The Euclidian: When Worlds Collide (uncut) Read online

  When Mikael was older, visiting Euclidian travelers discovered his abilities and were eager that he join their crew. Mikael was excited to become a space traveler. More than anything he wanted to finally see the planets and moons in space around them.

  Mikael joined the crew and was placed in a training program to perfect his talents. He was taken out into space where he could sense a diverse set of cosmic objects, each of a different size, velocity, density, and distance. He became a special navigator on a resource extraction ship and used his ability to find any invisible gravitational force that might damage the ship, or if a being or foreign ship using a cloaking mechanism was near them. He could determine when the mining of a planet should cease because the gravity was becoming unstable, causing the planet to break up or its orbit to decay to the point that it was about to succumb to the gravitational pull of its sun. If a resource extraction vessel still in orbit around such a planet came within the event horizon of a star, it would be unable to initiate a dimensional jump and be pulled into the star and destroyed. Mikael helped to avoid those types of tragedies.

  While computers were sufficient to track the movements of planets through space, by taking into account the forces of gravity from neighboring bodies, determining in real time the impact of removing 90% of a planet’s mass and its inevitable orbital decay into its sun required someone who could feel gravity. Once the plans for mining a planet were set in motion, Mikael predicted when it was time to abandon the mining and return to base with the cargo.

  While Uranus was being harvested, the Andrea monitored Saturn and Jupiter to determine when they would be in the proper position for mining to begin. It took careful planning to ensure that the two planets would not collide with other planets during their orbital decay, and that their disappearance would not be seen from Earth. Saturn and Jupiter had to enter the sun at exactly the right location. Taking out Mercury along the way was an acceptable loss. The Euclidians wouldn’t lose much in minerals and they felt they could make it back to the system and attack Earth before it was discovered that Mercury was missing.

  Six days into the operation, the mining of Uranus was completed and it was time to send what was left of it into the far reaches of space. Beacons were placed on opposite sides of the planet to warn any ships that might cross its path. The Andrea lowered onto the planet surface and prepared to push it toward a black hole in the Milky Way galaxy to avoid the risk of it being viewed by Earth as it fell towards the sun.

  “Navigator, do you have the coordinates locked in?” asked Captain Chaell Shisal.

  “Aye, captain.”

  “Then you may proceed when ready.”

  “Full negative gravity in twenty seconds, using the next nearest planet for leverage. Engine room, prepare to ramp gravitational field on my mark.”

  “Engine room ready,” announced the chief engineer over the communicator.

  “Mark! Full power in ten seconds…five, four, three, two, one, full negative gravity!”

  “Full negative gravity,” replied the chief engineer.

  “Once the planet is on the proper trajectory we will relinquish the gravitational push and pull away from the planet,” continued the navigator. “Stand by, Engineering.”

  “Standing by.”

  “Ramp down in five, four, three, two, one, ramp down the gravitational push.”

  “Ramping down. Complete in ten seconds…five, four, three, two, one, we are at standard gravity.”

  “Lifting off and heading towards the sixth planet, captain.”

  “Maintain a distance of 100,000 kilometers once we arrive,” said Shisal. “We have about seventeen hours before we can begin mining operations. Go ahead and deploy the mining vehicles on both planets and get everything prepped to commence once Mikael gives the word.”

  “Aye, captain.”

  “Mikael,” called Shisal.

  “Yes, captain,” replied Mikael.

  “Once we are in position I want you to take a shuttle and position yourself between the two planet. You will signal when it is time to start mining and continue to monitor the progress of the mining so that we maximize our haul before the planets fall into the sun. Remember that we mustn’t be detected by the inhabited planet on the far side of the sun.”

  “I understand, captain. I know my job here. Remember that we will probably take out the planet closest to the sun and they will all enter the sun.”

  Shisal looked concerned. “Yes, but you said there was no risk to anything happening to their sun or the remaining planets when that happens.”

  “That’s correct, captain, although the orbit of the small planet would normally place it in view of the inhabited planet just before our return. But its tiny-brained inhabitants will rationalize the planet’s disappearance. You won’t have to worry.”

  “Not worry? First you told me its disappearance would go unnoticed, and now you tell me it will be noticed, but no one will care.”

  “I said it would be of no consequence, captain, and it won’t be. Why don’t you let me do my job and I’ll let you do yours?”

  “Fine, Mikael, go do your job. XO, you have the bridge. Contact me when the mining starts. I’ll be in my quarters. I don’t want to be bothered before then unless it’s urgent.”

  “Aye, captain. I have the bridge.”

  Shisal entered his quarters. There was a large receiving area just inside the door furnished with two couches, a couple of tables, and four chairs. One wall displayed two large viewing panels, which Shisal typically used to receive communications, oversee shipboard departments, and monitor mining operations. To the left was a dining area that also served as his work area.

  Captain Shisal walked into the kitchen and grabbed a live Gordon creature from a cage on the counter. He stunned it with his fist then chomped on it with his enormous molars as it belted out a solitary screech. He washed it down with Tammarian grog, which made him tingle all over.

  Shisal spoke to his personal computer. “Snookie.”

  “Yes, Chaell,” the computer responded.

