The Dorsa, with both Paladin and Celesta launch a crippling attack on the vessel, as they continue to defend themselves against the fighters.
In the psychic realm, the battle is over for now. The small child appears before Caleb, saying, “The Meli is wounded, but it is now aware of me, and it will attempt to absorb me into its power, should it succeed, and you fail the future of this timeline will be catastrophic.”
Caleb looks into the image of his young daughter. He stares intently at her as he recalls how precious his daughter is. He says, “I won’t fail.”
Caleb returns to the real world, as Paladin restores the psychic shield around Caleb’s ready room.
Paladin quickly alerts Caleb, “Cale, Benton returned to the ship alone. Onatof did not come with him.”
Caleb, immediately worried, asks, “Where is he?”
Paladin reports, “Colonel Benton is still unconscious and unable to give us any information. I’m currently analyzing what the Professor did.” Paladin scans trillions of terabytes of information in seconds, reporting, “Cale, it is as I feared, Onatof used the same program we created to override Ronin’s systems to do so with mine. He overrode Benton's shifter and one of our shield emitters.”
Caleb lowers his head for a moment. He looks out across the battlefield, at all the devastated ships, saying, “We both know he didn’t make it.”
Paladin says, “Cale, I have sorted through most of Professor Onatof's records, and it would appear that he might have discovered that he would not have survived a trip through null space. It appears that he detected a heart arrhythmia in his last physical, and knew he would never survive the stress of a shift back.”
Caleb angry, asks, “How did you not detect this before Pal?”
Paladin responds, “Cale, I am sorry, but in helping Onatof find ways to bypass Ronin’s security codes, I had to allow him access to my own security system and in so doing, I gave him the ability to hide this from me.”
Caleb visibly upset, stares out at the devastated super carrier lowering his head in remorse, as he dwells on the memory of his friend. Unfortunately, Caleb remembrance is disturbed when suddenly a massive vessel appears from out of null space, blocking their access to the gateway. It is Skull.
Skull’s weaponry is unmatched, as it instantly opens fire on all the ships. A massive energy wave pulses from the station. The energy wave rips outward across the Dorsa fleet and the remaining Ronin fighters, disabling every ship it hits. Many ships, including Celesta and Paladin instantly shift out of harm’s way, avoiding the energy wave.
Caleb races down to the bridge. He is fully aware that they have no chance to defeat Skull as he yells, “Paladin, activate the gateway now!”
Paladin uses the codes given to him by Toth, as the last two T-Challa gateways instantly lock onto each other, opening the portal. This immediately causes the same time differential as before. The space station Skull, being closest is the most affected by the time gravity distortion. Paladin, Celesta, and the surviving Dorsa vessels are further out, and less affected. Skull fires another energy wave at the remaining ships, but the time delay allows the ships too easily outmaneuver Skulls attack.
The wrecks and disabled ships, including the super carrier that was once Ronin are directly in front of Skull. Noskcaj pulls them in, as Skull uses the ships to increase its mass and power. Unbeknownst to Noskcaj, there is one unexpected guest still alive on that super carrier.
The Meli, who was able to read Caleb’s mind during their first encounter, discovered that it would be able to take control of Skull, just as Caleb did. After a brief few moment, the Meli now inside of the super space station quickly uses that same ability, and begins to take control of the space station.
Unlike Caleb, the Meli has Carla’s power, which is not restricted. The Meli is easily able to transfer her symbiot into any vessel and take total control of Skull, albeit a very time consuming process, do to extreme size of the Vessel.”
Paladin analyzes the data from Skull becomes aware of what is taking place. He alerts the fleet reporting, “I’m detecting a massive power build up in and around the space station. The Meli is using its host’s power to take control of the station. We have less than a few minutes to get through the gateway and escape.”
Caleb, looking at the course states, “That station is using almost all its shields to prevent itself, and us from being pulled in. Its shields has the gateway blocked.”
Uari yells, “Admiral! The power it has is beyond belief! We will never get around it.”
Elsewhere, on board the Celesta, Celesta is also aware of what Paladin has declared, reporting, “Paladin has discovered that the Meli has begun to take control of Noskcaj space station. It is currently maintaining a blocking pattern of the gateway. It is using almost ninety percent of its shields to prevent it from falling in. We need to somehow shut down those shields, or we will never escape through the gateway.”
Rooke, hastily studies the data on Skulls shields. He stands up and looks to White, saying, “Captain, I know how to shut down Skulls shields.” Rooke looks to Cooley and smiles, and activates his phase shifter, vanishing off the bridge.
White shocked yells, as he stands, “Michael!”
Celesta reports, “Captain White, he has successfully phased shifted directly through a small tear in the forward shields. Noskcaj is using all its power to prevent itself from being ripped apart from the gateway.”
White sees the Skull station become enveloped in a black ball of energy. Dumbfounded, he asks, “What the hell is that?”
Celesta reports, “I’m scanning major power spikes all across our sensors.”
White opens a channel to Paladin, where Caleb is standing next to Uari. Caleb seeing White says, “Reggie, we need to somehow get Skulls shield down to escape.”
White lowers his head, saying, “Michael just shifted over. He is going to shut it down.”
