by T. R. Harris
“Are you truly close to a breakthrough in creating an immortal being?” Panur asked Warress.
After only a slight hesitation, the alien responded. “We have made many breakthroughs, yet I would not say we are close to creating that of which the Queen seeks.”
Panur surveyed the equipment in the room. The Sol-Kor had computer technology and appeared adept at electronics. That meant data files and records. He would need to study two hundred years of research to make himself familiar with the project. For him, that was not a problem. But for now, he was content to let the scientists present their reluctant briefing to their new alien leader.
As related, the Sol-Kor were taking a chemical approach to the problem, working on a mixture of genetic material which would propagate the properties they theorized must be present in a being to make it immortal. With the addition of Panur, they would now integrate his genetic material into the mix and hopefully discover that secret ingredient the Queen had mentioned. Although the project appeared to be progressing through a series of guesses, Panur believed the plan to be reasonable, at least until he got a better grasp of the problem. However….
“How is this mixture administered, and into what?” he asked, his curiosity overriding his patience.
This prompted the scientists to wheel him into another room. Along the wall were eight glass chambers holding identical grey figures. They were about a meter-and-a-half-tall, hairless, and with only basic features such as eyes, nose and mouth. They were naked and with male genitalia, which Panur found to be both incongruous and superfluous.
“These are the master receptacles we have created to serve as test subjects for the refined formula,” Warress explained. “They have life, yet only basic brain function to sustain that life. The essence we give them provides additional cognitive and biological abilities.”
“I see they are male. I find this strange if there are no matching females.”
“All Sol-Kor are male, all except the Queen,” Kanc explained. “When masters are created, we make them anatomically correct, although basic in form.”
“Are Sol-Kor males … functional?”
“About a third of us. Our contributions are required to fertilize the eggs laid by the Queen. She produces approximately twenty thousand per day—” Kanc noticed Panur’s startled reaction. “The Colony currently numbers approximately forty billion individuals, and hence our need for a continual source of nourishment.”
Kanc met Panur’s eye with a steady gaze, showing no remorse regarding the fate of the Hal’ic—their current source of nourishment. To the Sol-Kor, Panur’s race was nothing more than food stock, and not living, intelligent creatures with thoughts, feelings and emotions.
“These are the creatures you have been injecting with the essence—as you call it?”
Again, Panur noticed a hesitation. Warress answered. “The masters are not injected. But to answer your question more directly, no, these masters have not been infused. Not yet.”
“Where are the subjects that you have infused?” Panur asked, using the scientist’s word for the assimilation process. He was anxious to see the results.
“None have survived.”
“The process killed them?”
“Not the infusion procedure, but the extraction,” Warress explained. “Each batch of formula requires a period of incubation within the host. It is then extracted and refined even more. We theorize that for the refined formula to work best it must be reintroduced into the original subject, working through a series of residual adaptations. Unfortunately, we have not been able to do this consistently because the extraction process generally kills the host.”
Panur took a deep breath. He was getting more information than he needed at this point. After studying the past research material, he would have a better understanding of the project. But he did have one question his curiosity wouldn’t let wait.
“How is the formula administered into the host—and as a corollary—how is it extracted?
“Come with us,” Warress said unexpectedly. “We will show you.”
Panur eyed the creature, feeling uncomfortable in its unblinking stare, watching his every move. There was an intelligence behind those eyes; emotion, as well.
Panur’s exposure to alien species was extremely limited. He knew of the Sol-Kor, as well as two other races they were in the process of harvesting within the local star cluster. But this being was not of any of these races.
It was a tall, slender creature with red eyes and smooth, bronze skin, athletic and imposing.
“This is Te’moc,” Kanc announced, his voice low, almost fearful, as he spoke the name.
Not knowing if the creature could speak, Panur addressed Warress. “Of what race is it?”
“Te’moc is not of a race. He is a creation of ours—more correctly—of the Queen.”
“The Queen created him? I did not realize she is personally involved in the project.”
“Our Queen is our intellectual superior in every way. It was she who created the masters, and Te’moc as well.”
“What is his function?”
“Te’moc is what makes the experiment possible,” Kanc answered cryptically.
“I will explain,” said Warress. “Te’moc is a unique individual, able to merge his flesh with that of others. This ability comes from a refinement of the Queen’s regeneration process and is a key feature of our research. Without him, there would be no project. It is through Te’moc that our formulas are refined, incubated and distributed. His body processes the essence without it fully integrating with his system. This allows him to pass it on to the hosts without contamination. Once he merges with a master, the essence is disbursed, where it continues to be processed. Once this is done, he merges again with the host. The essence bonds with his cells, and when he withdraws, the essence goes with him. However, as mentioned before, the extraction process is much too stressful on the hosts. They are given whole life, and then suddenly it is removed. Their bodies are not strong enough for the shock. All except two have died, and the ones who survived were no longer viable for the experiment.”
