Annihilation - Tommy's Tale (Annihilation Series (Book Four)) Read online

  Rose and Cassandra looked at each other and Cassandra thought to her, “Exactly right; I am a tool and would best be viewed as one.”

  Then Tgon-Gee said something that jerked everyone’s attention back to the meeting. “I am concerned that the Captors are swarming attempting to find the Kosiev and there is a real possibility that they might stumble on Earth’s new location. If I remember, didn’t your father make himself invisible to electronic detection with his psychic ability?”

  Rose said, “Yes he did. It’s not hard; you just bend energy and light around you. Tommy and I can both do it.”

  “Can you do it to the planet’” Tgon-Gee asked?

  Rose shook her head. “Tommy, show Cassandra how you do that trick.”

  Tommy looked at Cassandra and then entered her mind, “I’m sorry my love. We’ll talk later. Here’s how I do it; I focus and think, “I cannot be seen” over and over.”

  Cassandra tried it and the adolescents suddenly saw her disappear. “Where did she go’ Sprig asked? Cassandra suddenly reappeared.

  Tommy said, “I’ve never been able to do it that fast.”

  Tgon-Gee looked at Cassandra and said, “Now try it on the planet.” Cassandra looked reluctant but the old Glod said, “Go ahead. The planet needs your help.”

  Cassie looked at the planet in her mind and then thought, “You cannot be seen, you cannot be seen, you cannot be seen.” Suddenly Earth disappeared from the view port. Cassandra keyed her com and said, “Lt. McAnn, do you see Earth on your sensors.” Tommy and Cassie heard the bridge crew yelling in the back ground as Wes answered, “Captain, it has completely disappeared. I have no readings on it.”

  Cassie started thinking again and after a moment said, “Director Nicole, can you hear me?”

  Misty appeared on her screen and said, “What’s happening; our sky just took on a violet color instead of blue?”

  Cassie said, “We have placed an invisibility screen around the Earth so that it cannot be seen either visually or electronically. The frequency you and I are speaking on is the only channel that will get through the screen. We will talk about precautions to take to avoid the Captors finding you. I would recommend that you avoid space travel at all costs. The Algean Adolescents will provide you a method of travel to the other members of the Realm that cannot be traced by the Captors. Until we find a solution to this conflict, do not lift a ship from the planet.”

  Misty looked at the monitor and said, “It will be done as you say. Get the Algeans here ASAP. We have commitments to other members of the Realm.”

  Wes who had been patched in to the conversation with Director Nicole silenced the bridge crew and allowed them to listen in. The crew then did their best to find the planet. Nothing worked.

  Rose looked at Cassie and said, “Are you powerful enough to just destroy the Captors?”

  Cassandra answered, “I don’t sense that, Your Majesty.”

  Sprig said, “It’s not in your nature to just totally destroy a civilization is it.”

  Tommy answered, “No it’s not. We have been able to avoid it so far. Perhaps we will find a way to achieve a peaceful settlement this time, too.”

  Cassandra said, “It’s not going to happen this time. We will have to totally destroy them down to the last ship.”

  Rose asked, “Why do you say that, Captain Dodd?”

  “I think I can show you easier than I could tell you.”

  “Just how would you do that, Captain?”

  “I’ll set up a demonstration four hours from now. Can everyone agree to wait until then?”

  Everyone agreed and the conference ended. Cassandra said to the two Algeans, “I need your help; do you have a device that we can use to teleport a ship.”

  Sprig said, “Yes, the nose of the Kosiev will move anything you want to any place you desire.”

  Cassandra looked at Tommy and said, “Do we have a ship that is so old that we no longer use that design anymore?”

  Tommy thought a minute and said, “Let’s ask Lin.” Tommy pressed his com and Admiral Mikado appeared. “Admiral, do we have a ship that is a unique design that we no longer use?”

  “Good day, Duke Gardner. We have an old ship that was used during our early exploration. It has a primitive jump drive but it does still fly. We have it in the stock of live fire ships to use as target practice.”

  “Then it has remote control systems already installed?”

  “Yes it does. Why, do you need it?”

  “Yes we do, Admiral. Could you send it to us immediately?”

  Mikado looked off the screen and said something to someone and then looked back at the screen and said, “It will be at your coordinates in fifteen minutes.”

  Tommy said, “Thanks, Admiral. You’ve been a great help.”

  The Com screen turned dark and Tommy looked at Cassandra and said, “What are you planning?”

  “I need you to help me find a Captor ship and the route that it is traveling. I’ll tell you the rest later.” Tommy shrugged and closed his eyes. Cassandra turned to Sprig and Twig and said, “I need you to teleport this ship into deep space between galaxies. I’ll let you know when I need you to do it.”

