“I didn’t like to think of them as tentacles, but that’s probably more accurate. When they want to, they can extend long tendrils from their bodies and the ends of them can merge with other Edrehmaia. Their bodies would begin to glow in every possible color until they settled into the brightest white possible. When they did that out in the nursery, a faint spark would ignite in the center of their circle. Over time it would begin to develop into a new star.” Velth paused and coughed before he could continue. “I think they require radiant energy in order to survive. They move in large groups and spend considerable amounts of time just sort of sunbathing near some of the more mature stars. Eventually, they release it. Of course, they might be doing more. But it isn’t obvious from their movements.”
“It’s almost like DK-1116 was a primitive version of the Edrehmaia,” Glenn said.
“Seven described the whole planet as the most efficient power collection and release mechanism ever devised,” Kim agreed. “That does sound like what we’re seeing here. And we’re not so different. Some of our most advanced technology is created in our own image. Did there seem to be any purpose to the creation of the stars or are they basically just light farmers?”
“The first thing they did after I woke up, or maybe while I was sleeping, was take me out well beyond their nursery. It had to be dozens of light-years from here. Don’t ask me how we covered that much space in so short a time because I don’t know. I only know how far it was because from there, I could see the edge of the galaxy. Way in the distance, I could see this wide purple band, like a halo over everything.”
“The galactic barrier?” Kim asked.
Velth nodded. “I think so. They were pretty quiet until we reached it. But as soon as we arrived, their bodies started flashing furiously. I don’t know if they were mad or excited or what, but if that’s how they speak to one another, it was suddenly like I was in the middle of a damned coffee klatch.
“And there is a stellar formation out there I don’t remember ever seeing before on any of our charts. It’s a single series of stars extending as far as the eye can see in pretty much a straight line. It begins with a young G-type star near the edge of their stellar nursery and each consecutive one in the line is smaller and younger.”
Glenn bowed her head and seemed to laugh quietly to herself.
“Commander?” Kim said.
She shook her head as she raised it. “Something similar was visible from DK-1116,” she said. “A bridge of stars. The scientific consensus is that they are the result of the natural pull between galaxies as they move apart from one another. A few random stars will maintain their positions relative to one another, creating the appearance of a link between them. In this case, it would extend from the Milky Way to Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical, our next nearest galactic neighbor.”
“Does it extend on both sides of the galactic barrier?” Kim asked.
“It didn’t appear to. And you can’t tell with the naked eye, but I believe there are Edrehmaia out there near each of the stars in that line.”
“Did they build it or are they making use of a natural formation?” Kim asked.
“I think they created it,” Velth said. “And there was one other thing. We were on our way back, near what I would call the center of their operations, and there was a construct. Its exterior looked like a single Edrehmaia, but it was spherical and a thousand times larger than an individual.”
“A ship?” Kim asked. “The one that attacked us was spherical, at least initially.”
“I don’t think so. It was too big. It’s completely black and the only light visible on it was reflected from the stars and the other Edrehmaia. It felt like one of them, just much, much bigger. But I can’t confirm that.”
“Did you go anywhere near it?”
“No,” Velth said, shaking his head vigorously. “It scared the crap out of me. I don’t know if they were responding to my fear or if they didn’t want me near it. They gave it a pretty wide berth and there weren’t any other individual Edrehmaia close to it.”
“I understand you both have a lot of questions,” the Doctor interjected, “but the lieutenant has been through an incredible ordeal. He needs rest and nutrients, and there are a few surface injuries that require attention.”
“I’d kill any one of you for a cheeseburger right now,” Velth noted.
Glenn smiled. “Replicators are back up. I’m sure we can arrange that.”
“Not yet,” the Doctor said, “unless you want it to come right back up again. The lieutenant will be restricted to clear liquids for a few days.”
Glenn shrugged. “Doctor’s orders.”
Velth coughed again, a deep rasping sound.
“Rest, Ranson. Get your strength back. That’s an order,” Glenn said with a wide smile.
“It’s good to have you back,” Kim added. “I’m so sorry,” he began.
“Don’t worry about it, Harry. It wasn’t your fault. I know you and Selah did everything you could. I kept wishing when I was out there that I could tell you that. I knew you’d feel like hell, and it wasn’t necessary.”
“I did. Thank you,” Kim said.
Velth’s face grew serious again. Hints of the terror that must have been his constant companion over the last several days were etched in new creases on his forehead and around his eyes. “Why did they bring me back?” he asked.
“We’ve finally figured out how to talk with them a little. Their vocabulary is extremely limited. We’ll give you the full report once you are back on duty. But we think they identify all of us by our genomes. The first thing they asked us to do was to define a set. When we included you as part of our set, they brought you back,” Kim said.
“All you had to
