Annihilation - Tommy's Tale (Annihilation Series (Book Four)) (11 page)

“Outstanding. Let’s get out of here.”

The Alonso Singh arrived two hours after all of Captain Dodd’s crew was transported to the facility. It broke back into normal space more than a light year from the facility to find the shuttles from the Kosiev waiting for them. The passengers were instructed to board the shuttles and to take their baggage. As they gathered in the landing bay of the transport, Admiral O’Donald entered and told them that they would be informed about the mission in the morning, however, they had a learning assignment that evening in their rooms that they would be tested on in the morning. She encouraged them to get to work. She covered the suspension of military courtesies during training and told them to get their room assignments from the instructors waiting for them at the learning facility.”

The passengers boarded the shuttles and were jumped right next to the school. Their windows were blacked out so no one could see the Kosiev as they entered. The passengers noted the lack of personnel in the hallways but went to their rooms and began studying.

Linda Kay unpacked and put Wes’ picture beside her bed. She cried for a while then dried her tears and sat down to study. “What kind of weapon control board is this,” She wondered? The needle magazine was mounted inside the wall of the ship and there was no port to fire through. There was also a control for sensors that were also located inside the walls. “How can sensors work inside walls?”

Wes was studying his material when his entry chime rang. He got up and opened his door. Sprig was standing there. “I’m sorry to interrupt your study 3D but I have a situation that after careful consideration, I feel you are the best qualified to assist me before I cause more trouble. Will you please come help me?”

Wes knew that careful consideration from an Algean meant that he had better go quickly with him because if Sprig needed help then disaster was not far away. He followed Sprig as he moved quickly thru the ship. What have you done this time, Sprig?”

Sprig kept moving and thought to him, “I’ve actually discovered a situation that I don’t think anyone else but you at the facility can help me resolve.”

“Sprig, I’m a sensor officer. What have you done to the sensors?”

Sprig stopped in front of a door and rang the entry chime. Wes stood beside Sprig and said, “Do you need someone else to help?”

The door opened and there was Linda Kay looking at them. Wes thought his heart stopped beating; Linda Kay lost her breath. That moment seemed to last forever but was actually less than a second. They reached for each other and held on tight. Wes had his eyes closed and Linda Kay was crying. Sprig thought to Wes, “I told you that in my carefully considered opinion that you were the only one on board that could handle this situation.”

Linda Kay held on to Wes like he was life itself. Wes said back to Sprig, “This makes up for any trouble you caused me. You have brought me a hundred fold more happiness than the pain from our little incident.”

Sprig’s leaves turned bright green showing his happiness and said, “Thank you, 3D.”

Linda Kay backed away so she could see Wes’ face and said, “What little incident and “3D”?”

Wes laughed and said, “I’m sure you’ll hear about it later but I want you to hear this; I love you to the bottom of my heart and I want you to marry me.”

Linda Kay reached up and softly kissed Wes. Then she said, “Who needs a big wedding? Captain Dodd can perform the ceremony tomorrow.” They stepped inside Linda Kay’s cabin and the door quietly shut.”

Sprig walked back to the library taking what he had just sensed from Wes and Linda Kay. Their emotions were complex and Sprig felt somewhat jealous of their joy. “I wish I could experience what they have,” he thought and then entered the library to continue his download with Twig.

Twig thought to him, “That was beautiful, Sprig,” then she continued her learning while Sprig separated a tiny part of his mind to think about what he had just experienced.

The twelve hundred selected to take part in the mission were assembled in the auditorium at the learning facility after all the students had completed their test on the material studied the night before. Now it was three in the afternoon facility time and they were quietly speculating among themselves what they were going to be doing when Tommy walked in and stood behind the podium. The crowd immediately grew silent. Tommy looked out at the smartest and most talented of the Stars Realm’s services. He thought about what he was going to say and then began, “I want to welcome each of you to our facility and thank you for your participation. I had originally decided to only tell you a limited amount of the classified information about what we are doing here but after careful consideration I have rejected that idea.” Tommy walked out from behind the podium and looked out at the group and said, “There is a real possibility that we could precipitate a war between the Stars Realm and an advanced civilization that is hundreds of millions of years ahead of us technologically.” The room grew still and everyone tried to comprehend the magnitude of what they had just heard. “Originally my efforts were directed at freeing a race that has been held captive for more than sixty million years. However, as most of you know, my family is somewhat gifted in psychic ability and we have sensed that even if we decide not to attempt that liberation, the advanced race in question is going to be a danger to our citizens in the future. We have even determined that the danger is somewhat diminished by moving forward with my project. Please keep that in mind as we discuss what we are up against.

Captain Dodd watched Tommy speak and was impressed with the maturity that he exhibited. She never saw his fine qualities when she was at the Academy making his life miserable. She could now see that he was someone she could follow into battle without reservation and know that the cause was just and worth risking her life. She couldn’t help herself; she was drawn and attracted to this young Duke.

Tommy paused and looked out at the audience for affect and then said, “One of the mysteries of our civilization is why an advanced race totally disappeared from the universe millions of years ago; no one has been able to explain why the Alfont disappeared so suddenly from history’s stage. Now we know. This race totally eradicated them and captured more than a million of them and imprisoned them. My father found the only Alfont that survived their attack and he is assisting us in trying to free his brothers.” The room was suddenly filled with exclamations from the assembly. Tommy stood and waited without attempting to silence them. After fifteen minutes the room grew quiet. Tommy said, “My father met that survivor on the moon and named him Atlas. He chose that name because he had the earth over his shoulders, metaphorically speaking for more than sixty million years while he hid from the captors that killed his race. During that time he would go out and put his DNA in some of the higher life forms that were developing on the planets in our galaxy during that period. He is the father of most, if not all, of the races that became the Alliance of Worlds.”

