No Technology Is Invincible (The Death Prophecies-Book Four 4) (8 page)

“It’s really close, Admiral. I’ll have a better answer as we get closer.”

“Did you get a scan on the Carand’s Galaxy to compare to the Milky Way?”

“I did and there are major differences.”

“Such as?”

Gabby pulled up the image of the Carand Galaxy and put it on the side monitor. Gabe looked at it and immediately saw what she meant, “That galaxy doesn’t have the bar in the center.”

“No, it doesn’t and it has three arms that originate in the center instead of the two in the Milky Way.”

“Can you determine that it and the Milky Way are the same galaxy on different sides of the black hole?”

“Their mass is identical. That tells me that the weight of the black hole is the same in both galaxies.” Gabby paused and looked up from her console, “I can tell you that the galaxy we’re headed toward is the Builder’s Galaxy.” Gabe’s eyes widened and Gabby looked back at her panel as she pressed several buttons. Gabe looked at the monitor and saw the entire galaxy had a blue haze around it. “That blue hue we’re detecting comes from the field the Builders use to communicate.”

Gabe stared at the monitor and said, “That has to mean that the field is generated by a machine and not the population of Builders in the galaxy.” Gabby turned back to him with her eyebrows raised. Gabe smiled, “It’s obvious that all the space in that galaxy is not covered with Builders. Notice that even the space between stars has that blue field, which indicates to me that something is generating the field that allows them to use it everywhere.” Gabby took off her glasses for a moment and then put them back on as she nodded. Gabe smiled and thought,
Score one for me
.

Gabby raise her left shoulder and said, “Which means they won’t have that technology when they pass through a black hole unless they bring the object that creates that field with them.” Gabe shook his head,
Score one for her
.

“Poul, take us over the top of that galaxy when we arrive. I want to see what’s going on at the black hole.”

“I’m changing course to take us over the top, Admiral.”

“I thought we were going to use first names, Poul?”

“Like I said earlier, Sir, she’s not doing it, so I’ll keep things nice and proper.”

Gabby flinched and looked up from her panel. She shook her head and the next time she spoke to Gabe, she used his first name. Gabe smiled. She had to be nudged into doing some things.

The huge galaxy filled the main monitor and Gabe watched as the Prophet’s Eyes changed course and flew above it. It arrived directly above the black hole and turned. Ten seconds later, they arrived above the event horizon and Gabby said, “It appears they are moving two launchers with thrusters into position outside the event horizon.”

Gabe nodded, “What about the two launchers we didn’t destroy in the last attack?”

The main monitor split and Gabe saw one launcher hanging in space and the other was spinning. He changed the monitor to only view the spinning launcher and he stopped the image. He stared at it and said, “This explains why they’ve not come through the black hole in Andromeda. They tried to modify that launcher and it failed.” Gabby stared at him and he pointed at the image, “Notice that one of the thrusters is missing from the rear of the launcher. It must have broken off when they ignited it and sent the launcher spinning.”

Gabby turned back to her panel and, after a few moments, an image of a tail fin and thruster appeared on the monitor. “It appears you are right, Ad…I mean, Gabe.”

Gabe changed the image to the new launchers moving toward the black hole and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. He quickly realized he had done what Gabby did when she took off her glasses. He had to admit that closing his eyes for a moment allowed him to focus better. “Those launchers are completed and I suspect one of them will be going into the black hole upon arrival.”

“Should we destroy them before they can?”

Gabe looked at Gabby, “Why do you suggest that?”

“Because it would delay their finding out about the jets the Darkness is using.”

“I would caution you to not do that.”

Gabe looked up, “Why is that, Poul?”

“It would alert the Builders to our presence and our scouting efforts would be greatly hampered. It would also cause them to wonder how we arrived here if we couldn’t come through their black hole once they discover the jets. We would be telling them that there’s another way to get here.”

Gabby looked up, “They’ll determine that anyway.”

“Not everyone is as smart as you are, Gabby. It will take some time before they make that determination. Even if they do make that determination, they will be forced to take time to build the things they’ll need to go to the Carand’s Galaxy.”

