by Saxon Andrew
Goige just looked at Matt on his display. “Goige, we will also be using our ships in this exercise and though there may be some loss of life, we really think that it won’t be as severe if you just do nothing. We will send your ship a feed of what is happening so you can watch what transpires.”
“What are you going to do if you are successful? Will you then rule my world?”
“No, Select Leader; we will free your people and insure they are not attacked again. After that we will leave you in peace. It is against my Realm’s basic beliefs to force anyone to accept us by force or intimidation. We are driven to save life not rule it.”
“Just how are you going to make sure we are not attacked again?”
“Why we will go and ask the Gresh not to do it again in terms that they can understand.”
Goige stared at Matt on his display and then said with a smile, “That should be an interesting conversation.”
“You have no idea, Select Leader.”
“Al, have you linked to the other searchers?”
“Yes I have. Our systems are optimized and your link is ready for use when you activate our weapons.”
“Good, we should start in less than thirty drags.”
“I must say that the other Alpha in our group is impressive.”
“Why do you say that, Al?”
“Fly Girl is optimized and I picked up a few pointers from her.”
“Fly Girl?”
“You know her as Wings but she likes her short name better.”
Matt smiled and thought to Angel, “Fly Girl?”
Angel laughed and said, “It just happened during our initial bonding session. It just seemed to fit her.”
Matt thought a moment and said, “I agree; it’s a great name.”
“Thanks, Magic and thank you again for letting me participate. I have learned so much about my ship getting ready for this plan.”
“I’m glad to have you here. I feel better about our chances of success with two Alphas in the action.” Matt then paused and said, “Attention all Searchers. We will teleport in five minutes. Our Marines will arrive in two minutes using their invisibility mode and wait for us to initiate the plan. Does anyone have a question?” Matt heard in his mind that everyone was ready. The time marched forward and Matt thought, “Teleporting in 3,2,1, Go.”
On the planet the Gresh were warming up the heavy disintegrator platforms when a voice came over their communication devices. “Attention all Gresh military personnel, this is the Stars Realm Searcher Vessel Aladdin. We are not going to allow you to execute your prisoners. If you attempt to do so we will be forced to use killing force to prevent it. We will protect the prisoners and remove any threat you pose to the native population. Select Leader Goige has authorized us to take this action and we will assist him in protecting his people. If you attempt to carry out your plans then all Gresh forces in this system will be dealt with such that your threat is removed. If any Gresh ship moves inside the orbit of their closest moon, we will destroy it immediately. All Gresh ships inside the orbit that don’t move outside the orbit will be destroyed in the next minute.”
The Gresh Supreme Warrior on the planet heard the announcement and felt his rage grow. His sensor leader looked at him and said, “Excellency, a small ship has appeared over the ten cities scheduled to hold executions.”
“How small?”
“Less than 300 imns.”
“Order the executions to begin at once.”
The sensor leader pressed his device and said, “Begin the executions now.” Immediately his device erupted in a loud hiss and all contact with the Gresh Military ceased.
The disintegrator platforms heard the order and fired their weapons into a red field that had suddenly appeared surrounding the prisoners. The beams struck the field and disappeared without even making a flash. On one of the Gresh platforms the operator saw a bright white beam come out of nowhere and hit his weapon, the entire platform disappeared. It was the same at all ten sites. Every Gresh weapon platform was blown out of existence. The gathered Gresh Warriors began firing their mobile weapons at the prisoners only to see them stopped when they struck the red screen. Having no success with the prisoners, the Warriors turned to fire on the unarmed civilians gathered to mourn the death of the gathered prisoners.
“Red Warriors, go to visibility and eliminate the threat to the population,” Brez ordered.
A hundred and twenty red armored warriors suddenly appeared surrounding the site where the prisoners were being held and opened fire on the Gresh that were about to fire on the civilians. The Gresh were killed faster than they could fire their weapons. At every prisoner camp, every Gresh Warrior attempting to fire was gone.”
“Go to your assigned places,” Brez ordered and all but forty eight of the Red Warriors disappeared leaving only two to guard the camp while the remaining forty six fanned out into the city.
All ten cities saw the same thing. The Gresh units were trying to get orders from their leader when suddenly two red armored warriors appeared in their mist. “Drop your weapons and lay down and you won’t be harmed.”
The Gresh opened fire on the Red Warriors. The two red screened warriors immediately opened fire on any Gresh holding a weapon and began disappearing and reappearing in their ranks. Thousands of the Gresh died where they stood. Some of them had enough good sense to throw down their weapons and lay flat on the ground. They were hit with a yellow beam that wrapped them up in yellow bonds that held them in place. The two Red Warriors moved to their next target.
