“That’s because no one in our history had absorbed another. We are unique and for myself, these feelings bring me great pleasure. We’ll discuss this later. I will not live without you, Sprig.”
Sprig grew to fourteen feet. He was also very much enjoying these new feelings. Then he said, “Thank you again for helping us through this problem.”
Tommy said quickly, “The Captors have moved their timetable up and are coming to Jupiter soon. We don’t have much time to move our population.”
Twig said, “That’s what put us in a trance. Where is the Kosiev?”
Tommy looked puzzled and said, “We sent it back out to empty space between galaxies.”
Twig looked at Sprig and Sprig said, “You’re better at field dynamics, I’ll go with the Kosiev. Tommy, bring the Kosiev back and take me to the sites of stars where we can move the planet. I already have all the astronomical information I need on good locations.”
Tommy said, “Other locations; what are you talking about?”
Cassie lifted her Com and said, “Lt. McAnn, I need the Kosiev back immediately.”
“Aye, Aye, Captain; on our way.”
Twig said, “Captain Dodd, please call Gerald Nelson and Cade McAllister to meet me in Cade’s lab.” Cassie lifted her com and started talking while Twig said to Tommy, “We are going to move the planet to another system.”
Tommy was stunned, “You can do that?”
“We’ll see,” said Twig.
The Kosiev jumped close to Earth and Sprig set up a small device that produced a silver field in front of him. “Captain Dodd, you should probably go with me.” Cassie looked at Tommy and then turned and ran through the field right behind Sprig.
Sprig and Cassie emerged in the front emitter room on the Kosiev and Sprig handed Cassie a list of coordinates. “Take the Kosiev to each of these coordinates one at a time. I need to work on the front field of the Kosiev. Let me know when you arrive at the first one on the list.”
Cassie looked at Sprig then sprinted up to the bridge. “Lt. McAnn, program these jump points and jump to the first one immediately.”
Wes took the list and punched in the first coordinates and announced, “Attention all hands, Jump in five seconds, 2,1, execute.”
The Kosiev emerged into normal space in a system with a type G yellow star. The inner four planets were far away and the outer planets were closer. Sprig read an instrument and said, “Go to the next site, please.”
Wes said, “Jump in 3,2,1, execute.”
The ship emerged in a system with another type G star but there were planets close to the Kosiev. “Sprig looked at his instrument and said, “Next site, please.”
The Kosiev jumped thru eleven systems. On the twelfth system Sprig read his instrument and said, “Hold your position right here. Wes, how many planets are in this system?”
“There are fifteen planets in the system.”
“What is the distance from where we are right now to the center of the star?”
“It’s a little over one AU.”
If we were traveling at the velocity of Earth in an orbit around the star from where we are now, how long would a cycle take,” Sprig asked?
Wes pushed some keys on his console and said, “One year, ten days.”
If we were to move fifty thousand miles closer, how long?”
Wes did his calculations and said, “One year.”
“Wes, get an energy reading on the ship’s hull and compare it to what the Earth’s sun would be generating at the same distance.”
Wes worked on the problem and said, “It is almost identical.”
“Thanks, Wes.”
The crew in the emitter room watched Sprig work on the emitters on the front of the Kosiev. “Wes, orient the ship such that it would be orbiting the star at this distance. I want the nose pointed in the direction the ship would be traveling in orbit.”
Wes looked at Captain Dodd and she said, “Just do it.”
Wes went to the control board and turned a knob and the Kosiev rotated and turned parallel to the star. “Hold it right here Wes.” Sprig took the small device and pointed it at the nose of the Kosiev and took a reading. “Wes, move the nose four degrees closer to the star.” Wes made the adjustment. Sprig took another reading and said, “Hold the ship right here. Don’t let it move.” Sprig took several more readings and then said, “Captain Dodd, please take us back to Earth.”
Cassie nodded to Wes; Wes said, “Jump in 3,2,1, execute.”
The Kosiev broke into normal space and Twig immediately appeared in the emitter room with Gerald Nelson and Cade McAllister. Sprig said, “I’ve found the site.”
Twig said, “Help us.”
Sprig pulled a large device that was on a gravity sled up to the ships emitters and started pulling wires forward. Then Gerald, Cade, Sprig, and Twig worked furiously connecting the wires to connections Sprig had made. Tommy stepped through the silver field and the field disappeared. Tommy said, “Let me know when you are ready.” Tommy then ran to the bridge.
Cassandra saw Tommy enter the bridge saying, “As you were; Captain Dodd move the Kosiev directly in front of Earth’s orbit. Maintain a distance of twenty five thousand miles from the planet and have the nose of the Kosiev pointed toward the Planet.”
Cassandra turned and looked at Wes, “Make it happen, Lieutenant.” Wes moved the ship as ordered and maintained the distance as the Kosiev flew backwards from the Earth as it rotated around the sun.”
Tommy sat in his command chair and keyed his com. Misty Nicole appeared on the screen. Tommy said, “Director, I have bad news. It is the opinion of my family that the Captors will be arriving in your solar system anywhere from a week from now to an hour from now. We feel certain that they will be here before we can move any of your population.”
Misty turned white and said, “Can you protect us?”
Tommy shook his head and said, “No, we cannot. We might stop one ship but we think it will be more than one ship; probably more than a thousand. If we don’t do something, Earth will be destroyed.”
“What do you mean by do something,” Misty asked?”
Tommy looked at Cassie and said, “We are going to move the planet.”
“You’re going to what!”
“We don’t have time to do anything else, Director.”
“Can you do it?”
Tommy paused and said, “I have two Algeans that think they can. At this point it’s my belief that we have to let them try.”
Wes suddenly interrupted, “Captain, we have more than five thousand of the Captor ships emerging around Jupiter.”
“Put it on the screen, Lt.”
Misty and Tommy watched as the giant red ships surrounded Jupiter. One of the giant ships flew toward Europa where one of Earth’s installations was located. The ship fired its beam at the moon and the moon exploded into rubble blown away in all directions.”
Misty saw the destruction of Europa and said in a shaking voice, “Do what you have to do.”
“Sprig, we’re out of time,” Tommy said.
“We need more time.”
Suddenly five Captor ships appeared around Earth. Cassie felt her fear and thought, “Kill them.” Five pitch-black balls shot out of the Kosiev and struck the five Captor ships. The giant red ships did not have time to fire their beams before all five imploded and disappeared.
The remaining Captor ships moved away from Jupiter and remained motionless. Tommy looked at Cassandra and then thought to Sprig, “We’re going to get crowded here very quickly. I know our friends out at Jupiter have just called for help.”
Twig said, “Not much longer.”
Tommy and Cassandra watched the ships at Jupiter. On Earth, Misty Nicole saw the destruction of Europa and felt her fear soar. This was beyond her imagination and she began communicating to the population what was happening and asking for their prayers. The planet did not have much longer before death arrived.”