I feel no pain, I see nothing. Oblivion was good for a while feeling nothing and seeing nothing with just a hint of self-awareness. For a while I saw nothing and felt nothing, yet the memory of my death came back to me. The pain returned, my sight returned. All I could see was the interior of the cracked open escape pod and the splatter of frozen blood that was Ann and I. I tried to scream in despair and no sound came out. All I could do is stare at the blood of our shared demise in despair.
If only I had been faster maybe we would have lived. If only we had not felt so safe, we would have seen the infection coming. We are dead, and I am alone. I cannot leave her. I cannot leave what remains it’s all I have left. I stare and try to touch our blood, yet I can’t, for I have no hands anymore. I have no body anymore. Am I now just a ghost to haunt our death place for eternity. So be it I will not leave her. I shall be with her until oblivion retakes me.
I stare at our blood until I noticed that the pod door is now open. What? A couple of blurs quickly zip in and out of the pod. I hardly noticed them they were too fast. They show up a couple more times moving in and out so fast, yet I still can’t tell what they are. I will ignore them and return to Ann. Looking away from the opining I notice the blood is gone. Ann where did you go? There was no more blood. The Fast blurs they stole Ann. I must find Ann. I must save her from the infection.
I leave the pod as fast as I could. I see more blurs zoom past me and through me. I must find Ann. Something is not right? The Station is different. There are objects that I don’t recognize. I try to get a good look at these new objects I never saw before, yet a blur comes by and changes the objects before I can figure out what they are. Is this a new form of the infection? Why has it not attacked me? Oh I’m dead… Where is Ann? I must look for Ann.
I try to go through a door but it keeps closing too fast. I press the pad to open the door with all my might and the door opens, yet before I can even move to go through it closed as fast as it opened. I keep trying as the traffic of the blurs pick up around the door going in and out. This is frustrating, so I try my hardest to press the open button faster and faster in my anger. The door keeps opening and closing in a flash.
I keep trying to open the door. I was about to give up and try else ware when I feel a hard yank behind me. My vision of the station is gone. All I can see is fuzz, white fuzzy static. I can hear a loud buzzing from the static. I’m surrounded by the white static fuzz. This reminds me of the static old TVs used to show if they did not pick up a signal for a channel. I’m trapped, I can’t move. Why can’t I move? Where am I? How long have I been here? I can’t tell. I need to find Ann.
Every now and then the Static fuzz goes away and I enter darkness. In this darkness I sometimes feel sensations before I return to the world of static. This continues for a time. I can’t tell the time anymore if I ever did at all. I enter the darkness again and, and it hurts. There is pain before returning to the static room. It was real physical pain. Each time I return to the darkness the pain gets worse in its intensity. The last time I entered the darkness of sensation I felt no pain at first, yet the pain exploded to a new height and I screamed.
Reentering the fuzzy place as I call it, I remember what happened. I had actually screamed from the pain. I had made sound and I was able to hear it. This is new, yet I dread going back to the darkness, for the pain is getting worse. Am I in hell? I was unable to save Ann. I helped destroy the earth. I deserve this pain. The next few times I entered the darkness were the same. Each time the darkness and sensations came it extended in time before the pain.
The darkness came and I can feel again. This time it feels like I’m floating. What? I can feel myself floating. I wait for the pain, and it does not come? I feel something around my mind? I can feel two sensations trying to enter my mind. I block them from entering my mind. The pain still has not come. I feel a sharp zap in my chest like I just got shocked with electricity. I suck in some air and groan. What I can breathe? My groan sounded weird. I twitch my body as I try to move. I can feel the sensation of moving as I twitch. I test it out slowly. I can feel each finger as I move them. Ten fingers that’s good. I can feel my toes and my feet as I try to move them. I can close my hand into a fist and move my wrist.
I can move my arms and legs. I can still feel a tingling sensation in my chest were I got zapped by something. Reaching for the sensation to feel if I am wounded my hands bump into something strange. I can feel these strange growths on my chest. I can even feel my hands touching them. This shape, I know this shape. Why do I have boobs? I reach a hand between my legs and find nothing that should have been there.
“Nooo.” I open my eyes and am blinded by a bright light. I instantly close my eyes again as I cover them with my hands and let out a yell. My yell sounded distinctively feminine. I am not in my body. I’m in the body of a woman? Why has this happened? I curl into a ball and hug my legs. The light shining through my eye-lids becomes less hurtful to my eyes. I open my eyes and blink to adjust to the light.
