Defending Earth-Searching for Death Feeders (8 page)

“WHAT IS IT!?”

“Elder, I need to discuss…”

“If you bother my sleep again, I’ll have you going out after the next Grondon we find!” Kyle looked at the elder Kerit and saw his eyes were open.

“Yes, Elder. I’ll come back in the morning.”

The kerit looked at Kyle, “How did you do that?”

“He has a mind more powerful than the Masters, Father.”

“Is what you put in my head true?”

Kyle nodded, “It is.”

“Help me up, daughter.” Legune helped him to his feet and he looked at her, “I ought to beat your backside for what you’ve put me through.” Legune closed her eyes and nodded. The Kerit turned back to Kyle, “So if that Lead Master tries to contact the one the Grondon killed, they’ll come and kill us all?”

“Do you see it any other way?”

The Elder shook his head, “No. I’ve wondered why they haven’t already come to investigate. What can we do about it?”

“I’m going to have to take all of you with me and make it look like the Grondons killed everyone in the village.”

“You mean when you say go with you that we’ll have to leave this world?” Kyle nodded. “Are you sure that’s the only way?”

Kyle sighed, “There’s nothing else I’ve been able to think of that would work.”

“When does this have to happen?”

“Tonight.”

“You’re not asking much.”

“My civilization’s High Leader says that the Master here is usually contacted on a regular basis and the contact is slightly overdue. We need to move you immediately.”

“Just how do we do this?”

“How many live here?”

“About a thousand two hundred and twenty six.”

“How many are infants?”

“About four hundred.”

Kyel looked up, “Amber, drop a box of thought blockers outside the door of this building.” They looked at Kyle and a few seconds later heard a thump outside the door. Kyle nodded toward the door and the Elder went and opened it. There was a large box in his doorway.

“If I had any doubts about who you are you’ve just removed them. What do I do?”

Legune said, “Call the scouts in and put one on their heads and order them to every house and put them on the occupants.” The old kerit nodded and stepped outside. Legune looked at Kyle, “You didn’t tell me the contact was behind schedule.”

“You have enough to worry about.”

• • •

Three hours later, the Kerit were gathered outside the Elder’s home and he looked around at the gathering. “I have to tell all of you something that is going to shock you but I need you to follow my directions and trust that I love all of you enough to never have you do anything that would harm you; can you do that?”

“What is it you want, Elder?”

“Jennets, we are going to have to leave here and I need all of you to go to your homes and only take what you can carry in your arms. You have ten minutes to make that happen.” The gathering stared at him and he yelled, “NOW YOU HAVE LESS THAN TEN MINUTES! GET MOVING.”

Kyle lifted his arm and punched a button on his wrist unit, “Captain Donovan, does your entire crew have on thought blockers?”

“Yes Sir.” Kyle looked around and turned toward the planted fields next to the community.

“Bring the ship down into the field next to the village and prepare to open the port.”

“Yes Sir.”

The Elder looked at Kyle, “A vessel large enough to carry all of us will be seen by the communities around us.”

“I’ll take care of that, Elder.”

The Community began gathering again and were talking among themselves. A female yelled, “What is this thing you’ve made us put on our heads?”

“It will prevent the Masters from hearing your thoughts, now be quiet.” The gathering was shocked silent. Legune stepped out of the hut and the entire gathering was stunned.

“You need to remain silent! I was saved by the female that came here selling flowers. She faked our deaths and I was taken to another world where the Masters don’t exist. We are taking you there now.”

“I won’t go!”

The Elder looked at the young man and smiled, “You may stay for the Master’s arrival, which will probably be tomorrow. Give them my regards.” The female standing beside the young male slapped him on the back of his head. He winced and then wilted. The Elder turned to Kyle, “What do we do now?”

Kyle lifted his wrist, “Open the port but keep it dark.” Kyle looked at Legune, “Take all the women and children to the ship and tell the Captain to move the port back into the barrier. I need all the males to stay with me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Legune, now is not the time. Get moving!” Legune stared at him and closed her eyes. She looked at the gathering and said, “All females and children follow me.” She walked toward the fields and after a moment’s hesitation, the females followed with their children. Kyle looked at the Elder, “You aren’t going to like this but it must be done.”

