Star Rover-Chosen to Die (Lens of Time) (34 page)

Bret remained silent as the Rover skipped in to a planetary system with a red dwarf at the center. The star had gone through its old age and blasted all of the inner planets as it went nova. The Dwarf was a shadow of its former glory. Bret watched as Angel jumped the ship in to the fourth planet and moved directly toward the outer moon. He started to ask what she was doing but the Rover’s alarms went off at full blast and the wall speaker blared, “YOU ARE ENTERING QUARANTIED SPACE…YOU WILL BE FIRED ON IF YOU CONTINUE!!”

Bret looked at the Rover’s monitor and saw massive blasters rising up from the moon’s surface and start swiveling toward them. What in the hell was going on!?! Angel punched in a series of entries into the computer’s panel and pressed the send button. A moment later, the alarms stopped and the blasters began disappearing into the surface of the moon. He looked at Angel and saw her concentrating as she brought the view of the moon’s surface closer on the monitor. He wanted to ask, no demand, what she was doing but he was reluctant to break her train of thought.

“Ah ha!” Angel took the Rover down at high speed into a deep crater on the moon’s surface and entered another series of numbers into the computer. She pressed the send button and just as she slowed down in front of a tall crater wall, Bret saw a huge section of the wall rising. Lights were coming on inside the opening and he could see the low power force field covering the entrance that kept the atmosphere inside the cave from escaping.

Angel moved the Rover slowly into the opening and Bret turned and looked at Angel, “What is this place!?!” Angel brought the Rover down to the floor of the giant facility, looked at Bret, and nodded toward the viewport. Bret turned and looked out of the front port and his mouth fell open. Sitting on the floor of the cave directly in front of the Rover was a black ship resting on its landing legs. On the bow of the ship Bret could see the word NINJA.

He turned and looked at Angel who said, “The creation of Chris and Jillian Connor thousands of years ago.”

Bret managed to stammer, “Th..the original Ninja wa..was..a….time ship.”

Angel looked at Bret and said, “This is the original, Bret…and you and I are going back in time.”

Bret tore his gaze away from the ancient ship and looked Angel in the eyes, “To do what?”

Angel’s eyes narrowed and she said, “To commit a murder.”

A
ngel sat up from the couch as the transfer completed. She stared at Bret on the couch next to her; he had to absorb two chips; his transfer was going to take longer. She worried about what he would feel once he awoke. She sighed heavily and hoped he’d understand.

She stood up and looked around the Ninja’s bridge and understood how all the systems operated. The future Bret and Jillian had done an excellent job of deciphering all of the ship’s functions. It had taken the better part of a year to unravel the systems. The transfer chip reduced the learning time to less than twenty minutes. They had also taken the time out and found the coordinates of where they had to go to receive the light needed to make the trip.

She remembered the future Bret whispering when he hugged her, “Thank God for one last time.” She saw the agony in his face and felt his love in his embrace. He was thankful for being able to hold her one more time. That showed her how he felt about her; she didn’t realize the depth of his feelings and she knew she had sent him away in the other Bret’s future. The chip Bret was currently absorbing was going to reveal what she did. She worried again that she would lose him because of it.

• • •

Bret opened his eyes and saw Angel sitting next to him with a worried expression. He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked at her and said, “What did I say to you when I came back.”

Angel lowered her head, “Thank God for one last time.”

“You don’t need to worry, Angel.”

Angel looked up, “I don’t?”

“You sent that Bret away. Are you going to do the same with me?”

Angel rushed over and wrapped her arms around Bret’s neck, “Never! I’ll never let you go!”

Bret smiled, “Even after you did; I still loved you. That should tell you something.” Angel held on to Bret and felt her tears. He held her tight and they remained in that position for a while. Finally, Bret said, “Why didn’t they go and do this themselves?”

“You saw what the original Admiral Arvolo speculated about time travel?” Bret nodded. “Well, my father feared that if the change was made from a point in the future, a parallel universe would be created at the exact moment the Ninja left and the original universe would continue without change.”

Bret nodded, “So one Universe would exist with Earth destroyed and the other would have whatever change happens as a result of our actions.”

