Chapter 44

I went back to work though and began to build a device to build crystals that went into the sixth dimension. Wayne would be coming back with the children as a simple computer. He was a 56 though and would be the most intelligent computer anywhere near this planet.

Walt and Garbo helped make the crystals I wanted. I needed to test the new equipment against the units made by the Wikki before they were taken away. I was not finished my work when Grotto returned. He landed in Toxlo and let the children off. There was a hundred and twenty seven of them. They were all very smart even without computer augmentation and had wheedled their way onto the passenger list.

I greeted my children as best I could when there was this many. Some of them were upset because their mother had died and they were coming to the planet where it happened. The rest of the mothers expected this and helped the way the Tomma always did this.

The small Tomma females that constantly circled me like a pack of sharks saw new meat. I approved of the idea because there were few avenues open to my children on earth besides their brothers and sisters.

Grotto whispered to me, "We found nothing wrong but I am sure it was just the way we handled this situation that prevented it."

"I think so too. One step might not have been followed as well as it should. This felt to me to be the cause." Louder I said, "Have you aged many years with all those children in your ship?"

"Your children were very polite but they were so curious all the time. They wanted to pull apart my computer. When that was denied them they began making crystals to strengthen our hull. They showed me how to increase the efficiency of my engines and my power source."

"Do you think they could do as they said?"

"I am positive of this."

"You may have some young Wikki acting similarly soon. Your technology will leap forward."

"There are many that will not want this."

"Your race has many enemies and even the conservatives like better weapons and stronger shields."

"Not all Wikki are rational, friend Wally."

We walked around for a while and I knew that Grotto had something to say. Finally he mentioned, "We have drones on your home planet. We found a computer of amazing power. We could only guess at the power."

"Where was it?"

"There is more than one?"

"Warren is a 52. Wayne who came on your ship is a 56 and Wesley is a 21."

"Those figures are higher than I imagined. We found the island and figured the unit might be a 30. Nobody has ever made such machines before."

"I would like to try for a 10 one day. I have the children to help."

Grotto stopped to think and I waited patently. He finally said, "You could use those machines to manage the galaxy as easily as your computer manages this planet."

I said, "The Wikki do not use the computers as much as the Aristis do or as much as I do. We are friends now and I want us allies too. If I have my way all of your ships will be improved and that is why I wanted to trade for hulls so we too could protect ourselves."

"Your ships could beat ours in only a few years."

"Why are you thinking like that, friend Grotto? We trade. Your ships come in and they are improved or you get the crystals to do it yourself. We have very few people to crew our ships and the people on earth are barbarians that are a danger to all of us. If your own people are here helping us then you know what is happening. They would be part of our crews. This is what it is supposed to be like in the academy. We help each other and gain by doing so."

"Your Star Fleet now sounds like it will become a very formidable force if it is allowed to survive."

"It will be if the Wikki help us."

"Would you aid us in fighting the Aristis?"

"That is a question that is difficult to answer. Are you pushing the Aristis out of their homes? Are your people the aggressors?"

Grotto said, "For centuries the Aristis have been harassing our people. We believe they only wish to fight us so that they will gain experience. The Aristis are now less numerous and we are trying to contain them."

"It sounds to me like the Aristis need to have a change of leadership. I thought the Aristis were all warriors ready to kill or be killed but that is not the case. Perhaps if the leaders were to die then the race could be channelled into more constructive pursuits."

Grotto said, "The way King Rontem made way for you?"

"Partially, but why is it necessary for me to rule? An army and a computer of at least 30 could keep a single world under control."

"There are many Aristis worlds."

"There are many bright Wikki children to help me build computers, ships and weapons."

"This would protect you and give us a chance to fight other enemies."

"Then you have to help me build and protect the Academy."

The next two days was just a way of reintegrating with my family. Some large Wikki came to Toxlo that I had not seen before. This was a fact finding mission if I ever saw one and I made sure they got to see how well we worked with the Wikki we had here in the city.

My own family was learning to integrate with the Wikki even faster than the native Tomma. They were very bright and used to learning before they even arrived. The children showed little fear of the spider-like creatures that out massed them.

I got them to talk about what they would do to Grotto's ship if they had the chance and the resources. I was sure this had already been mentioned so the children went into detail of how this could be done.

The Aristis warriors took to the children very quickly and not just the boys. They were all very dedicated. Some of my 'kids' showed up and were inducted quietly into the group with a lot of care.

