Ominian System
Automated Border Outpost 1D-25
1,893 light-years from Earth
June 6th, 2176 A.D.
Ray looked at himself in the mirror and injected the stim into his neck, feeling the coolness of the contents spreading as his bloodstream dispersed the cocktail of drugs throughout his body.
Almost immediately, his exhaustion dissipated and the dark circles under his eyes rapidly vanished, as did his drooping eyelids. Within ten seconds of the injection, he had de-aged by at least a couple of years, and he now looked well-rested, like he had just come back from a relaxing vacation.
Things were moving rapidly since his conversation with President Lopez last week when she had called him. One of the reasons for the call was to get him to have the Ma’lit agree to a trade agreement with the Kilthek Dominion and allow their trade ships access to the Ma’lit automated trading outpost along their borders.
The council quickly agreed to the Kilthek trade proposals, as well as several mining concessions requested by the Kilthek. Some of the terms asked for by the Kilthek were not favorable to the Ma’lit, and the council still agreed to most of them with minor changes and addendums.
He was initially surprised by the swiftness of the decisions and their unusual generosity, before remembering that the Ma’lit specifically requested the Republic do whatever was necessary to get the Kilthek Dominion to agree to join the rapidly growing defensive alliance.
The last few days were a whirlwind of negotiations with many ambassadors and representatives of the Non-Aligned Powers, both great and small. Summoned by the Ma’lit Domain, a seemingly endless procession of diplomats and negotiators came to the outpost.
When the Ma’Lit Domain summons, governments answer if they wished to remain in the good graces of the Ma’lit and not be put on their shitlist. There was no need to insinuate that there would be repercussions for failing to comply, and everyone knew who truly ruled the quadrant.
Ray also recognized that having them come to the Ominian outpost was an intentional reminder of the power of the Ma’lit Domain; all one had to do was look down at the planet they were orbiting and see a once powerful species laid low.
The implication was not lost on the visitors, and they did not engage in their usual diplomatic maneuverings or waste time with the typical negotiating tactics. He expected them to at least balk at the Ma’lit choosing to use a human ambassador as their chief negotiator, but they wisely kept their mouths shut and were on their best behavior when dealing with Ray.
When Ray asked Hreth’nir why they were having a Republic ambassador be the point man in all the negotiations, it looked at him for a long time before finally answering.
“It is time for the sons and daughters of the Great Ones to reclaim their heritage and assume their rightful place. It will not be the Ma’lit, the Insectoids, or any others that will win this war for us.
It will be the successors of the Magnati who will lead us to victory and claim vengeance for our cousin-kin who were taken from us so long ago. We are no longer less with them, for you have returned to us. It is time for you to rise to the occasion and take your place at our side as our reborn cousin-kin.”
After hearing Hreth’nir’s words, Ray dedicated himself to the task of building the framework of the new alliance that would defend the quadrant when the Balrikans finally arrived. After five long, exhausting days of talks, the non-aligned powers, as well as all the other smaller kingdoms and principalities, finally agreed to contribute their fleets and armies to the alliance.
When news of the Commonwealth joining the Republic of Humanity as a protectorate reached the station two days prior, it sent a shockwave through the entire diplomatic corps and had an immediate and profound effect on Ray’s dealings with the others.
Despite the shocking revelation of the Republic’s true might and military prowess after their lopsided victories against both the Insectoids and the Commonwealth, they were still considered only a middle power and looked down upon by the older species.
To them, humanity was still a young upstart species that somehow uplifted themselves and really didn’t deserve their newfound position as the preeminent power of the quadrant, second only to the Ma’lit Domain.
For the longest time, the Galactic Commonwealth and the Insectoid Empire were considered peer adversaries, both vying for the position as the most powerful organizations of the quadrant. The Commonwealth had been around for over 400 cycles and was considered the de facto ruler of the quadrant, considering the isolationist policy of the Ma’lit Domain.
The Republic of Humanity, on the other hand, was a recent arrival to the quadrant’s power structure. None of the other powers ever saw Republic warships; only civilian, trading, and scientific research vessels were ever seen outside of the Republic. Spying attempts by drones and other means within Republic space always ended in failure, and they soon stopped trying.
