Annihilation: Book 06 - Demon's Sacrifice (12 page)

“Melanie, if we lose this next round, none of us will be around. We owe it to our child to make sure we do all we can to protect her.”

“You’re right. I just love her so much and worry about her future.”

“I know.”

“How are the spiders adapting to living on a planet?”

Matt smiled broadly, “They’ve taken to it like a fish to water. Some of them have even discovered that they still have web making capability. Those webs are huge. I believe they could catch a dinosaur in them.”

“I’m glad; they deserve a time of peace.”

“We’re also protecting them as well.”

“Maybe they can help us.”

“We can only hope.”

Matt sat in the Map Room looking at all the systems that were members of the Stars Realm and was amazed at how fast the Realm had grown. Governing that vast a Realm was proving to be a big problem and something had to be done to make it work or the Realm would fall apart because of the weight of members. Perhaps his idea might work if what he suspected was true. Anglo Gardner walked in and bowed, “Your Majesty.”

“Please come in and sit down.”

Cassandra, Tommy, Life, Grena, Sprig and Twig all arrived within a second of each other and bowed. “Please sit down. We have two more attendees and then we will begin.”

The group made small talk for ten minutes and then Tag and Danielle appeared. “Sorry we’re late. You caught us out in the open and we had to walk in to our teleporters.”

Cassandra looked at them with a sly look, “I thought you always kept them on.”

Danielle smiled, “We don’t keep anything on at all times.”

Tag turned red and Cassandra laughed out loud.

“Well thank you for coming. I had a meeting with the Reg a few weeks ago and they are going to assist us in our struggle against the Red Demons. I’m going to call them that because that seems to be the common thread of how they are viewed.” Tag started to speak but Matt held up his hand. “Let me finish and then I will answer any questions you might have. The Reg are going to build ships for us to use against them and we have to provide the crews for the ships they build. We already have one ship that Melanie and I have been fitted to use. I asked them to help me find the other crews and they told me that they had no idea who they are; the ships would select their crews. I questioned them quite closely on this subject and it seems that the ships are almost like a life form and will only accept the ones chosen by it. Remember we flew our entire fleet of Searchers by the first one before we determined Melanie was one of the two chosen by the ship. The Reg will not fight outside their planet’s system so we are given the task of defending our universe. I have been given the quest of finding the warriors to crew the ships. I’ll entertain your questions now.”

“Why have you brought us to this meeting?”

“I know that these ships are powered by psychic forces. I believe I have the strongest psychics in the Realm in this room.”

“So you intend to see if we are some of the chosen?”

“Yes Danielle; or eliminate you so you can go on whatever path you choose to take.”

“How many ships are being built?”

“I honestly don’t know, Anglo. I also don’t know if they will require two man crews or single pilots. I asked but the answer was the same; the ships will decide.”

“How will you make the determination?”

“I am going to take all of us out to the first ships that have arrived and let Al take each of you close by to see if the ships respond to you. I’m hoping they will show us. Does that answer your question, Tommy?”

“Yes, it does.”

“Why did you bring Twig and I here?”

“Because I’m not certain about the psychic part of this equation; I want to know if you might be one of the chosen. I’m not assuming anything; any more questions?”

The group was silent. “Good, Cassandra if you will take us to the Kosiev, we will leave immediately.”

Everyone started talking at once. Matt held up his hand and everyone quieted, “The Reg told me there wasn’t much time to find the chosen. We need to know now.”

Everyone looked at Matt and then Cassandra turned her com over and punched in the necessary coordinates. The group disappeared from the library and arrived in the Kosievs’ conference room. “Matt, what are the coordinates for our jump?”

Matt gave them to Cassandra mentally. Cassandra pressed the ships intercom, “Attention all hands; we will be teleporting in twenty seconds. Move to your stations immediately.” Cassandra grabbed Tommy’s hand and said to the group, “Meet me on the bridge upon arrival.” She pushed her bracelet and they disappeared.

Matt looked at Tag and he had a concerned look on his face. “You’re not telling us something.”

“Now is not the time. Please be patient.”

Tag looked at Danielle, “Do you know what it is?”

“Yes.”

Tag stared at her. “You’re not going to tell me are you?”

Danielle smiled, “Nope.”

Matt smiled and Danielle laughed. “I bet she does know,” Matt thought and then the universe turned and they were in the Reg’s outer system.

The group teleported to the bridge and saw five glowing crystal lumps on the Kosievs main display. “That is exactly what your ship looked like when we uncovered it.”

Matt looked at the group and said, “This is how we are going to do this. Al, are you listening in?”

“Of course.”

“I want you take each person and move slowly by the crystals to see if they change. Please make a record of what happens.”

“Anyone want to go first?”

“I do.”

“Danielle it is.” Danielle disappeared and Al moved toward the five crystals. As Al passed in front of the crystals the first turned dark, as did the second and third, but the fourth crystal had a golden glow coming from inside. The fifth turned dark.

“Tag, will you go second?”

Tag shrugged and Danielle appeared on the bridge and Tag disappeared. The fourth ship gave off the golden glow as Al approached with Tag. The others turned dark.

“Anglo, it’s your turn.”

