Jan shook her head to get rid of the cobwebs, “What’s the problem?”
“The Telepath has ordered all of the Legend Ships to skip away before it leaves its current location. I suspect that once everything is clear, that ship is going to full speed. I won’t be able to keep up with it just using compressed air in the thrusters.”
“Have you been able to see one of those ships that puts an antenna in the barrier?”
“I’ve gone through at least three hundred of the beings on those ships that are looking at scanners or out viewports and I’ve only seen one. If that ship leaves with the others, we may be able to slip into the barrier and use compressed air to keep up.”
“And if the giant ship has the capability to put an antenna in the barrier, what then?”
“Jan, I’ve been thinking about that while you’ve been sleeping. I really don’t think they’ll be able to detect us in the barrier if we keep all our systems shut down and continue to use compressed air to move. In the barrier, just a little push will blow us past that monster no matter how fast it’s traveling in the void.”
“What makes you think they won’t detect us?”
“The ship the scouts originally heard didn’t detect them or millions of our ships that travel in the barrier every day. I believe the drive field blocks a ship from being detected. Where it would be seen is if it communicates electronically, uses its scanners, or activates its force field. The Barrier Drive matches the frequency of the space it’s in and whatever is inside that field becomes just another part of the barrier. At least that’s what the evidence seems to suggest.”
“So how do we activate the barrier drive and not be detected?”
“We allow that ship to go to full speed and wait until it’s at least a hundred thousand light years away. We activate the barrier drive on one side of our vessel and slide in the barrier until all of the ship is out of normal space.”
“Langley, do what has to be done. If you’re right, this should take a lot of the pressure off us about being detected.”
“The Legend Fleet is skipping out. I’ll keep us here until the Monster enters the void and skips away.”
Jan sat in her chair and thought about what Langley had postulated. Why did the Legend Ships during the last attack detect the ships in the barrier? What were they doing? She thought about it and remembered that a scan of the Legend Fleets around the planet was being sent to Fleet and all the ships participating in the attack. But the Scouts didn’t use a scanner? She worried about that piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit and then she saw it. Langley had shut down his thought broadcaster so that telepath in the huge battleship wouldn’t hear his thoughts. She was using the thought blocker, which also prevented it from seeing her mind. The Scouts didn’t do that. The telepaths in the Legends’ Fleets must be able to hear the scouts’ thoughts if they moved too close. She put her faceplate on the panel and said, “I’ve thought what you said over and I think you’re right. You have my full approval of doing this.”
“Thanks, Jan. Stand by, he’s about to leave.” A moment later Langley said, “Boy, that ships is fast to be that big. Going into the barrier…now!” The Battle Pod entered the barrier and Langley pushed a hundred pounds of air pressure through the rear thrusters. The pod accelerated at an incredible speed and Janet felt the console vibrate. She put her glove on it and heard, “That vessel has changed course again and is headed due galactic west from Pandora’s cluster where the Legend Galaxies are located. I’ve analyzed how the pilot is moving the ship and I’ve found a pattern. That ship is going to turn shortly and head toward the Bullet Cluster.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“The pattern is clear and I’ve seen an image of that cluster in one of the bridge crew on that ship. That must be where the new ships are being built.”
“How far away is that Cluster?”
“From Earth, about three point seven billion light years.”
Jan actually shook her head while keeping it on the console, “It’s going to take us months to get there!”
“Actually, about five months, twelve days, and sixteen hours give or take thirty minutes.” Jan sighed and Langley said, “I’m going to leave that ship and go directly there.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
“Jan, I wouldn’t even consider this if there was any possibility I was. I’ve correctly predicted the last ten course changes that ship has made. It’s going to the Bullet Cluster.”
“Well, that Legend did say they were going to have their ships built a long distance from their location and that cluster certainly qualifies as a long distance. How will we find them if they’re there?”
“I suspect that is where the Legends originally evolved but that isn’t based on anything other than the Commander saying that the Pandora Legends would never send one of their own out with that much freedom to increase its own power. That made sense and if there are Legends in that Cluster, I will hear them.”
“Will we be able to communicate with Jay and Josey?”
“That telepath will be between us and them and there is a possibility it will hear us if we try. I don’t have any hard data on what its capabilities are but I do know our Goran Scouts would hear us.”
Jan sighed, “I know they’re worried sick about us.”
“Yes, I’m sure they are. But I think they’ve worked out that we’re following that ship.”
Jan thought for a moment and nodded, “If they didn’t, they would be broadcasting thoughts on a general broadcast and that being you’ve been monitoring would have heard them and know that he was possibly being followed.”
“Exactly right.”
“Is it going to be possible to turn on the environmental systems?”
“Once we’ve put a billion light years between us and that telepath, you can remove your armor. There are too many thoughts moving through the universe for it to hear you among that background noise.”
“Then let’s do it; I need a bath!”
“Changing course and applying full thrust with the air cylinders. I’ll use the standard thrusters once we’re far enough away.”
“Commander, what’s going on?”
“Admiral, we set up a screen to follow the ship that left the Legends’ Cluster. Three of us were decoyed by a probe that had an antenna in the barrier. One of my team disappeared from our pattern and we believe that she is following the Monster Battleship back to where it originally launched. We’re going to wait here until we hear from her and then go to her defense.”
Katy shook her head, “If anyone could pull this off, Jan is the one that could do it.”
Michael smiled, “You must have gotten to know her?”
“I did and I’ve got to say I’m impressed. Her mind is very methodical and she doesn’t miss much.”
“I don’t know how long we’re going to be here, Admiral. Are your ships provisioned for a long wait?”
“No Sir, they are not. But I’ll order a colony ship to bring what we need and I’ll send my squadrons one by one to stock up on what they’ll need for a long mission.”
“I could have another fleet come and relieve you if the time wait becomes too long.”
“Sir, that is one of my sailors out there and we’ll wait until hell freezes over if we need to.”
Michael nodded and ended the contact. Now he knew why her fleet worshiped her. He was once again thankful Audrey had intervened. He remembered his father being thankful for his mother stopping him from killing all of the Goran. He almost made a similar mistake. He knew one thing for certain; Jay and Josey would still be waiting even if hell froze over. It was clear both of them were more afraid of losing her than each other. Jan was the glue that made them whole.