Panur wheeled himself closer to Te’moc. He studied the creature for a moment, caught up in the wonderment of his miracle creation and abilities. Here was an artificial being, genetically engineered for a specific purpose—and except for a few kinks in the system—it … lived. Perhaps the technology of the Sol-Kor wasn’t as backward as he first thought.
He smiled up at Te’moc’s emotionless face.
This is something I can work with.
1
…aboard the Arya in the Milky Way Galaxy
“You killed Adam Cain!”
Summer Rains was so upset she didn’t bother with the mental link between her and her phantom presence. Instead, her screeching voice echoed off the metal bulkheads of the Arya, returning to her ears as if the ship itself was making the accusation.
Technically, we killed Adam Cain, came the voice in her head. I may have guided your actions, but it was your body that threw him from the spaceship and into the launch bay before we departed.
“I didn’t know you were going to do that!”
He was trying to stop us. Do you wish to have me removed from your being or not? It was necessary.
“But it was Adam Cain, the greatest hero in the history of the Human race.”
You are exaggerating, grossly. He was hardly that, except in your sexually-overactive imagination. I always sensed you had feelings for him.
Summer was shaken. She had never fully analyzed her feelings for Adam. Now she wondered: Was it true?
“He’s … he’s old enough to be my father. That’s disgusting.”
However, he is not your father.
“Stop it! It doesn’t matter anymore. We killed him. Now we need to go back.”
That is impossible. I jumped the Arya at random, and by doing so, I lost the coordinates for our departure point.
“I don’t believe you.”
&nbs
p; Then you are welcome to attempt a transition on your own. You have a rudimentary understanding of trans-dimensional travel. Just beware, you will be jumping into an entire universe. You could end up anywhere.
Summer moved to the forward viewport, seeing the tears flowing down her cheeks through the reflection in the glass. How could she have let this happen? Was she that selfish?
It was true, Adam Cain was trying to stop the co-joined pair from returning to the Milky Way. And if what J’nae said was true, this creature Te’moc was the only chance she had of removing the essence of the evil Sol-Kor creation from inside her body. Stealing the Arya was the only way to make that happen. Otherwise, she was destined to carry J’nae with her for the rest of her life. And according to the phantom, Summer’s life may be extended beyond that of normal Humans, which created more angst in her emotions.
But was it worth the life of Adam Cain?
Summer slumped down in a nearby chair. She knew she was the only person in the trans-dimensional starship, but she didn’t feel alone. Unless she found a way to remove J’nae from her body, she would never be alone again.
The damage is done, J’nae said in her mind. We have no choice other than to continue. Once you are free of me, you can make amends in whichever manner you wish. But unless we are successful, the sacrifice of Adam Cain will have been in vain.
“I didn’t need to hear that. I know. And how do I make amends for what I—we—have done?”
By living.
Summer let out a long breath. Either that … or by dying. If she did, then J’nae would be trapped in her useless body for … forever? She didn’t know. What would become of the essence when her body withered and turned to dust? She was tempted to find out.
“So what do we do now?” Summer asked the empty room. She could have communicated with J’nae exclusively from within her mind but hearing the sound of her voice was somehow comforting. It made the process less … freaky.
We must determine our location in the galaxy, said J’nae. Now that I am back, Te’moc can detect me. He will come to us.
“Panur and the others won’t let that happen. Although Adam is dead, the others will come looking for us, and they’re going to be pissed. You also say Te’moc is mortal. I don’t think Riyad and Sherri would hesitate a moment to kill him. You heard what Panur said about you and him getting together. They’ll be out to stop that from happening and at any cost.”
You are correct, yet like us, they have no idea where he is.
“They’re resourceful; you know that. They’ll find a way.”
Then we must get proactive.
“What do you mean?”
Since Te’moc could track us before we transitioned to the other universe, there is a probability he tracked us to the AD-14 star system. Although the signal disappeared, he may still be there trying to reacquire.
“So where are we in relation to the star?”
Take me to the navigation station. And you will have to give me control.
Summer stood up, arms at her side, clenching her fists.
“No way! I’m learning to hold you back, but once I give you control, you can do whatever you want!”
What I want is to find Te’moc and remove myself from your body. I thought you wished the same.
With her fists still in balls, Summer stomped her way to the station. She was getting a better feel of how the thing inside her worked, and from that understanding, she was able to keep J’nae at bay. But by dropping her mental defenses, it gave the entity control of her body. It was a traumatic experience, since Summer was still aware of what was happening, even as she was powerless to affect the outcome. What she lacked was more skill at forcing herself back in command. But to practice, J’nae had to be in control. Letting her survey the nav computer seemed like an innocuous way of gaining experience.
