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

  Tag looked at Danielle and then said to the adolescents, “Danielle and I were pushed into the wall of the Kosiev to remove Atlas’ links after the Eldest agreed to end the war. We were only there for a moment but it was an experience that neither of us would ever want to have again. It was like a universe that was totally grey and timeless. Rose says we were only in there for a minute but it felt like a week.”

  Twig said, “The reason it felt so long was that there was actually no time passing inside the wall. It is a place outside the normal universe where the structures and rules don’t exist.”

  Tag looked at Twig and asked, “Then if Alex is in there, how much time will have passed for him?”

  Twig looked at Sprig and Sprig said, “None. It would seem like a long time but he would not have aged at all. No one that was on that bridge would have aged.”

  Danielle looked startled and said, “What do you mean, “no one?”

  “Well, if Admiral Kosiev was blown into the skin; then whoever else was on the bridge was also blown in.”

  Danielle looked at Tag and said, “Tag, you know what it’s like in there. I don’t want to run the risk of losing you.”

  Tag looked at Danielle and said, “Would he do it for me?”

  Danielle lowered her head and said, “You know the answer to that. If you go, then I go.”

  Twig said, “I’m not sure that is the best approach to solving this problem.”

  Tag and Danielle both looked at him and said together, “Why?”

  “Because who ever goes in will have to search for the possible survivors and we need someone that can reach the searcher and bring them back to the wall. Although the skin is only a few feet thick, it can contain entire galaxies inside it. Dimensions have no effect in that skin. Quite honestly, he may not be in there, and even if he is, you may not be able to find him.”

  Tag was silent for five minutes; then he looked at Danielle and thought, “Tommy.”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  “I want you to bring the Kosiev to Ross immediately.”

  Danielle looked at Tag and he could see her anguish. She remained quiet and decided that she didn’t care what everyone said; if he went into that wall, she was going with him. Tag didn’t need to hear her thoughts; he could see her determination.

  Tommy could feel overtones in his father’s thoughts and said, “Do you mind if I inquire why you need us there?”

  “Yes, I do mind. I’ll discuss it with you when you arrive.”

  Tommy looked at Cassandra and noticed that she was listening in to his conversation. “We will be on our way in thirty minutes.”

  Tommy looked at Cassandra and thought, “Something is up. Dad is bothered by something and it’s not something minor.”

  “I sense you’re right. What are you going to do?”

  “Why ask Rose what’s going on.”

  Cassandra smiled and said, “Great idea. This should prove interesting.”

  “Rose,” Tommy thought.

  “Yes, Tommy. I thought you needed some time before we meet.”

  “I do, Rose, however, Dad has just ordered me to come to Ross immediately.”

  Tommy was silent waiting for Rose’s reply. After ten minutes Tommy thought, “Rose, are you still there?”

  “Yes, I am Tommy. Tommy, I’m scared.”

  Tommy had never felt his sister feel as she did at that moment. “Rose, what’s going on?”

  “I think our father is going to risk his life to find a ghost. I can’t stop what he’s planning and I can’t order you not to come. He’ll come to you if you don’t come here. Get here as soon as you can.”

  Cassandra turned and hit the ships com, “Attention all hands, jump in thirty seconds, jump in thirty seconds. Prepare all sections for jump.” She then looked at Lt. Ortiz and said, “Jump to Ross now.”

  Tommy keyed his com and said, “Captain McAnn, please take command of the fleet. I’ll return as soon as possible.”

  Wes said, “Yes, Your Highness; safe travel.”

  Chapter 17

  Tag, Danielle, Rose, Tommy, Cassandra, Sprig, and Twig were sitting in the map room of Castle Gardner. Sprig had explained how there was a possibility of Kosiev and the bridge crew having been blown into the skin of the Moscow. He had shown the recording of the Moscow’s destruction and pointed out that it was the top section of the ship that had been blown away by the first blast that had hit the lower levels of the doomed ship. When the video was slowed to one ten thousandth speed it was clear that the blast had pushed the bottom of the ship upward. Sprig stopped the recording and said, “You can see here that the lower decks were not blown out of existence but were pushed into the ship. If this push forced the decks above it upward, then the bridge could have been pressed into the skin on the top of the ship where it had undergone the metamorphosis of what it is today. That skin could have absorbed all of the contents of the bridge including the personnel.”

  Tommy looked at Sprig and said, “It could have also killed the crew before they entered the skin.”

  Sprig shrugged and said, “That is true, too.”

  “So you really don’t know if Kosiev is in the skin or not?”

  Twig interrupted saying, “We have said all along that it was only a possibility, although it is more than just a remote possibility. The possibilities are not so far reaching as to be impractical. I ran several simulations and in four of twenty the bridge was pushed into the skin.”

