Terminus Rising

by T. R. Harris

  Since the death of the Eternal Queen—followed by the subsequent support the Humans gave to the Hal’ic during their war with the Sol-Kor—a vast majority of the Colony continued to despise everything having to do with U-5 and the Milky Way in particular. Numerous teams were devoted exclusively to developing revenge strategies should there ever come another invasion of the galaxy. And although the war continued with the Sol-Kor’s enemies within their home galaxy, if the Queen situation could be resolved, the Colony had every confidence that they would one day return to the Milky Way, this time with nothing more than its total annihilation as the objective. Even the quest for food would take a backseat to their desire for revenge.

  Te’moc smiled. With a vessel such as this to learn from, the Sol-Kor would be that much closer to making their dreams of revenge a reality.

  He moved throughout the ship, calling up files and learning her secrets, while his thoughts kept reverting to how this technology could help the Sol-Kor. He had to catch himself; it was as if he was still loyal to his former masters. Of course, it was what they believed, otherwise they would never have rebuilt him and sent him to the Milky Way in search of their stolen Queen. Even now, he played his role so convincingly that he had difficulty at times separating the deception from reality.

  Yes, this vessel would be of immeasurable benefit to the Sol-Kor; however, they would never see it in action. Not until it was too late.

  Te’moc frowned when he saw the size of the file. It wasn’t encrypted, and it was massive. Out of curiosity, he clicked on the button and opened the directory. The computer tried to detect his species to provide the proper translation, but since he was a construct—a one of a kind—it failed to find a match. The data was in the ancient Aris language, something he’d learned since arriving at the base, so he simply had the computer proceed. Although he wasn’t a genius of Panur or J’nae’s category, he still had considerable ability. The language was simple to comprehend.

  He scanned the files, and as he did so, his breath began to come in fits. This was amazing material, and through its detail, Te’moc found answers to many of the mysteries that had been piling up in his mind.

  Chief among them: He found the lost immortal Aris.

  They were in another universe, with the jump coordinates programmed into the ship’s computer. He’d already learned from the base computers that fifteen surviving Aris of the Privileged class had used J’nae’s essence to attain immortality, but until now, he had no idea where they’d gone. He also learned there was another cache of approximately twenty vials of her unused essence. Immediately, plans began to form in his mind.

  He didn’t need all the missing essence to achieve his goal, but it wouldn’t hurt. Each segment of J’nae’s lifeforce was enough to energize a full being but combined, the power would be incredible. And in combination with his own latent abilities—the possibilities were staggering. But would it be enough?

  He began to extrapolate, thinking that if he acquired a surplus of the essence, he would be willing to offer a portion of it to a new master host, giving J’nae what she ultimately desired: independence. He was sure that was her expectation following their forthcoming merging. But until he could return to Kor and Panur’s secret laboratory, there were no qualifying hosts available, those with the ability to absorb energy directly. She would remain within him until that time.

  Neither of them would find that union an inconvenience; however, it would never be more than temporary. Even with the closeness they felt, it was impractical for it to exist within a single body.

  He thought back to a distant time, which in his perception was only a year or so ago, yet in reality, was over six hundred. As he and J’nae merged progressively during the incubation process, they grew closer, developing a deep understanding of one another. They understood their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the missing ingredient they were denied. Over time, they formulated plans, plans that did not include the current path others had set for them. That meant dealing with Panur. He had his agenda—to create an alternative to the Eternal Queen as insurance against a catastrophic event that could threaten the survival of the Colony. The mutant had no idea what that event might be or when it would occur, so J’nae was to be held in reserve—a polite way of terming it—until such a time as she was needed, if it came at all.

  J’nae was not anxious to live her immortal life as a prisoner of the mutant, never knowing if—or when—her predetermined destiny would be fulfilled. And as for Te’moc, he had only been revived to help create J’nae. Once that was accomplished, Panur would lock him away in a different type of prison, to lie eternally in state on the off chance he might be needed again.

  Neither J’nae nor Te’moc was willing to accept their fate as Panur had determined. Once J’nae’s essence was perfected and infused in a host, they would act. After containing Panur—he could not be killed—they would be free to choose their destinies, their fates.

  Unfortunately, the mutant anticipated their revolt. And now six hundred years later, J’nae and Te’moc were ready to restart their plans. But what J’nae did not know: Te’moc had since modified his. He would extract all the J’nae essence he could find, but only as a means to a greater goal.

  And that greater goal was Panur.

  If he could assimilate the mutant, Te’moc would be the greatest being to ever exist—in any universe—stronger than even J’nae.

  As he scanned the files before him, Te’moc absorbed all the information. He knew where to find the Aris. He even knew the location of Panur, as well as the location of the Apex Being, a creature the Aris spent three billion years creating. Could she be also assimilated, he wondered? He had his doubts. She was a true biological immortal with no separate essence infused in her body. Only through a distillation process—such as Panur had undergone—could she be converted into the required form. He shrugged off the question. Panur would be enough.