“Exactly. However, if we do it now, Earth has not been destroyed and both universes would have a living Earth if a parallel universe happens.”

“That causes a problem, Angel.”

“What is that?”

“If our current universe continues, we will have to face the events that led to Earth’s destruction. If the change we cause is minor, then a parallel universe won’t form. The End result could be the same.” Bret sighed and said, “However, what we’re planning is major! I don’t see how causing a parallel universe could be avoided.”

Angel shook her head, “I don’t know if it will work. Trying to figure it out will drive both of us crazy. We have to do it.”

“How do you want to do it?”

“You will maintain the field and I’ll take the Rover through.”

Bret nodded and said, “Are you sure you want to do this?” Angel took a deep breath and nodded. Bret sighed, “I’ll power up the reactors; you should move the Rover into the landing bay.” Angel started to leave and Bret said, “I do have one question.” Angel stopped and looked at him. “According to the Union’s history, the Ninja was lost with a Jenze named Zack.”

“It was. However, another was already built and it replaced the one that was lost. After the war with the Red Civilization ended, this technology was outlawed by the Union and Colonies.”

“Then why wasn’t this ship destroyed?”

Angel smiled, “When peace is declared, you should always have a gun put away in safe keeping.”

Bret smiled and nodded, “Against a day like this one.”

“Exactly right.” Angel turned and left the bridge to move the Rover on board. Bret went to the command chair and started flipping switches. He smiled and thought, “It looks like people in the past were infatuated with toggles.” A deep vibration started that he could feel in the console. After ten minutes it disappeared along with the humming sound that permeated the bridge. He smiled again at the old technology and Angel said, “What’s so funny?”

He turned and saw her entering the bridge and said, “When people say we don’t build them like we used to.”

“Yes.”

“I always thought they meant they built them better in the past.”

“So?”

“I was wrong.” Angel laughed and went to the chair beside Bret and buckled in. Bret pressed the only button on his primary panel and the door to the cave began rising. The Ninja’s gravity compensators whined and the ship rose and moved out of the entrance. Bret looked at Angel, “This one won’t handle like a Jukebox.”

Angel nodded, “Let us pray it won’t have to.” Bret nodded and the Ninja accelerated away from the moon and then disappeared.

• • •

Dizzy sat in the command chair on the Wellington’s bridge and heard, “Commodore, I have a transmission coming in from Commodore Grest.”

“Put it on my panel.”

Dizzy looked at her panel and saw Angel’s brother. “I understand that a strange Jukebox Battleship arrived at your location.”

Dizzy was surprised that piece of information had made it back to Grest. “Yes, one did appear and Angel went to meet with the ship’s commander.”

“Where did my sister go, Commodore Banks?”

Dizzy struggled with how to handle the question but decided to play it coy. Dizzy smiled, “Are you accustomed to questioning the Admiral’s actions, Commodore? If we’re allowed to do that, I think I’m really going to enjoy working here. I didn’t know I would have that much authority.”

Grest’s expression underwent a series of changes. “No, I do not question the Admiral’s actions. I just heard the ship wasn’t like any ship in the fleet.”

“The Admiral didn’t tell me where she was going but perhaps that ship is a Union State Secret and she’s going to see its capabilities in the colonies. I think information about it should not be shared.”

Grest thought about it and nodded, “You’re right. I’ll issue orders that all information about it will be kept secret.”

Dizzy smiled, “I think that would be wise. I’ll issue the order on the Wellington.” Grest nodded and the display went dark. Dizzy stared at the display and shook her head. “I hope Angel knows what she’s doing.”

• • •

The Ninja arrived at the coordinates given them by the future Bret and oriented toward a distant galaxy. “I’m going to extend the fields to collect light. I wonder how they knew this was the correct place.”

“The sermon being sent on the Rust Civilizations Holy Planet always starts with the time that has passed since the original Chosen met with the Deity.”

Bret’s eyes narrowed, “I didn’t pay attention to that.” He looked at Angel, “How were they able to collect all the recordings of what happened?”

