Annihilation: Book 05 - Searcher (18 page)

The Meeting began with Tag standing and looking at the group around the table. He looked over to his right and Anglo pressed a button that lowered a huge display screen. The Screen showed the meeting room with everyone sitting around the table. “This is a video that is being broadcast to the leaders of every member planet in the Realm. We are going to discuss some serious subjects and The Queen and I feel that every member should know what we decide here today. We have sent every member notification of this schedule and I think every planet has its leaders watching. What we have decided has not been an easy decision for us but our prime responsibility is to protect the citizens of the Realm. With that in mind, one of the possibilities that we discussed in our last planning meeting was that the Eight Legs may have access to the memories of anyone they consume. The Queen and I have thought hard about this possibility and, as most of you know, we possess a psychic skill at being able to foretell coming danger. That sense is why we contacted most of the new members in order to save them. When we look at taking one of two courses of action, our sense tells us that the danger level rises higher than we have ever sensed if we follow one. We both know as truth that the Eight Legs do access the memories of those they harvest. I want all the planets of the Realm to consider what would happen if the Eight Legs uncover just one member planet and take all that they know.” The King paused and let that thought hang heavy in the air. “It would lead to every other planet being uncovered by the invaders and also tell them how we have hidden them. The invasion of just one of our members would lead to the destruction of all the other millions.”

Danielle stood and everyone saw her looking from the screen at them, “As a result of that, we have made a decision that must be followed in order to protect the Realm. Any member planet that has the Eight Legs enter their atmosphere will be totally destroyed by the screen generator being used to hide it.” No one said a word. On all the member planets their leaders sat in silence pondering what they had just learned. “We will of course move planets to save them from this possibility but there is a chance that one or more of our members will still be attacked. We have determined that our current weapons may not be effective against these creatures and if that is the case, we cannot stop them from their invasion of a planet. I must say that if I had a choice of instant destruction or dying in the fangs of the invaders, I would choose the fast way. Once these creatures land on a planet, no one escapes. They have the means to find every intelligent being no matter how one may try to hide. It is with a heavy heart that we come to this decision; however, it is our sworn duty to save life. We see no other way to do it. In the event the Realm’s existence is otherwise discovered we will cancel this order. However, you the leaders of each planet will still be given the option to use the generator if you want to save your people from the gruesome death of being consumed alive. If any of you wish to discuss this decision with us, please notify us and we will talk with you. However, please think about whether or not you would want your planet endangered if another planet was attacked. Thank you for your time and it is with great sorrow that we are made to take this step in the defense of the Realm.” Danielle looked and Anglo and the screen went dark.

Tag looked at the group surrounding the table and said, “I have instructed the Algeans assigned to each of our members to carry out this order. I sincerely hope we are not forced to take this action but the probability of all members escaping is remote. Admiral, Gardner, do you have any other things you wish to bring to our attention.”

Matt stood, “I think it is absolutely critical that we determine whether or not we truly are invisible to them. We must have a ship in plain view at their point of entry. I also suggest a screened sensor be placed there far enough away to read their jump tracks and send them to Searchers. We will lose track of these ships if we don’t keep close tabs on their jumps.”

Tag frowned, “Carry out your plan accordingly.”

“I also think if we can build enough sensors in time that along with a Searcher assigned to each mother ship that comes we transmit the jump track to a sensor probe that will jump a light day distant from each mother ships jump and have it programmed to follow them each time they jump then send that information to a central location that will keep track of their movements. If we detect a jump to a member’s coordinates then we will move the planet as soon as they start moving inside the jump limit. If they stop and do not detect the planet and go elsewhere, the planet will stay where it is and remain hidden.”

Danielle looked at Sprig and he stood and thought, “We have more than fifty million sensor probes that can carry out that task. Fortunately, we have been screening them with red generators for over eight hundred years because of the more efficient power. We will begin building more; we don’t know how many of their ships will be coming.”

Tag looked at Matt with a serious expression and said, “Find out what will kill them, Searcher.”

“I will do my best to do just that, Your Majesty.”

“This meeting is adjourned. Use what time remains wisely.” Then Tag and Danielle left the room.

Stem looked at Al’s display showing the location in space where the Eight Legs were due to break out. Matt was on board Wings spending time with Angel before the conflict begun.

“Al, I fear we may not be successful against these creatures. The final advanced system has also remained dormant which may mean that the vessel we are preparing may not be used.”

“Stem, I believe that the final system will not activate until Matt is placed in an extremely high stressful situation. Cassandra told us that her abilities appeared when she found herself being stressed. The same is probably true with Matt.”

“I just don’t know if he will face a situation that would generate that kind of stress, Al.”

“Stem, you can trust me on this one; he is going to face a situation that will cause a huge amount of stress. I just don’t know when it will happen.”

Stem was silent for a moment and then thought, “Do you want to tell me what you know.”

“I can’t.”

“Well, my good friend, If it stresses him then I know you will also have to face it, too. If you need help, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you, Stem. I think we are both going to need all the help we can get.”

T
he huge green ship came out its universal jump and oriented to the closest galaxies. The Ship’s Male pressed a control and said, “What do your sensors indicate?”

“Of the three hundred closest galaxies, one of them appears to have a larger life signature indicating intelligence. All of them possess indications of intelligence.”

“Orient on the strongest source and prepare to investigate.”

“Notifying navigation immediately.”