The Aristis were paraded near the visiting Wikki to show that they were now upstanding citizens of this new culture.

An added bonus came when I found out that the Wikki loved the smell of chocolate. I got Grotto alone and gave him some after finding out that it was safe. He loved it. We made some synthetically and it was good but not as good as the natural product. There were some chemicals in the natural product that made the Wikki feel good. Similar chemicals did the same to humans.

Wesley was now busy buying up the stocks of chocolate beans in a depressed market. Eventually we could get the synthetics variety to be just as good but at the moment it was not necessary. Grotto left with our entire supply of chocolate to have a talk to his leaders about the benefits of trade.

I got the feeling that there was an undercurrent of conflict within the Wikki. Eldhino felt it too and said to me, "My King, some of the spi... Wikki look at you like a Tappic. I do not understand it."

"Eldhino, there is nobody around to impress. Why are you calling me King?"

She had the decency to blush and a warrior did not do that very much. "I like to think that my mate is the king."

"When you say king, you put a barrier between us. The only wall I want is our skin."

She had to pause for a while and said like a much younger woman, "I will try, Wally."

"Good and remember that the Wikki only look like spiders. They may well be members of Star Fleet and we cannot have that kind of talk. Think of the Wikki as I do about Grotto. He is intelligent and a person in his own right."

"I'll try, Wally. The ones that look at you oddly are as intelligent as your friend. They want you the very much. The feeling is as strong as the way we want you."

"They know of my ability to see the future sometimes. They want to test me."

"That was your fear when you were young. You are going to have to protect yourself. We will watch out for you."

"Thanks Eldhino, but I do not think they will sneak around if they came for me. They would come in ships."

Eldhino and I talked about how the ordinary Wikki was like the average human. They were docile and let the group dictate what they were to think. The ones that I met were able to see me in a different light and fought this trend. Those that were more intelligent were also swayed by the group but did a lot of the swaying to.

My children went to the cruiser and worked on the computers I had started. It was soon easy to separate those that sympathised with us from those that didn't. The others stayed away as much as they could. The children picked up Wikki etiquette but it did not help much. Some of the younger Wikki were viewed as corrupted and were chastised by their superiors but there was little they could do about it.

The 'kids' were much better techs than those that had not met us. The Wikki had used similar techniques on their own young to see if they could emulate what I had done. It worked but not as well as I had managed. The type of love I used I think helped much more. The competition with the Tomma type people did a lot more to encourage the young Wikki to grow. The Wikki techs had colleagues before but now they had friends.

The birth of my latest children kept me busy for a month and a half. I wanted to be near the children when they emerged so that they would know who I was. The bonding that happened seemed to be different here on Cralto and I had to attribute it to the large number of Wikki or perhaps the All Mother.

I did not get much chance to be with the children except those of the Aristis, Betts, Erica and my two with Connie. The Tomma mates within a day went back into the ships so the children could remain within the confines of the ships' varied multidimensional field.

We were also building a computer like Wesley that we could live in but we had not got as much done. Some of the mistakes we made when we made Wesley were now being corrected.

The Wikki were very interested in this machine and they had thousands of drones checking out every facet. Grotto I insisted was placed in charge of the larger pieces of Wikki equipment that monitored the construction.

My 'kids' assisted too so they could learn. They worked with the older children and made a game of the task. This was a departure from the way the Wikki usually worked. They were far from lazy but they drifted off for a break more often and the breaks were longer. We were corrupting them when we worked this way.

The Wikki young were not suited to uniforms but we changed the harness that they sometimes wore to something similar to one we would wear. The Wikki took to the bosta after a while and this seemed to help them grow and stay more alert.

Our seven baby Wikki were now the size of grapefruit. A crystal was inserted to find where they were at all times for safety. They tended to stay near their 'nest' though. There were very few insects that survived coming close and even some birds and lizards found their way down their gullets. The poisonous variety did not seem to matter and the poison sacks did not seem to do any damage.

We could communicate with the young to their own ability. The older Wikki found it easy to exclude us while they could read us fairly easily. That was one of the reasons I did not want anybody even thinking derogatory thoughts.

Betts worked hard to overcome her aversion even to bringing our daughter close to the kids and Grotto. Grotto was kind and came close to inspect the child but I figured he was not really interested.