“I’m sure my father assigned a large number of advanced probes for them to use to follow what happened. Knowing you, I’m sure you assigned quite a few of them to follow me wherever I went.”

Bret smiled, “You know me too well.”

“I’m also sure Jillian also sent a large number to follow Mark.”

“What are you going to do about that?”

“I’ll handle it when we get back.”

They sat on the Ninja waiting for the light from the Chosen’s Galaxy to be found. Bret looked at Angel, “I’m amazed at this technology. Chris and Jillian Connor were so far ahead of Earth’s science when they invented this.”

Angel nodded, “It was a ship like this that went back in time and found the technology Earth had to have to survive the Moet’s attack. Now their invention is needed to try and save Earth again.”

“This is still dangerous technology.”

“I know. But where would we be if we don’t use it?”

Bret looked at Angel and shrugged as he said, “We’d be dead.”

Angel sighed, “We might still be dead at the hands of the Blue Civilization.”

Bret looked back out of the viewport, “Our chances are better against them.”

Angel nodded, “I hope you’re right.”

• • •

Two hours later they heard a ping. “We’re receiving the light that left the target a hundred and twenty six thousand, seven hundred and eight years ago.”

Angel watched the panel and saw a planet. “Focus us in on the surface.” The view of the planet moved in and they saw the central continent growing in size. “Move the view more to the left.”

“I know, give me a moment.” The view moved and after ten minutes they saw a small rose colored structure in the middle of a plain next to a huge forest. Bret said, “That’s it.”

Angel nodded, “We’ve arrived before the meeting actually happened so we’re going to have to accelerate into the light until we find what we want.”

Bret nodded and the Ninja started moving forward. The planet started rotating at an incredible speed and the computer received the images and began processing them.

“What if it happens when the building is on the other side of the planet?”

Angel looked at Bret and tilted her head left, “According to the sermon, the Chosen sat outside that structure for more than six weeks teaching the Herd. The computer has been programmed to search for that as well.”

“How long do you think this is going to take?”

Angel blew out a breath, “If the sermon is accurate, it shouldn’t take very long. It’s all automated so you might want to take a break and stretch your legs. Things will happen fast once we find what we’re looking for.”

Bret nodded and stood up. He stretched and raised his arms toward the ceiling. Angel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled and lowered his arms around her, “Now this is what I call a nice break.”

“Get used to it.” Angel raised her face and Bret tenderly kissed her.

• • •

Two days later they were in the small kitchen having breakfast when the alarms went off. Angel jumped up and beat Bret to the bridge, “It’s showtime.”

Bret jumped in his chair and stopped the Ninja. He rewound the computer’s recording six days and brought the rose colored building into focus. They stared at the monitor and saw a single light brown colored being walk up to the building and stop. A door opened and the being fell back two steps. It appeared to be listening to something and then it walked forward and entered the door. Bret said, “The sermon appears to be quite accurate. It also states that the Chosen stayed in the building for two weeks. We’re right where we need to be.”

“How long before he emerges?”

Bret looked at the panel and said, “Tomorrow.”

Angel smiled and said, “I’m going in, in the morning.” Bret nodded.

• • •

The next morning, Angel extended the field Jillian had invented and saw a green energy field form above the planet directly above the small building. “You have the controls.” Bret nodded and locked in the fields. He had to keep them stable for Angel to make it back. Angel stood up and said, “This planet doesn’t have space travel, yet. They’re still a primitive culture. You shouldn’t be worried while I’m on the planet.”

Bret nodded, “Just get it done and get back. I don’t want to have anything go wrong with this ancient technology.”

Angel nodded and ran to the landing bay. She belted a blaster holster around her waist and boarded the Rover. She exited the Ninja and flew through the green field. She flew at high speed through the atmosphere and landed a hundred yards from the structure and walked out of the port and sat down. She saw a large group of the local inhabitants more than two miles away and hoped they would stay away until this was over. She sat down in the grass and leaned back against the hull of the Rover. She stared at the rose colored building and waited. Two hours later, the light brown colored being came out and sat down on the ground. Angel stood up and walked toward the being who was the first Chosen.