Choices Book 2: the Moment of Decision: The Moment of Decision

By Shirley B. Minges

Kate and Sam Blake were the recipients of the essence of an
ancient civilization. Their tasks; return the essences to their
home world and prepare for a war that was prophesized in
the sixth century on Earth. Over time, when no war materialized,
they became convinced the prophesy was wrong and settled down
to relatively normal lives.
Kate has been kidnapped. She has been told the prophesy was not
wrong and that she is one of the keys to survival of four worlds.
Alacea is a key outpost in the coming conflict, but they are on the
verge of a civil war.
Her abductor is faced with a problem that must be resolved before
they arrive at Alacea. Kate has steadfastly rejected the source of the
gifts she has received and her own destiny. She must be convinced
to overcome the conflicts that plague her. Lives depend on it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 20, 2009
• ISBN: 9781469101668

Shirley B. Minges

n/a

Book preview

Choices, Book 2,

the Moment of Decision

Shirley B. Minges

Copyright © 2009 by Shirley B. Minges.

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Contents

Forward

Chapter 1

Alacea

Chapter 2

The Tower of Faith, Alacea

Chapter Three

The more I learn the less I know

Chapter 4

Truth is a hard pill to swallow

Chapter 5

The Shadow War

Chapter 6

Tien

Chapter 7

How do you fight a war on two fronts?

Chapter 8

Sometimes Murphy’s Law prevails

Chapter 9

The Plan

Chapter 10

We are closer to the Monitor’s identity

Chapter 11

A piece of the puzzle fits

Chapter 12

Grandfather speaks

Chapter 13

A change of mind and heart

Chapter 14

Fight or die

Chapter 15

They are not as smart as we thought, we hope!

Chapter 16

Is this the only way?

Chapter 17

Together again

Chapter 18

The final deception

Chapter 19

Old Friends and Old Memories

Chapter 20

Battle Mode

Chapter 21

The Battle Lines are formed

Chapter 22

Take the High Ground

Chapter 23

The high ground

Chapter 24

We will prevail

Chapter 25

The race is on

Chapter 26

Murphy is alive and well

Chapter 27

Are we finally ready?

Chapter 28

Fire in the sky

Chapter 29

Homeward Bound

For

Betty Hoppe-Stevens

Forward

If you could be an observer in Ochina, you might feel that a concert is in progress. The winds are blowing in gale force, but there is something about the winds. You could sense music in the winds. It could be that the Prince of Winds said, Blow the evil away using the sweetest music of all. The job is not yet completed. You can still see remnants of buildings that must have been homes. They were placed in an interesting pattern along, what looked like, a riverbed. Now sand filled the riverbed and swirled around the homes, some covered with sand up to the windows. Where once there were trees, only sticks and stumps remained. A desolate landscape, devoid of life. The only building still standing was the Octagon shaped building. The winds continued to make their music, patiently and softly.

Two men entered the Ochinan council chamber. They removed their pressure suits and sat them on a table by the maze entry. One, Mica Androjan, tall, of indeterminate age, with a belligerent expression, waited impatiently. The other, Bruce Maynard, Sr., much older, tried to cover his nervousness, and also waited impatiently. The room is dark, the air dank, the smell of decay and death. The council members are in sleep mode, attached to the tubes that gave them some semblance of life, if you could call it life.

Thousands of years of abuse and misuse have taken their toll. Beyond the council chamber there is nothing but sand and a burning star. Those Ochinans still alive were moved to worlds they controlled. The council could not move. Even when they came out of sleep mode they rarely spoke, and their eyes were expressionless. Only Elspion communicated. Aside from the fact that they are now Cyborgs or Androids, all of the mechanics of supporting the mazes and the maintenance Androids, are in the council chamber. All of the Monitors and some of the Ochinans on other worlds are more Cyborg than human, like Bruce, and they have to return to regenerate from time to time.

Mica could not understand how a council that could not even leave their chairs could maintain such utter and devastating control of those that were alive. He finally came to the conclusion that arrogance and their belief that they were the creators of life was inbred in all of the Ochinans. He had paid dearly for their arrogance.

