Chapter 4

Ray was speechless they were both in there? They couldn’t be! What they were describing would mean the death of one of them! Ray turned to say so when she spoke, “No Ray, neither of us will die. You might say we are one being now, I, Nali, used almost all my life force to protect you the last time we were back on home plane. I, Elizabeth, have had a love of you for many years, though you always seemed too busy to notice me. I didn’t have the courage to approach you, that first time, I almost died when you asked me to,” Leaning close she kissed him and whispered, “Thank you Ray, though it was almost pure lust, I enjoyed that more than all of the times with others put together.”

Ray eyes shot open, and a stupid grin lit up his face, and then just as suddenly it was gone.

Ray held Elizabeth close, Christ he thought, he wasn’t sure just how he felt about either one of them. Yes, it was true he was starting to develop feelings for both, though he wasn’t sure you could actually call those feelings love. “Both of you,” Ray started, “I can’t tell you how I feel at this moment I am so unsure I do feel more than friendship for both of you, but love? I don’t know yet, I have to think about this before I can answer I don’t want to lose either of you, but I am so unsure.”

“Ray,” Elizabeth started, “both I and Nali are now dependent upon each other, though we can survive if you can’t come to love us,” here Elizabeth sighed, “it would be hundreds of times better if you did. Know that we can never separate again, our life forces are sustaining each other, you see we were both about to die,” here Elizabeth lowered her head and her voice. “I was so happy you finally wanted me Ray, I have for a while now, I just found out last week that I WAS dying but not any longer.”

Ray was astounded, he thought he knew everything about all the people that worked at the office, well shoot that theory all to hell! “Have you told work?” Ray asked.

“No, I was going to inform them next week, then Nali came to me, she offered me a chance to live. It seemed we had a common bond, you. I jumped at it, anything I can do to be with you longer is worth whatever hell or task I would have to undertake.” Elizabeth explained.

Suddenly the voice changed, “It wasn’t hard to save her or myself the combination of both our life energies were more than strong enough to sustain the both of us.”

“I understand pretty much the how and the why. The only thing I am not understanding is why me? I am nobody really, I...” Ray started. Here Elizabeth put a finger to his mouth.

“Oh Ray, you are a lot more than you say, I know who you are, I have for a long time, John is just a figure head you are the true talent behind the company.” The shocked look on his face being a telling sign. “I thought so, plus you are a hero to the BLEMS as you call them, you have obtained a range of energy far higher than any other human.”

“Still, you two, I don’t feel special nor any different than anyone else,” Ray confessed.

“Yes, we know, as I have come to understand this is usually the mark of a true hero, one who feels that they are just doing what they are supposed to. In a lot of cases, they even feel it is what they think anyone else would have done but they are usually so far from the truth it is pitiful. You are more than special Ray; you have not only given life back to a whole world but saved countless lives.

You have also stopped for quite a few years the advance of the Chortons this in turn has allowed a few of their next targets to advance further than the Chortons could possibly take and might even be defeated. Problem is they adjust faster than any, but you can, you are the first EVER they have gone against that can adjust faster than they can. It is also why the queen wants you to breed.” Elizabeth said.

Sighing Ray knew he had to do something to stop them but what? He only had his self though he was learning a few tricks now that did seem to be working.

Thinking a moment Ray realized just what Elizabeth had just said, the fact that he adjusted faster than they did. The problem was that the last time he had barely been able to drive the power frequency that high, great he thought just what I needed, to fail, when I’ve come this far. Finally, after an hour Ray’s head started to hurt, it wasn’t the fact that he had adjusted as fast as he had it was HOW he had adjusted. The more he thought about it the more confused he seemed to get, great here I have a way to beat them, and I haven’t a clue to just how I did it. Lying down Elizabeth was at his side in a moment, “Ray?” She asked, “are you feeling alright?”

“I’m not sure Elizabeth, I’ve just gotten a shock finding out not one but two people of life forms or whatever are in love with me. I can’t even come up with an answer for that, I’m just so tired.” Closing his eyes, he was immediately asleep, then he was traveling again to the BLEMS planet.

Looking around Ray saw that something was indeed wrong, he’d just checked with them a very short time ago. It was at that moment he felt the presence of an almost palatable evil, reaching out Ray tried to find where it was only to almost hit a wall. Reaching down further Ray drove the frequency up higher, ah! There, he had it now, at that moment he felt the almost slimy legs of something grasp at his mind. Shaking his head, he was quickly free, then he felt several more entities attempt to enter and hi-jack his mind. Now he was pissed off! Lashing out he felt each of the creatures scream as its mind was destroyed, behind it all he still felt the palatable evil he had before.

(Ah! Treg Trag! Your mind has become stronger indeed! I shall enjoy breeding with you even more. I will have you fill me with your seed till I am close to exploding! We will need to enlarge your seed injector so that the teeth of my seed receiver can properly hold you and force you to breed me!) Came a voice from the evil presence.

Startled only a moment Ray reached out and tried to shred everything he felt from it. Caught by surprise the Queen was injured before throwing up her defenses.

(You vile Treg Trag! No one harms me! I shall have you soon! I have sent half a trueton of ships to bring you to me, soon Treg Trag soon.) Then the voice was gone Ray started to shake just the mere thought of sex with anything that resembled those spider things creeped him out. Ray knew that they were on the way he had to prepare more defenses before then. Starting with the boxes, he began to make nine more this time though, he tried to incorporate a little something that might deter the spiders from that little inside his shield, warp trick they had used last time.

Thinking a moment, he began to feel the energy of the BLEMS, hmmm if when the spider creatures attacked, he could change their energy signature, then they might have a chance. This though Ray thought was going to take a lot of planning. Calling the BLEMS, he began to question them about a great many things, he could feel the attitude of the BLEMS starting to change about him. Finally, hours (it seemed to Ray) later Ray thought he might just have a plan to possibly stop the invaders dead in their tracks, damn he hoped so.

Everything ready Ray set up a direct link to the leader, thing is it was extremely hard to do. Almost as if he was strong but nowhere near strong enough to do everything he needed to. The plan set, Ray knew that only an hour or two off the planet would be days or weeks to them, thank God it was the weekend. Feeling the pull then something else Ray bid the BLEMS fare well then was snapped back at an incredible speed. Opening his eyes, he saw that Elizabeth was bending over him a look of extreme worry etched on her face.

“Ray you were gone for a few hours, is everything all right?” she asked.

After Ray explained all that had went on and the precautions, he’d made Nali spoke up, “Yes Ray, I feel you have dealt with the coming attack far better than I think they will expect. Ray, they will try to entrap you again, you must be careful. If we were to lose you, it would mean the end of both of us.