I am floating in the center of a White room. I can distinctively see corners that shaped a perfectly square room. I can now see as my eyes adjust further. I’m in some sort of transparent bubble. The bubble is bigger than this body I’m in, for I can’t seem to reach its edge. I look my body over nervously. I am completely naked with no hair on my body, not even around my privates. I quickly check my head and feel long hair. I relax from the moment of panic. I can still feel the presences hovering around my mind, yet this time they are not trying to enter it.
“Hello. Can you hear us?” A metallic sound enters the room and startles me. I quickly look around and see no one.
“Ah yes.” My voice type sounds dugazon. At least my voice is pleasant even if it’s a woman’s. “I can hear you clearly. Where am I?”
“Response good, cognition of language retained from transference.”
“What?” the response to my question was a new voice that sounded scratchy.
“Calm please remain. What is your last memory?” A third high pitched voice responded. It almost sounded like a child.
“Who are you? And…” I looked down at my hands and breast’s “And why am I female?”
“Please forgive us. I am Metaterianata Corfenisantru.” The metallic voice responded.
“Name unpronounceable in this vocal range. This one called Icor.” That was the scratchy voice.
“Be Calm. With peace I am Yorrat Fori tonis Granonyor. With peace you may call me Fori.” That was the childlike sing song voice. I look around nervously and try to cover myself with nothing other than my hands and legs. Being naked has its drawbacks.
“Memory needs recording and verified. Answer questions.” I hear Icors scratchy voice. I wince as I hear his chalkboard scratching voice.
“Please we would like to know the last thing you remember before waking.” The metallic voice said.
“Remember? I remember being in a place filled with static then darkness and pain.” I shiver at the remembrance.
“Unclear Question. Memory retention of Life before astrophysical stasis acquisition. Memory requested.” Icors voice enters the room loader then before as I wince covering my ears.
“What? What are you asking me?”
“Be calm. Forgive Icor, for this project is his. He is over excited for our success. Let peace come over you.” The childlike sing song voce of Fori is the easiest one of the threes voice on my ears. What do they mean by project? Did they ask me what my last living memory is? I died didn’t I? I instantly try to suppress the emotion that tries to overwhelm me.
“Ann…” I take a deep breath and close my eyes. “I remember my death.” I say nothing further as I take in another deep breath letting it out slowly to calm myself.
“Do you retain memory of your name?” The metallic voice asked me. I shall refer to it as Meta for its name is too weird.
“Yes.” I don’t like that I’m floating in a ball naked while they are probably looking at me with cameras.
“Name required. Recovered records need verifying.” Icors annoying voice spoke.
“Be calm. We would like to know your name.” Fori asked me.
“I…” I look at my feminine hands. “I was William GreyHouse. I ask you again why am I female?” I allow some anger to enter my voice.
“Please remain calm. All shall be revealed. Peace remain calm.” That was Fori again.
“Corruption, damage, degradation. Original DNA Unattainable, reassembled, stabilized. Used corrupted DNA.”
“The DNA recovered was degraded with time and damaged from what we believe is the infection in the records we recovered.” Meta explained.
“Calm. We corrected and stabilized the recovered DNA and grew a body.” Fori’s calm childlike voice explained further.
“Ok that explains the body but not why I’m in it. Am I a clone?”
“Negative. Combination of DNA recovered. Reassembly problematic. Substitute correction Implemented.” Combined? So they combined two sets of damaged DNA to complete a single set.
“Your Astro-physical energy was detected and recovered. We placed your Astro-physical energy into the body. We did not grow the body with an astro-physical energy. We grew the body so we could place you in it.”
“What? Astro-physical energy? Are you talking about souls?”
“Yes.” Meta responded first.
“Affirmative.”
“Calm, you are correct. That is what our records show your people called it.” Fori responded last.
“My people? Does that mean someone else survived?” I ask with hope as I look around the empty white room.
“Calm, please forgive.” Fori’s voice had a hint of sadness in it.
“We only found two sets of DNA. We had to combine them to be able to revive you. We found no traces of anyone else. We are sorry you are the only one we have been able to revive.” I could swear I could sense a sad undertone in Meta’s metallic voice.
“So there are no others? I am the last human alive?” They do not respond to my question. I close my eyes resting my head on my knees squeezing my legs closer to my chest.
