Caleb jumps over the control room, and grabs the cylinder, which holds the T-Challa Queens D.N.A.. He looks to Toth, saying, “Die with honor Toth.”
Caleb readies the phase shift cloak, as Toth deactivates the shield. The shield slowly collapses, as the energy quickly builds up in the base. Conduits and bulkheads start to explode, as the deck plating buckles, and the energy begins to rip the base apart.
Paladin tells Caleb, “I have our ship’s location locked. We can shift.”
The T-Challa base explodes all around Caleb as he looks upon Toth, standing solemn waiting for his fate. Caleb salutes Toth, as he activates the shift cloak, leaving Toth to his own demise.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MAKE MY OWN WAY
On board Celesta, Captain Reginald White sits in the command chair. He stares out across the bridge, watching, as their ship move across the quadrant at top speed. No longer cloaked, White has chosen to take speed over stealth.
A crewmember alerts him, “Captain White, we are approaching another cluster of Halimag ships. They appear to be floating helpless, same as the last dozen we’ve come across.”
White concerned, but grateful, sits back in his seat pondering. Glad this luck happened, but I wish I knew what happened to the Halimag. For a month now every fleet of these scavengers we’ve come across is deserted, and void of any signs of life.
Cooley enters the bridge. She sees White deep in thought, staring at the holoscreen, which is showing the Halimag ships floating helplessly in space. She asks, “Having trouble luv?”
White smiles, as he continues staring at the holoscreen. He replies, “Not as much as the Halimag. I wish I knew what the hell happened to em all, but I’m glad it’s one less obstacle to deal with.”
Cooley says, “Well, we’ve shaved more than a week off our journey, but, we’re still a week behind schedule from running cloaked, and the shift drive is showing signs of stress. I’d suggest we listen to the engineers, and not push the shift drive as much as you have.”
White looks at the course they have chosen, and at the time remaining to rendezvous with Paladin. He looks up smiling, saying to Cooley, “Sorry dear, but we still have to travel through one more hostile sector, and we don’t know what to expect with the Dorsa.”
Cooley is about to speak when she is once again struck with a moment of déjà-vu, she passes out on the deck and is once more transported to the white void realm where Flower Stone awaits. She awakens in time to see her doppelganger appear in front of her, saying, “Child, your time is growing short. You have less than twenty-two days to reach me. You must hurry.”
Cooley wakes back on the bridge, and sees White holding her up. Annoyed, she grumbles aloud, “This is getting so old.”
White extremely concerned asks, “What the hell Rachel?”
Cooley gets up frustrated to no end, saying, “Forget what I said about not pushing the shift engines. We better get a hold of Cale, and tell him too.”
White very concerned says, “Rachel, we’re not supposed to make contact with Paladin unless absolutely needed.”
Cooley turns to White, saying, “We have less than twenty-two days to make it to the gateway, or all we’ve done is for not.”
White’s eyes go wide, as he realizes that at top speed he is still a month out from the gateway. He yells to the communication officer, “Open a holochannel now!”
A few minutes pass, as the signal is recognized and Caleb appears on the holoscreen. White says, as cryptic as he can, “Cale, we have twenty-two days till fail. I’m currently thirty days out.”
Cale shakes his head, replying, “Understood Reggie. You have eight days to make up, do what you must, Cale out.”
The transmission ends. Cooley shakes her head, saying, “Reggie, we are pushing ourselves, and this ship to the brink.”
White sighs replying, “We push a little harder.”
He turns his attention to the helm and asks, “Helmsman, how long until the next shift?”
The helmsman, glances at his screen replying, “We could shift now sir, but we’ll be at full power in thirty minutes.”
White pauses for a moment. He says to Celesta, “Celesta, please get Rooke up here right away. Alert the ship’s crew, we are going to be doing an extremely long shift.”
Celesta reports, “Captain, be aware that extended shifts in null space can have adverse effects on the ship.”
White, unconcerned shakes his head. He looks over the star charts and realizes that he can cut off even more time if he redirects Celesta directly through Dorsa controlled space.
Michael Rooke enters the bridge. He is exhausted from his previous shift, which had only ended a few hours earlier. He asks, “Captain, what is the emergency?”
Troubled, White looks to Cooley, and back to Rooke, saying, “Michael we have less than twenty-two days to get to the gateway. We need to push things more than we have ever pushed them before. I want to do the longest shift possible, and, I want to direct our travel right through this area of space.”
White shows the path he has chosen to Rooke, who immediately notices the route, and says privately, “Captain, I can navigate through null space better than anyone on this ship. However, we could easily hit a time rift in null space, and could easily lose weeks, or even months. In addition, sir, the course you have plotted has us cutting through Dorsa space. Well sir, Paladin purposely plotted us around that area of space because it is heavily patrolled by the Dorsa. They claim most of this area as their territory.”
White frustrated, sighs, and says, “Michael, by my best estimation if we can stretch the shifts, and move directly through Dorsa space we could make it in time, but just barely. If you have a better idea Michael, I’m listening.”
Rooke quickly looks over everything. After a moment, he shakes his head. He looks up to Cooley and asks, “Excuse me, ma’am, but any premonitions about this course?”
