Chapter 19

“When you are ready, we can discuss about who I really was, I was not the decent mother you think I was not at first, as with you, you’d also be surprised by what you find out.” Maria said a smirk and faraway look on her face.

Mary smiled a genuine smile this woman was starting to grow on her, the more she was around her and found out the more she was starting to like. Mary was about to walk out when something clicked in her head.

“Wait a minute! You said one you hadn’t seen in years? Do you mean to tell me I have a brother out there? You are referring to Jimmy right?” Mary rushed out, the thought of an older sibling excited her to no end.

“How...? But those records were sea...,” closing her mouth as quickly as she could, Maria wasn’t surprised.

Maria nodded, trying not to say anything, “That’s ok. I already know actually about all two hundred hundred of the families that were hidden, though the official sealed record says that he is dead.” Mary breathed out.

Maria again nodded, “Jimmy didn’t want fame or reward just to be left alone with his pain.”

Mary nodded. She could empathize with him. For a long time, she was the same way. “Another question, you know who I am don’t you?”

“I know you are one of my oldest daughters, which I don’t know yet. In case you’re wondering, I am the only other person not of the royal Stock blood who can touch these DNA code keys, that is, I can touch them. I just can’t remove them, so they are safe with me.” Mary nodded, heading out. Shit, she wasn’t going to give up that much information today, sighing she guessed genetics was one of the things she hadn’t thought of.

Jim and Amber had headed back to the palace an hour after Jim had researched and had found where the Krong had kept the captured brains they had taken, the thing was it was deep into the Krong and Krang occupied space well almost all Krang now.

They’d both been relaxing for a few hours when Mary walked in, “Alright, I decided not to kill you.”

“What brought about this sudden change of attitude,” Jim asked knowing for a fact that neither could have killed the other, they owed the other too much to quibble over trivial things. “I found out I have a brother, at least I believe I do, he was alive a week ago from all reports I got.”

Jim was about to tell her he’d help her find him when a special com Amber had set up chimed to life. “Empress,” came the voice, “We just received a message from the Krang, they said that we have been targeted and that for helping you we will be eliminated, they will be here in three days. Empress as your ally we beg your help, we have no defenses, no war ships, we are a peaceful people can you help us?”

Sighing Amber thought but came up with nothing, looking over at Jim he sighed exasperated. Picking up his com he looked over readings that were displayed there. Touching a few buttons he watched as a defense shield encompassed the planet the Creca were on, amid shouting the one that had spoken before thanked Jim.

“Withdraw all merchant ships to the surface. No one is to leave the planet for the next week, at least till we get there. It shouldn’t take more than four days till we arrive. You have an hour before nothing can pass,” Jim started. Amber and Mary looked at Jim as if he’d lost his mind for four fucking days? It was at least two weeks with the hyperdrive on the station.

Looking at them both, Jim almost laughed at the looks he was getting from them. His ribs still ached from where Amber had elbowed him last time.

“What, you think I haven’t been busy? Space travel is so slow. Years ago, when Mary and I were going all over the place, I got an idea for faster ways to travel. It’s taken years of work and thousands of hours and upgrades to Dickie to achieve, but I think we’ve got it.” Jim said, though not smug. Mary could swear there was a hint of it there.

“Alright, Jim, spill before I cut those handsome balls off you,” Amber growled with a smile.

Jim covered his crotch in mock fright, though knowing her, she just might do it. Mary was rolling around on the floor, laughing uncontrollably.

“Watching the way the Krong came in, the disturbance, I took readings. I can duplicate it on a far-reaching scale with half as much power. It appears that you have to be at least two days from an inhabited planet, as it has a greater gravitational field with more life forms on the surface. This, in turn, disrupts the pull of the tunnel through space, sending you out sooner than you want,” Jim stated proudly.

“Wait you mean you wouldn’t use the engines except to open the tunnel and that the tunnel would be a gravity well that would pull faster than an engine could push?” Mary said excited.

Jim nodded, knowing that if anyone could understand, it would be Mary. “Wait, Jim, what about the outside forces? Like ships and planets?” Mary said, a look of intense concentration on her face.

“There is no outside interference once the well is formed. It is also phased, thereby unaffected by almost all outside forces, not unlike the MTM,” Jim said, starting to get a little excited.

“Oh my god! Jim, after all these years, you finally figured out how they were doing it!” Amber shouted, Jim looked at her and slightly shook his head no, this again wasn’t lost on Mary, what the hell was this fucker hiding?

“I’ve had Dickie testing it for the last two months, everything works well. The last piece I needed was the stabilization of the distance MTM and reading to get the gravity well to stabilize as well. I’d say we’d ready to go in about two hours.” Jim stated as he began to adjust the readings on his comp.