Annihilation - Finding Keepers (Annihilation Series (Book Seven}) (17 page)

“Good! Organize our coverage; we’ll start with the northern hemisphere and then move south. Do you detect any star ships?”

“No, this planet appears to be very backward in their technology.”

“That may be true, but it has a large population.”

“That it does, Director.”

“Have you read the thought signature of the population?”

“Yes, and our emitters are tuned to that band. Have you decided if you are going to collect any of the inhabitants for shipment to our universe?”

“We are not doing that now. This is a war fleet and we cannot provide care for them.”

“As you wish, Director. How many for stores?”

The Director listened to the thousands of Keepers in the fleet and found the needed number, “Two million should be enough.”

The Sensor Operator looked at his display, “That is the population of one of the cities on the coast next to that spaceport.”

“Make sure the emitters are set accordingly.”

The devices on the Keepers’ ships that made the intense beam were remarkable devices. If set at zero frequency they would emit a beam that would destroy all matter they hit. They could also be set at specific frequencies that matched the thought frequency of the selected population and would only target that population; everyone else would not be affected. The intensity of the beam would determine whether it would stun or kill. The fleet had their intensity set to kill.

The stealth probe followed the Keepers Fleet in to the planet and positioned itself to record the coming action. Gambia was slightly bigger than Ross, and had a circumference of thirty thousand miles. The huge fleet stopped above the planet and waited as the ships moved into a line. The hundred thousand Keepers’ ships entered the atmosphere of Gambia and lined up at the equator, with seven ships evenly spaced every mile halfway around the planet. They dropped to a mile above the surface and waited for the order to be given.

“Activate the emitters.” Every Keeper on every ship connected with the other Keepers on their ships telepathically and turned off their hearing. They then began sending the vibrating thought patterns into the emitter at the front of the ship. Each navigator watched their boards while the weapons operators focused the intensity of the beam as it rose to the desired threshold. At that point the Director sent the command to the fleet, “Move forward.”

Abul Cahale was stretched out on a chair on the front of his yacht when he noticed something in the sky at the horizon moving toward his ship. The young women that were attending him stood and looked at the approaching line of …something. As the objects moved closer, Abu saw that the objects were huge star ships and they were approaching quickly. The three women had moved to the bow to get a better view. Abu saw them waving and then start twisting, screaming, and turning to dust. He jumped up and ran toward the rear of the huge vessel. He didn’t make it past the main cabin before the most intense pain he had ever felt gripped him, then he was gone as the dust from his body blew away in the sea breeze. The yacht continued sailing until it ran aground.

The Keepers’ beams showed no discrimination between rich or poor. Unlike the population, there were no class distinctions; it treated all the same way. The long line of brown ships moved north and left millions dead behind it. Animals were not touched by the beam, fish were not affected, birds flew through it safely, and plants never noticed it pass. Only Humans felt the intense pain and death. The probe captured it all and witnessed the horror taking place.

The line of ships moved toward the main city of Gambia, destroying everything outside the city proper. The population standing on the outskirts of the tall grey buildings looked up into a blue sky and saw the line of ships approaching. The public speakers were blaring a warning of an invading fleet and called for everyone to flee the city, but the inhabitants saw there was no time to exit. Many running from the city saw the ships approach Degrund Park.

A young man and woman standing in the park outside the city embraced each other and then turned to dust. Two children ran from the oncoming shadows and tried to hide under the slide in the park. They saw the people closest to the approaching ships turn to dust and hid their eyes just before they died. At the Abu Galei hospital located next to the park, the maternity ward heard the babies go silent as the beams crossed the room. Hundreds of dogs were roaming the park with leashes dangling, trying to find their owners that had blown away in the wind as the ships passed overhead.

The ships approached the outer city limits and moderated the intensity of their beam. As the brown ships moved over the city, the beam began hitting the inhabitants and destroying their higher brain functions. People began falling to the ground and twitching as the fleet passed overhead. More than two million people were left scattered on the streets, and in homes twitching as their raw nerves sent messages to a brain that was no longer able to receive them.

The long line of ships crossed over the North Pole and then continued moving south. Everywhere humans were dying a horrible death. The dying didn’t stop until the Keepers Fleet moved over the South Pole and then moved back to their starting point at the equator.

The Fleet Director was elated. No resistance had been given. This universe was going to be easy to conquer. “Send your shuttles to pick up your stores.”

A hundred thousand shuttles left the Keepers Fleet and descended on the space port. Each picked up twenty of the still-twitching bodies and took them back to their ship. Being brain dead was actually a mercy to those taken. Any that were left behind were hit with the terrible beams and destroyed. Soon fires broke out where stoves were left on, and many cities began burning. Some were started when vehicles ran into buildings and other structures, causing huge explosions when their fuel tanks ruptured. No one was alive to put them out.

The probe recorded it all and disappeared to deliver its information to Fleet Command. Another probe arrived to replace it and settled in behind the Keepers Fleet as it moved away from the now dead planet. For Gambia, there were no class distinctions after the Keepers. Everyone was dust.

Edison watched the recording taken by the probe with Sprig, Joseph, Valerie, and Admiral Zergl, who had all commed in on his communication panel. Edison noticed the hard expression of the Gardners and could sense the anger from the others. “Edison, what do you think about this?”

