Annihilation: Book 05 - Searcher (21 page)

Matt looked at Sprig and Twig and said, “Not a lot but we can surmise several things. If I am wrong about anything, please correct me.”

Sprig thought, “Please continue, Searcher.”

“It appears that the Eight Legs can actually see intelligent life even through solid walls. The only holes in Angel’s ship were made in a direct path from the three that penetrated her hull. All three of them fired at the only life on the ship and there was no other damage anywhere else. These shards went through our strongest materials to hit her and were not affected by the passage; the holes they made left no residue when they passed through. It is my belief that this is one of their weapons systems but they only use it when they penetrate a ship so that they can consume what they hit. The shard was covered in an extremely powerful neurotoxin that paralyzes the victim it hits giving the Eight Leg time to consume the victim before they die. Another by product of this toxin is that it holds the brain in a stasis so that even if the body dies the brain can still be consumed giving up any memories it holds.”

“Why does that make attacking them more dangerous,” General Durk asked?

“Imagine a fleet of our ships attacking them and the invaders fire a barrage of these shards. Our sensors would not detect them coming and they would penetrate our screens and hulls before we even knew they were approaching. Just because they have only used them on ships they’ve penetrated in the past does not mean that is the only way they can be utilized. I suspect that if the invaders learn that we can teleport away before they can land on our ships that they will fire first and then harvest the crew. If we dared to use our warriors against them, they would fire these shards right through their armor and devour them at their leisure.”

The room was silent. Everyone understood the implications of what he said.

“The attack on Angel also removed one of the methods I was planning to use against them.”

Sprig leaned right and said, “What was that, Searcher?”

“I was planning to teleport the mother ship into the heart of the hottest star in our universe.” The room stirred at the idea. “However, it won’t work.”

“Why not,” Twig asked?

“When I teleported Angel’s ship to my location, which was a very dangerous thing to do in hind sight, however, I wasn’t thinking clearly at that moment; the three inside her ship were left behind. It appears even our teleportation screens are ineffective against this material. This also means that we will be unable to teleport any kind of weapon into their ships.”

“Every time we discuss these creatures they seem to become more powerful and dangerous,” Tag observed.

“Not necessarily, Your Majesty. I have been concerned from the start that these creatures may see all of the ships and planets we’ve hidden behind the red screens simply by reading the energy emissions coming from them. They may be invisible visually to them but the planets stand out like a flaming torch with the energy it emits. After I killed the three Eight Legs, their entire fleet searched the system looking for them. Our ships emit energy but they obviously didn’t see Angel’s ship. The only way they found her was by the shadow that her ship cast on the moon’s surface. It defies all odds that one of their smallest ships just happened to be located where that shadow was cast.” Matt paused and the room could see his anguish. Matt took a deep breath and continued, “However, it gives us information that is vital. I think this mother ship is here to scout our universe and see if it warrants a full invasion. Right now it is only going to planets that show intelligent life, however, the full invasion would examine every star. We know how to bend light around planets psychically. If we can prevent the member planets from casting a shadow then they should truly be invisible to them. I think the data supports that they ignore any kind of energy and use their vision only that allows them to see those systems that have intelligent life. It may be that the substance they use to cover all of their creations prevents them from seeing energy. When they look at a galaxy, all they see is where intelligent life is located; I don’t think they even see the stars.”

“That is the first good news I’ve heard,” Danielle responded. “What else have you surmised?”

“We don’t need to waste time hitting them with any energy weapons. If they are immune to teleportation then I think we can rule out all forms of energy.” Matt looked at Sprig.

“You are probably right, Searcher; but we still should verify that beyond all doubt.”

“Then you have to hit them outside the jump limit and jump away immediately. Make ten fast, and I do mean fast, jumps and then teleport away. I hope they can’t follow fast enough and conclude that they missed arriving at the last jump track before it dissipated. Reading jump tracks, since they use the process to travel, is probably something they are capable of doing. We can’t reveal that we can jump inside the jump limit or use teleportation. This race is so old that they may have the information in their stored data that would allow them to develop the processes if they ever suspect that it is actually being done.”

“We could also land all our ships and just ignore them until they leave,” Tag said.

Matt looked at the King of the Stars Realm and said slowly, “I have thought about that, too, Your Majesty. However, that would be a weight on our civilization that would ultimately lead to our downfall. Are we going to sit by and watch millions of civilizations we were unable to contact be killed as we hide? The Reg didn’t leave that ship because they wanted to help. They left it because their civilization is in decline because of the horror of what they are unable to stop. I could feel the pain they felt for all the ones that have been killed. We are here today with an opportunity to stop these creatures and save all of the universes in creation. If we ignore that opportunity, what will we become after they leave? I have tried to find a reason for Angel’s death and until this moment I have only suffered because I can see no reason. The odds of what happened to her are so high against it happening that it staggers my sense of reality but I now know that it was for a reason and the death of these universe killers must be it. I do not believe that we should just hide, Your Majesty.”

Danielle looked at her husband and he saw her expression. She didn’t need to say anything, he could feel her. He felt her love and remembered when he vowed upon learning that she was going to have their first child that he was going to make sure that they would be safe even if he had to destroy the entire Alliance of Worlds that was bent on annihilating the human race. If he could have hid then, would he have allowed that danger to always be shadowing their lives?

Danielle watched Tag closely and could see the struggle he was having and then she saw him decide.

“Even if we die in this struggle, to turn away from this fight and allow so many to be destroyed would be something that I believe would kill us just as certainly as the Eight Legs. We will not turn away at this critical moment.”

