
Subj : New Beginnings(45)
To   : All
From : Skyhawk #1
Date : Sun Sep 17 1995 12:44:40 PST

                               New Beginnings(45)

     For a moment there was nothing then, a tremendous explosion filled the
air. She could see a flash of light below as it hit. She searched carefully for
damage. As she smoke cleared, she could see the mass of aliens still
proceeding eastward. She angled the G-6 and prepared to drop another..
     "I wouldn't do that, Candar." the voice said in her head. "As you can see
we are heavily armored. Land and we will talk. This cannot go on or both our
peoples will die."
     She felt anger welling up in her. "Like they did on Delazar! I'll never
forget that! Never. I can't trust you!"
     "Without trust, there can be no new beginning..for your people..and mine.
My father knew we would contact each other someday. I have held a latent
telepathic link with you ever since mother touched me. I knew someday we would
meet and I have felt you from afar. I know the kind of person you are. Please
land."
     Candar listened to the hum of the G-6's engines. Her mind raced back to
the carnage on Delazar. These were the creatures who had literally ripped limb
from limb an entire colony! Those poor people hadn't stood a chance and the
crew of "Glory Virgin" had barely escaped with their lives. She still regretted
the loss of her friendship. She had lost so much on that world. Looking down
she could see the mass of creatures continuing on. The nitro was still here.
     "I'll land." she finally said. "But, you must stop. Do not proceed any
further."
     Immediately she saw the mass stop. Several of the creatures were looking
up at her expectantly. Her mind was silent. She sighed and brought the shuttle
in for final approach. As she descended she could see the monsters. God! They
were huge! Two of the biggest were in front. Like giant beetles with big red
eyes. Her skin felt like it had hives and, her fear grew. She lowered the
shuttle more and brought it in, skidding to a halt.
     As she opened the cockpit, she could see the creatures approaching. She
pulled her gun and grabbed one of the bottles of nitro. "Come any closer and
I'll blow us all up! No further, you hear me?"
     The creatures stopped except for one. It continued toward her, it's front
legs reaching out. It's massive abdomen looked like a giant spider. "Trust me."
the voice said in her head.
     Candar gripped the bottle of nitro. "If you touch me, I'll blow us both
up!"
     "I have to touch you to initiate the kind of contact we need. My mother
tried that once and, your companions panicked thinking it was an attack.
Please try to have faith. I can help you."
     Candar was shaking now. She had never felt such fear. The thing was almost
on top of her now, it's huge mouth just feet away. It's bulbous eyes were huge
staring directly into her. It's body was heavily covered with armor like some
great beetle from hell. She froze as slowly the thing reached out one of it's
legs toward her head. This was it! She cocked the gun and aimed it directly at
the thing's head. "No further." she whispered fearfully. "Or we'll both die."
     She could see the thing turn slowlyn toward it's companions who were
massing behind it. It turned back to her and reached again. "Then, we'll both
die." the voice whispered.
     Candar watched as if in slow motion as, the thing reached across a gulf of
memories. Memories of a horror that had haunted her for years. It's scaly leg
with little fiber like hairs touched her head....and instantly Candar found
herself thrown into darkness.. "No!"
     The silence that followed was deafening. Then someone touched her and she
turned to find a little girl in a blue dress: Terry.
     "Oh, my god no!" She stared down into her dead daughter's face."Why? Why
are you torturing me like this?"
     Terry smiled. "I had to reach you. I had to show you we were not the
threat you thought. This was the quickest way. I am sorry if I hurt you. Now,
you understand don't you? We mean you nor anyone from earth no harm. Had we
wanted to destroy you, we could easily have done so centuries ago. As you can
see, we are not the primitive insects we appear to be. My father has sent me
with a dual offer. It is clear that there are those in your race that cannot
abide the thought of contact with people such as mine. The world you called
Delazar was one of our colony planets. We are all over the galaxy. However, we
are not on and have no plans to go to what you call, Hycenda. It is too warm
for us. We know your were heading toward it originally when your ship crashed.
My father's offer is this. We can return you to earth...or, we can take you to
Hycenda."
     Candar was silent for a moment. Suddenly, she laughed losing her
composure. "I..I can't believe this. All those dead people. All that sacrifice.
And now you say your just going to whisk us off here? You don't have any
technology I have seen that can do it! No ships. No transport devices of any
kind. How do you propose to do this?"
     "Our ability to travel without the use of artificial life containers can
be used on your people as well. We can will ourselves to be where we wish. We
travelled to Delazar with just a thought. We can do the same for your people.
Our mental powers are great. If we wanted to, we could destroy your colony here
with a single thought."
     "Then why did you rip us limb from limb on Delazar! It would have been
more humane to blink us out of existence. I think this is bullshit."
     "My father was not in his right mind when my mother was killed. He and
others of my kind wanted you to die in the most painful of ways. Even
intelligent beings can be overcome by ancient primitive thoughts. Do you doubt
me Candar when I say, we could have destroyed earth long ago?"
     Candar stared at Terry feeling the darkness closing in on her. "No." she
finally whispered. "I don't. All this time in colonizing new worlds, no
intelligent alien life was ever encountered. Now, here you are. We wont be able
to avoid each other forever. In time, our governments will meet....." 