“What?”

“I need you to go where you buried the ones killed by the Master and move their bodies into the village.” The Elder’s eyes narrowed and many of the males that heard him felt their rage. Kyle looked around, “I am going to use Grondon’s to destroy this village and what do you think will happen when the Masters show up and don’t see any bodies. If you don’t do this, every living Kerit on the planet could be killed. I know those that die in the Master’s embrace would want you to use them to prevent their species from being exterminated.”

The Elder took a deep breath and looked at the males. He shook his head and said, “My murdered wife Glendra would want me to do this.” He looked at the males surrounding him, “And I know all the others would want us to do this. Do any of you disagree? If you were in your grave and your body could be used to save others, would you want it done?”

The males looked at each other and an older kerit said, “My children would demand it.” He went to the fence and picked up a shovel. He started walking toward the south end of the village. The Elder went to the fence and picked up another shovel. After a few moments, the other males joined them and Kyle saw their tears. He lowered his head and prayed for forgiveness.

Sunrise was an hour away when Kyle saw the village was covered in the carcasses of more than a thousand kerit. He looked at the males and said, “Please move to the field and enter the door you’ll find there.” He lifted his arm, “Captain, the males are headed your way.”

The Elder looked at Kyle, “I’ll go with you.”

“It may not be safe.”

“I will go with you. My people demand it.”

Kyle nodded and moved behind the males toward the colony ship. He saw the port hanging a foot above the ground and watched as the males walked through it. “Captain, get them out of here.”

The port disappeared and the Elder looked at Kyle, “Is it gone?”

“Yes.”

“Uhhh, how are we going to leave?”

“I’ll handle it. Now give me a moment to concentrate.” Kyle faced the wilds toward the northern edge of the field and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Kyle raised his hand and waved it at the Elder. The Elder heard a loud roar coming from the north that was deafening. His eyes went wide as six giant Grondons broke through the edge of the brush running toward them at top speed. He moved behind Kyle and shook his head. These were the largest Grondons he had ever seen or heard about. One of them had to be over thirty feet tall. They came running at them and suddenly came to a stop fifty feet from them.

Kyle opened his eyes, “I know you have hated the intruders that have taken your domain and killed your children.” Kyle pointed toward the village, “I ask you to remove this blasphemy from your lands.” The Grondon’s roar did deafen the Elder this time as the six giants turned and rushed into the village. “Amber, now would be a good time.”

The Elder saw a port appear behind him and he jumped through it as Kyle leapt in behind him as he yelled, “Get us out of here!” The Light Ship disappeared just before one of the Grondons swept its giant claws at it.

The Elder struggled out from under Kyle and said, “Next time I insist on staying with you, please knock some sense into me!” Kyle nodded and started laughing. The sudden release of tension was too much and his laughter took him. A few moments later, the Elder joined him.

“Kyle.”

“Yes, Amber.”

“Legune wants to know if you will bring the Elder to the colony ship and meet with the villagers.”

“What’s happening?”

“It’s not a mutiny, but it’s pretty close to it.”

“I’m on the way. Tell Captain Donovan to hold the ship in open space outside our cluster.” Kyle looked at the Elder, “I should have made you go with them.” The Elder sighed and nodded.

• • •

The Light Ship entered the giant Colony Ship’s landing bay and he went to the main deck where all the villagers were yelling at Legune. The Elder entered and yelled, “BE SILENT!!” The Villagers turned and saw him. They grew silent slowly and Kyle could see they were sitting on a powder keg. Control could be lost if this wasn’t handled properly. The kerit stared at the Elder and he turned to Kyle, “Tell them.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. He leaned in next to the Elder and whispered, “Shouldn’t you handle this?”

“No, I’m just as curious as they are about what you’ve made us do.” The villagers heard him and started nodding. The Elder was still one of them. The Elder walked over to the gathering and said, “Sit down and let’s see what this being has to say.”

