Escape to Earth-Living Legends (10 page)

“Your monitor is a lot better than mine.”

Michael nodded and said, “Be well, Lieutenant.”

Jay looked at Michael, “Why did you call me in here?”

“To see Eric’s recording.”

“Why did you want me to see it?”

“That’s really none of your business.”

“But it is. You had an ulterior motive. What was it?”

“I wanted to see if you were everything Jan and Josey say you are.”

“And if I am?”

“I thought you might remember Eric and turn around. However, I gave up on that notion pretty quickly.”

“You think I’m a hopeless case?”

“Aren’t you?”

Jay blew out a breath, “Honestly, I came here prepared to kill you if you lied to me.”

“That was never going to happen.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“You were scanned, you didn’t bring a weapon.”

“What makes you think I’d need a weapon?” Quicker than Jay could see, Michael was behind him with his head in a choke hold. Jay started to black out but faster than Jay could think, he was back behind his desk. Jay shook his head and tilted his head, “Perhaps I was somewhat hasty in my statement.”

“Perhaps you were.”

“How did you do that?”

“I’m the product of a Welken-Human father.”

“I’ve heard about that but didn’t really believe it. So you really had no fear at my coming here.”

No, I didn’t.”

“So you did this for me?”

Michael stared at him and shook his head, “No, I did it for Eric.”

Jay started nodding slowly and then said, “That’s why I’m your man.”

“What?”

“That’s what I needed to hear. I’ll help you any way I can but you should understand that I will not shy away from situations that are inherently dangerous. I long to join Eric.” Michael stared at Jay and he started nodding again, “But before that happens, I need to be someone he would be proud of.”

Michael continued to stare at him and then sighed, “I need to know you’re serious about this, Jay?”

“I never lie or deceive anyone. I’ll do what I can to help you.”

“Can you change our current ships to be like the ones you and your team are using?”

“I can. I’ll have my computer provide a download that will remove the ship’s main computer’s resistance from going into dangerous situations. You’ll have to get your engineers to change the disruptors on the top of the pods.”

“How did you three do it?”

“Manually.”

“That must have been interesting.”

“We did it when everyone was focused on the fleet competitions. We lost out early so we could make the changes while no one was around to see us do it.”

“You sound different.”

“You were right. That message was for me. He did it knowing something like this might happen.” Michael shook his head and Jay smiled, “There was love in that message. Eric was also brilliant and when you asked him about fearing to die, he thought of me and what would happen if he died first. I’ve stared at that recording a hundred times and he’s not looking at you. He was looking at my heart. To ignore what he said would be disrespectful to him and all that he was.”

Michael started nodding and said, “I am going to give you and the other two a special assignment.”

“What is that?”

“The Alliance Leaders have been insisting I have a bodyguard. I’m going to assign the three of you that task.”

“What about the next fleet action?”

“I’ll try to stay far enough away to allow the three of you to go and have fun.”

Jay stuck out his hand, “You’ve got a deal!”

Michael shook his hand and said, “You need to start eating.”

Jay shook his head, “I’ll do what I can.” Jay went to attention and snapped a perfect salute. Michael returned it and Jay dropped his arm and said, “You brought him to life again for me today. I’ll never forget your gift. Thank you, Sir.” Jay did an about face and walked out of the room. Michael raised the door and saw Jan and Josey sitting on a bench directly out from his office and he left the door open as they jumped up, ran across the wide hallway, and hugged Jay. Michael watched them and a word came to mind…family. He smiled and closed the door so their moment would be private. He thought a moment and said, “Averel.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Send the three Lieutenants back to Fifth Fleet and start converting their ships. Have Budge get enough engineers there to make the disruptor conversions.”

“Yes Sir. Should I tell the three where they’re to report?”

“Please.”

“Yes Sir.” Michael thought about an entire fleet signing a petition to return their Admiral. As much as he detested Katy Greenwall, Audrey was right. It would be a terrible error to lose her fleet and her along with it. He was thankful she stopped him from giving in to his anger. Let’s see if she’s learned anything.

