Kosiev smiled and then started to say something when suddenly Cassandra collapsed and fell from her command chair. Tommy jumped up and ran and took Cassandra in his arms and thought to her, “Cassandra, wake up. What’s wrong, Darling.”
Sprig thought to him, “The particle in energy space has ignited and exploded. We are monitoring the centers and there has been huge blasts erupting from them but it appears that the major explosion is going into a new universe. I think we are safe but we’ll continue to monitor what’s happening.
The Old Watcher sensed the sudden rise in temperature in the nexus and immediately jumped away just before a giant blast ripped through the space he had just occupied. “It’s a good thing I kept watch on the nexus. That was close.” The Old Watcher looked at all the nexus’ scattered throughout the universe and saw all of them erupting with giant blasts. “What has happened? Are we going to be blind after this? How will we find those strange ships?” The Old Watcher just sat in empty space and watched as the Nexus exploded.
Chapter 19
Cassandra was in a daze and was trying to wake up. She could hear a voice in the distance but couldn’t understand what it was saying. She appeared to be in the middle of a huge blast that was moving rapidly away from her in all directions. The brilliance of the explosion was blinding but she couldn’t close her eyes to shut it out. She seemed to remember pushing the blast away from her and it was expanding faster than the eye could follow. Something in her mind said, “It’s moving at the speed of light.” Then she understood, “I’ve ignited the particle in energy space.” As she looked around her she could see that the universe she was in was only as big as the size of the blast. “Thank the Creator, it didn’t blow into my universe.” With that thought she heard Tommy calling her name and she opened her eyes.
“She’s waking up,” Tommy shouted and he grabbed her and held her close. “Oh Cassie, I’ve been worried sick about you.”
Cassandra moved her head and saw both Algeans, Rose, Tag, and Kosiev gathered around her. “How long have I been out?”
Tommy just held her tight and Kosiev said, “Two days.”
“We’ve been hoping that you would be back but we just didn’t know if your mind was lost in the blast of the particle,” Rose said.
Cassandra struggled and sat up. She looked at Tommy and saw the toll of her being gone had taken on him. “I’m alright, Tommy. I’m alright.” Tommy just held her tight and was thankful that his prayers had been answered. “Was the attack a success?”
Kosiev said, “The Captors are more than two million fewer than they were before. Now we have to decide what we do about those that remain.”
Sprig leaned forward and asked, “Lady Gardner, could you see anything in the centers?”
“Yes, I did. The explosion is expanding at light speed and forming a new universe. I think it wanted to explode into our space but I pushed it away.” Cassandra’s brow furrowed and she said, “How, I have no idea.”
“Well it looks like the particle is no longer in any of the centers,” Twig interjected. “If that was the way the Captors tracked ships, then they will probably not be able to use it again.”
Tag stepped away from Cassandra’s bed and said, “Welcome home, Cassie. It appears you have bought us some time. The Captors are still at their home system and not jumping away. Of course, they are also not stationary any longer and whatever we decide to do next will have to plan on hitting very fast moving targets.”
Rose looked at Tommy and said, “Let’s give Tommy and Cassie a little time alone. We’ll plan to discuss this at Castle Gardner in two days.”
Everyone stood and smiled at the couple and then left the room.
“Cassie, I was nearly crazy when you collapsed. I have been calling you non-stop since you fell from your chair.”
“I know. I could hear you in the distance but just couldn’t understand what you were saying. It was your voice that brought me back. I love you, Dearest.”
Tommy smiled and lightly kissed his wife. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him down on the bed with her. “It’s good to be back,” she whispered in his ear.
Kosiev and Tag sat on the bridge in the command chairs looking at Ross in the main display. The planet was beautiful and the cities on the night side of the planet glowed brightly. “This has changed tremendously since I’ve been gone,” Kosiev said.
“I know. It has been our home since the end of the Alliance and the population is now over five billion. Most of the people have moved here from other members of the Stars Realm.”
Kosiev took some popcorn and chewed a few pieces in silence and then said, “I think our bag of tricks is empty. It’s going to be ship to ship next time.”
Tag frowned and shook his head, “They still outnumber us more than eight to one. So far we’ve been very fortunate but you’re right; it will be ship to ship.”
“I was genuinely surprised when I came back and found that the Algeans are now our friends. It still amazes me that you were able to pull that off.”
“I didn’t. Rose is responsible for making that happen. Without her it would have been total extermination for them.” Tag paused and said, “Or us.”
Kosiev shook his head and said, “Those two young Algeans are really something special. If the rest of their species is as capable as them then I’m not certain we would have won.”
“They were deprived of the food they needed to develop; otherwise it would have been an entirely different outcome. As I think about it, if they had had the food they needed, they would have never attacked other worlds.”
“Being around your family has changed the way I see the universe, Tag. Every time it looks like we are going to have to totally destroy someone we have found a way around it. Is there no way to avoid killing the Captors?”
“I honestly don’t see any way around it, Alex. They are just too aggressive and do not have the capacity to control themselves from attacking.”
“Call that young male Algean in and let’s talk about this with him. He might have some ideas.”
Tag thought, “Sprig, have you got a moment to spare?”
“I do and I’ve been listening in on your conversation. You might want to call one other in with us.”
Tag looked at Kosiev and said, “Who?”
“Perhaps Atlas can add a different outlook.”
The speaker on Kosievs’ chair crackled and they heard a chuckle. “I thought I was the only one that eavesdropped on everyone’s conversations.”
“Well what do you two think about what we’ve been discussing?”
Sprig walked into the bridge and said, “You’re right, Tag. The Captors just cannot control their instinctive behaviors. It is engineered into them. Every one is a possible threat to their, I’m going to use a new word for them here, hive.”
“That is a good word, Sprig,” Atlas said. “I would like to think of them as evil but they are no more guilty than a ant biting anyone that steps on its nest. It isn’t done with malice.”
There was silence and then Atlas added, “My race is far more guilty than they are. We destroyed the Algeans millions of years ago for no good reason and my captured brothers would do the same with the races that currently live in our universe. The difference is that they would do it with forethought and enjoy it.”
“Well let’s hope they never get loose in our universe,” Kosiev said.
“That’s it,” Sprig said.
“What’s it,” Tag responded?
“The danger comes from both of us living in the same universe. If they could be moved to another universe, we would not be a threat and they would not be a threat to us.”
“Is that possible,” Kosiev asked?
“Well we know the Eight Legs jump from universe to universe so we know it’s possible.” Sprig was silent for a moment and then said, “Give me two days. I want to think about this and I’ll get back to you.”