“Prince Gardner, This is remarkably similar to the process my species once used to attack planets. The main difference is that we collected information from the inhabitant’s brains and stored it. These creatures just kill all intelligent life except for those needed for food. I now feel the anger and outrage that this causes when it is visited on others. It amazes me that the Realm allowed us to live.”

“Where are they going now?”

Valerie said, “They’re going either to Ross or Camerrill, if we don’t move the populations before they arrive outside the jump limit.”

Admiral Zergl did a quick flinch, “How do you know that?”

“Because Jake Talant was at both of those planets before he left for their universe. I believe his psychic self is directing these creatures to come to him.”

“Why would he be doing that?”

“I just don’t know, Joe, but everything points to it. He was arrested on Camerrill and that Searcher was killed immediately after we found him. The first planet they attacked successfully was where he was born. The next attack will have to be another location where he visited recently. That would have to be Ross or Camerrill. We need to get the populations moved quickly.”

The other conference attendees looked at each other. Finally Joe asked, “Valerie, do your psychic abilities tell you where they are going?”

“No, Joe. It just makes the most sense based on what I’ve seen.”

“I’m just not willing to disrupt the populations of two planets unless you are certain, Valerie. Are you absolutely convinced?”

Valerie struggled for an answer, “No, I am not certain, but I am not going to gamble on the creatures discovering Ross. I want the population ordered to teleport away for 24 hours. We’ll not involve Camerrill in this exercise, but as Ruler of the Stars Realm I order you to move Ross’ population.”

Joe stared at Valerie and signed, “Admiral, issue the order. According to the probe, the Keepers will clear the jump limit in two hours.”

All of them felt that this was a huge waste of time, but the Queen had spoken.

On Ross all communication devices began blaring out the warning, “All citizens on Ross must teleport to another planet immediately. We will keep you informed about returning, but you must be gone within the hour. An attack is imminent.” The announcement played over and over as the population of billions teleported away.

The Keepers Fleet approached the jump barrier and the Director turned to his sensor operator, “Where is the next target?”

“Before we entered this system I had mapped several possible locations using the same thought frequency of the last target, but one of them has changed radically since the last scan.”

“What are you saying?”

“One of the targets had a huge population, with a high percent of them being the species of the planet we just eliminated. However, now the planet is empty of life.”

The Director thought a moment as the fleet tuned in and listened telepathically, “If as we surmise a device is projecting phantom populations and it had a malfunction such that the real surface was revealed, that could account for the difference.”

The sensor operator thought about the proposal, “Yes, that’s possible. Are we going to go see if it’s valid?”

“Do you want to waste,” the Director looked at his display, “eighteen intervals to see? We know someone in this universe can deceive our scanners. We have wasted too much time already, and I’m not willing to throw away any more. If there’s doubt about a population’s existence, I would rather move toward one where we are reasonably certain of success.”

The sensor operator could hear the thoughts of all the Keepers in the fleet and determined that the over whelming majority agreed with the Director. “I’ll check that planet later, and if the population goes back to the original level we’ll know it is another decoy.”

“Where is your other target?”

“On your display, Director.”

“Jump in a quarter interval; tighten up your formations.”

The Keepers Fleet jumped and arrived at the jump limit in Camerrill’s system.

Valerie watched her communication panel as Fleet Command scrambled to move Camerrill’s population. Valerie thought, “I hate being right about this. Jake, you’re causing trouble. Hurry up and get those powers under control.” He couldn’t hear her, but she had to voice her frustration.

Joe appeared on her board, “I will not question you again.”

Valerie nodded, “That is a wise decision, but you need to get the population to safety.”

“I’m sorry, Sis.” Joe disappeared from her screen.

Valerie pulled up a picture of Jake on her display. He had just woken from his history download and had smiled when he saw her beside his chair. She stared at the picture in silence, “Come on, Jake. We need you now.”

J
ake sat in the middle of the area just inside the entrance to the community. Jackson had sent word that there was to be a gathering to touch the Good Luck Man. Many of the men didn’t know about him, but were quickly told by the women of the community. Now all of them knew.

The area was not big enough for all three hundred thousand, so most of the men remained in the first row of homes as the women came in and began sitting in rows that surrounded Jake. Those that had already touched him stood with the men and watched as the crowd grew larger and larger by the minute.

Jake sat there and found himself feeling a kinship to all of these wonderful people. No wonder Kathea called all of the women her sisters; they all shared the specter of death and the gift of life together. He could feel their love for each other and it was amazing. He had only known his family briefly before they died, and Robby for only three years. He felt he had known these people forever. In a short period of time they had become his brothers and sisters.

He was nervous, because tonight he should find the one who would release his psychic powers and become the love of his life. He looked around as the crowd continued to swell. He looked out at the green fields surrounding the community and marveled at the beauty of the moment. He could see why the original settlers landed here. The community was clean and the air was fresh. He closed his eyes and waited to find the one that would be his love for life.

“Junior, what are they doing?”

“It looks to me like they are gathering all the women to touch Jake.”

Cynthia looked at the screen again and saw only women sitting in the rows surrounding Jake. “How did he make this happen?”

“I have no idea, but I hope the Keepers don’t interfere with the process.”