Sharra stands herself up by pressing against the wall, leaving black blood prints to smear its perfect shine.
Though the tarnishing is nothing compared to the possibly fatal gut wound leakage on the polished floors.
She knows her time to turn this fight around is terribly short before consciousness betrays her and flees like a craven. At least her older sister Marra is one who takes pleasure in gloating, otherwise this encounter would have ended rightly. A foolish trait for a leader, an unworthy one if it brings utter downfall.
She cannot be allowed to claim victory on principle.
"Yes, that’s it… at least you may perish on your feet. Perhaps mother will note that you weren't a complete waste of our line." Marra says as she confidently brushes her claws through her left ear fur, subconsciously flaunting her genetically rare dark marbling patterns.
"Don't dishonor me with such lies!" Sharra snaps, "Your damn tricks… do you think of me as such a threat to resort to an ambush?"
"Hah! Threat to our bloodline perhaps. You've just barely made it to adulthood, and yet think you have the right to head my projects? Clearly, you lack sense. Thus I end you before you can disgrace our family with spawn!" Marra counters with absolute righteousness.
"I seek to head the projects because you obviously can't." Sharra informs bitterly.
The older of the sisters steps forward, her tail grasper adorned with blades raising up in preparation to strike.
"And why is that…" Marra growls, unamused.
Sharra nods her head, looking past her sister.
"Ask mother."
Marra turns to look behind her in initial surprise, but not catching the scent, she starts to correct herself.
But it's too late.
A thrown dagger, already bathed in the blood of one sister, plunges into the other's chest. It hits dead center, right where her major heart resides.
The older sister briefly looks at the thing, confused before Sharra's hands clasp onto the hilt.
"You are a fool. Marra. A fool that won't immediately finish what you start. I do." The younger informs before dragging the barbs of the blade free from the cavity.
Life relinquished as the body shoulder-checks Sharra on it's way to the solid floor.
-Time and reality shift to a new instance-
"A shame… I was hoping to see more young born with her patterns…" Sharra’s mother says as she holds the severed head of Marra, turning it over in solemn inspection.
"Perhaps Hihhan can paint her markings on her ash vase?" Marra proposes with her wounds yet to be properly tended to. Though they are wrapped to contain fluids, her insides are still fatally damaged.
"A novel idea… it will be done." Her mother agrees as she hands the head over to a family servant, "But what is to be done… with you…?"
Sharra shakes her head as she kneels to her better.
"I did not foresee the ambush. I will claim that failure. I was only able to end the confrontation from opportunity. Marra wished to play with her combatant, and so she paid for it." Sharra speaks in earnest, "If my own failure is of equal cost, then I will perish standing before you. However, if you deem me worthy of healers I will take up her station and perform five-fold. That's why she attacked after all, she knew I could do just that."
Her mother circles her twice in consideration. One in actual thought, and the second to tease.
"You are granted my permission to have your life preserved. May this be a bountiful learning experience for you, my daughter. You show great promise in most regards, may this lesson snuff out shortcomings." The matriarch permits before using her tail to lift her spawn's face so that their gazes meet.
"I will prove my wisdom, mother." Sharra says, her vision starting to blur.
"I knew I felt a certainty after spawning you. A certainty that you may very well be of great use to the future glorious empire. Prove me correct, and our people will be another step closer to our destiny. We won't live long enough to see it, but our kin will be prepared… they will be ready to claim this galaxy as their home."
"For our people." Sharra replies gratefully.
-The face of her mother twists and deforms into oblivion as time yet again progresses-
“Have you arranged a meeting with a suitable male yet?” Thitha asks as she checks her hand projection, overlooking the latest incoming data.
“Once I find one suitable, perhaps. But this work is far too vital to be distracted by offspring contracts. If my mother’s line is to rise amongst the rest, then I need to provide results.” Sharra responds as she double checks Thitha’s work from over her shoulder.
“So you risk shortening her line? Surely she expects you to provide young as well.” Thitha points out, moving to the side to confidently expose her work to the superior.
“Of course she does, but this takes priority. I’m sure the topic will come up next time we return to the Veil.” Sharra says before pointing to a section of data, “Is that an anomaly?”
“Indeed… It’s rather stubborn, I must say. This batch of specimens we’ve procured is proving… resistant to the genetic encoding.” the supernatant confirms, biting her four fangs into the back of her hand.
