Chapter 28

Solar time unit = year planetary time unit = day

Sam could only shake his head. A thought warrior. He had tried to go through his memories to find exactly what it was.

“I’m sorry,” Sam told Fino. “I can’t seem to recall what they were.”

Fino took a deep breath; this was going to take a bit to explain. “It was more of a secret arm of the protectorate. They had been conditioned so that they could protect. Unlike most of the population, they could actually act out to violence with violence. It was basically in response to the discovery of the Tetricon elite.”

Sam was nodding; this much he had pretty much guessed. “If they were needed so badly, why wasn’t something done to help them? It seems obvious that the conditioning unbalanced some of them.”

“It wasn’t that easy, Sam. Those that could help them couldn’t. They couldn’t take the number of violent ideas that the thought warriors had. The few that tried had near mental breakdowns,” Fino replied.

“I’m sure that eliminating all of them wasn’t necessary,” Sam said, then looked at Fino. “Oh, I see. Rather than fix the problem that you people created, you just got rid of them, whether they were showing signs or not. Shit! Here you called the Tetricons barbaric!” Sam spit out.

“You have to understand, Sam, we had no choice. The simple fact that I was a part of that left an extremely bad taste in my mouth. I never want to have to do anything like that again,” Fino said, a look of horror on his face.

Sam could only shake his head. So far, everything that he remembered about the Cliverstone people was true. Then again, this thought warrior was of his most concern at the moment, that plus the power-mad Tetricons, the pissed-off Thantas. Then, there were these elites that seemed to want no part of what the council wanted. Then there was the elite’s captured offspring. Oh yeah! Let’s not forget the new power he was still feeling.

Fino watched the emotions play across Sam’s face. He could really sympathize with Sam in that respect. There were many times that the full weight of the world seemed to be on his shoulders. In this case, though, there really wasn’t much he nor the others could really do to help. Well, all but one, one that might be the death of all of them if they lost control.

Finally, Sam decided that he wasn’t going to solve all the problems right now. He put away all that there was nothing he could do at the moment.

“I have to go. I am hoping that all of you can help defend this world if they decide to try and take it,” Sam said, then turned to check on the others.

Not far away, he entered a tent-like enclosure. There, he saw that both Drivas and Thellus were laying on the cots he’d left them on.

“So, what’s the prognosis?” he asked his mother, Triann.

Triann turned to Sam, a slight smile on her lips. “I’m not sure how you have done it, but they both are continuing to change. Thankfully, it appears as if they are only progressing one percent every few hours. Much more conducive to their health than the large jumps they made earlier.”

Sam blew out a breath. He’d hoped that this would work when he started it. “I’m glad. I wasn’t sure that it would work when I initiated it.”

Triann nodded as she watched Sam closely. Sam’s concern for both the females was heartening to her. Hmmm, she thought, perhaps the newest generation of the Cliverstone race was closer to reality than she thought.

Walking to the tall blonde, Triann ran a small black box over the blonde’s body. “This one I am reading at ninety-five percent Cliverstone. Another day, she should be complete. This one,” Triann walked to the auburn-haired Thellus, “I am reading at ninety-three percent Cliverstone. The first almost complete converts in nearly six hundred solar time units. Possibly another day and a half, she should be complete.”

Triann was about to speak further when Mellos burst in. “YOU!” she shouted at Sam, who was rolling his eyes. “I am ready to go with you. I am as strong as you. Don’t deny it.”

Sam sighed. “I don’t...” Sam started, then found himself flying through the wall of the enclosure. Following close on his heels, flying behind him, was Mellos with an angry look on her face.

Damn, Sam thought, that actually hurt as he rubbed his chin. Dropping to the ground, he stood his ground as Mellos came at him full speed. Her fist in front of her, she tried to fly faster when she saw Sam on his feet. Growling, Sam doubled up his fists, swinging at Mellos almost full strength.

The blow caught Mellos by surprise, sending her flying backward. A small smile crossed her mouth as she felt her power increase several percent. Good, she thought, let him deny me now. Ah, shit was her last thought as the world went dark.

Sam looked down at his bruised and tender hands. Shit, that had been like hitting a brick wall. She was most definitely a hell of a lot stronger. Might have to take her up on that offer, he thought as he watched the bruises start to fade.

Not far away, Thantas was floating beside a still-unconscious Triot, whose face was still in the dirt. Thantas rolled her eyes. It was obvious to her that the two of them liked each other. They must, as they both had the power to seriously hurt the other.