I could sense his distaste for the scent and I said telepathically, "I am sorry friend Grotto but my children do manage to smell from time to time. The Wikki children are usually cleaner but they manage to compete with the Tomma children well in this area too."

"You do not seem to mind the smell of our young now."

"I am used to it. I am also used to the smell of my own children but there are times when they outdo themselves."

Betts said, "I'll change her but you guys are being nasty. She only peed."

Grotto said, "Please do not become upset friend Betty. I will get used to the smell eventually. The smell in our own nursery is hard for me to take but it has to remain so our children will bond correctly."

"Wait until Lillian starts eating other foods besides milk. She would have got that from his side of the family, not mine."

Grotto did not understand the nuances and I explained them to him. He had thought it a conflict he had initiated between Betts and me. This took a while and Betts had to help. In a while I got the chance to hold may child that was named after Betts' mother. Erica came in later with Connie. Erica's mother did not rate very high in her books while our missing mate Connie, still did.

To start trade moving, the Wikki began to help us with the construction of the battleship. They would be paid in chocolate, computers and specialty crystals. To do this, the keel was dragged away from Cralto and placed near the desert planet Eito. There were still some Aristis soldiers unaccounted for and I did not want them destroying what I had built.

This trade agreement was hard fought out. It was only that the ship would not be ready for years yet that it was agreed to. I would have to provide the computers as the work progressed. I had a feeling that some of the Wikki would just like to destroy the ship before it became operational.

Grotto had pledged that some of the crew would be Wikki as a way of placating the leaders. One of the corvettes left to take work to more of the Wikki empire in hopes of gaining more support for their view. Grotto was not asked to come and neither were any of his suporters.

Grotto said to me in private, "I fear that the majority of my people may not be as open minded as I am, friend Wally."

"I have no premonition about this. Do you think your people will come here and simply stop our agreement?"

"Your children and you personally are very unique. They may want all of you including those on earth. We are not usually like this and I do not know what is causing this irrationality in my people."

I said, "My family's abilities might frighten your people, especially when I am here with the All Mother. We are then very much like the Wikki."

"What do you plan to do about it? I hope you do not decide to fight."

"Tell me friend Grotto, will one of your regional queens come here to investigate?"

"That is very likely."

"Do you think the All Mother may have a chance to change this queen's mind?"

"I am sure that she will be protected so she will not have any direct communication but I will get a chance to talk to her."

"I do not think that will be enough."

The time to get to the probable system and return was at least four weeks. Queens were not known for being impulsive so we could figure on a week or so additional grace. We had to get ready for the armada that was sure to come.

Wyatt was the name given to our most powerful computer. Wesley worked with us on its construction even though he was on earth. He had copies of all the information I had acquired about the Wikki and their technology. The thought transmitter is what we were banking most of our plans on. We could get our point expressed no matter what the opposition wanted to do short of nukeing the computer.

My mates went around to the various Tomma settlements and explained what was happening. We did not want the Wikki fought with bows but with reason. This way the All Mother would have a chance to think on this matter before one of the queens arrived.

My children and the kids worked as hard as they could to get Wyatt complete. It was not long after that happened that the kids were recalled to their ships. Grotto and a few of his crew were the only ones allowed to remain. They were still monitoring the construction of the computer. The work on the battleship was accelerated at the same time. I figured it was to compel me to work harder to provide a computer for them to pay for the work they did. We all knew that this was to keep me from working as much on Wyatt.

Betts and Erica were around me all the time now. They were worried and felt I needed protection. Our missile production had never faltered much because Wesley was still sending us surplus crystals from earth. They too would be a target but we felt that they would come after we were defeated or we came to a peaceful understanding.

A day came when Grotto was recalled. We knew what this meant. The queen was coming and probably with a lot of war ships. There was no way the Fonduush could survive if there was a fight so Betts and most of my family fled the system.

The Wikki were caught at our abrupt manoeuvre because we planned it long ago to coincide with our regular patrols. Keeping the strategy quiet and getting the mates to leave without me was difficult so they were simply not told.

Fonduush was now a very fast ship with all our improvements. Four of the cruisers gave chase but there was no chance of catching her.

I was bombarded by demands to call the Fonduush back or at least tell the Wikki where she was going.

I said, "We are not at war and we are not part of the Wikki empire. We go as we please and when we please."

A new person spoke to me and said, "Why did your ship flee?"

"Who am I addressing?"