  He paused to look around at the bulkheads and appointments of this magnificent starship. It was the final piece of the puzzle. In addition to all he’d learned, he now had the means to put his plan into action. He had a trans-dimensional starship, the only one of its kind in the galaxy—

  A comm device chimed on his belt.

  Frustrated at the interruption, Te’moc snatched up the unit.

  “Why are you calling?”

  “This is important,” TeraDon said on the tiny screen. His face displayed annoyance, something it was prone to do often. Throughout the year they’d worked together, the alien had never bowed to Te’moc’s superior intelligence or unique pedigree.

  “What is it?”

  “We have detected another ship entering the system.”

  “One ship?”

  “Yes.”

  “Dispatch your vessels to deal with it. I am busy.”

  “You may want to take note. The signature of the vessel indicates it is a trans-dimensional starship. And it is on a direct course for the base.”

  “A second TD ship? Are you certain?”

  “Absolutely. We know the signature. It is unique.”

  “How can there be another? We tracked this vessel’s signature before. The ship that brought J’nae is the ship from Sasin.”

  “We tracked a TD signature; the one approaching is identical. This ship could be carrying Adam Cain; you questioned his status before. And unless you are willing to risk the vessel you currently possess in a battle with another of equal capabilities, I recommend we evacuate the base. My ships would not survive a confrontation. We have no choice.”

  “Of course, we have a choice. Would it not be better to have two TD starships in our possession rather than one? Prepare for his arrival. Remove your ships from the base entrance. Make it appear as though only J’nae is here. And just think, TeraDon, if this is indeed Adam Cain, he will make for a satisfying trophy kill, something for you to boast about to your Cartel colleagues.”

  “Many before you have made similar assumptions. I would prefer not t
o fall into the same mindset. It would be safer.”

  Te’moc’s face turned to stone. “We will not leave. Do as I say. We are in an Aris base containing incredible technology. There are defenses within we can set against invaders. And if Cain holds off long enough, he will face not only your Cartel forces but the combined abilities of J’nae and me. He will not stand a chance.”

  By TeraDon’s expression, Te’moc could tell he wasn’t convinced, but he nodded anyway.

  “I will follow your orders. However, should we survive this encounter, consider the Cartel contract fulfilled. You will have acquired J’nae, which was our original charter. Adam Cain was never part of the contract.”

  “Once you dispatch the Human, I will see to it that you receive a sizeable bonus from my Sol-Kor masters. Will that satisfy you?”

  “Only if I survive.”

  The comm screen when dark.

  603 years ago

  …at Panur’s secret laboratory on Kor

  Panur hadn’t used the M-34 pyramid as a site for his experiments in two thousand years. Although the Queen knew of the facility’s existence, she was under the impression it was no longer in service. Panur intended to keep her believing that.

  Panur had faced many challenges in his five thousand years, but this one was his greatest. He had tasked himself with saving the Sol-Kor race by changing the very basis of its existence. But he had no choice. It was becoming too dangerous for them to exist with everything riding on the welfare of a single being. With their migration into multiple universes, it was only a matter of time before catastrophe struck. One tragic act could spell the end of the race. Panur was determined not to let that happen.

  As it had been at the beginning, the function of the Queen was unique in the hierarchy of the Colony. To change that, Panur would have to alter the role of the Queen altogether. And that was why his activities had to remain a secret. The Queen would not appreciate knowing Panur was planning for her eventual replacement.

  The first thing he had to do—and something that hadn’t been done in several millennia—was to create a series of master beings. However, unlike the generic grey forms from before, these would have to be more physically compatible with the race. The new Queen of the Sol-Kor would have to be accepted by them as their leader. Therefore, she had to look like them. Also, she would need the ability to produce prodigious amounts of eggs, with the added feature of gender selection. In the early years, she would be required to produce nothing but females. If he were going to transform the Sol-Kor race into traditional mating pairs to guarantee their survival, there would have to be a lot of females available. His plan would take time to implement. The Colony now numbered over a trillion individuals. It was a foregone conclusion that a large segment of the male population would be sacrificed before the genders reached parity. But that could be a good thing. The voracious quest for food couldn’t continue, despite Panur’s best efforts. With a smaller population—along with a new way of thinking—the Sol-Kor could stop stripping entire galaxies of their best and brightest species. The need for food was endemic in all living creatures, but did it have to come from the top of the food chain on thousands of worlds? Panur was also determined to modify this behavior in the Sol-Kor, along with so much more.

  His goals were ambitious—even revolutionary—and as such, he knew he would meet stiff resistance. He was prepared. But it made him sick knowing that everything he planned for the Sol-Kor rested on the cooperation he needed from a single being.

  Once he created the masters, Panur sought out the hibernating body of Te’moc. He’d thought about creating another creature with the same abilities, but with everything else he was working on at the time, it was best to see if Te’moc would cooperate first. If not, then he’d make other arrangements.