“Calm, please remain calm. Be at peace.” I open my eyes and look up.
“Why? Why have I been revived only to become extinct again when I die?” I speak in a slow flat voice devoid of emotions.
“Incorrect, Knowledge lacking of present. Meta explains.”
“Yes. It is galactic law. The law states that all beings of galactic society may be revived after death if they wish if their Astro-physical energy has not dissipated. If there is no will or testament stating not to be revived, the individual will then be revived and asked if they wish to continue to exist. Their own biology is used to grow a new body for replacement if their original is too damaged for regeneration.” Metas voice spoke out in monotone recital.
“Unprecedented. Length of time never recorded. Unprecedented revival. History made. Pride in success.” Icors voice was load and grating.
“Calm. Icor is excited as he is the one who discovered your soul opening a door in the museum. It was he who recommended we make a body to place you in. We are making history with your revival. Your astro-physical energy is the oldest recorded to maintain itself.” I can hear the excitement in its voice.
“From your statements before asking why you are in the body of a female I assume you were a male of your species before revival?” There is a slight pause. I was about to respond when Meta spoke again. “Yes records show that William Greyhouse was male, partnered with a mate Annetta Brustad.” I wince at hearing her name.
“Were did you get… The DNA for my revival. The station had a failsafe incase the infection got aboard to remove all biological material from it.”
“Records Indicate procedure. Designated Pod 114-MD. DNA found.” They had found the escape pod I had sealed. I guess they indeed found what remained of me and Ann.
“That…that is where I died.”
“Fascinating.”
“Calm. We never expected that. Calm peace.” Is Fori trying to calm me down? Whatever Fori is, it keeps saying calm?
“This is good. This will close a few legal holes, as we used part of your own DNA in revival. This is even better news then before.” I suppress quick surge of anger at Meta’s words. Taking a deep breath I speak out slowly.
“I want to walk on my own feet please.”
“Stabilization confirmed. Containment safety protocol. Deactivating protocol.” I feel a slight pressure as I slowly float to the floor. Good I no longer feel like I’m floating in open space. As my feet touch the ground I slowly feel the gravity as my legs start to shake with weakness and I fall on my ass. “Weakness predicted, Muscles unused. Genetic sequence prediction. Adaptation predicted. Stand.” Damn scratchy voice keeps talking like a robot. I stretch my legs and get on my hands and knees.
“Let’s try this again shall we.” I push up and stand. I wobble a little then stabilize. That’s weird I don’t feel weak any more. I try a little hop and land on my feet steadily. I stand and balance on one foot looking down past my breasts at my feet. Weird the weakness a moment ago is gone.
“Prediction confirmed.” That scratchy voice almost sounded smug.
“Um may I get some clothes? I do not find it comfortable me being naked and watched.” I cover my breasts with one arm looking around the empty room.
“Be calm at peace. Forgiveness we have forgotten that most bipedal species prefer clothing.” A green light shined out of all four walls. The green lights shined over my head then went down the entire length of my body before despairing. “I will bring you something to ware momentarily. Be at peace.” Fori’s voice sounded a little embarrassed.
“How did you die? The Way your DNA was found was strange. It was like you and the other DNA set was blasted apart into nothing but paste. Will you elaborate how this happened?” The metallic voice of Meta spoke. I do not want to think about this.
“May I Call you Meta?”
“Yes you may. It is not uncommon for me to be referred as so.”
“Ok Meta my answer is no. I do not want to talk about it.”
“Understood. Tragic deaths are often unpleasant. Maybe in the future yes?” I just stare at the wall in silence. “Understood I will not talk further.” The room is silent for a few minutes as I stood there naked and embarrassed.
“DNA stabilized No Harmful secretions detected. Violent action restricted. Prepare.”
“Calm be at peace. I am about to open a door. Please do not attack me. I have something for you to wear.” A doorway forms on one wall and slides open. I look into the opening to see what Fori looks like. I’m surprised and go stiff as I see the alien before me. Granted I’m not surprised because it’s an alien, for I expected that. I am surprised because of what it looks like.
An alien five feet tall stood before me. It had four legs ending in a stump like an elephants, gray skin, and two long arms with no joints. It had six tentacle things at the end of each of its arms that I’m assuming is its fingers. Its torso was male like with a sunken in stomach. Its head was elongated with a flat face. Its eyes looked to be twice the size of a human and resembled a cat’s. It had no nose and its mouth resembled a human’s mouth except it was stretched out to reach either side of its head. One of its arms was wrapped around a silver looking bundle at its side. I stared at it and it stared at me.
