Annihilation Series-Searching for a Hero (15 page)

“Do you think we’ll win?”

“I believe that it’s going to come down to numbers and which side has the better pilots. Neither side has a force field that will stop the other’s beams and the coming loss of life could be the greatest we’ve ever seen in the Realm’s long history.”

The King slowly shook his head, “I pray you’re wrong about that.”

Kosiev shook his head, “Watch the recording from the first attack, Your Majesty; if one of our ships is hit, it will die.”

“So will theirs.”

Kosiev nodded and the King disappeared from his display. One thing that was now in the Realm’s favor was there were no finer fliers than the Zord. They could make the difference, if the invaders numbers were not overwhelming. That was a mighty big if.

• • • • •

Ping opened his eyes and concentrated on the ceiling. He gathered his thoughts and focused on one clear sentence, “I need your help, now!” He thought it over and over as he closed his eyes and sent the thought out into the universe. After an hour he sighed and gave up. He realized that he wasn’t telepathic and had no idea how he was going to contact Thomas Gardner. He showered, dressed, and tried one more time. He opened his eyes and saw Thomas Gardner standing on his bridge. Ping jumped and Tag smiled, “I didn’t want to interrupt your sleep.”

Ping thought a moment and shook his head, “I wasn’t sleeping; I was focusing on sending you a message.”

“There’s an easier way, just stand up and wave your arms over your head.”

“How are you able to see me?”

“Actually, I can’t.”

“Then how…”

“My ship has increased its scanning abilities and it is keeping track of what you’re doing.”

Ping stared at Tag, “Really?”

“Oh yes! The Alexander Kosiev has come a long way since we took him and left here. We’ve visited quite a few advanced civilizations and quite a few of his primary circuits have been improved. What do you want?”

“According to history, you are able to see when something bad is going to happen. Do you still possess that ability?” Tag tilted his head and shrugged, “Yes, I guess so.”

“Would you have advanced warning of when the next attack will happen?”

“Not really.”

“Why not!?!”

“I’m a creature of this Creation and I’m very much attuned to what happens here. However, the attack will be coming from another Creation and I’m not synchronized to the forces operating there.”

Ping sighed, “Oh well, I was hoping I would get some notice.”

“I can tell you when they open another portal but that will probably happen simultaneously with the arrival of their ships.”

“I’ll take what I can get.” Ping paused, “Do you think they might send in a scouting mission before they commit their main forces?”

Tag thought for a moment and then said, “If they do, I’ll let you know where the portal is opened. I’ll let you know either way but I suspect if there is only one portal, then it’s a scouting mission. If multiple portals open, it’s the main invasion.” Tag watched Ping’s expression, “What are you thinking?”

“If they send a scouting mission, I’m going to allow it to scout us.”

“Why?”

“As long as it’s scouting, then they aren’t invading. I’ll use that time to get all of our forces organized into groups. What I need from you is the location of the portals than will be used for the major invasion.”

Tag nodded and looked at Ping’s console. He went over and punched in a series of numbers, “Use this frequency if you need to contact us in the future.”

“Thanks, I will.” Tag nodded and teleported out. Ping stared at the place where he had been standing and wondered what humanity’s greatest warrior was thinking. He shook his head and went back to Sprigly’s lab. Developing a force field had failed at every turn and he was hoping Sprigly had found something to make it happen. He arrived and found no further progress had been made.

• • • • •

Tag looked at Danielle and she smiled, “What?”

“I’ve been talking with the others and they’re starting to produce the energy balls.”

“What about a defense against those black beams?”

“No, nothing yet.” Tag slowly shook his head, “Are they sure about the numbers we’ll have to face?”

“The Scout did a good job of looking at what was happening and the recordings support their findings.”

“That is not good!”

“I know.” Danielle paused, “Do you think he has what it takes to win this?”

“If he doesn’t, I don’t know anyone who can; do you?”

“No, not really; it just seems he’s not really all that much now.”

“He’s not been released. We need to hold our judgment until that happens.”

