summons from King Montrobius. My stomach feels like my insides are kneading it to a pulp!”
“I’m sure everything will be just fine Princess. Remember, this is all foretold in the prophecies, and you have been preparing throughout your entire life for this, regardless of the self-doubt of your capabilities. I will be with you should you need help. I will send you power waves to support the strength you will need. Just send me your BC alert.”
“If you say so. I still don’t have to like this!”
Within her internal sensory BC intake, Nella felt the mounting waves of the prophecies unraveling in a domino-like effect. With the catastrophic, foretold events unfolding, she saw her present way of life-changing, never to be the same again.
In the early development of the planets and countries in the Andromeda Galaxy, many wars and battles left heroic scars in history. Through bloodshed and personal sacrifice, the monumental loss of lives recorded their sacrifices. Within Nella's own country of Utropia, their military forces fought with honor and won many wars under the service of brave and loyal warriors, much like her father. Those successful wars brought the peace and prosperity they enjoyed today. But nothing lasts forever.
When one receives a direct summons from the highest level of the Centaurian Empire one does not ignore orders, and it scared the jeepers out of her.
Now that the day of the summons was here, her parents still pondered over the concern expressed by King Montrobius and his Council, which requested their physical presence. No matter what various scenarios they discussed, besides the wizard Zennibar's frequent aggravated attacks, or Nella's future role as the Princess Warrior of Centaurius, they did not understand the urgency.
Johan summoned Konan to bring his Centaurian Airstream around to the side of the castle to prepare for their journey. Once again, the King insisted he would fly his Airstream himself to the King's palace.
"I would like you to stay here and guard the castle in our absence. Keep the probes and BC spiral energy waves open with us in case we need your help."
"As you wish. I can beam to the headquarters of the Empire if needed." Konan nodded as he helped secure Queen Megan and Princess Nella as their seats molded around their body forms and locked in place.
Johan keyed in the trip's coordinates and started up his pride and joy, taking off in a smooth upward motion into the Utropia airspace. The trip would take about ten Centaurian rings, equivalent to about an hour in Earth travel. The cities faded out of view as their Airstream flew towards their destination.
UPON THEIR ARRIVAL, they saw an unusual amount of activity of Centaurian scout ships coming and going, carrying an arsenal of heavy machinery cargo. As their Jetstream approached the entrance, the guards motioned for them to stop while they checked their logs. Johan handed over their Interplanetary Galaxy ID cards and stated the reason for their business. He showed them the summons with the official royal seal from King Montrobius. After passing the first checkpoint, the guards guided the Airstream down into a single terminal slot.
Another set of soldiers appeared as the Royal Family stepped out of their Airstream aircraft and directed them towards a set of stairs spiraling down to a lower platf
orm.
Nella and her parents descended the stairs winding to the governing empire's headquarters. As she looked back at their Airstream, she saw the soldiers conducting a comprehensive probe of the spacecraft with about ten, K-9 dogbots, cloned and programmed to look more like wolves on a triple dose of steroids, with huge muscles vibrating through their thick coats. The dogbots lifted their over-sized snouts into the air, sniffing and scoping for anything posing a potential threat. She heard their snarls and barking as they entered the next checkpoint.
This secured area used a VIV vision probe scanning their bodies, revealing everything down to their bony skeletons; a requirement for anyone who gains access to the highest level of government rulers in the Centaurian Empire. Nothing concealed went undetected past the stringent security check. The Royal Family followed the guard to an encapsulated room where they would beam to the Empire's Command Center, transporting them to a higher dimension within the rings while providing the magical protection.
As the portals lifted to give the Royal Family entrance, the conference room gave the perception of spaciousness into infinity, lost within itself. A gigantic dome sat positioned at the top of the high ceiling providing anyone in the room with a spectacular view of the Centaurius galaxy. An impressive telescope stood centered on an elevated platform, and with a hand command, it rose to the top of the opening, providing a breathtaking and uninhibited view of their airspace.
Down the center of the room, a long table stretched along the length of the conference room. An expansive floating hologram screen circled and reflected around the entire room, swiveling on an invisible axis hanging mid-air from the ceiling. Nella noticed they could view the screen's content from any position within the conference room. The table itself accommodated twenty people, ten on each side, all representing the Twenty Rings of Centaurius. The table sparkled like a multifaceted diamond.
Oversized chairs floated around the massive long table and sprouted padded armrests hugged them in a comforting embrace. A beautiful scarlet fabric covered the chairs, and a blue and gold crest the shape of a crown bearing the letter ‘C’ showed on the back the Council's emblem. Beneath it, embroidered numbers sparkled representing each Council member's assigned Centaurian ring.
The enormous screen sat idle showing nothing but a screenshot of distant planets, each with their suns and moons swirling around in space, a blast of an electrical current burst to life, making everyone jumped at the sudden unexpected change.
"King Johan," a loud voice boomed through the room speakers. The face of Montrobius, the King of the Council who reigned over the entire Centaurian Empire and all the planets within, appeared on the big hologram screen.
Nella's knees almost buckled beneath her from the intensity and vibration of Montrobius' voice.
“Easy Princess,” Tessie sent a warmth and power surge to her mind that sent strength to her wobbly legs. Her dad took her hand in his and gave it an extra squeeze, sending a silent message to assure her, he would not allow any harm to come to her or her mother.
Johan winked at Megan and Nella and stepped forward while bowing his head with respect.
"Yes, King Montrobius, King Johan of Utropia at your service."
Montrobius' eyes scanned King Johan from the top of his head down to his toes, and likewise for Queen Megan. Turning his head, he began focusing on Nella, which made her feel like he could penetrate to the core of her soul. It felt like an eternity of rings passed before his eyes left hers and reverted to her father.