“Calm, be at peace. I am Fori. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” Its mouth did not open to emit a sound. I heard its voice threw the walls like before. I looked at Fori confused.
“I hear your voice yet you did not speak?” Its voice came from above like before.
“Calm, be at peace.” Fori’s mouth went up in a big smile. “I am not talking.” Its free tentacle arm reached up and lightly tapped its thick throat. “My people cannot speak, for we have no vocal cords as other species do. I am telepathically projecting my words to a device that translates it for you. We would have talked to you telepathically but you blocked us.”
“Um… the clothes.” I reach out with my free hand palm out.
“Embarrassed, oh forgive me. Fori slowly walked up to me and uncurled her arm around the silver bundle and handed it to me. I took it as it let go taking a few steps back. “You are a very beautiful creature.”
“Thank you. Would you mind turning around so I can get dressed.” I ask with some embarrassment covering my voice. Damn this is going take some getting used to. Fori looked at me and cocked its head. “Humans generally don’t like to be watched by strangers when we are naked. Especially males looking at females.”
“Calm. No worries I’m not male. I am a female of my species. Our males grow no bigger than this.” Both her arms came together and made a shape that was less than a foot tall. Well that is weird. How do they procreate if their males are so tiny. “Be at peace. You have nothing to worry about from me.”
“Regardless I will feel more comfortable if you don’t watch me get dressed.”
“Calm. Ok” Fori turned around. Unrolling the bundle I take a look at it. It is a silver one-piece bodysuit. How do I put this on? I see no zipper or seems. This Looks smaller then my body. “Calm. On the caller of the bodysuit you will see a small round object resembling a gem. Grab it on both sides and pull down and it will open the suit as much as you want.” Seeing a black gem at the collar I put a finger on either side of it and pull it down. The Suit opens up as she described.
“Thank you. Sorry it’s just that you look male to my eyes even if I can’t see your privates.” I open the suit down as far as I can and place a foot in sliding it all the way up my leg. Well that’s neat its form fitting and adjusts as you put it on.
“Calm, we don’t have them externally. They are all internal and are never exposed like mammals. We do not feed our young from our bodies so we have had no need of what is on your chest.” I completely put the silver bodysuit on and pull the black gem back to my neck closing the circle. Looking myself over I see that it is completely form fitting I can see my nipples outlined as well as the shape of my private. Damn this is too form fitting and is riding up my ass. I grimace.
“I’m done.” Fori turns around and looks at me in the eyes. “It’s a little too form fitting for my tastes but it will do for now.” I move my arms around and twist my torso then touch my toes. The suit stretches like skin hindering no movement. This is nice if it was not so revealing. Damn, why am I feeling so self-conscious as I was a man? Changed hormones, brain chemistry?
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“Calm, you will be able to change the look and decorate later, for now you should meet the rest of the team.” Fori turns around then twists her head completely around and looks back to me with an outstretched hand toward me. “Come.”
“lead the way.” I wave her on not taking her hand. Creepy head turning put me off. Fori cocks her head like before then returns it forward. For such a thick neck I didn’t expect it to be elastic enough to completely do a one-eighty turn. She waves me to fallow and heads to the open door. “Earlier you said I blocked you out?”
“Calm, your genetic markers showed that you were telepathic among other things, so when we determined you were awake we attempted to make contact. You blocked our telepathic attempt, so we used a mechanical means to contact you instead.”
“I’m telepathic? I was not before.” Fori walked through the opening in the wall and looked back at me.
“Calm. We shall answer questions after you meet the others. Come.” Fori waved forward. I paused for a moment and looked at Fori. I don’t feel like she is lying. All the feelings I get from her is a sense of calm. I nod to acknowledge her words and walk through the opining.
I walk into a plain white and grey hallway devoid of any decorations. The walls are smooth to the eye. I feel the wall as I follow Fori down the hallway. The wall feels metallic yet warm. I wonder what alloy it is. The walls as well as the floor do not look painted, yet I can’t mistake that it is white and grey. The hallway was about 18 feet across and about 20 feet to the ceiling. The hallway has a slight perceptible curve to it. The hallway is lit up with light, yet I can’t tell were the light is coming from. It’s weird for I can’t see the light source. It is as if the hallway itself is giving off light. It was not long before Fori stopped walking than turned to me.
