Chapter 6

Drivas awoke with a major headache plus the number of voices she was hearing. Sitting up, she concentrated as hard as she could, feeling half the voices start to fade. Trying again, she pushed harder, feeling another third of what was left fade.

Looking over at the other table, she saw that Thellus was still unconscious. Though she could feel the woman trying to claw her way to the surface, she felt it would be another hour before she was awake. Still hearing voices, she again pushed, feeling the stronger voices start to fade further.

Finally, half an hour later, all but one voice was gone—a very powerful voice that she couldn’t ignore. [Thantas?] Drivas asked. [Is that you? I thought I was far below you for you to ‘talk’ to me!]

[Ah! Drivas Flot! I thought that was your mind that entered the fourth level. No, my dear, you are by no means so far below me that I would not talk to you. If anything, you are one of the few that I can actually ‘talk’ to, ] Thantas told her.

[We were always told that you were far above us, that you only talk to those near your level; only the heads of the IP, and the technicians that preserve you, ] a shocked Drivas answered Thantas.

Drivas could almost swear that Thantas was smirking at her when she said, [You will find that most of the time what we are told by those supposedly above us is often not the whole truth, well not the one that they want us to know. Lately, I have found this to be more and more true.]

[I thought you weren’t allowed to speak to anyone else, ] Drivas asked.

[Normally I’m not, though you obtaining the level you have has made this communication possible. I can see into your mind, my dear; I can see the doubt that both you and Thellus have. There are many secrets that have been hidden from both of you, as are a few that are coming soon. As of yet, you haven’t the strength to act. You are scheduled to go to level five. I will make this possible. Most I would let the machine kill, it will not be so for you, ] Thantas told an extremely confused Drivas.

[Thantas, I am not understanding!] Drivas’ thoughts almost shouted.

[It will become clearer in time. Now sleep, I must prepare the both of you for what they will do to you next, ] Thantas said as Drivas nodded her head then fell back into a deep sleep.

Thantas reached in, feeling the work that the crude machines of the IP had done. Removing all the hidden orders that she felt, Thantas realized they would now have a far easier time. They might not even feel pain now. Watching, she knew she didn’t have much time as both were awoken then scanned. Almost immediately, they were hooked to other machines as the next levels were started.

Drivas felt Thantas nearby as the fifth level was started. Were they that desperate that they were willing to kill both of them? Thellus was scared for a moment; she’d almost died the last time the machine had started in her mind.

Suddenly, there was an intense buzzing as the machine reached into their minds, looking for the orders that had been planted before. Thantas started to adjust both women’s minds, completely fooling the machine. Then both women’s minds were moved rather quickly into the next levels. Drivas looked at Thellus with a look of shock on her face. [My god, there was no pain!]

Suddenly, she ‘heard’ Thellus’s thoughts in her mind, [I know! There was nothing at all! Wait! Ma’am? I can hear your thoughts. Am I imagining this?]

Drivas shook her head, [No, don’t let on that we can hear each other. Thantas told me that many things were being hidden from both of us. Also, that we both had doubts. I am glad to see that you are with me on this.]

A moment later, they both ‘heard’ Thantas, [Enough! Sleep.] Both nodded as they went under faster than they thought they would.

Several technicians were looking over the readings, seeing a slight spike from both. Shaking their heads, they consigned it to the fact that both were at a very high level now. Good thing they were both on their side, or they were dead for sure.

Sam was drawing closer to the third world that the Queen and the gray leader said was the world they needed. Still not in the best of moods, he’d met more and more resistance the closer he got. He guessed from what the Queen had passed to him that he only had two worlds to go, then the third world itself.

Landing on the first of the last three worlds, Sam heard massive screaming as a great multitude ran from him. Sighing, he shook his head. He had expected as much, that is, until the grays actually started to open fire on him! His face twisting into a mask of rage, Sam was about to destroy several thousand of them. That’s when he felt a powerful mind try to enter his.

