• • •
Moe received the data from the scanner and relayed it to the King, Cole, Ian, and Doc. Ian went over the data and two weeks later when the second burst arrived Ian contacted Doc, “It looks like we’ve done it again.”
Doc shook his head, “We were extremely lucky when we jumped through that galaxy to escape that Black Ship.”
Ian nodded, “I think the only thing that saved us was we continuously jumped without pausing at any one location. This is disturbing.”
Doc slowly shook his head, “It’s the Black Civilization that may have opened another big can of wam pam by going back repeatedly. Those various civilizations appear to be able to work together against outside threats.”
“They did all send ships to the scanner’s location. We were also lucky it didn’t jump back here.”
Violet said, “The scanner’s computers are really a technological marvel. It knew that those ships could track through other space and it did exactly the right thing to protect us from discovery.”
Doc stared at his display and said, “Ian, what do you think is going to happen?”
“I’m really not sure. The Black Civilization may have more of an issue with M87 than us. I suspect they must realize that they have erred in going there.” Ian paused, “What does Dee think about this?”
“She’s in that place where she goes to focus and will tell me what she thinks after she processes all that she’s seen in the data.”
“Let me know what she comes up with.”
Doc nodded and looked at Dee lying back in her chair with her eyes closed. The fact that she was taking this much time couldn’t be good.
D
oc sat and waited on Dee to come to consciousness and he pressed Ian’s frequency, “Has she come out of it?”
“Not yet. However, I have some time on my hands and I was wondering about relativity.”
“What?”
“You know the Skinner Field allows us to move faster than light.”
Yeah, so?”
“Why doesn’t relativity affect the ships flying at that speed?”
“I’m not clear on what you’re asking.”
“Let’s say I go FTL and fly a light year away. On board my ship I arrive a light year away from my starting point in about two minutes. According to relativity, a year should have passed in the universe outside my ship. I’ve not seen that happen.”
Ian nodded and said, “I asked Cole about that and the original scientists that measured the field discovered that the Skinner Field basically separates anything inside the field from our universe and all of its laws.”
“How does that happen?”
“You realize that the universe is infinite in size.”
“Yeah, so?”
“The Big Bang that created all the galaxies in our section of the universe emerged with its own set of laws that govern it. Those laws only apply in the area created by the Big Bang. Outside that area, the laws don’t exist. Scientists have postulated that outside of our section, completely different laws may govern events that are entirely different from those we are bound by. The Skinner Field just removes anything inside it from contact with our section of infinity.”
“So the limit of light speed and relativity don’t apply.”
“That is the only thing that would explain what happens. Our universal constants certainly don’t apply to a ship inside the field. Why do you ask?”
“The civilizations in M87 can track movement through other space.”
“The evidence certainly supports that assumption.”
“They followed our scanner and the Black Ships.”
“I’m not disagreeing; I’m just saying the evidence supports that position. It might be something else that allows them to do it but whatever it might be, it ends up allowing them to track anything that enters their domain. They could possibly have fields set up in other space that allows them to do it.”
Doc thought a moment, “That would explain tracking inside their galaxy but they jumped to the scanner’s position in the void between galaxies.”
“That lends more weight to your point of view.” Ian paused, “What’s bothering you?”
“I feel that the Black Civilization is going to have the ever loving crap kicked out of it by those civilizations in M87 and we need to distance ourselves from any chance of discovery by them if they do.”
Ian stared at Doc on the display and said, “You want to remove the scanners.”
“I want them destroyed the instant any of those civilizations show up. Is it possible to make that happen?”
Ian stood up, “Let me go wake up Violet and ask her. I’ll be right back.”
Doc waited and after five minutes Violet appeared on the display wearing her pajamas. Doc was amazed at just how beautiful Violet was and said, “Hey, you might want to put something on.”
“Oh grow up; you’ve seen a woman’s body before.” Doc shook his head and Ian took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. She looked at him and sighed, “I guess I’ve lost some of my modesty.” Ian smiled and she said, “Doc, it would take us at least three days to destroy all the scanners.”
