“What do you need me to do?”
“I’m hoping nothing but stay tuned to your weapon console. This is just a fly and spy mission and that is what my chair is built to handle. You might want to watch things through my thoughts but keep your weapon panel ready.”
“It’s your ship, Melanie.”
Melanie smiled and thought about AG. Then she energized the drive and the blue glowing ship appeared at the blue barrier surrounding the edge of the universe. “We’re going through.”
The small blue ship moved forward and picked up speed. It reached the edge of the barrier and as it crossed the color of the ship changed to orange as it emerged into dimensional space. Matt could feel the ship pick up speed but nothing changed in the orange color surrounding the ship. After twenty minutes, he felt the ship begin to slow.
“Are we there, yet?”
“We’re approaching the border and I have to change the energy of the ship as we cross. Now be quiet, this is not going to be easy.”
Matt watched the front wall of the ship and saw it changing color to a faint blue. The color moved slowly back until the inside walls were all the same light blue color. Melanie, released her board and fell back in her chair, “That was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. This ship is amazing; I couldn’t have done it without its help.”
Matt was looking at his display and there in front of them was the dark galaxy. He saw that most of the stars were extremely old and were dying. He tuned in his weapons panel and looked at Melanie. “Do you need some time to rest?”
“Give me just a few minutes. I want to set my board up to take a fast scan of the entire galaxy but not until after I back the rear of our ship into the border with dimensional space. I’m not going to risk them finding us. Only the nose will be in their space.”
If we have time, I’ll hold the ship at the border as long as possible but the warning from the Reg about a massive response concerns me. I’m holding our screen on the front at its lowest setting but I don’t want to be caught out in the open.” After ten minutes Melanie backed the small ship back into the border of dimensional space until only the part of the ship with the two chairs was still in normal space. “Be ready, I’m starting the scan in ten seconds.”
Matt looked into her mind and counted it down with her, “3..2..1..energize.”
The Red Demon watched his board as he searched for the missing universe. Suddenly his alarm went off and he was immediately moved to the command chair of his ship as it lifted off and jumped to his assigned coverage area. It looked at its sensors and could see the direction the scan had originated but could not determine where the scan was located. Millions of the orange ships were jumping out to the edge of the galaxy and running out from the galaxy’s outer edge. Nothing had been sensed entering the galaxy so it had to be outside the border.
“What’s happening?”
“Some agency is scanning our domain. They are in normal space, that much we know but we are unable to find its location. The direction is out toward the largest spiral arm.”
“Could this be the missing universe’s responsibility?”
“I doubt it. This scan is happening in normal space and we know that universe is not in normal space. This must be a different agency located in another universe. We are analyzing the scan now.”
The second being watched his board and wondered if this was another appearance of the blue ship but dared not mention it. If it was that ship, he knew it came from the missing universe but he could not think of a way to suggest that possibility without giving away what he knew. One thing he did know, if he found the blue ship he was going to stay away from it. His small ship had already demonstrated that it could be damaged.
“What are you doing?”
The second being jumped and said, “Looking for the source of those scans.”
“Well move out into the space outside our galaxy and start searching. I told you it had to be outside our galaxy.”
The second being set his board and cringed against the possibility of encountering the blue ship again.
“Oh my, ancestors,” Melanie said as millions of orange ships exploded out of the dark galaxy less than a second after she began her scan and started moving out from its border. Some of the ships were larger than the Captors and all were moving faster than light speed. The orange ships had arrived in a cone shape and had linked their screens as they moved outward. They looked like a giant bubble being blown up and Tag saw that nothing would be missed as that bubble expanded toward their location.
Matt watched the oncoming wave of ships and said, “Time to leave.”
Melanie backed the ship back into dimensional space and accelerated away from the dark galaxy’s location. Melanie had her eyes closed and Matt could tell she was concentrating but he also sensed something was wrong. He didn’t want to break her concentration so he looked at her thoughts and saw that she was monitoring the border to see if any of the Demons entered dimensional space. He determined that she was going to jump to another universe if any appeared. It was a long twenty minutes until they reached the blue barrier and Melanie flew into it at a high velocity. Matt watched the wall change color faster than he could track visually. Once inside the barrier, Melanie slumped over her console. Matt jumped up and grabbed her.
“I’m ok. I could sense the thoughts of those beings and I never want to do that again. They are evil personified.”
Matt held her tight and she passed out; Matt held her and jumped the ship to Ross where he waited in orbit and held Melanie in his arms. He kept seeing that mass of ships moving out toward them and wondered if the crystal ships were going to be enough against the massive force he had just witnessed.