For some strange reason, she had a swelling of pride in her chest. She briefly shook her head. Why, she thought? They weren’t family, though she did have a massive amount of gratitude for Sam saving her.

Once again, as before, there were memories right at the fringe of her mind. At least this time, she wasn’t plagued by the earth-shaking headaches like she had before.

Distracted for a moment, she didn’t see Sam turn her way and make his way toward her. Sam stopped next to her, looking at Triot. “Still unconscious, huh?” Sam asked.

A small smirk came to her lips. “Yes, I intend to keep him that way as long as possible. Though,” she looked down at Triot, “I have no qualms about ending his existence if he acts up.”

Sam was nodding his head. “I can only ask you not to if possible. I still have questions for him, though not too many.”

Thantas was nodding her assent when Triot groaned. A wicked smile crossed Thantas’ face as she drew back her foot and kicked Triot in the head. Looking at a slightly astonished Sam, she said, “What?! Just making sure he stays quiet.”

“I want you to watch over all of them. I have a meeting with the elite and another that I have felt. It also has a great hatred of the council, as the elite do. We need to come up with a plan to free their offspring,” Sam told her. “Oh, also, I think that Mellos is ready.” Rubbing his chin, Sam saw Thantas smile.

“I know, I saw that hit she got in. She might be as strong, if not stronger, than I am. Though,” here Thantas looked in the direction she last saw Mellos flying, “it might depend just how long she’s out. You did put a lot into that last hit. Not sure I could’ve resisted it,” Thantas said, a warm smile on her face.

“Ha!” Sam said with a smirk. “She’s a lot stronger than I thought, has been the whole time.”

Thantas shook her head. “If she’s that strong, why did you refuse her help?”

“Unlike you, whom I wanted to grow stronger before we did anything, she caused me doubts. You know how she was—the killings, stealing, being a general nuisance. I wasn’t sure ‘til I did the last healing if it was going to actually help her. Dealing with the mind is something I am completely unfamiliar with. I...” Sam was saying when he was interrupted.

“It is really bad form to discuss someone while they are standing right here,” came the snide voice of Mellos.

Sam rolled his eyes as he turned to see Mellos there with her arms crossed.

“I’ll apologize later. For now, I’d say you’re ready. The thing is, we are going to meet Tetricon elites. They haven’t had contact with the ones here in a long time. I have already spoken with them. The only oddity in all this is the other elite that was recently revealed,” Sam said, noticing that Mellos just nodded as if she was completely aware of the situation.

Hmmm, Sam thought, something is going on here. I’m really not liking being kept in the dark like this. Here he thought that he could honestly depend on her. Now, he was starting to have doubts again. This time it was Sam who crossed his arms as he stared at Mellos.

“What?” Mellos said, uncertainty on her face.

“You want to go with me, expecting me to trust you when I can see that you are clearly lying to me. I can put up with a lot from you, Mellos, but not this. Your reaction to the news that there was another elite out there was far too accepting. So, wanna explain? Or do I just leave you here, as you know I can?” Sam slightly growled at Mellos.

A look of astonishment on her face suddenly dropped to concern. “I suspected a few that I met, so I am sure that it was one of them. Though at the time, none of them showed that much power. Which one it is, though, I am unsure.”

Sam could only stare at her; she was a hell of a lot closer to disclosing the whole truth, though not completely. Still, Sam just stood there, his arms crossed, as he waited for Mellos to continue.

“I am still not so sure you are telling me the truth. With all that we have been through, you still can’t trust me? Here you want to help me, AND have me trust you? I’m going to need a hell of a lot more if that is going to happen,” Sam said sternly to Mellos.

“I can’t really be sure,” Mellos said. “When I was so unstable, I often suspected my helper. There were times that his power would spike. I was so certain he was one. Just as suddenly, it would drop to nothing. As I said, I suspected though wasn’t sure.”

“See?” Sam said. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

Mellos released a deep sigh. “It was far harder than you thought. I have been ‘bad’ so long, untrusting so long, it was hard. Still is. Damnit, Sam, I am just starting to adjust to how I am, and here you want to push it? You have a hell of a lot more confidence in me than I have.”

Sam was agreeing up to the last part. “I know what you are capable of now. I can also see all the changes that have taken place within you. Confidence? No, I know, so get used to it! Now, I have an appointment to keep. If you want in, be ready.”