“Tag, even if he doubles his powers…”

“I know, I know; but this is not something we know enough about to really know what’s coming.”

“We do, at least, have a place to escape.”

Tag’s expression turned serious, “Let us pray it doesn’t come to that.” Danielle sighed and moved into Tag’s arms, “I will not see you die trying to make this happen.”

“Danielle, there are some things worth dying for and this is one of them. Don’t lose your courage, love.”

Danielle held him tight and didn’t know if she could do as he asked.

• • • • •

He pushed his sled out from the panel and looked across the room at her. Her hands were buried in another panel and he smiled, “How’s it coming?”

She looked over and shook her head, “Let’s just hope we have time to finish this.”

“We still have two more after this one.”

“We don’t know if the third is going to be needed.”

“It’s better to have it than not in the event it is.”

“We could use some help here.”

“You know what the Gardners are doing; first things first.”

“It will take at least four more to make this happen.”

“Then we need to get moving.” He replaced the panel and anchored the bolts holding it in place and then moved to another panel against the wall. He sighed and thought, “I just hope we’re given enough time.”

• • • • •

The Beast rose from his throne and looked at the Messenger, “Well?”

“They have agreed to handle the issues with those two civilizations. They say it will then be up to you to resolve any others.”

The Beast stared at the messenger, “Tell me what their price is. They won’t do this without being paid something.”

“They say two thirds of the captured territory will go to them. We will keep the other third.”

The Beast roared and snarled his anger. The messenger winced and waited for a killing blow…but none arrived. He opened his eyes and saw the Master pacing back and forth in front of the huge display on the wall. He would stop momentarily and watch the giant facility hanging in space suddenly explode. He had been playing the recording over and over and the messenger realized that the Master was frightened by what he was seeing. His fear of the strange energy was clear. He knew what he was going to be ordered to do and he hoped the Master knew what he was doing.

“Tell them I accept their offer and I’ll be sending them the locations of their portals.”

“Yes, Master,” The messenger backed slowly out of the room and saw the explosion of the huge facility in his mind. Just a few molecules of that energy had exploded the giant facility and he was certain the Master wasn’t going to share that piece of information with the other rulers. That could prove to be fatal.

• • • • •

Ping sat in his command chair and thought about the initial fight with the Black Ships. He knew he had been hit with several of the black beams but none of them had affected him. Why was he immune when nothing else was? He tried to remember what he was doing and all he could remember was the rage he was feeling at Mios’ and Jodie’s deaths. He looked at his panel and thought a moment. He pulled up the ship’s scanner records and finally found what he was searching for; it had automatically recorded wherever he went during the attack. He slowed the recording down to its slowest speed and saw him appear in front of the oncoming Black Fleet. He brought his image in closer and remembered his rage at that moment. As he watched, he saw the green glow appear around him with blue sparks swirling inside it. He saw him draw back his arm and as he moved it forward he saw hundreds of the blue sparks in the glow around him move toward his hand and enter the ball that was ejected toward the first Black Ship bearing down on him.

He replayed the moment and saw hundreds of more blue sparks suddenly appear to replace those sent out in the energy ball. He fell back in his chair as twenty of the black beams hit him and washed over him with no effect. The green glow was the force field. The blue sparks were the destroyers. He wondered if he could create the field again without the rage he felt at that moment in time. He went to his personal quarters and tried to pull the field up and nothing happened. He tried for an hour and was unable to recreate the field no matter how hard he tried. He thought about his friends’ deaths and was not able to recreate the original rage he felt. What was he going to do? He thought a moment and sent the recording to Sprigly. Maybe he could come up with something. He tried again…and failed. He thought a moment and wondered if his rage would return if he saw the Black Ships again. If it didn’t, he’d be killed. Was he willing to take that risk?

“Ping.”

Ping reached over and keyed his communicator, “Yes, Sprigly.”

“I’ve got the reading on that field but I’ve not been able to recreate it without the blue sparks. There’s no way that field could be placed around our ships if the blue sparks are active.”

