Chapter 17

            The bridge went silent for a moment, until Jessie said, "It's us they want.  Let us go with them and they'll leave the rest of you alone."

            "It won't matter," Ricky said.  "As soon as they have you, they'll destroy the ship."

            Will couldn't dispute the logic of this.  The only reason the Black Ships hadn't destroyed the Beagle yet was because they wanted to capture humans.  Or at least that's what he assumed.  "What if it's not us they want anyway?" he said.

            "What else could they want?" Jessie asked.

            "I don't know.  Maybe they want Dr. Ruff or that bird of his or one of his other experiments."

            "It is possible, though I don't think it likely," Dr. Ruff said.

            "It doesn't matter.  They're going to be here in a minute and I doubt even a robot can take them all out," Tom said.  "We might as well surrender."

            A light flashed on Nina's station.  "There's another ship approaching."  She began to pant with excitement.  "It's the Mutt!"

            On the screen came a ship larger than all three Black Ships plus the Beagle put together.  At a mile in length, the Mutt was the flagship of the Muttlandian fleet, carrying enough firepower to lay waste to a planet.  This it brought to bear first on the saucers approaching the Beagle.  A furious storm of blue light evaporated the saucers one by one.

            The Mutt then turned its weapons on the Black Ships themselves.  It pounded the enemy frigates while deflecting the return fire.  One of the Black Ships exploded in a short-lived ball of flame.  There were no escape pods from the enemy vessel.

            The remaining two Black Ships lit up their engines, veering away sharply from the much larger and more powerful Bloc warship.  Just as Will had imagined earlier, the Black Ships became mere dots against the backdrop of space.

            Coming to a stop ahead of the Beagle, a door opened in the rear of the Mutt.  "Activate the maneuvering thrusters," Dr. Ruff said.  "Bring us in."

            Will heaved a sigh of relief.  For the moment at least they were safe.

#

            The Beagle easily fit within the Mutt's landing bay.  On the front monitor, Will saw dozens of smaller craft, delta-winged fighters that could be launched to help defend the ship from attack and boxy landing craft for delivering troops to the surface.  Around these scurried dogs and raccoons clad in blue jumpsuits and helmets.  While this display of firepower and readiness was comforting, it was disturbing as well.  Did the crew of the Mutt expect the Black Ships to regroup and come back to finish the job?

            "A boarding party is approaching," Nina said. 

            Unlike the Black Ship warriors, the boarding party from the Mutt came in through the airlock.  At the head of the group was a raccoon with fur a shade darker than Ricky's but with the same white cheeks.  "Ricky!" the raccoon said.  "You made it."

            "Zeke!"  The raccoons hugged each other, forgetting military protocol for a moment.  Sensing the looks they were getting, they straightened. 

            Zeke looked around the bridge, his eyes fixing on where Will and Jessie sat.  "These must be the Creators.  I can't believe it.  They're so—hairless."

            Ricky cleared his throat.  "We need to see Captain Mutt as soon as possible."

            "Of course.  He's waiting for you on the bridge."

            Everywhere they went inside the giant ship—the landing bay, the corridors, and even the elevator—Will caught the crew staring at him, Tom, and Jessie.  He had to force himself not to stare back at the sight of dogs and raccoons chatting like in the halls of school.  If not for everything that had just happened, he might have thought he was locked in a bizarre dream.  Jessie whispered into his ear, "I feel like such a freak here."

            "We are the freaks here," Tom muttered.

            The corridors of the Mutt wound even longer than those on the Beagle, but at least here the ship's designers had been kind enough to paint different colored stripes on the walls for each level.  When they reached the red level, Sill assumed they were getting close to the bridge.  This hunch proved correct when a pair of red doors opened onto a command center three times larger than that of the Beagle.

            The bridge was divided into three compartments like on a submarine.  In the first compartment, dog and raccoon technicians spoke into computer terminals.  From what Will could overhear, they were receiving updates from throughout the ship.  A holographic map dominated the second compartment.  At the moment this map displayed the Dog's Head Nebula and the space around it.  A pair of red dots indicated the retreating Black Ships.

            The final compartment was arranged like the bridge of the Beagle, with a ring of stations and the command chair in the center.  Sitting in the chair was a dog with the same floppy ears and long muzzle as Spot Mutt, except the ears were a light brown and the fur white.  The dog rose from the chair to greet his visitors.

            "You must be the Creators.  I'm Captain Jeremiah Mutt.  Welcome aboard."

            "It's good to be aboard," Jessie said.  "Thank you for saving us."

            "We were nearby when we received your distress call," Jeremiah said.

            "Lucky for us," Tom said.

            "And for all of us.  If something had happened to the Creators, where would any of us be?" Jeremiah said.

            "You guys really believe in this Creator nonsense, don't you?"

            "Of course.  Why shouldn't we?"

            "It didn't help us much against those ships."