The humans were seen as charmingly provincial and were well received by most species who couldn’t help but like the new arrivals. Their wide-eyed optimism, pursuit of knowledge, and shrewd trading abilities endeared them to the others and allowed humans to quickly establish themselves within the quadrant.
To say the other powers of the quadrant were gobsmacked by the Republic’s true power after their victories over the Insectoids and the Commonwealth was an understatement.
The thinking was that the Commonwealth and the recently uplifted Republic of Humanity would eventually engage in a conflict, and the humans would be forced to sue for peace after the Commonwealth Navy finally put them in their place.
When the Insectoids invaded the Commonwealth and destroyed half the fleet while slaughtering hundreds of billions, the other powers thought they were next. If the extremely powerful Commonwealth navy couldn’t stop them, then no one else had a chance.
The Ma’lit Domain would not intercede on their behalf due to their non-interference and isolationist policies, and so they readied themselves to fight the Insectoids after they destroyed the Commonwealth.
That did not happen, and it took several weeks before they were finally able to confirm the rumors flying around the quadrant. The Republic came to the defense of the Eleani and destroyed the entire swarm that had just brought the Commonwealth to its knees.
Spy ships and stealth drones were sent out to confirm the truth, and it was only then when they finally saw the true might of the upstart Republic as thousands of warships poured out of Republic space and allowed themselves to finally be seen by all.
Still, even after all that had happened over the last two years, many species still refused to consider the Republic and humanity as their peers. Now, they were just told that the exalted Galactic Commonwealth, the preeminent power for over 400 cycles, had willingly joined the Republic as a protectorate.
Ray immediately noticed the change in the demeanor of the people he had been dealing with. They were no longer openly arrogant and dismissive towards him and the Republic he represented.
Now they treated him as an equal worthy of their respect, and the power dynamic had shifted in his favor. He hated that he had to act as if they weren’t just barely tolerating him the day prior, and he was too much of a professional to let them see how disgusted he was by them.
I see you. I see you for what you really are, he would think as he looked them in their eyes, laughed at their bad jokes, and nodded sympathetically as he listened to their litany of complaints about minor issues that would not matter if they all died at the hands of the Balrikans.
He did his job to the best of his ability, and he got them all to join the defensive alliance and promise to contribute ships, technology, and resources for the coming conflict.
Today, he will be representing Republic interests and greeting the soon-to-arrive Commonwealth representatives to hash out the details of them becoming a protectorate of the Republic of Humanity. Aurora was coming as well to represent the interest of her Hive, and Ray was excited at the prospect of finally meeting an Insectoid.
He still had some time before the first of them arrived, and he looked at himself one last time in the mirror before exiting the restroom. He went to the small kitchenette and pressed a menu option on the protein synthesizer.
It beeped five seconds later, and he pulled out a plate with two eggs over easy, sourdough toast, and corned beef hash. He quickly ate it over the sink, using the toast to sop up the golden liquid of the egg yolk before placing the dish back into the synthesizer to be recycled.
Looking at his wristcom, he saw that he still had two hours before he would have to go to the diplomatic lounge. Maybe Hreth’nir could finish telling him the story if it wasn’t doing anything in the meantime.
He called Hreth’nir, who told him to come at his convenience. Ray headed over to Hreth’nir’s quarters a short distance away, and he was soon sitting in the extremely comfortable recliner, which was quickly becoming his favorite part of their conversations.
Hreth’nir waited till he was settled before asking if there was anything in particular that he wished to know. There was one question that Ray had been dying to ask, and he jumped at the chance offered by Hreth’nir.
“Hreth’nir, if you were able to salvage DNA from the Magnati, why did you not try with the other species that fell victim to the plagues? What about the Slikath? Or the Wan’sho? Why did you not bring them back?”
Hreth’nir looked blindsided by Ray’s question, and it took a few moments before it finally answered.
“The Slikath would not have appreciated our attempts to bring them back. Their religion expressly forbade resuscitation attempts after death, and even the most basic of life-saving interventions with medical science that were normally practiced by most species were frowned upon.