“What things?”

“Gabby, you already mentioned that they’ll need a device to take with them to make their communications operational. They’ll also have to move enough stores on their warships to feed the crews over an extended voyage.”

Gabby looked at Gabe as he stared at the monitor with the approaching launchers. “What are you thinking, Gabe?”

“They built these launchers after the first one failed, which means it took them between six and seven weeks to complete them. If we attack and destroy them now, we’d be buying about seven weeks.”

“We could destroy any new ones they bring here.”

“Gabby, if we destroy these new launchers, I suspect the next launchers will be escorted by enough Builder Warships to protect them from anything we might do to stop them. So the question is whether a seven-week delay is worth losing any information we might gather on this scouting mission? I agree with Poul, we should not give our presence away. We already know that the Builders are able to see us moving through dark matter and if they’re looking for us, they will eventually find us.”

Gabby stared at him, looked at her panel’s display, and turned back to him. She nodded and said, “We need to stay here for a while.”

“Why?”

“Because we need to know if the launcher they send through the black hole makes it back.” Gabe closed his eyes and chuckled. Gabby tilted her head, “What’s funny?”

“That’s another thing you saw before I did. I’m really thankful you’re here with us.”

Gabby turned red and smiled, “Thank you, Sir.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s going to take a while for them to set up. Do you want to go and take a shower before things start happening?”

Gabby looked at her console and pressed a button to automatically record the incoming data from the passive scans. “If something does happen, let me know immediately! I don’t want to miss anything.”

Gabe nodded, “I’ll let you know.” Gabby stood up and left the bridge.

She disappeared from the bridge and Gabe heard Poul say, “I told you we’d need her.”

“Don’t rub it in. You were right. She really doesn’t miss much.”

“What she misses comes from not having any combat experience. You see things she doesn’t and she sees things you don’t.”

“And you see things both of us miss, Poul.”

“I’m going to start scanning in the direction those launchers are coming from.”

“Why?”

“I just have to believe that there has to be more than just those launchers around when they send one through. I’ll let you know if I see anything.”

“Thanks, Poul. I’m going to close my eyes and rest for a few minutes. Wake me if you see anything.”

“I’ll notify both of you.”

• • •

Gabe heard a loud alarm and he jerked his head up and shook it to clear the cobwebs. He looked at the main monitor and saw a huge…something moving toward the black hole. He focused the image and brought it in closer as Gabby came sprinting on the bridge and ran to her chair. Gabe glanced at her and turned back to the monitor. He then jerked his head back to Gabby. She was wearing nothing but a large fleet Tee-shirt and her hair was down to her waist. She was focused on her panel and was pressing buttons at a rapid pace as she looked up at the monitor. She saw him staring at her and she tilted her head. “You’re a little out of uniform, aren’t you, Captain?”

Gabby’s head went back and then she looked down. “Oh my god!” She stood up and then sat down. She stood up again and then sat back down.

“Relax! I’ll try not to look at you until you can go and get dressed. I need to know everything you can tell me about that thing moving this way.”

“I’m sorry, Sir. I was asleep and didn’t think.”

“Forget it. What is that thing moving this way?”

Gabby’s face was beet red as she stared at her panel, “It appears to be a recording device.”

Gabe looked at the monitor and then back to Gabby, “Are you serious? That thing is a globe more than a mile in diameter.”

“She’s right, Gabe. The scans and messages emanating from that globe are off the scale. It appears this thing is connecting this event to all of the Builder Leaders wherever they’re located in this galaxy.”

“Do you think it can detect our presence?”

Gabby shook her head, “No, Sir. It is receiving information and immediately sending it out on thousands of channels but it is not sending out scanning beams.” Gabby was still pressing buttons furiously and she looked up at Gabe, “I’m getting a line on those channels and locking them into my central computer. This should give us a line on where all of the important Builders are located.”

Gabe smiled, “Now that is worth knowing!”

Gabby quickly said, “I have a message coming in to the Recorder. I’ve locked in the line it originated from.”