“Calm. We are here.” I look about and see nothing indicating any openings. Oh wait I see something on the wall. I notice a symbol of some kind on the wall next to Fori. Fori puts her hand on the symbol and an open doorway forms. “Excited. Please come in and meet the other two members of the team.” Fori walks into the doorway, and I follow her in.
As I enter the room all I can see are screens and buttons and toggles everywhere. The screens had many things displayed there were even holographic images of what I’m assuming is me. I can’t read any of what is written in the displays and on the counsels in the room. In this room I saw two things move. I stopped entering the room as I noticed them. The first one I noticed was a tall slim form about ten feet tall. The alien was humanoid in shape and wore a silver suit like mine with several things written on it. The alien had 4 fingers on each of its long hands. The tall alien had a large diamond shaped head with two black perfectly round shaped eyes.
The second thing I saw was a large bug that resembled a giant pill bug. It had many hands or legs. The Bug was eight feet across and was staring at me with four eyes. Two sets of eyes on either side of a mouth that had six mandibles. This thing innerved me and grossed me out. Given as there are only three aliens in the room I’m going to assume they are the other two fore-mentioned team members. Calm yourself and do not insult the bug looking thing for it is an intelligent creature. Seeing as they all revived me they are all probably smarter than me.
“Hello.” I looked at the three and wave with a nervous smile.
“Excited. We shall introduce ourselves so you can identify a name to what we look like.” Fori had completely turned around and was looking at me with a big smile on her face. That is a creepy face I can see all the teeth in her mouth. All her teeth were sharp and jagged and layered like a shark. “Exited. I am Yorrat Fori tonis Granonyor, female, professor of xenozoology and bioengineering.” The tall alien stood up slowly from the seat he was sitting at. The same mechanical voice as before came out of the ceiling like the room before.
“I am Metaterianata Corfenisantru, Male, Professor of Microbiology and Bioengineering.” Meta sat back down. I look at the bug. This must be Icor.
“Designation Icor, neutral status, professor astro-energy, physicist, quantum mechanics, neurology.” Icor actually spoke his grating voice. It sounded like Icor used multiple different soundwaves at the same time to speak. Icor did not speak English at all, yet I fully understood him as if he did. Strange I never learned anything like his language nor do I think I could ever speak it.
“Why do I understand what you are saying? I don’t remember learning any other languages besides of few Human ones, and yours…” I pointed at Icor. “Sound nothing like any I have ever heard. I could swear you spoke in multiple sound waves at once.” Icor clasped together two sets of his upper arms.
“Fascinating. This one erred. Meta Correct.” I raise an eyebrow and look at the tall alien.
“Simple. I implanted ten thousand two hundred and nineteen different galactic languages into your body’s memory centers. I am excited that my experiment was a success and I was proven right. Icor did not believe you could hear all of the sounds he produces for speech.”
“That is a lot of languages.” Yup these guys are definitely smarter than me. I don’t like the sound of the word experiment when it pertains to me.
“Nonsense there are millions of languages in galactic society. I only gave you the most common used and prevalent languages. Any more then what I implanted is not important.”
“Thank you I guess. I would like to ask you questions then rest to think things over. After that I will try to answer most of your questions.” I looked at all three from Fori to Icor to Meta.
“Calm. Of course.”
“Acceptable.”
“Very well. Ask.”
I asked them many things foremost was about my new body. I had first asked to see my reflection. What I saw was a beautiful young woman around the age of 16 to seventeen with white hair. My eyes bothered and disturbed me, for they are completely pitch black and not just the pupils. Not a single part of my eyes were white it was all black. It reminded me of what Ann’s eyes had turned into before we died. My face had features of both myself and Ann. This body must be what our daughter would look like if we ever had one. I even had Ann’s pure white hair. Damn my body was sexy as hell from the head to the toes, just like those white haired female characters that were popular in anime before the infection. I had trouble not staring at my own reflection and had to turn away embarrassed that I was getting so excited over my own reflection.
They told me some things about my body that disturbed and fascinated me. First the three told me that they could not create a male for me to procreate with because of the damaged DNA. I did not like the idea of being impregnated, for I was a man before, yet I can’t deny that I would suffer it if it meant bringing humanity back to life. I was stunned and confused with what they told me next. They told me that I did not need a male to procreate with. They said that I could impregnate myself by choice and my body would do it. It would basically be a clone and I did not want to do that.
