I appeared a moment later with the young female in tow. She was still wrapped in the energy blanket, though her life signs were starting to grow stronger.
My daughters and the three of my old unit were staring at me. “Who is she?” Bell asked a moment later. “Is she alright?” She asked.
“She should be fine soon. I got there before their agent was able to infiltrate her mind,” I told everyone there.
I noticed that Bethany’s eyes were a little wide as she stared at me and the new arrival. “Is it always like this,” she asked Bell a moment later.
“For right now, I am afraid that it might be. We are still trying to gather more people like us to help,” Bell replied.
“You uh… say that all of us are like he is?” Bethany asked.
“No, at least not yet. Father has been at it for far longer than almost any of us,” Bell said.
“Wait, wait, wait, he really is your father? Are all of your family endowed with these powers,” Bethany asked.
“Well, since there are only the three of us, then that is a yes,” Trina said.
“Only three, oh, I see, sorry I brought it up,” Bethany said.
“It alright, we all came to terms with it years ago. Especially after the government took us away from the rest of the family. Somehow, we always knew who dad was, we were led to believe that we had to comply or they’d hurt him. Now? I have no problem hurting any of them that get in our way,” Trina said between clenched teeth.
I reached out, placing a hand on my daughter’s shoulder. I felt her momentarily flinch, then relax. Trina whirled to stare at me. “You put all of them out? About time they got a taste of their own medicine,” she said with a huge smile on her face.
I nodded as I looked at all there, “I have managed to free a hundred of the leaders and assistants from the Xetrons. That will surely help, though there are other dangers.”
“So, father, who is our newest guest?” Bell asked.
“I felt her in an alley ’bout to be attacked by a gang. As her power is not controlled or guided, I stepped in. I am afraid that a good portion of the gang will be out of commission for a while. Somewhat difficult to terrorize with broken arms and legs,” I told them.
“So, what’s the plan? I know we have to gather others, that none of us can leave here, til…” Andy started,
“No, of the nine of us here, only four of us can leave safely. Well, ten now. I have Bell and Trina safe now. Bethany is also barely high enough. The brother and sister are close though they need a great deal of rest. They were drained severely. As I explained to you three, you are almost there,” I explained to them.
“OK, so what’s the new girl’s name?” Bell asked.
I sheepishly shrugged as I looked at the unconscious female on the floor.
“You don’t even know her name? Good god Dad!” Trina said.
“Well, let’s be for real, she passed out. I wasn’t about to probe her mind. We don’t do that without permission or in an emergency situation,” I said.
Both Trina and Bell smirked at me, “sure, yeah right dad,” Bell said. “We all know it’s been a very long time since you were with mom. You have to admit that she is gorgeous.”
For a moment I could only stare open-mouth at both of my daughters. “I can’t believe that you said that, since your mom, I haven’t had time for anything but saving the earth.”
“Come on Dad,” Trina started.
Andy stepped up at that moment, “It’s true girls. His handler had him going almost constantly, as did ours. We were considered weapons, not human, therefore we were not afforded any human luxury.”
“What the hell! Let me find him can think of a damn suitable punishment,” Bell almost growled.
“No,” I said as I shook my head. “I believe that almost all the mind people, plus their handlers, are gonna be walking on eggshells for a while.”
Both my daughters plus the three of my old group were staring at me. “Ok Bill, just what in the hell did you do?” Tom asked.
“Oh, I was searching for those that were annoying me. I went through so many; I was starting to grow mad. Finally, I reached out to find an older man. He laughed at me, not realizing how strong I am,” I told them.
“That would have been the main director. No abilities, though he does have some control. If I remember, he has several helmets he wears, I take it they didn’t stop you?” Tina said.
I shook my head no, this causing the six there to gasp. “I also knocked all of the mind people out, plus I did kill a few. The Bellion stopped me. He was right. Had they all died, worse would have taken their places.”
I heard all of them gasp again, “you knocked all of them out?” An astonished John said. “You do realize that there are more than a hundred that they have now.”
