by R. E. Weber
‘Yes. It is our belief that the artefact in front of you represents the truth behind the mythological creature known as the Dread Lord.’
‘It’s… well it’s smaller than I expected.’
‘That is an interesting observation. Do you believe that it is in any way diminished because of its size?’
‘No. It’s just that the painting I saw made it look bigger, that’s all.’
‘I imagine that the indication of size was for dramatic effect. However, size has little bearing on the level of danger presented by an adversary.’
‘Yeah, I know. The most dangerous animals on Earth are usually the smallest. Snakes, spiders and scorpions. They can kill you easily.’
‘Well observed, Theo.’
‘Is it fossilised?’
‘No. It was necessary to encase it in rock to incapacitate it.’
‘What, you mean it’s alive, in there?’
‘I am uncertain as to whether the term alive is relevant here. At present, all I can say with any certainty is that it is undamaged and that it functioned until it was incapacitated.’
‘Have you scanned it internally – you know, x-rayed it to see if it has any organs or moving parts?’
‘Our attempts to scan its internal structure have proven ineffective. The scans simply indicate an absence.’
‘An absence of what?’
‘Everything. Matter, energy, forces. Aside from what you can see with your own eyes, the object, to all intents and purposes, does not exist. The only reason you can see it at all is because of the way light is reflected from its surface.’
‘Yet, you said it functions?’
‘It can move in much the same way as a multi-legged animal. When we retrieved the artefact, it attempted to evade capture by breaking through an observation window. The only way to subdue it was to instantaneously lower its temperature to just above absolute zero. Once disabled, we encased it in molten rock, then re-froze it. Since then, it has not attempted to move.’
Observation window. During his first mission for the Star Agency, Theo had visited a research station on the planet Athonesis. When examining the station for evidence as to how it might have been compromised, he’d noticed scratch marks on the observation window, along with several tiny pinpricks on the floor. Was it possible that these were from the Dread Lord? His best guess was that if it were free of the rock, it might be fifty to sixty centimetres across. The tips of its feet, if that’s what they were, also looked very sharp – sharp enough to make indentations in the floor.
Theo closed his eyes and visualised the scene. In his mind’s eye, he looked down at the floor around the base of the window and imagined the creature scuttling around, then scratching at glass with its needle sharp legs. He opened his eyes and looked back at the object in front him. It was precisely the size it needed to be to do what he had seen. Then there had been its method of capture. Mulha Ran had described lowering its body temperature to almost absolute zero. When Theo had been trapped on the station, he had used two inductors to crack the window by super heating one side and super cooling the other. So they even had the tools on the station to both incapacitate it, then encase it in molten rock. The theory fitted the facts perfectly. The station had been a research facility for an archaeological site – perhaps the remains of an ancient city – and the Dread Lord had been recovered from the site by Mulha Ran and his team.
‘But if it was trying to escape, it must have some intelligence. That suggests a brain of some kind. Yet you said it had nothing inside it. So how was it able to move – to think?’
‘Our best theory is that its intelligence exists elsewhere. We do not however understand its method of locomotion.’
‘What do you mean, exists elsewhere?’
‘Although we have no evidence of this, we believe that what we see is just a tiny aspect of the complete entity. We believe that other structure exists outside of our known dimensions and that this is where its guiding intelligence can be found.’
‘It’s a multi-dimensional creature?’
‘This is a working theory that happens to fit the facts. However, we do not have the resources to confirm this.’
‘I suppose it’s like an iceberg. You can see a small piece of it at the top, but most of it is hidden away out of sight.’
‘Although that is a simplistic analogy, broadly speaking, you are correct.’
‘Where did it come from?’
‘Another interesting question, Theo.’
‘So, go on. Enlighten me.’
‘Are you familiar with the H’th’hka?’
Theo clenched his jaw, remembering that the being before him had been responsible for the asteroid impact on their homeworld – or so he had been told.
‘I’ve heard of them,’ he said stiffly.
‘The H’th’hka are a deeply religious people. Their beliefs centre on the existence of three heavens. These heavens are places in the Universe that give birth to all living things and to which all living things will one day return. However, not all beings return to the heaven that birthed them. That depends on your path through life and the choices you have made. Once you have returned to a heaven, your essence mingles with that of other life forms. That heaven will then birth new life using the universal essence, so to speak, and the cycle will begin again. Essentially, life force is reused again and again, and each creature born contains the essence of the many that have come before it. From time to time, each heaven will send out what you might call an angel to check on the progress of its offspring.’
‘So what are you saying – that it’s all true this three heavens stuff?’
‘What I am saying is that this belief system stems from fact.’
‘Go on.’
‘Throughout the history of our galaxy, many civilisations have arisen. Most eventually fell, however a few remained constant throughout much of its history, becoming almost god-like to the younger civilisations.’
‘Let me guess, there were three of them.’
‘Correct. There were three master races, often referred to as the Primes. These races continued to advance technologically until they had become seemingly indestructible and immortal. They eventually became so advanced that their technology seemed indistinguishable from what you might call magic to the younger races.’