In her crib below, AG sensed her parent’s return and began sending soothing thoughts to her mother and began erasing some of the evil that had entered Melanie’s neural pathways. Slowly and gently she destroyed the poison of the Red Demons; no one could survive that much exposure to the massive evil of their minds. Melanie sighed in her restlessness and then fell asleep. Matt saw what his daughter was doing and was awe struck at the power of their two year old. Melanie slept with tranquil dreams; only then did AG go to sleep.
Tag teleported to the ship and found Matt holding Melanie “Is she all right?”
“She is now, Tag. We won’t be going back.”
Tag looked at Matt and saw what they must have experienced. “Was it that bad?”
“Worse than you can ever imagine. We’ll share what we found in two days. I’m taking Melanie home.”
Tag nodded and the three of them disappeared from the crystal ship.
Two days later the leaders of the Stars Realm met in the map room. Sprig stood and thought to the group, “As most of you know, Matt and Melanie went to the home of the Red Demons and scanned their galaxy. We are here to see what they discovered and plan our strategy against their possible invasion. Matt, the floor is yours and Melanie’s.”
Matt stood and looked around the room at those in attendance; Cassandra, Tommy, Anglo, Jenny, Stem, Petal, Life, Grena, Destiny and his three children, General Brez, Twig, Tag, Danielle, Admiral Kosiev, Atlas and Diana who were present in orbit, and AG who was sitting in her mother’s lap. “I’m going to lead this presentation and Melanie will help remind me if I forget anything. The first thing I’m going to show you is what happened when we sent a scan into the dark galaxy. You will see it at normal speed and then I’m going to slow it down.” He pressed a button on his display and there was the dark galaxy. “Most of the stars in this galaxy are dying and some of them have degenerated into black holes, which trap light and prevent it from exiting. That’s why this galaxy is not the normal bright lights we see from most other galaxies. This galaxy is ancient and is probably where this race evolved. Now observe what happened when we sent a scan. We sent the scan at this moment.” The attendees saw a huge mass of orange ships explode out of the galaxy moving quickly toward the source of the video. It appeared that a huge tida
l wave of ships moving faster than could be seen was screaming toward the camera. “It was at this point where we exited the dimension and flew as quickly as possible back to our universe. Now let’s slow it down.”
At extreme slow motion the wave of ships could be seen as they appeared at the edge of the galaxy and began moving out. Some of the ships were very small, about the size of a Searcher vessel, and some were gigantic, larger than five thousand miles. As they swept outward, everyone could see they were swarming back and forth in the gaps to make sure nothing escaped their notice. “That globe of expanding ships was moving faster than the speed of light and covered every inch of space as they expanded outward. They reacted to our scan less than a second after we sent it, and I must believe that they have a system of defense that automatically launches their ships if anything is detected. We do not possess anything that comes close to their response to a small scan. Those ships are what we will have to face if they discover our location. There is no possible invasion; they are coming. I think our scan may have slowed them but I’m uncertain how much. These Demons are evil and I don’t fully know the power of our crystal ships but nothing in our arsenal can harm them. Our only hope is to find the crews for the Reg’s ships and pray they can protect us.”
The room was quiet. Finally, Sprig stood and thought to the group, “Some of you will be in those ships protecting our Realm. My prayers are with you, and I hope your ships will be enough to prevent our destruction.” He looked at Matt and thought, “Should we send some of our population to other universes?”
Matt shook his head, “It’s not possible to move them through the psychic barrier the Reg has put in place. Only the ships they are providing can move through it and only one of them is operational. It could only move four or five at a time, and I suspect that if those beings penetrate the barrier and sense those in our universe, they will send their next tool scanning for any life forms that came from here. If the Reg lower the barrier to allow us to send large numbers away, the Demons will immediately see us and attack in force. Our only hope will be the crews of the crystal ships and I still don’t know the power of those ships.”
“Why have none of them fully developed?”
“I don’t know, Tag. There are many unknowns here and I suspect that those ships are a life form.” Matt paused a moment, then shook his head,” I don’t even have a guess. I hope a large number will be created, but with the difficulty we’re having finding the crews, I suspect it won’t be as many as I would like to have. At least Edison has set up a system where we can send possible candidates to new ships in one tenth the time it has taken in the past.”
Sprig looked around the room and said, “This meeting is adjourned. I see nothing more that can be done that we are not already doing.”
The red being looked at his board and saw nothing that could have sent the scan.
“You’re not alone. Even the Elders have come up with nothing.”
“What are we going to do?”
“They are operating on the assumption that there are two advisories we must find and destroy. One they believe exists in normal space and one that is not in the dimensional plane. Two thirds of us are being assigned to scan universes for civilizations that have universal drives. The others will continue to search for the missing universe.”
“So you are being sent to search?”
“Yes, and you will continue to search for the missing universe.”
“I’d rather be out searching.”
