The Unofficial Biography Of Kimmay

Book 4: The Nature Of The Matriarchy

by G L Hudson

 

CHAPTER 19

 

The chartered jet landed at Milwaukee and the girls immediately returned to their apartment headquarters. They dropped their bags in the hall and pounded on Kimmay's door. "We must meet," Salindale said as soon as Kimmay opened her door. "Something is not right."

As the girls entered the room they heard the television. They each stopped and watched as the cameras showed a huge tsunami washing over Japan and smashing through the coastal villages. The disembodied voice behind the picture was rattling on, "Even with the warning, hundreds of local villagers were washed out to sea. The devastation is as bad as anything in memory. The epicenter was located off the island of Okinawa and the tsunami reached the shores of Japan in only a matter of minutes. Scientists say the earthquake registered a 9.2 on the Richter scale."

The picture broke away from the report and returned to the talking head in the studio. "Projections indicate that the tsunami has now reached the Hawaiian Islands. We still have no reports from our reporters in Kona or Honolulu. We can only assume that they are waiting out the initial impact and will report to us as soon as the swells have subsided."

Kimmay looked at the girls and realized that this had all happened while they were en route from Switzerland. "You did not watch any of this on the jet?" she asked.

They all shook their heads. "We were concentrating on other things."

"Then you should see this," and she changed the channel. A picture of a huge volcano came on the screen. It was shooting lava and throwing rocks hundred of feet into the air. "Mt. Vesuvius," she announced. She flipped the channel again, and this time the reporter was standing in the midst of devastated city. "Ankara. It was hit by an earthquake of 8.5 magnitude. And so were half a dozen other locations around the world. It has all happened in the last six hours."

"Shit," Cynthia muttered.

Salindale spoke up, "Please Kimmay, sit with us. We must show you something."

 

Traci Marshall was on the family farm just outside Lexington, Kentucky. She and her two sons were riding through the upper pasture, marveling at the rich green color of the pastures and the old oak and maple trees. Her sons were expert equestrians, and they practiced putting their horses through various canters. They were having a marvelous time and never noticed the hot rush of air that passed over the field behind them. The horses sensed something strange and all three of them began to buck and snort as they flared their nostrils. They refused their commands as they turned and looked towards the field.

The riders looked into the distance and saw nothing. They did not notice the crushed patch of grass on the west slope. The horses continued to show their agitation by snorting and pawing the fresh cut field beneath them. In the midst of the mayhem, an electrical discharge shot out of the middle of the field and all three horses collapsed onto the ground, throwing their riders across the hay field. As they stood up, swearing and brushing the dirt from their faces, several darts shot through the air and each of them was struck. The boys were struck in the face and Traci was hit in the shoulder.

Immediately, all three of them lost their bearings and their focus. Not just their eyes, but also their minds turned fuzzy along with their mental abilities. Their adrenaline levels started climbing as well as their anxiety levels. Their blood turned cold and they each knew they were in tremendous danger. Yet, their minds couldn't react. It was if they were frozen in fear. The numbness in their awareness increased and their fear escalated.

They could see figures moving towards them. They were odd figures, shimmering and moving as if caught in the immense heat of the desert. They faded from sight and then became perfectly visible. Over and over they faded and then reappeared, only to fade away again.

The three of them were grabbed by strong hands and held motionless while knives cut through their clothes. Invisible hands ripped their clothes from their bodies and left them standing with nothing but their boots on their feet. Without warning, they were quickly knocked to the ground and even their boots were pulled from their feet. Rolling over the stiff stalks of freshly cut grass and alfalfa, they could feel it scratching and piercing their skin.

Steel chains appeared out of thin air and were fastened around their necks, and then they were jerked to their feet. Their elbows were pulled behind their backs and tied together with a very thin and wet filament. The filament was pulled so tightly that it cut through their skin and almost reached their bones. Next, they were sprayed with something that smelled like hog feces; it was hot and burned their skin. They cried out in pain as blisters began to form on their raw skin. Large needles were shoved through their cheeks, in one side and out the other. The needles were threaded though a steel loop and the then pulled tight, effectively sewing their mouths shut. The entire operation took less than a minute, and still they had not seen their attackers.

The hot spray slowly cooled and turned very thick and sticky. It felt and smelled repugnant. They were pushed forward, towards the crushed patch of grass. As they were pushed, they would stumble and fall, the stiff stalks of freshly cut hay piercing their skin and causing even more pain. Each time they fell they received a kick in the abdomen or crotch, and were then yanked back to their feet. Their feet were soon bleeding from the shafts of tough hay that cut through their skin. The march took fifteen long and cruel minutes. Their minds remained numb and they couldn't comprehend exactly what was happening, but the pain center of their brains was sharper and more focused than they could possibly have imagined. The pain and fright was overwhelming. Each of them wanted to pass out, but the kicks and choking jerks kept them alert enough to move on.

Upon reaching the west side of the field, a dark form took shape. None of them could interpret the outlines of the space shuttle, but they knew that they were in very serious trouble. Their captors pushed them into a stainless steel holding pen. The steel was barely above freezing. At first, the cold steel soothed their burns and punctures. The blood oozing from their cuts began to coagulate. But the cold soon penetrated through the pain and left them shivering uncontrollably while the ship lifted off from Earth and ferried them to their ultimate pain and eventual fate.

Their captors rested on the way back to the ship. They tapped into the tags on the prey and they were soon smiling at one another. Their Supreme Commander had not lied. The pain and fear issuing from their victims was extremely sharp and focused. The animals had suffered only a fraction of what the soldiers and medics would inflict upon them later, and already their responses were more intense than anything they had felt in other species. The potential recreational value of these animals was immense. The soldiers beamed in anticipation.

 

Salindale led the group to the center of the room. Rocky turned off the television and they all sat cross-legged in a circle. Kimmay sat next to Salindale as they all took hold of their neighbor's hands. The circle was complete. Salindale closed her eyes and began to speak – but there was no sound in the room. The group spoke through their thoughts.

While in physical contact, they could exchange ideas faster and clearer than through the use of words. None of the others knew how they had acquired this ability; only Kimmay had any hints. And yet, even she had been surprised when she realized that Salindale could directly communicate with the other girls. What was more, they could feel each other's presence even when not in the circle. That is how the girls could find Melissa and Kimmay when they were just children. Somehow they could reach out and touch a presence.

Kimmay had anticipated a small amount of this potential. That was why she had given birth to Salindale as a male. Only a male offspring of Kimmay's would have been able to reach out to the others. Only a male could act as the catalyst for the Matriarch. But Melissa had turned everything upside down. She had used the same sperm that had sired Kimmay. Her genes were more compatible than Kimmay's mother's genes. They were more compatible than any human on the face of the planet. Melissa had given an incestuous birth to two children with gifts far greater than ever anticipated.

Cynthia and Maria gave Salindale more power than Kimmay had ever foreseen. They had turned the catalyst into an active and powerful communicator. Salindale would eventually become a Seeker. She would be able to look for life; to feel it, respond to it and potentially control it. Salindale had not yet even imagined what she might be, and Kimmay was still learning as well.

Kimmay knew more than she ever communicated to her fellow conspirators. She knew things about the Matriarchy that the others still did not understand. She had been told much by the Keeper, and she had deduced even more. But there was more talent in Salindale and the Matriarchy than she had ever anticipated. She never saw it coming. In fact, there were many things that Kimmay never saw before it was too late.

Salindale focused their minds away from themselves. She showed them a dark splotch in their feelings. It was without form and without light. It was mean, it was cruel and it was evil. Only one touch and they could all tell that it was a horrible, evil entity. But as much as Salindale probed, she could not fathom its reality. She knew not where it originated from, nor could she comprehend its purpose. Her talents were still raw and undeveloped.

As much as they should have feared it, they did not. Together they knew they had tremendous strength and they felt that they would have to confront it. In the twenty-five years that they had strengthened their continuity, they had grown confident and brave. Even though they should have recoiled in fear, Salindale would not allow them to back away. The entire duration of their trip from Europe, she had kept them in session, looking and probing for that dark splotch. And now that Salindale had her mother next to her, her strength and confidence grew by orders of magnitude.

"What is it Kimmay?"

"They have arrived. I have seen this day and prepared for it. Do not fear or doubt your talents. You are stronger than you can possibly imagine. Remember; use all of your resources."