Anglo disappeared as Tag appeared on the bridge. Matt watched and the first four ships turned dark and he started to eliminate Anglo but the fifth ship glowed gold through its outer surface.

“Sprig.” Sprig disappeared and all of the ships stayed dark.

“Twig.” Again all of the ships stayed dark.

“Cassandra.” The first ship glowed golden.

“Tommy.” Once again the first ship turned gold.

“Life, you’ve been very quiet during all of this.”

“That’s because the second ship belongs to me.”

Matt stared at the Gresh, “How do you know that?”

“I have an affinity for ships. That one loves me.”

Grena smiled, “He’s right. I can feel it, too.”

“Then both of you go together and let’s see what happens.”

The two disappeared and as they approached the second ship the golden glow broke through the surface and was almost blinding. The crystal began to change shape and Matt recognized the bow starting to form. “Looks like he knew what he was talking about.” Matt thought a moment and then turned to Sprig, “Where is Stem right now?”

“He’s at one of the ship building facilities spending time with his mate. Why do you ask?”

Matt punched his com, “Stem, I’m sending you some coordinates; please teleport to them immediately and please bring your mate with you.”

A silver field appeared and Stem stepped out with Petal at his side. They were immediately teleported to Al as Life and Grena appeared. “Let me tell him, Matt?”

“Go ahead.”

They all heard Stem ask, “What’s going on?”

“We’re trying to see if you will make a good meal for these rock creatures.”

The whole room erupted into laughter. Sprig thought, ‘They never stop.”

Matt laughed and managed to say, “No, thank goodness.”

The third ship gave off a golden glow and started developing.

Sprig and Twig were stunned silent with their laughter stopping abruptly.

Stem asked Al, “Does that mean the ship wants to eat us?”

Al was stunned, “No, Father. I never expected you to be one of the chosen.”

“Chosen what?”

“You and Petal will be one of the universe’s defenders. The third ship has chosen you to be its crew.”

Stem was shocked silent.

Stem and Petal reappeared on the Kosievs’ bridge and Twig and Sprig moved forward and embraced them in their branches. “My children, we are so proud of you.” Sprig then transferred all that had happened over the last two hours.

Stem absorbed it instantly and then turned to Matt. “Well, it looks like Petal and I will be spending more time together.”

Petal leaned over next to him, “I’m excited to get out of the ship building business and spend more time with you. I’ve missed being with you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

Matt shook his head in amazement and said, “We need to find Anglo’s other crewmember, but in the mean time I want Tag and Danielle to go by their ship together as well as Cassandra and Tommy. Al, I think you can take all four of them on one trip.”

The four disappeared and everyone watched the display as their respective ships exploded with golden light and began changing shape. Sprig thought, “Matt, what possessed you to bring Stem?”

“I don’t know. I just felt that he should also be checked. Maybe the ship put the thought in my mind.”

Anglo looked gloomy, “I have no idea who could possibly match up with me. I’m clueless.”

“Well, I think we can possibly start searching. However, I want everyone back in the Map Room tomorrow at the same time as today. Please discuss what happened here today and we’ll decide what must be done next.”

The red being was starting to get frustrated. He was looking at hundreds of universes every hour but none of them were the missing one. “We have not found it either.”

“How many are searching?”

“Everyone.”

“Even the Eldest?”

“They are looking hardest of all. They have more fear than those that came later.”

“Surly nothing exists that could be a real threat to us.”

“Don’t even think that around them; their fear is real. I can feel it in them.”

“I have looked at the records and the missing universe was harvested of all intelligent life just eight million years ago. That’s not enough time for them to evolve to a level dangerous to us.”

“Perhaps the ones that moved it came into it from another universe.”

The red being thought about that idea, “That is a possibility. Should we be afraid?”

“If they are as frightened as I sense they are, I must give some weight to their experience. I am worried.”

“Do you think we might have missed it in our rush to search quickly?”

“We are going to keep looking until we find it.”

“I will look carefully from this time forward. You have me worried now.”

“That is probably a good thing.”

“I’ll be hearing from my new tool shortly. Perhaps their search will bear fruit.”

“I hope for your sake they do.”

The second being felt his fear go up.”

T
he group was back in the map room and Melanie came down with Angel Gardner and introduced her to the attendees. “Hello everyone, this is A.G.”

Everyone admired their child and all of those with psychic abilities could feel the baby’s power. Melanie then handed Angel to her nurse and she took the baby to the nursery to care for her.

Matt stood and said, “I know some of you that were chosen by a ship yesterday may have misgivings about what that means and the mission you are charged to fulfill. Unfortunately, there is no option about serving aboard them. The Realm will depend on us to protect it and all of you have sworn an oath to defend it with your lives. Does everyone understand this?”

Tag leaned back, “Well, so much for retirement.”

The attendees laughed as Danielle punched him in the ribs.

“There is another issue that has to be resolved and this is something that I have given a lot of thought and feel quite strongly must be done immediately. Melanie and I are abdicating the Realm’s Throne.”

The room burst out as everyone spoke at once, everyone except Danielle. She sat in her chair and nodded at Matt. He smiled at her and waited for the room to settle down. Finally, everyone sat back down and grew quiet. “Danielle, would you explain why this has to be done.”