by Saxon Andrew
“We may have to move this galaxy into another dimension to prevent it being overwhelmed in the initial contact. We’ll fight them from there if it comes down to it.”
“And the Spiders have the technology to make that happen?”
“Yes, Eyes, they do.”
“What about my planet, Danielle?” Dela asked.
“We’ll move them along with the Glod survivors, if we’re forced to do it.”
“Are you really that frightened about this?”
“Kogo, I remember the wars with the Demons and the other Evil Civilizations long ago. If this new danger is anything like them, all of us should be worried.”
“If the Algeans choose not to work with us, they may prevent you moving anything.”
Danielle turned to the huge Zord, “I know, Vring. They are going to have to be taken off the table before we take those steps.”
“And just how do you intend to do that?”
Danielle smiled and looked up, “Sprigly?”
“A change of leadership is required.”
Danielle looked at Eyes, “You and Vring must go to Bristone and tell the Emperor what’s going on. Convince him that if he really wants to protect his subjects, he better start getting on board.”
“What are you going to do?” Eyes asked.
“See if we can find this menace. Once we do that, we’ll deal with the Algeans.”
Eyes nodded, “I hope you survive the discovery.”
Kogo looked at Danielle, “I don’t see any reason for us to continue on board.”
The giant Cat smiled, “No, your presence is needed with the Gardners. You should remain where you are.”
“Alex, bring us back on board,” Danielle said.
Chapter Five
They arrived on the Kosiev’s bridge and found Sprigly waiting for them, “This is a pot full of demons.”
Tag nodded, “Tell me about it. Alex, come up with a search pattern for us to start our search.”
Dela looked at Sprigly, “Am I hearing things right; there are universes other than ours?”
Sprigly nodded, “We’ve had to fight in several of them in the past.”
“I don’t understand.”
Sprigly stared at Dela and walked over to his console and took out a book, “The shape of creation is like this book. Notice that all the pages are pressed tight against each other but you can open the book to any page. Understand so far?” Dela nodded. “Well, all the universes are packed close together like the pages in this book. They are kept apart by…well…I’m going to call it a universal energy field that is unique to each of them. If you have a device that can match the energy field of each universe, you can leave our universe and move into another.”
“Just how thick is this book, you’re describing?” Kogo asked.
Sprigly shrugged, “We’re probably located somewhere in the middle of the book with millions of universes in front and behind our particular page.”
“But…how can you search that many to find this…this…thing threatening us?”
“, if they are moving toward our universe, they can’t be too far away from our page, especially if the Cats are sensing an attack. We’ll start in one direction and if we don’t find anything quickly, we’ll move in the opposite direction, Kogo.”
“You’ve done this before,” Dela stated.
“Yes, we have.”
“How long does it take to scout a universe?”
“Sprigly leaned left before saying, “In the past, it would take months or longer. However, the new scanner I picked up from the Nrtos and had the Hallan make for me will make the task easier.”
“But…”
“Whoever this new enemy is, they can’t be too far away. We’ll find them.”
“Wouldn’t they just be moving from one page to the next page?”
“I doubt it, Kogo. If they’re as advanced, as I suspect they are, they’ll do a scan of any new universe they enter and decide if it is worth their time to invade. If it isn’t, they’ll move on to the next one.”
“What determines if it’s worth their time?”
Sprigly shrugged, “If they are anything like the ones we fought in the past, they’ll be looking for a universe with an abundance of intelligent life in it. Our universe has that in spades.”
“SPRIGLY!!” they heard over the wall speaker, “Coming, Tag!” He looked at them and said, “I’ll discuss this with you later.”
Dela looked at Kogo, “Still glad we came?”
“I’d rather know than not. This moving planets and galaxies has me scratching my head.”
Dela nodded, “I feel like a one-armed Cainth trying to tie my boots.”
“Hey, that’s a good one. Let’s go and listen to what’s happening.”
“Kogo.”
“Yes.”
“I wish I had married you before we left on this joy-ride.”
“Now you tell me!! You turned me down at least four times!!”
“You know a lady has to make sure.”
Kogo shook his head, “What changed your mind?”
“You’re so much…”
“Smarter?”
“Yeah. You’ve asked all the right questions when I was struggling with what to say.”
Kogo sighed, “Dela, both of us are fighters, not scientists. I still don’t know what Tag and the Cat meant by us playing a role in what’s coming.”
“I forgot about that.”
“We need to listen to what’s being said and see if we can get up to speed on all things technological.”
“I’ll do it but I suspect our role will not involve technological things.”
“Even so.”
Dela shrugged and walked over to where Tag, Danielle, and Sprigly were having a lively discussion.
“Sprigly, do you honestly think this scanner will make any kind of real difference.”
“I do.”
“Why?” Tag asked.
“Because the beams it uses are sent just below normal space and operate at super-light speeds.”
Danielle stared at him with her eyes lowered, “How is that possible?”
“I can explain it in mathematical terms but it could take a while.”
Tag chuckled, “Are you talking about a year or more?”
