by Saxon Andrew
The female smiled and said, “I’ll be back.” She turned and walked out the door.
Jixie stood and put the clipboard on the Lieutenant’s desk and said, “I’ll be back.” She walked out and saw the female to her right. She turned and followed her.
Jack said, “I hope I didn’t hurt that small creature’s feelings.”
Deget said, “She heard you tell the short man that he didn’t qualify. She knows.”
Jack slowly shook his head, “It always surprises me that some of the smallest applicants have the biggest hearts.”
“I know. I know.”
• • •
Jixie followed the female into a building and watched as she approached another elaborate table. She heard the woman say, “I need the history of the Stars Realm and Bristone Empire.”
The female behind the table said, “You’re signing up for service aren’t you?”
The female smiled, “Yes, I am.”
The one behind the desk said, “Just go to one of the couches and when the machine asks for a title; tell it what you want. I would recommend that you recline on the couch. It’s a rather long download. The machine will determine the maximum safe speed based on your mind’s ability to absorb the information.”
“Will I be done before the recruiting office closes?”
“Yes, with time to spare.”
“Thank you very much.”
Jixie watched the female go to a chair and pull a lever on it. The back of the chair reclined and she put on a device that went over the top of her head. She watched as the female closed her eyes. Jixie went over to the chair beside her and sat down. She pulled the lever and put on the head cap. She heard, “What do you wish to view?”
“The history of the Stars Realm and Bristone Empire.”
“Download will now commence.”
Jixie saw the information start and decided it was moving too slow. She stepped up the frequency and the download was completed in less than twenty seconds. She heard, “Is there anything else you wish to view?”
Jixie saw that the species that was directing the Warriors was called human. She said, “I want to see all of human history.”
“Does that include the archeological records before humans had a recorded history?”
“I want everything you’ve got.”
Jixie stepped the frequency up again and the massive download finished in a minute. Jixie absorbed the content and filed it into the sections of her mind for reorganization. “Is there anything else you wish to view?”
“How much information do you have on human behavior?”
“The download is fifty times greater than what you’ve viewed.”
“I want to see everything you have on human behavior. I also want everything you’ve got on any species that are…” Jixie paused and thought, what’s the word for play…on yeah, “fighting with the Realm’s Warriors.”
“You may die of old age before the download is completed.”
“Just start it and stop it after two days.”
“Download commencing.”
Jixie saw the massive amount of information in the machine and turned the frequency up to her highest level. Three minutes later she stood and left the library. She now knew what a knock out was.
• • •
The librarian turned off the lights in the library, turned off the couches, and pulled up the reports from the day’s activities. She glanced at the report and nearly dropped the paper. She turned the couches power back on and queried the machine in question and looked at the counter. She punched her com and a face appeared, “Yes.”
“One of my machines downloaded more than ten million terabytes of information today to one individual.”
“Say what?”
“Ten million terabytes and the information was done with no damage to the one that received it.”
“That’s impossible!”
“My report says otherwise.”
“What does the video show?”
“That’s just it. The couch is reclined and it wouldn’t remain in that position unless someone was on it. The video shows the couch was empty. However, when the last download completed, the couch returned to an upright position.”
“Stay where you are.”
The librarian waited and fifteen minutes later one of the giant Cats teleported in. There was barely enough room for him in front of the librarian’s desk, “Show me what you have.” The librarian handed the report to the Cat and played the video. The cat looked at the librarian and said, “You have no memory of anyone lying on that couch.”
She shook her head and said, “I don’t. I never noticed that it was reclined. There was a woman downloading the Realm’s history next to it and she blocked the view of that couch.” The Cat looked at the video and the librarian said, “That woman told me she was studying so she could enlist.” The Cat looked up and said, “Where’s the closest enlistment office?”
“Two blocks north of here.”
The Cat contacted Admiral Gardner, “I need you to contact the duty officer at the enlistment office on Tgon-gee Boulevard and have him meet me there immediately.”
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.”
The Admiral looked at his screen and said, “Lieutenant Callahan will be there momentarily.” The Admiral was confused. When did a Cat ever say they didn’t know?
Jack Callahan arrived to find the Cat waiting for him in the office. The Cat turned and said, “I want the location of this woman.” The Cat sent the image to Callahan’s mind and he went to his desk and pulled her forms. “Her name is Jennifer Aman.”
“I see her address. Did anyone else come in around the same time?”
“There was a short man…”
“I saw him on your video.”
“And a small creature that looked like a fairy.”
The Cat turned around so suddenly that Callahan almost fell back, “Your video does not have any one that looked like that.”
“Well, she was here. She walked out right after Miss Aman did.”
The Cat looked at the Lieutenant’s mind and saw the creature he was describing. However, the video had nothing on it showing that being had been present. The Cat pulled the image closer and saw the small being did look like an ancient Earth Fairy. The Cat disappeared.