Theo smiled as a memory of an old conversation came back to him.
‘However,’ continued Mulha Ran, ‘each race carried with it a doctrine, distinct and different from the others. One of the Primes, known to us as the Tacitan, believed in helping the younger races to advance. Their doctrine was one of interference. They believed it was their duty to guide and steer the younger races to maturity, albeit without their knowledge. Another race, known as the Elvatahn, were what you might call the polar opposite of the Tacitan. Their doctrine was one of strict non-interference. They believed that they were born simply to learn everything there was to learn, and were content to sail through the Universe, stopping only to observe the younger races from a distance. It would be extremely rare to see an Elvatahn, much less make contact with one. Their kind were commonly referred to as Star Wraiths.’
Mulha Ran paused and looked at Theo.
‘OK, so what about the third?’
‘The third race was known as the Necron, although they are more often called Grey Sentinels. They believed that the galaxy could not sustain a multitude of super-advanced civilisations. To that end, they set in motion the purge.’
‘The purge? That sound ominous.’
‘Indeed. They believed in periodically resetting the galaxy to stem the flow of advanced civilisations, not out of cruelty but in order to conserve its resources and prevent overcrowding. The purge itself was not an annihilation of the younger races, but rather a reset of their technological advancement. Every fifteen million years, they would initiate a dimensional shockwave. This shockwave, initiated in the singularity at the galactic core, would ripple through our galaxy at the speed of light, o
bliterating any advanced technology it came into contact with. The device is commonly referred to as the redeemer. Are you familiar with that term?’
‘Never heard of it,’ said Theo sheepishly as he recalled the detail of the Polisian myth once more.
‘Indeed,’ replied Mulha Ran, clearly suspicious of Theo’s denial. ‘The signatures of these periodic purges have been known about for some time. Most races however dismissed them as natural phenomena, and you will see no reference to them in any public database.’
‘Yeah, I can believe that.’
‘For millions of years, the galaxy remained in balance, with the three races living in harmony. The Tacitan continued to influence the younger races of the Universe, and the Grey Sentinels were content to allow this on the understanding that they were never forewarned of any purge. If any of the younger races were to then develop the technology to protect themselves from the purge, the Grey Sentinels would deem them worthy of survival and would continue to allow them to develop under their supervision. However, about ten million years ago, this situation changed.’
‘Why?’
‘We believe that the three races coexisted peacefully on the basis of a peace accord, which required strict adherence to their doctrines. As long as none of the Primes broke the rules of the accord, no race would interfere in the activities of another. However, we believe that the Grey Sentinels broke the accord by initiating a small-scale purge, designed to limit the advancement of a single race. Furious with their actions, the Tacitan dissolved the accord and declared war on the Grey Sentinels. What followed was a million-year war to end all wars. By the end of the conflict, both races had been utterly destroyed, along with dozens of stars and countless planets, which had been plundered for resources and energy. At the end, only the Star Wraiths remained in existence.’
‘Why did they purge just the one race? What was so different about them?’
‘The Grey Sentinels believed that the race had developed and expanded their territories far quicker than anticipated, and that they were a threat to the stability of the galaxy. They believed the situation was unique and warranted immediate and unprecedented action.’
‘So they purged them. They wiped out their technology?’
‘Correct.’
‘What happened to them? Did they die out or are they still…?’
The expression on Theo’s face suddenly froze as he realised that he already knew the answer.
‘Tha… that was you, wasn’t it – the He’tal, I mean?’
‘Well reasoned, Theo. Yes, it was my kind that was purged.’
Theo stood for moment as he thought back to his orientation.
‘The Affinity taught us that the He’tal had probably destroyed themselves. They even said your symbol represented that – you know, the serpent that eats its own tail. The civilisation that destroys itself due to its own greed and thirst for power.’
‘A common myth designed to spread more hatred and mistrust towards the He’tal. The symbol actually denotes the opposite. A serpent crawling out of its own mouth represents its resurrection from nothing. In the same way, we ensured our resurrection as a species from the biological samples we left behind. We…’
‘Wait a minute. Did you say they were called the Necron?’
‘Yes. Are you familiar with the name?’
‘Kind of, yeah. I went somewhere recently – the Necrolon singularity. Is that something to do with this?’
Mulha looked back at Theo and smiled.
‘Continue, Theo. Follow the trail of logic through to its conclusion. Seek your own answers.’
Theo stared at the floor for a moment, then looked back at Mulha Ran, his eyes wide with excitement.
‘The singularity – the black hole. You said the purge started in the singularity at the galactic core. Did the one that purged your species start at the Necrolon singularity?’
‘Well done, Theo. We believe this to be the case.’
Theo clenched his fist and mumbled ‘yes’ under his breath. Then he turned to look at the lump of rock in the glass enclosure.
‘And that’s what a Dread Lord is, left-over technology from the Primes – from the war?’
‘Correct. It may have been a weapon or simply a tool, we do not yet know. We believe it was Tacitan technology, although we cannot be certain.’
