Annihilation: Book 05 - Searcher Read online

  Matt looked at the galaxy thinking about how to use the skill he had just uncovered. Stem thought, “Matt, I want you to try something.”

  “What, Stem?”

  “I need you and Angel to go with me to Castle Gardner and perform an experiment.”

  “When do you want to go?”

  “Immediately; I need to make a few contacts first to get permission. I’ll get back to you momentarily.”

  “Take your time, Stem.”

  Matt and Angel looked out at the huge galaxy and saw all of the bright blue lights. The view was beautiful. “Matt, I love you.”

  “Perhaps we can have a little experiment of our own at the Castle.”

  “What do you have in mind, Magic?”

  “Angel, will you marry me?”

  Angel lost her breath. “Absolutely, yes a million times; do you think we can bring my parents?”

  Stem thought, “We can go. I’ve entered the coordinates into your displays.”

  “I have ordered a searcher to bring your parents to Castle Gardner. They will arrive in six hours,” Al said.

  “Why are you bringing them,” Stem asked?

  “We hope that a member of the Royal Family will marry us while we’re there, Stem.”

  “Wonderful, I love a party, Matt.”

  “I hope so; you’re going to be the best man, or plant, which ever you prefer.”

  “I would be honored; would you mind if I invited my parents?”

  “We would love to have them, Stem,” Angel answered.

  Matt thought a moment, “Before we go and make all of these plans, let’s make sure the Royal Family agrees to help us.”

  “Suddenly Matt’s and Angel’s displays came on showing Anglo Gardner’s face. “The Royal Family welcomes both of you and the ceremony will take place in three days.” Angel and Matt looked shocked. “You can’t rush a wedding. We have to have a dress for the bride and I’m sure her parents need some time to meet the groom. We’ll make the plans upon your arrival.”

  Their displays went blank and the two lovers were lost in each other. Stem broke into their thoughts with, “Make your plans after we finish what I have in mind. Now let’s go; we don’t have any time to waste.”

  Matt smiled and announced, “Porting in five seconds.” The two small red ships disappeared together.

  They broke into normal space in orbit above Ross and Stem said, “Please teleport to the coordinates on your displays.”

  Matt and Angel entered the coordinates and appeared in the Castle’s map room. Matt and Angel immediately recognized the room and turned and came into each other’s arms.

  “You can do that stuff later, Searchers,” Stem thought. “Matt come over here a moment.”

  Matt reluctantly released Angel and they walked over to where Stem was standing and looked at the wall that the Algean was facing. On the wall were millions of tiny galaxies. “This map is a real representation of all the galaxies in our universe. I can use the control board and focus in on any galaxy on this wall.” Stem turned the control and one of the galaxies grew in size until it covered the entire wall. It was the galaxy that Matt had been originally assigned to search. Stem moved the control and the galaxy shrunk back to its original size and was hidden again.

  “What is it you want me to do, Stem?”

  “I want you to look at this wall and see if you can see the planets with intelligent life.”

  Matt flinched. “Why?”

  “Just humor me, please. Give it a try.”

  Matt looked at the millions of galaxies on the wall and shrugged and thought, “Where are the planets with intelligent life?”

  Everyone looked at the wall and there appeared to be no change. “Looks like your experiment didn’t work,” Matt said quietly.

  Stem turned the control and a galaxy that Matt had never seen was brought into focus. As it grew larger Matt, Angel, and Stem immediately saw hundreds of bright blue lights in it. Matt was stunned. Stem began pulling galaxy after galaxy and all of them had the bright blue lights. Then a familiar galaxy appeared. Matt said, “That’s our galaxy, the Milky Way.”

  “You’re right; now I am going to go in to some of the blue lights in your galaxy.”

  The view rushed larger and a blue light grew quickly. “This is where we are now, Ross.” Another blue light grew, “Cainth.” Then another, “Glod.”

  Stem looked at fifty blue lights that were known to have intelligent life; every one of them was blue. Matt thought a moment and then looked at Stem, “Let’s try something else.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “We have more than 70,000 members in the realm now and another 20,000 plus that we have contacted. Let’s see if the maps can differentiate between different types.” Matt faced the maps and thought and said out loud, “Which planets have we not contacted.”

  Stem pulled the Milky Way back in for a larger view and immediately saw five or ten red lights sprinkled among the blues. Stem immediately pulled a galaxy that he knew had not been explored by the Realm and there were no blue lights but numerous red lights shining around the map of that galaxy. Stem looked at Matt and said, “You may have just enabled us to contact more civilizations in the short time that remains than we have over the last twelve hundred years. This is remarkable.”