            Jeremiah looked around the bridge at his crew, who were all staring at the Creators.  "I think we should save this discussion for another time.  In the meantime, I need to speak with Dr. Ruff.  Ensign Raccoon will take the rest of you to the mess hall for nourishment."

            Jessie cleared her throat.  "Captain, I hope you don't mind my asking, but what are we going to do now?"

            "My orders are to take you to Muttlandia."

#

            Hyperspace was boring.  Will had expected it to feel different, perhaps like going downhill on a roller coaster or even some kind of hallucinatory effect, but there was nothing.  The view outside was even more boring, nothing but a black field around the ship.  Will considered asking for an explanation of this before deciding it would probably be too complicated for him to understand.

            At least the dogs and raccoons could cook.  Will tore off a piece of steak to insert into his mouth.  The meat tasted as juicy and delicious as anything he had tasted on Earth.  Jessie only stared at her steak as if expecting it to come to life.  "You don't think it's weird that they eat cows and pigs like we do?" she asked.

            "Why shouldn't they?" Tom said.

            "Because they're animals."

            "So are we."

            "You know what I mean."

            "Not really.  Dogs back home eat meat all the time."

            "Raccoons don't."

            "There's probably meat in the garbage they eat."

            Jessie huffed at this.  "You're impossible, you know that?"

            "I can't help you're wrong," Tom said with a grin.

            "Let's not fight," Will said.  "Let's just try to enjoy it."  Though in looking around the mess hall, he did find it strange to watch dogs and raccoons using forks, spoons, and knives.  They even dabbed at their mouths with paper napkins.

            Their chaperone, Zeke Raccoon, returned to the table.  "Is everything satisfactory?" he asked, practically bowing to them.

            "It's great.  You guys make a mean steak," Tom said.

            "You eat steak a lot?" Will asked.

            "I don't eat meat at all.  Neither do most of us raccoons."  Zeke cleared his throat before continuing, "This is a special meal reserved for the Creators."

            "Aren't we lucky."  Tom finished off his steak and began on the mashed potatoes.

            A red light flashed on Zeke's belt.  He touched a silver device and then tilted his head to the side.  "Captain Mutt would like to see you in the conference room," he said.

            The conference room was on the blue level beneath the bridge.  It was as large as the observation lounge on the Beagle, with a similar window looking out at the blankness of hyperspace.  Only in this case there was a wooden rectangular table, at which sat Jeremiah, Dr. Ruff, and Ricky.  Zeke left them in the room before silently backing out.

            "Have a seat," Jeremiah said, indicating chairs at the end of the table.  He waited for the humans to sit down before continuing, "Dr. Ruff has something important I think you need to hear.  Doctor?"

            Dr. Ruff stood up and then connected himself to a computer terminal.  An image of a human body came on screen, the body surrounded by a yellow glow.  "The results of my tests were truncated, but I believe I have enough data to draw a conclusion."

            The screen split so that another human came on the screen, this one with a red aura.  From my readings taken during the battle and from previous battles, I've determined the Black Ships are controlled by an energy I've labeled theta energy.  This differs from the energy surrounding not only the Creators, but everything else in the Bloc as well."

            "Theta energy?  What are you talking about?" Tom asked.

            "My research into the origins of the Bloc has discovered a background energy I labeled Beta energy.  Tracing the beta energy to its source was how I was able to find the optimum point to make contact with your dimension."

            "So it's like a fingerprint," Jessie said.  "Our fingerprints on everything we've created."

            "In a manner of speaking, yes."

            "And that fingerprint is different for the Black Ships?"

            "From what I have observed."

            "So there's another Creator somewhere," Will said.  "But how?  We didn't tell anyone about the Bloc."

            "That I have not been able to determine.  However, I believe that by tracing the theta energy, we can determine the source of the Black Ships."

            "Wouldn't that be back on Earth?  In our dimension?" Tom asked.

            "No, I believe this source is coming from somewhere within our universe."

            "How the hell is that possible?"

            "That is what we need to find out."

            Jeremiah raised his hands.  "Dr. Ruff is going to continue his work from here for the time being.  In the meantime, it's important that you don't mention this to anyone.  I don't want to get any rumors started around the ship."

            "What about us?" Will asked.

            "The chancellor wants to speak with you once we reach Muttlandia."

            "I can hardly wait."

            Will's mind echoed his brother's words.  Only in his case it was because he had created Muttlandia.  In a strange way, it would be like a homecoming.  Despite this, he couldn't help feeling a sense of dread that his creations would realize he wasn't a god at all but merely a kid.  What would they do when they learned their god was a fraud?

#

            On the monitor, the planet looked just as it had in Ricky's holographic projection back on Earth.  A red world with two small oceans and hints of green in the northern regions to indicate the forests where the raccoons lived.    From the bridge of the Mutt, the planet looked as unreal as a holographic projection.

