to its source and destroy it. The five hundred ships began jumping out from the planet on the line of the transmission separating themselves by one light year between each of them. The transmission then said, “You may know me as the one who killed five of your ships at the planet in the new system you are moving to occupy.”
The First Male turned angry and said, “Have you found it?”
“Yes, we have it is just a primitive electronic buoy hanging in space.”
“Track it back from where it came,” the First Male ordered.
“There are no tracks, First Male.” One of the ships destroyed the buoy.
Cassandra keyed the next buoy. “I’m going to offer you one chance to talk with me and if you refuse then we will assume that it is destruction you intend for us and we will respond accordingly.”
Now the First Male saw the track coming from a different direction opposite of the first one. He ordered five hundred more ships to go. He decided to give them time by communicating with whoever was speaking. He sent a message on the same frequency, “Who are you.”
Tommy tilted his head and shrugged at Cassandra. “We are the race that lived on the planet you destroyed when you moved to our fifth planet.”
“Obviously, we didn’t get all of you.” The second buoy stopped broadcasting.
Cassandra keyed the third, “No, however you were coldblooded when you systematically killed every settlement in the system.”
The First Male dispatched five hundred more ships. “They were close to our home.”
“That system was our home and you destroyed it with no attempt to see if we represented any danger to you.” The third buoy stopped and Cassandra keyed the fourth.
The First Male said, “It doesn’t matter, it was now our home and you were too close.”
The conversation continued as the Captors destroyed the buoys and Cassandra keyed a new one after each buoy’s destruction. “It sounds like you do not regard anyone as having the right to live except yourselves.”
“The First Male said, “You can survive as much as you want as long as you don’t intrude on us.”
“But you can intrude on us and that is fine in your view.”
“Certainly, it can be no other way.”
“What if we decided to destroy you for intruding on our space?”
“If you could do it you would have already done it.” Buoy two hundred stopped transmitting and Cassandra raised her hand and Twig threw the switch.
Suddenly the First Male saw the transmission coming directly from the planet under him. He sped down into the atmosphere and destroyed the buoy. He came back up to the construct and felt his first touch of fear. How did they get that buoy close to the planet without being seen?
“Perhaps there are races that are more tolerant than your own. I want you to think about what would have happened if that buoy you destroyed happened to be a black hole instead.”
With that the First Male jumped off the construct and began flying around the planet in attack mode. Finally he slowed down and said, “We will totally destroy you and everyone associated with you.”
“If you could do it you would have already done it,” Cassandra said.
The First Male was furious. His warriors were now attacking the broadcasting buoys without having to be ordered; buoy number three hundred and three stopped.
“How many races have you destroyed in your long history,” Cassandra asked.
“More than a million.”
“And you feel no remorse for that?”
“No, the eight legs would have killed all of them, we just did it first.”
Cassandra looked at Tommy and then said, “Eight legs?”
“They harvest this universe for intelligent life then move on to another universe. No civilization will live past them.”
Cassandra said, “You did.”
“Yes, but they can’t see us. Every other race is just food for them. Destroying other races means nothing; they would be killed any way eventually.”
Buoy four hundred and seventy nine stopped broadcasting. “There is one thing you have not considered in your point of view.”
The First Male said, “What is that?”
“We can see you.”
The five hundred and ninety sixth buoy was destroyed. The first male broadcast, “So what.”
Suddenly, the strange white ship materialized next to the construct and he heard in his mind, “This is your last warning. If you want peace, we will discuss it, however, if you attack us, we will move to destroy you.”
Ten thousand ships rushed toward the intruder and the First Male saw black balls fly from the hull of the ship and start hitting the ships rushing in. The giant red ships that were hit by one of those balls stopped dead still and imploded into nothingness. All ten thousand ships were vaporized into seconds, not even dust remained. Then he heard, you have the frequency to contact us. If it’s war you want, we are ready to bring it to you. You have one revolution of the planet below you to contact us.” The intruder disappeared from the planet as a million ships rushed at it.
The First Male did not know if they left out of fear of that many ships or because of their agreement. The uncertainty of which one it was unnerved him. Then he could not help himself, his instinct drove him to fly around looking for the intruder. How stupid of the strange ship, they must think that he had a choice about attacking. That action was reflex; he could not do anything else. It was ingrained into his genes over millions of years of selective breeding. Anyone or thing that came near or even knew about the nest must be destroyed. That ship must be found and eliminated.
Tommy looked over at Wes and said, “Did you record both ends of the conversation?”
“Yes Sir, I did.”
“Sprig, what do you think about Captain Dodd’s idea of dropping a black hole on their planet?”
“It’s a great idea. How are you going to do it?”
Tommy looked at him and said, “Just like you dropped the buoy; teleport it in.”
Sprig leaned forward to show his discomfort and then said, “I’m afraid we can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because sending a black hole big enough to cause any damage to the planet would disrupt the field before it could go through. The gravity from it would cause the field to collapse.”
“Well, it was a good idea while it lasted. When do you and Twig want to start working on converting a megaship?”
“Where are the ships,” Twig asked?”
“They are waiting for you at the learning facility.”
“We’re on our way,” and they adolescents left the bridge.
The conference was a large one. All the major leaders were present and many of the Realm’s elected officials were present. This one was being done in person and the conference room at the Government Center on Ross was full. Only the ones on the raised dais were allowed to speak during the conference but many of the assembled crowd didn’t care. This was history being made.
Tommy had just completed playing the recording of the conversation with the first male and the room was silent. Rose said, “Did they answer?”
Cassandra said, “We have received no transmission.”
“I wish I could be certain of their answer,” Rose said.
Tommy said, “That’s easy enough to find out.” Rose and all the other attendees looked at him. Tommy lifted his com and said, Lt. McAnn, please transport the buoy now.” Tommy looked back at rose and said, “I’ve just teleported a buoy five light years from their home world. Captain Dodd, if you will ask for their answer.”
Cassandra talked as she thought to the buoy. “I am trying to speak with the leader of the red ships. We have not received an answer from you.” Almost immediately the buoy stopped transmitting.
“Well, that didn’t take long, they found that buoy in less than a minute,” Tommy said.
Rose said, “Then its war to the death. Unfortunately, the only weapon we have to use is the Kosiev.”
“Perhaps,” Tommy said, “however the adolescents think that they can produce more ships like the Kosiev and I’ve learned not to bet against their hunches.”
