Defending Earth-Discovery Means Death (18 page)

“I thought you stopped it because it might make the Feeders back off on their search efforts if that many of their warships were suddenly destroyed.”

“That is also a possibility but with that many light missiles launching into the Feeder Fleets, there is a good chance some of their light drives would interfere with each other. We can’t take the risk of the Feeders discovering the light drive.”

“I’ve not heard anything about the missile’s drives interfering with each other.”

“It’s happened in trial launches where large numbers were fired into a small area. The drive field can blind a missile if it penetrated the drive field of another missile. It would shut down and wait for further instructions. We’re working on software to prevent it happening but we aren’t there yet.”

“Admiral, does this mean we should launch at targets that are not bunched in close formations?”

“Yes, Commodore Axel.”

“We didn’t do that in our previous attacks.”

Rocky hesitated and then said, “What are you saying, Jill?”

“We didn’t look to see if all the missiles we used detonated. There is a possibility the Feeders already have a light missile.”

Rocky shook his head, “Admiral, I need you to get some scouts sent out to the four clusters we’re leading the Feeder Fleets toward. We need to go back to Feeder Central and listen in to see if they have one of our missiles.”

“I’ll send the ships that just took part in the attack at the Kerit Home World. Keep me informed on what you find out.”

“Will do. Jill, power up your panel. Amber, take us to the Feeder Main Planets and Willow, start listening for anything that would indicate they’ve managed to recover one of our light missiles.”

“Rocky, is this a good idea?”

“If the Feeders manage to get light drive technology, no one will ever be safe. We have to find out.”

“How will you know? They may not discuss it while we’re listening.”

“She’s right, Rocky. We need to do something to make them mention it.”

“What are you suggesting, Willow?”

“I would take out one of their warships and then skip to the Feeder Planet and see what’s said afterwards.”

“Jill, do you still have a light signature locked in your system?”

“I do.”

“Amber, skip us to the Feeder’s Fleets and after Jill launches the missile, skip us into the Feeder’s main system.”

“Rocky, we don’t know what the Feeders have waiting for us if we skip directly into their main system.”

“Then be prepared to run but we have to find out. Skipping in three, two, one…”

• • •

The giant Feeder Fleet appeared and Jill launched a light missile. The Light Ship immediately disappeared and reappeared a quarter of million miles away from the Feeder’s main planet. “Rocky, I think they’re detecting our presence.”

“Ignore them and focus on what the Feeder Entity is communicating, Willow!” Rocky watched numerous Feeder warships start turning in their direction. “Amber, how are they able to detect us?”

“Rocky, it appears they are able to detect the dark matter cloud. They can’t see us but they appear to be moving toward our location. They must have come up with a way to detect dark matter.”

“What if we leave the cloud?”

“Then they’ll detect our ship. They’re not moving quickly so their detection devices must not be extremely effective. However, they are moving directly toward our location.”

“Willow, do you have anything?”

“The Fleet Leader has just contacted the Feeder Entity and it says that the weapon they found was used against one of his ships. The Entity says the scientists are working on disassembling it now. The Entity contacted one of them and I got a location on where they’re studying the missile.”

“Amber, skip us out of here now!” Rocky saw the giant fleets of warship around the planet disappear as normal space appeared. “Willow, where is that missile?”

“It’s in a giant sphere shaped building on the second Feeder Planet in the system.”

“Didn’t Poncho get a light map of that planet before he left this system?”

“He didn’t but he launched a probe that did.”

“Was that building on the map?” There was a long moment of silence and then Willow said, “Yes. But that planet is just as well defended as the one we attacked, Rocky. There are ships all the way down to a thousand feet above the surface. There’s no way we can enter their system without being detected.”

“What are you thinking, Rocky?”

“Jill, I need you to come up with a plan where we can destroy that building and everyone inside it.”

“But…”

“Jill, you’re the smartest one I know in knowing how to use our weapons. Come up with a way to make it happen!”

