Frank and Susanna were shocked by Andromeda’s response and the fact that she hadn’t been able to find any normal human DNA strands.
“We’ll continue this later, Andromeda. Double check Earth exit protocols, and get us under way as soon as SpaceFed departure flight path codes are in. Oh, and give us privacy, please,” Frank ordered.
Then Andromeda’s presence was gone, and the privacy damping field became active, preventing other transceiver implants from operating near them.
Frank briefly updated Susanna with what Charlotte and Cindy had tried to do to him.
Susanna was puzzled. “Why didn’t I feel Charlotte and Cindy’s minds?”
“Their implants must be more selective than ours, and probably give them more mental control of their telepathic powers.”
“Then, Andromeda’s right. They could be dangerous to us,” she stated.
“I agree… We’ll have to curtail their activity, somehow, while they’re on board,” he said. “But, even if we lock them in that wouldn’t stop them trying. After all, they were able to work me over from their cabin.”
“Charlotte’s a stunner,” Susanna remarked, noting that Frank’s face reddened slightly. Then, the implication of what he had just said suddenly dawned on her.
“They tried something on you, didn’t they?”
“They meant no harm Sues… Just playing about, and curious to see how far they could go.”
“Too far for my liking,” she snapped.
“Don’t worry. They won’t do it again… It’s interesting, though, I noticed that Charlotte seemed to be the stronger of the two, mentally.”
Susanna thought about this for a moment.
“Are you sure it’s only because of their implants?”
“I was wondering about that… No, I’m not sure that it’s all to do with the implants. After all, why are they going to Solvera on a training course? Surely not just for implants?”
Susannah couldn’t resist asking him if it felt different when they did whatever they did to him.
Frank hesitated.
“I’ll make you tell me. You know I will.”
“Geeze Sues… They made me replay Jenny’s… Well. Damn it Sues, when she raped me.”
“And did you enjoy it as much as the real thing?”
“No.”
“Ah, so you did enjoy it with Jenny,” she exclaimed, looking a bit miffed.
“Did or didn’t, makes no difference now. She’s long dead,” he snapped, wanting to move on.
By this time both were wishing the subject of Jenny hadn’t come up. Even so, they knew that, at the time, Frank had been forced to go along with what Jenny wanted. Both of them knowing that it was because of the effect that damn Cazer’s drug had had on her.
However, they also knew that he hadn’t really hated the experience.
“Sorry, Frank. So, would a transceiver implant be capable of that sort of control?”
“No. I don’t think so. And yet, we both have something outside our own implants. So if you think about it, the Solverons would be the best people to try to enhance their talent, so maybe that’s really why they are going to Solvera,” he said.
Just then, they both felt an almost insignificant juddering effect run through the Andromeda, as her Sublight drive went into action, taking her out of Earth’s orbit.
“Good. We’re underway, at last,” Frank remarked feeling the Skippa Drive’s near-warp pulses, which made the ship leap forward in minute steps. Hence the term, Skippa Drive.
“Andromeda is the…?” Frank started to ask.
“Yes, Frank. The blanking field is still activated.” Andromeda interjected, anticipating his question.
“Good. How long before we reach Pavonis with this new warp drive?”
“About eighty-four hours.”
“H’mm, three and a half days. That’s a real improvement on the original warp drive.”
“Is that all, for now, Frank?”
“No, I want you to set up a meeting between me, Charlotte and Cindy, tomorrow, in their cabin.”
“Is that wise, Frank?”
“Yes. I’ll be meeting them on my own. So no surveillance, Andromeda,” he warned her.
Susanna gasped. She was appalled that Frank, was not only intending to be alone with them both. He wasn’t going to be protected from them, either.
“I’ll come with you,” she offered.
“No. I’m going alone.”
“But…” she started to reply.
“No buts, Sues. I feel it’s important to get whatever it is they want from me out of the way. I must gain their trust.”
“That sounds like something I’m not going to like.”
“We coped with Jenny, Sues.”
“I know. But why do you really want to be alone with them?”
“I need to mentally, feel them. And for them, to feel me.”
“Inside them, no doubt.”
Frank didn’t reply to her uncalled for remark.
One thing he was sure of now was that these females were still on a learning curve. Then, there was that something. The something he thought he saw when he shook them off.
The girls, as he intended to call them, were crucial to finding out what the black snaking thing was that he had seen when he managed to thrust them out of his mind.
So, now, he’d have to do whatever it took to get all three of them into that same heightened state again. He knew why they had picked out Jenny’s memory. It was one of his most traumatic events.
Even so, the thought of having to go along with them worried him a bit. But he knew that it would only be a mental ordeal. At least, he hoped it would be.
Whatever happened, he needed to find out what it was that he had glimpsed. He was sure that they held the answer, even if they didn’t know they did.
Then he wondered if there was any way Andromeda could secretly record the session.
“Andromeda. Is it possible for you to record my session with Charlotte and Cindy, without them being aware of it?” Frank asked.