A few moments later, the voice spoke in her mind. We are three thousand, five hundred forty-eight light-years from the Kidis Frontier and AD-14. With the TD drive of the Arya, we can be there in six days. I suggest we proceed immediately. I agree the others should be in the galaxy already, and they, too, may have deduced the same information. It is now a race to see who can find Te’moc first.
4,629 years ago
…on the planet Kor
He was making progress.
Fifty-six local years had gone by since Panur joined the Queen’s ambitious project to create an immortal being. And as she had told him, the project had the highest priority and unlimited resources. This pleased Panur to no end, as he used the time and technology to experiment in a variety of fields, even beyond the quest for the immortal.
His first great innovation came when he learned how to create miniature singularities in the laboratory. He’d been working on a similar experiment back on J’nae, before the invasion. Now with the resources of the Colony at his disposal, he made the required breakthroughs. Immediately, he saw the possibility of adapting the technology to a space drive, creating a faster-than-light engine without the need for propulsion in the traditional sense. Instead of being pushed to higher and higher velocities by conventional engines, his ships would fall into the gravity-well created by the series of microscopic blackholes. These powerful singularities would always be created at the same distance from the generators, allowing the vessel to exist in a region of space just inside the event horizon where the laws of nature ceased to exist. Mass did not increase with speed, nor did the energy requirements to move an object. In addition, space along the line of travel contracted, drawn toward the singularity, warping space to a fraction of the original distance. The result was travel time between star systems being cut by a factor of a thousand or more, opening the galaxy up to the ravenous hordes of the Sol-Kor.
As a reward for this development, the Queen ceded more of his time to ancillary projects, realizing what an incredible asset he was to the Colony.
His next advancement was in the field of mind suppression.
With the invention of the gravity-drive, the Sol-Kor had full access to the galaxy, and as a consequence, were discovering hundreds of worlds with their food of choice: the brain matter of advanced life forms. But the struggle to subdue these pesky aliens was proving problematic. Some of these species possessed technology even more advanced than the Colony, resulting in the death of millions of Sol-Kor in the wars that followed. These massive conflicts degraded the crops, ripping apart flesh and leaving corpses to rot before they could be salvaged.
Panur chose to address the problem of how to more efficiently subdue mass populations by circumventing the need for battle altogether. He studied the minds of advanced creatures—his included—searching for a way to suppress motor function through the use of a radiating ion beam that could be effective in both the vacuum of space and within an atmosphere. As usual, his efforts proved successful, resulting in his suppressor pulse beam.
Only recently had his latest innovation been put into operation, and already the results were beyond impressive. Whole populations could now be subdued without a single shot being fired, and with special shielding, the Sol-Kor were able to operate within the effective zone of the beams as they collected their harvest. Within the Colony, the supply of food stock overflowed, resulting in a corresponding population explosion.
And with each innovation, Panur gained more favor with the Eternal Queen. But still, she pressed him on the immortality project.
Early on, he zeroed in on the regenerative property of both the Queen and Te’moc, believing this to be one of the keys to immortality. These were slow processes, but they worked. Panur was successful in grafting regenerative cells to his, and soon his aged body began to regain much of its earlier vitality. He no longer needed a wheelchair to get around, and even his mind expanded, becoming more effective. He was still a long way from creating an immortal being, but at least now, he had the time to work on the problem.
As the years passed—and he lived on as the Sol-Kor scientists around him died off—the legend of the muta
nt genius grew. As a result, Panur could do no wrong and attained such power that none of the Sol-Kor opposed him. He could do what he wanted when he wanted. Also, the Queen, Panur and Te’moc began to spend more time together, as these unique entities were the only living constant in the Colony. All-in-all, life was good for Panur. But it was still a life with limitations.
That was when he had a startling epiphany. If he were right, it would change everything.
It came down to energy, the energy required to sustain life as an immortal.
Beginning with single-cell organisms, Panur was able to extend the lifespan of his test subjects to infinity by modifying the organism’s means of creating energy to sustain life. Converting food to energy through biological processes proved to be ineffective over the long-term. But this was how all life existed, with death often resulting from the strain placed on the body during a lifetime of conversion. He needed a simpler way of powering a system, a more direct method.
It took forty-eight generations of hosts before the tiny grey masters could utilize the direct intake of energy. This mutation also had the secondary benefit of making the hosts tolerant to Te’moc’s extraction process, allowing the life essence within them to be recycled, resulting in the breakthrough they’d waited so long to reach.
And this advancement led to the next.
The Sol-Kor relied on a chemical mix of genetic material to advance their immortality project. The problem with this approach—as Panur saw it—was that the mixture had no substance. It was a mish-mash of ingredients with little practical application. Even as immortality was attained through this method, it simply created immortals out of the hosts. But it couldn’t convert an already living entity into one.