Shocked for a moment, he pushed back, feeling the mind was somehow familiar to him. Still, it had tried to enter his mind without his permission, so he pushed back. When the mind didn’t stop pushing, he became seriously pissed at the mind. Pushing the mind away violently, he felt the mind fade all the way back to the space station he’d been to before.

Growling, Sam nodded. So they were trying to get to him through his mind. Were they in for a shock. Turning back to the grays that were firing at him, he stood tall, then put his hand up, pushing all the beams that were hitting him back almost the way they had come. There was massive confusion as a great many screamed, running away in terror.

Shaking his head, Sam landed in front of those trying to escape. [I am not here to hurt, rather to help you escape those that wish you to work for them, ] Sam thought.

[You tell nothing but an untruth. We... ] many thought to him.

Suddenly, a greater number of voices were heard talking to those in front of him. Sitting, he decided to wait this time as this had been played out a number of times in the last few days.

Almost falling asleep, Sam could see that he was finally starting to get tired. Thinking back, it had been, what, seven or eight days? Maybe more; he wasn’t sure as he’d only been back to Earth once. Looking at all those before him, he was shocked to see that they were still standing there ‘listening’ to the others on the other planets.

Still waiting, he was surprised when one moved from the rest to stand before him. [The others that you have visited have explained what you are trying to do for our people. We were told to add to the voice for the next two worlds. We were also told to let you know that you must hurry. Those that were here before are coming back soon.]

[I am glad that I did not have to end a great many of you. Being free of them is far better with all of you rather than half, ] Sam told those before him.

[We also concur with this assumption, Sam. We thank you for your mercy.] The one thought to Sam, then moved off with the others, who all had stunned looks on their faces.

Smiling, Sam was about to take off when he ‘heard’ Queen Triada. [I can feel your depletion of energy, Sam. Might I suggest you fly closer to a sun before you leave?]

Sam’s mouth dropped open. [A sun? I am powerful, though I didn’t think I was THAT powerful!]

[You only have to get within a few million miles, Sam, not that close. You are still growing stronger. You only need a little more time, and then you should have your full power, ] the Queen told him.

Shrugging, Sam shot up at a tremendous speed, heading toward the dull yellow sun of the gray world. At first, he felt nothing but an emptiness inside, then as he drew closer, he felt less and less tired. Shocked, he was getting a lot closer when he started to feel the heat a bit. Shit, he thought, I’m pretty close; it feels more like being a little too close to a campfire.

Feeling almost completely normal, Sam nodded to himself, then shot forward toward the next planet. Entering the wormhole, he hoped that these last few would be far easier. This constant parade of people wanting to be slaves was seriously taxing on him.

Sam came out of the wormhole near the last of the two worlds that he needed to free. To his surprise, he came face to face with a huge multitude of IP regular and battleships. Shaking his head, he felt that a lot were going to die this day.

Drivas was trying to regain her strength, though the shouting she was ‘hearing’ was starting to piss her off. Shut the hell up, she thought. Then she thought she recognized the voice. Thellus? Was that her she thought she heard screaming?

[Thellus?] Drivas thought. [Is that you I hear?]

[Drivas, thank all that is holy! Help me! The sheer amount of voices I am ‘hearing’ is maddening, ] replied Thellus’s almost desperate thoughts.

[You have to concentrate, push them out. I did it when I reached level four. It appears that once you do that, you can from then on, ] Drivas told her.

[Ugh, it is so hard! I’m trying. Yes! I can feel almost half the voices fading, ] came Thellus’s thoughts.

[Keep pushing, I know you can do it. Focus on my thoughts; it should help you, ] Drivas told her.

[Yes! I can feel them fading away. Finally, it is so quiet now, ] Thellus thought.

[You have done very well, Thellus. Drivas, you are now the only other fifth level. As we both know, you both doubt much that has been going on around you. You are the first of the upper command I have ever felt think this way.]