The decision to destroy three worlds was based on what they considered the ultimate unforgivable crime. Two Ochinans escaped their exile and bore a child, who down through the millennia produced offspring with many of the gifts of the original Ochinans. They were considered mutated freaks that must be dealt with, and if it meant destroying three worlds, then, so be it. Bruce Maynard Sr., had also committed the cardinal crime, but for now he was useful. Mica was a product of the exiled Ochinans child. He too would be taken care of in due time. For now, like Bruce, he was useful.

Mica hated them and all they stood for, but he had no choice in this matter. He considered Bruce no better. He too was an Ochinan, bent on the total destruction of Earth, Atlantea, and Angea. Deep down Mica hoped their plan would fail, but if it did fail, he would never see his family again.

A light came on in the chamber. The head of the council came out of sleep mode first. He is a being few could look upon without revulsion, a small man, with a large head, long stringy hair, and big hands with long yellow nails. His eyes are large and shone with what could only be described as evil. Mica barely controlled a shudder. This man is not Ochinan, but had taken over the council when he was exiled from Alacea. Bruce merely stared at him without emotion.

One by one the other Ochinans came out of sleep mode. They all looked at the two men but did not speak. They waited for Elspion to begin the discussion of their failures.

You have both failed your missions twice. We have reviewed your plan. Why should we believe that you would not fail again? Elspion spoke with a soft voice, but his expression spoke much louder.

I have carried out my missions successfully, I expect you to keep your promise, Mica said. The mission is to destroy Earth, Atlantea, and Angea. You are part of that mission. Until it is completed to our satisfaction you will not see your family. As for you, Bruce, you have consistently let emotion beat you. You forget that you are Ochinan and bound by our laws.

Bruce stared at Elspion for a moment and then said, The plan I have presented to you will not fail this time. I will admit that I did not count on Admiral Blake’s ability.

Nor your granddaughter, Kathleen’s, ability either. What do you propose to do about it?

Mica spoke up, We have a plan to separate them. I will bring Admiral Blake here, and Kathleen will be occupied on Alacea.

Bruce glared at Mica, and then said, My son has been on Alacea for several years. He will bring her to Alacea on the pretext of preventing a civil war.

Elspion was furious, Does your son know of our plan? Does he know of your involvement?

No, he does not. He certainly does not know of the Monitor, nor that Ochinans are present and in control of Alacea. He believes that the Jacostans are on their way to destroy Alacea and that a civil war on Alacea must be stopped in order to meet the enemy.

And just how do you propose to control Kathleen? Elspion asked.

Her nature will help control her. She will resent being dragged away from her family and her life. In addition, we have so many levels of disinformation in place, that even if she does figure it out, it will be much too late to do anything about it. Even if she could do anything she will be lost without Admiral Blake.

And what of the Alaceans? Elspion asked.

They will follow our orders or die. Bruce replied. He did not explain the elaborate play that would be enacted for Kate and Bruce’s benefit. That was detailed in the plan.

The council had already decided that if anything should go wrong with this plan, the Monitor would mete out her own brand of punishment to Bruce, and the council would take care of Mica.

With great relief, Mica and Bruce left the council chamber. They put on their pressure suits before entering the maze, and left for their respective bases. Mica would first capture Admiral Blake and turn him over to the Ochinans, and then return to Jacosta to start the invasion. Bruce would return to Alacea to make sure that the plan would succeed.

The council room darkened. The council would remain in sleep mode until they were needed again. Elspion would remain active until Mica returned with Admiral Blake. He felt an uncharacteristic admiration for the man who had defeated two plans to destroy Earth. The question had been whether to kill Blake or try him. Elspion wondered if Blake could be convinced to join the Ochinans once he was convinced there was no home to return to. He decided that it would be better to try him and if he survived then see what his decision would be. He had already given orders to the Monitor to kill Kathleen if there was even a remote chance that she would succeed in figuring out what the real plan was. If Kate survived she would be brought to Ochina, either as bait for Admiral Blake, or to be tried.

There was work to do while he waited. It was time for at least three of the maintenance Androids to be regenerated.

Mica’s task was a little more complicated than he expected. Admiral Blake was working in the tunnel on his archaeological dig. Mica used a paralytic drug to subdue him. Then carefully put a compression suit on him. Mica had to carry him to the maze entry. He did some cleanup at the site to make sure no one detected his entry, and then he carried Admiral Blake to the rail cars that would take them back to Ochina.

