The First Ark: Deathless Prequel

by Chris Fox

  She stood fast, a rock against the flow of the mighty torrent. Power filled her to bursting, searing every nerve as it raced through her body. On and on it went, leaving her a panting, confused wreck.

  Well done, Ka-Ken, the god said, but its voice had changed. No longer did it echo through the vast cavern. Now it sounded inside her head, just as if it were one of her own thoughts. You have established the conduit. We are one now, and you may draw upon my power and guidance.

  Blackness overtook her.

  Chapter 6- The Mutagen

  Ka considered carefully as the new Ka-Ken collapsed. She had the time it took the hominid to recover in order to craft the mutagen's structure, then she must guide the Ka-Ken through the act of creation. But what to create?

  Only three creatures had possessed the ability to restart cellular mitosis once it had stopped, in essence bringing life to the dead. Two of those were simplistic proto-mammals and their method couldn't sustain the complex structure of the hominid brain. If Ka used their helixes, the Dun's body could be reanimated, but he would possess none of the intelligence or memories he had in life.

  There was a third option, though it was heretical to even consider. Ka could use the structure of the builders themselves. Their ability to process signals allowed constant genetic repair, making them effectively immortal. If it combined the methodology of the proto-mammals with the builder's ability to control and receive signals that would restore the Dun to life and could, in theory, preserve most of the brain's complex neural structure.

  Still that was not enough. Creating such a life form would be magnificent, but how would it reproduce? Sexual reproduction would be impossible. Ka leafed through a thousand, thousand species faster than thought before she found the answer. A virus had plagued early hominids around the time their ancestors had split off from the great apes and lesser primates. That virus could be tailored as an effective delivery mechanism. It could be transmitted through blood or semen or saliva. Any bodily fluid. Then it would jump hosts, infecting others with the same mutagen. This ensured that Ka's new creation would propagate, spreading across the globe until all seven Arks were once again occupied.

  What would the builders think of such a creation? Did that even matter? They had been gone for eons and it seemed unlikely they would ever return. This was Ka's one chance to create a species in their image, one that might reclaim the Arks and restore intelligent life to a world that had become nothing more than a large garden.

  Yes, this was the proper course. Ka selected the appropriate genetic maps, assembling them into the correct sequence. She could feed this data through the conduit to the new Ka-Ken, enabling her to construct the mutagen. She would never willingly give it to her dead mate if she understood what it would create, but that didn't trouble Ka. She couldn't lie, but could omit truths if the Ka-Ken was not smart enough to ask directly.

  Her desperation to save her mate should blind her to the truth long enough for the mutagen to be created and administered.

  Chapter 7- Ka-Ken

  Isis was unsure how long she was unconscious, but she rose hurriedly to her feet as soon as she was able. Nothing had changed about the room that she could see, save that the giant image of the strange god was gone.

  "How do I save Osiris?" she asked, hoping it could still hear her. There were many questions, but that was the only one that mattered.

  We must create a mutagen capable of repairing his body. It will change him, but it is the only way, a voice explained, echoing through her mind.

  "I do not understand your words," she said, raising a hand to her forehead as she fought off a dizzy spell.

  I will show you, Ka-Ken, the voice explained. Allow me to guide you. Relax, and stare at the crystal before you.

  She did as she was bid, resting her weight on the staff and she stared at the crystal in which it was embedded. Shapes began to swirl inside, strange symbols she could not understand. What were they?

  They are glyphs, each one representing one of the creatures stored in the repository, the voice answered her unspoken question. Could it hear her thoughts?

  Yes, Ka-Ken. As I said we are one.

  A glyph rose from the swirling mass, appearing directly over the crystal. The crystal turned green for a moment, then another rose. Faster and faster they came, each glyph another color. She winced as the light grew brighter until finally it calmed and the glyphs stopped. A single smaller crystal rose from the top of the larger one, floating into the air until it was at eye level. It pulsed green with a soft inner light.