The Slikath had a different view of life and death than most others did, viewing dying not as an end but merely a transformation they must undergo to pass to the next stage, or the second life, as they called it.
When the plagues hit them, there was no panic or widespread attempts to flee. They met their end with grace. Not since then, and never again, I think, will the galaxy ever see a species meet their end with such equanimity as the Slikath displayed when it was their time to pass.”
Hreth’nir paused and seemed to not want to look Ray in the eyes as it began to speak again.
The Wan’sho… had no such restrictions, and we tried to bring them back many times. Despite our unmatched skills at genetic engineering, nothing we did worked. The plagues specifically formulated for the Wan’sho targeted their genes in such a way as to induce mindless aggression in the victims.
Many of the Wan’sho died from the plagues, but many also died from uncontrolled aggression. They would tear each other to pieces, parents would kill and eat their children, and they committed suicide in the most terrible ways if there was no one near them to kill.
It was so bad that none dared to approach any of their worlds or ships due to them mindlessly attacking their would-be rescuers. They lost all capability for rational thought, and they could no longer operate even the most basic machinery by the time they fully regressed. When the food ran out, the rest starved to death when they became too weak to kill and eat each other.
When we returned to their worlds for the great purge, we salvaged their DNA and attempted to recreate them as they once were. Every effort was met with failure. Even the Wan'sho we cloned after carefully repairing their genome exhibited these tendencies, and several Ma'lit geneticists were murdered by the reborn Wan'sho. Some as soon as they gained consciousness, others within two solar days. The end result was always the same; mindless aggression despite our best attempts to fix the corrupted genome.
Hreth’nir fell silent, and Ray could feel the anguish in its voice. After a few moments, still looking down at the granite tiles, Hreth’nir continued.
“You must understand the extraordinary relationship between the Magnati and the Wan’Sho. Despite the drastic differences between the two species, it seems as if they were made to complement and fulfill each other.
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What is that expression of your people? ‘Two sides of the same credit’? No! Coin. Two sides of the same coin. Before they met each other, they were just Magnati and just Wan’sho. Together, though, they blended to form something wondrously rare: a true symbiotic friendship and love that bridged the gap between the two species.
They were exceedingly loyal to each other, and wherever a Magnati went, a Wan’sho went. And wherever a Wan’sho went, so did a Magnati. Their love for each other transcended all boundaries, my human child. It was unique; it was beautiful, and we tried our best to bring them back for our cousin-kin.
For over two hundred cycles, we failed. Finally, we realized it was not to be, and we did the next best thing: we reverted the Wan’sho to an earlier, pre-sapient ancestral form from their distant past and brought them to Earth for you. For reasons we still do not understand, as long as the new form did not go past a certain threshold of their evolution, they would not fall victim to the mindless aggression curse within their genome.
Almost immediately, your ancestors and the atavistic Wan’sho we created formed immediate bonds, as we knew you would, and we watched with joy as both humans and the new Wan’sho we brought back to life formed the same unique, symbiotic relationship, as if it was always meant to be.”
Hreth’nir stopped speaking, finally looking up from the floor and directly into Ray’s eyes. Blinking several times, Ray’s mind raced from the revelation, and he cleared his throat before speaking.
“Hreth’nir, are you telling me that the Wan’sho you brought back to life… are our dogs? Is that what you are telling me right now?”
“I am, Ray. It was the only way we could reunite your species. Does this disturb you? You seem distressed by what I am telling you.”
Ray shook his head slightly before answering Hreth’nir.
“It’s a little disturbing in some ways, and it is beautiful in others. Are all the canines of my world based on the Wan’sho? What about wolves and the other canine species of Earth?”
“It is common for canid and felid predator species to develop wherever complex life emerges on suitable planets, Ray. We combined the DNA of the Wan’sho with the native canid species on Earth. The inclusion of the Wan’sho DNA, specifically the GTF21 and GTF21RD1 genes that we spliced in, made them more inclined to seek out and form bonds with you humans.