The first being paused, “You are being watched by the Elders and I don’t think they will let you go too far from their sight.”
“Why?”
“That missing tool issue, they think you haven’t been completely open about it.”
“Of course I’ve told them all I know.”
“Even so, you will be searching for the missing universe. I hope you find it.” The first being paused again, “For your sake.”
All the second being could think about was a blue ship.
Chapter 11
Four years flew by and four hundred and ninety nine crystals had appeared and their crews found. One of the crews was remarkable. Al was taking a searcher to see which ship they would set off and as they passed the rows of crystals, two of them glowed. “Matt, we have an issue.”
“What?”
“One Searcher just caused two ships to glow. “Standby.”
Matt teleported to Al’s bridge, “Show me.”
Al flew by and first one ship glowed and then a second.”
Matt thought furiously and contacted Sprig and explained what had happened.
“Either that Searcher belongs in both ships, which we both know is not possible, or Al is setting off a ship.”
“Fly Girl.”
“Yes, Matt.”
Would you mind doing something for me?”
“What?”
“Please leave Junior at the outer system and go with Al as he takes a Searcher by the Crystals.”
Fly Girl told her child to remain until she returned and then teleported in next to Al. “Hi, honey.”
“Hello, love.” They flew by the ships and one of them had a golden glow but another burst into golden light and began changing shape.
“What’s happening, Matt?”
“It looks like you and Fly Girl are among the chosen.”
“You mean we will share a ship?”
“It certainly looks that way.”
“What about my being on your ship?”
“It appears that space is meant for something else.”
“How are we going to care for Junior if we’re both on one ship?”
“I suspect he will be better protected if you are in one of the strongest ships in our universe.”
“You make a good point.”
The last crew of the four hundred and ninety nine needed was found and then a single crystal appeared. Time was growing short and finally one crew member for it was found. He was also a relative of Melanie’s and was a latent psychic.
Matt called a meeting of the Royal Family and asked for help. “All of the other ships are near completion but not finished. It appears all the crews must be found before they complete their development. I have searched every possible place and have not found the last crewmember for the last ship. All of our military has been checked and all of our civil staff.”
“Do you have any idea of what their race they might be?”
“They’re Human and they must possess strong psychic abilities.”
Danielle looked quickly at Matt, “How do you know that?”
“Because the other crew member is a latent psychic with an extremely high power reading; in all other similar situations it was a strong psychic that was the other member.”
Melanie stood, “We have scanned every possible descendent of the three psychic family lines and have come up with nothing. I’m afraid that if we don’t find that last crew member we will be defenseless against the Demons.”
Matt looked around the room, “Please think about who it could possibly be and if you think of anything contact me. We don’t have much longer.”
Danielle left the meeting and sat in her room and thought about what Matt had said, “What’s wrong, Dear?”
“The last chosen crew member and who it might be.”
“Well, I hope they turn up soon. My sense tells me there is huge danger for all of us. It is impossible to escape beings that can see every place in existence.”
Danielle continued to think and finally decided after struggling with her conscience. She entered coordinates into her bracelet and punched the button. She walked up to a small house with a red garden in front and knocked on the door. A pretty young woman with blonde hair and green eyes came to the door. They looked at each other and Danielle said, “May I come in?”
The young woman stepped aside and Danielle walked in and sat down on a sofa. The house was very clean and everything appeared to have a place. “Why have you come here?”
“I really tried not to disturb your privacy but I’m afraid that I have no choice.”
“Why?”
“Because I fear you are one of the chosen and if you are and don’t take part in the coming fight, our universe and everyone in it is doomed to destruction.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t been keeping up with current events. Tell me what you mean.”
Danielle told her about the war with the Captors, Eight Legs, and finally about the Red Demons. “They are an ancient race and our only hope is the ships the Reg have provided. However, if the last crew member is not found in time they will not finish their development.”
“What makes you think I’m the one you’re looking for?”
“Because you know my talent.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“And if I refuse?”
“We all die.”
“I would welcome that.”
“I know.”
The two sat in silence for an hour. Finally, the young woman looked up and said, “I will agree to help if you can tell me why.”
“I know why.” The young woman flinched and stared at Danielle. “I just worked it out a few hours ago but I’m not certain if I tell you that you will agree to go.”
“What if I promise to go if you convince me you really know?”
“Would you keep your promise if it made you feel like you were betraying all of those you love?”
The young woman looked down and thought for a moment, “I will keep my promise if for no other reason than to understand why I have been made to suffer. I think I would be forgiven by my loved ones for that reason.”
“You were forced to wait for love.”
The young woman turned angry. “Now you’re being cruel.”
“No, I’m not. You made an error as a child and didn’t know it then or even now. You assumed something to be true that wasn’t and as a result you remained incomplete.”
“Just what error did I make?”
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