This was something that Captain Dodd had not been told and by looking at Sten and Admiral O’Donald she could tell that this was something that they did not know either. She turned her attention back to Tommy.

“I often wondered what Atlas’ race did to cause their destruction and he shared that information with me recently. One of his brothers simply entered their home system on a routine jump. This caused their total destruction.” The crowd grew noisy again and once more Tommy waited. Finally the room was quiet again. “I know what you’re thinking; why don’t we just avoid these creatures all costs and keep our distance?” Tommy saw that he had hit a nerve and there were some guilty faces in the crowd. “My family and I thought about doing just that by quarantining their section of the universe. Our combined psychic senses told us that that is the path that is most dangerous. We don’t know why but we know it to be true. Atlas is of the opinion that if he reveals what he knows about these creatures, then they will know it and come looking for us. He believes that they can sense every electronic event that happens in our universe. Quite frankly, I’m not going to run the risk of seeing if he’s wrong. Once that Alfont ship accidently entered their home system, every Alfont in the universe regardless of where they were had one of those creatures jump in directly to their location and attack them. It took more than a hundred years to kill them because the Alfont outnumbered their attackers. Atlas was able to escape strictly through luck and a timely act of God. He hid from them fearing that they would sense him.”

Tommy moved back behind the Podium and said, “In order for me to help him, I have to know what he knows and I have to find out without endangering the Realm. We know that all those creatures had to do to destroy the Alfont was just sense one of their ships and then they could see any ship like that one in all the galaxies. We cannot let them sense us in a ship that would allow them to see the Realm. It requires a ship that is unique and unlike any ship in the Stars Realm’s fleet. There is only one ship that meets that requirement, the Alexander Kosiev. You will be learning how to fly and fight that ship during your training here. If we are to be successful against this dangerous civilization, we must discover some technological breakthroughs that would allow us to survive their attack. That is why you were brought here. What we are attempting is dangerous and could get us all killed. I sensed before I started speaking to you that you should have a choice before risking your life. If anyone chooses not to participate in this operation, you will be allowed to return to your previous assignment with the understanding that if you reveal anything you have heard today you will be court marshaled and executed. This is information that we cannot allow to destroy the harmony of the Realm. That is why you have not been allowed any communication with anyone other than those present. I will give you thirty minutes to decide what you want to do. If you choose to take part, then report back to this auditorium in thirty minutes. Those who do not report will be shipped back to their previous assignments. Thank you for your attention, dismissed.”

No one moved. The entire assembly sat there thinking about what they had just heard and knew that there was real danger in this mission. After fifteen minutes, Wes stood and said, “You highness, we’re wasting fifteen minutes of precious time when we could be learning how to kick the groad out of those captors.” Wes turned around and faced the assembly and said, “Anyone else feel like me?”

The entire room stood and cheered. They turned to their fellow crewmates and began shaking their hands. The crew shared a vision. Tommy stood from his chair and said, “Just one more thing.” The crowd remained standing and grew very quiet, “Why don’t you say hello, Atlas?”
From the intercom a voice said, “I am moved in a way that I can never express to you. Regardless of the outcome of our adventure, I know that I have a family here that means as much to me as my captured brothers. Thank you, thank you for sharing my journey.”

The assembly broke into cheers again and continued for twenty minutes. Tommy stood again and said, “Well, we lost the fifteen minutes; report to you assigned class rooms and let’s get to work.” The room emptied in less than five minutes.

Tommy watched Wes and Linda Kay approach Captain Dodd when the meeting ended. He walked off the stage to welcome Linda Kay and heard Wes say to Captain Dodd, “Captain, we would like to request that you marry us at your earliest possible convenience.”

Captain Dodd looked at the two of them and said, “Wes, your family will insist on a wedding at Castle Gardner. I don’t know that I have the authority to do what you’re asking.”

Tommy looked at Wes and Linda Kay and could feel what they were experiencing. He was almost overwhelmed by what he sensed in them. He looked at his best friend and said, “Who is going to be your best man?”

Wes looked at Tommy and said. “I thought you were psychic.”

Captain Dodd was worried about the situation but when she heard Wes’ comment to Tommy she burst out laughing. It struck her funny and she couldn’t restrain herself. She doubled over and finally caught her breath and said, “I’ll marry you. I can look at you and see that not to do that is a greater wrong than worrying about politics. Who will be the maid of honor?”

While Captain Dodd was talking with the happy couple, Tommy thought, “Rose.”

“Yes, Tommy.”

“Wes and Linda Kay have just asked Captain Dodd to marry them.”

“Oh Crap,” Rose thought. “Leila, come in here right now”

Tommy closed his eyes and watched as Leila entered the room. “Leila, Wes has just asked Captain Dodd to marry him and Linda Kay. She has agreed to do so.”

Leila said, “Now without Eric and me, she won’t.”

“Tommy, you’ve got to stop them.”

“I can’t, I’m the best man.”

“Then I’ll stop them,” Rose said.

“Bunny, there has never been a time I’ve said no to you but this time I will not allow you to intervene. Before you do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life, I want you to look at their thoughts and share them with Leila.”

“Tommy, that’s not ethical.”

“I think it is. Please do as I’ve asked,”

Rose was silent for a minute and then Tommy heard Leila say, “Oh, crap. They had better be married before they leave the room. Tommy, we’ll be there in the morning. Can you hold them off that long?”