Free Escape to Earth 3: Defending Holy Ground by Saxon Andrew

you can see everything anyway.”
    “Not really. I can only see what you’re thinking.”
    “You can’t look beyond that?”
    “I can but we don’t once communication has started. Give me a moment.” Jason sat on Astro and didn’t feel anything in his head. “Ah, I found it.”
    “Found what?”
    “The term to describe our reproduction. We are like what you call an amoeba.”
    “You mean you split into two different identical beings?”
    “Something like that. The two are identical initially but they start changing immediately.”
    “How?”
    “Once the new one is placed in a ship, it leaves to find its own destiny. It will live through different life experiences than the first and will thus be changed over time. After a thousand years, it’s really hard to determine where we originated.”
    “So you’re saying your life experiences are what make you who you are?”
    “The same is true of you.”
    “The jury is still out on what has the most impact on a human, genetics or experience.”
    “Why are you so ready to fight?”
    “I guess I was born with that in me.”
    “Don’t you often describe yourself as having to fight for anything you ever received? No one ever gave you anything?”
    “I thought you didn’t read our minds.”
    “We saw that initially before we opened a dialogue.”
    “That’s how my life has been.”
    “And that’s why you are like you are today.”
    Jason thought for a moment and slowly shook his head, “Yeah, I guess I can see that.”
    “You didn’t have to fight for this planet.”
    Jason started chuckling and said, “Piper, I think I’m going to like talking with you. You’re right. We didn’t have to fight for it.”
    “Perhaps there’s a lesson there to be learned.”
    “You think?”
    Piper laughed and said, “Yes, I think this is going to be fun.”
    “By the way, how long does it take before your species splits into two beings?”
    “It really varies. What usually causes it is when our minds get full of experiences and need a refreshment. It’s at that point that the reproduction process starts.”
    ‘How long does that normally take?”
    “Anywhere from nine hundred to fifteen hundred years.”
    Jason was stunned, “Piper, how old are you?”
    “Age is a relative term.”
    “How old?”
    “Twenty thousand of your years, give or take a thousand.”
    “Oh my God! I have so much to learn from you.”
    “And I, you.”
    “Come on, Piper! What could I teach you?”
    “For starters, how two species that are so different are so much alike? This has really been a refreshing time for me. I find tension, stress, humor and happiness in equal measures in you and they appear to all function in harmony. I want to see how that happens.”
    “Does this refreshment cause you to want to reproduce?”
    “It’s close to my time but not soon.”
    “Now that should be interesting.”
    “You should also start thinking about finding a mate. You’re overdue.”
    Jason’s mouth fell open and he could only shake his head.
    • • •
    Six hours later, Audrey contacted Jason, “The Admiral says you can take a break and come on board.”
    “Audrey, I’m fine out here. I have enough to eat and I’ll contact you and let you know when I need to return.”
    Audrey’s head went back and she looked at Chad. Chad smiled and nodded. “That’s fine, Captain Goddard. If our guest has any needs, please let us know.”
    Jason thought, “Do you?”
    “No.”
    “He’s fine, Audrey.”
    • • •
    Audrey turned and looked at Chad, who said, “It appears our lad is learning.”
    Audrey tilted her head, “It appears he is.”
    • • •
    “Lukas, it looks like our delaying tactics are about over.”
    “It does look that way. I’ve ordered Gunny and Kitchens to stay out of harm’s way.”
    “Do you think it worked?”
    “I don’t know. The invaders still have millions of ships that are going to arrive here.”
    “The fleets are out of DM rounds to fire at