As Tag spoke, Danielle thought back to that meeting that had changed both of their lives so substantially twelve hundred years ago. Rose called them in to a meeting of the First Family where all of the representatives of every Stars Realm member and Rose had been attempting to choose the military leaders of the future. The meeting had lasted six days and no one could agree on any selection until Rose had presented a radical choice. After very little back and forth, all the members agreed. Danielle and Tag arrived and found the entire assembly and Rose waiting in silence for them. Danielle took one look and knew something monumental was going on.

Rose stood and said, “Mom, Dad, the elected representatives of the Realm have decided who is to lead us in the coming years. We have struggled and we could not find consensus until I suggested a leader we could all trust.” Rose paused, looked at the First Family and then said, “I hereby abdicate my throne and the First Family has voted unanimously that Thomas Anglo Gardner, Sr. will be named the new King of the Stars Realm.”

Tag’s mouth fell open and he said, “I cannot and will not accept this position. You are so better qualified than I that this is a bad decision. What possessed you to even consider this?”

“Come sit down and let me explain.” Tag and Danielle took their seats in front of the gathering and Rose said, “We know the Eight Legs are coming. It could be a week or it could be a thousand years, however, we know without doubt that they are coming. Whoever leads the Stars Realm must possess psychic talents; one of which is the ability to sense when danger approaches. Dad, your sense is the strongest in our family; there’s no sense is even thinking about denying that much.” Tag looked at her and then nodded. “Further, your talents lie in the province of being a warrior. Tgon-Gee says that you are death incarnate and cannot be defeated. Dad, the Realm now needs a warrior to lead it into the future; it needs you.”

Danielle said, “What she’s saying has merit, Darling.” Rose looked at Danielle and Danielle thought, “Uh oh!”

“This is where you will have the most trouble with what we are asking of you; the Realm requests that you allow Atlas to extend your life spans again.”

Danielle stood and said, “We will not!”

Rose looked at her mother and Danielle saw the sadness in her eyes. “Mom, none of Cassandra’s or my children have manifested any psychic skills. They do not possess the necessary vision to know when danger approaches. The Realm needs a ruler that has the psychic skills that you, and I, possess. Mom, I need to be with my children and move them from Castle Gardner. They cannot succeed me and they need me close to them. If you do not accept this role, then I will be forced to it and I say to you from my heart that I cannot continue in peace.”

Tag saw her sorrow and said, “Tommy and Cassandra can take your place.”

Rose shook her head, “You know the danger inherent in Cassandra’s lack of control of her power. The stresses of the crown would be too much for her. They have agreed to extend their lives if you will accept this responsibility. Cassandra wants to see the child in her vision and will wait until he arrives. However, the Realm has voted unanimously that they want the two of you to be the Royal Couple leading the Realm toward its coming confrontation with the Eight Legs. They call upon you to serve.”

Tag looked at Danielle and took a deep breath, “It will only be until Cassandra’s coming child reaches maturity; he can replace us at that time.”

Danielle looked at Rose and asked, “Are you going to extend your life?”

“No, I do not want to live longer than my children. I have no need to live that long and Michael agrees. You must accept; the Realm needs a warrior to lead it and I am not a warrior.”

Danielle move forward and embraced her daughter, “We will reluctantly accept, Darling. All I’ve ever wanted is your happiness.”

“Being with my children for the time that remains in a normal human life span is what I desire most.”

Danielle looked at Tag and shrugged. Tag looked at the First Family’s representatives and said, “We will accept your decision. We will do all we can to protect the Realm against the coming storm.”

The entire assembly rose and cheered. Danielle held Rose and thought to her, “You gave them the idea, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Mom, I lied about not having a vision.” Danielle stepped back from Rose and looked her in the eye. “I saw Dad and you leading the Stars Realm a thousand years from now. You have to do it or the Realm will die.”

Danielle pulled Rose close and nodded already missing her daughter knowing she would die long before the thousand years was over.

Tag stood and Danielle was brought back to the present. It was this kind of moment that showed her why she loved him so much. She was proud of him beyond measure and the Realm’s decision twelve hundred years earlier to select a warrior to lead them into the future was vindicated in this moment.

Tag saw her admiration and felt twenty five years old again, “We will fight this fight. I stand with you, Matthew Anglo Gardner and I welcome you into the Royal Family. You are hereby selected to succeed me as the Realm’s ruler at the conclusion of this nightmare and I charge you to protect it as we have. Please bow.”

Matt was stunned. He didn’t want this responsibility. The King and Queen stood and walked around the table to his chair followed by the representative of the Glod Union and Cainth Empire. Matt rose from his seat and bowed before them. Thomas Gardner drew a fencing sword from a scabbard at his waste followed by the Glod drawing a Glod long sword and the Cainth drawing a short sword. The huge Glod tapped him on both shoulders with the long sword followed by the Canith and then Tag tapped him on each shoulder, “I hereby name you Prince Matthew Anglo Gardner, defender of the Realm, and charge you with the safety and well being of all its subjects. Your decisions will be followed by all and we charge you to continue the Prime Directive of the Royal Family to protect the life of the Realm and all those that cannot protect them self.”

Matt was humbled by the words. This was too much for him to take on but then he thought about Angel and knew he could not decline the title; it would diminish her sacrifice. He said, “I swear to keep the faith of the Realm and do all within my power to protect her.”

“Please rise, Prince Gardner.”

The first to arrive to congratulate him was Anglo. “I have been waiting for you, cousin. Welcome to my family.” He stepped forward and embraced Matt. The rest of the room joined Anglo in greeting the Royal Family’s newest member.