When Mica saw that Sam was starting to move around he activated the speaker on both of their masks. Don’t talk for now Sam, if I may call you Sam, just listen. He told Sam of Kate’s abduction, and why, and what was going to happen. There is nothing you can do about this. I will do what I can to help you survive and I am sure that Kate will survive. Right now it is important that you do what I tell you. I am going to give you the choices you must make when you enter the maze. Commit them to memory. You will be on a miserable world, but you will be able to survive. I have also placed packets of survival tablets inside your jump suit. These will carry you through until you find a food source. I know about your skills and Kate’s that is why I am convinced their plan will not work; at least I hope it will not work. With luck I will see you again.

When they arrived at the entry to Ochina they removed their pressure suits and entered.

Sam stared at Elspion and at the strange creatures around the table. All were now active.

Elspion looked at Sam and said. You have violated the rules of this body. You will be tried. If you succeed you will return to Ochina and thereby found innocent. If you do not return to Ochina you are presumed guilty and will remain in exile until you die. Do you understand this?

Sam walked up to the head of the table to stand in front of Elspion, Just who the hell do you think you are? And under whose law am I being tried?

Elspion was pleased that this man was not afraid, but he was certain his attitude would change later on. We are the creators of all life. The only law we recognize is Ochinan law. Put on your pressure suit when you leave. In a way I hope you will return, but since I know you are not innocent, I bid you farewell.

Before Sam could say anything more the lights went out, except one, the door that Sam was supposed to go through. When he turned to look at Mica, he was gone. Now was not the time to fight, but there would come a time, and this group would regret that time.

He looked around at this room full of decay and evil, and went to the door and entered the maze.

Chapter 1

Alacea

Kate was restless. She knew her father was becoming impatient with her. She also knew he was right, but she just couldn’t get her mind locked onto the problem at hand. Her father, Bruce Maynard, had kidnapped her and was transporting her to a place she had no connection to and for a reason she considered preposterous. But he expected her to take this calmly and assume he was telling her the truth, and that she was absolutely necessary to the outcome of a war. A war that could potentially destroy Earth, Atlantea, Angea, her home, and Alacea, the world they were going to. Part of her problem with this was the way he presented it. He took it for granted that she would accept the responsibility because, by his view, it was the right thing to do.

To add to the problem she had a gut feeling about this whole scenario, it just had a bad smell to it. Bruce had asked her how she would develop the plan. She thought about this for several minutes. When she replied, Bruce had to fight for control of his anger.

Say that again, he said.

She patiently repeated, I have to have the answers to five questions before I develop a plan. Who is the real enemy? How do we distinguish the good guys from the bad guys? Why are we fighting a war? What does losing the war look like? Finally, what does winning the war look like?

And if you get the answers, what then?

Then I either say, thanks but no thanks, or develop a plan to beat the crap out of them, Kate said. She was so matter of fact that he simply stared at her. Her choice of language was deliberate, and she had hoped that he understood exactly what she meant.

He hadn’t.

What is that supposed to mean?

Obviously you have decided we can’t negotiate. Sam taught me a lot about the idiocy of war. If we fight, we fight to win. No holds barred no baloney about civilized warfare against an uncivilized enemy, and no second thoughts. However, there is one point I want to make very clear. This whole thing stinks. I have a gut feeling about this, and since you won’t tell me the truth I’ll have to dig until I find the truth. When I do find the truth, I hope for your sake that you aren’t part of the problem.

The discussion had ended badly, but she had made her point, and scared her father in the process. As far as she was concerned he deserved it.

Kate didn’t know her father. During the start of the first Android War on Earth her parents placed her in a monastery to assure her safety. They visited her as often as they could but not often enough for her to really get to know them. Supposedly he was killed during the middle of the Android War. And that was a story in itself. Her mother, Mai, thought she had killed him to save her own life. Her father was severely wounded earlier and was saved by the people she called the Light Ones. Stupid name really. She learned during the course of their journey to Alacea that they were actually Angeans from the future. She had guessed that they were descendents of the current inhabitants of Angea. That was the only part that made some sense.

By then traveling back in time seemed at least as likely as what he was asking her to do. According to him Alacea was on the verge of a civil war. Alacea had become a water world and some of the Alaceans had become amphibious while others hadn’t. Those that lived above the sea wanted to leave and find a world with land. They felt that the amphibians were the only ones capable of getting them to land. He further explained that the amphibians were the scientists who had originated space travel on Alacea.

