MotherShip (20 page)

Mother was another story.

At first, the Mewiis had trouble comprehending that technology could be alive. Even the detailed explanations from each of the children and Minstrel failed to help. It was only after revealing Mother's actions—how she had protected and raised the children over the years—that the Mewiis began to accept the fact that the ship was indeed not only alive, but was also their mother. That was a concept that they fully understood.

It was decided that Minstrel would go to the home world of the Mewiis, there to speak before the High Council and impress upon the Mewiis leaders how complete the coming day of destruction would be. Saris seemed certain that between her own report about the T'kaan attack, and the convincing tale that Minstrel would relate about the destruction of the human race, that the High Council would call an immediate and system-wide alarum; if for no other reason than the fact that every Mewiis child on every world was in imminent peril from this menace.

Mother downloaded certain of her own cherished schematics into the Mewiis ships—those pertaining to her weapons systems as well as to her engines. She urged Saris to immediately begin upgrading their most powerful warships and then to refit the rest of the Mewiis fleet. If they acted now, they might be able to refit the majority of their ships before the T'kaan arrived.

Mother would go to the Hrono. Alone. Only Guardian and the other robots would accompany her. There she would not only share her personal technology with them, but also present the plan for the proposed great alliance; an alliance of the combined fleet of Mewiis, Hrono, Kraaqi and Human ships. An alliance that would stop the oncoming horde of the T'kaan. Most important, she would have to impress upon the Hrono that this was the only hope they had in stopping them.

But would the Hrono put aside their lifelong hatred for the Kraaqi?

Mother ran her models and felt hope at the percentage of success that the intelligent Hrono would listen. But her processors burned with activity when she considered the mission of her children.

Becky, Kyle and Jaric would put their fighters inside a Mewiis starship that would take them to the borders of the Kraaqi worlds. But the Mewiis were afraid to take them further than the outermost border. There, within two days of the first Kraaqi planet, the three humans would take to their fighters and fly toward the Kraaqi home world of Hakama. That is where the Kraaqi Bands sent their Chieftains to enforce order among the loose-knit Kraaqi Empire, to bring the intense rivalry of the competing Bands into line. The High Chieftains ruled from that central location.

Jaric would lead that mission.

“You must be careful,” Mother said with a hint of apprehension. Her children were already inside their fighters as they prepared to launch to make the short journey to the waiting Mewiis ship.

“We will,” Kyle said nonchalantly. “If they give us any trouble, we'll show them just how tough a human can be.”

Becky looked with concern at her brother.

“There will be no need for fighting,” Jaric chimed in quickly. “We'll let them know that we're their allies. We'll tell them that there is another enemy—one we all hold in common, one that must be destroyed.”

“Only a combined Mewiis, Hrono and Kraaqi fleet can do this,” Mother added. “Such a combined force will give us a fleet equal in number to the T'kaan Third.”

“Then they have to listen to us,” Kyle said.

“But what if they won't?” Becky looked with concern at Kyle and Jaric.

Only silence answered her.

The three quickly entered their cockpits. Shortly afterward, Jaric and Becky's ships began engine power-up. Kyle alone looked up. He stared into the optic where Mother watched.

“You are the strongest,” Mother said. “Jaric is the best one to lead and negotiate. He has a good, clear mind.”

Kyle smiled. “Yeah, he's the smart one. Becky's the pretty one. I'm just the stubborn ol’ black sheep.”

“No, you are not. You, too, are my son,” Mother said with emphasis.

Kyle nodded. “Well, if the Kraaqi try to play rough, I'll watch out for the others. I promise.”

“If I have not received a message from any of you within two weeks, I will come for you,” Mother's voice had become low and forceful.

“Heaven help the Kraaqi then!” Kyle laughed as he began the power-up sequence.

“Remember the schedule,” Mother added.

Kyle gave a thumbs-up and smiled at Mother.

Mother watched the radar signal of her children until they were safely inside the Mewiis ship. The warship turned, and with a flash, was beyond the speed of light.

