Solbidyum Wars Saga 7: Hunt for the Reduviids (18 page)

“By the stars, what is so funny about the FSO examining the Brotherhood ship?”  Regeny demanded.

“Sir,” I began while trying to keep a straight face, “It’s not that, it’s the idea that A’Lappe and Cantolla aren’t authorized to work on top secret military projects.”

“I don’t understand,” Regeny said sternly.

“Sir, WHO, other than A’Lappe and Cantolla, knows more top secrets about our and the Brotherhood’s technology, than they do?  Heck, they invented most of it.  For that matter, who do you know who is more trustworthy?”

Regeny stared a moment and nodded, “Hmm, I see your point, but it’s not that funny.”

“It was to us, sir,” Marranalis said as he started to laugh again.

“Sir, I recommend we immediately grant them both the highest top secret clearance status.  I need them looking at what’s on that ship.  They will be able to tell us in hours what’s going on, where the FSO will take months.”  I said.

“All right, I’ll notify Wabussie and see to it that Cantolla and A’Lappe have access to the ship,” Regeny said.

“Sir, we will need to have the ship moved to the
NEW ORLEANS
.”

“Why?  By the stars, Tibby why can’t they go to where the ship is?”

“Because A’Lappe won’t leave the
NEW ORLEANS
.”

“Oh, by the stars, that’s right… I forgot.  However, I want the FSO to still have access to the ship.”

“That’s not a problem, sir,” I responded.

“So, Tib, how are you feeling?  You look a lot better than when I last saw you.”

Much better, sir.”

“Good.  Tonclin has been asking me every day about your status.  The Federation is in quite a stir over the events with the battles and all.  Tonclin wants to do a memorial service at the scene of the battle in Sector 2.  He’d like to stage the memorial from the
MAXETTE.
”

“Like when we did the service for Sokaia?” I asked.

“Yes but this time he wants it known that he is there in person and he wants it broadcast live.”

“Taking a bit of a risk there, isn’t he?” I said, more than asked.

“Not with the RMFF and the Cantolla Gates,” Regeny said.  He’s as safe here as at the Capitol.  It will be safer; in fact, since this ship has firepower and fighters to defend it; and with the Cantolla Gates, he can escape in seconds to anywhere.”

“I guess I can’t argue with that.”

Even though Regeny had gone over the battles with Admiral Kophious and the captains of most of the starships and carriers that had participated in the fighting in Sectors 2 and 3, he still wanted to go over them from my perspective.  I made sure to bring in all the details of events at Alle Bamma and my estate as well.  Admiral Regeny had called in Admiral Kophious and Admiral Slater also and had two junior officers there taking notes; he wanted everything written up in reports to go out to all the Sector Admirals.  The entire battle was played out in 3D with holograms in the War Room, only it was played out in an accelerated time frame.  We were concerned that two enemy ships had been able to get close enough to the
PRIZAMET
without being noticed; but when ship records from the fleet were taken, it was discovered the ships showed up on our sensors, but their stealthy and erratic movements seemed illogical and so no one paid them much attention until it was too late.

“This isn’t good,” I said, “We need to fine tune our combat abilities more.  Slater, what are we doing wrong?”

“We’re not having battle combat drills,” he said almost instantly. “We need to have mock battles between fleets to see where we need to tighten up.”

“You’re right,” I said, as I rubbed my eyes and once again wondered how it was I hadn’t thought of that.  With all the naval drills I had been through when I was in Earth’s Navy, it should have been foremost in my mind; yet all this time I had let it slip by.  The meeting lasted a few more hours, but Regeny was sure to make us take a break and ordered food sent in.  “I don’t want to have any more of my officers passing out on me from starvation and fatigue,” he said with a chuckle,” but I saw him looking at me and I thought I detected a look a note of concern on his face.  Was he seeing something I was missing?  Did he too, suspect I was having some issues of concern?

When the meeting was over, Marranalis came to me and said, “Sir, Chief Banker Arjuk Norcar, wishes you to contact him at your earliest convenience.”

“Did he say what it is about?”  I asked.

“No, sir,” Marranalis replied.

Very well.  I’ll contact him later.  Right now, I’m going back to the
NEW ORLEANS
.  I need a little time to do some thinking.”

When I reached my study, I told my bodyguard to wait outside.  I wished to be alone and catch my breath for a few minutes.  I decided to get the call to Arjuk Norcar out of the way, lest I forget it, so I contacted Verona on the bridge and asked her to call him and put the call through to my study.  About five minutes later, Arjuk Norcar’s face appeared on my screen.

“Greetings, First Citizen,” he said.

“Greetings, Chief Banker,” I replied.  “I’m sorry I was unable to speak to you when you tried to contact me earlier.”

“I heard you had collapsed from exhaustion.  I do hope you are feeling better now.”

“Yes, much better, but I must confess that the pace of things is wearing on me,” I replied.

“I understand you thwarted the Brotherhood in their major offensive against the Federation.”

“We held our space; both sides took a terrible beating,” I said, “however, I doubt that’s what you wanted to talk to me about.”

Arjuk Norcar laughed, “No, it’s not, I wished to talk to you about Rinncal Haf-joab’s estate.  The sale has gone through and the funds transferred.  Any time after next week, I can take possession and put my own staff there.  What are your plans; do you have persons ready for the tasks?”

“Honestly, no.  However, I can have some within a day or two.  I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.  Thanks for doing this, it's greatly appreciated.”

Arjuk Norcar laughed, “Admiral, you are a funny man.  You give me one of the most desirable and luxurious estates in the universe and thank me for taking it.  Seriously though, it is an honor to assist you after what you did for us at Weccies.  I’ll be looking forward to your call.”