They told me that my new DNA was so complex and adaptive that I could choose to use DNA from someone else to become pregnant with. They even said part of my private could be stimulated to grow and I could impregnate females of other species that had compatible bodies. All three had said that I could use their DNA to impregnate myself, for all it would take is some body fluids, male, female, neuter it didn’t matter. All my body needed was the fluids and my intent and it would do the rest. I looked at them in shock at the revelation. I told them that I cannot do that anytime soon, and to not be rude to them I told them when the time came I would consider it.
This is disturbing to me, for if I have sex with anything I would have to be careful with my intent. Hell I don’t even have to have sex with them and I have to be careful of my intent. Good thing I used to be male and most likely will have the intent of impregnating something else other than myself. I don’t want any mutant disgusting alien bug, squid, abomination looking kids. I shudder at the image. I guess my fears were shown on my face or something because they explained something about what my children would be like. For my instant relief I was told any children I would have from myself or another would look a lot like me, of course with a change in skin color hair and eye’s depending on mother or donor. Because of the infection and how they stabilized my DNA, my DNA was extremely aggressive and dominant. The children if I had any would inherit almost all of what I am including my reproduction, yet they will all be female.
This is when they told me my children would mostly naturally live as long as I would dependent on donor or host species. They told me that I was practically immortal, for I would not age, nor would my cells degrade with time. My body can regenerate completely without blemishes as long as my soul is intact, and some of my body remains. My children would inherit regeneration but not to this insane extent. I asked how that degree of regeneration would even be possible. Icor told me it had to do with manipulation of quantum mechanics at a cellular level. That’s when I remembered the insane regeneration of the infection on earth.
My DNA is so corrupted by the Infection that I am not human anymore. The three told me that I am a new species and that technically I’m still human as some of my DNA still is. They told me that there is only a few species that can reproduce as I now can, yet none of them are bipedal nor a mammal. They did tell me good news. There are quite a few species that resemble Humans. There is a theory that some ancient race seeded quite a few systems in the galaxy that allowed human-like and compatible species to adapt and change. I’m glad of this information for I don’t want to impregnate myself to continue my race.
The three told me that I am capable of telepathy and empathy as well as potential for a couple of other mental powers. The capabilities of my body are not all discovered, for they could only do so much with body that was a virtual vegetable. They only recognized the sequences in my DNA for the potential for the mental powers of the mind. Telepathy I had already proven I could use just by blocking them. I mentioned that I could feel their emotions, and all they said was they expected it. Fori was excited to explore my mental facilities in the future. Fori said she would help me learn to control my telepathy and Meta said he would help me control the more robust powers if they showed up. I thanked them.
I asked them how they knew my body was so capable. There answer was rather simple they had experimented with previous renditions of my body before the one I’m in now. They explained that my body was adaptable to its environment. If there was no oxygen it would use another gas for energy, and if it was in the vacuum of space it would absorb radiation and solar energy to maintain itself. My body could also eat and digest practically everything even high density metals. They found this out by experimenting on the previous bodies that were deemed unstable. I asked them if they put my soul in any of those experimental bodies, and they answered yes. They did it to see if it was stable enough to support me, yet all were failures and had to be incinerated to prevent the infected DNA from getting out of control.
I stared at them and told them that I felt the pain of the incineration of multiple bodies, and for a while I thought I was in my species Hell. This silenced them for a minute or two. Fori apologized and actually sounded appalled. Icor was fascinated and tried to ask me questions about it. I refused to talk about it. Meta told me it was not supposed to happen, that it was probably my soul becoming accustom to the process after so many years of use. Curious I asked them how long did it take them to revive me?
300 years is how long they took to stabilize the infected DNA to make me a stable body. They told me that I had been dead for 500 thousand years. I asked them why they revived me. The answer they gave me was not out of the goodness of their hearts. They had revived me for fame and basically to slap a mining corporation in the face and kick them out of the solar system. As the last remaining human the entire solar system and everything in it belongs to me according to galactic law. This is a partly a political ploy to protect their workplace. Apparently the scientists did not like how the corporation acted and manipulated and bribed to acquire the mining rights for the solar system.
