Alien kidnapping, or was it Chapter 22

Alien kidnapping, or was it  
Chapter 22  
 
Sam accelerated away from the station, gaining as much speed as possible. Finally, feeling he was far enough away, he opened a wormhole. ‘Damnit, I hope I gave her enough to survive this trip,’ Sam thought, placing his head closer to her chest. He was relieved to feel her heart still beating.  
 
Even as the wormhole started to close behind him, he saw the flash of light as the station exploded. Shaking his head, he was almost in Queen Triada's world when he heard and felt distress from Drivas and Thallus.  
 
Shaken, he landed with a thud not far from Queen Trada. "I have released Thantas from the IP; I am afraid she won't recover for a bit. Triot attacked Drivas and Thallus; they were in bad shape.

Please tell the others I will return; I must go after them, then Triot."  
 
Queen Triada started to speak, though Sam was gone in a flash. Queen Triada started yelling when she hadn't been able to stop Sam. Fino and Tynco came running, as did Triann.  
 
Both the males picked up the unconscious female, taking her to a makeshift bed they had set up.

Both males moved back as Triann looked at the female examining her. Her grasp drew all of them back to her side. Fino also gasped as he whispered, "Thantas? How?"  
 
Tears started falling from Triann's eyes as she gently caressed Thane's face. "I don’t know; she is frail, though," she said, holding a small machine over Thantas.  
 
Her mouth opened, and then she nodded. "I can see Sam's healing energy within her. He must not have had much time, though what he gave her is keeping her alive."  
 
"Hopefully, her healing will kick in. As we discovered back then, she is also an osmosis healer. Though nowhere as strong as Sam, she was still a significant healer." Fino stated.  
 
"As I remember, she renounced her ability to join the fight," Tynco stated. "We always kept track of all osmosis healers."  
 
"It was a necessary risk; we were hoping to find one that would finally be able to rid the world of the disease," Cyan said as she looked on. "She appears to have been drained."  
 
Triann made a few adjustments to her machine and then scanned Thantas again.  
 
A look of shock appeared on her face. "No wonder she is so weak.  
 
Half of her vital fluids are missing. It's a wonder how she survived. She needs nutrients of some kind to replenish her, at least 'til Sam returns."  
 
Sam was traveling far faster than he thought he was. Exiting the wormhole at full speed, he overshot their battered, crippled ship. Cursing, he quickly faded at the hull appearing inside.  
 
He found Thallus on the deck inside the darkened ship, and Drivas slumped over a damaged control panel.  
 
Drivas tried to move, finding that every part of her body felt broken. "Sa... Sam. Not m... m... much time. Atmosphere failing. we... we can't, n... not like you." Passing out, Drivas's head lolled to one side.  
 
Almost panicking, Sam faded at the bulkhead, and then the ship accelerated. A wormhole opened as the ship moved in. Less than a minute later, it exited near Queen Triada's world.  
 
Sam set the ship down a ways off from the others. Ripping the hatch off, Sam laid a hand on both females. Within moments, they were both conscious, though in much pain. A mere minute later, the pain stopped, though they were both weak.  
 
"There, not sure if I should do more right now. The life-threatening injuries are gone, though; many of the small ones will have to wait. I can feel that your bodies need to recover from the shock before I can do more. Please forgive me, and I have to go after Triot; I feel he is far more dangerous than the collective I fought." Sam said as he streaked off.  
 
"Damn it! Sam, wait," Drivas said weakly. He is far more potent than he was. He feels almost as strong as the one you told us about. It would be best if you grew more robust, Sam. Drivas thought.  
 
I am far more robust than you think; you need to grow stronger. I almost lost both of you today, not again. Growing more powerful, I have a few tricks that I know they aren't expecting. Replied Sam's thoughts.  
 
I hope so, Sam; I most sincerely hope so. For now, you are the only hope we have of defeating them. Drivas's thoughts said.  
 
I have no plans for dying, though if I can't stop them, it will all be for naught. Sam's thoughts then were gone as he entered the wormhole.  
 
The Lord doctor was sitting in the council chamber, thinking over all that had transpired. Shaking his head, it had all seemed to start with the escape of Mellos. A year later, the IP agents discovered Sam on Earth's primitive planet.  
 
Per orders, they had extracted him, thinking it was the criminal Mellos. They had inadvertently activated him from an imposed, power-damping amnesia. After awakening from it, his power seemed to start growing exponentially.  
 
