Defending Earth-Discovery Means Death (19 page)

It took the Feeders close to three hundred years to arrive at their current location. Going to search those four clusters were going to take them an additional two or three centuries to complete. Each of those clusters had a couple of thousand galaxies in them and he had failed to realize that the new search would keep them tied down for a very long time. He had managed to give the Alliance the additional time it needed to prepare to take them on. If he had launched a million light missiles at their fleets; he shook his head. They would have had thousands of missiles to collect and study. He leaned back on the scooter’s handlebars and looked up at the distant specks of light. He felt at peace. He had accomplished the task he was assigned and he was reasonably certain Jill would see it once she took a moment to think about it. She was so incredibly brilliant and beautiful and funny and gorgeous and wonderful. He spent the next hour thinking about how he was so lucky to have had some time to get to know her. He closed his eyes and focused on her face. He smiled and, after a few minutes, he fell asleep under the light from a billion distant galaxies.

• • •

“It is my opinion that this new enemy is able to hear our communications.”

The Fleet Leader sat up in his chair, “Why do you think that, Prime?”

“After you contacted me about one of your ships being hit by a missile, I contacted the lead scientist to see how he was progressing in determining how the missile we captured functioned. A few hours later, a nuclear explosion happened just outside the building that was housing the missile. The enemy has to be able to hear my communications and pinpoint those I’m contacting.”

“Prime, we know that enemy is telepathic.”

“Yes, but they can’t hear everything in the universe. One of their ships had to be here to hear me contact the scientist. I suspect they launched a missile at one of your vessels and had a ship close to my planet to listen in on what we discussed. They must have found out that we had captured one of their weapons.”

“Wasn’t a ship detected in your planetary system?”

“A concentration of dark matter was detected.”

“That must be how they avoid detection, Prime. Now that we know that piece of information, we can use it to better defend ourselves.”

“What are you saying?”

“The moment a concentration of dark matter is detected, we immediately attack with overwhelming numbers. Even if we can’t hear their thoughts, we can find them. The only real advantage they’ve had is our inability to detect them.”

“I’ll discuss this with our engineers and see if we can’t develop a missile that can lock on dark matter. We also need to incorporate the targeting into our gravity beams.”

“Do you want to do this before we go to those distant clusters? I’d hate to go and not be able to defend our fleets.”

“You’re right. Hold your fleets where they are and I’ll discuss this with our engineers. If we can develop the necessary tools, I’ll recall your fleets to be upgraded. I’m also going to see about adding an additional force field around your ships. The lead scientist thought before he died that an additional force field would stop that missile.”

“My fleets could use the downtime.”

“We’re not going out half ready any more. I’ll contact you shortly.”

“Yes, Prime Leader.” The Fleet Leader settled back in his chair and smiled. He had been at this task for more than ten years. Once he returned to the main planet, his family would pull strings to get him transferred to the High Council. He would just have to make sure his personal location was nowhere near a large metropolitan center. This new enemy had actually done him a favor. Someone else would have to take the fleets out to find the enemy’s home worlds. He was thankful it wasn’t going to be him.

• • •

The probe collected the conversation and began processing it. This was something that needed to be sent to the Alliance’s Leadership. It downloaded the conversation into a micro-probe and launched it into the barrier. An instant later it was out of the Feeder’s galaxy and activating its light drive. It was received by Fleet Intelligence six minutes later and the conversation was downloaded to Admiral Gibbon’s panel. He immediately contacted the High Leader and notified her of what was happening. A recall was immediately issued to Admiral Stone’s Light Ship but no response was received. Gibbons wondered if the ship had been destroyed when the captured missile was destroyed. He prayed they survived. The Alliance owed them so much. But two days later, the recall was still unanswered. He feared the worst had happened.