“They will be fine,” Minstrel said as its spherical ship prepared to leave with the Mewiis colony ship.

“I feel so strange, though. There is so much activity taking up my processing cycles that I cannot focus properly on my key thoughts. I must run a Level II diagnostics.”

Minstrel chuckled knowingly. “Your children have left you for the first time. You are worried.”

Mother realized at that moment that she had been subconsciously polling all of her visual monitors, watching the empty corridors, and not realizing she had been actually looking for the familiar forms of the children who were no longer there. “You are correct.”

“It's only natural.” Minstrel said.

“Well, I will redirect those wasted processing cycles. I must adapt my schematics for the hybrid weapon to the Kraaqi ships and the Hrono. The Hrono will be the easiest, as the Mewiis have a detailed knowledge of their ships due to their Trading agreements. But it will take me longer to prepare the Kraaqi plans.” Mother grew silent as she reassigned her internal tasks.

“It's just as well. The children will need time to introduce this proposed alliance, and themselves, to the Kraaqi warriors.”

“I hope the Kraaqi will be reasonable and listen,” Mother said. “Time is of the essence.”

“We can hope,” Minstrel sighed. “We can only hope.”

Becky felt his eyes on her. Watching her. Appraising her.

She blushed slightly, but realized immediately that she must pretend not to notice. Again, she would pretend not to notice that Jaric was hopelessly in love with her.

But on a small starship, that was a difficult thing to do.

They had landed their three fighters on-board the Mewiis ship three days ago and had been living in the small confines ever since. The Mewiis obviously built their ships for function and not for comfort. Still, all three had quickly grown close to their new companions.

But for Becky, there was this added personal issue that seemed to be growing with intensity as they roomed with the crew of Mewiss wives and husbands. In fact, she discerned that very moment, perhaps it was the subtle emotional and physical ties they had viewed between the Mewiis mates that had triggered this issue. After all, observing the love shared between the Mewiis wives and husbands as well as the romantic habit of holding hands while they walked together had even stirred something deep inside her heart.

Becky bit her lip as she watched a Mewiis pair laughing together on the bridge. She suddenly realized with a hot flush of awareness that Jaric's eyes were still fixed on her.

“Becky, Jaric, go run the final checks on our fighters before we launch,” Kyle said, completely oblivious to the situation. He waved his hand, commanding them, as Jaric and Becky remained motionless.

Becky's blue eyes met Jaric's brown. She felt the electricity that seemed to reach from him to her like something alive, caressing her.

Brushing her hand nervously through her hair, she waited on Jaric to make the first move.

Jaric began coughing with embarrassment.

Becky chuckled softly to herself. “C'mon Jaric, let's run those systems checks. One more time.” She threw the last impatiently at Kyle.

“We're going to be on our own in another hour, deep inside Kraaqi territory. Depending on the reception we're gonna’ get from them, we need those fighters to be one hundred percent.” Kyle never looked up from his console as he continued his long-range scan, his hands dancing over the controls with quick precision.

“Let's go, Captain Ahab has spoken.” Becky said to Jaric.

Kyle smiled to himself as he continued his intense work.

Jaric followed her, smiling in an absentminded sort of way.

Becky wasn't sure when she had first noticed Jaric's affections, now that she thought about it. After all, they had grown up together. So, they had always been friends—always been rivals.

Well, Kyle and Jaric together had been her rivals. A male-female rivalry. Just as it had been since the beginning of time.

But somewhere along the way, adolescence had set in. Hormones had begun flowing. All three of them had started to grow up.

Almost.

“You know, Becky, you sure look pretty today,” Jaric stammered as he walked beside her.

“Sure, Jaric. I bet you say that to all the girls,” Becky rolled her eyes, smiling. She might be the last woman left alive in the universe, but she was going to play this love thing like any other red-blooded woman would, as the unwritten rules of love stirred in her heart.

She was going to play hard-to-get.

“No, Becky. Really.” Jaric said with all seriousness.

Becky began walking faster.

“Do you think...” Jaric began.