The doctor shook his head; he feared this was the Clive Stones' whole plan long ago. IF this Sam was an osmosis healer as they thought. Then, all he came into contact with of his race would also gain immunity.  
 
This was terrible; with this immunity plus his power, Sam and a few others of his race could destroy all that he and the other Tetricons had created over the last five centuries.  
 
The Collective was waiting nearby; though they had gained much power, they were still powerless against the Lord Doctor.  
 
The Doctor was broken from his thoughts by several alarms going off. "Alert! Alert! Hostile threat detected within proximity of the IP home system. Now activating first and second line of defenses."  
 
With a sigh, the doctor stood, moving to the door, "So, it has begun. He is here, I imagine, to exact revenge on us. Take care; he is far more dangerous than you believe."  
 
The doctor stepped into a vehicle, making all haste back to his abode. He started to urge the machine faster; he needed to meld if they had a chance. Arriving, he entered and locked every lock there to keep everything out. Entering his lab, he looked lovingly at the eight glass vats he'd thought would have saved his race.  
 
One might, though, at the moment, he was having slight doubts for the first time in centuries.  
 
The door to the lab closed as the doctor's arm reached for a switch. All around the doctor's home went dark, as a sudden hideous scream, then an alien roar came from within.  
 
All around the home, people were staring, though almost ignoring the commotion.  
 
They were still missing the situation when the first thirty died.  
 
They all dropped suddenly, appearing to be dried-out husks.  
 
This, of course, had most there, running as far from the place as they could.  
 
In the council chambers, the collective was powering up as much as possible. As they watched all of the first line, the second line of defenses was destroyed.  
 
They immediately started to shield all that they could. Whatever this was, it had great mental power, and they barely kept it at bay. Where had the Lord Doctor gone?  
 
Suddenly, almost all the collective started to grow angry, feeling that they had been abandoned.

The attacking, advancing power was suddenly pushed back several thousand miles. Still trying, they thought it slipped further out, and it almost seemed to vanish.  
 
A few moments later, the collective felt the entire city shake. Reaching out, they were more than surprised at what they found.  
 
Sam had gone back to the site of the destroyed IP space station. Shaking his head, he looked at the miles of twisted, almost unrecognizable destruction of the station.  
 
He turned in a circle and looked through every spectrum he could for a recent, weak energy signature leaving the system. After a frustrating few minutes, Sam finally found what he was sure was the trail left by Triot.  
 
Sam followed it; he felt sure he knew where Triot was going, though he wanted to make sure.  
 
Sam knew he'd been right as soon as he exited the wormhole. They were deep within the IP home world system. Settling behind a moon, Sam lowered his power as he watched the battle between Triot and the IP system defenses.  
 
Sam could only nod as Triot decimated two different sets of defenses. It was a moment later that he felt the collective collide with Triot.  
 
At first, it appeared that Triot was starting to overpower them. Then, as he watched, he felt the collective gain more power; Sam nodded; there was a lot of emotion behind it, though, as he knew that wouldn't last that long.  
 
Then, Triot was being pushed back faster and faster. Sam could see him struggling increasingly, trying to break away around the sides. The minds in control of this appeared to ensure he didn't get loose.  
 
A small smile lit up Sam's face; he hadn't thought of doing something like that.  
 
Thinking longer, he nodded. It wouldn't hurt to try.  
 
Keeping his power low, plus flying slowly, Sam slowly made his way to the IP home world. This might work, he thought, that was 'til he was within sight of the home world of the IP.  
 
The sheer number of IP ships around the planet had him shaking his head. Ok, this wasn't going to be accessible without a lot of... Snapping his fingers, he nodded; it couldn't be that easy, could it?  
 
Thinking about it, he had to nod yes; it was; there was no system he could think of that could track at that speed. It hadn't been the last time; this time couldn't be that different.  
 
Finally decided, Sam left the moon at tremendous speed, heading straight to the IP world. Landing with an earth-shaking thud, he immediately disappeared.  
 
I need a disguise before I am pointed out; then, I'll have the whole damn planet to worry about. Almost an hour later, Sam was still determining if he would find anything. There were no uniforms or anything else to dress in outdoors.  
 
He went by several shops, wondering if he could afford anything. Sighing, he thought, guess I'll have to do this the hard way. He watched from what few shadows he could, looking for someone near his size. There were only a few that were over six foot tall.  
 