Cooley shakes her head simply, saying, “No.”
Rooke sighs, and says, “I’ll take the helm sir, and guide us through this shift.”
White takes his seat, as Rooke takes over the helm. Thirty minutes pass by quickly and the ship enters null space. Rooke has spent most of his life learning all he can about null space. He knows more than most about this subspace dimension. Rooke quickly disconnects the shift drive while Celesta is still in null space. This is a very dangerous and risky maneuver. He engages the engines to move the ship further and deeper, an ill-advised tactic, as null space is a dimension where time and space work together, but completely different from our own. Moving directly in null space will allow further travel in our space. However, the risks is great, for if you travel too far you could also move through time. Rooke is fully aware of this and the dangers of doing this type of maneuver, but the need is worth the risk.
Celesta finally reappears, deeper within Dorsa space and far further than they could have hoped.
Rooke, very tense takes a deep breath and exhales. He quickly looks at the time, and smiles. He turns to White, saying, “We have traveled over four times what we normally would have traveled, and luckily we avoided all the time rifts.”
Cooley concerned by Rooke’s statement asks, “Time rifts?”
Rooke states, “Null space has areas where time moves much slower and has others where it moves much faster, by deviating from a direct entry and exit maneuver you can travel further and faster as we just successfully did, or you could risk hitting a time rift, and get the opposite result.”
Cooley, curious, asks, “Couldn’t we just use one of these time rift to go home?”
Rooke smiles slightly, as he explains, “You can only move forward in time. It only slows, or speeds up time in our space. We could spend a day in there, and year could pass out here, or the reverse. You could hit a rift where we spend a month in there and only a day passes out here. Luckily, we have shaved off two, or possibly three days from our journey.”
White’s eyes go wide. He exhales, saying aloud, “I thin
k I was better not knowing the risks.”
Rooke looks down again at navigation, stating, “We are also very deep within Dorsa controlled space, if we continue at top speed and uncloaked we will be able to shift again in eight hours.”
White reluctantly asks, “Can’t we just short shift and do the same maneuver you just used to travel further?”
Rooke responds, “It doesn’t work like that sir. We need to generate a certain mass of energy to enter null space. The overall release of that energy be it a small or large, will be the catalyst for the initial distance. Once you enter, you can add to the distance by traveling in null space using your sub light engines. However, if you only used a small amount of energy to enter null space, you really won’t travel that much further. Not to mention the risks of hitting a time wave.”
White rubs his head, stating, “This is giving me a headache.” He turns to Rachel, saying, “Rachel if you get any premonitions even a slight one tell me.”
Eight hours pass quickly without incident. Celesta travels as fast as it ever has. Bypassing all safety measures, and taxing the hyperdrive beyond its safety limits. White pushes Celesta further than its design allows.
Rooke re-enters the bridge, and notices Captain White still at his post. He asks, “Captain, have you slept yet?”
White focused on the scanners answers, “I’ll sleep after this shift.”
Rooke acknowledges White's statement with wide eyes. He moves to the helm, relieving the officer on duty there. He immediately begins to plot the next shift.
White looks over the sensors, watching for any possible signs of Dorsa ships.
Rooke says, “Captain, I’m ready. Hopefully, our ever insightful Lieutenant Cooley has no objections.” Rooke pauses, as he looks over at Cooley smiling. He finishes his statement, “I’m going to attempt another extended shift.”
Cooley, who is standing near the sensors looks at both, shrugs her shoulders and, saying, “I’ve got nothing.”
Rooke looks to White, who says, “Let’s go Michael.”
Rooke starts the shift. The ship enters null space, and just as before, he uses the engines to push them further and deeper into null space. He holds the shift until the shift engines can no longer handle the stress, and immediately exits null space.
Rooke instantly checks the star charts, and Celesta’s time. He studies it for just under a minute, as everyone is focused on what he is about to report.
Celesta however detects incoming ships. She alerts the crew, “We have multiple vessels, fast approaching. They are Dorsa interceptors.”
White yells, “Shields up! Michael, head us out at maximum speed. Rachel try and contact the Dorsa. Advise them that we mean no harm.”
Cooley, realizing the danger of using long-range communications, reports, “Luv, if I try and use the holocom again we are risking Noskcaj finding us, or discovering our current heading.”
Rooke, after studying the shift report announces, “We went off course on that last shift. We are far deeper into Dorsa space. We have, however, traveled seven days closer to the gateway.”
White annoyed yells, “Just move us away from those ships!”
Several Dorsa ships move towards Celesta. Rooke engages the hyperdrive, and moves out at top speed.
Celesta reports, “We have several Dorsa ships closing in on our flanks. We will not be able to outrun them all.”
White, thinking fast asks, “Rooke, can you shift again and try that same maneuver?”
Rooke responds, “I would not suggest shifting so soon. The shift engines are already overheated.”
White, focused on the approaching ships, says, “Ready for a shift on my order.”
Rooke shakes his head as he prepares for a short shift, saying, “Captain, if we shift again we could overload the shift engine, and we will never make it in time.”
White asks, “Celesta what are our combat capabilities against the Dorsa?”