Once my vid screen was blank again I swiveled my chair and stared into my aquarium, watching the fishes swimming about.  I could almost imagine Tox the Tottalax swimming about in my aquarium once more like he had when we first brought him aboard before we had quarters set up for him.  I was deep in reverie when I felt the presence of another in the room.  Since I didn’t detect the odor of cedar in the air, I knew it had to be someone other than A’Lappe.  I turned in my chair slowly to find Thumumba sitting in the chair before me.  As when last I had seen him, he was in human form and he sat watching me intently.

“Greetings, Thumumba,” I began, “It is good to see you again.”

“Greetings, Man-who-speaks-for-Thumumba,” he replied, “it is always a pleasure to see you also.”

“I trust all things are well on Alle Bamma and that your children prosper?  How is Regata since her return?”

“Regata is well and sends his greetings.  He now is the leader of my children since the passing of Jnanara.”

“Jnanara has died?  I did not know that.”

“Thumumba’s children do not die, Tibby, not as you think of death anyway.  They change and move on to become something else, but they do not die.”

“Is this something you do for your children?  You give them another life?”  I asked.

“No, nothing like that, though I do assist them in their transition and guide them into a better life.  If I did not, who knows what they might become.  I see you are confused by this," he said.

“Well, yes, to be honest, you told me years ago that you realized you were not a god; does that mean you believe in a god, a creator being, higher than yourself?”

Thumumba looked at me with an expression of amusement before he answered, “This is a question that perplexes you, does it not, Tibby?  Does a creator god exist?  The evidence is all around you and still you wonder.  Your science likes to try to explain all that has taken place, that is happening and that will come about and somehow relate it to a kind of random perpetual motion in the cosmos where energy and matter are in constant flux and exchange.  They see order occur out of chaos; things coalesce and take form and function and they try to isolate the “science” of how these things happen without ever asking the most important question of all.  What makes energy do the things it does?  Why does some energy gather into units that become electrons, neutrons and protons, to form an atom, while other portions of the same energy coordinate to become light?  What makes a radio wave consistent, so that it functions as it does; why doesn’t it randomly change into light, or even become an atom?  While yet another unit of energy has formed into atoms that cling together seeking out other atoms, which collect into matter that can work with each other and function in unison in a logical and with mechanical precision.”

“So you’re saying that behind all the energy and matter, the controlling factor that holds everything together and makes it work is god?”  I asked.

Thumumba smiled, “Let me ask you another question.  Your science believes that all the universe, as you know it, was created in a single explosive event.  What do you think existed before?”

“Well, energy I guess, since there was no matter."

“Energy… so what made this energy explode instantly forming a googolplex of atoms and to form light and sound, x-rays and gamma rays and all that comprises our universe today to exist in a single moment?”

“Well, I’m not sure I believe all those things happened instantly.  I mean there weren’t planets and stars immediately.  It took time for them to coalesce," I said.

“Yes, but the elements and building blocks were there.  The atoms were there, the light energy and the radio energy and radiation all came into existence at once.  All the building blocks, as it were.”

“Hmm, I think I see what you’re saying.  So you’re saying that intelligence that we name God instigated all of this?”

“It’s much deeper than that, Tibby, where do you think all of this stuff came from?”

“Well I guess you want me to say God made it.  Right?”

“Yes and no… If God made it, what did he make it from?”  Thumumba said as he stared intently at me.  I knew that he could read my mind and he was looking at my thoughts as I contemplated his words.

“Well, he made it out of energy I guess,” I answered finally.

“And where did that energy come from?”

“Well, he made it.”

“Out of what, Tibby?  Think… the answer is staring you in the face.  Take off your scientific cap for a minute and think about it logically.  If God was all that existed, what did he make everything else from?”

All of a sudden, I felt all the hair on my body stand on end and it hit me… “Out of himself!  He made it of himself!  However, if he did, that means…”

“…that everything we see and know and more, is ALL a part of God." Thumumba interjected.  “Every cell in your body, every star in the universe, every particle of light and every atom in the air you breathe is ALL a part of God, Tibby.

“But how… I mean… well if that’s the case, then all of us are a part of God.  Why don’t we have more knowledge? I mean if we’re all part of God? We should all have the same knowledge and we should all be able to read the thoughts and feelings of others.  Shouldn’t we?”  I said in confusion as I looked at Thumumba.

“Tibby, the cells in the toe of your body are alive, correct?"

“Yes!”

“And scientists could take that living cell from your body and still keep it alive and even have it grow and reproduce in a laboratory, correct?”

“Yes,” I answered, “but I don’t see…”  Thumumba raised a hand halting me as he continued.

“You have many cells in your body like that one in your toe, each separate living entity that joins to form muscles, organs, your bones and they all work together.  Tell me, Tibby, are you aware of each of them as you sit here now?”

“Well, no,” I answered.

“And do you think that cell in your toe is aware of the ones in your liver and what it's doing at this moment?”

“No, but they don’t have a brain either, so they don’t think about, or question these things.”

“Yes BUT you have a brain and you can think and question, so do you know what’s going on in the cells in your liver this exact moment?”

“Well no, but I know they are there,” I said.

“Why?  Why do you know they are there?  Because you have a connection to them in a communicative sense you are aware of, or because your science has dissected the human body and learned these things and told you so?”

“Okay, I get your point; at least, I think I do.  So you’re saying that we are all like cells in the body of God?”

“Again, yes and no. There are big differences, but it’s a useable analogy that leads in the right direction.  What I am trying to illustrate is that while you are made up of a mass of living cells, which comprise you and make life possible for you; you have knowledge of their existence and function, whereas they do not have that same knowledge of you, even though they are the building blocks you are made of.  So it is with God.  Everything that is, is a part of him.  However, like the cell in your foot, we are only a part of a much larger thing that we do not know or understand.”