The three alien scientists gave me some galactic history that had to do with Sol system. Galactic society quarantined the Sol system about 100 thousand years ago when the automatic warning broadcasts of the infection by human satellites was detected. Since then wars were fought and different galactic societies came to power and fell. Ten thousand years ago galactic society stabilized with new rules. 1000 years after the stabilization the Sol system was explored carefully and became a tourist attraction. Human machines had finished terraforming Mars and a couple of moons in the solar system. The machines had even restored the atmosphere of the Earth. The machines had even restored the oceans and had seeding plants on the surface to make oxygen.
During this time a space station was built around the Human space station to preserve it. This is when they discovered Ann’s and my blood. Cities were built on mars to supplement the tourists and scientists who came to see the human machines and tour the solar system. The Sol system was a protected system for tourism for its beauty and its tragic history. This lasted for 7000 years until the Sarkin Corporation started to mine resources in the system. At first they were satisfied with mining gas from the gas giants and metals from the moons. They bribed and used legal loop holes to get rights to start mining the Earth itself. There was a public outrage from Historical protection groups that forced a time table before the Sarkin Corporation could start mining.
500 years ago Icor discovered my soul haunting a door in the old Human station. Icor immediately petitioned the galactic consul to repeal the mining rights given to Sarkin for with the DNA and soul obtained the human race could be revived. He stated that reviving a sentient race after a disaster was not unprecedented. The petition was rejected, for humanity had been dead for far longer than any race that had been revived before. Icor not giving up petitioned the sanction to attempt the revival, and it was granted. They informed me that Sarkin will be allowed to start core mining the Earth in a year. To stop them I have to be recognized by the galactic senate.
Asking when I can do that, for the idea of someone core mining the earth did not sound like anything pleasant for the future of the Earth. Meta informed me that he had already set up an appointment time three months from now with the galactic council. It takes about a week to get there so I have plenty of time to prepare. Meta told me to be recognized as a people I need to contact all the leaders in the solar system and determine my government and capital. I need to appoint government leaders and advisors, both are optional, for all I need is the leaders in the solar system to sign off on the government and show the document to the galactic counsel. It made me nervous that it would take so little to be recognized and the Sarkin kicked out. Meta said that Sarkin would only have 2 months to remove all their belongings and employees from the system. Any materials, facilities, equipment remaining would fall to me.
I complained that that was harsh and I don’t know anyone who would accept that. Fori agreed with me and informed me that the Sarkin Corporation would certainly try to kill me before I reach the galactic council and before the removal timer ran out. She even said they would still try to kill me even after that so they could come back out of spite. I asked why I could not negotiate with them. Icor informed me that the species that runs Sarkin almost never accepts a reduction of what they had before. They are notorious for this and have been fined and sanctioned multiple times. Just 100 years ago they had bombed a planet’s surface to slag out of spite after someone found a semi-sentient reptile species on the planet they had been giving core mining rights to. The discoverer of the semi-sentient reptiles has been missing since then. He was Meta’s fourth cousin. Without a confirmed death and soul he cannot be revived.
“So let me get this straight you all revived me to screw over an evil greedy corporation, for fun?” I look at Fori.
“Excitement. Yes.” Fori nods and responds.
“Out of spite?” I look at Icor.
“Affirmative.” Icor responds without hesitation.
“For revenge?” I look at Meta.
“Of course, there is no proof but I know they killed my cousin.”
“Ok then how are we going to survive long enough to do this.” Fori walked to a console and pressed a few buttons and manipulated the holographic image above it with her other hand.
“Determination. We have been planning for the last couple of years since we knew we were going to be successful in your revival. At this time Sarkin does not know we succeeded. And we shall keep that for as long as we can.” The holographic image changes into that of a spaceship of some kind. Fori pointed to the represented ship. “This is part of our protection and it will arrive tomorrow.” Meta manipulated the console he is at and an image of the same alien race as him popped into existence next to the image of the ship.
“This ship is a battleship captained by Captain Detormontric Corfenisantru my Uncle in the Galactic navy. He will arrive tomorrow to provide us with as much protection as he can. His presence will prevent Sarkin from acting out in the open.” I can feel pride from him for the image of the captain.
“So all that means is we won’t see them coming.”
“Correct and Incorrect. Set Predictions, Previous actions.” I can sense nonchalance from Icor.
“Calm. We can predict Sarkin’s actions with some degree of success from their actions in the past. With that we can make counter measures.” I nod at Fori as I contemplate what I should do.