“They are from a harsher world than most in this galaxy. Perhaps the way their brains have developed is similar to ours.” Sharra supposes.
Her venture makes Thitha wince and growl.
“Comparing us to these stick-wielding apes disgusts me… but even I must admit they have a vaguely passing resemblance to us… disturbingly uncanny… It’s like they exist to mock what we stand for.” she grumbles.
“Hence why several prominent families called for their purging. But thankfully I have the power to veto such a rash decision. They may be degraded reflections of us, but they have the potential to be the perfect prime servants to our future empire. They are like us just enough to be useful, but they lack claws, wings, tails, and their fangs are utterly pathetic. They will be lucky to make it to their planetary moon before our future generations begin their conquest.” Sharra says with absolute pride in her eyes.
“It pains me to not be there when it happens… what a glorious destiny to fulfill… Do you think that if we are successful, your mother’s line will be granted the honor of being in stasis for when that day comes?”
Sharra scoffs and turns around to exit the data processing center.
“Doubtful. This work can only be proven a hundred percent successful for when that day actually arrives. Besides, this operation is one of thousands attempting similar outcomes.” she dismisses, “Keep me updated on your progress.”
Sharra then moves through the remote research station to the section where the specimen stasis chambers reside. Checking her projection device she monitors the power levels, seeing one malfunctioning. Sighing in frustration she strides down the long hall to the unit in question. Within she sees bloodied ape paws attempting to break through the chamber’s casing.
Shaking her head at the ignorance of this pitiful creature, she moves up and begins to run a manual diagnostic. What good is this specimen if they damage themselves out of raw primitive stupidity?
Finding that the chamber has a degrading power coupler, she diverts the power source as a temporary fix until the maintenance servants fly in during the annual check-in report.
She meets the male ape with an expression of pure superiority as he is gradually consumed by the stasis field.
“Be not afraid… you will aid in giving your people a purpose.” she says, knowing full well that the creature can’t hear a thing outside the casing.
Shaking her head once more, she internally scolds herself.
“Don’t fall into Marra’s gloating weakness…. Focus on the task at hand.” she snaps angrily.
Glancing at the opposing newly acquired ape, she mulls over potential experiments to run on it while she waits for a breakthrough.
-The vision alters again, time bounding onward into a final memory-
“I am pleased to report success on test subject 434. I believe we are set to begin the encoding process on all other approved specimens.” Thitha proclaims proudly as she stands in front of her research servants.
“Let’s not be hasty. We require physical trials to see how affected this species is to it. Send a chamber to the test cell. I’ll conduct the test personally.” Sharra cautiously replies as she overviews the seemingly perfected results.
“Yes, ma’am. It will be done.” Thitha loyally confirms, brushing away at her now graying head fur from her face.
Sharra can’t help but grin as she steps out. Despite her caution, she may very well be at the end of a massively vital weapon for her people. It has been far longer than expected to make it to this point. She’s now as old as her own mother back when she was granted this position. But despite the extended timeframe, it was this species that proved difficult to harness. All of their work here progressed all other linked projects to heights completely unexpected.The whole universe may very well bow to their empire by the time it comes down on them. Other teams have encoded every known sapient and potentially sapient species while luring in the shadows. Even those who have advanced into the stars such as the Noxii. The current joke of a universal government is able to harness FTL, and yet within mere generations will succumb to the Manarian’s influence. They will tremble within Manarian presence, and see Manarians as the rightful rulers of this galaxy. It is to be encoded within them all…
What a glorious future the Manarian Empire has in store…
And now the final hurdle… these… apes… will be under the very same genetic spell. Though with so much turmoil over the time heading this project, Sharra can’t help but think that these apes have proven themselves above the rest. Nowhere near the heights of her own people of course, but they will be vital tools in their conquest.
To her own surprise, despite spawning no young of her own yet, the Manarian leadership has granted her the highest of honorable rights… to see the ultimate fruits of her labors. Stasis awaits her in the Veil… she will be there when the universe bends the knee.
But Sharra needs to finish what she started. She won’t leave until she proves to herself that such an honor is something she is worthy of. Marra would have made such a mistake, gloating like the fool she was. So eager to rise without committing to the future.
