There’s about a dozen different videos from the scientists. All of them about The Revrell and the experiments that went on here and what they could learn from the leftover information. It should all be destroyed so nothing like this ever happens again, but curiosity gets the better of me.

“I’m going to watch these videos,” I say to Marshall as I open the first.

“You sure you want to?”

“Yeah, I just need to know what happened.”

“Then lets do it.”

I press play on the first video, a nameless Revrell scientist appears. It’s funny, I don’t know what a Revrell looks like when they’re born, most people don’t. They look like some sort of ape, lacking a tale, but still standing upright although it isn’t odd for them to have some kind of hunch with squat knees pointing outwards. Still, they’re tall, not as tall as the Qhex who seem to be more chimpanzee with additional arms and much larger. Revrell have five fingers but their feet seem to be made up of three claws in cases where we can actually see their feet. There is a rumor that Revrell have their tails cut off when they’re born as some century long experiment to see how long it takes the species to evolve without them, but we don’t have any proof of that. The main reasoning behind that is there is a growing number of the population who have massive prehensile tails added through various surgeries.I honestly don’t know how they distinguish between the male and female. It’s almost a genderless society but they still reproduce through pregnancy and live birth. Perhaps I’ll study them if I ever leave this planet. Cybernetic eyes, metallic limbs, extendable digits. I’ve never seen one without extensive modifications.

The problem with trying to figure out what Revrell really look like is that they’re fond body modification from birth. The scientist in the video is no different. They sport a metallic torso that seems to be able to bend and fold like an accordion, almost like layered armor. Where a human heart would be located seems to be a container holding some flowing purple energy. Their skull features several brown plates on the right side, with three tubes extending from the left of their face to something unseen behind them.

“To uplift a species means to bring them into the world as we know it,” the scientist begins. “Revrell space is filled with many life forms, however none are able to match The Revrell. Few have even conceived the concept of faster than light travel. Only one species has managed to do it, us, The Revrell. We uplift species to build a stronger society. Soldiers to fight wars, workers to do menial tasks and as servants. Our failures are many but our successes are incredible,” the scientist speaks.

“It’s like some kind of after school video,” Marshall says.

“Almost as if they’re trying to leave an education video while on the verge of wiping themselves out.”

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t unnerving. Especially surrounded by the fruits of their labors trapped in cages.”

I resume the video, “We have five species which we consider a success, four of those help make up The Revrell Republic. Species who have become capable of continuing their own society and become allies to The Revrell as we intended. The Billith,” an image of a Billith appears. Another species I’ve never seen without their suits. They live in large suits of some kind of stretchy material. They move as if they’re made of fluid attempting to mimic sapient species. Even their voices sound as if they’re speaking under water. Each of the suits is complete with a large spherical helmet, that displays a holographic face. I’ve never met one in person and they don’t seem eager to leave Revrell space. “The Billith,” the scientist continues, “are the best ship builders in the universe. They mastered the craft while searching for a new home world centuries ago. Their numbers are few so having a ship built by them is a great honor. They reproduce asexually and only leave their suits to do so.”

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Marshall fast forwards the video. “We just need to know who and why. We don’t need their whole history. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to go over it all.”

“The Irnai are our greatest success and biggest failure at once,” The Revrell scientist continues before displaying several diagrams. They seem to come in two races. Both have flesh that appears to be soft, yet burned at the same time. The first race is smooth except for jagged flesh covered spines extending from their elbows and up the back of their upper arms stopping before their shoulders. There are several more spines extending from their forehead, curved towards the back of their heads. None of these spines are spiked which makes me question their purpose. Almond shaped eyes, a sunken nose, and spiked teeth complete the face, their bodies are extremely muscular. The second species lacks the spines but their flesh seems to be more jagged and rock like, but still fleshy, with wide circular eyes. Their defining feature is a white skull like marking on their face, I’m unsure if it’s some sort of paint or birthmark. “The Irnai have no contact with The Revrell due to their rebellion, yet their society continues to grow and expand. Prior to uplifting they worshipped fire, we did not take this seriously. They used fire to burn away our forces. They call it pyromancy but they are simply psionics with a unique affinity for fire. They are a vicious species elevated to fight The Draconian Empire, but they chose to fight us. Of our five success, they are not part of The Republic although we hope they someday join us.”

“I like them,” Marshall says as I view the list of entries in this archive.

“Billith, Irnai, Acroits, Xagrets, and Strux,” I read from the list. “Strux, that’s what we want.”

“You’re wondering the same thing I am,” Marshall responds.

“I think I already know the answer.”

A model of The Strux is displayed. Thin limbs covered by a hard exoskeleton, some have shells on their back that hide wings for flight. Behind the knees, the elbow, where the neck turns and shoulders, the only portions not covered by the exoskeleton. Small gaps in the abdomen allow for movement. The face is covered again by exoskeleton displaying six white almond shaped eyes with no pupils, three on each side in a vertical line. A jagged horizontal line splitting the bottom of the mask all the way across for their mouths. The similarity between the grubs and Strux is hard to ignore. I haven’t seen any with wings, but every other feature has been seen in a grub at some point.

“The Strux were a species of humanoid insects before The Reverell intervened,” the scientist begins. “There are as many races of Strux as there are insects. We focused on types of beetles for our molding of The Strux. They excel in enforcer type roles, soldiers, law enforcement, and bounty hunters. Unfortunately, due to the live birthing process most fail to develop the elytra in embryo meaning the underwings fall off during infancy due to lack of protection for them.”

“There’s a section called crossbreeding linked to this video.”

“Go to it,” Marshall says coldly

We both know what we’re expecting to hear, but can’t but help be shocked when the scientist speaks, “In addition to the uplifting of species, we attempt to crossbreed various species in an attempt to create better versions,” a map of dozens maybe hundreds of colonies throughout the galaxy is displayed above us. “Each of these colonies is occupied by a crossbred species. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands created over the last several centuries. Most were deemed a failure and abandoned. The Strux are unique in our uplifted species because they were the base of one such experiment.” The planet Romero is isolated and the map zooms in on Trellis. “A rogue group within The Galactic Federation approached us about the experiment. We created the appearance of an old colony, leaving behind everything required to expand. Slowly we altered their DNA with,” Marshall turns off the video.

“I’ve heard enough,” Marshall shakes his head, struggling o look from the floor.

I still want to hear more. I want to know what they did. How did they manage to edit the DNA without the entire population noticing? How did the experiment get out of hand? I don’t want to repeat their works, I want to know how they realized they went to far. Were these Revrell scientist fallen victim to their own experiments or are these the human scientists they left behind? The confirmation of what was already know doesn’t ease my mind. It gives me more questions than it did answers. Rage, curiosity, betrayal, disgust, all feelings attempting to fight for dominance at the surface of my mind. In incredible act of science, and affront to the rules of the universe as we know it. That seems to be the entire Revrell way. Now, we’re simply part of its legacy.