  To his surprise, Te’moc became a willing participant in his experiments. As it turned out, he’d retained a trace of consciousness during his long sleep. This vague awareness gave him the chance to contemplate his fate at the hands of the Queen. He didn’t consider being placed in suspended animation for thousands of years a form of grace on the part of the Queen. Rather, he considered it punishment. Panur brought him to M-34, and the pair began working diligently on the creation of a new Queen, a better Queen.

  The storage center for the masters was deep in the bowels of the pyramid, away from prying eyes. Panur employed several hundred Sol-Kor technicians, who operated under the impression that they were part of a secret project known only to Panur and the Queen. Panur divided their tasks into segments that never hinted at their true purpose. The workers remained in the higher levels, respecting the secrecy Panur imposed. In the true laboratories far below, it was only Panur and Te’moc working tirelessly for several years.

  With pride, Panur surveyed the eight masters held in the hermetically sealed chambers. They were identical, looking very much like an adult Sol-Kor, yet with distinctively female features. She was nothing like the current Queen, who was a massive blob of a beast, unlike anything else in the Colony. J’nae was designed to stimulate a long-dormant sexual drive in the males, as would her female offspring, with the proper pheromones included. Even so, Panur wasn’t leaving anything to chance. He had already developed a drug that would be introduced into the Sol-Kor diet once the females became more pervasive. The males of the population would accept their newfound desire as simply an act of nature and with ebullience would do their part for the good of the Colony

  In a fit of nostalgia, Panur named his creation J’nae, after the homeworld of the Hal’ic. Although his body had gone through many transformations throughout the years—making him more a hybrid than a pure-blood—he still felt a connection to his primary species. He also felt a certain dichotomy each time he thought of them. They were the first race to be harvested by the Sol-Kor, setting the entire chain of events in motion. And although he wasn’t responsible for what happened to the Hal’ic, he was certainly an enabler for the Sol-Kor. He hesitated considering the alternatives if he hadn’t helped the Queen and the Colony back at the beginning. Where would they be today if he hadn’t? And how many civilizations would have been spared?

  Perhaps if he succeeded with the J’nae project, it would begin to make up for all the death he helped foster….

  He shrugged off the melancholy thoughts. This was to be a momentous occasion, the time when the final version of J’nae became infused with the most-compatible master. In a few moments, a second immortal would be born, another creature capable of direct-energy intake and possessing the genius potential equal to his own. So much of himself had gone into the J’nae essence. More than ever before, Panur felt like a parent on the eve of his first child’s birth.

  Unfortunately, he was the only one today who would take joy in the event.

  Te’moc entered the storage chamber when expected. He towered over Panur, although the mutant knew he remembered Panur as he once was when Te’moc helped transfer his freeform embryo into the generic grey body now standing before him. There was a particular glow in Te’moc’s eyes, evidence of the maturing lifeforce within. The incubation process was over, and for the fourth time, the essence of J’nae would be introduced into the host.

  For her part, the host had gained a fair amount of personality and intellect of her own, the result of the prior infusions. Her mind was learning, achieving the mental capacity of a five-year-old. In a few moments, however, all that progress would become moot.

  Panur opened the door to the container and led the naked figure to the center of the room. The infusion procedure was no more elaborate than that. In a moment, Te’moc’s flesh would fuse with that of the host, and over the next few minutes, the Essence of J’nae would flow from one being to another. Then using the pure energy within the master, J’nae would activate, her consciousness racing to assume complete control of the host before becoming an entity all her own.

  There was nothing more for Panur to do.

  His J’nae was perfect.

  Panur moved
back as Te’moc surged toward the host, like an animal pouncing on prey. He wrapped his arms around the defensive creature, squeezing tight. There was a moment when both bodies formed an almost unidentifiable mass, before the host regained form. A series of violent spasms rocked the body, and the skin appeared to vibrate. Panur had gone through such a transfer himself; however, but there was no recollection of it from within the host. He couldn’t tell if the process was painful, although it seemed so.

  The spasms continued until the blob formed again and the two entities began to separate. Another two minutes and the transfer was complete. Te’moc was momentarily drained from the procedure, while the host appeared energized. The figure that was now the final version of Panur’s greatest creation turned toward the mutant, her eyes aglow with an inner light. A flash marked the moment the host became J’nae, full of awareness and intelligence.

  A thin—almost sinister—grin stretched across her face.

  Panur took a few more steps back. Te’moc was recovering from the ordeal, and as he did, his attention also focused on the mutant. It would happen at any moment.

  J’nae was the first to react, jumping forward on enhanced leg muscles at Panur. A blue glow filled the room between attacker and target, a sharp crack of electricity throwing J’nae back. By then, Te’moc was already committed to the charge, and he hit the diffusion screen in full stride.

  Panur wasn’t taking any chances. He’d set the invisible shield at maximum to ward off the coming attack. It worked, at least enough to repel the deadly pair the first time.

  Now a cascade of liquid fell from hidden reservoirs in the ceiling, dousing his attackers in a freezing cloud of white fog. Panur jumped to a nearby ledge to avoid the flood of boiling nitrogen on the floor. The cold would affect him, as well.