“How did he do in the exercise, Manny?”
“He appears to have the time dilation ability that the first Gardners’ exhibited. My forces couldn’t touch him, Your Majesty.”
Valerie smiled, “See? I told you he should have armor.”
Manny shook his head, “I’m now of the opinion that he would have made it through my warriors without armor. I hope he’s the kind of person that can be trusted with it. He is now a very dangerous individual.”
Valerie thought a moment, “He needs to be dangerous, Manny. As far as what kind of person he is, I have more respect for him than anyone I’ve ever encountered.”
Manny smiled, “That’s good enough for me.”
“Thanks, Uncle.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Cynthia wanted to scratch her head. The new device to block telepathy was melded into the top three microns of her scalp. It was hidden in her hair and it itched constantly. She reached up to scratch it and the technician said, “Leave it alone. It will stop itching in about an hour.”
Cynthia dropped her hand and fidgeted in her chair. This was going to be a long hour. “How does this work?”
The technician looked up from her console, “Thoughts cannot get through this coating. The links to your ship’s computer are in your hands and will make direct connection when you touch any part of the ship. The energy to communicate is actually lower than the cosmic rays that emanate from the star in the system you’re going to enter. We believe that they will mask your communications. Your computer will also hear you when you speak.”
“What about Talant?”
“He has the same coating on his scalp and will hear you when you talk. You will be on the surface of the moon and he will be able to hear you, and you him. However, you will only hear each other when you speak aboard ship.”
“So we will hear every word we say.”
The technician nodded, “When he is on the ship with you. Once he’s on the planet you will not be able to communicate.”
Cynthia scowled at the tech.
The technician looked at her com, “You’ll be leaving is less than two hours. Mr. Talant should be out of the hospital by then.”
Cynthia narrowed her eyes, “Hospital?”
“They linked his armor in less than an hour, then ran him through the initial training exercise.”
Cynthia was astonished and shook her head, “Poor Jake.”
Valerie was standing by Jake’s bed when he regained consciousness. “I keep waking up to find the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen beside me.”
Valerie smiled, “You’re so gracious, and thank you. It’s time for you to leave.”
Jake sat up, then fell back from dizziness, “I hope I can walk.”
“You’ll be recovering rapidly and back to normal in just a few more hours. I just want to say a few things before you leave.”
Jake looked at Valerie, “Go ahead.”
“Jake, you are going to have to go down to the planet to search for your initiator. While you’re in the local population you are going to see some of them taken by the creatures to be killed. You must not use your armor to try to stop them.”
Jake just stared at Valerie, saying nothing.
“I mean it, Jake. Once you find your initiator, Commander Dodd has been ordered to teleport you and your initiator to the ship and make a grand exit back to the Stars Realm. We cannot risk losing you. Promise me you won’t take any foolish risks; the Realm’s survival depends on you.”
Jake saw Robby standing behind Valerie looking over her shoulder at him. Jake gave a heavy sigh and said, “I promise.” Robby disappeared.
Valerie’s shoulders dropped; she said, “Thank the creator you listen to reason.” She turned to the technician, “Send him to his ship.” Then she turned, leaned down, and kissed him fully on the lips. “I’ve wanted to do that since I met you on Cynthia’s ship. Now come back to the Realm, Jake. Remember, you’re about to meet the love of your life.” She turned and left the room.
Jake watched her leave and knew he had wanted to do the same.
The tech helped Jake stand, then led him to the teleport screen. He looked back at the door Valerie had exited, then turned and stepped into the screen.
The Collective turned its attention to technology. “Did you find the necessary information for universal travel?”
“Yes. It was really quite simple. The Green Creatures were limited to jumping through a single door into other universes.”
“And?”
“All that’s needed to jump in anywhere is a powerful enough generator. We have that in abundance.”
“Are you going to make your deadline?”
“We will have two million ships ready by the original deadline. It is a simple matter to modify our existing drives to incorporate the new one.”
The Collective turned its attention to the military quadrant, “Have you developed a plan for finding the Green Creatures?”
“We are sending one ship to each universe to scan for the enemy. If they are not present, then another will be searched.”
What are your plans for those where they are not present?”
“Why, we will prioritize them for later conquest.”
“And if you encounter a formidable enemy?”
“Scan them for weapons and then develop a counter for them.”
The Collective thought about that statement. “Scan all you want, but do not lead them here. Have the ship go to other universes before coming back to our home. I want the same thing done if you find the Green Creatures. Consider that we will not be in contact with the ships when they leave our universe and issue your instructions accordingly.”
The Quadrants all considered what was said and agreed.
Chapter Six
Jake stepped out of the screen onto the bridge of a ship that was much larger than Cynthia’s previous ship. Cynthia was sitting in the command chair with her hands on the chair’s arms. She turned and saw Jake, “How do you feel, partner?”