• • •

Jeeren had his ship in the middle of the giant cluster of galaxies and listened to the Legends issuing orders to their tools. Most of it was standard fare directing them to increase their production of warships. Some of their orders were made just to keep the tools on their toes and aware of who was in charge. He had his eyes closed and letting the thoughts flow through his mind without really focusing on any one thought. Then he sat straight up and opened his eyes. “Is this the first one to be delivered?”

“Yes Elder. The Builder wants you to check it out to see if it meets the Senior Elder’s approval before continuing their construction.” Jeeren focused on the place the thoughts were originating and moved into the barrier. He moved quickly toward the source of the thoughts and arrived above a galaxy that was the furthest from the Virgo Cluster. It had to be one of the first galaxies the Legends invaded in this cluster. The thoughts ended before he could localize them to a planet and he focused on the Legend controlling that galaxy. The Legend wasn’t broadcasting. “Hengel!”

“Yes, Jeeren.”

“I need your help finding the Legend in this galaxy.”

“What’s going on?”

“I believe I heard the thoughts of someone delivering a new ship.”

“Where are you?”

Jeeren waited and thirty minutes later, Hengel arrived. “The Legend quit broadcasting before I could localize the planet it’s on.”

Hengel closed his eyes and let his mind roam searching for a key word. Finally, he found what he was looking for. “I believe the planet is located out in the second spiral arm on the other side of the galaxy.”

“How did you find it? I just can’t get over how much better you are than me.”

“I stopped listening for the Legend and listened for anyone that was thinking about their Master, Lord, or God. It appears the tools call this one their Director.”

“How could they have built a ship this fast?”

Hengel thought about it and began to feel a suspicion arise. “They may be baiting a trap.”

“What?”

“You know they were able to detect our presence in the barrier at the last attack. They may be setting up an ambush if we arrive after their communication.”

“What do we do?”

“We wait!”

“What?”

“If they’re expecting us to hear them, they’ll wait and see if we show up. If we don’t, they’ll communicate again. If they do that, they’re confident they can detect our presence.”

“How are we going to scout them if they can?”

“First things first. Settle in and try to find someone around that Legend so that you can see what they’re doing. We have an idea of where they are, we need to look at the thoughts of their tools and try to see what they see and then we need to move out of the barrier and just leave an antenna.”

“Why? I hate to keep asking that question.”

“If they’ve discovered the barrier, they may have a device in it listening for us. I don’t want to run that risk until we know what’s going on.” Both scouts leaned back in their chairs and closed their eyes.

Twelve hours later, they heard, “This ship is everything we could ask for!”

Hengel smiled, “Got one.”

“Me, too!” The two scouts turned on their thought recorders and listened.

• • •

The tool looked at the other scientist, “What have you detected?”

“There is a rhythmic pulse that keeps repeating itself over and over.”

“How far away is it?”

“I have no idea.”

“Why not? Can’t you triangulate and find it?”

“We only have this one ship and the three antennas we have in this place all point in the same direction but are basically a straight line. It’s too far away without having three antennas separated by great distances to get a location.”

“Can we get a ship in the place?”

“We tried and it was kicked out into normal space. Evidently that place is extremely small.”

“How small?”

“I have no way of knowing, Commander, without getting in it and measuring.”

“This must be the way those ships disappeared when the Elder was attacked.”

“If it is, it’s not very large.”

“Their ships aren’t big.”

• • •

Hengel thought, “Averel!”

“Yes.”

“The Legends have discovered the barrier. That pulse beacon outside M-87 has to be turned off now!”

“I’m on it.”

• • •

“Perhaps we need to build a small ship with this drive on it.”

“Commander, the pulse has stopped.”

“What?”

“It’s no longer broadcasting.”

“We need to tell the Director!”