Kyle looked at Legune and he sat down beside her father. Oh, this was just great. Then he remembered Legune saying her mother was killed by a Master ten years ago. He shook his head and looked at them. He walked forward and sat down in front of them. He looked at them and said, “Please remove the bands from around your heads.” They all looked at the Elder as he immediately removed his. They took the thought blocker off and Kyle looked up at the ceiling and said, “Captain Donovan.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Please activate the DNA modifier.” The Kerit saw a silver flashing field appear around the young male sitting in front of them and Legune knew Kyle was making a terrible mistake but it was too late to stop him. The Kerit watched the form inside the golden field and after a few minutes, an alien was sitting in front of them. The screams were immediate.

L
egune closed her eyes and suddenly opened them wide as she heard in her mind, “BE SILENT OR I’LL TAKE YOU BACK!!” Silence slammed down on the assembled Kerits. Kyle stared at them and blew out a slow breath. He thought, “I have just received an update from a probe above your planet. Look at the monitor on the right wall and pay attention!”

The Kerits turned and saw hundreds of small ground craft moving above the planet’s surface toward their former community. The females saw a close up of the city zoom in and they looked at the males who told them what the alien had ordered them to do before they left. There were the remains of dead bodies scattered among the ruins of their former homes, in the roads running through the community and in the brush surrounding the fields. The giant tracks of Grondons were everywhere. The view moved out slightly and the ground craft flew in and landed among the ruins. Hundreds of Masters stepped out of the vehicles and gathered at the edge of the ruined village. The Kerits stopped talking and they heard the Masters on the wall speaker.

• • •

“What has happened here?”

“Are you stupid? This territory was wiped out by the Giant Carnivores.”

“How is that possible? The local ruler should have been able to keep them away.”

“It appears he died with them.”

“That’s not possible. These bodies have been dead a long time and the buildings look like they’ve been destroyed recently.”

A Master walked up and looked around, “It could be the carnivores came back recently to scavenge for a meal. These meals have been dead for a long time.”

“When was the last time the Ruler was heard from?”

The Masters looked at each other and no one answered the question. The Leader looked at them and said, “The Fleet Leader communicated with him about eight months ago. This had to happen since that contact.”

“Where is the body of the Ruler?”

The Leader looked around and walked back to his ground vehicle. He went inside and after, a few moments emerged and walked back over to the group, “The Fleet Leader is sending a ship to investigate. Spread out and see if we’ve missed his body.”

Kyle stopped the recording, “This happened an hour after you were taken off the planet. I’m moving the recording forward another hour when the ship they called in arrived.”

The Kerits turned back to the Monitor and gasped. A giant warship appeared on the monitor hovering a quarter of a mile above the destroyed village. It had to be a ship of war, it was covered with huge barrels sticking out of its hull along with large number of missile launchers with a missile in their cradles.

The Feeder Leader looked up, “Thank you for coming. We’re trying to understand what happened here. The one that ruled this territory is missing and we’ve been unable to find his body.”

“I will scan the surface for it. Wait until I complete the search.” The Masters looked around and waited. More than a hundred more Masters came roaring in on their vehicles and joined those standing at the edge of the community. They didn’t have to wait long. “I have found the body in a ravine. Its head is about a quarter of a mile away from the body.”

“Will you bring the body to us?”

“I’m dispatching a shuttle.” The Purple colored beings waited and ten minutes later heard a hum. A huge shuttle came over the horizon at high speed and had something dangling below it. The shuttle came to a stop and moved toward the surface. A cable with a claw on it was lowered to the ground and the claw released what it was holding. The dead body of a Feeder fell to the ground along with a badly decomposed head. The Leader looked at the remains and saw the giant claw marks on the body.

“It appears this one was killed by one of the carnivores. It had to be a large one for the claw marks to go all the way through the body.”

A Master shook its shoulders, “How could this happen? There’s no possible way one of the carnivores could have gotten close enough to do this?”