Nemesis 1: Revenge Is Best Served Hot (19 page)

Slick looked at Trick, “How long has this been going on?”

“It started while we were on the Raider planet and most of those with us are starting to make connections with each other. I think this ability develops naturally when we reach a certain age.”

Slick tilted his head left and right, “I’m the oldest one here and I don’t have a connection to any of you.”

Tricky said, “Father, close your eyes and focus on me in your mind. Drive everything out of your consciousness and look in your mind for me.”

Slick stood there and said, “I don’t sense anything.”

“You’re not focusing hard enough. Drive everything out of your consciousness and only focus of finding me.”

Slick stood still for three minutes and then opened his eyes, “I can hear your thoughts.”

“You can also see what I’m seeing.” Slick nodded.

Grant looked at Cinny and hoped Ana wouldn’t suspect them being able to hear each other. Grant said, “See if you can connect with one of us.”

Slick closed his eyes and after five minutes he opened them, “I don’t sense anything.”

Grant nodded, “I guess we don’t possess that ability.”

Cinny sat back down and leaned against the tree trunk, “We have a shuttle that was slightly damaged during the first drop. Everything functions except the jump drive.”

“How can we use that?”

“It could be used to make the drop on the planet’s surface. It could move inside the first shuttle’s jump field and jump in with it. It could be collected by the Nemesis when it escapes or the first shuttle can use its jump drive to take it out.” Cinny paused, “However, I think the Nemesis would need the first shuttle to hold off any defenders while the pickup is done.”

Iggy looked at Slick and Grant said, “We still need some time before we make the next drop.” They looked at him, “We’ll need another pilot for the second shuttle that is capable of making connection with a Spider on its hull.”

Slick said, “Tricky and Biggy were hatched sixty days before the others.” Tricky and Biggy flinched at the comment. Grant saw they didn’t know that piece of information. “Oily was the next one hatched and I suspect the others will begin developing this mental connection skill soon.”

Cinny said, “We also need to find some more Raider planets. While your children are developing this ability, we will go to the next target and follow ships that are departing there.”

Iggy actually smiled, “Let’s get back to the celebration. Our children are impatient to tell their brothers about what they did.”

Cinny snuggled under Grant’s arm, “Could you move it over here? It’s starting to get cold.”

Slick bobbed, “You big babies.” However, he called out and the children began running toward the fire. A young Croc tossed a huge log on the fire and a Spider hit it with a small blaster beam. A croc had to move the tree trunk away from the fire as the temperature grew too hot. Grant sat with his arm around Cinny and felt at peace. This is what life was all about.

• • •

Grant looked at Cinny and Whippet in the landing bay, “Alright, are we clear on what we’re doing here?”

Whippet nodded, “We will stay in subspace above the Raider planet and follow any Raider ships that jump away. If it doesn’t lead to a good target, I’ll come back and follow another one.”

Grant nodded, “We’ll do this for twelve hours and then jump back to the Nemesis to see what we have.”

Grant lifted the scooter off the landing bay floor as Cinny and Whippet followed him through the force field. The Nemesis went into subspace and extended a passive antenna into normal space. The three scooters jumped away and Ana launched another messenger probe. Things were really going to plan and this should accomplish the goals of her directors.

• • •

The High Priest watched the video of the planet’s destruction and his expression was grim. The Head Servant waited in silence as he leaned back on his cushions. The High Priest shook his huge head and looked at the Priest, “I don’t know which of them are the most evil.”

“They are devoid of compassion, Your Holiness. They killed their own people without mercy.”

The High Priest looked down and slowly shook his head, “They are not alone in that. There are thousands of civilizations that do the same thing.”

“Not like that, Your Holiness; thousands of civilizations hold their citizens by force. This planet was there of their own free will and was not held at blaster point to be in the Raider Dominion. This was tantamount to killing your own children to prevent danger to yourself.”

“So which is worse? Those that use force to control their populations or those that are willing to kill their own citizens.”

The Head Servant lowered his head, “You’ve left out the third kind.” The High Priest nodded. “I believe that is the worse of the three.”

“And we’re lying in bed with them.” The Priest nodded. “That is ultimately what we’ll have to face. However…” The Priest looked up at his master, “There is another force operating that might make a difference.”

“I pray they do, Your Holiness.”

The High Priest nodded and thought, “So do I my friend; so do I.” He looked back at the video and stared at the dead planet. Such depravity; it had to be stopped.

• • •

Grant waited in subspace and thought about the mental conversation he had with Cinny before he left the Nemesis. “Grant, our ship is not from the Orion.”

“I must agree with you. Ana is manipulating it so that it appears it will only function when one of us is in contact with it.”

“If that’s the case, there has to be other ships like ours out there. Some of them might be even more powerful.”

“I wish I could disagree but logic dictates you are probably right.”

“What do you think will happen to us once those ships show up?”

“We will no longer be needed.” He paused and said, “Nor will the Animals.”

“Do you think we might be rewarded?” Grant remained silent and Cinny mentally sighed, “Neither do I.”

“Cinny, we can only follow this current course we’re on. Once the attacks begin, we are going to have to deal with Ana.”

“Let’s hope we can do that.” Grant remained silent as they went to the landing bay.

• • •

Grant waited in space and saw a large jump track appear. He hit the thrusters and followed it. It entered normal space and he moved his visor into normal space behind it. He dropped back into subspace and jumped quickly away after locking the coordinates into his panel. He waited for jump tracks to appear but nothing happened.

