Trapped in Time-Extinction (40 page)
Read Trapped in Time-Extinction Online
Authors: Saxon Andrew
Tags: #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #Alien Invasion, #First Contact, #Galactic Empire, #Genetic Engineering, #Hard Science Fiction, #Military, #Space Fleet, #Time Travel, #Teen & Young Adult, #General
“Oh, my ancestors were there but they were hidden in caves cut into the mountains. We heard your thoughts and evacuated before you came back two years later. None of us were there at that time.”
The second being standing beside the human looked at the Commander, “It was my species that you were attempting to kill.”
“How is it that my planet is still alive if your species didn’t die?”
“The humans persuaded us that going out and murdering every civilization we encountered was not the right thing to do. Your planet, along with billions of others, survive today because of that union.” The Regent turned to the Second Scientist, “It was you who decided to take Andy back into the past.” The Second nodded. “You are the one responsible for all that happened afterwards. Billions of planets are waiting to hear of your journey and all of them want to thank you for what you made happen.”
“But…I sent him back fully expecting him and all the other humans to die.”
“The important issue is that when all the others here said no, you prevailed on them to send him.” The Regent looked around the Bridge, “Or am I wrong about that?”
The First Scientist said, “How would you know that?”
“He wrote about his meeting with you and those writings still survive to this day. They are the most priceless artifacts we possess. Which brings me to another question.”
The Second looked at the Regent, “What is that?”
“Is it possible that you recorded that meeting along with other images of the first colonists?”
The Second looked at the First and he nodded, “Yes, we have recordings of all those we moved back in time along with the confrontations they had with each other before we left.” The Second paused and said, “The last thing we recorded was my meeting with the human. The Commander wanted it to remind me of the mistake I made in sending him back if it didn’t work out.”
The human was looking at the floor and the Time Takers saw his tears. “What’s wrong?”
He tried to answer but couldn’t find his voice. The Regent said, “Those recordings are priceless. Every human alive today has been praying that you would have images of those that were taken into the past. Matter of fact, the closest the Dominion has come to a civil war was over which planet would be given your ship.”
“WHAT?”
“Humans and Talens now live on more than a million planets and the newest planet is Earth. It is being rebuilt from your attack on it. History says that allowing you to blast Earth with nuclear weapons was the hardest thing we’ve ever done. But it had to happen in order for everything else to happen. Every Human and Talen planet have laid claim to this ship and some of them were willing to fight to have it.”
The Commander looked at the Regent, “So who gets it?”
“You do.”
“WHAT?”
“Your people are considered saviors of the universe. Andy and I said that your ship did not belong to Humans or Talen; it belonged to your people and that it would be taken to the planet that sent you on your mission, where it will be taken to a place of honor where every species could come and see it. This was the only solution that our people would accept.”
The Pilot laughed, “If all of you couldn’t possess it; none of you would. That accounts for all the ships around our planet.”
“Well, yes and no. Those ships are building the structures that will house the ship and recordings of what you did. Once the buildings are completed, I suspect your planet will prosper beyond your wildest dreams as the trillions of citizens come to witness history like it was never seen before.”
Andy looked at them and said, “I humbly ask that you give me a copy of your recordings to share with my people.”
The Pilot listened to what was being said and inserted a device in his panel. When Andy made his request, he pulled a clear, rectangular, block out of his board and held it out to him, “I’ve copied everything on this data block. Do you have the ability to open it?”
Andy took the block and shook his head, “If we have to invent the means, we will.”
The Second smiled, “I’ll give you a portable reader.”
Andy looked at them, “You have no idea how much this means to me and my people.”
The Second stared at Andy and after a moment said, “I think I do. I met him.”
Andy’s tears started again and he said, “Will you come to our palace and discuss him with us.”
“I’ll be glad to do so.”
The Regent shook his head, “It won’t be soon. Your people have been waiting on your return for a long time. I suspect they won’t part with you easily.”
The Second looked at Andy, “You remind me of him. I WILL come. On that, you have my promise.”
The Regent looked around the bridge and said, “You have no idea how relieved I am that you’ve finally shown up.”
The Commander said, “Why relief?”
“There was a rebellion long ago and they planned to warn you when you arrived that you failed to kill my species in the hopes that you would disappear and try again. As long as you were in the past, everything we’ve done has been in jeopardy. Now that you’re in the present, the past is fixed and we can go into the future without the fear of everything being changed.”
The pilot looked at the Regent, “What about our ability to travel through time?”
“We’ve removed all traces of that technology from your civilization. We would ordinarily remove it from this ship but the Dominion has decreed more than a thousand years ago that when you returned, nothing will be changed on this ship…nothing.”
The Pilot shrugged, “Well, it won’t matter. With inert reactors, the drive won’t function and I’m going to assume that connecting new reactors will constitute a change that is forbidden.”
Andy looked at the Regent, “I told you he was smart.”
The second laughed, “That’s exactly what I said about Andy.”
The Regent looked at his wrist unit and shook his head, “Well, it appears our trip to your planet is going to take longer than I planned.”
“Why is that?”
“The news agencies on your planet were able to see our ship jump away from where we kept it. They used their scanners and saw your ship arrive. Word has gone out in the Dominion and there has been a massive rush to witness your ship being taken to its final resting place.”
The Regent connected the wall monitor to his wrist unit and the ten Time Takers were shocked silent. The Regent said, “We are going to have to move very slowly to avoid hitting someone by accident.” The space around the planet was filled with starships all the way out to the edge of the solar system and still the ships jumped in.
The Commander said, “Most of them can’t see us.”
Andy shook his head, “Our scanners today are much better than the ones you remember; but even if they can’t, they can tell their children that they were here when you finally came home.
The Pilot looked at the Second Scientist and said, “What are you thinking?”
“He was better than all of us. He knew of our death plan and he changed it into one of redemption and life. We don’t deserve this.”
Andy put his hand on the Second and smiled, “But for you, none of the planets these billions of ships came from to witness this would be there. Oh no, you deserve it. You have no idea how long we’ve waited for you.”
The Second nodded and thought back to the human standing in the forest among the dinosaurs. It was him that deserved the honor. He looked at the monitor and saw ships still appearing by the millions in the distance. He decided that Andy was the reason they were here and the honor they were giving him was richly deserved. He knew he would go down in history as well once the recording of the meeting was viewed. He smiled. That was a good way to be remembered.
The End
The Annihilation Series:
Ashes of the Realm:
Lens of Time:
Star Rover-Running Out of Time
Star Chase
Nemesis
Trapped in Time
Also an audiobook at
Audible.com
Love Conquers All
The Power of a Queen
A Rose Grows in weeds
Tommy’s Tale
The Lost Prince
Copyright © 2015 by Saxon Andrew. All rights reserved. Screen Writers Guild no. VQEA3E380432.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.
First Electronic Edition: February 2015