“Something like that.”
Danielle rolled her eyes and said, “Alex, take us to the first universe and, Sprigly, show us what your scanner can do.”
“I’m powering up the universal drive. We’ll be arriving in the Universe where Ping found Dahlia,” Alex announced.
Danielle nodded and suddenly the view on the wall monitor changed. Sprigly adjusted some controls on his panel and the view of empty space changed to the area where Dahlia’s planet was located. Numbers started scrolling down the right-side of the large monitor and Tag asked, “What are those?”
“The number of starships in that area of space.”
Tag turned to Danielle and raised his eyebrows, “Sprigly may be on to something here.”
Sprigly laughed mentally and said, “Nothing of consequence to report.”
“Alex, go to the next one.”
• • •
Emperor Robbins glared at the huge Zord, “Vring, this is ludicrous.”
“Your Majesty, if you will look at the Empire’s early history you will see that the Cats do not make mistakes about Creation Events. It’s been so long since the Empire has been at war that you’ve forgotten your history.”
Scotty looked at Eyes, “And you say our universe is going to be invaded by an evil force?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And that the Gardners are looking at moving our galaxy to another dimension.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Eyes replied.
“No one in the Royal Family’s past would ever allow that to happen.”
Vring flapped his wings in frustration and Eyes said, “Computer.”
“Yes, eyes.”
“Please info
rm the Emperor why the Bristone Empire is at its current location.”
“Sixty-six planets were moved from their original galaxy prior to the Demon’s forces arrival. The first Emperor Robbins, his wife, and their children were killed in that attack along with all intelligent life in the galaxy. Not very long after that, the planets were moved again.”
Scotty’s eyes widened and he asked, “Are you sure about that?”
“Sire, every planet with intelligent life in the Empire’s original galaxy were eradicated by the Demon’s Black Ships. The only reason the planets moved here survived was due to the first Emperor and his family allowing the Demons to kill them.”
“I’ve never heard anything about this!”
“Meaning no disrespect, Your Majesty, but what history are you familiar with?”
Scotty stared at Eyes and said, “I know what’s happened over the last Millennia?”
“This happened before then and it’s going to happen again if you don’t wake up and start doing something to protect the Empire.” Scotty’s eyes narrowed and Vring added, “Your Majesty.”
“Just what do you suggest I do!” Scotty snapped back.
“For starters, I’ll send some of my warriors to assist your scientists in constructing Psychic Warships.”
“But there was an order given that the ones we have were not to be used except in the event of an emergency!!” Vring closed his eyes and shook his huge head. Scotty saw him and sat back on his throne. “You don’t believe I have what it takes, do you Vring?”
“I knew your ancestors. They would not be here arguing about if what we’re telling you is true. They would be acting because they know what creation can throw at us; you don’t.”
Scotty looked at Eyes and said sullenly, “And what do you think?”
“You don’t have the stomach for a fight. I suggest you have the computer pull up the recordings from that time the First Emperor died and look at them. We’re done here. If you grow a spine and want to discuss it further, contact us!”
After they disappeared, Scotty heard his wife say, “You should punish them for their disrespect.”
Scotty looked at Gloria and then said, “Computer, put the recordings of what happened when some of our planets were moved.”
“To fully understand them, I’ll need to start a little earlier.”
“DO IT AND STOP WASTEING MY TIME!!”
The Queen sat down on her throne next to him as the monitor came on. They watched the recordings through the night and into the next day. They took a short break to get some sleep and continued where they left off. After five-days, Gloria turned to Scotty, “I was an idiot suggesting you punish them. If we’re going to have to face something like what we’ve just seen…”
“I know.” He summoned Vring and Eyes to the castle.
They teleported in and Scottie said, “It appears the first Emperor and his children willingly gave their lives to save the Empire.”
“They did.”
“I am one of their descendants and I’m ashamed at who and what I am. Do you know anyone better suited to rule the Empire?”
Vring looked at Eyes and turned back to Scotty, “No one else will be heeded. It’s you or no one.”
“Then like you said last time you were here, I need to grow a spine. Please give me a list of suggestions you want to see done and I’ll start getting the Empire ready for war.”
Vring and Eyes bowed, “You are your ancestor’s child.”
“What do we do about the Algeans?” Scotty asked.
“Tell them to get out of your Empire and if it’s war they want, war they’ll get.”
“What do you think they’ll do?”
“Go home and cry to their leaders. But I don’t think they’ll do anything serious.”
“Why not, Eyes?”
“Because they’ve been here watching and the Gardners haven’t made an appearance. They’ll sound tough but they’ll start searching elsewhere.”
Vring said, “I would recommend you send a force large enough to get their attention.”
Scotty smiled, “I think I can arrange that.”
• • •
The Algean Commander heard his navigator announce, “I have a large number of warships just appear ten-miles in front of our formation.”
The Commander communicated, “WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”
“To say good-bye.”
“To who?”
“To you. If you don’t immediately move your ships out of the Empire’s territory, you will be attacked.”