‘And what about the Star Wraiths? Are they still here?’
‘Although some claim to have sighted a Star Wraith in recent times, no evidence has ever been found to support their continued existence. Most therefore believe that they are extinct. Only the H’th’hka still claim that they occasionally pass through the galaxy.’
‘What were they like these Star Wraiths?’
‘If you can imagine a large sea going vessel from your own world, plying the ocean currents, that would be a good analogy.’
‘Sorry, I don’t understand.’
‘Imagine yourself floating in the ocean as one of the giant vessels sails directly towards you. Even if you try to attract its attention, it is unlikely to see you and change course, and all you would be able to do is get out of its way. Then as the vessel sails past, you see its wake. The water is churning and remains visible for hours afterwards. In the same way the Star Wraiths sailed the galaxy. They literally swam through space time, churning up the very fabric of the Universe as they passed. It was said that if a Star Wraith touched a planet, that world was forever changed. The wake of a Star Wraith is said to remain in space for millions of years, possibly even forever. It is believed that they were partially out of phase with the Universe and could hence pass through solid matter. They could drift straight through a planet or the heart of a star, with ease.’
‘But how do you know all this?’
‘This information was pieced together from the mythology of many races and then combined with cutting-edge scientific research. During my time within the Affinity, I had access to enough information to begin this process. However, the research program was officially shut down and my access to the data revoked once the unrest within my kind became more, shall we say, apparent.’
‘You mean, when you decided to cure your race of their passive behaviour?’
‘Ah yes, the myth of the cure. I had wondered when we would be discussing that.’
‘Don’t give me that. I know it happened. The fact that you’re here, in hiding, tells me that.’
‘That tells you nothing,’ said Mulha Ran angrily.
‘So you’re denying you reversed the genetic change in your species?’
‘There was no need to reverse anything. The genetic changes made to our species were a failure. The myth of the cure arose to conceal the fact that Polisian scientists had failed to permanently alter our nature.’
‘Rubbish. I know you’re lying now. They…’
‘Theo, if you would permit me, I will attempt to explain.’
‘OK, go on,’ said Theo, still irritated.
‘While it is true that the genetic manipulation appeared to have initially succeeded, it soon became clear that the scientists had not fully understood the role of all relevant factors, especially that of genetic memory.’
‘Genetic memory?’
‘Yes. As well as biological traits, genetic blueprints can also carry memory information. When our blueprint was altered, our genetic memory remained. We all inherently knew who and what we were, even if it was not immediately apparent. Over time, this changed us.’
‘But how did you know you’d been genetically altered?’
Mulha Ran hobbled towards a nearby rock and sat down, gesturing for Theo to do the same.
‘Theo, do you dream?’
‘Yeah, I do. Quite a lot, actually.’
‘And do you ever have the same dream, night after night?’
Theo thought for a moment.
‘Well I suppose they were similar sometimes. I remember when I was little, I kept dreaming that my trousers had disappeared and I’d have to make my way home, tryin
g to avoid people seeing me. Sometimes I was out on my bike, other times I was walking in the woods.’
‘When I was young, the same dream came to me every night. In the dream, I was a caged beast. I would roar and hiss and smash my head against the bars of the cage. I longed to be free so I could rampage through the forest, hunting and killing wild animals. Yet not once did I ever escape from my cage. Then when I awoke, just for a moment, I would feel like the caged beast, furious with rage. As I grew older, those moments grew longer.’
‘Ah yes, the last of the dreamers. That was what they used to call you, wasn’t it?’
‘Again, another myth. All sentient species dream, including my own kind. The Polisians may deny their dreams, but they still have them.’
‘OK, so you had bad dreams. So what? I’ve had loads over the years. But I didn’t turn into what I dreamt about.’
‘Theo, the ferocity of the dreams was such that I was unable to ignore them. At first, I did not mention them to others of my kind. However, I was later to discover that many had had similar dreams. My intellect told me that they had to mean something. It was then that I set about uncovering the truth.’
‘OK, so you found that you’d been genetically altered. That still doesn’t explain how you reverted back.’
‘As I said, Theo...’
‘Yeah, I know. You said genetic memories and all that. But I don’t believe you – it’s just stupid. Memories can’t change you like that.’
‘And you know this how, Theo? Are you a scientist?’
‘No.’
Mulha Ran took a deep breath.
‘The truth is, Theo, we cannot be entirely certain why the change failed. All I can say with any certainty is that genetic manipulation is an imprecise science. You cannot simply flip a few switches and configure life. We believe that genetic memory may have been a factor, but we cannot be certain. Maybe the Universe was speaking through my dreams after all.’
‘Yeah, well, the jury’s still out for me.’
‘From another perspective of course, you might say that there was a cure. However, it was not a biological change. I was the first to embrace our true nature and not be shamed by it. When word spread among my kind that I was changing, others looked to me for guidance. They feared their dreams and needed help. I gave it, gladly. I encouraged my kind to meditate on our dreams. Maybe that also contributed to the change – the cure.’