“Then you need to start making that happen now and shorten the time to less than a minute.”
Violet looked up at Ian with a frown and then looked back at Doc, “We would lose most of our ability to track their movements. Why do you want us to do this?”
“If the Black Civilization is invaded and the invaders see those scanners, they’ll know that someone else was watching them. They’ll also recognize it as one that was in their galaxy. That would not be a good thing.”
“How do you know they wouldn’t just assume it was a scanner that was made by the Black Civilization?”
“Because they wouldn’t have placed them so thickly around their own planets and they’re also made from materials that the Black Civilization doesn’t use.”
Ian thought a moment and said, “Moe, what do you think?”
“I’m a cautious sort of machine; I say destroy them all and depend on the Black Ships stopping at the edge of our Galaxy just like they did when they went to M87 to warn us they’re coming.”
Ian looked at Violet and said, “Shut them down.” Violet nodded and began activating codes on her console. “I’ll start in their star cluster and move out from there.”
Doc said, “Start with the ones on a line from M87 to their territory first.”
Violet looked up at Doc on her display and nodded.
• • •
Two days later Dee opened her eyes widely and Doc rushed over to her. She looked at him and yelled, “SHUT DOWN THE SCANNERS!”
Doc said, “We started the process two days ago. We’ll have them all destroyed in another day.”
Dee fell back in her chair and her and said, “I’m glad you heard me.” Doc looked at her and she saw his confusion. “Doc, you are connected to me in ways we can’t know or feel. You must have heard what I was seeing.”
Doc thought about what prompted him to have the scanners removed and shrugged, “I don’t know, Dee. I just know my mind took me to that conclusion.”
“You heard me.”
“If you say so; what’s bothering you?”
Dee shook her head, “The place I go to focus has changed. I am now seeing things that I’ve not observed. I can see M87 in my mind and the civilizations there are starting to gather ships. They could only be doing that for one reason.”
“What is that?”
“They’re coming to Andromeda.”
“That’s what I suspected.” Dee looked at him and Doc said, “Maybe I am hearing you. I just don’t sense I am.”
“There’s more, Doc.”
“Let me get Ian in on this.” Doc punched his board and Ian and Violet appeared. Violet was still entering codes into her console. “Ian, you need to hear this.”
Dee looked at Ian on the main display and said, “I can see M87 in my mind. I’ve looked at the patterns and they all scream one thing at me.”
“What is that?”
“Ian, those civilizations have reached equilibrium. They have all staked out a territory and there is no possible way for them to expand outside their own borders. The Black Ship intrusion has started them thinking about expansion. If they can’t expand in their own galaxy, they’re going to expand in another. Andromeda will be their first effort.”
“What makes you think they’ll move on us?”
“M87 is more than three times larger than Andromeda and the Milky Way combined. They’ll need more than one galaxy.”
“There are galaxies closer to them than us.”
“Yes but moving their operations from Andromeda will be easier than starting from scratch. I also sense that none of them want galaxies close to them controlled by any of the civilizations located there. We will be the second target. I have little doubt about this conclusion.”
Ian shook his head and blew out a breath, “From the frying pan…”
Doc said, “…And into the fire.”
Violet said, “Why do you not have any doubt, Dee?”
“I’m not sure. I feel that we might delay them by taking the fight there but we stand no chance against their ships. Going there would be suicide.”
Moe said, “Maybe not.”
All four were struck silent by Moe’s comment. Dee finally said, “Why do you say that?”
“You should talk to Cole. It appears he and a Kilper Scientist have come up with a new weapon system that looks promising.”
Dee looked at Doc, “We need to go see him…now!”
Doc looked at Ian and he nodded as he said, “Dee, how long before they arrive in Andromeda?”
“You’ll see them before we can get back. I just hope you can destroy all the scanners in time.”
Violet looked at them and doubled her efforts on her panel.