  Tommy looked at his father and said, “That is still an eighty percent probability of it not happening.”

  Tag looked at Tommy and said, “If there was a twenty percent possibility of Cassandra being inside that skin, what would you do?”

  Tommy looked at his father and then at Cassandra and then sighed heavily. “I would go and look, but that would be an emotional decision not one made logically.”

  Danielle looked at Tommy and said, “The best decisions are emotional; that is what makes us who we are. I would hope we would make this decision if there was a possibility of anyone being in that wall. The fact that it is Alexander Kosiev only makes this decision easier. He is an asset that we can use in our current situation.” She paused, looked at Tag, and then said, “I don’t want my husband going into that skin looking for him. I fear that I might lose him but I know who he is and know I cannot stop him.”

  Rose was shaking her head and said, “Don’t you remember when I pushed you into that skin to remove the links Atlas had placed in you? You said then that it was an awful experience.”

  Tag leaned back in his chair and said, “It was; but that won’t stop me.”

  Cassandra looked at the group and said, “I hope you realize that the Kosiev is due to fight the Captors in a couple of months. When are you going to do this?”

  Tag said, “Time inside the skin is basically non-existent. Once I go in it could take a while to search for him.”

  Cassandra said, “Mr. Gardner, I cannot take the Kosiev into battle with you inside its skin. If the Kosiev is hit, we could lose you.”

  “I appreciate your concern, Cassandra, but I can’t allow you to take the Kosiev into battle for the same reason; we might lose Alexander.”

  Danielle stood up and looked at Tag and said, “What chance do you think we have against the Captors if Cassandra and the Kosiev are not leading us in the next battle?”

  Tag tilted his head and said, “Then she must take the Kosiev into battle even if I’m still in the skin.”

  Danielle’s brow furrowed and she said, “Then she’ll be going into battle with both of us in there because I will not allow you to go without me.”

  Tag said, “This is my burden, Danielle, not yours.”

  Danielle looked Tag in the eye and said, “Can you sit there and look me in the eye and say that?”

  Tag took a deep breath and said nothing.

  Tommy looked at Rose and saw her fear for their parents.

  Cassandra looked at the Gardners and said, “If we are going to
do this, then we have to try and make sure we have the best chance of success. Twig, have you thought about how we go about finding him?”

  Twig said, “There is literally room for a galaxy inside that skin. We can’t just jump in and expect to run across him. There is also the possibility that he might not be there. I have talked with Sprig and we think that we should enter the skin at the area that was directly above the Moscow’s bridge.”

  Tommy thought a moment and said, “That original skin has miles of new surface melded into it since it was brought back by Cade McAllister. How can we possibly know where that section might be?”

  Sprig said, “Sten recorded every step of the Kosievs’ construction. We made close-ups of the skin as it was blown away from the Moscow and we know that it extended from just behind the nose to the elevators behind the conference room. We also know that the bridge was approximately seventy feet from the leading edge of the part that was blown away. The leading edge was also narrower than the rear section. We have to look at the construction recordings and see how the subsequent hull was added and mark very closely where it was located. We should have an answer on that in another two days. If the group doesn’t mind, we would like to go continue that process.”

  Rose said, “Go ahead and continue your work. We will discuss what we will do once that determination is made.” The two Algeans ran from the room. Rose then looked at her parents and said, “I don’t suppose as Queen of the Stars Realm that I could order both of you to stop what you’re planning?”

  Tag smiled at Rose and said, “Only if you tell me honestly that you wouldn’t go in there looking for Tommy if it was him that was lost.”

  Rose sighed and said, “Do you always have the answer to those types of questions?” Rose then looked at Danielle and said, “Have you tried to talk some sense into him?”

  Danielle shrugged, looked at Tag, and then back at Rose and shrugged again.

  Tommy broke the silence by asking, “How long are you going to look before you decide that he’s not in there?”

  Tag smiled and said, “As long as it takes.”

  Cassandra shook her head and said, “Time is not what you have; how many worlds have to be destroyed before you give up.”

  Tag looked at her with a furrowed brow and said, “How do you come up with that?”

  “I can’t go back in to the nerve centers of energy space without exploding the particle into a new universe and I know that now is not the time for that to happen. In less than four months those centers will have cooled off enough for the Captors to look into them and see every part of our civilization. Each of their ships can destroy a planet and there are four million of those ships. The Kosiev must lead the attack against them before then and I know that neither Tommy nor Rose will allow this ship anywhere near a battle with you in the outer skin. So I ask you again, Mr. Gardner; how many planets will need to be destroyed before you give up your chase?” Tag said nothing and after a few long moments Cassandra said, “It was my understanding that you took an oath to protect the Realm and that oath should be the main priority here. I don’t want to be the one to point this out but your family appears unwilling to say the things that must be said.”