"What is it mother?"

"Alien invaders have arrived. Their invasion has already begun. The initial attack is underway. The natural disasters are not natural. They are neither random nor coincidental. The war is about to begin."

Kimmay broke the circle. "Remain together and remain strong. I must warn the government. Return to your apartments and rest. Prepare yourselves for the strength that you will need. Salindale …"

"Yes Kimmay?"

"Use ALL of your resources." Kimmay opened the door and let them out. Then she picked up her sat phone and called the President.

 

When Traci regained consciousness she was in another stainless steel room. She was chained to the wall and it was very cold. Her arms were pulled above her head and chained to the ceiling. Her legs were spread and shackled to the floor. The thick substance on her skin reeked and stuck to her like tar. She was shaking uncontrollably, partly due to the cold and partly due to the fear. Her mind was clear and her pain was acute. She had never been so frightened in her life.

As she looked around the stark room her eyes fell upon the opposite wall. Her heart sunk like a stone in the depths of the ocean. Her boys were stretched out against the wall across from her. They were chained and shackled the same as she was. They were both unconscious, hanging like rag dolls from the chains. She wanted to call to them, to comfort them but her mouth was still sewn shut. Her cheeks were puffy and swollen from the steel cord pulled through the holes in her cheeks. The pain was immense, but nothing compared to what she saw across from her. She was about to lose her beloved children.

Eventually the boys regained awareness and they stared at their mother. The fear in their eyes broke her heart. Tears rolled down her cheeks and stung the open wounds located there. They remained chained in their freezing room for hours. There was no way to guess at the actual time, but it seemed like forever. Her arms, hands and fingers were numb and frozen. She could feel nothing in her fingers; she couldn't even wiggle them. She was freezing and she tried to shift her weight and lean away from the cold wall, but she didn't have enough strength to maintain the position. She was shivering and crying when the Kastellians arrived.

'Medics' is what they were called, but torturing was their duty and joy. They were allowed to tap into their victim's pain to allow them to be more efficient in their torture. They were the first to revel in the pain and suffering of their victims. They loved their job.

Two Kastellians entered. They pulled a hose from an invisible closet and began spraying water on the three of them. The water was extremely hot and began burning their skin again. The cold had numbed some of their pain, and now it was being re-awakened. The water was coming out in a high-powered jet and it felt like it was cutting through their skin. The pressure and boiling hot temperature turned their skin raw and bleeding. Even after they finally turned off the water, blood continued to ooze from their battered bodies.

The door opened again and two additional Kastellians entered. The pushed in a table covered with instruments. The table was stopped in front of her boys, and one of medics picked up the first tool. Traci silently screamed in terror when she saw it. For the next several hours she was forced to watch them slowly and brutally torture her youngest boy to death.

 

Hours later, with the lifeless, destroyed body of her son hanging from the chains, they turned their attention to her. The table was wheeled in front of her and one of the torturers picked up a pair of cutters. She slowly walked to Traci and smiled at her. She stopped in front of her and Traci could smell death on her breath. The medic held the cutters against her cheek for several moments, staring into Traci's eyes, and then she cut the steel wire. The second medic forced Traci's mouth open while the first medic snaked a tube down her throat. She was gagging and suffocating when they attached at bottle to the tube and squeezed it forcibly. Liquid was squirted down into her stomach.

The liquid was water, laced with some nutrients and some incredibly strong stimulants. The stimulants kept her awake and heightened her senses. Her pain stayed sharply in focus and her anxiety levels climbed higher. It was the second time she had been filled with stimulants. While she had been unconscious earlier, she had received her first dose. They would keep her alive and alert for several days while they collected their emotional recordings. The medics loved their job.

After emptying the contents of the bottle into Traci, the 'medics' left the room. The stimulant started to take affect. Her nerves shook with the strong dose of stimulants and the pain increased. She looked at her remaining child and saw the terror in his eyes. Traci began to cry again.

Hours later, three new jailers walked into the room. These three were different than the original torturers. Their dress indicated positions of authority. They pushed another instrument into the room and stopped in front of Traci. One of the women positioned the instrument in front of Traci and adjusted the controls for several minutes. Then she bowed towards the others.

The largest woman with the most ornate uniform picked up a small sphere and spoke into it. "I know that you can understand me. You cannot lie to me. I will ask questions and you will answer them promptly. If you try to deceive me or delay me, your punishment will be severe." She turned slowly and pointed at Traci's remaining son, "And his punishment shall be much more severe than anything you have seen so far." She turned back to Traci, "Cooperate, and I will end your pain. I can do that."

She nodded towards the other woman and she touched some of the controls on the instrument. Immediately Traci's pain began to numb and dissipate. It didn't totally disappear, but it was alleviated enough to prove the alien's point. Traci decided that she would cooperate.

"Is your name Traci?"

How does she know that Traci thought? "Yes," she answered feebly. Her throat burned and her voice was raspy, but the answer was clear.

"Do you serve the Kimmay?"

'Oh my god!' she thought. This was about Kimmay! Quickly she thought through several potential answers. Only the truth would work, she was sure of that. "I no longer serve Kimmay."

The three of the woman looked at one another. "Did you serve her in the past?"

"Yes."

The senior woman nodded again, and the pain was dulled a bit more. "Cooperate and the pain will be reduced more. Why do you no longer serve her?"

"I left to pursue a new life."

"What do you mean?"

"I married and moved away to live with my husband."

The three of them looked at one another in bewilderment. "You left your master?"

"She was not my master. She was my employer."

The concept was totally alien to the three interogators. Life service to superiors was mandatory in Kastellian society. Attachment to a mate was no excuse for anything other than sex. The General was momentarily stumped as to how to proceed. The Science Director took over. "What is the Kimmay?"

"I don't understand the question."

The Historian turned up the pain and Traci screamed. "I mean it. I don't know what you want. Please, I'll cooperate, give me a chance." The Director nodded to the Historian and she turned the pain level down. It was amazing what they could do with their electronic tags.

"Is Kimmay of your species?"

"Yes. Yes she is."

"Is she a female?"

Traci couldn't understand the reasoning behind the questions, but she wanted to keep that pain machine as low as possible. "Yes she is a female."

"Was she ever a male?"

"Yes, she was born a male."

The three Kastellians hissed and a look of horror crossed their faces.

"What powers does she have?"

Traci was confused. She didn't know what they were asking, and she certainly didn't want the pain turned up again. "Please, I want to answer you but I don't understand the question. Ask it a different way. I will answer it if I understand."

The Historian was about to turn up the pain, but the General stopped her. "Does she have abilities that are greater than other Earthlings? Or different?"

"Yes, but I do not understand them. I served her, but I have never understood her powers." Traci's tone was begging for mercy. She knew she hadn't answered the question exactly, but she couldn't handle the pain any longer. She would have done anything they asked if it would stop the pain. Anything.

"Tell us what you know about her powers. Explain what you can."

Traci swallowed and said, "She is very smart. She knows mathematics and physics and science that I can only imagine. She has been taken around the galaxy and taught lessons by Linda that I have no knowledge of."

The General interrupted, "What is a Linda? How did she travel around the galaxy?" he demanded.

"Linda did it, but I don't know how. She had a pouch and she held it in her hand and you just disappeared. You would jump across the universe and appear somewhere else."

The air escaping from their mouths produced an eerie hissing sound. Even in her reduced mental state, Traci could tell they were stunned. In fact they were scared. The Historian looked at the general and whispered, "A Traveler. There can be no doubt."

The General began swearing and the other two crouched in fear. "Historian, are you sure that you silenced all of the sensors into this room?"

"Yes Your Honor. I am sure."

"Stop the pain. I want her mind as clear as possible." The Historian turned the proper settings and the tag deadened the pain center in Traci's mind.

Traci couldn't believe what had just happened. It was like a ton of weight had been lifted from her mind. It was like a great pressure had ceased. She wanted to cry in relief, but she was given little time to think about what had just happened.

The General held the sphere in front of her mouth and asked, "Does the Linda go by another title?"

"I knew her only as Linda."

"Were there others with her? Did they have a name?"

"Wait, please don't turn up the pain. I know I have heard other names, but I need a minute to think, please don't turn on the pain," she begged.

"I will give you one minute. Think fast!"