Sharra enters the cell where the chamber is already prepped to unseal. Warrior servants stand by with electrifying pikes in case the test is an utter failure. She gives them the signal to open the unit, and crosses her arms in attempts to hide her rising excitement.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
The pod opens, allowing the occupant to fall forward and down on his knees. A poetic start.
“Ape.” Sharra says loudly, catching the individual's attention, “Do you understand these words?”
The young male gazes up at the Manarian with absolute dread and fear. As he trembles, the encoding to understand the Manarian language is first tested. To Sharra’s pleasure he nods as water leaks profusely from his face.
“Excellent… I am your god, you will do exactly what I instruct.” she says before dropping a round metal object, having it roll under the ape, “That, is a weapon that can slay all of us around you. We would be powerless to stop you. I command you to roll it back to me.”
The male looks down at the object conflicted, having not seen anything like it before. But without hesitation, he quickly rolled it back obediently.
The question on Sharra’s mind is if the creature truly obeyed from the encoding’s influence, or if they were intelligent enough to deduce that she was lying. Or perhaps even if he thought she told the truth, he knew slaying the three within the room was a far cry from escaping this station. Regardless, Sharra staches the ball up with her tail grasper looking rather pleased.
“Now, go back into that pod.” she orders.
The ape shivers violently as an off-yellow fluid with a foul odor leaks around him on the floor. He shakes his head in a pleading manner, making horrid sounds of distress.
“You are a servant to the Manarian Empire! Back in your pod or you will endure its absolute wrath!” Sharra growls out.
Screaming and whimpering, the ape backs away and practically launches himself back into the chamber. Proving that despite the hell inside, he preferred it to the hell outside. The casing reseals and captures his sobbing state within the stasis.
Gagging at the projected fluid on the floor, Sharra steps away, allowing custodial servants to sterilize the whole cell. She then opens her communications to Thitha.
“We will require further physical tests, but you have my permission to begin encoding.” she informs.
“It will be done.” Thitha responds promptly, “It’s been the greatest honor serving under you. I can’t think of anyone more worthy to see our people’s future.”
“I will ensure none of what we’ve done here will be in vain.” Sharra replies as she makes her way back to her own private quarters. She will remain there until her transport vessel comes to claim her for her honorable journey back home.
However, when it does…
The entire station thrashed violently, nearly sending Sharra’s head into the wall.
She stands up, grappling onto everything within grasper’s reach.
“What was that!?” she shouts through the security comm.
“The returning transport shuttle rammed the station! It looked to have been damaged beforehand!” the head security servant answers.
“Sabotage!?” Sharra snaps, trying to make it through her doorway.
“No, ships’ weapon fire! Stand by… We are picking up several Noxii vessels! They are incoming from all sides! I’m issuing a self destruct sequence!”
“Don’t you dare!” Sharra bellows into the comm.
“Ma’am? It’s protocole, they can’t know-”
“I know! You fool!” Sharra restrains herself as she runs through the hall, “Send us into FTL. If the station in its current condition is torn to atoms then so be it, but we must buy time to send the finished encoding data to the Veil! Our people’s future demands it! Understood!?” she declares.
“Yes ma’am. It will be done.”
“Good. I’m on my way to the communications room. They will require me to send it.”
The order goes through and as the station begins to be set upon by weapons fire, it jumps into FTL. However the interior light sources flicker off and the hum of faster than light travel fades away into thunderous cascading explosions. Gravity rapidly fails and restores and fails, on and on forcing Sharra to evacuate her stomachs as she desperately thrusts her way towards her destination.
Deceased servants float and slam into the floor, while others await their own demise as the station tears itself apart. Eventually someone cared enough to re-route the failing power in such a way that gravity is maintained. Earnestly grateful to whichever doomed engineer servant accomplished this, Sharra is able to pick up her pace.
That is until she has to cut through the chamber hall.
Standing outside of his unit, is the male that bloodied his fists against the casing oh-so long ago. He was never pulled from the unit since then, being a mere backup in storage. But now he was cradling the one that was normally across from him. The female that was captured with him. Unlike the male, she was elderly and sickly from frequent removal and prolonged experiments outside of stasis. How he managed to figure out how to open her unit is beyond the shocked Sharra.
