my ship’s reservoir. I was about to leave when I saw a small craft a half mile from my location sticking up out of the soil. I went over and looked at it. There was a huge hole shot through the center of the ship. I went in and found eight beings that had been killed by the crash.”
“Violet, were they human?”
Violet looked at Ian and shook her head.
“Go ahead.”
“I found two hand blasters on the dead bodies and brought them back to my ship. You’ve seen one of them.”
“Where’s the other?”
Violet looked at him and held out her hand. Suddenly, the blaster appeared. “I don’t know how the technology works but I pressed the orange button on the handle and the blaster must have matched itself to my body. I don’t have any idea where it goes but if I think about a weapon and hold out my hand, it appears.”
E said, “I’m sorry for your loss, Violet. Have you ever fired the blaster?”
“Yes, I fired it at another ship that was crashed not far from the one I entered.”
“And?”
“From a distance of two miles it blew a hole completely through it.”
“It must be pretty powerful then.”
Violet stared at Ian, “Before I left I fired my ship’s heavy blaster at the same ship and didn’t penetrate its surface.”
“They’ve more advanced than we are.”
“No, they’re not.” Ian narrowed his eyebrows and Violet said, “The ones that killed them are more advanced. That world is dead.”
E said, “Were the two ships similar in construction?”
“No, the second one was different.” Violet stared at Ian, “What’s bothering you?”
“Violet, the Nebula is not the real enemy of the Union. The ones that killed that planet are the ones we must focus on. Whoever they are, they have demonstrated the capacity to destroy all life on a world. This is the first evidence of intelligent life we’ve ever encountered. It’s not good that they appear to have aggressive tendencies.”
“What do you mean appear? They killed that planet.”
“But we don’t know if that destroyed planet attacked first and the other was defending itself.” Violet shrugged. “E, don’t take any chances. Take us in the same way she described.”
“I’ll come in from the side of the planet away from the moon.”
Violet said, “It won’t matter. All four moons have a blaster building on them, although the closest moon to the planet appears to have the one on it heavily damaged. I don’t know if it’s still operational.”
“Coast in to the planet, E.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Now don’t go all formal on me now.”
“Then allow me the freedom to operate without limitations.”
Ian looked at Violet and then said, “Do what you need to do; but get us there.” The display changed and they saw the planetary system growing in size. Ian said, “I’m sorry for your loss. I really am.”
Violet looked at the display as memories flooded in and whispered, “Me, too.”
• • •
The Officer looked at the plot of the Prince’s escape and shook his head. The Admiral watched him and worried what he might do if he became angry. The Officer turned and said, “This will make it easier. Admiral, I want all ships being used to deploy the scanner patterns in the Union moved to the borders. I want them overlapped in such a way, that any ship crossing the border will be spotted.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“If a ship is detected, I want every available ship vectored in and patterns made around that sector. He won’t be able to escape.”
The Admiral turned and activated his communicator and started issuing orders. The Officer stared at the plot and wondered how long the Prince could hold out before his food and water ran out. It would take years for him to find a habitable planet outside the Union and his supplies would long be exhausted before that happened. He was going to be forced to return. He sat in his chair and remembered the young man with the nurse. He felt something alien,
“Violet, were they human?”
Violet looked at Ian and shook her head.
“Go ahead.”
“I found two hand blasters on the dead bodies and brought them back to my ship. You’ve seen one of them.”
“Where’s the other?”
Violet looked at him and held out her hand. Suddenly, the blaster appeared. “I don’t know how the technology works but I pressed the orange button on the handle and the blaster must have matched itself to my body. I don’t have any idea where it goes but if I think about a weapon and hold out my hand, it appears.”
E said, “I’m sorry for your loss, Violet. Have you ever fired the blaster?”
“Yes, I fired it at another ship that was crashed not far from the one I entered.”
“And?”
“From a distance of two miles it blew a hole completely through it.”
“It must be pretty powerful then.”
Violet stared at Ian, “Before I left I fired my ship’s heavy blaster at the same ship and didn’t penetrate its surface.”
“They’ve more advanced than we are.”
“No, they’re not.” Ian narrowed his eyebrows and Violet said, “The ones that killed them are more advanced. That world is dead.”
E said, “Were the two ships similar in construction?”
“No, the second one was different.” Violet stared at Ian, “What’s bothering you?”
“Violet, the Nebula is not the real enemy of the Union. The ones that killed that planet are the ones we must focus on. Whoever they are, they have demonstrated the capacity to destroy all life on a world. This is the first evidence of intelligent life we’ve ever encountered. It’s not good that they appear to have aggressive tendencies.”
“What do you mean appear? They killed that planet.”
“But we don’t know if that destroyed planet attacked first and the other was defending itself.” Violet shrugged. “E, don’t take any chances. Take us in the same way she described.”
“I’ll come in from the side of the planet away from the moon.”
Violet said, “It won’t matter. All four moons have a blaster building on them, although the closest moon to the planet appears to have the one on it heavily damaged. I don’t know if it’s still operational.”
“Coast in to the planet, E.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Now don’t go all formal on me now.”
“Then allow me the freedom to operate without limitations.”
Ian looked at Violet and then said, “Do what you need to do; but get us there.” The display changed and they saw the planetary system growing in size. Ian said, “I’m sorry for your loss. I really am.”
Violet looked at the display as memories flooded in and whispered, “Me, too.”
• • •
The Officer looked at the plot of the Prince’s escape and shook his head. The Admiral watched him and worried what he might do if he became angry. The Officer turned and said, “This will make it easier. Admiral, I want all ships being used to deploy the scanner patterns in the Union moved to the borders. I want them overlapped in such a way, that any ship crossing the border will be spotted.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“If a ship is detected, I want every available ship vectored in and patterns made around that sector. He won’t be able to escape.”
The Admiral turned and activated his communicator and started issuing orders. The Officer stared at the plot and wondered how long the Prince could hold out before his food and water ran out. It would take years for him to find a habitable planet outside the Union and his supplies would long be exhausted before that happened. He was going to be forced to return. He sat in his chair and remembered the young man with the nurse. He felt something alien,
Similar Books