“We’ve been ordered not to break communication silence. However, what if that pulse was caused by a pulsar in normal space and wasn’t artificial?”

“Could that happen?”

“This strange place is between the void and normal space. It could possibly have random energy enter it. We don’t know enough about it to know.”

“How did the pulses match up with normal pulsars?”

“It was close to that given off by a very old pulsar.”

“Why did it stop?”

“How would I know? Maybe the energy only gets through randomly.”

“Before we tell the Director it was artificial, we need more information.”

“You know how he gets when given faulty information.”

“I’m glad you thought this through. Keep listening.”

• • •

Jeeren opened his eyes, “Ambush.”

“How would they ambush us in the barrier?”

“You know an energy beam will cause an instant disruption.”

Hengel looked at Jeeren, “Now you know something I don’t. How big of a disruption will it cause?”

“According to Amanda Ambrose, ‘quite extensive’.”

“That could prevent us from using the barrier during an attack.”

“I was in the mind of a battleship sensor operator and his display shows more than a hundred thousand ships scattered in the void and normal space close to that ship with the antenna in the barrier. Do you want to do anything about this current situation?”

“I want to go and blow that ship with the antenna into pieces but I suspect they’re planned for that by surrounding it with those battleships. It’s probably better to ignore it and leave them wondering about our telepathic ability.”

“So you agree that there’s probably not a ship at that planet?”

Hengel thought about the idea for a long moment and then said, “I’m going to call in a hundred more scouts and we’re going to surround this galaxy and wait to see if one of those ships leaves.”

“Why would it leave? Darn it, there I go again.”

“Let’s assume the one that brought the ship wasn’t aware of the ambush and was honest when he said it was brought here for the Senior Elders to inspect to make sure it was what they wanted. If they recommend something to be changed, what will happen?”

“They’ll take the ship back where it came from.”

“And that might show us where they are being built. By not falling for this ambush, they’ll probably think they’re in the clear and we don’t know it was brought here.”

“I’m glad I lost track of that Legend and called you in.”

“Tell me about it. Let’s move out into open space and wait for the other scouts to arrive.”

J
ay, Josey, and Jan were sitting in Fifth Fleet’s cafeteria when Jay raised his wrist unit. “When did he tell you?” Jay listened and looked at them, “The First Commander is on his way here. He wants us to wait on him here.”

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Jan. His computer contacted Yomo.”

Jan looked at Josey, “Something’s up.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Look around you.” Josey and Jay looked around the crowded cafeteria and saw many of those sitting near them were raising their wrist units and then standing up to leave. Many had not finished their meals. Jan’s eyes narrowed and she said, “He’s here.”

Josey shook her head, “And you know that by…?”

“I can hear sailors up the hall shouting attention.”

Josey and Jay listened carefully and shook their heads. Suddenly, Michael came through the door and Jay said, “You and your supernatural senses never cease to amaze me.”

Jan waved a hand at him as Michael walked over and sat down, “Tell me how far along you are in getting Fifth’s ships modified?”

Jay shrugged, “They’re all pretty much done, Sir.”

“How many aren’t done?”

“About a thousand and that’s because they discovered they needed repairs when the engineers opened them to modify their disruptors. What’s going on, Sir?”

“Two of our scouts have discovered that the Legends have found the barrier.”

Josey said, “OH CRAP!”

Michael nodded, “Oh crap is right. They are in the rudimentary stage of exploring it and they still don’t have any idea of how large it is or the speed it produces, but the scouts think they can attack a ship in the barrier.”

“This changes everything, Sir.”

“It certainly changes a lot and we need to see how much. They also heard a communication that one of the new Monster Battleships may have been delivered for inspection. They’re not certain about that but they’ve set up a picket line to detect it if it leaves that galaxy.”

Jan tilted her head, “Why are they uncertain Sir?”

“The scouts uncovered an ambush set up for them in the event they showed up where the Legend communicated about the ship. It appears the Legends are learning a lot about what we are capable of doing.”