Subj : New Beginnings(45)
To   : All
From : Skyhawk #1
Date : Sun Sep 24 1995 12:09:31 PST

                               New  Beginnings(45)
                               By Daniel C. Harrison(Skyhawk)
 
     Candar watched Kevin walk away giving orders as he want. "Kevin, wait! You
have to trust me on this! You always have before!"
     Kevin stopped and looked back. "I know. But this time, the risk is too
great. I'm sorry."
    He turned and continued walking toward the encampment, her cries unheeded.
     "Damn!" She sighed deeply.
     Carnigan nodded and gave her a wicked grin. "So, this is the kind of
government you would run you witch! You'd sacrifice us all to those monsters!"
He looked around at the assembled crowd. "Everyone! Is this the kind of
governor you want? She will lead us all to ruin!"
     Shouts of assent when up and, Candar watched her support erode
dramtically. Carnigan looked at her again. "You can stay here and spin your
little plots. We're ont them. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to defend
ourselves. We'll wipe out every last one of those damn things and make this
planet truly ours!"
     "NO!" Candar shouted but, the others ignored her. She could see Kerry
standing nearby with her daughter. As the crowd dispersed to different areas of
the encampment, Kerry came forward. Candar looked at her. "You don't believe me
either do you?"
     Kerry smiled. "I know you've led us well so far. The idea though of you
being in telepathic contact with one of those things. The idea is..frightening.
I can see why they think you might have been compromised."
     "I am still me." Candar insisted. "Do you trust me?"
     Kerry nodded instantly. "Yes. And, I know Jerry does. And Dr. Grayson.
Grayson thinks this idea of a conflict will kill us all."
     "He's right." Candar looked around. "There's only one way to stop this
from happening. We have to cut the power to the main laser cannons they have
set up. We also have to cut the defense shield."
     "But that would mean exposing us to attack! We'd be helpless. The only way
we'd have to defend ourselves would be our own personal weapons!"
     Candar nodded. "I know. But, I'm telling you, they are not coming to
attack. I have tried to point this out to the others. They wouldn't listen. You
said you trusted me, now do you or not?"
     "I do." Kerry sighed. "But to do that we will have to cut the power to
that engine Kevin managed to get working. Even then,  he'll just turn it back
on again."
     "Then, we'll have to destroy that engine. There's some demolitions
material in Lock One." She looked over and saw Jerry and Dr. Grayson standing
by the  starboard side airlock. "Let's go, there isn't much time." She ran
quickly toward them with Kerry in tow.
     Quickly, Candar explained the situation with Grayson looking like he was
going to be sick. "Are you going mad? If you destroy that engine, the other
colonists will rip us apart! They'll do the job they think the creatures will."
     "If we don't, we'll all be wiped out." Candar looked at each of them. "I
need your help. We have no time left. The creatures will be here soon."
     Jerry sighed. "Ok, I'm in. I can't move very fast considering my health
but, I'm in anyway."
     Grayson laughed. "Well your my patient so, I can't leave you alone. I'm in
too. Candar, how are you feeling?"
     "Never better," she glanced behind her making sure no one was watching.
"Let's get moving!" She led the way into the ship.
     Quickly the four of them moved through the  corridors to Lock One. Candar
found several boxes of explosives that had yet to be removed and quickly
assembled a small bomb. Jerry prepared the detonator." This should be
sufficient to blow that engine to hell and back. We'll have to move fast
though, this detonator only has a limited time on it."
     "How much?" Kerry asked concerned,
     "About five minutes. It was made for blowing big holes for construction
type work."
     "Great." Kerry looked around nervously. "We better get moving."
     Candar took the detonator from Jerry and moved toward the door. "Let's get
to the engine room."
     The small group made their way onward until they reached the door of the
engine room. Grayson opened the access panel and, the door slid open. He poked
his head inside. "It's ok, nobody's here. Let's go."
     Together they entered the room. As they did so, Candar looked over the
consoles that Kevin had recently repaired. It was a shame to waste his
handiwork. She pulled the explosive from the small bad she was carrying and
attached it to the main control console.
     "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Candar!"
     The voice caught them by surprise. A figure stepped out of the shadows his
gun aimed right at her. "Put the bomb away, now. Then, put the bag down and
back away from it."
     Candar stepped back leaving the bomb attached to the console. "Kevin, we
used to be friends. You used to trust me."
     Kevin moved closer. "You were there on Delazar! You saw what those things
did! I can't live through that again! I can't trust you in this!"
     "You have to." she shouted. "If you don't let me disable our defenses and
we attack, they'll wipe us out! It'll be a slaughter just as bad as the last
time. And ruin any chance of peace with them ever! For god's sake Kevin, they
are intelligent beings! We've known each other too long for this shit! Trust
me!"
     "I can't." He stepped forward. "Put the bag down, now!"
     She made as if to put it down then, suddenly with a strength she didn't
know she had, she flung the bag hard into his face. "Jerry get his gun!"