It took only a few moments for Traci to remember the names. "There were two names, but I don't know which one applied to her. She was either a Builder or a Seeker."

The hissing sounded like a steam leak. With her mind a bit clearer she could easily read the terror on their faces this time. There was no doubt in Traci's mind that she had them terrified. If only she could keep them that way. Her mind flew through potential ideas, but nothing clicked. Her mental capabilities still seemed very sluggish.

"Where are these Seekers and Builders now? Are they still here?"

"No. They left Earth over fifty years ago."

"Why? Where did they go?"

"They wanted to attack Earth and take it from us. They wanted to kill everyone on Earth. Kimmay stopped them. Kimmay and Krysallis and the Keeper. They banished them from Earth for the next thousand years."

The hissing turned to screaming. The General fell on the floor and pounded her fists on the steel. Her swearing was so loud and so long that the Historian and Science Director cowered against the wall and stayed away from her. They said nothing and waited for her to finish her tantrum.

The General slowly stood and looked at the other two. "We are doomed. We have to get away from this planet and this Kimmay, but I know the Supreme Commander will hear none of this. She will kill us three, and then continue her attack. She is going to destroy everyone."

She pulled her uniform back into position and straightened her hair. "We're dead," she said again to her two compatriots. They did not answer. The General turned to the prisoner. "Exactly how did they defeat the travelers?"

"The Keeper arrived. Somehow Kimmay traveled into the future and found the Keeper. She brought us a cube. It held all of the Traveler's laws. Krysallis showed it to the Travelers and demanded that they leave. They refused. Then the Keeper appeared. She took away their spaceship and sent them away."

"What? You took their spaceship from them?" she asked incredulously.

Traci realized that the interrogator had just made a major mistake. She could answer the question truthfully, and insinuate that they had the power to do it again. "Yes, that is exactly what we did." There, she had said we. She looked at the Historian behind the console to see if any deception had been read into her answer. If the instrument had caught any deception it didn't matter. The three of them were hissing and rolling their eyes.

Traci now realized the situation. They had heard just enough about Kimmay to be worried about her. She had been captured and tortured to provide them with intelligence about Kimmay, and she had confirmed their worst fears. If Kimmay had defeated the Travelers, these aliens felt they too would be defeated.

The General searched for intelligent questions to ask, but none came to mind. The Science Director had a question, "Where is the ship?"

Traci really wanted to use the pronoun 'we', but she decided against it. She merely said, "It was sent into the sun and destroyed."

The Science Director turned to the General with a thought, a sliver of hope, "Maybe she is lying."

"You think so you idiot? Historian, is she lying?"

"No your honor. Every instrument says that she is telling the truth." Traci could not understand their language, but she could read body language. The Kastellians were easy to read, and what she read gave her some small bit of hope.

The General and Director swore. The Historian picked up the cube and showed it to Traci. "How did you get that?" Traci asked.

The General and Director turned to the Historian and looked at the cube. "Do you know what that is?" the General demanded.

"It is the recorder that the Keeper gave us."

"What does it do?" The General was praying that it was a weapon that they could use.

"It is a recording of the events surrounding the Keeper. It shows what happened when she arrived on Earth."

"How does it work?"

"You hold it in your hands, by the corners." For the next several minutes Traci tried to explain how to hold the cube to make it open, but none of them could make it work. In exasperation the General asked, "Can you make it work?"

"Yes, I think so. I did it on Earth."

"Release her arms," she ordered the Director. The Director picked up a remote device and pressed a button. The chains released from the ceiling clasps and came crashing down around Traci. One landed on her and cut her head open. It began swelling immediately. Traci's arms fell to her sides and she collapsed to the floor. She lay in a crumpled heap, blood trickling over her face, and yet she felt no pain. The tag continued to deaden all the pain centers of her brain.

"Activate the cube," the General ordered.

"I can't move."

The general nodded to the Historian and she turned up the pain level. Traci screamed as the pain returned. "Please, please, please," she begged through clenched teeth. "I can do it but I need a chance."

The Historian turned the pain down. "My arms won't move. I have to hold it in my hands but my arms won't move. They're dead," and she began crying. She knew that if she couldn't activate the cube they would resume torturing her.

None of them knew what to do. She was telling the truth. She couldn't activate the cube, but they had to see it. The Historian suggested, "Should we call a medic? Maybe she can restore her arms."

The General did not like the idea. She wanted no one else to know about this interrogation. But like the others, she had no idea what to do. She pulled out her sidearm and inspected it. She slid it back into its holster and then said, "Call in one medic."

The Historian left the room and brought back a medic. The General glared at the woman and said, "The animal can not use its arms. Can you restore them?"

The medic had never heard of such a request. Victims were never revived or repaired. They were killed and another was brought in to begin the collection process anew. "Your Honor, why do you need to restore an animal?" The medic knew it was insubordination, but it was an automatic question born out of years of routine.

The General pulled her weapon and shoved it in the medic's face. "Either do it or die. Now!"

"Immediately Your Honor," and the medic dropped to her knees and sat next to the prisoner. She looked helpless and finally did the only thing she could think of, she asked Traci. She took the sphere and said, "Animal, can your arms be restored?"

Traci looked her in the eye and defiantly said, "I am not an animal. If you are looking for an animal, find a mirror."

The medic did not understand the insult but the General did. She began laughing. "You act bravely for an animal," she said to Traci.

Then Traci said the smartest thing in her entire life, "I am not an animal. I am a friend of Kimmay's. We are family."

The blood drained out of the General's face. Even the Historian and Science Director understood what she had just said. If this Kimmay were truly as powerful as they imagined, she would exact revenge for the treatment of Traci.

"Fix her!" the general yelled at the medic. "Do it now! Now I command!"

The medic still had no idea what to do. She again asked Traci, "Earthling, can your arms be repaired?"

Traci felt satisfaction. She was now an Earthling and no longer an animal. They were afraid of her. Or more precisely, they were afraid of Kimmay. "My arms need rest. The blood circulation has to be restored and the nerves have to recuperate. They have fallen asleep."

"What do you mean 'fallen asleep'?"

"They are numb and fatigued, they need rest."

"I have an idea," the medic told the General. She walked to an invisible closet in the wall and opened it. She picked up an instrument that looked like a radar gun. The medic pointed it at Traci's arms. "This device will warm the muscles and force more blood through the veins. It may help."

It felt warm and soothing to Traci. Some of the muscles started to tingle, like they would after an arm falls asleep. The nerve endings must have been responding to the stimulation. She tried to move her fingers and could actually see them wiggle. It took several more minutes before she could open and close her hands.

The General saw that she was moving her hands. She took the cube from the Historian and placed it in Traci's hands. "Make it work," she commanded.

Traci couldn't yet lift her arms, but her hands reached the cube. She placed a finger or thumb on each corner. The lights began to dim and again the three Kastellians were shaken. They stepped away from Traci and watched as the book opened. It filled the darkened room with its light, and the aliens with fear.

"What is it?" the Science Director asked.

"It is a collection of documents from around the galaxy. They represent the definitive source of freedom and authority for different cultures. It lists their most valuable and important documents."

"And that is it? Do the documents do something else?"

"No, that is all they do. But there is more … next," she said.

The lighting increased and the room morphed into the oval office. Krystal sat behind her desk, and Tiffany and Kimmay were seated in front of the desk as the telephone rang. Traci released the cube and let it hover just above the floor. The aliens did not look at the cube; they were staring at the three holographic women.

They watched as the inappropriately dressed girl entered the room and took control of the conversation. The aliens hissed when Ginger Winch popped into the room. "Traveler technology," one of them muttered. Traci picked up the comment through the silver sphere. That confirmed her thoughts; the aliens were terrified of the Travelers.

And then the Keeper told them of the Thirteenth Prophecy. The Historian's mouth fell open as she absorbed the words. The concept seemed impossible to believe. This technologically inferior race was going to open the universe? What in the name of the Supreme Commander did that mean? What were these people?

The General was stunned by the Keepers short description of the Travelers. It was one hundred percent correct. And then the cube appeared. The Keeper gave it great respect. The General glanced at the cube and saw it floating above the floor. The human was not touching it. That sight worried her even more. It had anti-gravitational powers. The Kastellians had no technology that compact for repelling gravitons. It truly was Traveler technology.

The Keeper popped out of the picture and the room's lights began to brighten. "Make it continue," the General ordered. "Say that word."

