“Yeah.”
Well one of the young spiders has found the set of conditions that would allow us to build our own vessels to do that. He is not far from finding the missing concepts that govern that type of movement. We also have an artist on Destiny’s ship that cut a piece of the hull off to make a statue. We have him here now showing us how he did it. It seems these youngsters are just as precocious and enterprising as our adolescents.”
Sprig, let’s go see Destiny. I have been looking at the data we have on the spider in earth’s past that resembles them. I think he needs to know what we’ve found.”
“I’ll meet you on his bridge.”
“Destiny, Sprig and Matt are coming for a meeting.”
“Did they say why, Eyes?”
“Something about a thing called a spider.”
“What is that?”
“I really don’t know.”
Sprig and Matt appeared on the bridge and Destiny said, “What brings you here?”
“Matt said, “I have a recording of an animal that once lived on my planet. I want you to take a look at it and tell me what you think.”
Destiny shrugged and took the recording and inserted it into his console. “Eyes, I’m also feeding this to your console.” The two of them watched the recording and both of them flinched as soon as they saw the first picture. “Where did you say you got this?”
“It is a creature that once existed on my home planet, Destiny. It was very small and it built webs that it used to catch its prey.”
Destiny looked at Eyes and said to Matt, “That is an exact picture of the Nest Mother. The hour glass shape on the abdomen is positioned exactly as it is on her and it is also the same exact size compared to the body size. This makes me wonder if this is a common ancestor.”
Sprig straightened up, “We believe it is, Destiny. We theorize that a creature like this bit a life form and absorbed some of its intelligence. Once that happened, we think your race is now the end product.”
Eyes stared at his screen and asked, “Did you find out anything about this creature?”
Matt paused and said, “Yes. It was called a spider and at one time there were millions of different species on my planet. During our last great war, a nation released a toxin that they thought would kill humans but actually killed every spider on the planet.”
Destiny stared at the Human. “Do you still know how to produce that toxin?”
Matt shrugged, “Yes, I found the formula.”
“You know it would be death to my family if we came into contact with it?”
“That’s why I’m here, Destiny. The only copy of that formula is on this recording. I’m giving it to you for safe keeping. I have decided that we are not willing to risk harming your family by producing this substance.” Matt handed the recording to Destiny.
Destiny looked at the recording he held in his leg and then looked at Matt, “I know what it took to give me this. This shows me beyond any doubt that you keep your commitments. My family will do everything we can to protect you for all eternity. We consider your people a part of my family.”
“There’s more, Destiny.”
Destiny turned his head upside down and said, “What else?”
“I found a description of this creature. It was a solitary creature that only came together with other members of its species to mate. It was considered gentle in nature and avoided contact whenever it could and only bit when it could not escape.”
Destiny looked at Eyes and said, “That explains a lot.”
Sprig thought, “What do you mean?”
“My children are asking to be allowed to go exploring this universe. They are almost bursting with curiosity about what’s out there.”
“My species’ adolescents leave our worlds to explore and sate their curiosity during their youth. They return as adults to share with us what they have learned. I suspect your children are similar to mine. It was during my adolescence that I discovered the teleportation process we currently use. It was also when I first came into contact with the humans.”
“You’ve seen some of my children, Sprig; what do you think?”
“I am amazed at their mental capacity and their ability to pull unrelated information together to produce a new concept. They are going to change what we know in remarkable ways if they are given time.”
“I have also noticed that my children have lost their aggressive traits. They seem to like every creature they encounter. I’ve also found that one meal lasts much longer. They only need to feed three times a year and probably only twice with two big meals. I think they will be self sufficient within the year.”
Sprig looked at Destiny and said, “One of my concerns is that if one of your children goes exploring into another universe and they are captured; the invaders will know everything about us and your family.”
Destiny looked at Eyes and said, “Please open the ship’s speakers.” Eyes pushed a button and lowered his head. “Children, I need your attention.” Throughout the ship everyone stopped what they were doing and listened. “I have two of our friends here on the command chamber with me and they have mentioned something to me that I must discuss with you. I have seen you changing and becoming more and more like what we are supposed to be; individuals. Our minds have been stunted because of the compulsions forced on us by the rulers of our people and it is only now after being freed from them that we are coming truly alive. My friends think that for you to fully develop that you should be given ships and allowed to explore this universe and find those things that interest you. I am in agreement with that plan.” The young spiders felt their excitement at the prospect and looked at each other with anticipation. “However, if one of you goes outside this universe and is captured by our former rulers, then they will know that we are still alive and everything about our new friends. We cannot allow that to happen. Until we find an answer to that threat, I am forbidding any of you to travel into other universes. We will also remain aboard this vessel until the current invasion is resolved. The other members of our species are looking to find us to kill us. They have already consumed the other members of our family and I’m sure they will not allow any of us to survive if they can find us. I am now going to ask you to focus on any way you can discover that will help our friends and us to survive the harvest that is happening as we speak. If you discover anything that will help our friends, I want you to notify me or Eyes immediately. I know the idea of killing members of our species may not be something that seems right to you but I have come to know that they must be stopped and that is the only way to end the danger our species represents. Thank you for your attention and I treasure every one of you.” Destiny turned to Matt and said, “They will not disobey an order from their father. We are made that way and you can count on them staying in this universe.”
Suddenly they heard a voice, “Father, I think I have something that might help loss of life.”
Destiny looked at his console and said, “Who is addressing me?”
“My name is Newton, Father.”
“What do you have, Child.”
“I have discovered a frequency that when used as a field repels the green substance. If you add it to the red screen’s generator, it will stop anything with the green substance from penetrating.”
“Child, come to the bridge immediately.”
Matt and Sprig looked at each other and Sprig said, “We won’t have to move planets if this is true and we can place them at planets that are going to be invaded. We’ll just teleport them in and activate them if what he has discovered really does work.”
A small spider entered the bridge with a device in his two front legs and handed it to Destiny. “It’s pretty simple, Father. Our friends may take it with them and use it.”
Destiny looked at the small spider and said, “We need one to use for our ship, child. Can you build another?”
“I’ve already installed it on the surface father. I was going to ask if we could send one of our ships outside and see if it works.”