Caleb takes a deep breath. He closes his eyes, and shakes his head. He refocuses on the task ahead, saying, “We will need to move as fast as we can. The moment Michael shuts down those shields we need to enter the gateway before that station does.”
White shakes his head in agreement, saying, “Understood Cale. We are maneuvering into position now.”
Paladin says, “Captain White, we will need to maneuver near pinpoint accuracy. I will take control of your helm, and lock our two ships on a parallel course, any deviation from the course I set will cause us to appear thousands of years from the time we need to return.”
White replies, “Understood, releasing control to Paladin.”
The two ships maneuver together, as the remaining Dorsa fleet fires aimlessly upon the Skull space station. Paladin and Celesta move well within the time-delayed sphere caused by the gateway. Finally, the space station shields go down, just as the massive station begins to convert itself, turning into a massive ball of energy. That action allows for a split second opening, which allows Paladin to maneuver both ships through the gateway. At the last second, Paladin activates the explosive devices left by the Meli. It detonates just as they enter. Unfortunately, a large part of the energy ball that was converting Skull is also ripped through the gateway.
Paladin, is far better prepared than the first time to ride the energy wave through the time conduit. Paladin activates both ship's superior shield systems. Maneuvering the ships perfectly, riding the explosive wave as they begin to enter a time distortion field. Paladin locates the exact trajectory to return and enters, as they start to travel backwards in time.”
Cooley’s mind is overwhelmed as she abruptly screams aloud over the open holocom, “Paladin! Change course to vector eleven by twenty-eight now!”
Caleb, fully aware of Rachel’s precognitive foresight reacts, ordering Paladin, “Do it Pal!”
Paladin changes course, as both ships maneuver away from the time distortion wave, and towards Cooley’s bearing. They travel faster and further, as if they are now being pulled. Until they reach a m
assive glowing white stone like object, approximately the size of a small moon.
Both ships are instantly enveloped in a wash of white light and nothing.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE FLOWER STONE
Caleb awakens, surrounded by thousands of survivors from both ships. All of whom are laying prone around him within an endless void of nothing, nothing but a white mist. Caleb, feels the solid ground beneath him, but can make no sense as to what it is. He slowly rises to his feet and searches all around, seeing nothing.
After a few moments pass, Caleb spies an image far away. It is slowly walking towards him. Caleb asks telepathically, “Pal are you with me?”
Paladin replies in similar fashion, “Cale, I’m trying to determine what is going on.”
Caleb quickly glances around to see if anyone else is regaining conscience. Noticing no one else, he turns back his attention towards the approaching figure, but much to his surprise, he finds the figure is now standing directly before him. Shocked, not only at how fast it appeared, but also at the appearance of the figure. The person is Caleb.
The Entity stands before Caleb speaking, “I am called the Flower Stone. Your friend Lieutenant Rachel Cooley gave me this name. I have also taken this image to make your dealing with me easier and more comfortable.”
Caleb, who is very uncomfortable, says, “No offense, but comfortable isn’t going to come easy.”
Paladin says telepathically, “Cale, I’ve been able to determine this Flower Stone may be a cosmic seed of the multiverse. Its power is beyond anything ever recorded short of what your people call the big bang.”
The Entity says, “Your symbiot is correct, I am a cosmic seed. I became trapped in the time stream, and failed to develop beyond what I am now.”
Caleb alarmed at the Flower stones perception, asks, “You can hear Paladin?”
The Entity replies, “Yes Caleb, as I copy you and begin altering you I share in all that you are. You, your crew, and all those you deem worthy may share in my gift’
Caleb eyes go wide, as he repeats the ominous statement, “Altered, copied!”
The Entity puts his hand out to Caleb and says, “This form of communication is slow and taxing, I can communicate much faster this way.”
Caleb, aware that he little options available takes the entities hand, and is instantly flooded with trillions of memories. So much so, that not even Paladin can keep up with the data transfer. The Flower Stone guides Caleb through the endless array of timelines, showing Caleb all the possible future of humanity. Virtually all of the timelines lead to the ultimate extinction of the human race within a hundred years of their return. He then shows Caleb the one true path, which ensure the timelines he witnessed, never comes to pass. This future is not one to Caleb’s liking.
Caleb is shaken by the deluge of information. However, he maintains his composer speaking, “So many variations in the timelines. No matter what path is taken, we always end up with the same results.”
Caleb places his hand over his head, pondering the path laid out for him. He says, “So unless we come out in the distant past the human race will eventually destroy itself within a hundred years.”
The Entity responds, “Your race is much too young to possess the power it currently holds. If you return when you wanted too, your people will survive, and even thrive, albeit briefly, and they will defeat the T-Challa. Nevertheless, they will eventually turn against each other, destroying each other. It is the way of a child like race, and a child must have challenges to live on. Surviving is not an option to your race. It is why I chose your race to save me, and in return, I give this gift to you and your race, a gift for saving me.
The rest of Caleb’s crew starts to stir. The Entity speaks, “There is no guarantee that even this timeline will succeed, with so many variations possible. However, it has the most options, which may allow your race the best chance to prosper. The one you called Rachael Cooley has many built in warnings that will help ensure that the timeline starts correctly. I have now imbued your mind with even more warnings should the timeline stray again.””