• • •

Rocky was finding it hard to move. He opened his eyes and saw the oxygen indicator showed he was down to a dangerous level. He realized his armor must have lost integrity during the blast and was slowly leaking. He smiled and saw the sleep system was still operational. He activated it and closed his eyes. The end would be peaceful. He closed his eyes and thought about Jill. After what seemed like a long time, he felt something and realized it was his back hurting from being in one position too long. He closed his eyes again and heard, “DAMN IT! CUT IT OPEN!”

He tried to take a breath and failed. Suddenly, his face was washed with cold air. He forced his eyes open and saw Jill leaning over him holding his head in her hands. He smiled and said, “This must be heaven.” Then Jill was kissing his face over and over as she cried with happiness. Rocky was too weak to raise his arms but he managed to say just before he blacked out, “You did get your kiss.” Then darkness took him.

• • •

His foot hurt. He tried to move it but was unsuccessful. Then he felt every part of his body screaming in pain. He opened his eyes and saw Jill standing over him as he was being wheeled on a gurney into an operating room. He was struggling with the pain and was unable to talk. There was a tube in his throat and he saw a doctor push a needle into his arm. He started struggling against the bonds holding him to the table and heard, “You’re going to be alright, Rocky! You’re going to be alright!” Rocky looked into Jill’s eyes and stopped struggling. A moment later he lost consciousness.

• • •

He began to feel his feet. He heard a voice say, “I’ve taken him out of the induced coma. He should be regaining consciousness momentarily.”

He opened his eyes and immediately closed them at the bright light. He moaned and felt hands on his face. “I’m here, Rocky.”

He managed to whisper, “Dim the lights.” The brilliant glare went down and he opened his eyes to see Jill’s face just above his and her tears were falling unabated. “You cry a lot.”

Jill laughed and leaned down to kiss him. “You gave me a scare.”

“How did you find me?”

“I had to threaten to take two computers apart to get them to do as I wanted but thank God they can think enough to disobey a direct order.”

“I love you, Jill.”

Jill started shaking her head and crawled up on the bed beside him. “He needs to sleep.”

“Rocky, I’ll tell you everything that’s happened when you’re strong enough. I’ll be here.”

Rocky nodded and felt the needle go into his arm, “I’m starting to hate needles.” He closed his eyes as he heard Jill chuckle.

• • •

He slowly opened his eyes and for the first time in a while he didn’t feel overwhelming pain. He looked to the left and saw a window with a tree just outside bathed in white light. It must be night time. He looked to the right and saw Jill sleeping in a chair next to his bed. He remained silent and stared at her. She looked thinner than he remembered. She was still incredibly beautiful and he laid on the bed and stared at her for a long time. She turned to change position and opened her eyes to find him staring at her. She leapt out of the chair and was beside him in an instant, “How long have you been awake?”

“I don’t know. I’ve just been enjoying looking at you. How long have I been here?”

“About four weeks.”

Rocky shook his head, “That long?”

“You were suffering from radiation poisoning and you had to be put into a regeneration tank for three weeks to repair the damage.”

“My suit told me I didn’t receive a severe dose of radiation.”

“Your suit was worthless. Everyone is shocked you survived with it damaged as much as it was.”

“I’m sorry I left you, Jill. I had to…”

Jill put her finger on his lips, “I know, I know. You wouldn’t be the man I love if you hadn’t done it.”

Rocky stared at her and said, “Did I hear you say you love me?”

Jill’s eyes softened as she stared at him, “It took losing you to make me realize how much. What possessed you to use the barrier drive?”

“You told me you never even kissed me and I decided to try anything to make sure you could. How did you know what I did?”

“I didn’t, initially. But after I managed to pull myself together, I thought about it and figured out that you might think of using your thrusters and barrier drive to escape the blast. I had to shut down Amber and Willow to force them to conduct a search of the barrier for your scooter. Willow was determined to follow your order to return to Earth.”

Rocky sighed, “I didn’t think of trying it until just before I skipped to the planet.”

“Willow finally realized that there was a remote chance you used the barrier to escape. She agreed to make the search.”

“How far did I go?”