“I’m not sure how wide their range of mental faculties is at this time.”
“A guess would do?” Susanna snapped.
“A guess, as you put it, would not be wise.”
“Susanna’s right, Andromeda.”
“I understand your desire to record the session, Frank. But, if we’re wrong, and they sense what I am doing through your mind. You will have destroyed any progress you might have made. And, at the same time, you’ll make them hostile to us in the process.”
“It’s a no-no, then?”
“You know it has to be, Frank.”
“Okay, we’ll just have to think positive.”
“So, do you reckon it will just be a memory intrusion, Frank?” Susanna asked. Having become resigned to the fact that Frank was going to have the meeting with the two girls’ tomorrow. Whether she liked it or not.
“Well, I’m sure there will be nothing physical between us,” he answered while thinking that he wasn’t really sure of what they would do this time. Especially with him being alone with them, and in their room.
Then, changing the subject said. “I’m going to greet our crew members, Sues. Do you want to come?”
“Not yet. I’ll see them after I’ve caught up with Alice.”
Chapter 8
The Triangle
Andromeda - Second Day out from Earth.
Ten o’clock the next morning, and Frank arrived at Charlotte and Cindy's cabin dead on time.
He pressed the annunciator button, and, as the door slid open saw Cindy standing just inside. She was wearing an emerald green dress, this time.
“Come in,” she said.
Frank nervously entered, as the door closed silently behind him. On seeing Charlotte, he realized both of them were dressed the same.
H’mm one of my favorite colors. I hope that’s not a tactical move, he thought to himself. Then saw that both of them were just stood there, calmly watch
ing him. More like studying a specimen he thought.
“You don’t mind if we record the session, do you?” He asked.
They didn’t answer, just looked at each other. Then furtively looked around, as if searching for some prying eyes.
“I see your Damping Field is activated, Frank,” Cindy said, having felt his mind. “It’s not really necessary.”
“I disagree, Cindy. I think it’s necessary for your sakes, and for mine.”
The girls said nothing, just nodded acceptance.
“As I said, I would like to record this session if you don't mind?” Frank repeated.
Charlotte and Cindy glanced at each other again, before Charlotte replied.
“You may do so, Frank. But now, please tell us the real reason for your visit?” she asked, even though both of them already knew.
“Alright. I can understand why you were trying to find out how far your implants would be able to delve when you entered my mind. But the episode with Jenny was one of the most horrible things that I've had to endure.”
“We’re sorry for causing you to recall those particular memories. And we understand your concern, Captain. So, it’s agreed, we won’t use our implants on you,” Charlotte assured him.
“We know that you believe you saw something when you attempted to push us out of your mind. Which you succeeded in doing, by the way.”
“But we saw something in the rift, as well,” Cindy added. “That’s why we’ll help you.”
Frank was relieved. They both seemed willing to cooperate.
“Yes, well I’ve…, my, telepathic abilities have been growing for quite a while, as have Susanna’s. But, we’ll talk about that later,” he ended realizing he was starting to ramble.
“That’s fine with us… So, you want to see the something we all glimpsed, again. To try to find out what it actually was. Yes?” Cindy asked.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I want to do… I realize, it's going to be embarrassing for me, and maybe, for you as well,” he said, watching them carefully.
“But, I believe it’s imperative that, whatever it is we saw, we need to see it for longer, this time,” he added.
Charlotte and Cindy conferred with each other mentally, again, before replying.
“Very well Captain. We also need to see how far you have developed your ability as well. We can do that by increasing our emotional levels sufficiently enough, to enable us to create the area that you wish to find. So, how do you want us to go about it?”
“Do exactly what you did yesterday, and try to create the same set of conditions. Hopefully, our mental triangle will open what's hidden in your minds,” he suggested.
“Or, in yours, Captain,” Cindy replied.
“I will start the session now. We may have to go slightly deeper, but that should enable us to see what we all glimpsed,” she finished. Then paused as she conferred with Charlotte’s mind again.
“Sit down please,” she ordered Frank.
He sat, then both of them sat down, one on each side of him.
“Just relax Frank… We will not harm you in any way.”
“I’m not too worried.”
Both girls grinned mischievously at hearing him say that.
“Frank… Yes, we’ll call you Frank from now on… So, do you think that you’ll be in any danger from us while you're under our control?”
“No, I believe you’re honorable, just do what I asked, please.”
“Relax Frank, and we will guide the memory of what happened to you and Jenny, back to you.”
Frank tried to relax but still felt nervous with them sitting one each side of him.
“Just relax. Please, you may trust us. You mentally pushed us out before. But, if you want answers, then don’t do it this time,” Cindy warned him.
Frank slowly felt Cindy at first, then Charlotte as they entered his mind. He panicked a moment, then relaxed and gently joined their telepathic intrusion.
It seemed disjointed to him at first, as some memory segments had been un-retrievable.
Then, he saw himself standing outside Jenny’s door.
