The Minds Eye Ch 12

Even with that many, they still seemed to be endless as they rushed forward. I smiled again as the third set went off, drastically slowing them. I believe that we had destroyed at least ten thousand before the first ship reached the shield.

I nodded to the others as they started to send out energy blasts that were taking ten at a time. Soon enough, there was a huge junkyard of wrecked and destroyed ships in orbit.

The others were taking a heavy toll on the enemy, though I could see that they were tiring rather quickly. As they started to drop from exhaustion, we started to step in. First, the old crew started to take forty to fifty each time.

We had started to devastate the enemy though there were still too many. Still, when Alice and my daughters started to take a hundred at a time, they finally started to thin a little.

I had just joined them, taking a thousand, when I felt them trying to breach the weak point. I wasn't sure that I could get two points though, but I was going to try.

Some of the first of the few had partly recharged and were back at it. That's when I heard a shout throwing a shield around one of the females. Damnit! I was close to losing a few of them if I didn't end this soon.

I was starting to get angry that we were going to lose a bunch of people. In fact, I was so mad that I released the most powerful blast that I ever had. I heard everyone near me gasp as it hit the middle of the fleet. They said that it hit and washed through the fleet, taking over ninety percent that were left.

Andy caught me as I went down. I smiled as I felt the blast start to eat away at the fleet. I could swear that it didn't stop as it went all the way through their ranks.

Good, I thought, the others should be able to finish this. I tried to fight it, though a minute later the darkness took me.

Thankfully, what I had done actually made what was left pause and back up out of what they thought was range. I could feel that they were actually confused as they looked at what was left.

It gave everyone a chance to rest and recharge. I sighed as I sunk further, the other four were still a few hours away. I was in the gray mist again as the four races were congratulating me.

No, I thought there was still enough out there that they could kill a great deal of the earth. I was shocked when I was suddenly on the lead ship, and they were coming out of their faster than light travel. I know my mouth was hanging open as Xeinther smiled at me.

You said that you were hours away, how? I was asking.

We knew that they would be listening, misinformation gets them most of the time. I smiled at what he said.

With them stopped momentarily, the advancing four fleets started to lay waste to the Xetrons.

An hour later it was over though, as I well knew, this was just the first wave. I looked at the four representatives with a worried look. I know that they have a second wave coming.

They aren't going to stop 'til they manage to wear us down. I am going to have to go there and possibly put an end to this. This, of course, had the other four there worrying.

Bill, we all know that you are very powerful. It is an entirely different thing to take on a whole planet.

I nodded my head; I have to I can't see any other way. I only took a few thousand from the first wave, it barely helped.

That may be true, though if you expire, then it would amount to almost the same end. You are the hope of all of them you have to live.

That's all good, though what good am I if I allow them to die? I want them to survive not give their lives for nothing.

What makes you think that them dying will be for nothing? Almost every one of them realizes what not succeeding will mean for them and the earth.

I sighed; I made a promise to myself that I would not let them die. I want to try and keep that promise.

Xeinther sadly shook his head, as noble as that is, I am afraid that it isn't always possible. All we can do is make sure that their sacrifice was as noble as the cause.

I tried to talk without losing my temper. I don't really care if the cause is that noble. I DO NOT intend to lose anyone. That is unacceptable to me.

I was afraid that I had gone too far when Xeinther and the other four slightly shifted away from me.

I apologize to all of you. I feel very strongly about this. As all of you have said, I have done things that none have ever seen before. Who's to say that I can't do what I said I could?

I saw all four of them turn and look at each other, seeming to have a conversation between the four of them. Your last statement is very true, Dutenner of the Escalees said. His fish-like body vibrating with excitement.

So, if it is so true, then why am I feeling that all of you have doubts? I thought to them.

The praying mantis, Skatnes of the Herithons, spoke up. You are powerful, more than any of the four races has ever seen. You have to remember that you are new to this. We are afraid that you will try to do much more than your energy and body will allow.