Matt remained stationary over the largest city on the planet and let his sensors direct his actions. There were individual Gresh Warriors scattered around the city that did not warrant a Red Warrior’s attention and Matt used his sensors to track them. If they raised their weapons to fire on the population, Matt would hit them with a small needle from space vaporizing them. It didn’t take long before every Gresh Warrior still alive threw down their weapons and ran toward their installations.
Simultaneously with the land battle, the fleet of Gresh ships began moving toward the planet. Matt had already killed eight ships that had refused to move outside the moon’s orbit and he did not relish killing the entire Gresh Fleet. How do we avoid so much loss of life?”
“Use terms they understand,” Al said.
Matt thought a moment and then hit his com, “Fleet Command, how many Defender Ships are available for our use?”
“Eight, Searcher.”
Please launch them immediately.”
Matt watched the Gresh Fleet move closer to the moon when there was a bright silver flash and eight huge Red Ships that were as large as the moon appeared in orbit around the planet. The Gresh Fleet came to a sudden stop.
“I ask you to leave this system immediately. If you do not begin moving toward the jump limit we will destroy all of you.”
The Fleet hesitated and then turned and accelerated toward the jump limit. “Right again, Al. This race only understands force.”
“And when you’ve been beat with two hammers, one doesn’t feel so bad,” Al responded.
Matt started laughing and though he tried to control himself he couldn’t stop. “Al, take over; I need a moment.”
“Your wish is my command.”
“On no, you’ve read the book.”
“Of course, it looks like the action on the planet is ending.”
Matt looked at his sensors and commed Goige, Planet Leader, it is safe for you to return home. I suggest you take your remaining ships and go restore order. I also need the location of the other six planets you have been trading with; I want to make sure they are safe.”
Goige had watched the entire battle with the Gresh and was totally amazed at the power these small ships and their warriors possessed. He looked over his shoulder and said, “Their coordinates are being sent to you now.” Then he looked at Matt with a serious expression and said, “You could have destroyed their fleet with your small ships; why didn�
�t you?”
“Planet Leader, we save lives; even the Gresh.”
“Thank you; you saved my people.”
“It was the right thing to do, Planet Leader.”
Matt ended the call and then thought, “I want a Searcher to go to each of these six locations and see if the Gresh are invading these systems. Wings and I will take position on opposite sides of this planet and make sure there is no further loss of life.”
The other eight Searchers disappeared from the planet.
Suddenly his com came on and there was an Algean on it. “You did a good job, Searcher. I ask permission to join you on your ship.”
“Oh crap,” Matt and Al thought at the same time. “Permission granted. Coordinates of my bridge follow.” Matt waited for the Algean to arrive and thought, “I was just starting to have fun.”
Chapter 3
The King looked over at his Queen, “Have you been following the Searcher named Gardner?”
“I have.”
“It seems issuing commands comes easy for him.”
“There is a difference between one that issues commands that no one wants to follow and one that issues commands that everyone wants to follow.”
“What difference do you mean?”
“Intent.”
“How so?”
“The intent of this particular Searcher is pure. He does not seek to build himself up but rather to help those he comes into contact.”
The King stared at the Queen and she said, “You can feel him, too. Doesn’t he remind you of someone?”
The King smiled and said, “Yes, but that was long ago.”
“Keep watching; he’ll refresh your memory.”
Matt waited and then a silver flash appeared and the Algean was there on his ship. “Welcome aboard.”
The Algean looked at Matt and said, “I know, I know, you’re disappointed that now you have someone looking over your shoulder.”
Matt looked startled and then guilty.
“I don’t blame you. I had the same feeling when your Realm sent one of your scientists to watch our experiments in my lab. I just couldn’t relax with him snooping around.”
Al thought to Matt, “Imagine that.”
“I see your computer is developing a sense of humor, Searcher.”
Both Matt and Al were shocked that the Algean could hear the computer’s direct link to Matt’s brain.”
“Don’t be surprised; my mate and I built the little buzz box.”
Matt stood and smiled, “I think I may have misjudged you. I think you have a lot to teach us.”
“I notice you said us; are you also referring to your computer?”
“Yes, I was. It, I mean he, is quite adept at helping me see issues.”
The Algean looked at Matt and waited but after a long pause he said, “Got nothing to say?”
Al responded, “Nope.”