“About a billion light years.”

“And you found me?”

“I just took the line directly above the city you destroyed and went full speed on that line scanning the barrier for anything on that line. It took four days to finally find you.”

“I should have died.”

“But you didn’t and my life is starting again. I would have been lost without you, Rocky.”

“The Alliance needs to leave the Feeders alone!”

“They know. They’ve recalled all the scouts from those clusters and are going to allow the Feeders to search all of them. It appears you’ve given us more than two hundred years before they can complete the search.”

“I knew you would figure it out.”

“Actually, it was Jack that made the determination. He and Olivia want to see you as soon as you can have visitors.”

“Jill, will you marry me?”

Jill leaned down and tenderly kissed him. She broke the kiss and smiled, “I’ve already started making the arrangements. I wasn’t going to allow you to put it off.”

“You’ve always been the smartest person I’ve ever known.”

Jill smiled, “And you are the bravest and most committed man I’ve ever known. I know that I can always count on you being there taking care of me.”

Rocky shook his head slightly, “It appears you are the one taking care of me.”

“You put your life on the line to make sure I would be safe.” Rocky started shaking his head and Jill smiled, “I know, you also did it for your family and all of humanity but I was the one that gave you the courage to do it. I could hear it in your voice.”

Rocky stared at her and then nodded. “So what happens now?”

“We get married and then eventually join the forces going out to remove the Feeders from the planets they’ve enslaved. The Leadership feels the Feeders will ignore the conquered planets until they complete the search of those clusters. We have to be careful but there is a brief window of opportunity to reduce their territory. How does that sound?”

“I like the sound of eventually. I want some time with you before I go back into the fight.”

Jill leaned down and hugged him. She felt the same way.

• • •

Claudrel looked at the wedding announcement and added Rocky and Jill’s names to the list of potential leaders. Their children would be watched closely to see if they developed the talents the Nudges had set in motion fifty years earlier. She knew that her task had been completed and the future would be up to her successors.

Jack and Olivia had already been placed on the list along with Rocky’s sister’s children. The Nudges had made it clear that they would be important in the coming conflict and she hoped the Alliance had enough time to prepare for the coming war. The coming fight to free conquered planets was little more than an effort at keeping the military trained to a fine edge against the time when the real war began.

But for the moment, she had delayed the final encounter and had kept the faith of all the previous High Leaders. It was this effort to free conquered planets that would add to the forces to be used against the Death Feeders. She looked at her list and decided who would keep the Feeders focused on the four clusters. She worried about the two force fields the Feeders were installing on their warships but was pretty sure the silver coated missiles would still penetrate. Force fields had no effect on the silver coating. The Feeders would have to be kept in the dark about that issue until the critical moment. The missiles to be used in the near term would not penetrate the two force fields. That should give the Feeders the courage to continue their search. Who knows what they would find in those four clusters. There might be a civilization there that could take them on.

Claudrel sighed; this was wishful thinking but she could hope. At least there would be time to hope and that was due to Admiral Stone and Commodore Axel. She issued the order to present them with the Alliance’s highest medal for bravery. Both of them deserved it. She looked up, “Have I missed anything, Pat?”

“No, I think you’ve got it all covered for the moment.”

“I wish you and your species could take them on. It would solve a lot of problems.”

“We’re just as vulnerable as the Nudges were when they faced off against the Feeders. There’s just too many of them.”

“It doesn’t appear they know of your existence.”

“We need to keep it that way. We’ll join the effort at the appropriate time.”

“Let me know if you think of anything.”

“You know I will.”

Claudrel felt the contact fade and hoped the Sentinels would make a difference one day. But for now, all that could be done was being done.

G
raylin looked at the feeds coming in from the stealth probes scattered in front of the advancing Feeder Fleets. They were collecting light signatures and feeding them to the missile transports located just under Graylin’s Light Ship. He looked across at Cassidy’s cockpit and saw her manipulating her controls. “What are you doing?”