Chapter Twenty One
Full Shield! Now!
Some of my weapon platforms were no longer working. Their icons were flashing red indicating some kind of malfunction. Most of them were along one side of the ship. At Katie’s scream in my ear my eyes redirected out to the huge red dot that was just now coming onto my screen.
I left all the other targets go unchallenged and for the first time the bar-Seth began to shake and tremble as it received weapon fire that slipped past Katie, as there were just too many strikes all at once to block. What forward guns that were left I brought to bear on the big target dot, but it wasn’t enough. The missile was staying together.
Eleanor must’ve seen what was going on, because she changed the flight angle and peeled off to the left, which allowed me to bring all my remaining weapon platforms to bear. Within seconds as the bar-Seth bucked all around me the missile exploded and cast out a red cloud.
“Full shield Katie!” I screamed.
The shield stopped flashing red only moments before the wave of red hit. The bar-Seth plowed sideways in the air from the force of the nuclear blast. Indicator lights and warnings flashed and blared throughout the ship, but we were still alive.
“There’s another one Eva!” I heard Talaric yell.
We couldn’t take another blast like that!
I was down to just three guns!
Option three!
I glanced up at my top screen and saw that option three still glowed green and was available, “Get ready to duck out of here and run Eleanor!” I screamed.
I pushed option three’s button and sonar buoys pinged off the sides of the ship and quickly rendered the ship’s outer skin, as they admitted an identical single as the bar-Seth only stronger.
The artificially rendered ship peeled off to the right. The faked image of the ship sped off, as fast as the limited power sources of the sonar buoys could take it. Eleanor peeled off to the left and slammed the ship forward sticking every one against their seats, as she dived for the water below heading in the opposite direction from the ballistic missile that had broken off from the bar-Seth and was tracking off after the faked version of us.
It detonated far off from us thirty seconds later. Another missile popped free of the water, from a different spot other than the first two. It was right on top of us and Eleanor cranked the bar-Seth straight toward it!
“Ellanara read my mind!” Eleanor screamed.
A second passed by, during which, it seemed all time came to a standstill and then Ellanara leaped into a flurry of commands after an initial glance at a monitor.
“Sparky preload the beacon array into the particle generator and be ready to engage it at a moment’s notice! Titus prepare a beam focused directly ahead of the ship! Katie turn off the shield, but be ready to turn it back on at full power!”
Talaric spoke out, “What are you up to Eleanor?”
The missile was streaking head on with the bar-Seth and would crash into it within seconds.
“Sort of a crazy-ivan Sir! Everyone hang on to something!”
Eleanor cut back abruptly on the power and seemed to go straight upward once again on a crazed elevator ride. I watched in my screen as the vapor trail of the missile slipped past us by the barest of margins and then it abruptly went upward, as it tried to reestablish with its target.
We stopped and I mean stopped and then Eleanor swiveled the bar-Seth, until we were looking upward at the heavens and the vapor trail of the missile that had corrected its course was headed straight down towards us. I screamed, as it suddenly felt like I had fallen over backward off of a high-rise, as Eleanor jam the bar-Seth into reverse and headed straight for the water that still burned with the debris of the ships Titus had destroyed earlier.
“Sparky start the beacon array up! Katie flip the shield on!” Ellanara screamed out.
The shield reintegrated around the ship only moments before we slammed into the water.
Ellanara called out, “Fire Titus!”
The blue beam shot upward and connected in a terrific explosion with the warhead that had been dead centered on us in our rapid fall.
The blast of the atomic bomb rocked the area with its field of destruction, but we were already plunging deep into the ocean, completely shielded from the blast by the protective covering of water overhead. Air bubbles streaked past us from escaping air pockets that the ship had drug into the water with it.
Several minutes passed by, which felt more like only seconds when Ellanara said, “Put the brakes on Eleanor!”
“I am!”
We started coming to a slow and gradual stop. “Hit it Sparky!”
I gasped, as a cylindrical column of yellow-green light shot up out around the sides of the bar-Seth towards the surface above. What was happening?
I glanced at my other screens to find some explanation for it, which is when I saw the red dots appear in the distance on my battle target screen.
“Katie are those missiles?”
“No I don’t think so! I think their torpedoes!”