One surprising side effect of the Balrikan mutagenic plagues on the Wan’sho genome was the morphological changes that could quickly allow specific traits to be selected and reinforced as needed by humanity. Never before had we seen such an abundance of forms and characteristics as what you have achieved with your companions. We are grateful the descendants of the Wan'sho we gifted you did not become extinct like so many species on your world did after your last war."
Ray felt a lump forming in his throat as he thought about his childhood dog, Dash. It was so hard losing his best friend that Ray never adopted another dog ever again. Trying not to lose control of himself, Ray pushed the memory of Dash out of his mind as he spoke.
“This is wild, Hreth’nir. This is going to cause some serious soul searching among my people for the way we used to use and abuse dogs. Some cultures used to eat them; did you know that? This guilt we carry within ourselves is one of the reasons why the Republic saved the Jaleeni. This is going to upset everybody, Hreth’nir; I do not think it would be wise to make this public knowledge, to be honest with you. Let’s keep this between us for now, okay?”
Hreth’nir tilted his head as he listened to Ray, taking a few moments to answer.
“I will, of course, follow your recommendation to hold my silence until the time you deem humanity ready to learn the truth. I can see this is upsetting you, and I am sorry for making you distraught.”
Ray quickly wiped his eyes, embarrassed that his emotions were so obvious to Hreth’nir. He looked down at the tiles as he quietly responded to Hreth’nir’s apology.
“It’s okay, Hreth’nir, really. It just reminded me of my dog, Dash. I grew up with him, and he was my best friend. All he wanted to do was be with me, and he was the best part of my childhood. I miss him terribly, and now I am finding out he was my Wan’sho, and I was his Magnati.”
Ray’s voice trailed off, and Hreth’nir stood up out of his seat and walked over to Ray, placing a heavily modified hand on his shoulder. Hreth’nir stood there, awkwardly trying to rub its hand against Ray’s shoulder to comfort him as its cybernetic implants kept getting caught on his shirt and pulling on it.
It was so sweet and hysterical at the same time; it took all of Ray’s willpower not to laugh out loud, so he put his head in his hands and stifled his giggling, hoping to God that Hreth’nir would misconstrue it as him trying not to grieve.
Thankfully, Hreth’nir grew tired of constantly having to unhook the shirt from its hand implants and returned to the seat across from Ray. He wanted to know more about how humanity had formed on Earth, and he had some questions he wanted answered.
“Hreth’nir, I have a question. If you put humans on Earth some 120,000 years ago, then how come human bones have been found from 300,000 years ago? Can you please explain that discrepancy?”
“It is not a discrepancy, my human child. Those humans were already there when we selected this world to bring the Magnati back. Like the Wan’sho, trying to return the Magnati to their original form was a failure due to the mutagenic effects of the Balrikan plagues. We spliced in what we could salvage from the Magnati DNA into the available gene pool and hoped for the best. Thankfully, our efforts worked, and we have kept careful tabs on your species ever since.”
This just confused Ray even more, and he rubbed at his temples as he asked another question.
“So, you didn’t create us entirely from scratch but added the Magnati genes you selected to the humanoid species already on Earth. How is it possible that two species from two different planets could develop so similarly that they could exchange genes? Is this a case of convergent evolution?”
Hreth’nir looked at Ray with its cybernetic eyes for what seemed like a long time before finally replying.
“Convergent evolution happens all the time. When you have been in space for as long as we have and seen what the Ma’lit have seen, it is not so farfetched. There are certain worlds within and outside the quadrant that seem as if they were…created specifically for our species.”
“And our belief in God? Does this mean there is no God that created us, if what you are saying is true?“ Ray asked.
Hreth’nir seemed to freeze at the unexpected question, as they had never once discussed the religious and philosophical ramifications of what the Ma’lit did.
Ray stared at Hreth’nir, who seemed unsure how to answer his question. Now they were going to get to the heart of the matter, whether Hreth’nir wanted to or not. After almost a minute of silence, Hreth’nir finally spoke.
“I will answer your question with one of my own. Have you ever wondered why the Ma’lit still worship the creator? For all our power, knowledge, and wisdom, why would we still choose to believe in God? I ask you, my human child, to answer my question. Why would we?”
“I have wondered that myself, Hreth’nir.” Ray answered quietly. “Why do the Ma’lit still believe? I would have expected an advanced species such as yours to have moved on from such beliefs.”