I just nodded nonchalantly, causing five of them to stare at me like I wasn’t real at all. “Like I said, I am the strongest I have always been. I was also the youngest of us that were there when the Bellions came the first time.”
“So, for now, we are safe,” Bell asked.
“All of us here in the house are, you, Trina and Bethany are high enough that I think you are safe. My old team are almost there, the two upstairs are a little lower than you three. That makes nine of us. We are going to need a lot more. I just hope that I can keep them out,” I said.
“That’s hope for us all Dad,” Bell said.
Deep within a system, on the exact opposite side of our galaxy, far out on the edge of the spiral arm, darkness ruled. More than ten trillion mind warriors awaited their chance to attack the earth. The ultimate leader walked through them feeling his strength build from their malice. A twisted smile came to its lips, soon they would break this weakling world.
Disgust washed over its features as it looked again at the data cube. Such a weak, pitiful race, how had they destroyed six of their ships? Obviously, the warriors were weak as they were destroyed. The strongest of their planet’s mind warriors had done it solo.
The ultimate warrior shook its head. This would not happen again. It looked over at the gestation pool, it had at least another ten trillion being made. No, this would not happen again.
A holo-thought shimmered in front of it, the form of the strongest warrior other than it, appeared.
So, came the thoughts of the Ultimate warrior. How has such a weak and pitiful race managed to defeat our enemy, the Fletecons? They the only race to defeat us in glorious physical combat? They obviously had help, finished the thoughts of the Ultimate warrior.
From all that I have seen, the strongest warrior said. They had the help of the powerful mind race, the Bellions.
WHAT!? I thought they did not interfere in the course of the systems. One of those like them is enough, the other three they found cost us a great many warriors. Find out if they are going to add this miserable planet to the other three planets. Another, that far behind us would place too many enemies around us, ended the Ultimate warrior’s thoughts.
I will do all I can. I still do not believe that they are strong enough to defeat us the warrior thought.
I have been through what has gone before. The One has far more power than you think. I have seen his and several others on that dirt ball grow more than five times. Prepare, his mind power, passed yours several cycles ago.
The strongest warrior tried not to gasp, then not to laugh. It had been many, many cycles since he had faced a worthy foe. Perhaps, when he defeated this one, he’d have the power to take on the Ultimate warrior. A smile, a true smile, went across its facial features. Yes, a true day of glory!
The holo-thought disconnected, he needed to ready what was left of the ships. With only forty warriors, plus the thought shield stronger, they needed a way through. Searching out he saw that they had at least another twenty on the planet.
The warrior went through all the data they had, then went through it again. He knew where what was it they called themselves? Ah yes! Humans, he knew where the strong mind, humans, were the shield around them as strong as the planet one.
Yes, the warrior thought, the shield was indeed strong for the physical and mind aspects. An evil smile lit up its features as it touched several buttons. An enormously strong blast left the warrior’s ship, then mental energy joined it. This effectively tripled its strength,
I jumped up as I felt the enormous energy beam blow a fairly large hole in the shield.
“I need all of you, see the ships, see them explode,” I said as I felt no less than twenty ships slip through. Thankfully, the shield snapped shut, crushing another five.
I felt both my daughters then Bethany, firing at the ships. I concentrated on the lead ship, bigger, stronger. It had their obvious leader, plus several very strong beings on it.
To my relief, I felt twenty quickly dwindle to ten, then five. I felt my crew also firing, ’til there the last one exploded. I was still trying to take the last out. Its engines were gone, as were most of its thrusters.
Damnit, I thought. The damn thing was going to make it to the ground. I started to fire faster, watching as an aero foil was ripped off. I hoped that the faster falling ship would kill the crew.
I then started to curse as I felt the strongest alien on the ship was still alive.
Everyone was shouting as I vanished, appearing a moment later in a wooded area. Overhead, I could see the smoke and fire descending like a huge fire ball.
I reached out trying to blow the rest of it out of the sky. How in the hell, had the alien managed to get a shield so strong? I realized almost too late that the alien was using its mental energy. I adjusted hitting it.