She knew that a world called Alacea became Mai’s home after she and her father escaped from Jacosta. But she couldn’t or wouldn’t believe that she was going to become embroiled in the myths again. By some horrible trick of fate she and Sam became the hosts of a very ancient civilization. Even though she had come to love Mai and the others, she was grateful when they were released. They now lived in the ocean on Atlantea. She and Sam thought they could settle down to living their own lives, until she found that she retained one essence, Mai’s mother, Tien and indirectly, the memories of Sagus, Tien’s father.

Sam was a realist, at first totally derailed by what he called this nonsense. In the middle of a war, he didn’t need any distractions. But he finally just accepted it and put it out of his mind. On the other hand, she fought it every inch of the way. There were times she thought she was having a very long nightmare, at other times she thought she had died and this was her hell. She had some trouble trying to figure out what she had done to deserve this hell. But ultimately she accepted the fact that she was alive, awake, and this was still hell.

To add to the hell, Bruce told her that the enemy was a race called Jacostans. She knew that Mai’s home world was Jacosta and that her grandfather had fled with her to Alacea to save her life. She also knew the Angean story about the Jacostans. According to the story the Angeans of the future wanted to explore. It was unfortunate that the first sentient people they met were the Jacostans. They fled only to be followed by the Jacostans. Angea was destroyed. The survivors had to live underground until they could rebuild and reclaim a devastated land.

According to her father the Jacostans decided this part of the galaxy wasn’t worth the effort of conquest and left. But then something changed. A moderate ruler emerged on Jacosta and the leaders of the army and their followers were exiled. At some point they began to think of this out of the way corner of the galaxy as a perfect place to live and rebuild their armies. So, they were on the way here. But, her father had made it clear that the Jacostans intended to destroy all four worlds. If they had left Angea after destroying it, how did they know of the other three worlds? This was becoming such a tangled web that she simply could not face more. And yet she was expected to make peace between the opposing factions on Alacea and help plan a strategy to defeat the Jacostans. She began to think of this as circles within circles that might never end. She and Sam had faced this kind of situation before, but Sam was not here. She prayed that he would search for her and perhaps between them they could make some sense of this. Unless her dream was correct. But she still could not face the possibility that Sam might prove to be the enemy.

Kate wandered from area to area and deck to deck, mostly trying to avoid her father until she could make some sense of this mess. Finally she wound up in engineering. As usual she stood in front of the schematic of the ship. The first time she saw this and saw the name, she stared for minutes, almost convinced this was just another bad dream. It took her back to the day they were to depart Space Dock 17 for Atlantea. She had mentioned that ships should not have numbers they should have names. Her stepdaughter, Liz, asked what she would name the ship if it were hers. She had replied that she would name it ‘Paradise Regained’. And here it was, the ‘Paradise Regained’. Angeans of the future had designed it. It had the look and feel of something that Sam might have designed. Perhaps she or a descendent of theirs had named the ship.

Emil was standing quietly at the entrance to Engineering. He was an Android and the Captain of this ship. Kate stood with both arms leaning against the ship’s schematic, her head was down and for just a moment he thought she was crying. He had received a warning that Kate’s life signs were showing signs of stress. He checked the status of her water tank and assured that it was ready, he approached her. Would you like to immerse for a time?

Kate jumped, then smiled, Sorry, Emil, I was lost in thought.

Your blood pressure is elevated. I thought you might need water. There was such sadness in her eyes and her whole body seemed to slump.

She studied Emil for a few minutes, remembering how much she had distrusted Androids. Or more to the point, how much she had hated and distrusted the man who developed the Androids, and then used them to try to destroy Earth and Atlantea. The man was her grandfather. When Bruce married her mother, her grandfather vowed to kill her, and later he focused his hatred on Kate. When the war ended she realized how pointless her feelings were. Thank you, Emil.

He watched as she disrobed and entered the tank. She swam for a few minutes then floated around the tank, relaxing and feeling the comfort she always felt as the water swirled around her. After a few more minutes she sank to the bottom of the tank and settled into a corner.