“Yes, you would think that, wouldn’t you, Ray? Well, I will tell you why. We believe because we have seen things that confirm our belief. As our wisdom grows, so does our faith. There has been a guiding hand in the creation of the universe and the emergence of life.
This has been confirmed by our scientists, and even the atheists among us have acknowledged that all the evidence points to this universe being created on purpose, not by accident. Even down to the genetic level, there are signs, such as finding the same species of humans on several planets separated by great distances.
This is not panspermia, and this is not random chance. Some were still hunter-gatherers; some were on the cusp of their own industrial revolution. Others had become an interplanetary species and colonized their system by the time we came upon them.
We absorbed all the disparate tribes into our own, and they all had one thing in common with the Magnati and the Ma’lit: a fundamental belief in a creator, a God that made them and sent prophets to guide them just like they were sent to us in the ancient times.”
Ray was silent after Hreth’nir finished speaking, finding himself deeply touched by the earnest faith of the Ma’lit sitting in front of him.
Now that things had been clarified a little better, Ray found himself deeply ashamed for almost losing his own faith. His mistaken impression that the Ma’lit had created humanity caused him to doubt his own beliefs, and Hreth’nir had just proudly declared its own unshakable faith in a creator.
I am sorry I doubted you; please forgive me, Lord.
Thinking of the ancient humans that had been genetically modified by the Ma’lit with the inclusion of Magnati genes, Ray found himself wondering if what they did was wrong, and he decided to ask Hreth’nir’s opinion on the matter.
“Hreth’nir, by interfering with the natural development of the native… humans on Earth, did you deprive them of the ability to come into their own as a species? Was it right for you to do this?”
Hreth’nir sighed and tapped the middle finger of its right hand against an augmented knee as it pondered Ray’s question. The metallic tapping sound was loud in the silence between them, and Ray ignored the annoying tap tap tap as he waited for Hreth’nir to answer him.
“We have asked ourselves the same question ever since we spliced the Magnati genes into theirs. We were grief-stricken, and we made an emotional decision without really thinking it through.
There were several human species on Earth, and we had hoped the genes we added would spread across the entire population and a new Magnati hybrid comprised of all the species would emerge in time.
To our dismay, the inclusion of the Magnati genes had devastating effects that led to the disappearance of all other unmodified humans. The Magnati hybrids were more intelligent, more competitive, and they were uniquely suited for large-scale warfare, a side effect of the genes we spliced in.
They rapidly achieved supremacy over the areas they migrated and expanded to, interbreeding as we had hoped in some cases, and eventually driving all others to extinction. This caused us great grief, and for thousands of years we questioned our decision as the Magnati hybrids slaughtered themselves and others in untold numbers.”
“And now? Do you still question if you made the right decision?” Ray asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“Not since your 3rd World War, my human child. I was here when humanity nearly destroyed itself, watching it unfold from a cloaked Ma’lit dreadnought stationed at the L2 Lagrange point. It was my first deep space mission, and I was fascinated by your species, which is why I chose the posting.
When the war broke out, I expected it to just be another of your regular conflicts I had heard about, and I most certainly did not expect to bear witness to the near extermination of your species.
The mission was only supposed to last 1.2 cycles, but because of the unexpected severity of the conflict, I stayed for the first three years of the war, was forced to return to the Ma’lit domain for one cycle, and then returned and stayed until the formation of the Republic of Humanity.”
Ray stared at Hreth’nir, his eyes bugging out of his skull at what it had just told him.
“You were there? I didn’t know that Hreth’nir. My God, it must have been terrible to be forced to watch us at our worst; I cannot imagine the things you must have seen.”
Hreth’nir looked away from Ray and stared at a blank wall, speaking just barely above a whisper as if afraid to voice its memories of that time. Ray hunched forward, barely able to hear what Hreth’nir was saying.
“I do not speak of that time, my human child. My soul has never recovered, and it never will if I am being honest about it. It was as if… humanity fell completely under the sway of evil, and I was witnessing your final fall from grace.
