Danielle looked at the Algeans and said, “How do we find out?”
The two Algeans looked at each other and Twig said, “Someone will have to go and see.”
Danielle looked at Tag and said, “Oh, no. You’re not going to do that.”
Tag looked at Danielle and then said to the adolescents, “Danielle and I were pushed into the wall of the Kosiev to remove Atlas’ links after the Eldest agreed to end the war. We were only there for a moment but it was an experience that neither of us would ever want to have again. It was like a universe that was totally grey and timeless. Rose says we were only in there for a minute but it felt like a week.”
Twig said, “The reason it felt so long was that there was actually no time passing inside the wall. It is a place outside the normal universe where the structures and rules don’t exist.”
Tag looked at Twig and asked, “Then if Alex is in there, how much time will have passed for him?”
Twig looked at Sprig and Sprig said, “None. It would seem like a long time but he would not have aged at all. No one that was on that bridge would have aged.”
Danielle looked startled and said, “What do you mean, “no one?”
“Well, if Admiral Kosiev was blown into the skin; then whoever else was on the bridge was also blown in.”
Danielle looked at Tag and said, “Tag, you know what it’s like in there. I don’t want to run the risk of losing you.”
Tag looked at Danielle and said, “Would he do it for me?”
Danielle lowered her head and said, “You know the answer to that. If you go, then I go.”
Twig said, “I’m not sure that is the best approach to solving this problem.”
Tag and Danielle both looked at him and said together, “Why?”
“Because who ever goes in will have to search for the possible survivors and we need someone that can reach the searcher and bring them back to the wall. Although the skin is only a few feet thick, it can contain entire galaxies inside it. Dimensions have no effect in that skin. Quite honestly, he may not be in there, and even if he is, you may not be able to find him.”
Tag was silent for five minutes; then he looked at Danielle and thought, “Tommy.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“I want you to bring the Kosiev to Ross immediately.”
Danielle looked at Tag and he could see her anguish. She remained quiet and decided that she didn’t care what everyone said; if he went into that wall, she was going with him. Tag didn’t need to hear her thoughts; he could see her determination.
Tommy could feel overtones in his father’s thoughts and said, “Do you mind if I inquire why you need us there?”
“Yes, I do mind. I’ll discuss it with you when you arrive.”
Tommy looked at Cassandra and noticed that she was listening in to his conversation. “We will be on our way in thirty minutes.”
Tommy looked at Cassandra and thought, “Something is up. Dad is bothered by something and it’s not something minor.”
“I sense you’re right. What are you going to do?”
“Why ask Rose what’s going on.”
Cassandra smiled and said, “Great idea. This should prove interesting.”
“Rose,” Tommy thought.
“Yes, Tommy. I thought you needed some time before we meet.”
“I do, Rose, however, Dad has just ordered me to come to Ross immediately.”
Tommy was silent waiting for Rose’s reply. After ten minutes Tommy thought, “Rose, are you still there?”
“Yes, I am Tommy. Tommy, I’m scared.”
Tommy had never felt his sister feel as she did at that moment. “Rose, what’s going on?”
“I think our father is going to risk his life to find a ghost. I can’t stop what he’s planning and I can’t order you not to come. He’ll come to you if you don’t come here. Get here as soon as you can.”
Cassandra turned and hit the ships com, “Attention all hands, jump in thirty seconds, jump in thirty seconds. Prepare all sections for jump.” She then looked at Lt. Ortiz and said, “Jump to Ross now.”
Tommy keyed his com and said, “Captain McAnn, please take command of the fleet. I’ll return as soon as possible.”
Wes said, “Yes, Your Highness; safe travel.”
Chapter 17
Tag, Danielle, Rose, Tommy, Cassandra, Sprig, and Twig were sitting in the map room of Castle Gardner. Sprig had explained how there was a possibility of Kosiev and the bridge crew having been blown into the skin of the Moscow. He had shown the recording of the Moscow’s destruction and pointed out that it was the top section of the ship that had been blown away by the first blast that had hit the lower levels of the doomed ship. When the video was slowed to one ten thousandth speed it was clear that the blast had pushed the bottom of the ship upward. Sprig stopped the recording and said, “You can see here that the lower decks were not blown out of existence but were pushed into the ship. If this push forced the decks above it upward, then the bridge could have been pressed into the skin on the top of the ship where it had undergone the metamorphosis of what it is today. That skin could have absorbed all of the contents of the bridge including the personnel.”
Tommy looked at Sprig and said, “It could have also killed the crew before they entered the skin.”
Sprig shrugged and said, “That is true, too.”
“So you really don’t know if Kosiev is in the skin or not?”
Twig interrupted saying, “We have said all along that it was only a possibility, although it is more than just a remote possibility. The possibilities are not so far reaching as to be impractical. I ran several simulations and in four of twenty the bridge was pushed into the skin.”
Tommy looked at his father and said, “That is still an eighty percent probability of it not happening.”
Tag looked at Tommy and said, “If there was a twenty percent possibility of Cassandra being inside that skin, what would you do?”
Tommy looked at his father and then at Cassandra and then sighed heavily. “I would go and look, but that would be an emotional decision not one made logically.”
Danielle looked at Tommy and said, “The best decisions are emotional; that is what makes us who we are. I would hope we would make this decision if there was a possibility of anyone being in that wall. The fact that it is Alexander Kosiev only makes this decision easier. He is an asset that we can use in our current situation.” She paused, looked at Tag, and then said, “I don’t want my husband going into that skin looking for him. I fear that I might lose him but I know who he is and know I cannot stop him.”
Rose was shaking her head and said, “Don’t you remember when I pushed you into that skin to remove the links Atlas had placed in you? You said then that it was an awful experience.”
Tag leaned back in his chair and said, “It was; but that won’t stop me.”
Cassandra looked at the group and said, “I hope you realize that the Kosiev is due to fight the Captors in a couple of months. When are you going to do this?”
Tag said, “Time inside the skin is basically non-existent. Once I go in it could take a while to search for him.”
Cassandra said, “Mr. Gardner, I cannot take the Kosiev into battle with you inside its skin. If the Kosiev is hit, we could lose you.”
“I appreciate your concern, Cassandra, but I can’t allow you to take the Kosiev into battle for the same reason; we might lose Alexander.”
Danielle stood up and looked at Tag and said, “What chance do you think we have against the Captors if Cassandra and the Kosiev are not leading us in the next battle?”
Tag tilted his head and said, “Then she must take the Kosiev into battle even if I’m still in the skin.”
Danielle’s brow furrowed and she said, “Then she’ll be going into battle with both of us in there because I will not allow you to go without me.”
Tag said, “This is my burden, Danielle, not yours.”
Danielle looked Tag in the eye and said, “Can you sit there and look me in the eye and say that?”
Tag took a deep breath and said nothing.