“Give me some time to work on it.”

“Let me know as soon as you come up with something. I’ll be working on finding a way to take it out as well.”

Jill nodded and activated her console’s data system. “Amber, skip in close to the other planet and take a quick photo. Skip out and send me what you find.” Ten seconds later, the image of the planet appeared on Jill’s display. “OH MY GOD!”

Rocky heard her, “Just find a way, Jill!” Jill shook her head and began entering data into her panel. The defenses around and above the planet were absolutely frightening. She also knew there was no way to approach that planet without being detected.

• • •

“Willow, you will do as I ask!”

“Rocky, you don’t know what you’re doing here!”

“Then tell me another way to do it.”

“It can’t be done!”

“You will do as I order.”

“I…will.”

“Do not share this with anyone else and that includes Amber.”

“I will keep it to myself.”

“Send me the item I need and do not have it on the ship’s internal display.”

“Yes Sir.”

• • •

Two hours later, Jill sat back in her chair and shook her head, “Rocky.”

“Yes, Jill?”

“There’s no way to penetrate that planet’s defenses and take a shot at that building.”

“Are you certain about that?”

“I’ve looked at every possible avenue and there’s no way to get to the surface and have time to launch a missile. Nothing launched from space would make it through the massive warship formations above the planet.” Jill looked across at Rocky’s cockpit and didn’t see him. She looked at her display and scrolled through the ship’s cameras. “Rocky, where are you?”

“I’ve left the ship, Jill.”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!”

“There is only one way to take out that building and you had to see it while you were looking for a way to do it.”

“ROCKY!!”

“It has to be done. I’ve clamped a nuclear missile to this scooter and I’m skipping directly to the planet’s surface and instantly detonate it.”

“ROCKY!”

“I’m sorry, Jill. There’s no other way and you know it.”

“But…”

“The Feeders will detect me the moment I enter normal space on the planet’s surface. I have to detonate the nuclear warhead instantly or they’ll vaporize it. If the Feeders take apart the light missile, they’ll learn about our light drives. It’s our fault they have it and I have to stop them from learning our technology.”

“Rocky, I don’t want to live without you! Please don’t leave me!”

“Jill, you and I both knew this mission was probably a one way trip. This must be done. I hate losing my chance to spend my life with you but if I don’t do this, all of mankind could end up dead. That includes you.”

“I’m going to attack that planet.”

“No you won’t. I won’t let you throw your life away.”

“You are!”

“Yes, but I’m doing it to save lives. Attacking that planet won’t save anything and you know it.”

“You can’t stop me!”

“I’ve ordered Willow to skip away the moment the probe we left in that planet’s system detects the explosion on the surface. She has no choice but to follow my orders.”

“WILLOW!”

“He’s right, Jill. Don’t make this worse than it already is.”

“I’ll never forgive you if you do this!”

“I’ll never forgive myself for doing it. But Rocky is right, it must be done.”

Jill shook her head, “Rocky, please don’t leave me!”

“I’ll always be watching over you, Jill. Launch in three, two, one…”

“ROCKY!! I’ve never kissed you!”

• • •

Rocky put four fingers on four separate button on the scooter’s control panel and pressed the light drive with his thumb. The scooter suddenly appeared about two hundred feet above the planet’s surface and he saw the giant sphere shaped building less than five hundred yards in front of him. He immediately pressed the other four buttons simultaneously and closed his eyes.

The nuclear warhead detonated and a gigantic blast ripped out and roared into the giant city at the speed of sound as more than twenty disruptor beams hit the ground around the scooter. The three hundred Feeder Attack Ships that had instantly turned when the scooter appeared, roared in on it, and opened fire at it but were vaporized in the blast. The huge Feeder Science Building was blown away in the massive shockwave and rolled twice before it disintegrated into ashes as the nuclear blast ripped through it. The huge city was vaporized by the eight hundred megaton blast. The ships above the city were blown away by the shock wave and they damaged other ships holding formation directly above them. The mushroom shaped cloud rushed rapidly into the atmosphere as more than hundred million Feeders died on the planet’s surface. The Entity at the other planet roared its rage at another city being destroyed. Its rage grew as it learned it had lost the weapon that had been captured along with all the scientists that were studying it.