There was a long pause that must be more embarrassing for the Wikki as time went on. I assumed it was the person in charge of the fleet that came here. I had never spoken to him before. In conversations with Grotto I called him Moss because of his long name. It took a long time for me to pronounce his name correctly because it was not just sounds but thoughts that went with it.

Moss gave his name eventually. I said, "High Captain, " and then gave his full name. "I am the king of this world while you are the High Captain of a small fleet of Wikki ships. I, like all Tomma, am a representative of the All Mother. You will show the same respect as you would a representative of your High Queen Bright Star. The Tomma do not require your permission to carry out the All Mother's tasks." I waited for a few minutes but I got no reply.

We had at least four weeks left before Wyatt would awake. Now I had to find ways of giving us enough breathing room for this to happen.

The children and I worked over the substrate to assist it to make the connections required. Apart from the crystal improvements, this was the activity that took the longest time.

Erica stayed with me this time. She could do little to help with the computer but she would go out to meet with smaller groups of Tomma. She usually brought many of our infants and the Wikki infants too. She tried to show up at religious ceremonies the way the rest of the mates had done so the All Mother could be invoked and then informed of what was happening.

Erica said, "Do you have any feelings about Betty?"

"No, she is probably going to run for a few weeks until she can loose the Wikki ships. If she can't then she will go near a Chlorine world as we planned. It is just too soon to know anything."

We had gone over this plan for a long time. A free Fonduush was strong weapon to hold over anybody's head. It was much like the Cold War on earth where many countries had the ability to kill not only their enemies but the entire population of the planet. I did not want to fight the Wikki but I wanted them to respect us or our weapons until they had a chance to respect us for peaceful and civilised reasons.

Grotto did not call me and I did not need his assistance yet so I refrained from calling him even if it was official business. The time came when we figured that a fleet of ships would arrive. We waited day after day but they did not show up. We basically ignored the Wikki as we went about our business in the system. They kept their other agreements by continuing with the building of the battleship and the monitoring of their portion of the system. High Captain Moss was not as trusting now and he sent many more sensors out to monitor the entire system.

Wyatt finally awoke and was greeted by Wesley and the rest of us. Grotto had managed to come back for the occasion with six of his people.

Grotto said, "This is a historic event. Never before has such a powerful computer awoken."

"I feel the same way friend Grotto, though I think Wyatt will be only the second of many."

"It would take us many years to build a machine like this even if we had the plans."

"You were given the plans and I hope your queen knows that they were freely given in friendship. The crystals for a computer like this are some of the many goods we have to trade."

Wyatt underwent three days of constant testing and the Wikki had the opportunity to check our test results and even do a few of their own. The control of the telepathic communicator was given over to Wyatt only after he was fully aware of its power. The Aristis would never have done this because now a computer could kill all of us with a blast of this energy if not drive us insane. The Wikki did not know the power of the communicator we installed and thought it to be the same as what they would have in their ships.

When Wyatt spoke it was with my mannerisms and everybody knew that it was my personality in the machine. The Wikki took a while to digest this fact. They too could have the personality of a biological being in their computers but instead, chose to use the artificial variety. They tended to work better with the number of them on a major Wikki ship.

Wyatt was not the only one undergoing tests. Wesley had constructed a phased array of antennas mounted on small ships that were used to make a gigantic receiving dish for telepathic thought. The Fonduush had a much smaller unit and it was used to transmit to earth and Wesley. After a lot of communication on the hyperwave the unit actually worked.

The Wikki used a similar procedure that augmented the hyperwave but they were not as strong or as directional. Wesley had come across a few abnormalities that gave him the idea of doing this.

The Fonduush was also testing a new inertial compensator that was based on the Wikki design too. We had made more improvements on it before it was built, then more in the last few weeks.

The cruisers that had chased after the Fonduush had returned one at a time. They had not found our ship and High Captain Moss had not asked where she was again. Grotto asked for him with a hint of shame. I said, "Captain Grotto the Fonduush is undergoing independent tests of her hull and systems."

"Your ship had amazing speed. I was unaware that she was that fast."

I could not flaunt the fact that we used Wikki technology so I said, "We have made steady improvements on her the same way my children wanted to work on your own ship. The improvements are actually based on the increased number of high quality crystals that we can now manufacture."

"Will you come back and work with our people on my ship?"