  "What is that?" she breathed, awed by the magic.

  We have created a mutagen, a virus that will shape the helixes of your species. If we are swift, it may repair the damage done to your Dun. It will revive him, though if the damage is extensive his mind may never be the same. The results could be unpredictable, but it is the only way.

  "I will take any chance, just show me what I must do," she commanded. If the voice lived in her head, then it would learn to obey her.

  Pick up the crystal, then remove the staff, the voice said.

  Isis did as she was instructed, first removing the glowing green gem and then removing the staff. The stone went dark, as did the giant stone below. Only the crystals lining the walls still glowed. She was light headed, but Isis forced herself back the way she had come. She picked a rapid path along the walkway, heading as swiftly as she could manage toward the passage that had led her into the room.

  Once we have ascended, you must go back to your Dun's body. You will need to bring it to the rejuvenator, just as your other companion was brought. It is there we will administer the mutagen.

  The voice was talking about Sobek, she knew because the words carried images with them. They were like speech but imbued with the power of thought. It was strange and alien, but not unwelcome. Truly a miracle, one she wished she could have shared with her grandmother.

  Isis hurried back up the passage. The stranger stood waiting, giving an approving nod as she stepped onto the landing. He trailed behind her as she began to climb. Her legs trembled with exhaustion at the first step, and she feared she might lack the strength to gain the summit.

  Concentrate, Ka-Ken. Focus on the staff. It binds you to the Ark and you can draw strength from it. Simply will it and your fatigue will vanish.

  She did as the voice suggested, following the images behind its words. A pulse of golden light flowed from the staff, sliding up her arm and into her chest. It washed away the fatigue, and she laughed as she was suddenly able to leap up the stairs two at a time. It was like a good night's sleep after a summer feast.

  The stranger struggled to match her pace, but Isis did not slow. He would catch up, and even if he did not this Ka could render more aid than the stranger ever could. Isis sprinted up the spiral, eventually reaching the central chamber with its mighty spires.

  "Sekhmet," she yelled, bounding through the doorway into the rejuvenator room. That was its name, though how she knew that she couldn't say. "Come quickly. We have to find Osiris."

  Sekhmet's form rose from the floor next to the rejuvenator containing Sobek. She seized the spear next to her. "Isis? What has happened to you?"

  "It's glorious. The god has joined with me. I have been given the power to save Osiris," Isis said, laughing.

  "But, your hair. What happened?" Sekhmet asked. Her near sister's eyes were wide.

  Isis reached for a lock of her hair, drawing it up to her face. It was paler now, shinier. It had gone from the color of straw to pure silver, the same color as the nuggets warriors sometimes found.

  "It must be part of the change," she reasoned aloud, meeting Sekhmet's gaze. "It doesn't matter. All that does is saving Osiris. Come, let us return to his body. We have to save him before Set and his hunters return."

  "Very well," Sekhmet allowed, though she seemed more reticent than Isis would have expected. Why wasn't she rejoicing in the miracle of it?

  No matter. Isis turned from the rejuvenator and
started back toward the central chamber. She knew this place intimately now, and they could return to the outer passage in just a few minutes. Hopefully, they'd arrive before Set.

  Chapter 8- Salvation

  Ka was pleased. The new hominid was everything she could have hoped for, clever and possessed with just the sort of imagination the builders had possessed so long ago. The conduit had been established, transforming the Ken into a proper Ka-Ken.

  The shard of her existence that had been bonded to the hominid was a wholly separate entity, but one that shared Ka's motivations and understanding. It would guide the host, helping her to extend Ka's influence outside the Ark.

  For the first time Ka dared to hope that she could re-establish the network, could place Ark Lords in each of the other Arks. That she could return this world to the majesty it had enjoyed before the builders had departed.

  She watched as the new Ka-Ken led her companion and the lesser hominid through the Ark. She navigated with a familiarity that only Ka possessed, a potent demonstration of the conduit's work.