Jennifer was getting ready for bed when she was suddenly teleported out of her room to the street in front of her building. She looked up and saw the two hundred foot long Northern Mountain Cat. “I apologize for my intrusion into your privacy, but I need to ask you some questions.”
Jennifer put her arms on her chest and pulled the night gown top closed and said, “Wha..what?”
The human men that were walking by stopped and gawked at the beautiful woman in the satin, short, pajamas. “Did you see this creature today?”
Jennifer looked at the image in her mind and said, “She was in the library.”
The Cat looked at her memories and saw that Jennifer had only seen her briefly as she moved to the couch. That was the only time she saw the fairy. “Thank you, Miss Aman. I appreciate your help. Good luck with your training.”
Jennifer was teleported back to her room and wondered what had just happened.
The Cat teleported to El Prado, the home of the giant cats, and shared his information with the Elders. They were astounded and then bewildered. They made contact with their mother and she was not aware of the creature. The Cat felt the connection break and said, “This creature is from another creation.”
“What is it doing?”
“Gathering information, obviously. This is not a good thing.”
“Do you think it will attempt to collect more information?”
The Cat looked the others and slowly shook its head, “It already has ninety percent of everything ever recorded in the Realm and it was trying to enlist in the Military. I’ll be surprised if it goes back to a library.”
“Do you have another suggest
ion on where to look?”
“I do not.”
“You say it was trying to join the Military at the enlistment office?”
The Cat nodded, “According to the officer in charge, it was trying to enlist and was turned away because of its size.”
“Then we need to focus on the enlistment locations in the Realm. Perhaps we’ll find it that way.” The Cat nodded.
Chapter Two
Sam took the shuttle to Cainth, received clearance, and flew down to the planet where he landed outside a wooden house among tall trees. He looked at the giant stone trees towering over head and then saw Dort step out of the house. He raised the doors and yelled, “Hey runt, it’s good to see you.”
“What are you talking about; I’m the pick of the litter.” Dort ran forward with a bag and threw it in the back of the ship. “It’s great to see you, Sam. It’s been a long time since the academy.”
Dort and Sam had attended secondary school on Earth and had become close friends during their education. “I’ve been tied up with the Queens abdication. The new succession had to be established and Jon refused to acknowledge Maranda was pregnant until the last minute. She finally confessed when the Queen asked her directly.”
“I bet Jon was ticked off by that?”
“He was, but there was no way for Maranda to avoid the ceremony.”
“He doesn’t want you to go.”
“I know; but keeping it secret would have only delayed it for another month or so. You can tell she’s getting larger around the middle now. He couldn’t hide her with the scope of her official duties.” Sam paused, “He might have tried, though.”
“Do you think you’re going to miss all that pomp and circumstance?”
“It’s been a good life, Dort. I can’t deny that. However, it will be nice to be around people who don’t know who I am.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I guess since Lyla said adios, I’ve been looking to make a change.”
“I told you a year ago she was nothing but trouble but noooo…you wouldn’t listen.”
“I know, I just…”
“You should have seen her looking at other human males when you weren’t watching. You just couldn’t see anything but her big…”
“Now cut that out. She’s a nice person.” Dort stared at Sam and Sam finally said, “Well, she played the role of being nice.”
Dort looked at Sam and said, “Let me see; how do you spell Lyla? T-r-o-u-b-l-e. Yeah, that’s the correct spelling.”
Sam hit Dort on the shoulder and said, “Have you talked to Tgon about joining?”
“I have.”
“Do you think he’ll join us?”
“The jury’s still out.”
“What’s slowing the verdict?”
“You know what it is. Let’s go see if we can help him decide. I’d really hate to leave my best friend behind.”
Sam chuckled, “You ought to see the two of you together. You look one foot tall next to him. The two of you stayed in trouble in school.”
“It would have been worse if he had not stopped me most of the time.”
“He took the blame for most of it.”
“Only because he was too freaking big to hide properly; that’s his fault, not mine.”
Sam laughed and lifted the small ship and after it cleared the teleport suppression field, it teleported to Glod.
• • •
“Where is he, Dort?”
“Why don’t you ask him?”
“You know he won’t link to me if you and I are linked.”
Dort smiled, “He’s still being stubborn.”
“He is. If you look up hardheaded in the Glod dictionary you’ll see his picture. He’s the most hardheaded person in a race known for being stubborn. Why has he always refused to link to more than one at a time?”
“I’ll let him explain that to you. He has his reasons that make sense when you know the pride of that warrior species.”
• • •
Sam received clearance and brought the ship into Glod’s atmosphere. Dort said, “He’s at the clearing outside the Quilleron Temple.”
“What’s he doing there?”
“How should I know?”
“Didn’t you link and ask him?”