Emil decided to remain in Engineering until she was ready to get out. He could not feel what she felt, but he understood why she was having difficulty accepting this role that she would have to play. On the journey Bruce had delved into her life, trying to get her to accept who she was, and what her destiny was. There were times he seemed to be succeeding, especially when he convinced her to tell him about the war, and her life with Sam, and the twins she bore when they settled on Angea rather than Atlantea. When Sam retired she became a judge and he became an explorer of sorts, almost obsessed with finding the history of the two worlds. Emil could not feel the meaning of being happy and content, but he knew that was what Kate tried to convey to Bruce. Bruce was more interested in the strategy Sam used to finally win the war, and what role she played in the outcome. Getting her to accept the fact that she was trained from infancy to be a warrior priest was not easy. Emil believed Bruce did not succeed in that area at all, but he seemed to believe that when these skills were needed she would come through, as she had during the last Android War.

While they were on Earth, Emil obtained all of the information on the war. When Bruce read it he was more convinced than ever that he made the right decision. The fact that the right to choose her own destiny was denied her the moment she became a host of the ancients, and it was now being repeated by her own father, was of greater importance to her than Bruce realized. Bruce’s greatest strength and greatest weakness was his belief that responsibility to the greater good overshadowed every other consideration. He took it for granted that Kate would come to feel the same way. So far, Kate’s resistance was proving him wrong even if he did not see it. But he knew there was more to this than just her resentment at having the decision made for her. He had listened to her responses as they discussed the problems on Alacea. There was something about this whole situation that did not ring true to her. Emil shook his head, how could they resolve the conflict on Alacea if they couldn’t see or resolve their own conflict?

Bruce was fuming. It was critical that Kate come to terms with her mission on Alacea, but every time he wanted to talk, she disappeared. He was convinced she thought this whole thing was a game. No, she didn’t think it was a game; she simply didn’t want to deal with it. He checked Kate’s quarters. She wasn’t there, nor was she in the galley, the gym, or in the media room. As a last resort he called engineering. To his amazement he was told Kate was in the tank and had been there for an hour. Bruce hurried to engineering.

Emil looked at Bruce, noting his obvious impatience. She is alive and healthy. Her blood pressure was slightly elevated before she entered the tank, but it is normal now. She appears to be talking to herself. She often does that so I felt it was not of sufficient concern to notify you.

Bruce was relieved, but now anger was replacing concern. Bruce picked up the COM line to the tank; I would appreciate it if you would come out. We must talk now!

Bruce Maynard had to bring Kate out of the melancholy that enveloped her. But how? In less than a week they would arrive at Alacea, and Kate still knew less than nothing about Alacean customs and the protocol they took very seriously. Every time he tried to talk to her, she would look off into space and simply leave the room. She seemed absolutely convinced that Sam Blake, her husband, would be in command of the enemy army and that Alacea would not be the first planet attacked, even though her dream contradicted her conviction. The dream had begun shortly after Kate was brought out of stasis. Bruce could not make himself believe it. Sam had proven himself a patriot of the first order on Earth and on Atlantea. Somehow, he would have to persuade Kate that she was wrong or she would have to provide concrete evidence that he was wrong. She had an enormous task to perform on Alacea and she would need a clear mind to accomplish that task.

Again, that small nagging doubt entered his mind. What if she is right? If so, would she be able to defeat him? Would she even be able to fight him? She loves him. He is the father of her children. They fought together during the last Android War on Earth. She based her conviction on nothing more than a dream. In that dream a battle was raging on Alacea. The loss of life on both sides was appalling. Kate said that in the dream the enemy general asked for an audience to discuss Alacea’s surrender. He was escorted to her chambers in the palace. When he entered, she was face to face with her husband. She always awoke at that point. The dream haunted her. She felt it was necessary to confirm this as soon as possible. He tried to convince her they had important issues to face now; they could deal with Sam later.

His one brainstorm had failed miserably. He asked her to describe the palace. She described the palace to the computer and he watched in horror as the structure of the palace took shape. She knew the exact detail and dimensions of a building she had never seen, except in a dream. It could not have come from the ancient memories she possessed because the building had not been in existence then. That gave him pause, but even so, he did not believe that Sam Blake was the enemy. It could have been a look alike, perhaps an android in his form, but it could not have been the real Sam Blake. Could he convince her of that?

Bruce paced back and forth. There had to be some way to motivate his daughter. Suddenly, he smiled. When Kate climbed out of the tank he handed her a robe. Get dressed and come to the galley. He didn’t bother waiting for an answer.