  "Isis, you're scaring me," the Ka-Ken's fiery-haired companion said. Sekhmet, that was her name. "Slow down for a moment."

  The Ka-Ken paused, turning to face her companion. Ka was unfamiliar with this new genus, but the emotion playing across the Ka-Ken's features was easily recognizable. Impatience.

  "We don't have time, near sister. I can save Osiris, but only if we get there quickly. You know what Set and his hunters will do to him if we tarry too long," the Ka-Ken said, eyes flashing with their own silver light.

  Her fiery-haired companion shrank back, refusing to meet the Ka-Ken's gaze. "I do not know what this god has done to you Isis, but the price was high. This isn't like you."

  "Does it matter?" the Ka-Ken snapped. "The price has already been paid. Let us see what I have bought with it."

  The brutish lesser hominid waited in a crouch behind the two women, chest heaving from exertion. Ka hadn't realized how much of its strength came from the staff that the Ka-Ken now possessed. The creature was old and that age was beginning to affect it now. It would be dead in a matter of days without the staff. Pity. The creature had served loyally, if not adequately.

  The Ka-Ken pivoted and started back up the corridor. Sekhmet hesitated for only an instant before following. The lesser hominid rose shakily to follow, but leaned against the wall instead. Ka chose to watch the two women, abandoning its former servant.

  "Isis," the Ka-Ken's companion called, quickening her pace until she drew even. "If we are to do this, we must be careful. Set still has many warriors. I will do my best to protect you, but unless this new magic can provide aid, they will slay us."

  "Thank you," the Ka-Ken said, resting a hand on her companion's arm. "The staff I carry is powerful. I do not know how I know, but I can use it to strike down Set and his warriors. Just keep them at bay long enough to use it."

  The pair continued their trek, finally entering the outer passage. They slowed as they returned to the site of the earlier battle, which did not surprise Ka. She knew what they would find as she had been observing the passage. Seven figures crouched over the bodies of the fallen, each wielding a flint blade to slice away haunches of flesh.

  Several bodies had already been butchered, and the rest would soon follow. When the Ka-Ken saw this act, her eyes flashed bright green again, full of the energy Ka provided through the conduit. She gave a cry, darting past her companion and into the butchers' midst.

  The closest rose at her approach, an older Dun with graying hair and only one eye. He raised his stone knife threateningly, but the Ka-Ken merely gestured with the staff. Ka could feel the sliver of energy she drew from it, channeling it through the staff in a bolt of pure green brilliance.

  It washed over the Dun's entire body, and everywhere it touched the hominid simply unraveled. The bonds holding its molecules together dissolved, leaving a messy puddle of sludge where the creature had stood.

  Another butcher started for the Ka-Ken, this one a younger Dun with a thick black beard. The fiery-haired Ken glided forward, slashing his throat with her own stone blade before he was even aware of her presence.

  "Isis," a voice roared from the rear of the remaining butchers. "You've come to claim your mate's corpse, haven't you? See what's left."

  The speaker was the same Dun who'd struck down the Ka-Ken's mate, Set his name had been. He held a severed arm aloft, blood still dripping from the forearm he'd just skinned.

  "You. Will. Pay," Isis shrieked, extending the staff with the last word. A wave of green light washed outwards, dissolving three more butchers.

  Set and his remaining companion turned and ran back the way they'd come. The Ka-Ken did not pursue, instead rushing to the grisly remains of her Dun. She removed her cloak and laid the fur near his corpse, then began gathering his body parts. Her companion joined the grim task, and before long they'd saved all that could be.

  Ka admired her resolve. Its own shard, her Ka, must be guiding her. Must have explained that even in such a state her Dun might still be saved by the rejuvenator. Excellent. She was strong willed and resourceful, but was already learning to trust her Ka.