Traci knew what word she referred to, "Next." The lights went down and they found themselves standing in the UN. They watched quietly as the Seekers and the Keepers popped into the room. Then Krysallis arrived and began her speech. It was not totally coherent to the Kastellians, but they understood the premise. Krysallis was demanding that the Travelers leave. They defied her. And then the Keeper arrived. The Travelers were slow to comprehend the new woman, but they slowly began to fear her. She was obviously stronger than the Travelers … and she was the friend of the Earthlings!

The lights began to return and the General muttered, "How can this get any worse?" Traci could not understand their language, but she could read their body language. They looked defeated. She was beginning to think there might be hope for her and her son.

"Your Honor," the Historian started, "The Travelers have gone. They are no longer here and we do not have to worry about them returning. This is a free system."

The General thought about that. It was true. Her biggest worry had been eliminated. "But what about that Keeper? She has even more power than the Travelers."

"She left also," the Science Director said. "She was no longer there at the end."

The General turned to Traci and demanded, "Is that true?" She had not used the translator and Traci had no idea what she asked. Traci looked up from the floor and shrugged her shoulders. She had more movement in her arms and she turned them over to simulate a surrender or lack of understanding.

The General ordered the pain turned up, but the Historian interrupted her, "You did not use the translator Your Honor. She did not understand the question."

The General picked up the sphere and repeated the question. "Yes she left, but there is more to see. Next."

Again the lights dimmed and they found themselves standing in an empty auditorium. Kimmay and the Keeper began talking. They watched as Kimmay was chastised for cloning children. The Keeper feared her offspring! Next, they saw the Keeper turn Kimmay and others from males into females.

Then the General heard more good news, the Builder's ship would be destroyed. There was no ship in the solar system! And then the best news of all, the Keeper said that they would not help the Earthlings in future conflicts with alien races. The General began to bounce on the balls of her feet. This was fantastic news. There was hope … maybe.

As the General listened the conversation turned surreal. The Travelers had technology that enabled them to travel through time. The Kastellians had never realized they had that ability. And even stranger, the Kimmay could do it without technology. The Keeper was stumped; she said so. And then the most bizarre revelation of all, the Kimmay could control time!

The Keeper said that the Travelers should fall on their knees and worship the Kimmay. The General uttered the worst blaspheme in her vocabulary. The General's hearing turned off. She watched without hearing or comprehension until the Keeper and Kimmay left.

The Historian and Science Director had heard the same passage and it had struck them all with the same impact. The Director recovered first. He turned to Traci and asked, "Is the Kimmay a god?"

Traci's heart lifted another iota of hope. She thought for a few seconds, she wanted the right answer. It had to be true, and she quickly thought of the best answer. It was straight from Kimmay's conversations. "Kimmay is very humble," Traci began. "When others have asked her directly, Kimmay has always claimed that she was not a god."

Her wording was excellent. The nuances were not lost on her captors. They looked at the instrument and realized that she was telling the truth. Kimmay 'claimed' that she was not a god. She was being humble. The answer, the truthful answer, did not rule out the possibility that Kimmay was a god.

The General asked her point blank, "Is the Kimmay a god or not? You were her servant, what did she tell you?"

Once again, the General was sloppy in her questions. Traci answered the second question, "I would never presume to ask Kimmay such a question. I served her. I was not permitted to ask such questions." All true, a bit of a stretch, but all true.

"Tell her to continue with the cube," the Science Director suggested.

"Tell the recorder to continue."

"There is no more."

"I will be the judge of that! Say the word next."

"Next." Nothing happened. The cube continued to float above the floor, but nothing happened. The General picked up the cube and looked at it. She wasn't sure what to do. She heard a noise behind her and saw the medic crouching in the corner.

"You heard nothing," the General said.

"I did not hear anything," the medic dutifully repeated.

"And you will tell no one."

"I will tell no one."

"That is correct." The General removed her weapon from her holster and pressed the trigger. The weapon shut down the tag buried in the medic's brain. The medic immediately slumped to floor. She was dead within seconds.

The General turned on the Historian and pointed her finger, "You will find an isolated stall on the stable level. You will seal this animal in the stall and tell no one." The general handed her a thin stamp. "Use my seal and make sure that no one sees you."

"Yes Your Honor," the Historian said. "What about the boy over there?"

"Let the medics have their fun. Tell them to return to work, and warn them to tell no one of our appearance here." The General picked up the cube and slid it in her pocket.

"What do we do now?" the Science Director asked.

"Nothing. I need to think about this first. Keep your mouths shut." The General walked out of the room, leaving the Historian and Director looking at each other.

 

Early the next morning the General called in her Assault Team leaders. "I want you to send out one of your raiding parties. Bring back the Kimmay. The Historian will help you find her. Take all due precautions with her, she is more dangerous than you can imagine."

"Yes Your Honor." The soldier stood in place, waiting to be dismissed. The General thought for a few more moments, wrestling with a decision.

"Treat her like a breeding animal. No unnecessary pain or damage. Keep her in good condition."

The soldier looked confused, but agreed, "Yes Your Honor."

"Captain, that is important. Treat her like … treat her without any unnecessary force. Dismissed."

 

CHAPTER 20

 

A few days later, Kimmay returned to Milwaukee. It was early evening and the cousins were gathered in Lissa's apartment. They were discussing the damage being spread around the world. People were beginning to panic and babble in Biblical terms. Ginger and her daughters had been updated by Salindale and they were disturbed that the government did not address the public. By waiting to expose the truth, the government was countering much of the progress the girls had made. The uninformed were retreating to religion again.

 

Kimmay knocked on the door and entered. "Hi, girls."

They all said hello and then Salindale asked, "How was the trip to Washington?"

"Let's sit," Kimmay said. Once again the girls gathered in a circle on the floor. They joined hands and Kimmay began, "It took some persuading, but the President finally agreed with my recommendation. Five of their largest nuclear weapons will be flown to Lucerne. They will be delivered to the R&D facility. We will IDT one at a time onto the Kastellian ship. They will be given a one-minute delay, so everything has to go perfect.

"The lot of you will have to get back to the center and run diagnostics on everything. You have to make sure everything is in perfect working order."

"Not a problem," said Lissa. Once again, there was no verbalized conversation. Everything was handled on a much different level.

"But before you go, you have one other very important task to complete. You have to find the ship."

"How do we do that?" Cynthia asked.

"We do it together. Let's begin right now. Salindale, where is their presence …"

 

The next morning the girls began preparing for their trip to Lucerne. Lissa was up early and quickly finished her morning routine. She had a light breakfast and then wandered over to Kimmay's apartment. She walked down the hallway and stopped at Kimmay's door. The doorframe had been smashed and the door handle was hanging on the door by a single screw. Lissa had a horrible premonition as she pushed the door open.

"Kimmay?" she called. There was no answer. Furniture had been shoved around the room. In the middle of the room a negligee was laying on the floor. "Kimmay?" she called again. She picked up the negligee and inspected it. The straps had been cut and there was a large rip from the bodice half way down the front. "Kimmay!" she screamed.

Lissa ran from the room and down the hallway to the stairs. She took the steps two at a time as she ran to the next floor below. The rest of the girls lived on the fourteenth floor while staying in Milwaukee. "Salindale!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Salindale! Kimmay is gone. Help! Help! Everyone come now!" She reached Salindale's door and began pounding on it. Cynthia was the first one in the hall, followed by Maria, Rocky and finally Salindale.

"What's wrong? Cynthia asked.

"It's Kimmay," Lissa cried. "She's gone. She's been taken. Come on. We have to find her." Everyone had arrived in the hall, and they followed Lissa as she ran back up the stairs and led them to Kimmay's apartment. They stopped in front of Kimmay's door and looked at the busted lock. They silently followed Lissa inside and surveyed the overturned furniture. Lissa picked up the negligee and handed it to Salindale. She held it by the cut straps and let hang in front of her. The others could see the tear down the front. Rocky found Kimmay's panties under the recliner.

Panic filled them all. It was obvious that this was an abduction … or worse. They all looked in terror at Salindale. Salindale took control.

"Sit," she instructed them. They all sat on the floor in their normal circle and joined hands. Salindale and the others started searching for Kimmay. It was an old game and they were very proficient at it. But this game wasn't going well. They searched for thirty minutes and then conceded defeat. They could find her nowhere.