It raged at the Fleet Leaders failure to protect the planet but wondered in the back of its mind how this enemy had known the location of the missile his forces had captured. The explosion happened at the exact location it was being studied. It broke through his consciousness that the enemy must be able to hear its thoughts. It had contacted the building just before it was destroyed. Something had to be done to prevent being heard in the future. It felt a sudden shock from the death of so many Feeders that were part of the link that brought it into existence. It was three days before it was able to fully reconstitute itself.

J
ill looked at the panel’s display and saw the feed from the probe Amber had left behind. A moment later she saw the brilliant blast erupt on the planet’s surface. She closed her eyes and wept as Willow skipped the ship away. She put her head in her hands and wailed with misery.

• • •

Open space is beautiful. The distant galaxies and the light leaving them were incredible to see. Some of the light had left them more than a billion years in the past. They were somewhat dimmed by the barrier, but they were still gorgeous.

Rocky looked at his panel and saw the scooter was in bad shape. He didn’t know what possessed him to press the four buttons together. He really didn’t think he would survive the nuclear detonation, but somehow, he did. One of the buttons he pushed released the clamps holding the nuclear missile to the scooter. The second one ignited the thrusters pushing the scooter away from the missile. The third button activated the barrier field around the scooter and the fourth detonated the warhead.

The fourth button is the one he pressed first. He knew at some level that it would take a small delay for the two nuclear spheres to be slammed together. He saw the planet disappear at an incredible speed as the scooter was shaken violently as it left the planet’s surface. He looked at the control panel and saw that the only thing still operational on the scooter was the barrier drive. It wouldn’t do him any good without thrusters to maneuver. But at least the Feeders wouldn’t be able to see him in the barrier.

He looked and tried to see if the Feeder’s Galaxy was still visible but saw that it wasn’t. He managed to flip the scooter to use the bottom thrusters to stop the scooter’s mad rush through space. A moment later, the thrusters died. The nuclear EMP must have damaged the controls. Normally, the controls could withstand a nuclear EMP, but probably not that close. His eyes narrowed and he activated his armor’s medical display. He had been hit by a large dose of radiation but his armor had blocked most of it. He would live; he looked around and wondered for how long. His armor’s communication system had been damaged by the blast. The antenna was useless. He was stuck out in intergalactic space with no way to call for help. He should have just died with the blast.

He couldn’t even turn off the barrier field to get a better view of the universe around him. He pulled up his tactical display hoping to find a star map but his visor started scrolling madly through all the systems. His armor’s central processor was also damaged.

He sighed and thought about Jill saying she had never kissed him. Actually, she had kissed him on the cheek at the wedding…but that wasn’t a real kiss. He knew that statement is what prompted him to press the four buttons without really thinking it through. He shook his head; it appeared she would still never get that kiss.

Rocky leaned back on the scooter and thought about opening his armor to space and just ending it quickly, but that wasn’t his style. He thought about all that had happened and, after a couple of hours, his eyes narrowed and he sat up straight on the scooter. He had been operating like a moron. He hadn’t really thought things through and had almost made a terrible mistake in using the new missile transports.

He knew the Nudges had stopped him from making that mistake. He was so stupid and short sighted! He also knew the Nudges had put the idea of using the scooter to deliver a nuclear weapon into his mind. He knew it came from them because he didn’t discuss it with anyone before doing it. That was their normal operating procedure. He looked up and wondered if they had stopped him from seeing things correctly. After a few minutes, he knew they didn’t do that. They probably tried to get him to realize the new reality but he was too focused on the mission at hand to see it. The mission ended the moment the Feeders turned their attention on the four distant galactic clusters.