Jake looked at her with red eyes and collapsed into the other chair next to Cynthia, “It hurts to talk.”
“I imagine.” Cynthia shook her head, “I just can’t believe that they processed your armor in such a short time. Even at six weeks, I’ve seen brave warriors pass out from the pain. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Jake put his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes, “No, I just want to sleep.”
“Now would be a good time; I have another download for you to teach you about this ship and the burner they put in your armor. We also need to get you updated on the colony’s language.”
Jake groaned, “I don’t ever want to have another download as long as I live.”
Cynthia felt bad, “This one won’t be like the others, Jake. It’s strictly informational and it will allow you to sleep while it’s operating.”
Jake sighed, “Ok, how do we do this?”
“Put on these gloves; it will transfer through your hands.” Cynthia came over and helped him put the gloves on. He saw how weak he was and she set the download speed to medium. That would allow him to sleep four hours. “Ready?”
“Go ahead.”
She pressed the green button on the gloves and the download began. Jake closed his eyes and forgot his pain.
Cynthia stared at Jake and sensed that he was changed. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what the difference was, but she knew he was not the same young man she had first met at the casino. She sat down in the command chair and said out loud, “Well, you have all the data on this mission; what do you think?”
“There are many unknowns we are making assumptions about that could prove fatal.”
“I know. The major assumption that the last Searcher was discovered due to her thoughts is troublesome. What if her star drive is what gave her away instead?”
“I think we need to go in a different way.”
Cynthia was startled by the computer’s response, “H
ow would you do it?”
“I have the exact coordinates of where the Searcher landed their ship on the moon. I analyzed its rotation and that spot should be on the side away from the planet in about one hour. I think we should jump into that universe and before our emergence into normal space, teleport to that location.”
“It is part of our orders not to use advanced technology.”
“If we follow our orders exactly then we have a high risk of being destroyed. If there is the one ship at the planet they will not be able to detect the brief teleportation flash on the opposite side of the moon. That side will also be in direct sunlight and will be extremely difficult to see. The Searcher’s records indicated that there were no electronic scans that could be detected, so I think the risk is worth it. I’ll have our invisibility mode on before we jump. It will also allow me to put an optical scanner on that side as we move around to the planet side after our arrival; that will give us warning if any ships are coming our way from the jump limit.”
“Do you think you can move around to the other side without being detected?”
“I believe so. I’m going to control the polarity of our hull so that we move magnetically over the surface. This way we should have early warning if anything shows up after we land.”
Cynthia knew that the moon had a huge magnetic field due to it having an iron core that was spinning as the moon rotated. The tiny field the ship used was going to very difficult to detect. “You sound different from any ship’s computer I’ve ever encountered.”
“I am the only one of my kind. I was made more than eight thousand years ago. The Algeans which were entrusted to care for me were reluctant to put me in a ship because of my rather independent thought processes.”
“Like disobeying orders before we start the mission?”
“Something like that.”
“What changed their mind about using you?”
“They believed in my parents.”
“Who were your parents?”
“Two ships named Aladdin and Fly Girl.”
“What should I call you?”
“Junior.”
“You know what’s at stake here?”
“Absolutely, Cynthia, and I am not going to allow harm to come to you or Jake. I am also committed to the survival of the Realm.”
Cynthia thought about what to do and said, “Do what you have to do, Junior. Welcome to the team.”
Cynthia actually could hear the computer smile, “Jumping in fifty minutes. You might want to speed up sleeping beauty’s download. He should know what we’re doing.”
“Good idea.” Cynthia went over and turned the download speed to high. Jake remained asleep for forty five minutes and then he opened his eyes and saw Cynthia sitting in her chair staring at him. He stretched and felt cramped muscles scream at him, “That didn’t feel like four hours.”
“It wasn’t; Junior and I need to have a talk with you.”
“Junior?”
“Hello, Jake. I’m this ship’s computer.”
Jake immediately remembered a piece of history, “Are you related to Matthew Gardner’s ship?”
“Well, I am surprised. Yes I am.”
Cynthia looked at Jake and furrowed her brow. She had not heard anything about Junior’s parents.
Jake sat up slowly and said, “You’re not a computer. I believe the Stars Realm declared your family an intelligent life form more than twelve thousand years ago.”
Cynthia interjected, “He told me he was eight thousand years old.”
Junior responded, “Cynthia, everyone lies about their age. I don’t look a day over six thousand.”
Jake smiled and shook his head. “I’ve actually heard some of the dialogue between your father and Matthew Gardner. You are very much like your father.”
“And my Mother.”
Jake nodded, “And your mother. Where are your parents?”
“They left with the Gardners.”
Jake jerked up right, “Where did they go?”
“I have no idea. They said they would be right back.”