That Raider Battleship he followed had arrived at a massive military complex that was located on a huge moon circling a giant planet. The planet was a gas giant and uninhabitable but the moon was covered in ship building facilities and numerous defense satellites circled above it. He didn’t know if this was something to take on. He looked at the image on his scooter’s display and saw numerous ships above the moon that dwarfed the giant battleships seen previously. He stared at the moon’s coordinates and committed them to memory. He erased the image and coordinates from his panel. He was somewhat certain that Ana could not communicate with his scooter while it was in subspace. This was something he would hold for future use. He jumped back to the Raider planet and waited for another jump. An hour later, he followed another ship away from the planet.

• • •

Slick dreaded what he had to do but he shrunk to half his size and walked over to the ten ants that were still at the edge of the forest. He lowered himself to the ground and said, “I need to speak with your mother; will you take me to her.”

The ants didn’t move but Slick could see their antenna vibrating. Five of the ants turned from the group and began moving out into the forest. Slick went up on his legs and followed them. Iggy yelled, “Where are you going?”

“I need to speak with the Ant’s Mother.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, I guess not.” Iggy snorted and thought, “Good. I have no desire to go anywhere near that mound.”

The trip took much longer than before. Iggy covered ground much faster than Slick could. However, he noticed after six hours that more ants began showing up and moving with him through the forest. He saw the forest begin to thin out and he knew he was getting close. If nothing else, there were at least a hundred thousand ants surrounding him and his escort. He saw the huge mound over the trees as he exited the forest and stood in the clearing surrounding the tall hill.

He waited for a moment and heard, “I see you’ve activated your telepathic ability.”

Slick jerked and thought, “I just discovered it. One of my children taught me.”

“What do you want?”

“I need to hatch more children.”

“Why?”

“We’re going to use them to completely cover the two small space ships at the shore.”

“Don’t you have enough to do that now?”

“Yes, but that wouldn’t leave any to use on the planet we’re planning to attack.”

Slick waited and then heard, “Have you discussed the dangers of overpopulation with your children?”

“I have, Mother. They know the danger it would cause to our home.”

“It pleases me to hear you call it your home.”

“I’ve thought about leaving here for another planet but I’ve grown to love it here. This planet is beautiful.”

“You’ve grown since our first meeting.”

“I still fear you and your children.”

“As well you should. However, you may hatch as many as you need. I’ll no longer limit you in the number needed to carry out your plans.”

Slick hesitated and shook his head side to side, “Mother, the reproductive urge is almost overwhelming. The thing that keeps it in check is our fear of you. I think it would be wiser for you to continue to monitor our growth.” Slick actually heard a laugh in his mind, “You have my permission to hatch enough of your children to total a hundred.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

“Why do you call me mother?”

“Because you treat our planet like one of your children. We need your wisdom to insure our survival.”

“You should know that I had a compulsion placed in me before I was brought here to kill you and the reptiles when a signal was broadcast through space.”

“WHAT?”

“It was removed by one of those that brought us here. You should know that most of those who brought us here do not have our best interests at heart. I still have the communicator they sent with me.”

“Does that include killing the two humans?”

“Especially them. I’m sure they are targeted for destruction.”

“Do they know?”

“I honestly don’t know but they are incredibly intelligent. You can’t speak of this around them because I’m sure they are being constantly monitored.”

“Will we be safe here?”

“That will depend on the humans. I think events are picking up speed and we should have an answer to that soon.”

Slick stared at the giant mound and said, “If the worst happens, we could take some of your eggs with us if we’re forced to escape.”

“Thank you, Child. I’ll have some near you at all times. Your offer is accepted.”

“We’re all in this together, Mother.”

“Let us hope we can survive.”

Slick bowed and turned around. He walked back toward the lagoon with his escort leading the way and thought about the portable communicator. He couldn’t discuss this with Iggy but he could tell his children. His anger was huge as he moved back toward his home.

• • •

He walked through the edge of the forest and Iggy was waiting for him, “How’d it go?”

“We can hatch a total of a hundred each. They will be used to defend the shuttles and attack the target planets. She needed reassurance that we knew the danger of overpopulation.”

Iggy rolled his eyes, “I know. Believe me I know. However, I won’t need a hundred if twenty of your children are going to remain on the shuttle to defend it. I’ll only hatch eighty for those that will go down to the surface.”

Slick rose on his legs with a smile, “I know you understand, Brother.”

Iggy smiled and turned back toward the lagoon. Slick was right; they were united in bonds of friendship and love for those that share a common heritage.

The ants heard the exchange and their Mother smiled in her nest.

• • •

Iggy had long mental conversations with his children as they developed their ability to mentally connect with each other. They kept the information to themselves but Tricky decided to take some precautionary steps. He found that he could connect to the youngest spiders even though they did not possess the ability. He spoke with two of them and gave them their instructions. They agreed and waited for the humans to return.

W
hippet, Cinny and Grant sat on the Nemesis’ bridge and looked at the images of planets they had collected. Ana said, “I notice that one of your jumps did not have an image associated with it, Grant.”

Grant kept his voice steady, “The first jump I followed led me to a ship in open space that was waiting for the ship I followed to arrive. It wasn’t worth taking up data space to take an image.”

Cinny said, “We now have more than twenty Raider planets to attack. However, none of them are as developed as our next target.”

Grant nodded and Whippet said, “Should we go after the smaller ones first?”

Ana said, “You should do maximum damage and that target is worth the effort.”

Cinny looked at Grant and said, “I think Ana is right.”

“Let’s go back and see where the Animals are in their preparations.”

Grant leaned back in his command chair and activated a program on his console. Music began playing over the loudspeakers and Grant began using his fingers to beat out a rhythm on is panel. Whippet moved his head back, “What are you doing? I’ve heard you listening to these sounds in the past and you always hit your panel with your hands.”

“This song is an ancient song that was produced on Earth. Listen closely and you can hear an instrument in the background that keeps a rhythm. The instrument is called a set of drums. I’m trying to match it.”

“Well, you’re woefully inadequate. You’re nowhere close to what I’m hearing.”