“I don’t think I can target them with the way we’re positioned! Will the shield hold?”
“Heck no! I’m barely keeping the seawater at bay, because they’re sucking away so much of the power to feed the particle beam generator! Whatever that is!” Katie screamed back at me.
“Relax girls. Soon you’ll be in my world. Would you do the honors Sparky?” Interjected Ellanara into our panicked moment.
“With pleasure my dear! Everyone brace yourselves, as I’m told this is a brace worthy event. Engaging water vortex gate now and may God help us!”
That was the last thing I heard before we hurtled upward through the tunnel of light much faster than we had ever moved yet.
The skin pressed back into the hollows of my cheeks and it became hard to breathe. It seemed to last hours, but finally it stopped as the ship righted itself and we were no longer staring up at the stars but were traveling through them. I was passt comprehending any of that now.
The chair had released me and I just lay there in some of the worst agony of my life.
My head!
Oh God my head!
It was going to explode!
I was going to die! There was no way I could feel this bad and still survive.
“Oh honey!”
It hurt to open my eyes because of the light, so I only cracked them open slightly. It was Talaric. Suddenly everything didn’t feel so bad, as he picked me up in his arms and started walking up the aisle with me.
My head rested against his chest and from there I peered out at what lay around me. I saw Katie laying on the floor with Eleanor and one of Roric’s men kneeling beside her.
“Is she all right?” I managed to get out, but my head punished me painfully for the effort.”
“Hyperventilating, dehydrated, and completely exhausted, but she’s okay.” Talaric said.
As if from response to my question I saw Katie arch an eyebrow to see me a little better. Weakly she lifted a hand slightly with a thumbs-up before her arm fell back to the floor.
Further on I saw Ellanara laying with her head in her mother’s lap, who was repeatedly brushing her fingers through Ellanara’s hair in a calming way as she massaged her scalp. Maybe she had a headache too.
Krista’s actions looked comforting and I hoped that Talaric had something similar in store for me. Krista was saying something to her daughter and then I realized that she was singing softly. Tears washed down my cheeks. I wished my mother was here to take away my pain!
Further along I saw Rafael and Roric. Rafael climbed out of Roric’s lap and came running to me.
“You were amazing mom!” He said his eyes reflecting the absolute true belief of his words.
I wanted to say something, but the pain I’d feel in doing so made me hesitate and I heard Talaric say, “Your mommy needs rest right now Rafael. She’s all right, but she needs some quiet time. When she’s feeling better you can tell her all about how truly amazing she is. Okay?”
Somewhat crestfallen, but still hopeful sounding Rafael said, “Okay.”
We passed by doors and into a hallway and I thought I saw Levyon up ahead of us.
Briefly I heard Levyon say, “The master’s chamber is through there. Anything else I can get you?”
“No not right now.”
I heard a door open and then slide shut and then there was the feeling of being laid down on something soft. Weakly I reached to grab for Talaric not wanting him to leave me.
“I’m not going anywhere honey! I’m just laying you down on the bed.” He said reassuringly and I let go.
The bed was so comfortable. I felt it dip slightly as Talaric got up onto it somewhere above where my head lay. I felt him kneel to either side of my head and then his warm fingers began to gently rub my temples and the rest of my head. I moaned in pain.
What he was doing felt so good in one way and yet I still felt pain no matter how gentle his touch was. Gradually the pain eased away and so did I into a dreamless deep sleep.
Talaric was having to fight harder and harder to keep his eyes open, as he kneeled behind Eva’s head still massaging it even as she slept.
Ellanara had said that they would be in route to his homeworld for slightly over two days. It had taken the smaller craft he’d come to Earth on much longer, but then he’d discovered that the shortened time was because his little sister had improved some things.
He shook his head at the surprises of life, of which his little sister’s abilities were certainly one. He needed to get sleep. Quietly he eased off the bed. He reached out and felt Eva’s arms gently. She was getting cold.
The bed consisted of nothing but a large elaborately patterned burgundy cushion. There were no blankets or even pillows to be seen anywhere in the room. There was a series of panels on one wall that looked to be drawers.
He got off the bed and walked over toward them. As he approached one panel slid out toward him with a soft express of air. Cautiously he peered into it, but saw nothing but blankets. Did everything read one’s mind on this ship?