“I’ve pretty much arrived at the same conclusion.”

“I’m going to get the Elders involved in this and see if they see something I’ve missed. I’ll get back to you if anything turns up.”

“Thanks, Sprigly.”

“Are you able to recreate that field?”

“I’ve been trying for the last hour or so and I’ve been unable to do it. I suspect it was my rage that produced it originally. I just can’t muster up enough anger to make it happen.”

“That’s not good.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Don’t take any foolish risks until I have an opportunity to work on this.”

“I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble.”

“I’m serious, Ping; we can’t afford to lose you.”

“If I can’t pull it up, I’ll stay out of the fight.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“By the way, Sprigly.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve had several conversations with Tag.”

“WHAT?”

“I’ll see if I can’t set up a meeting before all of this is over.”

“I’m moving to your ship.”

“What?”

“I’m moving to your ship; I can work there using my computer.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I’m going to make sure you don’t go and get yourself blown up. This is too important.”

Ping started laughing, “Oh,
now
it’s too important. A moment ago it was just important.”

Sprigly moved back and forth, “I’ll be there momentarily.”

“I’ll keep a light on for you.” The display went dark and Ping wondered at the importance an Algean placed on gathering knowledge. Well, he could use the company.

N
icole was walking on the streets of Ross wearing a common sun dress and dark glasses. She had dyed her hair black and no one recognized her as a member of the Royal Family. She often went out to escape the drudgery of the castle and this day was a great one to be out. The sun was shining in a clear sky and the breeze was perfect. The thousands of citizens on the streets were going about their business and she never tired of people-watching. She would often come up with stories for each interesting person she encountered. The little girl wearing a royal blue dress was escaping from those who would force her to marry an evil prince. The little boy walking down the street toward her dressed in a play armor outfit was seeking to capture her. She laughed as the two looked at each other and made a face. The little girl was pulled up the street by her mother as the little boy was pulled in the opposite direction. Well, maybe the Prince wasn’t really evil after all.

Suddenly, she sensed something. She looked around and tried to focus on what she was hearing in her mind. She stood up from the bench she was sitting on and turned around trying to sense what was around her. She turned and walked up the street and entered an alley between two giant buildings. The sun didn’t shine in the narrow street and it was hard to see more than fifty feet up the alley. She heard the thoughts of someone in distress. She moved forward and after a hundred feet she saw two large humans confronting a young woman. From their uniforms, Nicole could see that the two men were crewmen from a commercial ship that had landed on Ross. She saw that one of them had their hand over the young woman’s mouth while the other one held her arms against the wall. She pressed her wrist unit and said, “I would leave her alone if I were you.”

The two men jumped at the sound of her voice and the one with his hand over the woman’s mouth turned and moved toward Nicole, “This is none of your business and I would suggest you leave here now.”

Nicole sneered at the tall man, “We don’t allow people like you on our planet.”

“I warned you,” and the man rushed toward Nicole. She held out her arms and the man was lifted and slammed into the wall next to Nicole. A moment later, ten armored Royal Guards teleported in and stunned the man still holding the young woman against the wall.

“I’m sorry it took so long for us to arrive, Your Highness.” The young woman looked at Nicole with fear and surprise on her face. Nicole walked over and hugged her, “We’ll handle them. You’re fine; no one’s going to harm you.”

The woman started crying and Nicole rocked her gently in her arms. She turned to the Captain, “Take her to the Castle’s Doctor and have him check her out. I’ll join you after we take care of these two.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The Captain motioned to one of the guards and he gently took the young woman’s hands and teleported away. The tall man that had been slammed into the wall was not going to need any attention. He died on impact. The second man was starting to move and Nicole shook her head when the guard raised a stunner. He finally regained his senses and Nicole looked at his thoughts, “He’s stationed on the Eclipse. Go and inform the ship’s Captain that he is to leave Ross immediately and that he and the company he works for are no longer welcome on here.”