Finally thinking he was out of luck, a male came by that was perfect; the thing is, he had several with him. Sam thought momentarily, then tried what he had before, taking over the male's mind.

Surprisingly, the male told those with him he'd meet them later, then walked straight into the shadows to Sam.  
 
Sam moved as fast as he could; there was no telling if his little stunt had been detected. Finally ready, Sam stepped out into the light.  
 
Sam breathed a sigh of relief, then started to walk around, looking for where the council might be. Sam felt at his wit's end; he was sure this was where they were.  
 
Turning a corner, Sam's eyes widened like a several-storied, cathedral-type building was before him.  
 
An old joke came to mind as he thought, well, someone is compensating for something, that's for sure. Then, as he moved nearer, he started to feel them. He felt a small flicker of power toward him, and he dropped his power to as low as he could. As the flicker moved over him, he breathed another sigh of relief as it didn't pause.  
 
This would be far more demanding than he thought; I needed to leave and plan more. Thinking I could march in and put them all down was stupid.  
 
No, they have far more here than just power. Taking off as fast as he could, almost every window in the city shattered as he accelerated through the atmosphere.  
 
Sam didn't feel the enormous power reaching him as he got further from the planet. Pushing himself harder, Sam seemed to vanish as the power barely missed him.  
 
In the council chamber, the lord doctor was cursing; how had he missed? How dare that Clive Stone bastard invade their home like that. The collective stared at the lord doctor with hatred and mostly envy.  
 
The doctor turned, then roared out, "Find that bastard! He was here, outside these chambers. Not one of you useless THINGS felt him. You have the combined power of all seven of you. How did all of you survive? I am not sure, though, if you stay like you are. We all are going to perish. Get out of my sight, you weak and useless pieces of debris."  
 
The collective trembled, then vanished through the ceiling at extreme speed. The doctor shook his head, at least when they died... no, There was still a chance he just had to find them.  
 
The doctor reached out and smiled when he felt the first pangs of power. Let’s see the eight here, the one he knew of, then there was one within one of the Triads? How was that even possible?  
 
The doctor turned in a semi-circle, then started to search around, extending his mind as far as possible. Near the edge of the galaxy, he found another. Shaking his head, the doctor knew they were much too far away to reach mentally, at least for a few days.  
 
The doctor was about to send a summons for help when he felt another mind on the same planet.

Strange, he thought, they were never coupled unless.  
 
A wicked smile crossed the doctor's face; he started to build up his power to get the message out there. Now, to wait, if they could, it would take at least three days to reach them. By ship, it would be another two days. If they were elite as he thought they were, then all of them here had a chance if they could hold out.  
 
The doctor looked at the power readings they had gotten from Triot; yes, he was mighty now, though. The doctor looked up, shaking his head; Triot was a lost cause. The amount of power he rose to, as fast as he had, seemed to unbalance him completely.  
 
Then the doctor smiled, unbalanced, yes, though still very powerful. If they could redirect all that power at Sam, they would get the reprieve they would need for the other two to join them. It was risky, though; to survive the growing threat, they had to take it.  
 
On Queen Triada's planet, Thantas moaned as she saw Sam standing before the glass vat. Shit! She was drowning, Sam, help me, she was screaming in her mind.  
 
Sam saw her distress, smashing into the glass several times before he broke through. Bleeding profusely, with several large gashes, she watched as Sam took her out of the station. Giving her what little energy and healing he could, he smiled, kissing her before he stopped breathing, drifting away from her.  
 
"NO, Sam, NO!" She was trying to scream as she reached out to catch his body. It started to drift further and faster from her. "NO, NO, NO!" Thantas was screaming as she fell out of the bed she was in.  
 
"NO, Sam, you can't die; you are immune!" Not caring that she was barely dressed, Thantas stood on shaky legs; she then started to walk out of the small enclosed place she was in. Two males and females were rushing towards her; she stopped and tried to run in the opposite direction.  
 
She reached a small table, seeing several instruments on it that appeared to be familiar. Grabbing the sharpest, she turned at the approaching footsteps.  
 
In an almost animalistic voice, she growled, "Do not touch me! I will end all of you, and you will never place me in that machine again. Where is Sam?" Almost toppling over, Thantas quickly brought the instrument back up before her. I should kill all of you like I did all those that hurt me. If it weren't for Sam, I would still be there. NOW WHERE IS HE!" This last, she shouted, knocking all four of them off their feet.  
 
