stopped eating. “I think my main reason for existing is to do exactly that, explode that particle. I think your parents were brought together to have you so that this process could happen.”
“I didn’t see that, Cassie. What do you mean?”
Cassandra shook her head to clear it and said, “I think our universe was started by someone just like me in another universe. They deliberately exploded that particle and our universe started. I can feel the particle calling to me. It is ready to start a new one. I had to have you in order for my psychic power to develop. Like us, I think that particle is ready.”
“Cassie, that would destroy our universe; you can’t allow that to happen.”
“I’m not feeling that, Tommy. I think that it would start a different universe from ours. I’m not ready to actually do it, but I think that when the time comes, I will know what to do.”
Tommy paused, “So there is a creator that made our universe.”
“No, not like that; the creator created a system that provides the means to recreate itself. That creator is much larger than I can encompass in my mind. Someone like me is made to start the process as each universe matures but I couldn’t do it until I found the trigger to release my psychic skills. Only after that trigger and I reach equilibrium can the process start. I can sense that it is a very difficult thing to make happen. The first and probably the most important step we just accomplished with our melding. Do you feel differently now.”
“Yes, Cassie; I love you with my heart and mind. It is no longer driven by physical impulses alone.”
Cassie looked at Tommy for a moment and said, “I hope the physical impulses are in good working order. I’m fighting hard not to jump you right now.”
Tommy smiled and said, “It’s good to have impulses. However, we have a ship to prepare to go talk with a bee. Have you thought about how we want to do that?”
“Yes I have but we’re going to have to go interrupt the kids. I want to talk with the Captors on an electronic frequency and not telepathically.”
“Why do you want to do it that way?”
“It will allow us to see if the Captors are trustworthy.” She lifted her com and said, “Ensign Johns, how many sensor buoys are there on the Kosiev.”
“Just a moment,” Linda Kay said. “We have ninety six.”
Cassie looked at Tommy and said, we have a lot of work ahead of us before we can make contact. Will you ask Mikado to bring us a shipment of five hundred more sensors immediately? When he’s ready to deliver them, we’ll give him our coordinates.”
“What are you planning?”
“A rather large shell game,” Cassie answered.
Tommy immediately understood what she was going to do, “I think we might have a few dizzy bees before this is over.”
Cassie smiled, “You think.”
Lt. Edward Jones was standing in the landing bay surrounded by ninety six sensor buoys. He was listening to Captain Dodd explain what she wanted done. The two Algean adolescents were listening attentively. I thought we would just take the Kosiev to all of the sites for these buoys but you can teleport them right from this landing bay can’t you, Sprig.”
“Sure, if you have the coordinates you want to send them.”
“Each of these buoys has a specific transmission frequency. Mr. Jones, I want you to number each one of these buoys from one to ninety six and I want a list of their operating frequencies put on a list matching their designated number. Call your crew in and get busy.”
“Aye, aye, Sir,” and Ed turned and began issuing orders to his team.
“Sprig and Twig, I want to teleport each of these buoys directly opposite of each other in relation to the Captors planet. Picture their planet in the middle of a large box. Send the first buoy to the bottom right corner of the box as far away as possible from the planet but still in range of transmissions. Send the second buoy to the top left hand corner. Send the third to the bottom left hand corner and the fourth to the top right hand corner.”
Twig said, “You’re trying to make sure no two consecutive buoys are anywhere near each other.”
“Exactly, and we want as much distance as possible from the planet. Go to the longest distance our sensors can transmit to the Captors planet. If they destroy one buoy then the next buoy will be on the other side of the galaxy from them.”
“Well, actually we can put them in different star systems or out in empty space outside their galaxy,” Sprig said.
“Now you’re getting it,” Cassandra said.
“Ok, we’ve got the coordinates for the buoys,” Twig said.
Cassandra started and said, “That fast.”
Twig said, “Captain, don’t be sarcastic. We took four seconds. We’re sorry it took so long but we thought about putting one of them inside the atmosphere of that gas giant. We think that they won’t see us do it because they won’t be looking there and the storms will mask the buoy.”
“What a great idea; see if it works. If the Captors see it and destroy it, we will take it off the list and skip it in our transmissions,” Cassandra then said loudly to everyone in the landing bay, “Oh, and one more thing.” Edward and the adolescents looked at her and Cassandra said, “Admiral Mikado is delivering five hundred more in an hour. Please do the same with them.”
Ed’s team moaned at having to move so many buoys; Twig said, “I’ve got your coordinates, Captain.” Cassandra laughed out loud.
“Twig looked at Sprig and thought, “What’s so funny?”
Sprig shrugged and thought, “Lt. Jones must have made her laugh.”
The bridge of the Kosiev was almost crowded. The two adolescents were standing beside Tommy’s chair which was slightly above and to the left of Cassandra’s command chair. Tommy said, I think we are ready; are the buoys all placed and checked out?”
Wes said, “Yes, Your Majesty, we’ve sent a beam to each and they all responded.”
Tommy looked at Cassandra and said, “Are you comfortable transmitting from them telepathically?”
“I learned how to do it from Atlas. He does it electronically but it isn’t that much harder to just do it with my mind. I’m certain that they cannot track telepathy. Wes, I want you to record all of our transmissions. I am going to say out loud what I’m thinking to the buoys. I’m ready if you are, Duke Gardner.”
Tommy thought to her, Oh, so now you’re calling me formal names. You didn’t do that when you were hugging me thirty minutes ago.”
Cassandra couldn’t help herself and smiled at the thought, “We must maintain the discipline of titles on board ship, especially for one as important as you.”
“I’d be careful if I were you; you’ll soon be a duchess yourself.”
Cassandra took a quick breath. She turned around and looked at Tommy and he was smiling at her. She turned back around and faced her display with a red face but felt her heart was singing. “He wants to marry me,” she thought. “He wants to marry me.”
“I was thinking about doing one more thing, Captain Dodd.”
Cassandra turned around and looked at him quizzically.
“Do you think we could mask the ship like you did with Earth?”
“Sure, a ship is easier,” she said.
“Then I want you to jump in to these coordinates once you start transmitting.”
Cassandra looked at the coordinates and smiled. “You do have a way of making a point, Your Majesty.”
Cassandra closed her eyes and outside the viewport of the Kosiev a dark mist began to form; suddenly, the Kosiev disappeared. She handed the coordinates to Twig and said, “Teleport the ship to this location when I raise my hand.”
Twig looked at the location and said, “Standing by, Captain.”
Cassandra leaned forward and triggered the first buoy then closed her eyes and began speaking her transmissions.
The First Male was checking the status of the nexus to see if a watcher could use it when he heard an electronic transmission, “I would like to talk with the leader of the red ships.”
The First Male sent a message to five hundred ships and ordered them to follow the trail of the transmission