He held her gently, making soft cooing sounds as if to give comfort.
Sharra can’t help but glare at the display of weakness. She was utterly useless to him now. Barely deserving the mercy of death, and yet he held her like a precious treasure. She weakly speaks back, not strong enough to even lift her own head. For the first time since Sharra had begun experimenting, the female ape was smiling. Smiling!?
No matter, the male should have been recently encoded along with the others.
“Get back in your chamber!” Sharra roars.
Catching both apes’ attention, she is pleased to see the male recoil in fear. Though he does pull the female with him…. And ultimately doesn’t comply.
Sneering, Sharra quickly checks the male’s status on her hand projection, indeed seeing that he has been properly encoded.
When she looks back at the two, she notices the female softly speaking, throwing daggers with her eyes at the Manarian. The male nods and rests her up against the hall wall, and stands up to face Sharra.
“I am your god! I command you to step aside and place yourself back in the chamber! You waste precious time to- to…” Sharra trails off as the male charges forward in a dead sprint, screaming in a defiant shrill.
Has the encoding failed? No… even in this moment she can see the crippling fear in the ape’s eyes. A fear that would submit the most fearsome of beasts. A fear from charging an all-powerful deity of the cosmos.
Yet, there he was… running towards certain doom despite it… Facing certain death with honor and repose is one thing, but challenging it when the very mind is encoded to submit… What madness makes a species do such a thing?
Still in shock, Sharra lashes out her tail. The grasper slams into the ape’s chest, claws digging deep within his flesh. He is picked up off the ground and smashed into the side wall, pinned.
The Manarian smirks at how easy this primitive was to dispatch. But then screamed in agony as the ape wrapped his legs around her tail and twisted. She knew these apes were of similar strength thresholds to her own people, but she fails to recall in the moment of the ape’s strange feature of raw adrenaline.
Her tail crackles and snaps painfully, causing the ape to be dropped to the floor. Almost in a fluid motion he is back on his feet charging once more. Sharra is barely able to draw her dagger before he collides with her.
She stabs her weapon into his flesh, but it doesn’t slow the monster’s own violent thrashing against her. As if pain wasn’t something he can register.
Powerful fists smash into Sharra’s face as she is forced onto her back. The world blacks out of existence for a moment, sending her into a complete panic for survival. The ‘fists’ of her wings pelt the ape’s sides and head while her hands struggled against his for the dagger’s ownership. It sends a blinding piercing pain, but she even attempts to pry him off with her broken tail.
It’s a fight she knows she’s losing, so having no other choice she utilizes her fangs to dig into the neck of this disgusting animal. Red fluids spray into her face as she tears free a mouthful of ape.
This is enough of a wound to stun him, so Sharra uses all of her might to throw him to the side and flee down the hall in scampers. It’s not until she’s free that she realizes the male managed to wrestle her blade free from her in the process.
As she passes by the prone female there’s a horrendously painful impact in her back, In reflex her cranes back to see the kneeling male in a casting position. Her blade now sunk into her back.
Still taking this chance to escape, she rushes down the hall, leaking purplish-black blood in a trail behind her. Turning through a side door she slams and locks it closed behind her. She even overrides the lock so that no one can get access through.
But her time was short, shorter than the demise of the failing station. Her death is certain, her body tells her as much.
So with all the rage and strength her mother’s line provides, she presses on until she makes it into the communication room where a single servant sits awaiting demise.
“We’re about to fall out of FTL.” he informs, unfazed by his superior’s state.
“Then I still have time. Open a sending line to our home. Directly.” Sharra says with little breath carrying her order.
“It will be done. It’s been an honor ma’am.”
Not bothering to respond, Sharra takes out a small triangular device and places it on her forehead. She then connects her own mind directly to the encoding files.
“This is Sharra, lead of the Encoding project. We were successful, however we failed as well. Noxii ships set upon us and the station is lost. We are about to leave FTL, so the coordinates of the final resting position will be for you to figure out… In this failure I rescind the honor of stasis. This attack suggests our operations may be compromised, so I encourage you to extract all operations. We accomplished our goal for the future regardless. With this final message I send the final encoding for the ape species. But be warned… Some are somehow still resistant to it, but perhaps with time that will no longer be an issue. It holds the genetic codes of their ancestral species, and when activated, may make… them more… suitable.” Sharra blinks as her consciousness begins to fade, “Glory to our future empire.”