  Sprig and twig left to find the coordinates of a deep space location and also to line up the Kosiev with the ship. Cassandra closed her eyes and reached out to the ancient ship. She felt it and then found what she was looking for; the old communication system. She looked at the frequencies and saw that they were so old that they were no longer used. She closed her eyes and felt her way around.

  Four hours later everyone was back but there were a few notable additions. Tag and Danielle, the Eldest Leader of the Algeans, Terl, and Misty Nicole were now taking part in the conference and it was no longer being done telepathically but with Com systems. Rose started the meeting by saying, “Captain Dodd you said you were going to demonstrate why we had to destroy this race. It’s now your show.”

  Cassandra said, “I want those of you who are telepathic to link in those of us who are not. I need everyone to then link into my mind; I want you to see what I’m doing.” Cassandra paused and felt the members of the conference link in to her mind. Then she said, “The view you’re seeing is from the front sensor of a two hundred year old Earth exploration vessel. I am expecting a captor ship momentarily. I am moving this ship psychically. The communication system will be operated psychically. We have determined that the Captors cannot see psychic phenomena. I have always envied Atlas’ ability to speak through speakers so a month ago I taught myself how to do it psychically.”

  Atlas said, “I’m impressed.”

  “Thanks, Atlas, I have jumped the ship into the system it is currently located from deep space where the Adolescents had teleported it. Are you ready?”

  Everyone thought, “Yes,”

  The group waited for forty minutes and nothing happened. Then, there it was; the giant red ship appeared on the old ships sensors. The group heard Cassandra think and send through the radio on the old ship, “Hello to the majestic ship traveling through our system. I wish you safe travel.”

  The Captor ship sent back on the old frequency, “Thank you and safe travel to you also.”

  Cassandra said, “I have never seen such a large and beautiful ship as the one you possess. You must be quite proud of it.”

  “Yes, I am. It has served me well.”

  “I imagine it has. Is there anything I can do to make your travel easier?”

  “I am looking for a bright white ship about fifty times your length. It has a pointed nose and is eight times longer than it is wide.”

  “I’m sorry; I have not seen such a ship.”

  “Well, thank you anyway.”

  “You’re welcome. Safe travel”

  “And to you.”

  Cassandra then thought to the group, “Seems fine, doesn’t it. Watch closely what happens next.” Cassandra then sent to the Captor ship, “I forgot to ask.”

  The Captor ship said, “What?�
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  “Where is your home world?”

  The Captor ship fired so fast on the old ship that it was almost missed; the ship was totally disintegrated. Then the Captor ship jumped out to the place that the old ship had come from when it jumped into the system. The sensor buoy teleported there was surrounded by ten Captor ships and destroyed. The members of the Stars Realm that were watching were shocked by the sudden transformation of a friendly conversation to one that turned deadly.

  I want each of you to ponder what would have happened if that old ship had jumped through the Realm before it arrived in front of that Captor vessel. Also notice that ten ships arrived at the buoy simultaneously. It seems that they are connected in some manner and the trigger of the attack was heard by all.”

  “Captain Dodd, how did you know the attack would happen,” Rose asked.

  “I have been watching the Captors during our clashes and their behavior was not intelligent. The way ships would jump ahead of us to cut off our escape was not done in an organized fashion. It looked like each ship was acting individually. I did some reading on bees. These creatures are acting very much like a hive of bees. Anything that comes close to the nest is attacked. The difference here is that these entities are intelligent and anyone that even thinks about the Captor nest is a target. Atlas’ race was destroyed because a ship jumped into their system. The reality is that Atlas mentioned having conversations with them before they turned violent. The same attack would have happened if any of the Alfont had asked an individual Captor where he lived. What do you think the chances are of our civilization being able to completely avoid saying something that would trigger their attack behavior? These creatures do possess extraordinary technological ability, but so do bees. I believe that they are totally controlled by their instinctive behavior and their intelligence is pushed aside when instinct takes over.”

  Terl said, “The Algeans attacked every race they encountered and they were able to change.”

  “That’s true, but they did not do it without thought. They deliberately chose to attack to gather the food necessary for survival. These creatures give no thought what so ever. They flew around Earth’s solar system destroying every place they found intelligent life. They went about it in a coldblooded fashion almost like they were sweeping a room of pests. The Captors didn’t need Atlas’ race for food. They didn’t need to kill that old ship; their sensors clearly told them that it was absolutely not threat to them. Just how successful do you think you would be trying to convince a swarm of bees coming to sting you that you have no intention of hurting them?”

  Tag said, “She’s right. I can sense these creatures, too, and I can see that we mean nothing to them. They would destroy a world just to make sure they don’t attempt to find out where they came from. Unfortunately, we only have one ship that can stand up to them.”

  Sprig tentatively thought, “That may not be necessarily true.”

  The entire conference stopped what they were thinking and turned their attention to the young Algean. Tag said, “What may not be true; them destroying a world or us only having one ship?”