The Commander looked at his Navigator, “How many ships?”
“More than a thousand but ten of them are Psychic Ships.”
“What?”
“Commander, more than thirty-thousand Zord have now teleported in and have surrounded us. They are carrying their full complement of advanced weapons.”
The Commander thought, “You are not going to be allowed to tell us what to do.”
“If you want a war, then we’ll give you one. However, the next time you violate our space, we won’t be offering a warning. Ask politely if you want to communicate with us but any further acts of aggression will be met with force. We are not members of your Realm and are independent of it. You should remember that.”
“Do you think you can defeat us?”
“Don’t have to; all we need do is cut your numbers down so that all the other civilizations you’re abusing decide that now is the time to pay the Realm back for their treatment. You have one-minute to teleport out.”
The Commander stared at the warships and his Navigator said, “I have another ten-thousand-warships moving our way.”
“All ships, return to the Holy Planet!” The hundred-Algean-Warships teleported away. Admiral James Carter smiled. Let’s hope the Cat was right about the Algeans staying away.
• • •
“Elder, we were surrounded and highly outnumbered”
“You should have been able to handle their ships!”
“It wasn’t their warships that concerned me, Elder. They had ten-psychic-ships with them and the thirty-thousand Zord surrounding us have better reaction times than we do.”
“Did the Gardners show up while you were there?”
“No, they did not.”
“How can you be sure if their ships can’t be detected.”
“There were no teleportation traces through Bristone’s atmosphere. I looked at the thoughts of the Fleet Commander, who confronted us, and he knew nothing about the Gardners showing up. I’m certain they did not go to see the Emperor. Do you want me to take the fleets to teach them a lesson?”
“NO! I need the fleets to find that cursed Adolescent. If she’s not there, then the Gardners took her somewhere else. I want you to send out our fleets to search for them.”
“Yes, Great Elder.”
“You really can’t fault the Bristone Emperor for being angry at how he was treated. I’d probably do the same thing if I were in his place. We don’t need to weaken our forces fighting against them. We need to focus on the problem at hand. Now find that Adolescent!!”
• • •
Three-weeks passed and nothing was found in the universes they searched. Danielle sat down and heard Sprigly announce, “Nothing here.”
She looked at Tag, “Maybe we should have started searching the alternate-dimensions first.”
Tag disagreed, “I don’t think they’re there.”
“Why not?”
“You know that every dimension we’ve ever seen is not heavily populated. It dawned on me after we left that the Dimensions would probably be a dead-end.”
Sprigly yelled, “JACKPOT!! I HAVE A MASSIVE IMAGE OF WARSHIPS ON THE MONITOR!!”
Danielle and Tag jerked their heads toward the monitor and saw the numbers scrolling on the side of the screen were moving too fast to see. “We’re scanning over a million in one sector and a similar number in the second sector I’ve scanned.”
“Can you determine
anything about the ships?”
“Not from this distance, Tag.”
“How close will you have to get to scan them?”
“A lot closer than this; about a thousand-light-years should do it. They don’t appear to have seen us.”
Tag studied the monitor and ordered, “Alex, teleport us back toward the first sector Sprigly scanned. Stop a thousand-light-years away from them. Sprigly, how long do you need to make your scan?”
“Two-seconds.”
“Synchronize your scanner to Alex’s arrival. Alex, get us out in two-seconds and leave a stealth probe behind.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Tag.”
“Why not Sprigly?”
“We can detect those probes. If we leave one behind and they find it, it could cause them to act sooner than anticipated.”
Tag thought for a moment and said, “Run a wide scan of this universe, at least as far as your scanner will allow before we jump.”
Sprigly nodded and a minute later said, “Alex, count it down. I’m prepared to make the long-range scans.”
“In three…two…one…NOW!”
Sprigly punched a button on his console and two-seconds later, the Kosiev disappeared and entered another universe. Sprigly began pressing buttons on his console and the scan was loaded into the computer in his ship, which was in the landing bay. He waited a few moments as Alex moved to another universe, and then began typing on his keyboard. He looked up and shook slightly as he said, “My computer detected more than a thousand-warships start turning in our direction when the scan began.”
“Did they detect the scan or did they see us?”
“Tag, I’ll need to do a much tighter analysis of the data before I can make that determination.”
“Get on it. Take Seedel with you and see if you can teach her how to use your systems.”
Sprigly turned and left to go to his ship, as Seedel followed him off the bridge.”
“Alex, do you have a copy of Sprig’s scans?”
“I do.”
“Start showing them on the main monitor.”
The monitor illuminated and Alex said, “I’m going to move into another dimension and see if we’re being followed.”
“Do it!”
Dela glanced at Kogo and he shook his head telling her to be quiet for the moment.
Danielle and Tag stared at the monitor and saw the images change from one sector to another. All but six of them were filled with warships. Then the last scan started and Tag froze it on the monitor. He moved the controls and the view of a huge fleet of warships began getting larger. He continued to move in on the image until one ship filled the screen. “Why is it that evil civilizations love black?” Danielle asked.
