Tommy stopped and said, “What are you two trying to say here?”
Sprig walked over and turned on the wall viewer showing an empty section of space. The screen was then split into four screens that were views of open space. Twig said, “Sprig is going to run these views of multiple nerve centers through his viewer so we can see if anything happens when you touch Captain Dodd. Hold on just a minute. While we’re waiting, you might find it interesting to know that the temperature of these centers is estimated to be hotter than the core of a star and possibly getting as hot as the atom that exploded in the big bang and caused the formation of this universe.”
Sprig said, “This is probably just a coincidence but we need to see. Now, if we’re just being silly; when you touch Captain Dodd, then nothing will happen on the screen. If there is a relationship between your physical contact and the heating of the centers then the screen will show a change in color. Are you ready?”
Cassandra thought to Tommy, “What’s going on here.”
Tommy replied, “You’ve missed a lot, I’ll explain it to you in a moment. Let’s watch the screen.” Tommy held out his hand to Cassie and she took it. They both felt the shock that was getting easier and they saw that all four parts of the screen turned bright blue.
“Let go of her,” Twig screamed mentally.
Tommy and Cassandra jumped back from each other.
Atlas said, “You have got to be kidding me.”
Sprig said, “I wish we were.”
Tommy and Cassandra looked at them and then at each other. Cassandra said, “What is going on?”
Atlas said, “I understand now.”
Tommy said, “Understand what?”
Atlas said, “If you continue to make physical contact with Captain Dodd, then you may cause the destruction of our universe.”
Tommy and Cassandra both looked stunned and couldn’t think of anything to say. Sprig stepped between them and said, “It appears that each time you touch each other, the temperature of the energy space spikes up. The current temperature is close to the temperature of what is believed to be the big bang just before the explosion ignited and started our universe. If, like we suspect, there is a particle at the center of energy space, then if it heats to the temperature of the big bang, the resulting explosion would destroy us and start the formation of a new universe.”
Twig said, “You cannot touch each other until that space cools.”
Cassandra said, “Just how long will that take.”
“We don’t know, but this is not optional. You must keep your distance.”
Tommy sighed and said, “We aren’t ready yet. We have to wait. This is what my mother meant by dangerous to come together too early.”
Cassandra didn’t know what to say.
Twig said, “It appears that someone of extreme psychic ability may have created our universe. It seems that psychic energy trumps energy. I have a lot to think about; however, you two must keep your distance.”
Cassandra thought to Tommy, “This is payment for my sins; this punishment is too much. I don’t want to have a moment when we’re not together. Oh, Tommy, what are we going to do?”
“We’re going to avoid touching each other. We will be together in our minds and let’s hope our adolescents can figure out how to get around this mess.”
Sprig looked at Twig and mentally sighed, “I don’t know what we can do; do you?”
Twig looked at the screen and wondered how long the temperature would take to drop. She had an idea that quick sudden touches might equalize the system, but she would not attempt it before the temperature dropped to a safer level. She hoped the two would be able avoid physical contact. Twig thought to them, “Come back in three days and let’s see where we are.”
Tommy and Cassandra thought, “Three days, oh my god, three days.”
Atlas asked, “Sprig, is it possible to read anything from the particle in this energy nerve center you’ve postulated?”
Everyone stopped and listened to Sprig’s response. Sprig thought for a moment and said, “If anyone or thing tried to get near that particle now it would be burned out of existence. I see no possible way you could read anything out of that space but heat.”
“Then now may be the best time to show you what I know about the Captors,” Atlas said.
Tommy looked at Cassandra and then said, “Twig, Sprig, I want you to store what you see here and be prepared to send it to the crew of the Kosiev at a later time.”
Atlas said, “I’ll show it on the wall monitor.” The wall monitor came and it showed the view of a huge gas giant planet with a construction that covered most of the equator of the planet. On the construct were thousands of red lights. Atlas said, “This is what my brother saw as he broke into normal space in this system. Now watch what happens.”
Suddenly the planet looked like it exploded with hundreds of thousands of red lights that swarmed in all directions with a hundred of them coming directly at the ship recording the video. One of the red lights appeared beside the ship and the video showed that it was a ship more than eighteen hundred miles in diameter. A beam shot out from the giant ship and the video stopped abruptly. “Those giant ships scattered throughout the universe and pursued all of the ships of my race,” Atlas said. “We could not out run them and their energy weapons went through our screens like they were non-existent. We were able to determine that the creatures inside those giant ships were similar to us. They were part of the structure of their ship, however, where we have physical DNA in our ship’s structure, they are made of electrical energy.”
Cassandra said, “You’re saying that they are an electrical energy life form?”
“That’s exactly what they are.”
Tommy said, “Then we will call then eels or even better Captors.”
Sprig said, “Good choice for a name. I’m not sure what it is but when they exploded away from the planet, they reminded me of something I’ve seen before.”
Twig said, “They look like wasps leaving a nest to attack an encroacher.”
Tommy said, “No, not wasps.” Everyone looked at him and he said, “Wasps will only chase you a short distance from their nest and then turn and go back. These creatures are like bees or hornets. They will chase you and never give up. It makes me think that before they became energy that their race was probably some form of insect. What has me troubled is that Rose, my parents, and I all sense that it doesn’t matter what we do, they are a danger to us. Avoid them, hunt them, run from them; it doesn’t matter.” Tommy paused and then said, “Atlas, Rose looked at that planet years ago and there was no response when she did. I’m going to look and see what they are doing now. I’ll let all of you look at what I see.”
Atlas said, “You might want to move to some other location further away from your home galaxy before you do that.”
Tommy thought for a moment and said, “You’re right. We will wait to see until after the crew is trained on the Kosiev.”
“There is one more item,” Sprig said. Tommy and Cassandra looked at each other briefly and sprig continued, “When you and Captain Dodd were dancing, Twig and I were somehow affected mentally.”
Tommy said, “What do you mean?”
“All of the information we have been storing was reoriented in both of us. The reason we were able to connect you and the energy readings was due to this change. We can see things we have not been able to grasp before. Both of us have changed radically.”
Tommy thought for a moment and said, “Have you two ever exchanged information?”
Twig said, “Sure, we discuss things every day.”
“I don’t mean discuss; have you ever actually absorbed what the other has in their storage?”
The two plants didn’t move. “Are you alright?” Cassandra asked.
Twig said, “I don’t know if anyone in our history has done that. I don’t know what the effect would be on us but it would be like putting an entirely different being in your consciousness. There is a possibility of being overwhelmed by the one you store.”