  Sprig said, “As most of you know, I destroyed a megaship by accidently releasing a black hole from one of its reactors. I learned a lot from that event. I’ve also absorbed all the information available on the Alexander Kosiev. I need a couple of ships to work on but I think I can recreate the event that brought the Kosievs’ surface into existence.”

  Tommy stood up and said, “Are you serious? Do you know how many scientists have tried and failed?”

  Sprig tilted to the side which was the Algean equivalent of a shrug and said, “I do, but Twig and I believe they were going about the process incorrectly. We may be wrong, but as you humans sometimes say, “It feels right”,”

  Rose said, “Four Megaships will be sent to you immediately.

  Twig said, “There is a real possibility of damaging or destroying them while we run our experiments.”

  “Then we’ll send you four more,” Rose said. “I don’t care if you destroy half the fleet if you can solve that problem.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty. We will begin work at once.”

  Tommy said to the conference, “Let’s get back to the issue at hand. How does everyone feel about Captain Dodd’s feeling about the Captors?”

  Tag said, “We have no choice but to destroy them all.”

  “Everyone who feels that way, tell me now,” Rose said.

  The votes were reluctant but the vote was unanimous; it was war to the death.

  Rose announced, “So be it; we will meet with the Realms leaders two weeks from today. This meeting is adjourned.”

  Danielle thought to Tommy and Cassandra, “You have to offer them one chance. If they refuse then it will be their choice. However, they must be offered a choice.”

  “If they can offer the choice without placing themselves and the ship in danger, then I agree,” Rose said entering the conversation.

  Tommy looked at Cassandra and the adolescents and said, “Mom is right. We will take every precaution but there is no safe way to approach them; however, some risks should be taken and I agree with her. We will make the offer.”

  Danielle said, “Thanks, Tommy.”

  Tommy sat with Cassandra in the conference room with the Sprig and Twig after the conference ended. Tommy looked at Cassandra and said, “I’m troubled, Cassie.” Cassandra stared to say something but Tommy held up his hand and said, “Let me finish.” She sat back in her chair. “We have not been allowed to touch except for limited contact since the wedding. I learn more about you through touching you than I do by sharing our thoughts. Somewhere during the last few weeks, I’ve lost you. I’ve watched you and I’ve seen that warrior side of you take control even when we are not fighting the Captors. The Kosiev gives you away; it almost starts growling.” Tommy looked at the two Algeans and said, “You’ve seen it, too.” They leaned forward showing their agreement. “I’ve seen a hardened person. I don’t know who you are any more. Every cell in my body wants you and I know that it’s caused by our

  DNA screaming for each other. I don’t want you because of that; it’s not enough. I want who you are, not what you are. I know that you are stronger than me psychically and that doesn’t bother me. I don’t completely understand why your power waited for my touch but it did. Now I sense that your power is taking control of you and you’re different. I understand why you were cruel at the academy and I’ve truly forgiven you for that. I felt your sorrow and sensitivity at the wedding and my heart went out to you. I’m afraid that we will not be able to make a relationship work.”

  Cassandra said, “Oh, Tommy. I can’t live without you and it’s not my DNA saying that. I live for the time we can be together and this separation is killing me inside. Please, please, be patient.”

  Sprig interrupted saying, “May I make a suggestion?”

  Tommy and Cassandra looked at him and he said, “The temperature of the energy space has come down from the dangerous level it was after the wedding. If you will take the Kosiev to one of those nerve centers, we will monitor it while you do what I’m about to request of you.”

  Cassandra narrowed her eyes and said, “What is it you want?”

  “Tommy requested that Twig and I absorb each other for the purpose of learning and the teleportation device is a result of that. What we have not shared with you is that we were changed by the process.”

  Twig said, “It is a rather dramatic change, too.”

  Tommy looked at them and Sprig continued, “As you know, my race is plant life. We have families but they are primarily for economic and social reasons. We don’t nurture our young because they are seeds containing everything they will need to survive. The mating is primarily done to improve our race. Twig is the daughter of our eldest leader; her genes are far superior to my own.”

  “No, they’re not,” Twig interjected.

  Sprig looked at Twig and said, “Yes they are and it’s nice of you to disa
gree but she is on the highest level of our species. We could never end up together because of that difference. We have decided not to return to our people but to spend our lives together.”

  Tommy and Cassandra sat straight up in their chairs and Cassandra said, “You can’t do that. You must have the golden soil to live a full life. Your life span will be shortened dramatically.”

  Twig said, “We know that but I’ve told Sprig that if we can’t be together, I’d rather be alone. We discovered something when we absorbed each other.” Twig reached for Sprig with four of her limbs and wrapped them around him, “We found love. No member of my species has ever had that emotion for another member.”