Cassandra said, “Atlas, why didn’t you and your companion split up and go in different directions?”
Atlas said in a voice they all understood, “My companion was my mate. I tried to get her to jump away but she refused. I headed toward the inner planets to try and draw the Captor away from her.” There was a long moment before Atlas said, “Even hiding in a planets thick atmosphere didn’t save her. I miss her still to this day.”
Tommy said, “Atlas, what planet are you talking about?”
“Tommy, your system once had a large planet between the two planets you call Mars and Jupiter. All that remains of that planet is asteroids orbiting your sun.”
Sprig said, “One beam totally destroyed a planet?”
“A very large planet, Sprig; my weapons are as far behind the Captors as yours are to mine.”
No one said anything. Finally, Tgon-Gee said, “I need you to do something for me if you are through with your weapon testing.”
The Adolescents, Cassandra and Tommy looked at him and Sprig said, “What?”
Tgon-Gee said, “Tommy, you know I can see auras.” Tommy nodded. “I can see your and Captain Dodd’s auras and they are larger than any aura I have ever seen.”
Cassandra said, “What do you mean larger?”
“Instead of radiating only a few inches around your body like every other aura I’ve ever seen, yours extends more than four hundred yards from you.”
Tommy said, “What do you think that means, Tgon-Gee?”
“I’m not sure. However, if your psychic talents are as strong as your aura is large, you could be the most dangerous people in the universe.”
No one said anything; even the normally talkative Algeans were silent. Finally Tommy sighed and said, “What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to move this ship away from the fort. I know you possess some telekinetic powers. I want you to use it just like you were trying to move a small object only do it to the ship.”
Tommy furrowed his brow, then shrugged, “Ok, here we go.” Tommy focused his mind on the huge shuttle and thought, “Move that way.” Nothing happened.
“Try it again but try different ways to command it,” Twig suggested.
“Go,” nothing happened. “Move,” again, nothing happened. Tommy was starting to feel like this was a waste of time, then he thought, “Move that way now.” The ship flew away so fast from the asteroid that it disappeared from the screen in a blink and the shuttle was picking up speed. Twig said, “We just passed the speed of light, stop us Tommy!”
Tommy was stunned but he gathered his thoughts and commanded, “Slow down and stop now.” The ship slowed and stopped. Tgon-Gee said, “Where are we not in relation to the asteroid?”
Twig looked at the jump reader and said, “We are two light minutes away.
Sprig looked at Twig and asked, “Did we leave normal space?”
Twig said, “No, we did not. I can’t understand how we were not destroyed by breaking every universal law. We did not have any kind of protection; our screen was not on. We should have burned up at the speed we just traveled.”
Tgon-Gee said, “The ship was totally surrounded by his aura. It is what protected us and allowed your ship to ignore the physical laws you just broke. Tommy, do you think you can take us back to where we were?”
Tommy thought about the feeling he had as he thought the command that moved them. He focused hard and pictured looking down on the asteroid. He thought, “Go there, now.”
The shuttle was back at the spot in less than a second. The asteroid fort was shining behind its screen below them.
Tgon-Gee looked at Cassandra and said, “Captain Dodd, your aura is actually larger than Tommy’s.”
Cassandra said, “Don’t ask me to move the ship. I’ve never used any powers in my life.”
“I’m not,” Tgon-Gee said. “I want to confirm something that I suspect. Captain I want you to look at the asteroid below and get angry at it. I want you to get through that screen. I know you don’t know how; just focus on it and think of it as something that is a danger to you.”
Cassandra was confused but she tried to do as Tgon-Gee asked. She looked at the asteroid and thought, “Break through.” Then she tried, “Fail.” She tried more than twenty different combinations of mental commands and nothing worked.
Then Tgon-Gee said something that startled her, “That asteroid wants to kill Tommy Gardner.”
Cassandra eyes narrowed and she thought, “Like hell it will.”
The screen around the asteroid compressed against the asteroid’s surface and then the entire sixty mile wide rock exploded into tiny fragments. Everyone on the ship, including Cassandra, was shocked by what happened.
The bridge was deathly silent. Finally Tgon-Gee said, “I was afraid of that,”
Everyone looked at him and he continued, “I seemed to recognize your aura as warrior. It is very much like your father, Tommy, but much stronger. Her powers come into play when she is stressed. Perhaps in time she will learn to control it but I would suggest that you avoid getting stressed, Captain Dodd. Your powers will protect you without your even having to think about it.”
The Algeans looked at each other and thought, “We have a lot to discuss.”
Cassandra looked at Tommy and thought, “We have a lot to discuss.”
Tgon-Gee thought about Rose sending him to see what was going on and he thought, “We have a lot to discuss.”
But for the moment, silence ruled. Then Tommy said, “Atlas, Rose looked at the Captors planet years ago and there was no response; I’m going to take a look at their planet. I’ll share it with each of you as I see it.”
Atlas said, “Let’s see what’s there now. I know you just flew faster than the ship that was chasing me. Just be ready to run.”
Tommy closed his eyes and felt the others watching through his mind. He found the Captors galaxy and started moving in on the planet where Atlas’ brothers were held captive.
The planet was glowing bright red and as Tommy’s view came closer everyone heard Atlas say, “Oh no, by the creator, no.”
Cassandra said, “What has you upset, Atlas.”
“Tommy, can you take the picture of that planet when the original member of my race entered their system and put it next to what you’re seeing.”
Tommy took the image from Atlas’ mind and put it next to what they were seeing. The planet was now completely covered in a construct that enclosed the gas giant. They could see thousands of the giant red ships swarming around the planetary system. Most of the planet had millions of the ships sitting on the construct. The view from millions of years earlier showed the construct only covered the belt around the equator of the planet.
Sprig said, “If they are like bees then the nest is full.”
Twig said, “If that is the case then they are ready to swarm.”