I smiled as I saw the shield flicker, the fireball grew bigger. I kept it up as I felt the alien trying to increase its shield. A moment later, it hit the ground, carving a huge crater, taking several acres of trees with it.
At the last moment, I thought I had felt the alien’s energy fade to nothing. I wasn’t about to believe what I had felt. I had done that once, I had lost a partner and damn near my own life.
I felt power gliding toward me, felt like both my daughters, shit, I really didn’t need them trying to berate me. No, I was really not in the mood for it, it was bad enough I had let one through. At least the entire crew was dead, that I knew for certain.
A moment later, Bell, Trina and Bethany appeared. Before they spoke, they turned toward the hole. “One of them is still alive?” Bell asked.
I was staring intently at the flames. I was a little pissed. I could no longer feel the alien. I concentrated harder finally finding a single, very weak lifesign. I started to send killing energy to it. As it died, I realized that it didn’t have the same energy signature.
I searched the area feeling another alien life sign moving away. Cursing, I started to fire energy bolts at it, actually hitting it once.
“Damnit!” I yelled. “It got away, son of a bitch, I let another loose on the planet!” That’s when I felt the fatigue hit me, dropping me to my knees.
“Dad? You’ve depleted yourself again. Do you have enough to get back?” Trina asked.
“No, we can’t leave, we can’t…” I started.
“Dad, you hit it several times. Just how far do you think it will get?” Bell asked.
“Not far ’til it finds a physical host, then there’s no telling,” I told all three of them.
I tried to stand, nearly going over on my face. “Bethany, you’re going to have to help us,” Bell said.
I felt all three of them: Bell on my left, Trina on my right and Bethany both hands on my back. A moment later, they all three pulled as we slowly headed back to the house. It was at least ten minutes before we appeared, all three of them dropping to the floor exhausted.
“Damn,” Trina said. “I see what you mean about having to use it more to strengthen it.” All three were panting with the effort of it.
“Plus, I said, “with me as strong as I am, it takes more power. Had I not been so weak, you wouldn’t have gotten me all the way here.”
“Yeah, thanks Dad, maybe you can tell us about other things that might kill us before we try them,” Bell said.
“As I have told many before, I do not read minds, at least not yet. Now,” I said as I tried to rise. This, of course, had me falling on my face. Luckily, I was beside my sofa.
The one Xetron warrior that had escaped was trying to find a weak mind it could inhabit. It wasn’t having much luck as the few nearby were too old or strong to take.
Its breathing was starting to become more and more labored, it tried to move a little faster. It was starting to curse the mudball it was on.
All the scans they had done only a microtine (twenty years) ago had shown a low mental planet. With as little time as they had passed, they should not have this much power. At that time, there had only been the group going against the Fletcons.
A sudden weak mind drew its attention as it altered its course. Ah! The mind was young, plus it had the beginning of mental power. This was a great find indeed, now just to survive to take it.
The closer it got, the more excited the warrior got. It would, of course, have to end the lives of the five others with it. A small laugh sounded through its mind; these weak beings were hardly worth the effort.
The alien broke through the forest into a clearing. It had been almost an hour since it had started. If those that hit his ship before found him before he assimilated the lifeform, he was finished. It almost sickened him that he was as weak as he was.
The warrior tried to move faster, finding that its body was starting to liquify. Good it thought, it was close enough.
Move toward the trees that are in front of you, the warrior thought to a young male. The teen suddenly stopped, turned, then walked rapidly to the tree line.
The warrior was almost giddy it was so easy to take this one. The teen saw the sloshy blob and tried to scream, then found nothing was coming out as it had his mouth full. He could feel his free will slowly eroding, as the alien went deeper into his mind.
The warrior was finally starting to feel a little stronger as he slowly took over the teen. The thing was, the teen was a hell of a lot harder to take than it had felt.
It took almost a half hour to completely take the body, then there was the fact that the warrior couldn’t get to one part. Finally, the teen turned back toward the large building. Upon arriving, he found no one there, there seemed to be a missive on the clear opening.