  “Send Phoebe to my quarters.”

  “Contacting her now, sir. She’s on her way. She will be appearing at your door within five seconds, sir.”

  Moments later a tone sounded at the captain’s door.

  “Enter,” he yelled.

  The door opened and Phoebe slinked in, almost melodically. She was a tall slender Delta with exotic features. A triangular head hosted large green cat-like eyes, luscious lips with whiskers beneath a triangular nose consisting of two slits separated by a black strip of flesh. Her eyelashes were so long they almost waved when she blinked. Her skin was a deep tan color, with a texture like a cashmere sweater, but it was a mistake to consider her warm and cuddly. She was far from it.

  Though Phoebe was slender, Deltas were known for their strength. Her talon-like fingernails were formidable weapons. She had once shoved her hand into a crewmember’s chest to thwart his attempt to take the captain’s life during a mutiny on another ship. They had been inseparable ever since.

  When Phoebe was not guarding the captain, she provided self-defense training for the ship’s security force and others who were interested. She had learned her weapons and self-defense techniques during the war against the Alphas. The Alphas had won the war and as many as could fled the Delta planet as the Alphas started to occupy it.

  “What can I do for you, Chaell?” Phoebe asked. She was his friend as well as his protector. She rubbed his hairless head with both hands, and could feel the tension in his scalp.

  “Give me the treatment, Phoebe.”

  “Sure, Chaell. Let’s get those clothes off then I’ll start a shower for you.” She led him into the bedroom and removed his clothing. She removed her outer clothing as well, to reveal sporty underwear. While they had a close relationship, they were not lovers.

  They entered the shower and Phoebe scrubbed his body with a large brush, which helped him relax. The scrubbing created a huge lather on Shisal’
s skin. Its aromatic scent filled his nostrils, further relaxing him, and helping to relieve him of the stress of command.

  After the shower, Shisal lay down on the bed. Phoebe lit a scented lamp, and then covered his body with oil. She started massaging him at his fingers, squeezing the tips and then the remainder of his fingers. She squeezed, kneaded, and massaged every inch of his body, looking for points of tension and releasing them.

  “My goodness, you have strong hands, Phoebe,” belted the captain after she removed a knot in one of his thigh muscles.

  “That’s why you have me do this.”

  “I let you do it because you are one of the few people I trust to let myself be so vulnerable around. Phoebe, you know I’m going to retire after this run. Why don’t you come with me to the place I set up? You could have your own plot of land and build a castle on it if you like.”

  “I’d love to, Chaell, but not now. Maybe after the war with the Alphas is over. The money that I’ll make from this run will buy a lot of weapons for my people.”

  “Phoebe, that war is over. They’ve completely taken over your planet. And now that they’ve signed a treaty with the Euclidians, there’s no one left to dare assist you.”

  “Yes, but the resistance fights on, and I want to help them win our planet back.”

  “Fine. Just don’t get yourself killed in that crazy war. I would miss you terribly.”

  “I’ll be safe. But that’s not what you are supposed to be thinking about. Clear your mind and relax so I don’t have to start this massage therapy all over again.”

  The captain let out a groan as Phoebe dug into his calves. By the time she finished he was fast asleep. She sat in a chair next to his bedroom door and watched over him. She was fond of him and respected him, but she did not love him. Love was for another time, after the war was over and she could devote her life to something else. She saved his life once, but he had saved her life when they first met.

  Captain Shisal was on leave in the city of Bumfuq in the Cairo system. Phoebe was guarding a diplomat when they were fired upon by assassins after leaving a club. She took out two of them but a third one killed the diplomat and got the drop on her. Just as he was about to shoot her, a blast from an unknown figure disintegrated him. When the dust cleared, there stood Shisal, all business-like. He turned and walked away without a word. With her client in pieces she decided to follow him, and became his personal bodyguard with a simple phrase, “I am yours until I am able to return the favor of saving my life.”

  Shisal needed a bodyguard and liked her looks, so he took her on. Her obligation was fulfilled when she saved his life during the mutiny, but she accepted his offer of a permanent paid position aboard his ship. And after that, he rarely left the ship without her.

  CHAPTER 19

  HELPING MOM

  Morgan spent the next eight weeks studying tennis players and continued to play with Biffle at least twice a week, though Biffle didn’t warm up to him. He took Pico to see his mother most every day, but his mother didn’t seem to get much better. He wasn’t sure what to do.

  That night Morgan lay in the fresh cut grass with Pico at his side. He looked up at the sky, captivated by the stars.

  “Can you see your solar system’s sun from here?” he asked.

  “No, our solar system is in a galaxy far from the Milky Way,” replied Pico.

  “How are you able to travel so far, and without being really old? Or maybe you are?”

  “While being held captive on the Euclidian ship I learned that the Euclidians have a device that uses a gravitational field to open doors into alternate dimensions. They pass through those in a manner that compresses time. Once the door is open they can adjust its location anyway they want. When they find the destination they can step through and even bring someone or something through with them.”

  “Wow, that is pretty amazing. Where do you think their ship is now?”