“Nope, he won’t link if you’re with me. I have a transponder in one of his swords. He’s never found out I put it there years ago when we were in school.”
“Oh, you are the sneaky one.”
“I fear even you underestimate my sneakiness.”
“That’s not completely true.”
“Why is that?”
“I put one in your sword as well.”
Dort snatched his four swords out and held them in front of his face with his four hands, “Which one!?!”
“I’m just kidding.”
“No you’re not. I can tell when you’re being deceptive. Which one?”
Sam smiled and said, “Oh look, there’s Tgon.”
“Don’t think I’ll forget this.”
Sam banked the ship and saw the huge Glod look up at the descending ship and started shaking his head. Sam landed and Tgon said, “How do you two troublemakers keep finding me? There’s no way you could have known I was here.”
Dort got out and said, “It’s easy; we just follow the smell.”
Tgon started laughing and said, “It can’t be that simple. I bathe every day.”
“You can wash a groad-hog hourly and it’d still run you out of a room.”
Tgon came forward and wrapped the two in his arms and lifted them off the ground. “It’s good to see you.”
Dort said, “I’d like to breathe if you don’t mind.” Tgon put them down.
Sam said, “What are you doing here at the temple?”
“I went in to look at the two swords.”
“Why?”
“To remember my duty.”
Dort looked at the huge Glod and said, “Have you decided?”
“I guess I’ve just been avoiding finding out that I’m less than my forefather.”
Sam looked at Tgon and said, “That’s why you’ve refused to link with me?”
Tgon sat down on the ground and said, “It is, Sam.”
“Tell me what you’re afraid of.”
The huge Glod threw his long orange braid over his shoulder and looked at them, “Our forefathers saved the Realm from the Dremor. They were the chosen of another Creator and are giants in the Realm’s history. My forefather became King here when he left the Life Warriors. I just feel small in comparison. I’ve never been able to hear the trace and know I’ll always be less than him.”
Dort said, “There are many other Glod descendants of Tegen. Have any of them ever made contact with the trace?”
“No.”
“It could be that only the three brothers were blessed by the Father Creator and we are now here to carry on their legacy with whatever tools we’re given.”
“I know. I just feel so…I don’t know.”
“Inadequate.”
“That’s it, Dort.”
“We feel the same, Gon. But the Realm is facing forces that are driving us back. We should shoulder our part of the load to honor our forefathers. We are going to start warrior training and it wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“Of course not, you wouldn’t have anyone to blame for the trouble you cause.” Gon smiled and then turned serious, “That’s why I’m here today.” Dort and Sam stared at Tgon and he said, “Danielle Gardner paid for my species survival with her oath to defend us as if we were her own people. I don’t just owe a debt to my forefathers. I owe it to the Realm as well. I needed to see that.”
“We have the hard skin of our forefathers.”
Tgon snorted, “All of their descendants have that trait, Sam. It’s a dominant trait. The hard skin is not anything special.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to fight with the two of you and try
to avoid being thrown in the brig during training. I can’t let the two of you go to fight without someone there to keep Sam out of trouble. I’ve seen what Dort can do to the inexperienced.”
Dort looked at Sam, “Well, we can just go now and leave him here.”
Tgon said, “Where are you going?”
Dort punched Gon on the arm, “Nowhere, I was just kidding. You’re the trouble maker. But I’m willing to work hard to keep you out of the brig. I’ve seen your school records.”
“Hmph, yours are not much better.”
Dort sighed heavily and said, “There is that.”
Tgon laughed and said, “I’ll make the link. Even if we aren’t born with the talent of our forefathers, we have each other.”
The three put their hands on top of each other and for the first time all three linked their minds. Tgon said, “We should have done this before.”
“We’ve been telling you that for years.”
Sam smiled and said, “It’s beautiful; isn’t it?”
Tgon and Dort nodded as the music played in their minds. Tgon smiled, “We would not have heard it before. It has waited until this moment in time.”
Dort nodded, “It was waiting on us and the fourth to appear.”
Tgon and Sam looked at Dort, “The fourth?”
“There is another.”
“There were only three the first time. Where are they?”
“They’re coming. We just have to be patient.”
Sam couldn’t see what Dort was talking about. He would find out when the right moment arrived. Dort snickered. Sam said, “What’s so funny?”
“The fourth isn’t ole Trouble.” Sam scowled at him.
Tgon said, “Who’s ole Trouble?”
“Ask Sam.”
“Who’s that, Sam?”
“You don’t want to know. Let’s go start our training. If there’s going to be a fourth, Robby is also going to training.”
Gon laughed, “This will be like old school days.”
Dort said, “It’s a good thing Robby was able to keep us from being expelled.”
Gon snorted, “He was in on most of it.”
“Yeah, but he was better at it than us. He never got caught.”