Paladin alerts Caleb, saying, “Cale, the cosmic seed has altered all of us. We have all been changed on a genetic level.
The Entity replies, “Your bodies are frail, and in order for you to survive within me, I had to alter your life forces. You will all live perhaps as much as three times what you normally would have. All except for you and the one called Colonel Gabriel Benton. It appears that you have somehow altered his life force. His future is one with many dark and dangerous paths. Regardless, of his path they are infinite variations on how long either of you will live. The effect of being within me may have increased your life force well beyond what you may expect. Especially when you consider the way in which either of you live your lives, it may not matter.”
Caleb confused asks, “Why have you increased our life energy?”
The Entity responds, “It is an after effect that is not controllable. When you enter me, I take a small piece of you, and I replace that piece with a part of me. In effect, this increases your very life force. Caleb, you alone will not possess the strength to lead these people to a successful civilization. It will take generations of humans to do so, and they will all need a longer life span to help the timeline succeed. I will allow your descendants and those you deem necessary the same ability to enter and partake in this change. Each will be copied and live forever within me, while extending their life force in your dimension to help build your civilization.”
Caleb concerned asks, “The human mind may not withstand the strain of such long life spans.”
The Entity replies, “The energy I have given them will only increase their life force for as long as they can withstand the stress, with the exception of Colonel Gabriel Benton.”
Caleb asks, “You made copies of us, why? What happens to our copies?”
The Entity replies, “I am alone Caleb, I have always been alone. Since the beginning of time, I have been all that there is. Your duplicates will live a life of complete and total contentment. They will be able to guide and teach your descendants as they enter, but know this. Once the duplication is complete, you may never re-enter again. You may only enter one time, if you did return and made contact with your duplicate. It could and would cause a catastrophic event.”
Caleb shakes his head, as Benton starts to wake, but before Caleb can react, the Entity smiles, saying, “I’m sorry Caleb, but we can never speak again.”
Suddenly, the entire crew of both ships are transported back to their ships.
Caleb, still being the only one awake, sees a planet system directly before him. This world has seven Earth like moons, circling it. The world is well within the habitable zone of the system. Caleb stares at the moons in awe, but suddenly notices in his hand a small glowing white stone.
Caleb takes a deep breath, as he waits for the crews of both ships to wake. He sits down in the Captain’s chair, as Paladin speaks, “Cale, we are within your milky way galaxy, in the Scutum-Centaurus arm, approximately seventy-five thousand light years from Earth, or six months by hyperspace. This planetary system has only six planets with this one being the only one in the habitable zone. This planet has seven moons all capable of supporting human life. Albeit, one is need of some minor terraforming and another seems to have vast artificial cities under hundreds of massive domes.”
Caleb takes in another deep breath, as he tries to take in all that has just transpired. He looks down at the Flower Stone in his hand, saying, “The Flower Stone told me of this world Pal.”
Caleb stands up and walks over to the helm of his ship, saying, “We are going to need to build a civilization here, and this civilization will have to save our world. We have less than two thousand years to do it, and we’re going to have to do it in total secrecy from the rest of the galaxy.”
Paladin reports, “Cale, I have finalized my scans and can confirm that we have indeed traveled back almost five thousand ye
ars from where we were. We are more than two thousand years from when we first entered the T-Challa gateway. The Flower Stone was true to its word.”
Caleb asks, “What do we know of this civilization?”
Paladin responds, “This system was abandoned thousands of years ago by a bipedal life form. The X’ena database shows they investigated this system over thirty thousand years ago. All they found was the buildings and cities, mostly intact, but no living creatures. Just automated drones used in maintaining the cities. The X’ena would have no reason to return, so as long as we don’t cause any cosmic disturbances. We should be able to remain undetected from the rest of the universe.”
Caleb lowers his head. He sits back down in the Captain’s chair, waiting for the crew to wake.
Benton, who was already waking before, rolls over on his back. He asks aloud, “Cale, did we all share that same dream?”
Caleb looks down at the stone in his hand. He holds it up for Gabriel to see. Benton eyes the stone, staring at it more deeply.
Caleb asks, “What did you dream about old friend?”
Benton still looks in disbelief at the white glowing stone. He puts his back down against the deck and sighs heavily, saying, “Ok not a dream. Damn it Cale!”
Caleb stands back up, and walks over to Benton placing his hand out helping him up. He states, “I assume the Flower Stone must have psychically communicated to you, and the rest of the crew, just as it did for me?”
Benton reaches out and grabs Caleb’s hand. He stands back up. Upset, he says, “We are really two thousand years in our own past.”
Caleb lowers his head and says, “Yes Gabe, it was the only option that would allow all our people. Hell, our entire race a chance to survive.”
Benton shakes his head, irritated, stating, “Cale, that crazy thing in your hand explained why we are here, and what would happen if we had reappeared when we wanted too. Honestly, I’m not real sure I understood it all.”
Uari begins to wake, as he groans aloud, “Flower Stone.”
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 4 Present Future Past Page 19