  Matt looked at the galaxy on the wall and focused on one of the red lights. Angel entered his mind and watched as the planet he was focused on grew larger like he was approaching it in a ship. Then she saw huge cities with crystal spires climbing into the sky. The civilization had not developed a star drive; all of their ships were designed for space travel within their system. Matt looked closer and thought, “They don’t have military installations. This is a planet where peace is the norm.” Matt then came back to the map room and looked at Stem, “Stem, would it be possible to bring your parents here?”

  Stem thought, “Father.”

  “Yes.”

  “Matthew Gardner has just uncovered every planet in our universe with intelligent life and has pinpointed them on the maps in Castle Gardner’s map room. He asks if you and Mother can come.”

  Matt watched Stem for one second and immediately a silver field shimmered briefly and two Large Algeans appeared. “My child tells me that you want to discuss this new development.’

  Matt and Angel looked at each other and Matt thought, “That was quick. I was thinking about possibly getting you here within a day or so.”

  Sprig leaned forward to show his laughter and answered, “Some things should not be delayed. Show me the maps.”

  Stem began pulling in galaxies and explained what the different colored lights represented. Sprig had Stem pull in some galaxies that he knew had intelligent life that the Realm had not contacted and every planet had a red light on the map.

  Angel looked at Matt and saw his serious expression. She stepped over and took his hand. “I understand, darling. Our wedding should be delayed until we can organize a new search for all our ships.”

  Matt looked at her and squeezed her had gently. “Sprig is right; some things just shouldn’t be delayed. Those planets will die if we don’t contact them. Every minute is precious that we have remaining.”

  “I know; and I agree.”

  Twig stepped away from the maps leaving Sprig and Stem discussing the possible numbers of undiscovered new civilizations. She walked up to Matt and Angel and extended a branch to them, “This is extraordinary. How did you do this, Searcher?”

  Matt took her branch in his hand and shook it. “I don’t know. I just felt I should try it and this is the result.”

  Twig looked at Matt for a long moment and then thought, “It’s not surprising seeing your DNA spirals.”

  “What do you mean, DNA spirals,” Angel asked?

  Twig remained silent and finally Matt said, “I’m a Gardner; aren’t I?”

  Angel looked at him and said, “Of course you are, that’s your name.”

  Twig thought, “How long h
ave you known about this?”

  Angel looked confused and asked, “Known what?”

  Matt sighed heavily, “I began suspecting about six months ago.”

  Angel looked at him and knew he was troubled.

  “What have you been able to see, Searcher,” Twig asked?

  “I am an anomaly. I am the product of two different DNA chains.”

  Twig leaned to the left and thought, “Yes, you are. You were not expected to happen so soon.”

  Stem and Sprig had stopped looking at the maps and had tuned in to Matt and Twig’s conversation. Sprig come over and placed a branch on Matt’s shoulder, “I think that now is the time you should hear your history.”

  Matt looked at the Algean, “Do you know it?”

  “I’m the one that’s responsible for it. However, I think we should have others in on our discussion. We will talk about this shortly, but first we have to decide what to do with this new information you’ve given us.”

  Matt looked down and then smiled, “You’re right.” He looked up at the two leaders of the Algean race and asked, “How many Algeans are available to help in this project?”

  “How many do you think we will need,” Sprig responded?

  “At least a billion.”

  “How about two billion?”

  “The more the better.”

  “What do you think we should do, Searcher?”

  “We start here at the Realm and assign the closest galaxies to an Algean that will be responsible for getting the coordinates of every planet in their assigned galaxy with intelligent life. They will then transmit the coordinates of one planet to one of our Searchers who will then contact that planet. We will work our way out from this part of our universe and expand our search outward.” Matt paused for a moment and then walked back to the Maps. He closed his eyes and then said, “Stem pull up a galaxy we have not explored, please.”

  Stem worked the control board and a new galaxy appeared. Now there were red, blue, and green lights in the galaxy. “What are the green lights, Matt?”

  “Those are planets that do not practice war; they are peaceful. Those are the ones that should be given priority in the time that remains. They should match up well with our ideals and they will also be unable to defend themselves. That’s why we need so many Algeans; we have to sift through millions of galaxies to find and contact these civilizations.”

  Sprig looked at Matt and then everyone heard his thought, “Your Majesty, I need to use your map room for the foreseeable future. I will be bringing in more than three hundred of my adolescents every hour starting two hours from now.”

  “We have been listening to your conversation, Sprig. Of course our home is welcome to you. Let us know if we can assist you in any way.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Sprig then looked at Stem, “I want you to program this board to project one thousand galaxies on the wall every ten seconds. I want them done digitally so that my adolescents can download them quickly. They will start teleporting in exactly two hours from now.”