Bruce watched Kate as she entered the room. There was no doubt that she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Somehow she had inherited the very best of his looks and her mother’s. She had inherited vibrant red hair from him, ivory skin, emerald green eyes, and a beautiful figure from her mother. While he was well over six feet tall and her mother was a petit five feet tall, Kate seems to have split the difference. The Chinese influence was ever present though in the beautiful shape of her eyes and her extraordinary grace. The one thing she hadn’t inherited from either parent was the ability to face serious issues head on. He knew that came from a traumatic childhood, mostly caused by his father, the final Android War, and the fact that she and Sam had become amphibious. How this had come about was a mystery to everyone but Sam and Kate. When her mother explained all of this to him she had likened it to a lifetime of epiphanies, each one more life changing than the last. She explained what happened to Kate as a child; first her kidnapping from the monastery, then when she was able to, she killed her kidnappers. The trauma created a type of amnesia. Sisters from the Our Lady Convent in San Francisco found her unconscious on their steps and raised and educated her.

Her mother had searched for her for years. It was a former intelligence agent that found her and helped her regain her memory. It was then she found out that her own grandfather had been responsible for her abduction. She tried to resolve her dual heritage and her dual religions, but there was always this reluctance to really dig down and face it. Even on their journey from her home to Alacea it was clear that she had not come to terms with herself. Bruce was convinced that she simply felt there was nowhere that she really belonged. His one overriding regret was that he had missed her childhood. Hell, he had missed most of her life up to the point when he had kidnapped her. Not an act he was proud of but there was no time to reason with her. Her mother agreed with his decision. She told him that even after she regained her memory she seemed to constantly have two entirely different points of view on any given subject. When she and Sam realized they each carried the essence of an ancient civilization, she sank even deeper into some inner world. She simply could not make herself believe that any of this was real. When the Android War had ended they settled on Angea. Kate had made a life for herself on Angea with her husband and children. She put her past life in a deep part of her subconscious and locked it to make sure it could not get out.

I’m waiting, Father, she said. She looked steadily at this man who was really a stranger, but also her father. Every once in awhile she could detect regret in his attitude, but he had already made it clear they were not going back.

I do not for a moment believe Sam is the enemy. However, I will make a deal with you. If you will go through with the negotiations to bring together the two opposing factions on Alacea as quickly as possible, I will return you to Angea. It is clear that I made an error in judgment where you are concerned. I will work with the Alliance to develop a strategy as soon as we know which world the Jacostans will attack first.

Kate studied him silently and intently, not sure whether to be mad or to laugh. If he really believed reverse psychology would work on her then he certainly had made an error in judgment. As a matter of curiosity, how long would it take to get me home? she asked.

He patted her hand, Never you mind, I can get you home in a time frame that will allow you to continue your life, that is, if you don’t die in the coming conflict.

Since I just caught you in a whopper of a lie, why should I believe you now?

Because I am giving you my word. If I were you, I would not question whether my word can be trusted, he said. His expression spoke volumes and she didn’t miss the implication. He continued, You must learn about Alacean protocol, and you should begin to learn some of this ship’s technology. What would you do if I died or was captured?

Kate leaned across the table and looked him straight in the eyes, I’d like to tell you a story. It is about focus. I am sure you know what focus is. Once upon a time there was a mother and daughter. They were not necessarily close, the result of circumstances beyond their control. The mother was trying to convince the daughter that she must learn to focus. She told her daughter a story about her husband, who was not only her mother’s best friend, but also a military genius. He was trying to teach her mother how to focus. He told her to imagine a roll top desk with many cubbyholes in it. She was to group all of her problems by type of problem and place them one by one in each cubbyhole. Then she was to evaluate her most trusted officers by skill, and then assign each one to a problem in the cubbyhole. They would be assigned the task of solving the problems and providing her with answers. Does this ring a bell?

Kate was leaning farther and farther over the table, and Bruce was leaning back in his chair until he feared he would fall backward, Yeaass, he drawled, So?

Now this story is actually much longer but I am sure you get the message. I presume you can send messages in some rapid manner. Radio waves would be too slow, so it would have to be some type of thing, perhaps a drone, which can navigate through the Gates, she laughed at the long suffering look on his face, "Okay, there are wormholes and there are Gates, at any rate you can get messages