“Will we receive body guards to protect us if we leave the safety of the labs and the battleship?” I look at Meta as I ask this.
“Negative.” Icor responded first and Fori just shook her head. Meta looked at both of them then at me.
“No. The military will not spare us some body guards permanently. They will only protect us when we are in transit to and from their ship. I am a level 4 Telekinetic and can protect us decently. I’m not perfect, yet I’m confident that at most Sarkin would have only a few Level 1s or 2’s in their employ. I will be protecting us the best that I can.”
“No offence but I have no idea what that means. I would like a bit more protection. Are there any guards that we could hire?”
“None taken. I am not insulted by your ignorance.” I sense that Meta is calm and did not take offence at my words.
“Calm. There are no mercenaries we can hire.” Fori closed her eyes and sighs. “Irritated. There are no guards that we can hire in time that would reliably stay loyal and not be bought out or threatened to acquiescent to Sarkin demands.”
“I have a suggestion. Why don’t we use some HCA500’s as body guards?” All three aliens looked at me for a moment then at each other.
“Codes required for control. Tampering Illegal. Suggestion has merit. Human legal. Human possesses control codes?” Icor felt excited.
“I do know those codes.” If Vivian’s base survived the 500 thousand years then I can even reprogram them. “What is the status of the HCA500’s?”
“HCA500’s? You must mean the Human machines correct?” I can feel that Meta is intrigued.” I nod. I’m glad they understood that nodding means yes. Well Meta and Fori respond to it, and Icor does not respond to it as such. “It is estimated that there are around 5 million active in the solar system. They were vulnerable to hacking when we first arrived and since then they have adapted and can’t be hacked by any know hacking program. Well no one has admitted to succeeding for at least 4000 years. About 4000 years ago someone illegally landed in one of their bases and attempted to disable and capture some of them to sell. The Androids turned on them in mass. The crew of the ship perished and their ship disassembled. Since then the androids built defenses against any who interfere with their operations.” Wait Meta said android not robot?
Self-preservation is written in their coding as well as use of any upgrades available to them. The androids must have used the technology from the ship to upgrade themselves. 5 million is a lot, yet there should be more than that. 500 thousand years and they only built 5million of themselves. Meta continued his explanation. “We discovered that they had built defenses when the Sarkin Corporation tried to remove them from an area they wanted to mine 3900 years ago. The Human androids had landed on a large asteroid and started to mine it. Asteroid had large quantities of rare metals. Sarkin had just recently surveyed the asteroid and had gotten the mining permit for it.” I can feel Meta’s amusement growing.
“Amused I had read about that. Sarkin was denied the deed to the asteroid by the galactic counsel to protect the Human androids. Sarkin in its anger decided to destroy the offending androids on the asteroid. They filled a ship with troops and landed on the asteroid and attacked the facility the androids built. Sarkin lost the fight and the ship that landed was swarmed and taken apart. Enraged Sarkin gathered four ships and attacked the asteroid again. They got ambushed in the asteroid field and taken apart before they even got into range of the asteroid.” I can feel that all three aliens were amused.
“Yes ever since then the androids upgraded their ships with weapons. Every time a ship with a Sarkin logo came into range of a human android ship it was fired upon. Sarkon never returned to the asteroid belt. There is an unofficial war between the miners and androids. There has not been any casualty for the last 2000 years because Sarkin gave up fighting them.”
“Joy. Are you saying you can control them?” Fori was hugging herself with a big smile on her face.
“Well yes I’m confident that if no outside forces changed the codes then yes I can control them, yet there is something bothering me though. After 500 thousand years 5million seems to be a low number.”
“Total number unknown. Low number, unsolved mystery.”
“Well it’s a mystery that I will soon solve. Is there a console I can use to contact them with?” I look at all the consoles.
“Yes you can use the one directly in front of you.” Meta points to the indicated console. I walk up to it. I watch as the consoles text change to English and the buttons rearrange themselves to a standard human keyboard shape.
“I’m assuming the screen is a touchscreen?” I get a nod from Meta. “Are we in Earth orbit?”
“Correct.” Icor manipulates some controls and the image of the ship and captain disappeared to be replaced with a globe with a circle around it. There is an icon pointing to our location in the circle. “Location L1.”
“Thank you. Sense we are next to the moon I will Contact the moon base first.” I can feel excitement from all three scientists. I just hope Luna is still operating and has not gone crazy.