"We thank you for agreeing to come before the Grand Council on such short notice. On behalf of my elite board members, I summoned you here for a specific reason."
As Montrobius spoke, all twenty of the Council members appeared all sitting in their respective seats around the conference table floating within their hologram.
Montrobius resumed speaking. "The disturbing BC memory downloads broke through the barrier of the Earth's galaxy. We are still in shock. The news is bad, which forces us to organize a plan to take immediate action. We must try to save Earth from self-destruction, which affects Centaurius and the future of the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies." Montrobius gave everyone a minute to digest the news, before adding, "Please take a seat while the memory files download for you to view."
Johan took Nella's hand in his, as the three of them walked over to the end of the massive table and took a seat on the chairs appearing for their use. They all sensed a great heaviness and sadness flowing underneath the surface of King Montrobius' unsaid words.
"Please, watch the BC files of the memories past on the screen. After you listen and see what we already viewed, I will bring you up-to-date on the reason I summoned each of you here today,” Montrobius said. His face faded from the screen, as did the Council members' holograms.
The Royal Family observed the past BC memory files downloading as they raced to stream across the screen in full, vibrant color. Since Nella was no different from the typical teens associate with her age bracket, sometimes she appeared too flippant for her own good. Her feet took off in fast motion to scope out the room. After a few moments of her eyes scouring the area and missing nothing, she plopped down in her assign seat and couldn’t help comparing the size of the conference room to the grand cosmic dome they used for the beamer hoverboard races. She couldn’t help wonder if they served spacecorn, fizzets, jopplers, and astropops.
“Princess, pay attention,” Tessie warned.
With her forehead furrowed and set into the ‘quit picking on me,’ look she said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this!”
BC MEMORIES PAST DOWNLOAD BEGIN VIV RERUN
Three sets of eyes watched as the massive mothership, Titan 1, proceeded on its routine patrol on the outskirts of the Andromeda Galaxy. Nella sat memorized with the peacefulness only space offered. She fantasized about how, one day soon, she would be out there in some interstellar fighter ship, protecting their beloved planet.
The scene switched to inside the mothership. The Royal Family observed Keno, the Communication Officer and the inventor of the ship's OMNIS III computer brain system-the central system controlling communication for all living organisms in the Andromeda Galaxy.
They read the scrolling reports stating the fact of Keno searching non-stop to find the error in the OMNIS III system. Something had blocked the ship's incoming communication. The Royal Family all jumped when the VIV exploded with bright lights from the ship's control panel showing a replay of the moment of discovery.
The OMNIS III showed unidentified spiral memory chips as they downloaded into the hard drive, bypassing the Brain Chip Computer's filtering system and creating swirls of light streaming in and out around the dials. A deformed hologram pattern appeared, filled with distorted DNA intelligence. The unit jumped to life, cramming OMNIS III with memories from another galaxy. Nella and her parents continued watching as Keno let out a hair-raising shout of victory.
“Yes, yes, yes! Captain Norhann, quick, look. We are receiving mass distress signals from planet Earth. They are coming in by the thousands. It's difficult to keep up with the downloads," Keno exclaimed.
Captain Norhann and the other officers on the bridge rushed to the communication console, observing the frenzied events viewed on the VIV of what might be the dawn of the apocalypse of Earth.
CHAPTER 17
Trouble in the Galaxy
The screens switched scenes leaving Nella and her parents confused. The original alarm signals broadcasted to the Titan 1 came to an abrupt halt. By some strange and mysterious means, they changed directions. The SMC memories of Earth streamed towards the Whirlpool Galaxy and the planet Napix, where they observed the wizard barking orders from his headquarters in the capital city of Valtar.
"ABIGOR, GET YOUR LAZY carcass in here now!" Zennibar roared over the Whirlpool's Communication Command Center.
"You called, Wizard?" the leader of the demon warriors appeared casually strolling into the room.
"The blocking device failed agai
n, and now Titan 1 is receiving downloads of SMCs past from planet Earth, and forwarding them to Montrobius and the Elders of the General Council, no thanks to you!" Zennibar hissed as spittle sprayed from his mouth, splatting against Abigor’s cheek.
With a swipe of his arm, Abigor wiped off the spittle from his face and turned his back to hide his disgust and hatred directed towards the wizard.
"Send a section of the fleet's fighter planes to intercept the spiral communications, and plunge the pathway into chaos any way you can!" Zennibar yelled the veins around his broad neck pulsated like a swarm of mad hornets to keep up with his racing heart. Rage impregnated his face which swelled and looked as if his skin might burst into a thousand twisted pieces.
Without another word, the Demon leader rushed out of the command center to prepare the diversion and get control of his anger. A plan began forming in his mind. If he used precision and stealth, he could take care of two problems with one act at the expense of the wizard. A smile spread across his face as he thought... if it's the last thing I do!
A red alert went out contacting the wing commander via Abigor's CGR (Communication Galactic Receiver), issuing orders to dispatch three of his Top Napix Fighter Starships. "Zoppa, come in, Zoppa," he demanded.
"Zoppa here," the voice broadcasted over the ship's IGIS.
"Zoppa, problems in paradise; deploy and ready three TNFS and intercept spiral paths of memories to target E," Abigor commanded.
"Roger, positioning TNFS as we speak, sir."
"Roger, Zoppa, align and hold to release detonator weapons at selected meteors on the countdown."
The demon pilots made ready as three TNFS bombers flew and locked into their intended targets, positioning to block the spiral memory paths to and from planet Earth.,"
"Steady," Abigor commanded as the bombers move into firing range.
"Acknowledge, Dovel1."