“Then now may be the best time to show you what I know about the Captors,” Atlas said.
Tommy looked at Cassandra and then said, “Twig, Sprig, I want you to store what you see here and be prepared to send it to the crew of the Kosiev at a later time.”
Atlas said, “I’ll show it on the wall monitor.” The wall monitor came and it showed the view of a huge gas giant planet with a construction that covered most of the equator of the planet. On the construct were thousands of red lights. Atlas said, “This is what my brother saw as he broke into normal space in this system. Now watch what happens.”
Suddenly the planet looked like it exploded with hundreds of thousands of red lights that swarmed in all directions with a hundred of them coming directly at the ship recording the video. One of the red lights appeared beside the ship and the video showed that it was a ship more than eighteen hundred miles in diameter. A beam shot out from the giant ship and the video stopped abruptly. “Those giant ships scattered throughout the universe and pursued all of the ships of my race,” Atlas said. “We could not out run them and their energy weapons went through our screens like they were non-existent. We were able to determine that the creatures inside those giant ships were similar to us. They were part of the structure of their ship, however, where we have physical DNA in our ship’s structure, they are made of electrical energy.”
Cassandra said, “You’re saying that they are an electrical energy life form?”
“That’s exactly what they are.”
Tommy said, “Then we will call then eels or even better Captors.”
Sprig said, “Good choice for a name. I’m not sure what it is but when they exploded away from the planet, they reminded me of something I’ve seen before.”
Twig said, “They look like wasps leaving a nest to attack an encroacher.”
Tommy said, “No, not wasps.” Everyone looked at him and he said, “Wasps will only chase you a short distance from their nest and then turn and go back. These creatures are like bees or hornets. They will chase you and never give up. It makes me think that before they became energy that their race was probably some form of insect. What has me troubled is that Rose, my parents, and I all sense that it doesn’t matter what we do, they are a danger to us. Avoid them, hunt them, run from them; it doesn’t matter.” Tommy paused and then said, “Atlas, Rose looked at that planet years ago and there was no response when she did. I’m going to look and see what they are doing now. I’ll let all of you look at what I see.”
Atlas said, “You might want to move to some other location further away from your home galaxy before you do that.”
Tommy thought for a moment and said, “You’re right. We will wait to see until after the crew is trained on the Kosiev.”
“There is one more item,” Sprig said. Tommy and Cassandra looked at each other briefly and sprig continued, “When you and Captain Dodd were dancing, Twig and I were somehow affected mentally.”
Tommy said, “What do you mean?”
“All of the information we have been storing was reoriented in both of us. The reason we were able to connect you and the energy readings was due to this change. We can see things we have not been able to grasp before. Both of us have changed radically.”
Tommy thought for a moment and said, “Have you two ever exchanged information?”
Twig said, “Sure, we discuss things every day.”
“I don’t mean discuss; have you ever actually absorbed what the other has in their storage?”
The two plants didn’t move. “Are you alright?” Cassandra asked.
Twig said, “I don’t know if anyone in our history has done that. I don’t know what the effect would be on us but it would be like putting an entirely different being in your consciousness. There is a possibility of being overwhelmed by the one you store.”
Tommy looked at the two Algeans and pondered Twigs answer. “Well, I can’t ask you to take that kind of risk. I just wondered what your perspectives would be if you could see everything from the other’s point of reference. Thanks for your help on the energy problem; we will comply with your request about avoiding contact.”
Cassie thought to Tommy, “It’s odd that when we avoided being around each other that it was easy to do just that; now it’s a severe pain to know I can’t let you hold me.”
Tommy looked at her and answered, “I would say you have no idea how much it hurts but I suspect you can see it in me.” Cassie looked at Tommy and nodded. Tommy saw her nod and thought, “We can still be together in our minds.”
Cassie smiled ruefully at him, “It’s not enough; not near enough.”
“I know.”
The accident happened as Rose was dedicating one of the newest megaships that had just been completed at the Bergrend ship yard. The new ship was named the SR Megaship Tony Chen and Rose had just addressed the huge crowd gathered for its launch. A heavy hauler was leaving the rear of the huge ship having just unloaded its stores for the commissary when the driver suffered a heart attack and lost consciousness. He slumped forward and pushed the accelerator rod completely down. The hauler accelerated forward and hit the central support for the ship.
Rose saw the truck accelerate into the support and could see that without the support the ship was going to roll out of its cradle. The crowd gathered was going to be directly in the path of the rolling ship. The crowd saw the ship shift and began toppling toward them; a panic ensued with screams and people running over each other. Rose looked at the ship and thought, “Stop!” The huge ship stopped in mid roll and remained stationary. Rose was amazed. There was no possible way she could have stopped that ship with her mind. She had learned early in life the limitations of her telekinetic skills; but there the ship stayed halfway out of its cradle. Rose looked at the ship and mentally pictured it moving back into the cradle and the ship turned back over and stayed in the front and rear supports. The port manager yelled over his com, “Get some jacks under the ship now.”
Rose looked at the manager and asked, “Is the crew on board?”
The manager looked at her and said, “Yes they are but I imaging they are pretty shook up by what just happened.”
Rose looked at the ship again and thought, “Rise.”
The Ship smoothly lifted from the cradle and began moving up into the afternoon sky. It disappeared in three minutes.”
The port manager listened to his com and said, “Captain Miller has just let me know that the crew has the engines on line and are in control of the ship.”
Rose released the Megaship and saw the port manager looking at her with a strange look. “The Captain tells me that the ship was more than six thousand miles above the planet when he gained control. How did that ship lift off with no power?”
Rose looked at him and said, “I don’t understand how it happened but let’s be thankful it did.”
The port manager nodded but he still had that look on his face as Rose left to board her shuttle. “This has to be connected to my aura growing at Wes’ wedding,” Rose thought. She contacted her parents and said, “Will you please meet me at the Castle as soon as possible. I have something to discuss with you.”
Chapter 10
Rose watched as Tgon-Gee entered her office. The huge Glod Crown Prince came forward and bowed to his queen. “How may I be of service, Your Majesty?”
“I’ve called you here because I have some questions and I’m sending you on a mission,” Rose said. “I saw the aura around my brother and Captain Dodd through your eyes and the aura extended beyond the room. I need you to go see how big their auras are now.”
Tgon-Gee pondered what he was being asked and said, “Has something happened?”
Rose considered being evasive but knew that this was one warrior that she knew she could trust. “There was an accident at the space port and I lifted a megaship more than five thousand miles into the atmosphere to save the people that were about to be crushed. I did it with my mind.” Tgon-Gee’s eyes widened and Rose continued, “In