"What do we do now?" Rocky asked.

"Start calling the Matriarchy. We need everyone here immediately. Lissa, call your mother and Gabrielle. Rocky call Krysallis, Jennifer and their girls. Cynthia call your mother and then help Rocky. Maria, you call Ginger and the girls. I'll call the President. Let's move fast, we may not have much time. Tell everyone to get here immediately. We can't afford to waste any time."

 

Kimmay's mind felt numb and fuzzy as she regained consciousness. She was in great pain. It took a while to determine where she hurt because there was so much pain. She was hanging by her wrists, which were chained to the ceiling. Her feet were chained to the floor. She was naked and freezing. The floor and walls were made of steel and it was ice cold. Her ribs felt like they were broken and she was having trouble breathing. There was a tube down her throat and her gagging reflexes were starting to work.

She tried to stand but her left knee couldn't hold her weight. It was either broken or badly bruised. She stood on her right leg and looked up at the chains. Her arms were dead from holding her entire weight for so long. 'How long?' she wondered. She looked around the room and saw nothing. There were no windows and no doors. It was totally empty.

Kimmay's memory began to slowly recollect her abduction from the apartment. The Kastellians broke down her door and shot her with the tag. Her mind went numb and she stood and watched as they cut her negligee off her. She didn't, she couldn't raise a hand or say a word to stop them. They placed the choker chain collar around her neck and then dragged her towards the door. When she fell, one of them kicked her in the ribs. She had kicked her very hard. Kimmay probably had broken ribs.

She realized that she was naked and she had no protection from the freezing metal that she was leaning against. She had to do something. She had no idea how long she had been chained up, and she had no idea how long it would last. There was only one thing she could do. Her mind focused on her apartment. It floated to her boudoir and finally to one specific drawer. She squinted her eyes and looked towards the center of her focus; and then she stopped time.

 

The medics had been given strict orders by the General to monitor the prisoner's condition around the clock. The first several hours had been easy but boring. She was unconscious and had no cognitive pain. They chatted and waited for her to rejoin reality. A few lights started blinking when she did start to wake. They quickly plugged into her chip to monitor her pain and progress. It was a wonderful sensation they felt. These Earthlings were so sensitive to pain and anxiety that at even the least bit of pain they acted like it was the end of the world. They made the best torture victims in the galaxy.

Just as the pain started climbing the entire board went down. Not one single channel was coming through. What the hell had happened? They had been rushing out the new tags and their quality control was obviously suffering. They were probably going to have to re-tag her. The senior medic sent the junior medic off to see what was going on. She handed the junior a hand-held diagnostic reader and then waited for feedback.

The problem with putting herself in time-hold was that Kimmay had no way of estimating real-time. When the junior medic opened the door, Kimmay ended the time-hold and reverted to real-time. She had no way of telling if she had been there an additional ten minutes or ten hours. She watched the medic as she scanned Kimmay with her diagnostic tool. Now that Kimmay had brought the two rooms back into synchronized time, the tag interface again lined up with the monitors. Everything worked properly. The medic was confused, but relieved that she didn't have to search out the problem.

As she turned to leave, Kimmay called to her. "Come back. Help me. Please."

The medic had no clue what Kimmay was saying and ignored her. She locked the door behind her and headed back to the monitor station. Kimmay again reverted to time-hold to save herself from some of the pain. If the Kastellians were going to hold her for an hour before interrogation began, she could shorten her wait (and her pain) to a few seconds.

As soon as Kimmay went back to time-hold, the electronic interface again went out of synch. A feed at 100 Hertz can't match up with a monitor when it is slowed down to 0.005 Hertz. That is essentially what Kimmay's time-hold was doing to the Kastellian interface. They were out of synchronization and again they wouldn't work.

The senior medic was ticked at the junior medic because she had not corrected the problem. She yelled at the junior and sent her back. Again, Kimmay re-aligned the time lines and 'fixed' the problem when the medic entered the room. Once again she called for help and the young medic ignored her as she left the room.

When the youngster returned to the monitor room her superior screamed at her. She slapped the junior and knocked her to the floor. "Watch the console," she commanded as she grabbed the tool and headed back to the interrogation cell. Kimmay sensed her entrance and brought herself back to real time a third time. "Please help," she begged. "This is a mistake."

The senior medic laughed at her pitiful whining. She ran a full diagnostic on Kimmay's tag and the cell's receiving units. Satisfied that everything was in proper working order, she left and returned back to the monitor room.

The junior medic kept her mouth shut as the senior medic cussed out the entire ship and the deity that ruled them. The junior smiled as the entire system crashed again. Even though the holding period was not complete, the senior technician called the general's adjutant. "The Kimmay is awake. We are having equipment problems here and I cannot properly monitor the Earthling."

After a short discussion the adjutant announced that there was no way she would disturb the general over such a trivial problem. "Go sit in the cell with the Kimmay. I don't care how cold it is!"

Both medics walked into the cell wearing coats and carrying stools. They set up the stools across from Kimmay and sat down. Kimmay quickly realized that they were there only to watch her. Her pain was approaching the unbearable and so once again she converted the room to time-hold. In their minds the medics had barley sat down when the door opened and an entire contingent of ranking officers stormed in. Behind the first wave of officers the General herself entered and behind her the Supreme Commander entered. The medics looked at each other wondering what had changed everyone's mind. They were still hours away from the scheduled interrogation. They had no idea of Kimmay's ability to control time.

A new pair of medics rolled in a tag monitoring system. They calibrated the controls and then bowed to their Supreme Commander. The Commander accepted the spherical microphone and walked in front of Kimmay.

In spite of her pain, Kimmay took the initiative, "So we meet again, Commander." The words were not totally intelligible because of the tube snaked down her throat and hanging out her mouth.

The arrogance in the Supreme Commander's attitude froze. She looked at the Kimmay and demanded, "What did you say to me?"

Kimmay's arrogance was never far below the surface. She answered, "We have met before. But you wouldn't know it."

The Commander stepped closer to Kimmay and used her open hand to slap Kimmay across the face. She used her full force and she knocked Kimmay off balance. Kimmay's knees gave out, and she fell until the chains around her wrists yanked her to a stop. She screeched in pain, and hung by her wrists for several seconds until she could struggle back onto her feet. She glared at the Commander but said nothing.

"You will not speak unless spoken to." She turned away from Kimmay and smiled at the General. The General returned a weak smile, but she was still very worried. The Supreme Commander casually walked around the entourage and eventually returned to Kimmay.

"What do you call yourself, animal." She grabbed the tube and yanked it out of Kimmay's throat. Kimmay began coughing and gagging uncontrollably. It took several minutes for her to regain her breath.

"I am called Kimmay, you animal."

The Supreme Commander was not happy. She used her closed fist and hit Kimmay in the solar plexus. Kimmay was again knocked off her feet and lost control of her breathing. She was coughing and sucking air at the same time. The effort sent lightening bolts of pain through her ribs and paroxysms of pain and rage through her entire body. The weight of her body caused the chains to cut deeply into her wrists. Blood started running down her arms as she continued to cough and fight for breath. Her body was wracked with pain as she tried to slow down her gasping and alleviate some of the pain gripping her ribs and body.

The Supreme Commander stepped back and watched Kimmay attempt to regain control. She watched with satisfaction as blood spilled from Kimmay's split lip and her deeply slashed wrists. She looked at the General and grinned.

"Does this animal really frighten you General? Does this look like a dangerous adversary?" She waited a few minutes for Kimmay to again stand on her own two feet. She was leaning heavily on her right leg, unable to put much weight on her left leg.

The Supreme Commander once again stepped in front of Kimmay. "I guess it is Kimmay. What a pathetic little creature you are – Kimmay." She spit out the name Kimmay and made it sound derogatory. Kimmay had learned her lesson. She was in no position to be arrogant. And now she was becoming very worried. This was real. This was extremely dangerous, and she had never seen it before. Not once in her mind had she seen this scenario. Kimmay had seriously under estimated the potential of her foe.

Many years ago Kimmay had foreseen the Kastellian's arrival. She had helped and urged the girls in their development of the IDT. They had done their homework and were prepared for this encounter. The President had agreed to the use of nuclear weapons and Salindale had located the position of this ship. Kimmay should have been in Lucerne with her girls overseeing the delivery of the first nuke onto this ship. She had foreseen all of that. This should have been ever so easy and clean.

