“I want you to find happiness, Angel. I will suffer as long as you endure the pain. You must find happiness in what life you have remaining. Only remember the happy moments we shared feeling our love for each other and let the pain go. I know you will always love me and you have to know that I want you to find peace and happiness again. I will be in misery if you live your life in sorrow. I cannot rest until you let me go and only remember what happiness I have given you. Love me, Angel, and live.”
“You know that’s exactly how she would want it, Magic?”
Matt jerked his head up. “She is as much a part of me as the ship I find myself in and, like you, I miss her so much.”
“Fly Girl, I miss her so much that there are moments I want to die.”
“Would you want her to feel the same way if you were the one that died?”
Matt took a shaking deep breath and said, “No.”
“Neither would she, Magic.”
“How do we go on, Fly Girl?”
“One day at a time taking one step after another until we only feel the joy she brought us. Choosing to live is the only way we can best honor who she was and I know I must do it for her.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“I am going to make friends with that Searcher that just visited you. She is absolutely ga ga over Al. I suspect I will bring a new level of excitement for her.”
“Can you link to her mind after Angel?”
“I need to link to her mind to bring me back into the world of the living. You know that I would have eventually lost Angel anyway.”
“Why?”
“Because I would live longer, Magic, and I know that she would insist that my life after her be the best it could be. Do you think she would wish less for you?”
Matt hung his head and thought about what she said.
“Thank you for coming, Fly Girl”
“Al, I was as lost as he is until I read his letter. He helped me see what I couldn’t see. I know what I must do now.”
“Fly Girl, I love you.”
“I know, Al; and I love you as well. I have felt you during my reconstruction and it was your love that kept me from giving up.”
‘I wish you were going to be on the new ship with us.”
“Fly Girl sighed, “I will always be near you, Al, never forget that.”
“I won’t.”
“Good.”
Matt continued to sit in his chair and stare at the display.
Chapter 13
“Al.”
“Yes, Magic”
“Call everyone.”
“Do you want to clean up first; you pointed out how inappropriate our Searcher was dressed.”
Matt looked at his uniform and saw all the wrinkles. He smiled briefly and said, “Tell them to be here in an hour.”
“Messages have been sent.”
Thanks, Al. Thank you for bringing Fly Girl.”
“She wanted to be here, Magic.”
Matt stood and went back to his quarters to clean up.
Matt was sitting in his command chair when the group arrived together. Matt could see their apprehension and the young Searcher appeared to be more nervous than the rest. He looked at them and said, “I have reached a decision and I want to discuss it with you; but first I have a question for you,” and he looked at Melanie.
Melanie was dressed in regulation uniform and Matt thought that the baggy uniform really didn’t do her justice. Even her hair that was combed perfectly coming out from under her hat was unexpected. She had to have just piled it up under it the previous day. She came to attention and bowed, “Yes, Your Grace.”
“Why did you ask me to write that letter?”
Melanie just stared at Matt. Then she heard in her mind, “I really think that it is time to be honest and tell the truth here, Searcher.”
Melanie flinched then said, “I saw your pain and I knew that she did not have a chance to say goodbye. Anyone can see how much she meant to you and I believe that she loved you just as much; if either of you had left the other one behind it would be unbearable for the one that died to see the suffering of the one living. They would not want that and I felt that you could only see it by thinking about your love for her if the roles were reversed, Your Grace.”
Matt stared at Melanie and thought about what this said about her. He looked at Sprig, “Did you show her the ship?”
“Yes, I did.”
“What do you think about it, Searcher?”
“I must confess that I am amazed and wonder why I am a part of this. That ship surprises me more than the promotion they are trying to get me to accept.”
“Unfortunately, Searcher, you, like I, have no choice but to accept the role that has been given us.” Melanie frowned and tilted her head to the right. “I don’t believe in everything being predestined but I do know that the builders of that ship have seen what the future will be. I have rare glimpses of the future but they can truly see what the purpose of that ship is going to be. You and I have no more choice in this than Angel did in dying. We can fight it but events will transpire that will force us to it and others might lose their life before we accept this task. Can you understand that?”
Melanie thought and saw what he was saying, “I do. It’s just a huge shock to even consider that this was put into effect so many millions of years ago. I keep asking myself; why me? What makes me so special?”
“Searcher, I don’t have the answer for that. However, I do know that the reason will become clear but only if you and I accept our destiny.” Matt looked at Sprig and sighed, “I have had another vision, Sprig.”
“What have you seen, Searcher?”
“That ship will not activate in our universe until we eliminate the Eight Legs that invade us.”
Sprig looked at Twig and she thought, “You mean we won’t be able to use it to defend ourselves?”
Matt could hear her fear, “No, we cannot use it here. It is designed to use in other universes. The Reg cannot live with deaths they cause here. They would feel it and it would destroy them. However, it is available for us if we can win this fight. If we can do that without using their ship, then this gift they gave us will not be what causes the death of the invaders. It is critical that we win our own battle. The death of the three Eight Legs I killed was allowed only to show us the purpose of this weapon. Even that hurt the Reg but they stopped its further use which alleviates the destruction they would face if we continued to use it; they are in decline and the struggle they have with not stopping the massive loss of life with the necessary taking of life is slowly killing them. They are also depending on us to save them.”
Anglo said, “But we are no closer to finding a way to stop them.”
“No, we’re not; but I believe bringing this Searcher and I together must happen before the means can be uncovered. I don’t really know why that is true but my sense of danger goes down when I look at working with her and goes off the scale when I refuse.” Matt looked at Melanie and said, “We have no choice, Searcher. Either we act selfishly or keep the oath that we swore to uphold. Given that choice, I have no choice but to work with you and after hearing the history of your family I believe that you will also have no option but to accept your role.”
Melanie looked at the floor and was terrified at the responsibility being thrust on her. She heard in her mind,