He pulled several colorful blankets out and putting them under one arm he started back for the bed. He came to a dead standstill and slowly turned his head to look at a mirror that hung from the wall off to his left.
The mirror itself was flashing a soft white light and like a moth drawn to a flame he turned and walked up to it. A beam of green light shot out from the mirror and wrapped around him in a whirlwind of color from head to toe and then abruptly disappeared back into the mirror that suddenly went dark.
This place had far too many secrets and techno-gadgets Talaric thought to himself, as he turned from the mirror and headed towards the bed.
“Talaric.”
Talaric froze mid step and dropped the blankets, as his hand came back up from his waistband with a pistol. He swung around with the pistol, completely shaken by the sound of his name being called out.
The mirror had changed again, as if it were a digital screen instead of a mirror. An older man stood portrayed in it and somehow Talaric knew that the man was Tadias.
“Relax Talaric this is only a recording. By the time you are seeing this I will have been dead for quite some time. But as I know that one day you will see this message I am encouraged to believe that my work and all I’ve hoped and worked so hard to accomplish is still being fulfilled by the future generations of my offspring, which let me tell you is a blessing that I carry with me to the grave and beyond. I don’t know much of what you may be facing in the world or worlds you live in Talaric, but I can tell you this. Never doubt what God can do for both you and whatever situation you’re faced with. I have been alive far longer than many and let me tell you I am weary of the ways of man and somewhat eager to depart for the peace of the grave, but I still have some work to do so I’m here until I’m not needed anymore. My long life has been filled with more excitement and accomplishments than I had ever dreamed to achieve and it has taught me a simple truth, that with God all things are possible. God has a divine plan for everyone and every situation you may encounter in life. Remain faithful to Him Talaric and He will remain faithful to you! In fact He will be like a friend guiding and preserving you through your life. I know He has certainly been in mine. I hope my words of wisdom inspire you to either change or to continue in the faith that I pray that you already have. Now on to another matter. I hear congratulations are in order on your upcoming marriage. Thunder Ridge is a perfect place for a union of two hearts to begin. I want to give you a gift to go along with your special day that has a special significance to me.”
There was an express of air, as a tray slid out of the mirror itself. On the black velveteen surface of the tray lay two silverish looking rings. One was larger than the other. There was an elaborate swirling of embossed design that twisted and turned about the surface of the rings.
Talaric reached out toward them and lifted them off the tray and into the palm of his hand. The rings felt warm to the touch.
“They are very special rings Talaric just by themselves, but to me they mean even more. To me they represent the bond of love I was blessed to share with the woman of my dreams for many years. She’s been gone from me now for many more years and I miss her terribly. Treat your woman well Talaric for as it has been written, ‘He who finds a prudent woman has found a very good thing.’ Wear the rings through the years, as your love story unfolds. May your days be happy and your heartaches few as you experience life and all it holds, together. Always together Talaric. Always. When the time comes to depart this life Talaric and it will, as all that are born of the flesh die in the way of the world till our Master returns for us, I want you to see that the rings are passed on to your sister Ellanara. She will need them. Tell her that they were gifts from an old friend of mine and that it’s fitting that they should be returned to him. Even as they were given in the bond of friendship let them now unite that friendship, which has been broken so that it might be restored again even stronger and more lasting than before in a special haven that only the bearer of these rings can find. Goodbye Talaric and may God prepare your way before you. May you be ever mindful of Him every day of your life and a servant of His until the end.”
The mirror returned to just being a mirror on the wall. Talaric looked over at the bed to see if Eva was still asleep. She was and the room seemed to be the same as well.
Talaric opened his hand just to make sure he hadn’t dreamed everything up. The gleam of the engraved rings stared back up at him glinting in the light cast off by the dim glowing light panels located throughout the room. They were real!
He closed his hand over them and bent down and picked up the blankets that had fallen to the floor and continued on to the bed. He covered up Eva and then got up on the other side of the cushion and lay down. Within minutes Eva had cuddled up next to him in her sleep in search of his warmth and he put an arm around her and drew her close to him.
The rings were still clutched in his other hand, as he stared up at the ceiling unable to go to sleep, as his mind pondered on what the future would bring.