Celesta responds, “We are outnumbered twenty to one. We have superior firepower and speed, but they have numbers on their side. I am also picking up over a hundred Dorsa vessels on long-range sensors. They are closing on our position.”
White takes a deep breath, saying, “Rachel, open a com to the Dorsa vessels.”
Cooley shakes her head, accepting the order, and opens the com.
A minute passes when a floating tentacle creature appears. White is still stunned at its appearance, which is so similar to an Earth squid.
The Dorsa uses a computerized device to speak, saying, “You are violating our space, human. You will be destroyed.”
White takes a deep breath and states, “We are not your enemy. We were knocked off course while shifting. We only wish to leave your space.”
The Dorsa studies Captain White. It finally answer’s, “Humans have been fighting us for hundreds of years. You are our enemy.”
White states, “Well, I am not here to fight you, but if you fire upon this ship, I will be forced to defend myself. You may win, but many of your ships and comrades will perish. We do not wish to fight. We only wish to leave your space.”
The Dorsa seems confused, as it responds, “Your shields seem to prevent out mental scans. This is not technology we have seen from your kind before.” The Dorsa seem to communicate amongst themselves for a moment. They turn their attention back to White, “We will discuss your request, but you must shut down your engines and wait for our decision.”
White shakes his head, saying, “I cannot stop for any reason. I have less than a few weeks to reach my destination. If I fail trillions of lives, including your own will be adversely affected.”
The Dorsa now very concerned, “What is so important that you must risk your lives traveling through our space?”
White takes a deep breath. He looks to Rachel and says, “I am not allowed to speak of my mission, but if you stop me, or try and detain me in any way the outcome will ripple through the universe. You obviously have an opportunity to stop me, but the consequence will affect your people, as well as mine. You must choose what you believe is right, but know this, if you choose to fight us. We will fight.”
The Dorsa concerned says, “We must know of your mission in order to allow you to travel through our space. Lower your shields and allow me to scan your mind. If we find you are telling us the truth, we will consider giving you permission to travel through our space unharmed.”
White signals Cooley to mute the com. He turns to Rooke, asking, “What do you think Michael?”
Rooke answers, “The Dorsa have been fighting us for as long as I have lived. We don’t know who started the war, but it was always believed to have been us. They are almost our technologically equals, but they have far superior numbers.”
White, frustrated says, “Celesta, drop the shield around my quarters once I enter. Under no circumstances will you stop this ship.”
White turns to Cooley to unmute the holocom, and says. “I will allow you access to my mind once I’ve reached my quarters, give me three minutes.”
Cooley, feeling uncomfortable, says, “Luv, be careful, please.”
White smiles, saying, “Having a bad vision.”
Cooley smirks, saying, “I already had a vision about us, but that doesn’t mean it will come true, so be careful luv.”
White races up to the lift and quickly enters his quarters, which is set on the highest point on the ship. He sits down in a chair and says, “Celesta lower the shield around my quarters now.”
A moment passes, as White is pulled into the psychic realm. A realm he had only heard tales of from Caleb and Paladin. He is in awe at the serenity of it all, but a moment later, hundreds of Dorsa minds quickly overwhelm him. They violently rip through every thought within his mind in mere moments. The experience is almost lethal to White, as his mind is virtually ripped apart, as the Dorsa violently scan his mind. White exhausted and in agony, as the Dorsa finally speak, “Your mission would change this timeline. You would perhaps prevent the war that h
as killed billions of our people. We are aware of the risks you are undertaking and understand. You have risked much to communicate with us. Noskcaj is indeed a dangerous force. You will be allowed to travel through our space while we convene on your plan. If we agree to allow you to continue through our space, you will not see us again. If we do not agree, you will.”
White is returned to his body, as his mind is frayed, and he is physically sick from his encounter. He stands up and attempts to compose himself, but starts to feel ill, vomiting, and collapses into unconsciousness striking the deck.
White awakens in sickbay, several hours later. Cooley is standing next to him, as he wakes. Overly concerned, she immediately asks, “Are you ok luv?”
White weak, and exhausted, says, “What's going on?”
Cooley grins, as she answers, “It worked. They’re standing down and are letting us pass. We are just an hour out from shifting again. Reggie, both Rooke and I agree to maintain the regular shift pattern from now on and we should make it in time.”
White concerned asks, “Are you sure?”
Cooley smiles answering, “I’m only sure that you’re a man of my heart and that as long as you believe in yourself. We will never fail.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
FAMILY REUNION
Paladin travels at top speed, closing ever nearer to their final destination. Onatof is on the bridge, as he monitors the engines from the bridge station. Benton sits at the command chair as he reviews the sensor logs.
Paladin reports, “Colonel Benton, we are ahead of schedule and should arrive at the gateway with one day to spare, provided Lieutenant Cooley’s premonition is correct.”
Benton huffs as he comments, “Well, let’s hope so. Otherwise, we’ve destroyed god knows how many planets. Wiped out multiple races, and killed who knows how many humans. Cale has definitely put the pedal to the metal on this mission and he’s not stopping, or backing down.”
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 4 Present Future Past Page 16
