kin.”
Rose thought to him, “Let me know when you’re ready,” and she broke the connection.
Sprig and Twig were standing in the main library on Ross looking at the history books. They had just finished consuming the “History of The Human and Alliance of Worlds Conflict” that was written by Sten. Sprig said, “That was an interesting time, Twig. I wish we had been able to see it.”
Twig thought a moment and said, “Me, too. I was greatly impressed with the human military leader Admiral Kosiev. He was a remarkable individual.”
“Yes, he was; it’s a shame he lost his life saving that Stars Realm Fleet from our attack.”
Twig was silent for a moment and then said, “I know you have the same thoughts I have about a possibility of what happened when his ship was destroyed.”
Sprig shook for a moment showing his surprise. “I didn’t know you had seen that thought. I just have these fantasies occasionally and I was wondering what the great Admiral was like. I just wondered if there was a chance he could still be alive.”
Twig leaned in close to Sprig and said, “I have run several simulations on my console and guess what they showed?”
Sprig looked at her for a long time and then said, “You can’t be serious. That was just a wild thought I had.”
“Well, my simulations show that there is a real possibility that what you thought might happen; could have actually happened.”
Sprig turned slightly yellow showing his stress and then said, “Ok, what do I do with this information?”
Twig raised her branches to the sides and said, “I really don’t know. Perhaps you should contact Tommy’s father.”
“Will you have your simulations available for him to see?”
“Certainly.”
Sprig thought a moment and then sent a thought, “Prince Gardner, do you have a moment to discuss an issue with me?”
Tag started and thought, “Hello Sprig. I’ll be glad to discuss anything you choose. Is it important?”
Sprig thought a moment and then thought, “Prince Gardner, Twig and I believe that a friend of yours might still be alive.”
Tag said nothing.
Twig then thought to him, “There is a real possibility that Admiral Alexander Kosiev might still be alive and we would like to discuss it with you.”
“Where are you right this moment,” Tag thought?
“We’re in the Ross main library,” Sprig thought, “However, we can come to you if that meets with your approval.”
“I’m in the map room in Castle Gardner. Please come as quickly as possible.”
Danielle ran into the map room looking for Tag, “What’s wrong, Tag? I sense your tension.”
Tag looked at Danielle and she immediately knew something major had just happened. He walked forward and took Danielle in his arms and held her close. “The adolescents have just told me that there is a real possibility that Alexander Kosiev may still be alive.”
Danielle was stunned speechless; all she could do was stare at Tag.
“I know, darling. I have no idea how it could possibly happen. If anyone else had told me I would dismiss it out of hand; but these adolescents know so much. Could it possibly be true?”
Danielle thought, “I don’t know, Dear. I don’t know.”
Tag, Danielle, Sprig, and Twig were sitting in the universal map room in Castle Gardner. They were gathered around the main display while Twig set up her simulations. Twig finally said, “I saw a thought in Sprig’s mind as we were melding about the possibility of Admiral Kosiev surviving the destruction of the Moscow. I thought it was an interesting concept so I studied the tapes of Moscow’s destruction and made a couple of assumptions and ran a simulation using those premises. Watch what would have happened on the bridge of the Moscow as the first anti- matter missiles hit.”
The video had a transparent hull around the bridge and as the first missile hit Twig froze the image. “I’m assuming that the skin of the Kosiev above the bridge has already absorbed the black holes and had been converted. I’m also assuming that the force of the blast exceeds that of a normal nuclear event.”
The video started again in slow motion and as the blast hit the hull of the Moscow it drove the floor of the bridge up into the ceiling of the bridge. Sprig said, “If the floor was driven up fast enough, then all of the bridge’s contents were sent into the new wall of the Kosiev. That wall was then blown away from the ship by the ensuing anti-matter explosions.”
Tag watched the simulation and said, “Are you saying that Kosiev is locked up in the wall of the Alexander Kosiev?”
“There is a good chance that it happened that way if our initial assumptions are accurate.”
Danielle looked at the Algeans and said, “How do we find out?”
The two Algeans looked at each other and Twig said, “Someone will have to go and see.”
Danielle looked at Tag and said, “Oh, no. You’re not going to do that.”
Tag looked at Danielle and then said to the adolescents, “Danielle and I were pushed into the wall of the Kosiev to remove Atlas’ links after the Eldest agreed to end the war. We were only there for a moment but it was an experience that neither of us would ever want to have again. It was like a universe that was totally grey and timeless. Rose says we were only in there for a minute but it felt like a week.”
Twig said, “The reason it felt so long was that there was actually no time passing inside the wall. It is a place outside the normal universe where the structures and rules don’t exist.”
Tag looked at Twig and asked, “Then if Alex is in there, how much time will have passed for him?”
Twig looked at Sprig and Sprig said, “None. It would seem like a long time but he would not have aged at all. No one that was on that bridge would have aged.”
Danielle looked startled and said, “What do you mean, “no one?”
“Well, if Admiral Kosiev was blown into the skin; then whoever else was on the bridge was also blown in.”
Danielle looked at Tag and said, “Tag, you know what it’s like in there. I don’t want to run the risk of losing you.”
Tag looked at Danielle and said, “Would he do it for me?”
Danielle lowered her head and said, “You know the answer to that. If you go, then I go.”
Twig said, “I’m not sure that is the best approach to solving this problem.”
Tag and Danielle both looked at him and said together, “Why?”
“Because who ever goes in will have to search for the possible survivors and we need someone that can reach the searcher and bring them back to the wall. Although the skin is only a few feet thick, it can contain entire galaxies inside it. Dimensions have no effect in that skin. Quite honestly, he may not be in there, and even if he is, you may not be able to find him.”
Tag was silent for five minutes; then he looked at Danielle and thought, “Tommy.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“I want you to bring the Kosiev to Ross immediately.”
Danielle looked at Tag and he could see her anguish. She remained quiet and decided that she didn’t care what everyone said; if he went into that wall, she was going with him. Tag didn’t need to hear her thoughts; he could see her determination.
Tommy could feel overtones in his father’s thoughts and said, “Do you mind if I inquire why you need us there?”
“Yes, I do mind. I’ll discuss it with you when you arrive.”
Tommy looked at Cassandra and noticed that she was listening in to his conversation. “We will be on our way in thirty minutes.”
Tommy looked at Cassandra and thought, “Something is up. Dad is bothered by something and it’s not something minor.”
“I sense you’re right. What are you going to do?”