So, the alien thought they had gone to something called a store, leaving him there. The thing was, the warrior needed more energy than the teen’s body had to heal. The human thought-warrior had damaged him far more than the warrior thought.
The warrior made a decision, he just needed a few bodies to gain enough energy to heal faster. There were a few beings nearby. They were strong though; he wasn’t going into their minds.
The warrior started to move away from the large cabin house towards another nearby. The mind of the body he was in seemed to have gained strength. How in the hell was this possible?
A deeper look, the alien saw titanic battles that made its heart race. This young one was a pretend warrior, trained much as the young of the Xetron young were.
The sheer amount of battles that the alien saw had him shaking with more excitement and a little apprehension. With the amount of training this one had, he wouldn’t be able to retain it long.
It was two hours after the ship had crashed that I got a message about a missing teen. It was a mile from where it had hit. I looked at the three females, then vanished.
Appearing near a cabin, I could feel the weakening energy of the Xetron, then the teen. I felt the very slow merging of both, though this was extremely slow. I could also feel that, even though the alien joined with the teen, it was not complete.
then felt the body turn toward another nearby cabin. I vanished, appearing in the yard of the second place. I found the teen gasping for air. It hadn’t been long since the transfer. I scanned the teen repairing what I could, then lifted floating after an obviously older male.
A few minutes later, I came to a road, the energy vanishing. Cursing, I reached out, feeling the energy rapidly moving away. Centering, I vanished, appearing floating and moving above and with the truck the alien was in.
I was surprised a moment later when an energy bolt leapt from the cab of the truck. It then veered off the road with a scream coming from inside.
I shot my own bolt of energy, barely hitting the alien. It stumbled out of the cab seeming to grow stronger. This time I hit it with a stronger bolt, directly in the chest.
It obviously thought I wasn’t very powerful as the bolt took it to the ground. It then reached out, shooting another type of energy at me. This one caught me by surprise, knocking me out of the sky.
I quickly recovered or rather thought I had. I opened my eyes, and it was gone. I reached again, finding my mind was slightly confused.
I cursed as I winked out, appearing at the house a moment later. All six there held grim faces as they walked towards me as I swayed a bit.
“Damnit! I thought I had it, caught me with a blast that took me out of the air,” I yelled.
“We can feel it Dad, you hit it at least three times. From the way you described it before, it’s hurting worse,” Trina said.
I was about to open my mouth when there was a groan from the other couch. The new female that I had pulled from the alley sat up slightly swaying.
“Well, it’s good to see you’re up,” Trina said.
The new female sat stiffly for a moment, then looked at me. “I remember you, you saved me, the rest of you though, I don’t.”
“I was worried after I cleared the alien from you. You were so unresponsive. I had felt you retreat though; I didn’t think you went that far,” I said.
The female was staring at me with a look of confusion, then it appeared as if something clicked. “I have always retreated like that; it was believed at one time I was autistic. Later they found that I had greatly intense concentration,” the female said.
I nodded, then turned toward the stairs as the brother and sister walked down. “Ah! It’s good to see both of you amongst the living again.”
Dan was staring at the seven of us. He had obviously heard part of what we had said. “We need to go,” Dan said. “They’ll find us if we don’t keep going.”
He had grabbed Shelly his sister’s arm, heading to the door. “You’re safe here, nothing can get through the shield,” I told him.
I saw doubt in Dan’s mind as he opened the door, stepped through, then stopped like he’d hit a wall. I saw his eyes open wide, he pointed at the invisible wall. I then felt powerful energy blasts that actually did nothing to it.
“Damn,” he said. “I guess you are powerful, the strongest I have felt.”
I turned back to the female, “now, what is your name?”
“Oh, it’s Alice,” she said. I turned toward both my daughters whose mouths were hanging open. I then noticed that mine was open also.
I shook my head, it figures just as I start to get things where we need them, the universe throws a wrench in the works.
A small smile crept onto my lips, at least this time I thought, I had a lot more control over what happened. I looked around me at the rag tag crew I had. God, I needed more people.