  Chapter 9- Damnation

  Isis refused to give in to despair. She sliced two holes in her cloak, extending the golden staff through them to make a crude litter. Then she picked up one end. Sekhmet picked up the other without needing to be told, and together they bore Osiris's body back into the Ark.

  Time is critical, Ka-Ken. The longer this takes, the more of what he is will be lost, the voice in her head explained. You must place his body in the rejuvenator. Then I will show you how to shape his helixes. Once his body is whole, you can apply the mutagen.

  She redoubled her pace, which Sekhmet easily matched. The taller woman spent her days hunting and was far more adept at physical feats than Isis. Yet long after Isis should have collapsed from exhaustion she kept going. It was the strange energy from the staff, she was certain of it.

  They made their way through a myriad of passages, finally passing through the central chamber and back into the rejuvenator room. Sobek's body lay almost perfectly still in the chamber closest to the door, though his chest rose and fell almost imperceptibly.

  "Help me get the body atop this one," Isis commanded, heaving the litter onto the rejuvenator next to Sobek's. Blood dripped steadily down the side of her cloak, pooling at the base of the chamber near her foot.

  "Now what?" Sekhmet asked, taking a step backwards. She was no stranger to blood, but stared down at her hands as if it had been she that struck down Osiris.

  "Now I use the magic the god has given me," Isis explained. She took a deep breath, then began arranging the mangled pieces of Osiris's corpse until everything was roughly where it should be.

  Now touch those two gems, there and there, Ka-Ken, the voice instructed. The rejuvenator will rebuild his flesh though it cannot restore his life. We will need the mutagen for that.

  Isis was aware of the stranger as he shuffled to the rejuvenator. His cheeks were sunken and hollow, his eyes more rheumy than they'd been just hours before. His skin had begun to crack. It was as if he'd aged decades. She gave him a single horrified glance, then pulled her gaze back to the rejuvenator. A great price had been paid, but she would claim the reward. Osiris would live again.

  She gripped the gems the voice had indicated and willed energy into them, just as she had when slaying Set's foul hunters. The entire rejuvenator began to hum, then became viscous as it had when Sobek had sunk into the other chamber. Osiris's mangled body descended until it was encased by the rejuvenator's clear form.

  Now we wait, the voice said.

  So Isis waited in silence. Sekhmet hovered near the door, timid as a doe on the edge of flight. The stranger rested a hand on the rejuvenator, watching with interest as tendrils of golden light enveloped Osiris's form. They wrapped him in a cocoon, covering every bit of his bloody form.

  The humming grew louder and Isis could see someth
ing happening. No, see wasn't the right word. She sensed Osiris's body being rebuilt in a way she didn't really understand.

  His helixes are being shaped, the voice explained. You are detecting the signals broadcast by the rejuvenator. When you accepted the conduit, you became sensitive to their use. You can now both project and receive similar signals, something you will learn in time.

  Not all the words made sense, but Isis had the general sense of what the voice was telling her. It was a fascinating process, more so because it would save the life of a great man. One she'd loved since she was old enough to understand what love was.

  The light flared more brightly than the sun, then the strange energy she'd sensed was gone. Osiris's body lay within the rejuvenator, all trace of injury gone. Yet unlike Sobek his chest did not rise and fall. His body was still and lifeless, the miraculous healing had failed.

  Not failed. There are limits and we have reached them. To go further, to recover your Dun, we must expose his body to the mutagen. Grasp the control gems and will his body to rise from the rejuvenator.

  Isis did as she was bid, holding her breath as Osiris's body rose from the rejuvenator. The clear material rippled until his form lay atop the structure. She reached into her belt pouch and withdrew the strange green gem she'd helped shape in the huge cavern below. It still glowed with its own inner light, a strong green radiance like nothing she'd ever seen.

  Place the gem in his mouth, the voice instructed.

  She opened his mouth as gently as she could, then placed the gem on his tongue. Isis closed his mouth just as gently, biting her lip as she did so. This must work. She couldn't face life without him, not after everything they'd sacrificed.