But something had changed. Something was wrong and she couldn't fathom the problem or the cause. Instead of gloating, she was chained inside the ship and being tortured by their Supreme Commander, the same bloodthirsty killer that had murdered Salindale of Qunador. Something was terribly wrong and Kimmay was beginning to panic.

"You have nothing to say, pathetic animal?" She turned to the General and smiled. "So, you think you have met me before? Where would a pathetic creature such as yourself meet the Supreme Commander of a Kastellian Colony Ship. Hmmmm?"

"Quandor."

The Commander's grin froze. She gave a quick glance at the General and saw the shock in her eyes. She tried to act nonchalant. "What is a Quandor?"

"It was a planet of beautiful, peace loving humans. It was a beautiful planet inhabited by a joyful and elegant species. That is until you arrived. I watched you and your thugs march into the palace and kill my best friend. I watched as you tortured the High Chancellor to death. You shall die for your crimes."

The Supreme Commander was thunderstruck. Everything the pathetic little animal said was true. But how in the name of heaven did she know? How could a pathetic Earthling have even the slightest clue as to what had happened over 100 years ago, and 80 light years away? She was so confused she didn't even punish Kimmay for her idle threat. She should have laughed in the animal's face, but she couldn't do it. She turned towards the console and asked the medic, "Does she speak the truth?" The Commander didn't have to ask the question, but she wasn't sure what else to do. She was buying time and trying to save face in front of the General. The Kimmay was beginning to look more significant than she wanted to believe.

"Yes My Lady. She speaks honestly."

She turned back to Kimmay and pulled herself up to maximum height. She stuck out her chest and stared Kimmay in the eyes, "How would you know such a thing?"

"I was there. I saw everything."

"You were not there!" the Commander yelled. She had lost her composure. That was a problem for Kastellians. It was in their genes. They never would have made it as poker players on Earth.

Kimmay could see what was happening. Her arrogance began creeping back in. She gave the Commander a small smile and said, "I was there. Linda and I stood there for the entire time and witnessed everything you did. You just couldn't see us. But we were there."

The Commander slowly turned to look at the medic. She didn't need to ask the question, "She speaks the truth, My Lady."

The General spoke, "The Linda was a Seeker, My Lady. Ask her about the cube."

The Supreme Commander was confused and angry. This was not going well. She had disregarded everything the General had reported to her. Her's were the mutterings of a General that had overstayed her appointment. She couldn't possibly believe the ramblings that the General had brought her. But now …

The General pulled the cube from her toga and handed it to the Commander. The Commander took the cube and held it before Kimmay. "Do you recognize this?"

"Of course."

"Show us," she ordered.

"First you have to release my hands."

"That is true My Lady," the General said. "She must hold it in her fingers." The Commander pointed a finger at the medic, and she released the chains. The chains came crashing to the floor and Kimmay fell with them. As with Traci, Kimmay's arms were numb and dead to her senses. She could not lift her arms or move her fingers. The Commander bent over Kimmay and extended her arm. She offered the cube to Kimmay.

"I can't," she said. "I can't move my arms."

The Commander kicked her in the chest, in the same ribs that had been broken earlier. Kimmay screamed and fell over backwards. "I said open it animal. I'll make you wish you were dead a hundred times over. I'll personally strip every inch of skin off your pathetic little body."

Kimmay was lying on her back, her legs trapped under her by the ankle chains. The pain flooding through her body was overwhelming her. Her head was starting to spin and her eyes were loosing their focus. She was getting tunnel vision and the light was loosing all focus. Just before she passed out on the ice-cold floor, she heard the general say, "It's true My Lady. The other female needed her hands to open the cube. The same thing happened with her."

The Commander screamed at the technicians, and a medic ran over to Kimmay. She slid the tube back down Kimmay's throat and attached a squeeze bottle to the top. She gave the flexible bottle a hard squeeze and pushed the water and stimulants deep into Kimmay's stomach.

 

Gail Winch was the last to arrive. She had to fly from Singapore to Shanghai to Tokyo to Los Angeles to Milwaukee. It had taken almost 28 hours to reach Kimmay's apartment. The others were waiting for her. They had been in almost constant communication and everyone was aware of the situation.

They immediately sat on the floor in Tiffany's apartment. Salindale was the center of the circle, the center of their focus. Cynthia sat on her right and Maria sat on her left. The two strongest minds made direct contact with Salindale. Next to Cynthia was Krysallis and next to Maria was Tiffany. Melissa joined hands with Krysallis and Ginger joined hands with Tiffany. The rest of the girls completed the ring. The strongest were now aligned to amplify Salindale's talents. Never before had the entire Matriarchy been together at once. Never before had they joined hands as one with Salindale.

 

It was a matter of minutes before Kimmay's eyes opened. Her eyes stared at the ceiling and saw nothing. There was light, but nothing else made sense. She was cold. She was freezing. And she hurt. Her body was screaming in pain. She tried to move but had no strength. She was stuck in her current position. She couldn't breath. Her lungs were clogged and she started gagging. Her gagging led to blinding pangs of pain in her ribs. She rolled towards the wall, trying to take pressure off her ribs.

A medic grabbed Kimmay's body and turned it towards the Commander. Kimmay was too weak to even sit up by herself. The medic leaned her against the steel wall and held her in position. The Commander leaned over her and glared into her eyes. Again she offered the cube to Kimmay and ordered her to open it.

Somehow Kimmay's hands gripped the cube. She tried to maneuver her fingers around the cube and find the corners. There was no feeling in her fingers, but she continued to fumble the best she could. She was struggling and taking too much time. The Commander leaned over in her face and said, "Do it or die."

 

 

And then she felt it. It was just a little feeling in the center of her mind. But it was a most welcome feeling. It gave her warmth and comfort as it soothed her pain and pushed away her fear. The feeling continued to grow and expand through her mind. Kimmay recognized Salindale and the Matriarchy. The girls tried to open her intellect and conscious pathways but could not. They were comforting her and bringing her companionship and strength, but they were limited. The most-welcome feeling was pushing against barriers that it could not open. Its strength was continuing to grow and it sent soothing solace through her pain-wracked body, but it was stuck. It couldn't eliminate her pain and it couldn't reach her true consciousness.

Her salvation was stuck. They had reached her across thousands of miles of space and they wanted to help her so much. Kimmay's Matriarchy was reaching for every fiber of her being and desperately wanted to help her. But it could not. Then the frustration started seeping in. It was confused and angry. It was there for Kimmay and yet it couldn't do what it wanted. The girls started to slip away.

"No," Kimmay said verbally. The Kastellians all looked at her. "Don't leave. Take control. The Commander is the key. Take control." The entity drifted away from Kimmay's mind and left her empty. She slipped further down the wall, and even the medic could not hold her up.

 

"You heard her," Salindale said. "Take control of the Commander," she repeated. All eyes closed and their hands squeezed tighter. "Take control," she whispered.

 

The Commander turned to the medic operating the truth console. "Stop her pain instantly. Drop all settings to their minimum."

"My Lady," the General protested. "She is too dangerous, do not give her …"

"Enough!" the Commander commanded. Everyone turned her attention back to the slumped body lying on the floor.

 

Kimmay was beginning to smile. She could barely hold her head up, but she began to quietly laugh. The relief washing over her body was awesome. Never, never in her entire existence had she ever felt so much gratitude and thanks. She was giddy. Her mind had cleared instantly. The pain was totally gone and it was like a heavy pressure had been lifted from her brain. She could think again. Her mind was clearing and there was a most welcome presence there.

By turning the chip to its minimum setting, her conscious mind was no longer blocked. The Matriarchy could reach through the tag's control and begin helping her. They sent soothing reassurance through her mind and body. The touched her on the most primal and emotional levels in Kimmay's mind. They reached backwards in time and touched Kimmay's very existence; her primal genes and very essence. Their touch was over-powering. She wanted to cry with relief. What a blessing it was to have the help of her family. Her strength began growing and her mind began working.

Kimmay was still in extreme danger, but now she was in a position to help herself. Salindale enveloped Kimmay in their emotional embrace and wrapped her with their strength. Salindale figuratively took Kimmay by her hand and gently led her to the Supreme Commander's mind. The Matriarch held the Commander in an iron grip. The Commander's embedded chip had not blocked or protected her from the Matriarchy's mind. Her chip's control level had already been set at its minimum, and she had been unable to present any resistance as the girl's quickly took control.