I looked at four of the beings there, why in the hell did this feel like I had heard it before? Look the four of you, if I have to give my life for this world, I will.

I saw all four of them look at each other with small smiles on their faces. This we know, though with the power you have, it shouldn't be necessary.

I just shook my head as I looked at them again almost in non-belief. I wasn't about to forsake anyone, nor would I. A moment later, I was flying far faster than I had before, again I was above the same extremely hot and bright world.

I was again floating down at an extremely quick rate. As before, I was floating above a very large staging area with a great number of vats. Vats that I recognized, I pointed at one, watching it explode, then a few others.

I could hear the screams of many of the misshapen Xetrons. I kept pointing as the vats started to explode faster and faster. The only thing was that was just one room. I started to go to as many of the rooms as I could.

I had cleared quite a few when more of the huge Xetrons appeared. This time they all had strange energy guns that they started to point at me. I waved a hand at them, watching them fall, though I forgot behind me.

The first beam wasn't bad as I quickly changed my energy signature then took, them out. The next set that hit me wasn't bad, though I could see that they were trying to get my signature.

It was about that time that I sensed the same huge Xetron from before. Hmmm, it still appeared to be hurting, so I sent another energy wave toward it. I smiled when it again screeched and drew itself into a tight ball.

The little pause I did almost cost me my life as I pointed at a few more vats. By now the screams of the dying Xetrons were beyond painful. I was pulling out when a beam hit my foot, causing me great pain.

Luckily, I was almost faded when it hit me. I was snapping back with pain crawling up my leg. Then it headed down my other leg and up my chest. I hit my body at full speed in more pain than I had ever felt.

For a moment, I saw my daughters, Alice and my old crew as they gasped and screamed. Apparently, my body was convulsing pretty badly.

I thought that the four races would step in to help, nope. I guess that they were pissed at me for going off like I had. I just sat there feeling the worst that I ever had.

It seemed like years and not days or hours that I finally came out of it, screaming. Trina and Bell were there in a second as I tried to move, first mistake. Then I tried to talk, second mistake.

I finally felt healing from two, then three places around me. My daughters I recognized, though not the third,'til I barely managed to get an eye open.

I had what had to almost be a smirk as what they were doing was slowly, very slowly helping. All I know is that as soon as my head cleared, I was again visited by the four races.

Bill? I heard Xeinther's thoughts in my head. We have been worried since you left like you did. We felt you on the Xetron home world, then we were afraid that you had passed. We felt nothing from or of you at all.

I was hit by a beam as I was leaving, I kept changing my energy, though it appears that their weapons were able to adjust almost as fast as I did. I hopefully did enough to hamper them, here.

I then opened up to let them see what I had seen as I did what I did. I saw that they were all astonished as I went from room to room. Though some of them turned away, as the misshapen Xetrons started to scream.

When I found the huge Xetron from before, they were all shocked. Xeinther turned toward me, his mouth slightly opened. Bill? Do you know who that large Xetron was?

When I shook my head no, he and the others stared at me.

That was the leader of the Xetrons, the true evil behind their conquering drive. As for the vats, that was the new army that it was raising. We aren't sure how many you destroyed, though it was a great number.

I was nodding my head as I had thought that, so did it help?

All four of them looked at each other as if I were a child asking a simple question.

It did, the praying mantis, Skatnes thought. Though it also might anger them more. This is an old and, unfortunately, proud race. Even we of the four races are still having problems with them to this day.

We have, as your race would say, beaten them back quite a few times, to no avail-the fish-like creature, Dutenner said. From what we saw, you destroyed well over half of their reproduction machines.

I was staring at them with my mouth open, half? What did those vats make that many, I asked?

Oh yes, Xeinther replied. You destroyed well over ten rooms. Each with at least a hundred vats, as you call them. Each vat could produce a thousand offspring, ten thousand per room, ten rooms, a million.