  Tag looked and saw Tommy, Rose, and Danielle looking miserable. He stood and said, “Ok, you’re right but I am not giving up without trying. I will search until the last minute and hopefully it won’t take that long. I refuse to wait until after the battle because the Kosiev might be damaged and we would lose the chance to find him. However,” and Tag looked at Danielle, “I am the only one going in.” Danielle stood and started a protest but Tag said first. “I need you outside to help me find my way back.”

  Danielle was stopped mid word; then she said, “Tag, if you don’t come back to me, I promise you that I will come in looking for you battle or no battle.” She then turned to Rose and Tommy and said, “And you two will take this ship into battle whether we are back or not. Your sworn duty is to the Realm, not your parents; do you understand!”

  Rose and Tommy looked at each other and said nothing. “I said; “Do you understand,”” Danielle said in a stern voice!

  Rose squared her shoulders and said, “Yes, I do; and if I lose the two of you as a result of this decision you’re making, I want you to think about what effect it will have on Tommy and I.”

  Cassandra watched the Gardners confronting each other. She then asked, “So how do you do it?”

  Rose said, “We will put electronic gloves on Dad and a matching pair on Mom. He will enter the wall and begin his search. Mom will maintain contact with him through the gloves. The main problem is that we do not know the glove’s range. If Dad goes outside the broadcasting range, we may lose him. If that happens, Mom will go in the wall and I will put on gloves to keep track of her.”

  “No you won’t, Rose,” Tommy said. “You are Queen of the Realm; you will be the last one to be put at risk.”

  Tag said, “He’s right, Rose.” Rose frowned and Tag said, “Part of the price for your chosen profession. Tommy will track Danielle. If she goes outside the range, Tommy will come in and then Cassandra will track Tommy. Tommy, you will not lose contact with Cassandra at any cost; we need you to lead the battle against the Captors. Do you agree to these conditions?”

  Tommy looked at Rose and wondered if he could say no to look for his parents if it came to that. Cassandra listened to him in her mind and said, “I will not help you unless you promise to do as he says. I will not lose you!” Tommy looked at Cassandra and she thought to him, “I mean it.”

  Tommy hung his head and said, “I agree.”

  Rose stood and said, “Well, we have two days; let’s make the most of them.” She then stood and walked over and hugged her parents.

  Tag thought, “Are you in there Alex? Please be in there.”

  The First Male was overseeing the reconstruction of the construct around the gas giant when he received a call from the Old Watcher. “Do you have a few moments?”

  “I always have time for you. What do you want?”

  “I have been keeping track of the nexus and it appears the temperature is coming down. If the trend continues, I should be able to use it again within a hesp.”

  “That is good news. We should be able to go after the strangers and not wait on them to attack us.”

  “I have thought about that and it occurs to me that there is a possibility that they can see the nexus and realize the same thing. It may be that they will attack before the time is up.”

  The First Male thought about what the watcher said and replied, “I suspect you’re right. We will go on high readiness immediately and cease looking for the strangers. I’m certain we will need all our resources to defend our home.”

  The Old Watcher paused then said, “I know that the strangers attempted to work out a means to stop this conflict. Is there no way to come to an agreement?”

  The First Male thought and then said, “Can you allow another ship to enter our system without attacking?”

  The Old Watcher paused and said, “No, you know my instincts would take over and drive me to attack. I think that even with our intelligence we are still basically mindless on issues like this. Could we possibly look at our construction and see if there is a way to modify our responses?”

  The First Male did not respond. Here was a novel thought. “I don’t know. I’ll mention it to the First Mother and see what she thinks about the idea.”

  “Thank you for your time,” and the Old Watcher went back to his task.

  The First Male thought about what the old watcher had said and thought, “No, thank you.”

  Twig stood in front of the main monitor in the control room of the Kosiev. All of the Gardners were gathered around the monitor watching as Twig rolled the recording of the construction of the Kosiev in high speed. “I have marked the section that McAllister brought back for Sten to work on. I have colored that section that was directly above the control room red so that no matter where it goes dur
ing the construction it will keep that color. Now I will run the construction at high speed and follow the section. I think it might surprise you where it ends up.”

  The recording began and the red spot moved up and down the length of the Kosiev and then went under the bottom of the ship only to emerge again at the top of the ship next to the rear engine mounts at the conclusion of construction. Then everyone saw the section move slowly forward until it stopped directly above the bridge and there it remained.

  Twig pointed to it and said, “Those particular Coronado Power Cells seemed to be able to move around the surface of this ship as if they had a mind of their own. It’s almost like they were looking for the place where they would be most comfortable.”