  “What are they going to be downloading,” Angel asked?

  “Each of them will assimilate a thousand galaxies and then teleport out and begin extrapolating the coordinates of the green stars in each of those galaxies. Once they have the coordinates, they will need a searcher to send out.”

  Matt pressed his com, “Fleet command, I have a Red Star Priority Command. You will stop whatever you are currently working on and follow this order immediately once it is issued. Stand by until all units are on the circuit.”

  “Standing by, Admiral.”

  Matt then closed his eyes and everyone in the room heard his thought, “All members of the Stars Realm’s navy will tune their communicators to the following com code; 101001211104062310090918MAG. You will standby to receive your instructions momentarily; while you are waiting you will cease whatever you are currently doing and all communications except for the frequency I’m giving you will cease.”

  Angel looked at Stem, “Did everyone hear him?”

  “Yes, they did.”

  Angle looked at Matt standing there with his eyes closed and wondered how he had developed the mental ability to do what he had just done. She began to worry about what was happening to the man she loved.

  Twig put a branch on her shoulder and thought to her, “Be patient. I promise you it is a blessing that you will understand.”

  Angel looked up at her and could sense the feelings Twig was having of great joy. “What is happening,” she wondered?

  After ten minutes Matt opened his eyes and said, “All of the Realms ships are now on the frequency. Sprig, if you want to add anything to what I’m saying, feel free to interrupt me.”

  “I will if necessary, Searcher.”

  Matt then pushed his com and said, “All members of the Stars Realm Navy. I am issuing a Red Star Priority Order. All Searchers not currently working with a newly discovered civilization will at the completion of this transmission transmit their com codes to fleet command. Fleet command you will receive these com codes and put them on an active board that will sequentially list every code electronically. All ships of the Realm will be listed on that board including every defender class vessel. I expect that board to be ready and active to receive com codes within an hour. Do you understand, Fleet Command?”

  “Yes Sir, the board is being prepared.”

  “Once that board is active and receives the fleet’s com codes, we will communicate the address for that board to the Leader of the Algeans who will then give it to the Algean Adolescents that are preparing coordinates for our ships. The Adolescents will then start sending coordinates to the board which will be assigned one to a ship starting at the top of the list. Once a ship receives a coordinate, their com code will be taken off the list until they complete the contact of that civilization. They will then report back in to place their code back on the list.” Matt paused then continued, “The Realm has found a means of finding civilizations that do not practice war. These civilizations have no means of defending themselves and will be our priority in the time that remains until the Eight Legs return. If we are able to contact all of these peaceful planets, then we will begin contacting those that possess military forces. In that for the near future all of our contacts are peaceful, we can assume for the most part that they closely match the principles that guide our Realm. Each Searcher will be given the authority to make agreements with these civilizations and the Realm will support your decisions. We do not have time to go through the channels you have had to follow in the past. Once you have made an agreement, an Algean will teleport to the civilization and install the generator to hide the planet. That Algean will be given the role of doing whatever is necessary to prevent the planet’s destruction once the invasion begins. Our ships will be used to try and meet the invaders head on and blunt their attacks.”

  Matt looked at Sprig and Sprig raised his branches indicating he had nothing to add. Matt then said, “Searchers, you have been trained to save life. Our very existence is for the purpose of following our original Queen’s directive to make our universe a better place for those who inhabit it. I cannot think of anything that is more worthy of devoting one’s life to preserve and if it should cost us our lives; then we will be remembered by all for whom we gave all to save. I am honored to share in this divine mission with you and I, along with every member of the Realm, am proud to know you exist performing your gallant quest. Thank you for your attention. Fleet Command, is the board ready?”

  “Yes Sir, it is and may we say on behalf of all our sailors; the Realm has chosen a Commander that we are all proud to serve.”

  Matt was stunned at the remark and was speechless. Angel keyed her com and said, “Searchers, send your codes.”

  Angel moved into Matt’s arms and thought to him, “I, too, am so proud of you. I am honored to be a part of your life.” Matt closed his eyes and held her tight.

  Sprig looked at Twig, “Remember, my love?”
/>   “Like it was only a moment ago, Dearest.”

  The King looked at his wife and thought, “He knows who he is.”

  “Yes, he does. Now he can be told how he came to be.”

  “Will we be the ones that tell him?”

  “No love, he is still developing. Sprig can handle that detail. We’ll listen in on how he takes it.”

  “Later, I feel his love for his mate. I am reminded of when we first found each other and I need you near me now.”