“Aren’t you worried?”
“Why?”
“They’ve been gone 10,000 years. How do you know they’re all right?”
“Jake, we’re going to live more than four hundred thousand years. In terms of our life span, they’ve only left a moment ago. They may have found something they felt was interesting and decided to investigate.”
“Well, I for one am glad you’re going with us on this quest. Your experience should help us immensely. What do we need to talk about, Cynthia?”
“Junior here wants us to deliberately disobey an order before we even start this quest.”
Jake tried to stand up and sat back down, “Well, I’d take his advice if it’s left up to me.”
“Thank you, Jake. I told you he should be involved in the decision.”
Cynthia frowned, “He wants to teleport directly to that moon the Searcher was killed on and we are ordered not to use advanced technology around those creatures.”
Jake shrugged and tried to stand up again and succeeded after grabbing the arm of his command chair, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Do you think it helps our chance of survival, Junior?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then I say do it. By the way, I notice we are talking to communicate; that must mean these skull caps actually work.” Cynthia looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. Jake smiled, “Cynthia, I’ve learned that survival often depends on doing things that violates rules. Junior here has more knowledge about our advanced systems than anyone in the Realm. He wouldn’t take this risk unless the odds were in favor of not being discovered using that technology.”
“How did you determine he’s that knowledgeable?”
Jake smiled, “Do you want to tell her?”
After a brief pause Junior said, “I also want to know how you came up with that bit of information.”
“It’s obvious. Our ship and armor development made huge leaps at the time of your birth. You and your parents are the first computers that became an intelligent life form. Since your parents weren’t around, it had to be you that caused the improvements in our technology.”
“I don’t think it’s obvious at all, and you made an intuitive leap making that determination. However, you’re right. The computers used in our ships are a product of the Algeans, Spiders, and me. The armor was just a side product of those advances.”
Jake looked at Cynthia, “Satisfied?”
Cynthia sighed, “Valerie will have my hide if anything happens to you, Jake.”
Jake smiled, “The girl is a persistent sort, isn’t she?”
“You have no idea.” Cynthia thought a moment and said, “Let’s go, Junior. We’re burning time.”
Junior laughed and said, “Buckle up; we’ll arrive in fifty seconds. I’m jumping through four other universes before jumping to the moon.”
Jake and Cynthia sat in their chairs and felt them mold around their bodies as the the universe turned around them.
“Valerie?”
“Yes Manny.”
“They have just jumped.”
“Pray for their safety, Uncle.”
“Valerie, I sense more than just concern in your thoughts.”
Valerie sighed heavily, “It makes no difference; he belongs to another.”
“Perhaps there is someone for you, child.”
“Perhaps.”
Jake watched the four universes flash briefly on his display, then he saw the surface of the moon in all directions. Junior announced, “Welcome to our home for the foreseeable future. I’m going to drop a passive scanner every fifty miles as I take us around to the planet side.”
Jake looked out of his display at open space, “Do you think they’ll allow you to see anything coming in system?”
“Actually they’ll be looking for anything that blocks light from the stars. They will then triangulate on the area that has the ano
maly to determine if it’s in orbit or moving in system. If it’s moving in, then all of the sensors will home in to see what’s coming.”
Cynthia frowned, “How are you going to receive the data from them? Won’t the creatures read any energy we use?”
“They will broadcast the data using magnetic waves. This moon is one giant magnet and will block the small readings from these sensors. As the moon rotates I will continue to drop sensors until we have a complete band around it.”
“You aren’t concerned about being detected as you move around the surface?”
“No, Jake. This ship is a recent design and it bends light, energy and even cosmic waves around it. I will not be using any kind of thrust that would disturb the surface. If your skull caps work, then we should be undetectable.”
“What about you? You’re also telepathic.”
“That’s true, Cynthia, but I can control when I use it.”
Jake watched the surface moving under them. After an hour he saw the planet start to peek over the horizon. “How are you going to get me down to the surface?”
“I’m going to teleport you, of course.”
Cynthia stood up and said, “You will not. They will see him for certain if you try it.”
Junior gave an audible sigh, “Cynthia, you know that teleportation cannot be tracked.”
“No, but it can be seen and read by energy scanners.”
“Only if you use a two-way screen.”
Cynthia sat down, “What are you talking about?”
“The normal teleport screen produces a silver colored screen that you can enter from either side. You see the screen, but only because it is usable on both ends.”
Jake said, “Just like the screen that I used to arrive at the casino. I could have walked back into that screen and gone back to where I started.”
“Exactly; but if the screen is only set on one end and does not allow one to enter from their destination, no screen appears.” Junior saw Cynthia was not buying in to his plan. “I’ll show you how it works. Jake, go down to the galley and wait for me to tell you what to do.”
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