Temple of the Sphere: chapter 10

Commander Jason watched through the binoculars as the border town burned to the ground. He, the team, and the children beamed out of the town. He attached the binoculars on his black belt. The dampness was seeping through his thick dark green pants. He pulled his gray jacket tighter around his waist to block out the night’s cold air. The children and part of his team sat around by the red rocks to stay warm. He looked at the children’s faces and they were tired.1

He tried to contact his ship the Galloway, but there had been no response. He watched and listened for anything unusual from the forest. The sounds of life began to sing after all the panic and screams had stopped. 2

Jason shook his head trying to dry his wet brown hair. “Commander, this is watch two, over.” The voiced echoed in his earpiece. His hand held a long narrow thick tube that had a thick handle on it.3

His blue eyes watched the underbrush. “Report, Lieutenant.”4

“All is quiet.”5

He let out a huge sigh. “Good. Continue your watch.” Jason spoke into his mic attached on his gray jacket, as he turned around.6

As a man with light blonde hair shined in the moonlight and dressed in the same uniform. Those he wore a black patch over his left eye. “You need to rest by the rocks and I’ll continue the watch.”7

Jason tried to wiggle his numb toes in his black boots; he took one last look at the forest. “All right, Patch.”8

“You’re still looking for the redhead woman.”9

Jason’s eyebrow went up. “What if I am?”10

“She was a May-High spy. I haven’t seen the Na-See to produce that kind of power.”11

Jason swung his gun into it’s holder on his back. “She’s different and don’t count out these children yet. The Masters want them very badly.” He paused. “I don’t believe that Sonya is a spy.”12

“Do you remember what happened on the space station 2345?” Patch asked.13

“I was there! I lost my wife and child.”14

Patch’s face turned pale. “Man, I didn’t know.” He gripped his black gun.15

“It’s all right. I’m going to join the others.” Jason walked over to the red rocks.16

He sat down to warm his body as some of the children started to snuggle up to him. He put his arms around them. “I’ll get you back to the ship,” he whispered as he stared up into the night sky.17

~
A young woman raced down the long corridor to reach the transports room. Three long braids bounced with each step. Each of her braids were three different colors. On her right was purple, her left blue, and the back of her head was silver. She wore a silver glossy jacket that was unbuttoned over a lilac t-shirt, and blue sleek pants showed off her powerful legs with ankle boots match her jacket.18

She stopped. The lighting made her youthful peach skin glow. A crowd cried and banged on the transports’ door to open it. The people’s clothes were old and tatty but they were clean and modest.19

Star pushed up her sleeves over her elbows and walked towards the crowd.20

“Please, let me through,” she yelled.21

An old woman grabbed her arm. “What about my granddaughter?”22

Star held her hand and looked into the woman’s soft brown eyes. “That’s why I’m here.” 23

“Let the Mediator through!” The crowd chanted.24

The people stepped a side as a small space opened for her. Star walked over to the door and turned too face the crowd.25

“I’ll see what’s going on, please, you must remain calm.”26

“Mediator, Mediator,” they chanted as they raised their fists and pounded them in the air.27

The steel door slid as Star stepped backwards into the room. The door closed, as the walls were glowing red. Three men stood at their with tower consoles. Two of the men wore light gray jackets and matching pants with black t-shirt and black boots.28

Star noticed a man as his uniform was identical except that he wore a blue jacket. She walked over to him.29

“Lt. Bowers, what’s the status?” Star asked.30

He looked up from the screen. “The people are getting anxious out there,” Lt. Bowers said.31

“That’s why the Captain sent me,” she said.32

“Here, I thought you came to make sure that I would bring back your boyfriend.” He winked at her.33

Star gave him a dirty look. “You better bring the team home. If you don’t we are going to have problems.”34

Star turned around and examined the room. Four huge gold plated rings were in front of her. Inside of the rings were colored round diamonds. Two of the circles were on the steel walls as there were one on the floor and then another on the ceiling.35

“Lieutenant, there’s something that’s blocking our signal to the field team,” Private one gray said.36

She never understood the concept about earning a name. 37

“We don’t have enough power to beam them aboard,” Private second gray said.38

Star stared at their painted looks of worry on their faces. “Lt. Bowers, what’s going on?”39