Kimmay entered the Commander's mind and she immediately recoiled at Kimmay's touch. "Now I am in control, animal." Kimmay's smile began to grow. Kimmay weakly reached for the tube in her throat. The weight of the chains attached to her wrists made it a supreme effort for her to raise her hand. She rested her upper arm against the side of her chest as she reached for the tube, and slowly pulled it from her throat.

The General watched Kimmay and then turned to the Commander. She didn't know how it could be possible, but the General knew it must be true. Kimmay now had control of the Commander. She could see it in the Kimmay's smile and in the Commander's eyes. The Commander's eyes told the entire story; she was terrified. The General immediately raised the alarm. She pulled her weapon and aimed it at the Kimmay. "The Commander is under the control of the Earthling. Do not listen to her."

The crew was convinced the General had lost her mind. 'Is she insane?' they thought. The crew froze, not knowing which way to move.

Kimmay's mind was starting to work again, and she remembered something the General had said just before she passed out. Through the Commander's mind and body, Kimmay asked her question. "General," the Commander began, "what other female held the cube in her hands?"

The General was ready to squeeze the trigger on her weapon. Only her loyalty to the Empire and the uniform of her commander held her back. There was no one in the room prepared to stop her. The General was 90 percent sure that the question was being asked by the Kimmay, but that left a 10 percent doubt. Could she act while there was still a 10 percent doubt in her mind?

The General was walking a knife's edge. In the end, it was her training and loyalty that doomed her. She answered her Commander, "The female was the Kimmay's servant."

"Was her name Traci?" the Supreme Commander asked.

Now the general was 100 percent certain. That question had undoubtedly come from the Kimmay. She pointed the weapon at the Kimmay and pulled the trigger. The nerve impulse never reached her trigger finger. The Matriarchy had reached inside the General's mind and taken control. She dropped her arm and whimpered. The weapon was held by her side. Everyone in the room stared incredulously at the General. No one even took a breath as they watched her strange behavior

"Was her name Traci?"

"Yes My Lady." The crew members stood still and watched the exchange. They had no idea what was happening.

"Is she alive?"

"Yes, My Lady."

"Where is she?"

"She is in a stall on the stable level. Her stall has my seal. Fourth corridor, behind security screens."

"Is she ok?"

The General's lips screwed into a weird grimace. "She has been interrogated, My Lady," the General whined in a high, contorted voice. The General was realizing that she was about to die at the hands of the Kimmay.

Kimmay left the Commander's mind and entered the General's. She searched the General's mind until she found the memories of Traci's torture and interrogation. Kimmay and the entire Matriarch screamed in anger.

The General fell to the floor writhing in pain.

This was the first time that the Matriarchy had collected all together at one time. This was the first time that they had put the entirety of their minds together for a single purpose. This was the first time that Salindale, Rocky, Cynthia and Maria had the entire strength of their cousins and aunts behind them. And this was the first time that the Matriarchy had even the slightest knowledge of their own potential. Their impulse was to recoil away from the General. Not because of what she had done to Traci, but because what they had just done to the General. With no malicious intention but merely the shock of the cruelty they had seen, they saw their mental power tear through the General's mind and rip her apart. As they watched her die they saw Kimmay standing in the middle of them telling the General, "You deserved worse."

Kimmay quickly moved back to the Commander. They no longer held the General, so their entire attention returned to the Commander. Along with the Matriarchy, the Supreme Commander of the Kastellian Colony Ship called Vertu was beginning to realize something they all were just learning. Their power was just beginning to grow. They were just beginning to gain conscious knowledge of something they had always known. The Matriarchy was more than just an idea. It was a reality of intellectual knowledge and comprehension. It touched not just one individual at a time, but flowed through each and everyone of them. The Seekers and Builders had inadvertently given them a great power.

"Order the room cleared," Kimmay said silently.

"Everyone out. Now!" the Supreme Commander verbalized.

Kimmay's strength was beginning to return. Without the constant pain breaking down her will and physical strength, she could now use her mental strength to begin recuperating. The Matriarchy gave her extraordinary assistance. She was sitting up against the wall without help.

"Release my ankle and wrist chains," she instructed the Commander. The Supreme Commander stepped behind the console and flipped the necessary switches. Kimmay's anklets popped open and released her. The wrist cuffs sprang open and fell to the floor. She began to massage her ankles. "Now remove my tag."

Even with the full force of the Matriarchy control within her mind, the Supreme Commander managed a weak smile. "It can't be done," she answered with satisfaction. "Removal of the chip will kill you. It is the only thing that keeps you alive," she said with satisfaction.

The girls raced through the Supreme Commander's mind searching for information on the tag. After several moments they reluctantly confirmed that she was telling the truth. The instant the tag encountered the nerve endings of the victim, it began a series of infiltrations that resulted in its total control over voluntary and involuntary control of the body. Removal of the tag would sever the control of all necessary body functions. Death would be swift.

As the girls searched through the Commander's mind, she voluntarily gave them the bad news. The tags had limited internal power and life cycles. Within the ship the tags could be powered indefinitely. Outside the ship, the tag's power drained in a matter of days. The maximum life of the tag was measured in only a handful of days. Without returning to a Kastellian ship or power source, the tags decayed and ended the victim's life. It was one of many fail-safe protocols that the Kastellians used. The Matriarchy was only beginning to learn how cunning the Kastellians were.

Kimmay slumped against the wall. She saw the truth and was shocked. Again, how had this come to pass? How did this happen without her envisioning even the slightest part of it? What had she missed? What had stopped her? Blocked her? Her confusion began to morph into anger. The Matriarchy felt her anger rising and began to assuage her emotions. They deliberately stepped into her mind and soothed her pain. Both her physical and emotional pain was stroked and held in their compassionate thoughts. They too were shocked at the revelations from the Commander, but they had quickly found their focus. They would help Kimmay and they would find an answer. Over and over they assured her that they could solve her problem. Together they could solve any problem. They were beginning to feel their power and they knew they could rise to any occasion.

"Come home, Kimmay. Come home to your family. We will cure you. We will heal you and destroy the enemy. We have their measure and we have the power. Come home, Kimmay."

"Help me," Kimmay ordered the Commander. The Supreme Commander helped pull Kimmay to her feet. Kimmay put her arm over the Commander's shoulder as the Commander wrapped her arm around Kimmay's waist. Kimmay leaned against the Commander and took the weight off her left leg.

"Before we leave, we will get Traci. Where is she?" The girl's looked into the Commander's mind and followed the path to Traci. Kimmay quickly realized that it was too far for her. She couldn't walk that far. "I need transportation," she pushed into the Commander's brain. "What do you have?"

"Garbage trucks. Garbage trucks for taking carcasses to the abattoir."

Kimmay examined the vehicle in the Supreme Commander's mind and decided that it could carry the three of them. "Find one for us." With Kimmay leaning heavily against the Commander, they opened the door and stepped into the hallway. There were half a dozen Kastellians waiting outside the door to the interrogation chamber. Kimmay didn't like the idea of walking through the crowd; she wasn't sure if the Commander's authority would protect her. What Kimmay did next shocked the Commander, and stunned the Matriarchy. Kimmay stopped time.

Or almost stopped time. Except for the Commander and herself, the entire Kastellian colony ship slowed down to a fraction of real time. The soldiers stopped, as if frozen in place. The Commander could not believe her eyes. "What have you done to my people?" she asked the Kimmay.

Kimmay did not verbalize her answer– she answered through their connected minds. "I have slowed down their time-space. They are existing at a time rate thousands of times slower than us. They are oblivious to our presence."

"But how?" she asked.

"Yes, how?" Tiffany queried. "Where did you get this power? When?" Tiffany and the girls were still stunned. They had had no idea that Kimmay could manipulate time. The Keeper had hinted at such power, but Kimmay had always denied it. How indeed, they all wanted to know.

"Later," was all Kimmay would share with them. "We must move along for now."

The Supreme Commander carried Kimmay down the hall and into a maintenance bay. A vehicle was parked in the side pod. It looked like a large golf cart to Kimmay. It had room for two people in the front seats. The seats were open with a pair of handles in front of each seat. Either passenger could control the vehicle. Behind the seats was a container not unlike the back of a small dump truck. The bodies were tossed in the tub and taken to disposal. The vehicle reeked from the stench of death in the tub.