• • •
“We made a mistake going there.”
“It does appear you’re right.”
“How long will we have before they come?”
“Not long enough.” The second being paused and said, “We’ve been detecting explosions taking place in the travel medium throughout our territory.”
The first said, “That’s easy enough to understand. Whoever has been observing us is destroying the mechanisms used to do it.”
“So you don’t think they came from the large galaxy?”
“If they did, they wouldn’t be blowing up, which could only mean the ones that placed them must have seen what happened to our ships.”
“That would lead me to believe it is the closest galaxy that did it.”
“You’re probably right but that information won’t do us any good now. There’s no way we can do anything about it with the threat hanging over us.”
The second paused, “It appears their destruction confirms that we will be attacked. What are we going to do?”
“What can we do? We’ll face them and hope to survive. We made a mistake and now we’ll see if we survive the consequences.” The first speaker paused and said, “Order all our ships out to the edge of our galaxy closest to the large galaxy.”
• • •
The last scanner received the self-destruct signal just after it recorded millions of Black Ships moving out from the star cluster. It sent the information and blew apart.
• • •
Drey landed at the Science Center Space Port and Cole came running out with a Kilper female right behind him. The ramp came out and Dee ran down and met Cole, “What have you developed?”
“Whoa, slow down. What’s going on?”
Doc ran up and said, “The Black Civilization is going to be attacked by the civilizations in M87. We will be their second target. Their ships are more powerful than anything the Black Civilization possesses. We’re lost if we have to take them on. Moe tells us that you’re working on a new weapons system. What is it?”
Cole’s expression showed his shock and the Kilper female said, “We’re working on a Higgs-Boson ship.”
Cole gathered his wits and said, “This is Argel. She’s been working with me.”
Dee said, “Does it work?”
“The initial tests are positive. The only sticking point left is the Higgs Force Field. If we can get it ironed out, we’ll have a very dangerous weapon.”
Dee said, “How far are you from making it happen?”
Cole looked at Argel and said, “We should be able to build a working model in about two months.”
Doc looked at Dee, “How long do we have?”
Dee closed her eyes and said, “Between a year and a half to two years at the most.”
Doc looked at Cole, “What are we going to need to build these ships?”
Cole shook his head, “You’re way ahead of yourself. We need to determine that it will work first.”
Dee said, “It’s going to work.”
Cole looked at her and Doc said, “Assume it will work; what will you need?’
“Raw materials to construct the ships and a fleet of ships to collect Boson Particles.”
Doc looked at Cole and said, “Get moving, Cole. They’re coming.”
Cole looked at Argel and said, “Call in your top engineers and I’ll get ours here as well. I’ll take the modification of the ships to collect the particles and you work on the new hull materials.”
Argel nodded and turned and ran back toward the Science Center.
Doc’s communicator buzzed and he pressed the button. Ian appeared and said, “It’s starting; all the scanners have been destroyed.”
Doc nodded and then slowly lowered his head. Dee turned to follow Cole and Doc yelled, “Where are you going?”
“To make sure they’re following the right path to our new ships. I’ll know if they’re moving in the wrong direction.”
Doc nodded and knew that he wasn’t going to have much alone time with Dee.
• • •
The eight million Black Ships waited at the edge of Andromeda. Their systems were linked and they were organized to attack individual ships in groups. The blackness of open space was out in front of them and they could see the distant galaxies as small points of light. One of them was much larger than the others and that’s where they knew trouble was going to originate. Their scanners were operating at full power and so far nothing had appeared. They continued to wait and then all of their alarms went off. A massive wave was approaching from open space. The giant fleet energized their weapons and drives and just as the first hundred thousand invading ships appeared, the massive fleet fell on them and the battle began. Thousands of Black Ships exploded but the numbers were on the giant fleet’s side. The next wave of invading ships numbered two hundred thousand and emerged into normal space in the final moments of the first wave’s destruction. The battle took on a frenzy that was indescribable.