  “It’s hard to say. While hiding in their interrogation room I learned that they may be on their way here or to any of a number of other systems. Just because they were investigating Earth doesn’t mean they will ever come. They gather data and people back on their home planet to decide if a planetary system is worth invading and which resource extraction team will take on the mission.”

  “If they came here, could you use your stone to pull them out of the sky?”

  “That’s not possible. Their ship is enormous. It’s larger than this city.”

  “Geez. It would take a lot of metal to build something that large.”

  “Yes, they obtain the metal by mining planets like yours.”

  “Could you sneak onto the ship and blow up the reactor or something?”

  “Sneaking onto the ship might be possible, but getting around it isn’t easy. I was extremely lucky to get off the first time and I don’t wish to return!”

  “What if I were on the ship with you? I could create a diversion while you blew something up.”

  “You would be detected right away and placed in a cell with aliens.”

  “Like in Star Wars? That would be interesting to experience once in my life.”

  “Not really. It’s smelly, noisy, and a feeling of despair permeates the soul of everyone there.”

  “So how were you able to escape the cell?”

  “I basically ate through it undetected.”

  “That sounds pretty disgusting.”

  “Not really. I got nutrients from the metal and that caused it to deteriorate.”

  “You give me the impression that there isn’t an easy way to destroy them. I’ll do my chores and you can stay in the basement and think up some sort of plan in case we ever have to face them.”

  The next morning Morgan tried out a new setup for Pico. He purchased a quiver and filled it with nails and lemons, after cutting slits in the fruit for Pico’s hands to pass through. They had found that lemons worked better than orange juice to reinvigorate Pico, and were not as messy. Morgan positioned the quiver across his chest so he could keep an eye on Pico. Pico could easily climb up and hang on to the side of the quiver so he could look out as he traveled with Morgan. Pico thought it was amusing that he could be in the midst of humans and no one knew he was an alien. They just thought he was a doll or an action figure.

  Morgan put on his tennis outfit, his quiver with Pico inside, and his jacket and grabbed his tennis bag full of new gear. Today he was proud of what he had achieved and he thanked Pico for his part in that success. With his bag over his shoulder he prepared to head out.

  “Pico, I hope you don’t see this as a criticism, but after constantly being awake for eight weeks without being sleepy, I’m getting a little creeped out. I miss lying on my bed and dreaming. With my brain like this, it’s hard even to daydream. I seem to be able to only have one thought at a time, which can block out other thoughts or people around me. So if you don’t mind, could you change me back?”

  “Of course, Morgan. Don’t be surprised though if you feel somewhat the same. Now that your brain is used to this new state it will be easier to self-induce the effects. For example, it should be easier for you to communicate with me telepathically without me having to use my shaman stone.”

  Morgan sat on his bed. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  Pico pulled out his stone and reconfigured Morgan’s brain back to normal.

  Morgan’s foster mother shouted down from the top of the stairs. “We’re headed to Six Flags. Do you want to join us?” Cheryl had a developed a new fondness for Morgan after he began to use his new abilities to clean up the house and tidy her closet.

  “I already asked him and he said no,” Don interjected.

  “No thanks, mom. I want to go practice tennis.”

  “My goodness. He called me mom,” said Cheryl, her eyes tearing up.

  “You don’t get watery eyed when I call you mom,” stated Lon.

  “How about I give you a black eye if you don’t shut up,” replied his mother.

  Morgan
walked out the door as they were pulling out of the driveway and Ron shouted at Morgan from the car window. “You go, Arthur Ashe.”

  Morgan smiled, thinking he had somehow been transported to a dimension where people actually liked him. He was happy to have this new relationship with his foster family, but still wanted his mother back. Before going to the sports club he dropped by the General Hospital of DC to see his mother. She was in a bed by the window, across from the other comatose patient who shared the room, whose bed was by the door. Morgan dragged one of the cushioned wooden chairs next to the bed. He pulled Pico out of the quiver and placed a fresh lemon over his left hand. He slid two of the large nails in his quiver into the lemon securely next to Pico’s hand.

  “Once the nails are gone I want you to stop. Okay, Pico?”

  “Okay, Morgan,” said Pico through their telepathic bond. Though Morgan had his brain set back to normal, Pico could still hear Morgan’s thoughts when they were directed at him.

  Pico pulled his shaman stone from his side and concentrated. The ball glowed blue and Pico was back to killing Morgan’s mother’s cancer cells. He focused intently, starting at the center of the large tumor. After a time, the nails were gone.

  “Are you okay, Pico?” Morgan asked.

  “Yes, I stopped in plenty of time to not exhaust myself. Your mother said hello.”

  “You can talk to her now?” exclaimed Morgan.

  “Sort of. She seems to have stronger concentration today. I still couldn’t have a real conversation with her. I said hello to her and she asked who I was. I said I was a friend of yours and she said to say hello.”

  “That was it?” Morgan longed for more.

  “Yes, she just drifted into another part of a dream after that.”

  Dr. Turner entered the room. “Hi, Morgan,” she said.

  “Hi, Denise,” replied Morgan.

  “I see you’ve brought back your superhero friend. You have him in the bed now. What’s he doing?”

  “He’s using his superpowers to destroy my mother’s tumor.”