“We beamed Commander Jason and his team out of the town. Put them in a different area because we didn’t want the Masters to detect us.”40

“What about the children?”41

Silence fell upon the room as the men continued to work on their consoles.42

~
Commander Jason woke up to screaming children. The slave traders charged towards the children as he rose to his feet. His men pulled out their sleek black guns and fired at them. Blue rays lit up the night sky. The slave traders returned fire as silver rays raced to the children.43

“Shoot to kill! We can’t let these children fall into the Masters’ hands!” Jason yelled.44

The children lay flat on the ground and covered their heads with their hands.45

Jason looked around as more of the slave traders dashed out of the forest. “Where are our shields?” he asked.46

“Down, sir.” One of his men yelled back.47

A little girl with long brown hair sat up from the ground. Jason looked down at her. “Moonbeam, lay down!” He ordered.48

She tapped the children on both sides of her. Then they sat up and the others followed. They all grabbed hands and closed their eyes as a huge white beam went into the shield devices.49

“Sir, the shields are up!”50

Jason turned towards the children.51

“Continue to fire and we will hold the shields,” the children said.52

“Keep firing until every single slave trader is dead!”53

Silver rays bounced off the shields as Jason and his team returned fire.54

~
Star peeked over the white tower consoles as the screens filled with running data. She stared at Lt. Bowers.55

“Star, we don’t know. We beamed everyone out before the Masters attacked the border town. We are getting different readings and I’m not sure which one is right.”56

“What about communications?” she asked.57

“They are down, ma’am,” private one gray said.58

“Just great. There’s a bunch of people…”59

Lt. Bowers stared into her green eyes. “I understand the situation!”60

The two men looked at each other and then too Star. 61

“What do you need?” she asked62

“Parts! But that is another 12 hours, if we are lucky.”63

She looked down at the console. “I’ve an idea.”64

Lt. Bowers took a step back as Star walked around it. She placed her hands on the screen and closed her eyes. The computer gave her all the data as images and number formulas entered her mind.65

“This is Commander Jason, please respond, over?66

“Lt. Bowers, sir. What’s your status?”67

“We have rescued some of the children and they need to be beamed ASAP.”68

“Lieutenant, there’s not enough power for all of them.”69

“What about for the children?”70

“Yes,” Private second gray said.71

Lt. Bowers pressed a button. “Commander, prepare the children for transport. We have enough power for them. Can you make it on your own for the next 12 hours?”72

“Yes.”73

A golden light flashed in all of the rings as a huge white light began to fill the room.74

“Transport mode engaged, forty-five seconds until transport is complete,” the computer said.75

Star’s hands grew blue. The console powered up the diamonds as screaming children’s voices filled the compartment. The light grew dim, as the flashing had stopped.76

“Transport complete,” the computer said.77

The children huddled together in the darkness as the lights came on. 78

“Were home!” some of the children yelled.79

Star removed her hands from the screen and stumbled backwards into Lt. Bowers. He caught her in his arms.80

“Are you all right?”81

“Just a little drained,” she said as her strength returned.82

A brown head little girl pushed through the other children and ran over to the console.83

“Sissy, sissy!”84

Star focused her eyes on the girl. “Moonbeam, you are alive!” She picked up her sister and held her tight in her arms. Star scanned the other children for their brother.85

Lt. Bowers walked over to her. “This is only half of the children,” he whispered into her ear.86

Star put Moonbeam on the floor and touched the screen for the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, please go to the main mess hall for further details about your children.”87

Star watched the people leaving the corridor.88

“Lt. Bower and Star what’s the status on the children?” Captain Babcock said through the intercom.89

“This is Star, Captain. We have half of the children on the ship and I’m getting ready to take them to the medic bay, now, sir.”90

“What about the transports system?”91

“This is Lt. Bowers; they need to be repair, sir.”92

“All of you, in my war room, in thirty minutes.”93

“He’s not happy,” Lt. Bowers said.94

“I know. Lets go kids, I’m taking you to the medic bay and then too your parents!”95

“Yay!” the children yelled. 96

Star walked out of the room and the children followed her to the lifts.