            The planet became more real once the landing craft started to descend through the atmosphere.  The tiny ship rocked and bucked as if under attack.  Sweat broke out on Will's forehead from the heat.  Across from him, Jessie took hold of Tom's hand as she had his on the Beagle.  Will looked away from them to where Ricky sat, looking as composed as if he did this every day.  The raccoon probably had done this many times before and grown used to it.

            The rocking suddenly came to a stop and the cabin went from blazing hot to freezing cold.  Jessie pressed her entire body against Tom for warm while Will could only shiver alone.  Again Ricky looked unfazed.  Lucky to have that fur coat, Will thought.

            As the landing ship drew closer to the surface, the temperature normalized.  This didn't prompt Jessie to pull away from Tom, at least not until they came down to the ground.  At that point she unfastened her harness and lurched unsteadily to her feet.  Will's legs felt similarly gelatinous after the bumpy ride; he put a hand against the landing craft for support.

            At least the gravity and atmosphere were similar to that of Earth, so that they could walk outside without needing any special equipment.  A hovercar waited for them on the tarmac, looking much like a stretch limousine suspended in the air by a cushion of energy.  Ricky ushered them into the back of the hovercar so quickly that Will had little time to get his bearings.

            "Are you ashamed of us or something?" Tom asked.

            "Your presence here is secret," Ricky said.  If the Black Ships discovered you here, they might try to kidnap you."

            The hovercar coasted through streets that looked similar to those of any major American city like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.  The primary difference in the Muttlandian capital of Terriertown was that the skyscrapers were shaped in circles, diamonds, and even swirls like winding staircases.  Will couldn't help looking at these buildings and wondering how he had ever imagined anything like it.  Maybe Jessie was right in that there was something subconscious at work to create the city.

            Many other hovercars plied the streets of the city, but none of the drivers could see Will looking at them through the glass.  He could hardly contain his astonishment at seeing a Dalmatian behind the wheel of a car, bopping along to a song on the radio—or whatever Muttlandians used to play music.  He gripped the edge of the door tightly at the sight of a Chihuahua pushing a carriage with a puppy inside.  They're just like us, he thought.

            The hovercar wound its way along the streets until it reached an enormous gray mansion with columns and porticoes like the White House on Earth.  A guard saluted them as the hovercar proceeded through the front gates and up a driveway to the house.  Another guard saluted them as he opened the door to let them out.

            Spot Mutt waited for them on the steps.  The dog had the long gray muzzle and floppy brown ears as the toy in Will's closet.  The only difference was this dog stood as tall as Will and wore a charcoal-colored suit.  To Will's surprise, the dog introduced himself as Spot Mangy Mutt III.  "I'm the chancellor's chief of staff," he said.  "He's waiting for you in his office."

            Spot III guided them on a brief tour of the mansion, stopping to indicate a fresco of his ancestors rebelling against their bulldog oppressors.  "It's beautiful," Jessie said.

            "Yes, we are quite proud of our heritage.  We hope that your presence will help us preserve it from the Black Ship menace."

            "No pressure," Tom grumbled.

            At last they reached two large wooden doors, which Spot III opened with only a slight touch.  Inside was a well-appointed office with a sofa covered in gold fabric, a circle of leather armchairs, and a wooden desk.  A dog nearly identical to Spot III, except for darker brown ears and a blue suit, rose from behind the desk.  The flaps of his muzzle lifted in a kind of smile.  "You're the Creators," he said.  "I'm Chancellor Spot Mutt II.  It's an honor to meet you."

            Will had time to do nothing more than stick out his hand for Spot II to shake.  That he was shaking hands with his own creation didn't sink in until Spot II had already moved on to Tom.  He leaned down to nuzzle Jessie's hand with his nose.  She blushed at this; Will wondered if that was part of her feminine wiles.

            Spot II motioned for them to sit in the leather armchairs, where he and his son made themselves at home.  "It's very fortunate my brother's ship was in the area when you came under attack.  I advised Dr. Ruff of the need for an escort, but he thought stealth would be best."

            "Some genius he is," Tom said.

            "Dr. Ruff is our greatest mind, but even he has been caught unawares by this threat."  Spot II shook his head.  "No matter what we do, the Black Ships seem a step ahead of us.  It won't be long now until they invade the Bloc in force to wipe out our homes."

            "Not if we can help it," Jessie said.

            "I only hope there's something you can do," Spot II said.  "Dr. Ruff feels that you are essential to us winning the war.  I hope he's right."

            "I'm not sure what we can do," Will said, looking down at the carpet.  He admonished himself again for being a fraudulent deity. 

            "From what Dr. Ruff says, there might not be much you can do directly.  Not if they're being controlled by another Creator."

            "We'll do what we can," Will said.

            "Yes, I suppose so."  Spot II turned to his son.  "We are preparing for a summit on Bulldogovia to discuss our strategy with President Bulldog.  In the meantime, Commander Raccoon will take you somewhere safe for the night.  I'll see you tomorrow morning."

            As they left the office, Will looked back at Spot II, praying he found some way to save this and all of his other creations.