The Commander helped Kimmay into one of the seats and then climbed into the other seat. "Take us to Traci," Kimmay instructed. The Matriarchy carefully controlled her mind as she began moving the vehicle down the corridor. It was a long distance to the stable level. It took them almost fifteen minutes to reach Traci's cell. Kimmay stayed on the cart and mentally went with the Supreme Commander to get Traci. The Commander reached inside a recessed panel on the wall next to the cell door. She over-rode the General's seal and expected the door to slide open. Nothing happened.

"What is it?" they asked her.

"I don't understand," she answered honestly. "I have given the proper code, the door should open."

"I know why," Kimmay interjected. "It's the time difference. Their equipment and software can't process our interface – we're way too fast for them." Kimmay looked up and down the hall. They were on a secure prison hall, and no one else was present. "I'll convert the ship back to our time-speed. Try again."

The Commander reached inside the recessed panel and the door quickly opened. The cell was no more than four feet square. There was a steel ring in the middle of the floor. A short chain was attached to the ring and the other end was attached to a choker around Traci's throat. Traci was lying on the floor, curled in a ball. Her body was covered with second degree burns and she was oozing blood and lymph gland secretions from her numerous wounds. There were black bruises over her ankles, wrists and face. She had two black eyes and her nose was broken and distorted.

For a moment Kimmay wanted to kill the Commander on the spot. The Matriarchy stopped Kimmay. They needed the Commander to get Kimmay and Traci off the ship. Fortunately the girls had firm control of the situation. They ordered the Supreme Commander to stop Traci's pain. Only after the pain had been shut down was Traci able to open her eyes and look out the door. She saw Kimmay leaning against the seat of the garbage cart. She smiled ever so slightly and said, "I knew you would come, Kimmay."

The Commander was controlled and ordered to remove Traci's collar and gently place her in the cart. The cart reeked but Traci was too weak to care. The girls entered Traci's mind and began to help her. She should have been astonished by their ability to come into her mind, but she was too weak to be surprised by anything. She welcomed them just as she lost consciousness for the hundredth time.

The Matriarchy turned their attention back to the Commander. "How do they get back to Earth?"

"There is only one way," the Commander was forced to answer. "We must go by shuttle."

"Can you fly a shuttle?"

"Of course, I am the Supreme Commander," she answered haughtily.

"You are now our prisoner, Supreme Commander," they sneered at her. "You are under our total control and you will do everything we instruct." The Commander understood.

She began driving the cart towards the rear shuttle bays. It was a long drive and took almost half an hour. Kimmay returned the rest of the ship to their slower time, and they passed numerous Kastellian soldiers and technicians that were frozen in time. Kimmay and Traci remained motionless and painless. The irony of the chips was not lost on Kimmay. They could be used to amplify pain to intolerable levels, but they could also eliminate it completely. They could have been used for positive purposes, and now they were going to kill her. Traci and she would die shortly after escaping this ship. After the ship was destroyed, they would be unable to energize the tags, and eventually the power would fail.

Kimmay searched her mind and memory trying to determine how things had turned so wrong. How could she have never seen this? She saw the Kastellians coming to Earth and she had seen the solution. She had guided the girl's research and they had accomplished what they needed. The Kastellians had no defense against a nuclear weapon delivered by inter-dimensional transportation. The hardware was sitting in Lucerne and ready for use. Salindale had pinpointed this ship and could now follow the ship through its orbit. The Kastellians could not screen their almighty Colony Ship from Salindale. The Matriarchy had prepared and they were ready. Everything had gone according to Kimmay's sight.

But then this happened. How? Over and over she searched her mind and could find no clues. Nothing. She slowly pushed the self-pity from her mind and began planning her limited future. Her sharing would have to be accelerated. She would have to meet with everyone and explain their future. Explanations and information that she had planned on slowly sharing over the next thirty years would now have to be given to the Matriarchy in less than a week. In less than a week she would have to prepare them for everything they would need to know. The future was going to be different than the one she had known and expected. Now the entire world was changing. The entire future was changing.

The cart came to a stop in front of a set of large doors. Built within the large doors were tens of smaller doors. The Commander stepped out and placed her hand on the wall. Again, nothing happened. Kimmay changed the ship time just long enough to activate the doors. The doors began sliding open as the commander returned to her seat. She drove into a large hangar over five hundred meters long. It was fifty meters high and at least two hundred meters wide. Shuttle craft lined the right hand side of the hangar. On the left side stood row after row of small attack craft. They were one and two-man ships with incredible firepower. They would be used in the first active invasion wave. Far down the hangar were the largest ships. They were transports capable of holding five hundred soldiers and their support materiel. The hangar was covered with frozen Kastellians. They had been in the final process of prepping their spaceships. They had been mere days away from the massive assault on Earth.

The cart stopped in front of the first shuttle on the right side of the hangar. The door to the shuttle was covered with a large symbol that signified the Supreme Commander of the Kastellian Colony Ship Vertu. The Matriarchy girls carefully controlled the Supreme Commander as she went to open the shuttle doors. As she placed her hand over the recognition key nothing happened. She tried a second time and again nothing happened.

Kimmay was lost in her reverie, trying to decide how to proceed once they returned to Earth. She had many things that she had to share. They needed to know about her trip with Linda. They needed to know about the Keeper and they had to be told about the Prophecies. Salindale interrupted her thoughts. "The shuttle won't open."

Kimmay returned to the present. "I wasn't paying attention," she apologized. "I didn't release it from time-hold. Try again."

They forced the Commander to again place her hand over the key. The door to her personal shuttle opened. She entered the shuttle and energized the circuits and all of the controls. Everything from avionics to communications came on line. The Supreme Commander was forced back to the cart where she carefully picked up Traci and carried her into the shuttle. Her limp body was placed on a bunk. Then the Commander helped Kimmay climb into the ship. Kimmay was placed in the Commander's seat behind the pilot's seat. The Commander took the pilot's controls.

The outside door and all inside bulkhead doors were closed. A checklist appeared in front of her and she stepped through each item. When the ship was ready she opened the communicator to flight control. She received no answer. She tried a second time and still received no answer. Kimmay understood the problem. She explained to the girls that she would have to bring the entire ship back onto real-time. They would be working at full strength.

"Do you know what to do?"

They reviewed the situation with the Commander. They pushed through every shuttle protocol in her brain and understood the steps and procedures. "We are ready," they told Kimmay.

"As soon as I restore time we have to move fast before one of their controllers gets suspicious and shuts us down. As soon as we are out I will put them back in stasis." She paused for everyone to prepare. "Say when."

"When."

Kimmay was looking out the window and saw the workers start moving around the hangar. The speakers were full of chatter between the control center and various ships and workers around the ship. The Commander opened the com-channel and requested permission to leave the ship. The control center was confused. One instant the Commander's shuttle was totally shut down and the next it was totally prepped for launch. The Commander had to assert her rank to move the procedure along. The girls could feel the hope and apprehension in the Commander's mind. She was doing the minimum she could get away with in convincing the controllers to give her launch approval. The girl's knew only parts of the procedure and they could detect outright deception on the Commander's part. That was easy to control. But if the Commander was omitting critical protocols they couldn't be totally sure that they could prevent that.

Mind control was new to the girls and they couldn't be sure that they had everything under control. They prodded and pushed their way through the Commander's mind and did what they could. They believed they had control, now they would see.

The Commander continued to talk with the Control Center and nothing was happening. The girls started worrying and Salindale returned to Kimmay. "Come back to the Commander's mind. We need your help."

The Commander was indeed playing word games and throwing doubt at the controllers. Kimmay realized it immediately and rushed into the Commander's mind. She stopped the Commander's mind. It froze. And so did her breathing and her heart and every other life sustaining impulse in her body. Kimmay held them for five full seconds before she returned control. The Commander got the message. The word games ended and they were given permission to launch.

The Commander raised the ship off the deck and slowly moved towards an open door. The shuttle passed through a force shield and left the Colony Ship. Two hundred meters off the starboard side of the ship Kimmay again plunged the colony ship into stasis. The speakers went stone silent. There was no longer any communication from the larger ship.

 

(continued)

  

  

  

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