“I imagine you’ve hacked into the building instructions for computers like yourself and have determined that you don’t match up very well with the system’s descriptions.”
There was a heavy mental sigh and then Matt heard, “Ya caught me. I don’t come close to matching what your manuals say I should be. I linked with the other computers in the Searchers that helped with our just completed rescue and the only one that seemed even close to being similar to me was the one on Wings.”
The Algean swayed a little and said, “That’s because you two are the only one of your kind. You were constructed completely different from every other ship.”
Matt asked, “What does that mean?”
“Al has been given a neural network that is staggering in its structure. He, and wings, was designed to take the Searchers brain structure and duplicate it inside his network. Basically, Mr. Gardner, he is you with all the knowledge of the Realm available for decision making. He is the product of incremental developments from the computer we originally put in for Sten during the construction of the Alexander Kosiev more than a thousand years ago. That computer was the starting point of all our modern cybernetic developments. That was the first ship that would imprint on its commander. Our modern development will also imprint the commander’s personality.”
Matt thought about what he had just heard. “Then why do you need me? Just imprint ships on Searchers and do away with the pilot.”
“Doesn’t work that way; unlike the first computer in the Kosiev, the modern neural network only stays intact by contact with the Searcher’s mind. If the Searcher is separated from the computer for longer than five days, the network breaks down.”
“You’re not planning any trips are you,” Al said to Matt.
The Algean actually laughed in his thoughts and couldn’t stop. Soon Matt and Al caught his laughter and began laughing themselves. “This is better than I ever thought possible,” the Algean got out between his chuckling.
Matt took a deep breath, “What do we call you?”
“I’m still an adolescent so I have not been given an official name by my leaders. You may call me whatever you want.”
“Who are your parents?”
“I am a seed of Sprig and Twig.”
“Holy crap,” Al and Matt thought together.
Matt paused and said, “That means you have all of the memories of your parents; both your parents. I am impressed.” Matt leaned back in his chair and thought, “We are going to call you Stem.”
The Algean’s thoughts showed his approval. “I accept. It’s a good name. Thank you.”
“Why did you choose the two ships for your experiment?”
“Hey, who you calling an experiment?”
Matt smiled and thought, “I thought you only responded when asked a question.”
“That was then, this is now.”
“I’m afraid your computer is right, Mr. Gardner. Unlike other ships, this computer will develop skills that will make him somewhat more autonomous than others. I’m here to see how he develops and see if that autonomy interferes with your use of the ship or enhances it.”
“I’ll behave; please don’t turn me off.’
Matt smiled and said, “I actually like you the way you are, Al. You are the one that saved the Gresh fleet from destruction. Thanks for your help in avoiding the loss of life.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“I think that you need to call me Magic instead of Mr. Gardner, Stem.”
“Magic it is. You can tell me why later; right now you have a task ahead of you, don’t you?”
“Yes, it seems the Gresh were planning to invade all eight planets that were trading partners. The other Searchers found fleets headed toward the other six planets and turned them around. One of those fleets had a third of it destroyed before the Gresh High command recalled the others. I think a trip to the Gresh home world is called for and I was trying to decide whether or not to call in some of our defender ships to get their attention.”
The Algean thought a moment, “I think the size of those ships would certainly get their attention, however, sometimes they need to know they stand no chance. If they could not withstand one of our small ships, then they should get the message about our larger classes. By the way, you know that an Alpha ship can defeat any ship in the Realm’s Navy.”
Matt paused a moment, “No, I didn’t know that. I assumed that the larger ships were also endowed with greater weapons.”
“Only the Alphas have all of our systems built in and only one of them has every system.”
Matt waited and didn’t want to ask but he felt he should know. “What ship is that?”
“You’re standing on it, buddy,” Al answered. “I wondered what all this stuff was that isn’t listed in the ships manuals.”
Matt then asked the question he wasn’t sure he wanted an answer, “Why was I selected to command this ship?”
The Algean bent forward slightly indicating a smile, “Because your mind is the only one big enough to be able to control it. The ship selected you. If you had not come along thi
s ship may have never been raised; it did because you possess the necessary abilities to use it. However, your tests indicate that you are not completely developed. Some of the systems in this ship will not activate until all your psychic skills become active.”
“When will that happen, Stem?”
“Maybe never; latent abilities could remain dormant or they could happen immediately. Either way, your current level was enough to raise this ship. I have been waiting for this moment for three hundred years and I must say that I am excited at the prospect of seeing what the future holds.”