Then in her final moments, she uploads her own mind into the ape encoding… a small corner of it… If she can’t live to see her people rise, she will in a way still be there. Providing a gift of a powerful species to use as essential tools for the coming future.
-
Simone opens her eyes, feeling as though she was gone for a century. Her own mind fits like an old pair of jeans that have been stored away for many years. It takes a few moments to feel present again.
“We are done for now.” the Vermis informs.
“Does… that mean she’s in my head too?” Simone asks aloud, startling the Cali still by her side.
“In a manner of speaking. Not a consciousness however, far too fractured and dispersed. One could theoretically put the pieces back together, but the chaos in a mind would be catastrophic.”
“So… I’m not going to be struggling to keep my meat-suit… you know… mine?”
“No. However, expect occasional hallucinations. Background thoughts that feel misplaced. We doubt it will affect you as an identity, but it’s something to be aware of.”
“That… explains the dreams.” Simone replies, genuinely relieved.
“Yes. There is much more we wish to delve into in the future, but even we are… weary.”
“At least I don’t feel like shit this time.” Simone chuckles.
“Till our next session, Simone Thatch.” the worm states before disconnecting from the Terran’s brain.
“Vitals are like, stellar man… hell yeah!” Dave says as he releases Simone and provides a better carrying container for the brain-worm.
“I feel pretty good too. I mean… I learned a lot of… scary shit. Like… wow… but no headache at least!”
Chak presses her head against Simone’s.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” she chirps lovingly, “What did you see this time?”
Simone nods and in the best detail she can provide in her colorful language, describes everything.
“Oh my… but… They must have been defeated by the old Central Galactic, I believe they would have notably arrived by this point otherwise.
The Terran shakes her head.
“I was in her mind… and… it felt like… their plans were meant to take an asinine amount of time. Like… a fuck’ton of generations.”
“But… why?” Chak asks.
“I think… it’s a lot of things… preparation, waiting for the right time, and holding off until… something happens. They are just one species, so maybe they are waiting for ideal conditions? I don’t know.” Simone rubs at her brow and chuckles again, “But if some Terran caveman kicked their ass I don’t think we have too much to worry about.”
“Or… a lot to worry about.” Chak counters.
“Why’s that?” Simone replies, feeling like she missed something..
“Parts of the Terran government must know this information as well. That can mean a lot of things Simone. If this strange… encoding is truly integrated and the Children of Gaia embraced it…” Chak points out.
“Then… That could mean Harkon knows what’s coming, and is already compromised by them.” Simone finishes.
“If a significant amount of Terrans are being prepared to fight for these Manarians, that could spell disaster.” Chak agrees.
“And…” Simone begins to say, but hesitates, “Well, it could just be me… but a galaxy already completely at war from a Cali King’s insane ambitions… is a pretty prime time to invade.” She suggests.
“You think my father is involved with them?” Chak inquires, horrified.
“I should be asking you that. But at this point it doesn’t matter. Either from his insanity or the manipulation of an outside force… all that matters is we can’t let the galaxy fall into full-scale war. Because if they are still out there, there would be no better time.” Simone answers grimly.
“So… we continue with what we’re trying to do. All this changes is another stake to be concerned with.” Chak asserts.
“You’re right. It’s more perspective. Fuck…”
“What is it?”
“Of fuckin’ course the fate of the entire fucking’ galaxy rests on… guess who? Me…” she says in partial jest.
“And me.” Chak reassures, sitting up next to her love, “All of us. You’re not alone.”
“I know. Just being dramatic. Besides, I doubt we’re the only ones in the entire galaxy in the know and wanting to stop it.”
“Oh, I hope so!”
“I remember… the coordinates where the station was before exiting FTL… I want to try to find it.
“Oh… that may prove… difficult. Not knowing exactly when they left FTL, and the influence of time and gravitational forces and… I don’t know Simone… I’m not certain we can do that.” Chak replies apologetically.
“Right, but I may know someone who knows someone that could help with that…” Simone says, already going through planning in her mind.
“Who?” Chak asks surprised.
“Someone… who hopefully still lives in my home colony. I think it’s time for me to finally visit my old stomping grounds.”