Surely, this is the end of them, I thought to myself as the contrails of hundreds of nuclear bombs threaded your skies before removing entire cities, and all who dwelled within them, from the face of the Earth.
I watched as millions fled from the radiation and the biochem attacks, forming great refugee caravans of half-dead survivors trying to find a place of safety. Seeing them wander aimlessly, not knowing there was no such thing on Earth anymore, was the most difficult thing for me, I think.
All they wanted was food, water, and medicine, and there was none to be found, not in the quantities necessary to keep the caravans alive. Growing smaller by the hour, it was easy to determine where the refugees had traveled by the trails of unburied bodies they left behind them for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of your miles.”
Hreth’nir, still staring at the blank wall, lifted its right hand and touched itself with it in three quick motions, something Ray had never seen before. It seemed to have religious significance, or maybe it was a warding gesture, he decided as Hreth’nir resumed speaking after putting its hand back down.
“And then, it seemed as if humanity simply could not fight anymore; the weapons went silent, and the great battles being fought on the land, the seas, and in the skies finally stopped. There was no victory, no treaties, and no resolution that ended the war officially.
I expected the complete and total collapse of your civilization to soon follow, and for humanity to regress back to a preindustrial state. It was only a matter of time before the war reignited, and I did not foresee your species surviving it.
My colleagues all felt the same way, and we followed the journeys taken by the armies as they returned to their respective territories. The barbaric coalition soldiers returned home and brutalized the conquered populations, as well as their own people, just as we expected them to after the evil Eastern Coalition government collapsed.
It was the returning Alliance soldiers that surprised us and showed us that not all of humanity had fallen from grace. They went back home and overthrew their corrupt governments, and instead of restarting the war as we expected, they focused their efforts on trying to save what remained.
I remember when they started rebuilding the capital of what was the main power of the Alliance, the United States. Before our very eyes, the blackened pit where the city once was had been restored within a time that scarcely seemed possible to us by your automated factories.
We did not know you had such technology hidden away, and we were astounded when it was put to use. And then another city was restored, and then another, and we watched in awe as a new civilization emerged from the ashes, refusing to give up and surrender to the evil that nearly conquered them.
When before I thought I was witnessing the end of humanity, I now realized that I was wrong. I was witnessing the rebirth of humanity and the final victory of good over evil in your world as this new civilization brought the entire planet under its control and finally eradicated the evils of the world before.
The Magnati cousin-kin we had been waiting millennia for had finally returned to us, emerging from deep within when confronted by true evil and pushed to the very edge of extinction. So, you asked me if I think we made the right choice.
Yes, I think the Ma’lit made the right choice. Your actions ever since that terrible time only prove we were right to do what we did, and this is why we believe the coming war can only be won if you take your rightful place at our side and lead us all.”
Hreth’nir stopped speaking, seeming exhausted from having to relive those memories and speak of what it saw and experienced all those years ago. Finally looking back at Ray, Hreth’nir continued, his voice now strong and clear.
“This was the first time I have ever spoken about what I witnessed, and it will be my last. I am glad it was you who bore witness to my remembrance of the calamity that almost ended your species. Now it is time for humanity to rise to the occasion again and for the quadrant to know that the Great Ones have returned to us.
Come, my friend. It is time for us to create a new alliance that will put an end to the hateful creatures once and for all. Either we emerge victorious, or we all die together, for the Ma’lit refuse to live on among a graveyard of trillions a second time. We shall not drink from that cup of bitterness ever again, and we will fight with our reborn cousin-kin to the end.”
Hreth’nir stood up and eyed him with the ocular implants before putting out its right hand, and Ray slowly stood up from the armchair and straightened himself before shaking the heavily modified hand.
It felt like a solemn vow between the two of them, an unspoken promise to each other to never give up and keep fighting no matter the cost. The handshake ended, and Hreth’nir turned and walked to the door, its head held high.
Ray followed, feeling his resolve to do whatever it took to win this war and save the quadrant growing stronger as he followed Hreth’nir out of the quarters and towards the diplomatic lounge.
They had an alliance to build and a war to win. Nothing else mattered but victory, for defeat meant the death of every single soul in the quadrant and beyond.