Gabe leaned back, “I suspect that was the launch order being given.” Gabby stopped pressing buttons and looked up at the left wall monitor. One of the new launchers began glowing a bright orange color and three minutes later, it disappeared into the black hole. “Poul, are you timing this?”

“I am.”

Gabe stared at the monitor and two minutes later, the huge launcher reappeared outside the black hole. Gabe moved the image in closer and saw that the launcher’s hull was darkened by a series of burns. Gabby stood up, “The launcher is broadcasting a message and it is being relayed by the recorder on every channel.” Gabby looked at Gabe as she sat down, “It appears they now know about the radiation jets on the other side of the black hole.”

Poul interrupted her, “Gabe, I have thousands of signatures moving this way! It appears that the Builders want to inspect that launcher.”

“Poul, get us out of here!” Gabby shook her head hard wanting to stay and Gabe quickly said, “Those signatures are probably Builder Warships moving this way. I’m not going to risk them seeing our departure. We have enough to keep us busy, Gabby.”

The black hole disappeared and Gabe saw the giant galaxy spinning below them on the main monitor. He looked at Gabby and smiled, “I think now would be a good time to get into one of your grey uniforms. We will be prepared to put on our armor from this moment forward.”

Gabby looked down at herself and ran off the bridge. Gabe watched her go and tried not to think about what he saw.

“J
anell.”

“Hello, Amy.”

“Have your fleets been sent to maintenance to have the new reactors installed?”

“Most of them have been modified. I still have more than eight thousand warships that are waiting to be updated. What about yours?”

“Mine have completed the reactor installation and are now having the new missile belts installed.”

“I didn’t think the new missiles would be ready until much later.”

“The Bosrean have done a hellava job of building enough facilities to manufacture them. They’ll be ready for installation once the belts are installed.”

“My, aren’t you the over achiever.”

“You’re distracted by Gabe being gone.”

“I am. I didn’t contact him before he left.”

“Janell, you need to put him behind you and focus on getting your fleets armed. The Darkness has reported that a Builder Launcher has made it through the black hole and then escaped before it could be destroyed. Things are going to start happening quickly and you need to make sure your ships complete their modifications.”

Janell’s eyes were wide open, “I’ll talk with you later!”

The display went dark and Amy rolled her eyes. Janell had to get on the ball and quit this moping around. Hopefully the information she just gave her should do the trick. She looked at Scott sitting in the Crystal River’s command chair, “Order the fleets to start a series of war games while the missile belts are being installed. We don’t have long to get ready.”

“Yes, Sir.”

• • •

Steve looked at the Darkness’ Supreme Leader on his monitor, “It appears the Builders are aware of the radiation jets.”

“It’s a shame you weren’t able to destroy that launcher before it escaped.”

“Several of my warships opened fire on it and some of their beams penetrated its force field but not enough to take it out of action. Have you decided what we should do about this?”

Steve leaned back in his chair, “I need my scout to come back and share with us what he finds out. Based on what he uncovers, I suspect we’ll either allow them to come here for a major confrontation or we’ll send my fleets through our black hole to take the war to their territory.”

“What if your scout has been destroyed?”

“He’s not due back for ten days. We’ll give him that time and then make the best decision we can.”

“Why don’t we do that now? We can always change our plans when your scout comes back.”

Steve nodded and looked at his panel, “I’ll have my senior military leaders here within two hours. If you’ll gather yours, we’ll discuss this then.”

“I’ll have them here in two hours,” The Darkness Leader Promised.

Steve smiled, “If you will, please have some suggestions to start the meeting. I’ll have some as well and we can start deciding what to keep and what to discard.” The Supreme Leader disappeared from the monitor and Steve started sending out orders for the Senior Admirals to report to his conference room.

• • •

Gabe waited until Gabby came to the bridge and he saw she had her hair tied back in the bun. There was such a huge difference in her appearance when her hair was down. “I want to discuss what we’re going to do now that the Builders have managed to get a vessel through the black hole. Our schedule is going to change.”