I was still staring with my mouth hanging open, a million. You're telling me that I destroyed a million? Why in the hell am I finding that so hard to believe? I thought.

When all four of them started to nod at me, I was still having a hard time. Kanderith, the pure liquid being, suddenly caught my attention.

It, I guessed, bowed as it stated, you are more than you think you are Bill. The extremely short time you were on my planet, your presence has healed more of us than any. We were afraid that exposure to you would have polluted our world, it healed.

Two of the others' mouths gapped open, it is the same on our worlds, they both said.

When you appeared on all their worlds, each one was in their med centers. They each have family that were there dying, now no longer. At least a hundred on each are now better, they owe you much. As do I Xeinther said, I have never met any of the other four. Now I have a first.

What amazed me next though, was when they all slightly bowed to me. Wait, I said I did this without even knowing, I am uncomfortable with all you doing this.

Xeinther smiled as he nodded, we had thought this we won't again. Though we wish you to know our respect and gratitude to you.

I was still a little in shock as I tried to nod my head. I just hope that I am able to finally deal with all of this, I am not a fan of bullies like this. I also hope that I don't have to do them like the last race.

We don't either, Bill, though with them, we were afraid that there was no other way. As you remember, we tried to dissuade them to no avail. It appears that it may be the same with them.

Know that you might not see us we are here for a time, Dutenner the fish creature said.

With that, all of them nodded as they started to fade. I was suddenly back in my living room rolling and convulsing on the floor, though not as bad.

"Bill?" I heard Alice's voice as it brought the pain.

"Dad!" I heard both Trina and Bell shout as the convulsions started to ease.

"Ah, my girls," I said, calming my daughters, though Alice started to giggle.

"My haven't been called a girl in a long time, Bill," Alice said with a huge smile.

"Um," I said as I tried (this time) to sit up slowly. "Damn, I feel as if I have been hit by a damn truck. Give me an hour, then we need to get everyone back here."

So here I was sitting trying to explain just what had happened and where we were. "It's about where I thought we were. Afraid that this was just the first wave, and they have a second and third. Thing is, I don't think I could survive another attack like I did," I said.

"So how long do we have? Andy asked, a look of concern on his face.

I wasn't about to sugar coat it, "maybe a week. I hope that in that time I can bring all of you up higher. That way, when we hit them again, we are taking out more, and you last a lot longer."

I wasn't really worried about my daughters nor any of my old crew. It was the newbies that I had just started to train that worried me the most.

I wasn't sure if they could survive with what little power they had. I started on the twenty that were the lowest, raising them a bit. I then started on the next nine and had them a lot higher. My old crew grew a lot more, then my daughters and Alice. After five days, I was feeling a hell of a lot better.

We had at least two days to go when I got the first nudge of them approaching. My mouth dropped open, how in the hell had they gotten twice as many as before?

Whereas before they had two million, I was counting well over four million ships approaching the earth. I had more than tripled the shields though, with this many? I did feel that they'd last that long.

I started to point, laying out more of the bombs that I had before. This got at least a thousand again as they just rolled on. I did it a few times 'til I felt a little exhausted. Well, I thought I got a few thousand.

I needed to do something bigger, though what? I started to drive every few at the front into the back, getting a few thousand more. This was taking too long as there were at least four million left.

I rested for a few hours, then turned into energy as I started to fly through as many ships as I could. This took more than I thought it would, though not nearly enough.

A day from the earth I saw that there were still too many. Again, I was energy as I started to take out ships as fast as I could. I got a few thousand more, though still not enough.

I appeared hoping I had done better, seeing that there were just under four million, still way too many.

I knew that it was a losing prospect ut I kept trying to destroy as many as I could. They reached the earth with three and a half million ships. I felt that I had failed.

Even as they came in contact with the shield, the lowest of the fighters started to fire. This time they were taking thirty to forty. As they faded, the next came on line, taking a hundred each a lot longer.

As they faded, Alice and my daughters started taking several hundred at a time. By the time they finished, I was taking almost a thousand with a few of the first line helping.