But fortunately, the Mewiis starship was quite small. A door slid open before them that led to the hanger bay where their three fighters sat at the ready—ready to enter Kraaqi space.

“You take Kyle's ship and begin running a Level Two diagnostic. I'll take yours.” Becky pointed to the lead ship.

“Then we can do yours, together.” Jaric stumbled over a cable even as he uttered the last word.

Becky stifled a laugh as she reached Jaric's single-man fighter. Stepping up the side of the ship via the hand and footholds, she slid herself easily into the small cockpit. Immediately, she began punching the controls. The small viewscreens whirred to life as the diagnostics began checking the ship's systems.

A few minutes later, she read the displayed results—All Systems Normal.
Big surprise!

As she climbed out and started over toward her own fighter, she found Jaric was already standing beside it—smiling ear to ear.

Without a word, they climbed up the ship from opposite sides. As she got to the top and reached inside for the control panel, her foot slipped. She fell head-first into the narrow confines of the single-seat craft.

Jaric instantly reached out for her to try and help, but his sudden movement caused him to lose his own footing. With forward rush of movement, he fell toward her.

Becky fought for a hold as she fell down. Her head slammed against the side of the cushioned seat, slowing her as she continued toward the floor. She managed to stop her momentum just before she banged her head against the steel floor. As she gasped and tried to right herself, she felt a sudden weight pressing against her. As she struggled vainly, she slid down until her face was smashed hard against the gritty surface.

She grunted against the heavy, dead weight pressing against her back.

“I'm sorry, Becky. Wait a second, let me...”

Sudden pain shot through her shoulder and back as Jaric struggled franticly behind her.

Jaric's efforts were finally rewarded, more so for Becky, as he pulled himself out of the cockpit. He stood panting, embarrassed, as Becky got out and righted herself.

He reached across toward her to help brush the dirt off her cheek.

“I don't need any more of your help, Jaric!”

Jaric yanked his hand back.

Pulling her shoulder-length hair back behind her ears, Becky shook her head with frustration. She didn't realize the right side of her face was smeared with dirt. But thinking her efforts to regain her composure were complete, she reached inside the fighter again. Holding tightly to the handhold, she began punching up the diagnostic on the console with her free hand.

“Don't you think I should...”

“No.” Becky replied harshly.

Jaric pulled himself away from her, an overly sad expression on his face.

She chided herself for her outburst as she noticed his devastated look.

“Okay, Okay. Run this one on the engines for me.”

He reached for the console next to where her hand rested. Somehow his hand missed the buttons and rested on hers instead. She felt the warmth of his hand clasp tightly around hers, gently squeezing.

“Jaric?” She cried with surprise.

“Oh, Becky. I love you. You're the only woman for me.” Jaric's voice had risen several decibels, almost as if he were going through puberty again.

“I am the
only
woman!” Becky half-shouted with surprise.

Jaric's face showed shock. He fought to regain what little composure he still had. “Well, even if there were more women, you'd still be the only woman for me.”

“I'm the only woman in the entire universe.” Becky was shouting now as she tried to wrench her hand out of his. But there was a strange sensation going throughout her body—something she had never felt before. Her struggles began to lessen.

“I love you, Becky. I always have. Ever since we were little.”

“Even that time you and Kyle tried to beat me up?”

Jaric's eyes widened. “Well, not then. We were kids then.”

There was warmth coming through his touch. Her arm trembled under its softness and energy. She liked it. But still....

“What about Kyle?” Becky blurted.

Jaric's face screwed up in complete puzzlement. “What about Kyle?”

“We can't just go falling in love with each other. Kyle will be all alone.”

Jaric shook his head. “He'll be alright.”

“No, he won't. Haven't you thought of his feelings? If we get married...” Becky caught her breath, shocked at her own words. But she gathered her thoughts and continued. “If we get married, Kyle will have no one. There aren't any other women. Or any other humans, for that matter. We're it!” Becky shouted with total frustration etched in every syllable.

Jaric slowly pulled his hand away from hers. His ebony face was deep in thought, his eyes far off. Slowly, a knowing smile grew.