“Come in,” he heard Jenny’s voice say, as her door slid open, and he saw himself step into her room.
As he entered, he could see Jenny coming out of her bedroom to greet him. It was a weird sensation. She was dressed in the same robe and carrying two glasses filled with the same yellow colored liquid, as before.
Then he felt nervous, and that was another weird sensation. Again, he sensed that something had changed.
He remembered taking that awful drink so vividly that he involuntary swallowed.
The scene played out just as he remembered it. Continuing on, right up to that moment Jenny suddenly stopped. Just like that.
He watched her leave as the vividness of his memory slowly diminished.
Charlotte and Cindy seemed confused for a moment, as they struggled to interpret the section of the events they were forcing Frank to live over again in his mind.
Then, Frank’s mind was back in Jenny’s cabin. This time, it all seemed more intense. He could feel that his body was getting out of his control and automatically reacting to events.
Then, he saw a flash. A black snake-like ribbon that swung to and fro. A menacing purple looking ship coming apart inside the thrashing ribbon. Then, the scene vanished.
“Frank…, Frank, we’re out of it,” Cindy called, shaking his shoulder.
Charlotte shook Frank as well, worried that they had gone too far while realizing that they had all seen the same vision.
Frank felt giddy for a moment as his senses recovered.
“Well, did you see it?” He asked.
“Yes Frank, we both did. A Garoden warship.”
“You went a bit far with the ending,” he complained not actually taking in their answer.
“You were slipping back, so we had to improvise a little. Otherwise, it would all have been for nothing.”
“Okay. Your implants seem better than ours, so can you reconstruct the scene and transmit it to Andromeda?”
Both concentrated for a moment, then Cindy confirmed that Andromeda had received the info.
“Thanks a lot… Uh, you told me you wouldn’t use your implants again,” he exclaimed.
They looked at each other, as he said that, and smiled, knowing he hadn’t discovered their telepathic power.
“Oh, well, I suppose it doesn’t matter just this once. So, can I just ask a couple of things about you?
Like, how you came to have this telepathic ability of yours? And, why you're going to the Solveron's homeworld for training?”
Both girls surprised that he had detected their telepathic ability, after all, conferred with each other again.
Then Cindy said, “We have nothing to hide, Captain. But we can’t tell you yet. Trust us, we’ll tell you all that you need to know, later.”
He’d been going to ask how they knew which species the ship belonged too. But their reply disappointed him, so he thought better of it. Especially as things were now starting to drop into place.
So, he just nodded to them instead and left. But, he was happier now, feeling that he was mentally in tune with them more now than before.
Chapter 9
Star Cruiser Neutron
Three light days from DPav4.
The experimental Star Cruiser Neutron was three light-days out from Delta Pavonis’s newly constructed service platform that orbited the planet.
Captain Sherman studied the sensor image that was being displayed on his command console.
“It came out of the Rift, Captain,” Science Officer Barlow confirmed.
“Right,” Sherman replied. Then noted the object’s molecular make-up as he continued studying the image.
“Well, it’s definitely a metal of some sort. About three meters square. So maybe it's a piece of an outer hull. If it is, it must have come from a ship that was ripped apart and thrown out of that Rift.”
“Agreed. Sir.
Maybe we can find out more about what happened to it if we try this new temporal-change measuring device that the Crillon’s gave us.”
“OK. I assume you know how to use it?”
Barlow smiled, “Of course, Captain,” he replied. Then quickly set the parameters on the device’s dedicated panel, exactly as the Crillon scientist had already shown him.
They both watched as the measurements of the rift were taken, and the results were displayed.
“See, Captain. There’s a massive forward temporal displacement… That can only happen when a Rift almost doubles back on itself. At least, according to the Crillon scientists. Perhaps, that’s what we’ve just seen?”
Sherman nodded his head in agreement, then turned and spoke to his comms officer, Ben Tomic.
“Tomic, send an urgent message to Science vessel, Argonaut…Message to read. Need your expertise urgently.”
“Yes, Captain.”
There was a one-minute delay before the answer came over the Hyperlink.
“Captain Serrell reckons they’ll be with us in nine hours, Captain,” Tomic said, reading out the reply. “He also says. Do not go near it.”
“H’mm. So, Hector hasn’t retired yet,” Sherman murmured to himself.
“Thank goodness. At least, we still have someone with expertise,” Barlow automatically replied. Sounding relieved, then embarrassed, as he realized what he’d just said.
Captain Sherman, raised his bushy eyebrows. But said nothing.
So, time to waste, he thought to himself.
He looked slowly around his control room, seeing that, even though the equipment onboard incorporated state-of-the-art technology. The fittings in this experimental Star Cruiser had a very utilitarian feel. At least, compared to the almost luxurious standards of other Earth vessels these days.
The Garoden War. (SpaceFed StarShips Series) Book 6. An action-packed follow-on story that sees the Earth's Space Navy in action.: ‘Into the Fire.’ Page 5