That's when I heard a scream on the other side of the world. I barely managed to get her shielded when I heard another and another. I shielded them both when I felt a few ships penetrate the shield.

I cursed as I hit all four of the ships, three exploding, one making it through. I strengthened all of the weaker fighters' shields. I vanished, appearing where the ship was landing.

A moment later I felt a few more slipped through. Then, finally, I felt the fleets sweep in, destroying huge sections of the invading fleet. Two more landed not far from me. I managed to get all but one emerging from the first ship.

I got both of the other ships though lost the lone survivor. Cursing, I had managed to also close the hole in the shields. A moment later, I heard a female scream.

That's when I broke into a clearing as the damn misshapen Xetron swallowed a female whole. Pissed, I hit it with a bolt as it broke in two one half, dissolving into nothing.

The other half went for a teen that was nearby. I barely managed to destroy it as it tried to engulf the nearest teen. The rest of the teen girls there were screaming as it started to dissolve.

I was pissed as hell that I had missed saving the teen when I saw something moving in the bushes. My mouth dropped open as I saw it was the first teen that had been swallowed.

I then heard an explosion high above me. Not thinking, I faded as I appeared high in the atmosphere. It looked like the other four fleets were starting to devastate the Xetron fleet or rather what was left of it.

I just started to point at those that were getting through. I was feeling pretty good as they were starting to thin at a faster rate.

I wish now that I had remained longer to check the teen. Just like last time I hadn't checked, it had almost dire results. The teen had walked to the other ten females, brushing against them.

Almost all of them were suddenly like zombies as they followed the first teen. The only good thing was that they were still too far out to infect others.

The last of the Xetron fleet was starting to disappear when I remembered the teens. I appeared where they had been surprised that they had left all their things. That's when I felt at least eleven alien energy signatures.

I started to follow, then cursed when they broke apart. Finding the first, I took a few moments to figure out how to kill the alien and not the teen. I had finished the two, I caught up with them then went after the others.

It was an hour later that I had done ten, though I was searching for the last or first. I caught up to her at the edge of a campground managing to freeze her for a second.

Shit I thought, these damn things were tougher than I thought. I had the damn thing coming out of her when it tried to reach a couple a few feet away. I destroyed every part that it reached out with, then pulled it out of the teen.

I again managed to immobilize it though it was leering at me. You have already lost. I am here, and you will never get all of me.

Oh really, I said it was far easier with you here than with a bunch of your piss poor essences around. I then released a wave of energy at the teens and all the ground around her. I then sent it back the way I and it had come.

I heard a multiple of screams coming from the ground as all the pieces started to die.

You still won't defeat us as long as the leader lives so will we! It screamed as it finally died. Shit I thought as I went airborne, I had to wipe all the minds here about what had happened. I then started to retrace all the way back to the ship, making sure it was all destroyed.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt nor detected any of it left. I checked all the females as I placed them all back in their campground. As far as I could see, they were clear, of both memories and the aliens.

I then felt a couple of my fighters going down. I was beside them instantly. Two I managed to save, though the last I was too late, I held the youth as tears started to fall from my eyes. Why? Why hadn't I been able to stop this?

"I am so sorry that I wasn't here. You shouldn't have tried to do this yourself. I will do all that I can to make sure that this never happens again. I vanished, appearing in my house.

I collapsed with the youth in my arms, tears still flowing from my eyes like a river. I looked up and saw my daughters, my old crew and the other four reps of the four races.

"I will never allow this to happen again as I transmuted to energy and flew at accelerated speed. I appeared on the Xetron homeworld, grabbing the leader and destroying all the breeding vats. I then looked at the leader as he sneered at me, we will rebuild better.

I cuffed it, as I thought, not with you, I sent with heat.

You won't destroy me, you are the new fifth race, you don't, it thought.

Wrong! I thought as I broke it in half, shock on its face, as life left its body.