A tall female that seemed highly familiar stood, moving a step closer. "Thantas, don't you recognize me? The male there, don't you know us?"  
 
Thantas thought hard for a moment; then her eyes went wide. "NO! NO! The both of you are dead, have been dead a very long time. No, this is just another trick left over from the machine. I didn't bend then, and I won't now! You!" Turning toward Fino, she stated, "You are the one I got the orders from to attack the Tetricons. It was a perfect plan 'til the others left me there. I was winning, had victory in my hands, and was hit by a mighty force. I still fought them and was hit by several of their elite. I awoke in a glass vat, and then my mind was taken into the machine."  
 
Triann had tears falling from her eyes, and her head shook; she whispered, "No, by the power of all of us, I would have gone mad. We all thought you died when there was no trace of you."  
 
A smirk crossed Thanta's face, "I highly doubt that; I left the standard distress kit out there. I floated out there for days before the Tetricons picked me up. I thought you had been monitoring me, then I felt Out los explode. I felt the screams of my people that nearly killed me; it should have." A small smile crossed Thanta's face as she stood. "Well, it was good to talk to ghosts. Now I have to go after one of the only three of my people left."  
 
Fino and Triann saw that she had been stalling for time as her healing power had started.  
 
Thanatos looked at the four people before her, then slowly rose off the ground. She wasn't more than a few feet off the ground when she was hit from the side and then driven back toward the ground.  
 
Thantas looked at the female that was holding her down. "Mellos! Your life absorbs won't work on me; I am far too powerful."  
 
"Ha!" Mellos said. "As if you are so weak right now I hardly had to use any of my power. Thanks to Sam rescuing me, I no longer have to use that." Thantas was about to throw Mellos off when another female sat on her. "Oh, I'd like you to meet Raydy; you might say Sam also rescued her."  
 
This snapped Thantas's head around to stare at Mellos. "Rescued by Sam?"  
 
"Yes, rescued from me. I am now a pure Clive Stone, as is Raydy. Thanks solely to Sam." Mellos said a little smugly. "He is the strongest osmosis healer that has ever been seen." She might not be bad anymore, but that didn't mean she still couldn't feel superior except Sam.  
 
Thantas was shaking her head, and she'd heard an incredible amount about Mellos, especially the deaths that she had caused in the last year. Thantas believed that the number was eleven if she was correct. "Alright, though I don't believe you, talk to me."  
 
Mellos and Raydy sat there with Thantas, going over Mello's story, then Raydy’s, though that took a while, seeing how shy Raydy was  
 
"Wait, wait, wait, you mean to tell me they are your parents?" Thantas said, pointing to Cyan and Tynco. When Mellos nodded, Thantas asked, "And the other two, they are Sam's parents?" Again, Mellos and Randy nodded.  
 
Helping Thantas up, Raydy and Mellos took Thantas to the three chambers. After looking closely at them, Thantas could only shake her head.  
 
"I must admit they are of Cliveastonian design, though advanced even for what I have seen." Walking to the other four there, Thantas bowed slightly. "I am sorry, what Mellos and Randy told me seems like something out of a science story. I can believe it, though; our race had made many advances the last few years I was there that seemed more like magic than science."  
 
Triann was about to speak when a pneumatic hiss came from one of the chambers. Triann and both males ran to the chamber to help a slender, dark-haired female.  
 
Thantas walked up a few moments later as Triann started to examine the female. Walking to Mellos's father, Thantas asked, "Sir, you appear familiar to me."  
 
"We had met before, I am Tynco." He started, getting an astonished look from Thantas.  
 
"Yes, when we met, you were dying from the clinging cell disease. I can see no sign see no sign of it on you." Thantas stated.  
 
Tynco smiled, "I am completely cured, the first."  
 
"Let me guess, Sam?" Thanatos asked.  
 
"Yes, though he damn near killed himself in the process. For a first-ever intense healing, he tried to heal me completely. He exhausted himself; he healed the disease and my mind. If I am not mistaken, he healed you enough to activate your osmosis healing. Good thing, too." Tynco said with a smile.  
 
Thantas mouth dropped open as she nodded. That was why the dream, his partial healing of her.  
 
 
 
To be continued