The Ship’s Male pressed another control and announced, “Prepare yourselves to feed; the time is soon.” Throughout the thirty thousand mile wide globe, millions of shapes began to stir.

The Stars Realm Searcher Ship Orange Sky sat motionless a hundred miles from the giant vessel. Searcher Qingz pressed the activation control that energized the red screened probe and it immediately began looking for jump tracks. Quingz sat and watched and waited for what he knew was coming but refused to communicate until the huge ship jumped; he was uncertain if his communications would be detected. The green giant turned half a rotation and then disappeared in the silver-blue flash of a star drive.

“Fleet Command, this is Orange Sky reporting; the invader has jumped and I can confirm that our sensors do not detect their presence.”

“We’ll pass that information to the fleet, Searcher.”

“I can also confirm that I remained undetected a hundred trigs from their location.”

“We will also pass that along. The first probe has jumped to the invaders jump coordinates and is currently following them visually. It appears that they detected a planet with intelligent life.”

“I will remain on station until their next vessel appears, Fleet Command.”

“Carry on, Searcher Qingz.”

“Father.”

Yes, Stem”

“The Admiral was right; they do not appear on our sensors.”

“Notify Admiral Gardner; we are beginning operation blindfold.”

Stem turned and thought, “Magic, operation blindfold has been initiated.”

“How many ships are in the first group?”

“Six, they will follow the invaders in to the first planet they attack and visually record anything they see. It has been confirmed that our ships are invisible to them. We should see if they are using any new weapons that were not in the recording the Captor’s gave us. “

Matt sat in his command chair with his chin resting on his hand. He hesitated but then asked, “Who is in command?”

Stem looked at his instrument and said, “Searcher Angel Dodd, Admiral.”

Matt sat up straight and thought, “Angel, be careful following those ships in system.”

“I will, Magic. We’re not getting closer than the third moon and only when their entire fleet arrives at the planet.”

Matt put his chin back on his hand and closed his eyes. Al sensed Matt’s nervousness and watched what Matt was seeing in his mind. Stem had also noticed something bothering Matt but was uncertain about what it was.

Angel thought to her squadron, “Alright, listen up. We are going to wait until the mother ship has entered close orbit around the planet. We will then jump in no closer than this planet’s third moon. I will stop just above the moon’s surface and begin recording. I want the rest of you to teleport in the same distance but on different angles so we don’t miss anything happening on the planet. If any of the green ships start moving toward you, teleport out immediately, any questions?”

No one responded so Angel knew they understood what was required. The six Searchers waited ten hours until the mother ship finally arrived at the planet. Once the huge one hundred mile long transports began leaving the mother ship, Angel thought, “Port to you assigned locations in three seconds.”

The six small ships disappeared, assumed their positions, and began recording. Angel was two miles above the surface of the moon looking directly down toward the planet. “Begin recording, Fly Girl.”

“Started ten seconds ago, Angel.”

On the surface of the moon a small green shuttle sized ship was investigating facilities that the planet had built on the moon’s surface. The structure they had just examined was a storage facility with no life in it. As the shuttle prepared to move to the next facility the Eight Leg piloting the shuttle noticed a small shadow move across the surface of the moon directly in front of his vessel. He turned his attention upward but could not see or detect anything that would have caused the shadow. “How could that be,” it wondered? He moved his ship toward the shadow that had become stationary on the moon’s surface and again looked upward. There was something blocking the star’s light but it was not visible. He decided to investigate.

Matt watched in his mind as Angel’s ship stopped directly above the moon’s surface and then he saw that her ship was casting a shadow on the moon’s surface. He looked closer and saw the tiny green ship enter that shadow. “Angel, get out of there, your ship is casting a shadow on the moon.”

Before Angel could comprehend what he was saying the small green shuttle shot off the surface of the moon and hit her ship. Matt saw the green light directly under the ship attached to Wing’s hull and he thought to Al, “Al, teleport them out of there, now!”

Al teleported in next to Wings, extended the silver screen, and dragged Wings through it.

The two ships reappeared and Matt thought, “Angel, answer me.”

“All he got was a weak thought, “Something hit me.”

“Fly Girl, talk to me.”

“Matt, my systems are down. Whatever they used to breach my hull has knocked my engines off line. I’m losing power.”

Al thought, “No Matt, don’t go!”

Matt disappeared and reappeared on Wings’ bridge. He stood to face the creatures that had boarded but they were not there. He turned and saw Angel lying on the floor with blood flowing from three wounds. He ran to her and lifted her head. “Angel, oh Angel.”

She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him. “I messed up. Oh, Magic, it hurts so much.”

“He held her close and thought, “Hang on, Angel. Hang on.”

Al immediately teleported both ships to Ross and then teleported Angel and Matt into Dorg-Ross General Hospital’s emergency center; Matt yelled, “Somebody help her!”

As emergency personnel rushed forward, Angel looked up at Matt and thought to him, “Matt, I’m so sorry. I love you,” The doctors picked her up, placed her on a stretcher and rushed her into an operation room. Matt followed them in and watched as they fought to save her. “There’s something in her system that’s paralyzing her,” a surgeon yelled. Matt stayed in her mind and saw her slipping away. “Angel, I love you with all my heart.” In his mind he could feel her smile and then she was gone. His despair was unbearable. Then he felt the rage building. He closed his eyes and looked back at the system and saw the three Eight Legs that had boarded Angel’s ship floating is space just outside their ship wondering what had happened to the vessel they had boarded. His anger grew and he felt something happening.