We both knew this was coming. Months ago we had discussed this day in private. Now in public I said, "I am sorry friend Grotto, I am much too busy here. Your people are welcome to come here and learn."

"We have found that my people become disoriented when they are with you and lose their objectives. This does not happen as much on our ship."

"I cannot help you friend Grotto. I will give some of my time to your people but they must be here to get the benefit of it." I adlibbed and said, "Perhaps High Captain Moss will come here and visit. He may learn more about us himself instead of doing it through others. On my oath, I will protect him to the best of my ability and see that he gets safely back to his ship when he leaves. My only wish is to see that he gains a better understanding of us and the All Mother."

There must have been communications because Grotto hastily said, "That is impossible. The High Captain is busy too."

"That is too bad. The cruiser that left to fetch a queen, should return soon and perhaps we can talk then."

There was a pause. "How do you know this?"

"I observed that some of the Wikki were acting irrational. When this happens, I would think that they would go to get some guidance. That would be to see one of your leaders. I feel that we are interesting enough to warrant a personal visit."

"We were not irrational friend Wally. The Wikki are not used to those of other races."

He had to be spouting his leader's thoughts. I said, "Friend Grotto, have I attacked or harmed any of your people? Have the Tomma done any damage to your race? There are few Aristis here but they are under my command. Do you think that they can harm the Wikki?"

"I do not understand your questions but I do not see you or your people as a threat to my race."

"Thank you for that admission, because I see myself as only a light wind that moves the trees that is your home. I remove the stale air and bring the fresh scents to your people. I present the possibility of change. It is those that have irrational fears of those that are not of the Wikki race that I speak of. Your people like the gifts I have to offer and we have learned from each other. Change need not happen overnight but it may take years where each of the changes may be studied. Some of your people refuse to even look at what I have to offer besides crystals and computers. This I say is irrational behaviour."

Grotto waited for his captain's thoughts and when they did not arrive he said, "The Wikki have had no friends. We are attacked by many races. It is difficult to understand the motives of others. With no successes it is hard to feel safe enough to try to form a friendship."

I said quietly, "I admire the Wikki for their continued search for friends without losing what makes their civilisation strong. Those other races have lost if they had not allowed friendship to grow. I think that I have found a friend in a minor Wikki captain. That may be all that is needed now."

Wyatt was operational for twelve days before we detected the first signs of an approaching fleet. Grotto by then was on his own ship and he reported to us the number of ships and the fact that Queen New Leaf was approaching. Months ago Grotto had told me the names of the queens and what he knew about each of them. New Leaf was not one of them. She was either a replacement sent from Queen Bright Star or one that had been waiting in the wings when her queen died or was replaced.

The feeling I was getting was ambivalent. There was great danger but also a chance for success.

Wyatt had been focussing his antennas on the Wikki ships, trying to read thoughts. The Wikki had not been able to do this and I had little hope of doing it either. We had small drones that tried the same thing and had the same results.

Hours later the approaching fleet came to a halt and then one of the cruisers that had been stationed here approached. I was sure the High Captain was in this ship.

Work went on here on the planet's surface but we were all studying what was happening in space.

Erica stood beside me now and held Connie in her arms. "What do you think will happen now, Wally?" Her voice was quieter than usual.

"A lot of talk and especially with Grotto. Then New Leaf will want to talk to me."

"Any chance she will come here?"

"None."

I tried to think of a course of action that would give me the best results but I only had some vague feelings that could go either way.

The call finally came and it was through Grotto. "Friend Wally, Queen New Leaf would like to question you."

"I will come friend Grotto and I will bring some of my family."

"Your family was not invited friend Wally. You must come alone."

"I will come with two of my mates and four children that can help me speak to her. Your own protocols allow foreigners some leeway and I am going to take it. I am a representative of the All Mother."

"I have spoken to her and she... only wants to see one of you at a time."

"She finds our shape... unusual?"

"That is correct friend Wally."

"Perhaps I can ask her myself?"

"She will not respond friend Wally. It is best to just come and do so quickly."

"I will still ask friend Grotto. This may take a few minutes so please be patient."

It was nighttime where I was but there were some people ready. Four wise men waited in the darkened courtyard. The mates currently on the planet and my own children gathered around and then so did many more from the city. With more people coming, I waited with my family and tried to calm some of those that were worried the most.

A fire was started with wood that had been kept dry for this purpose. There was a light drizzle but nobody objected to it.