Star Force: Quenar (SF88) (Star Force Origin Series) (4 page)

“
Working on it,
but through a different route. Have you or the V’kit’no’sat ever tried to talk
to the Hadarak?
”

“
Their
instinctual drive is too strong to overcome. They ignore all communication
.”

“
But an attempt
was made?
”

“
To further
study them, yes. A failed attempt
.”

“
What size of a
transmitter did you use?
”

The Dragon looked at him oddly. “
You seek a different path and inquire as to our past efforts to
validate something that was not tried.
”

“
Pretty much.
The telepathic signals from the Chixzon have to be amplified and produced in a
very specific way for the Uriti to take notice. All other forms are ignored.
But the Uriti can talk to each other, and there is evidence that they can call
to one another over great distances. We speculate that it may simply be a
matter of making our telepathic voice strong enough to mimic another Uriti
before it will take notice of us. So I am asking, did you ever produce a
telepathic aura of a size comparable to a Hadarak?
”

“
I am uncertain.
My knowledge of such things is limited. A check through our database may yield
the results you seek, but I do know that no success was had in attempted
communication or any form of negotiation. The Hadarak expand relentlessly and
without pause unless restricted
.”

“
About that. Why
didn’t they consume the galaxy before you were there to stop them? The Chixzon
knew of them and kept clear of the inner galaxy. It seemed they rarely came
further out. When you say they expand relentlessly, I think there should be a
qualifier there
.”

“
It is true that
they do not seek to expand to every system. They choose those that have deeper
gravity to spawn within, but they can consume any that have the resources they
need
.”

“
If they only
spawn in the core, why can they not spread across the entire galaxy? If there
was nothing keeping them in check before, are there not patterns to their
expansion?
”

“
Such things
have been asked before, though we did not have a historical record as far back
as these Chixzon date. Perhaps it was wrongly assumed that they had spread as
far as they had been able when they were holding to a pattern of some
making…though it is confirmed that they were expanding. Perhaps a cyclical
event or another factor was involved. Regardless, they do not hold to any
boundaries that we or the traitors have detected. I have seen nothing to
suggest otherwise in recent years
.”

“
How often do
they travel alone?
”

“
Rarely. Why
there was an isolated one for the Chixzon to capture is beyond my knowledge.
They travel in packs and are very difficult to kill because they assist one
another. That is not an issue here with this single Uriti, but the minions it
can produce are. I would not recommend experimenting with them, even if this
Chixzon claims to be able to give
them
commands
.”

“
He tells me the
original minions were people. Is that true?
”

“
How do you
define people?
”

“
Did they have a
will of their own?
”

“
They are more
than biological machines, but the distinction is small. They serve and obey the
Hadarak from more than choice. It is bred into them
.”

“
The Chixzon
claim they stripped them of this, utilizing only their bodies and minds and
preventing any true reproduction. They altered the minions from people into
biological machines so there could be no chance of disobedience
.”

“
What other
alterations did they make?
”

“
Many, to both
the Uriti and the minions. Each is unique, both a production model and a
prototype. More recent versions are more advanced and better able to control.
I’m told the same is true of the minions they produce, though the control
aspect is always present with them
.”

“
We can kill
this one if you bring it to an isolated system
,” the Dragon offered, “
but we cannot do it here. Such a battle
would be difficult, and it could not be concealed. There are too many eyes
here.
”

“
There is
another way to kill them, but that is not our aim
,” Paul said, sensing a
flinch in the smaller Dragons. “
We wish
to free them
.”

4

“
Explain
carefully what you mean
,” the Dragon said icily.

“
I mean we’re
not going to kill them unless needed
,” Paul replied in kind, looking up at
the big
Zak’de’ron
and ignoring the smaller ones. “
They’ve been slaves since they were born.
We’re going to see if we can salvage them.
”

“
You intend to
turn them into weapons of your own use
.”

“
If you could
find a way for us to do that consistent with our battle practices, please point
it out
,” Paul said sarcastically.

“
Do not quibble
with me, little Zen’zat
.”

“
Archon. I’m not
a Zen’zat
.”

“
It is your
legacy that you have inherited and made use of to build your feeble empire
.”

“
Zen’zat serve
the V’kit’no’sat and are not allowed to reproduce. We are illegitimate
offspring to them and must be destroyed. Do not confuse us with those savages.
If they come here we will be fighting the Zen’zat. I am an Archon. You were
once V’kit’no’sat. Do wish to still be called as such?
”

The large Dragon reared back slightly, but it was only
him adjusting his seated position.

“
You have
developed considerably since the last time we met, little one. Sadly, it will
not be enough to save you if they do discover your existence
.”

“
Further than
you know. Why the dreams?
”

Paul saw the barest of twitches in the big one, and
with his Pefbar he could see neither of the small ones reacted to him, but they
both noticed their elder’s reaction.

“
What dreams do
you speak of?
”

“
The ones that
give us access to the fourth tier of psionics
.”

This time he hissed, not in anger but surprise. “
What has transpired?
”

“
One of my
brethren has pierced the barrier and attained Choratrik. From the records we
have, no Zen’zat has ever achieved this, nor do the V’kit’no’sat even know it
exists. You gave Kara a Vorch’nas, including in
it
extensive information that has aided us greatly. You seem to have been helping
us, but I think you’ve been testing us. Seeing what we could achieve on our
own. Based off the V’kit’no’sat knowledge we have, we’re leveling up far faster
than Zen’zat typically do and we’ve attained psionics they have not. Also, did
you know we’ve found a way to share abilities?
”

The Dragon’s head, attached to a snake-like neck,
dipped lower so it could look closer at Paul, with its skull nearly being the
size of his body.

“
It seems a
discussion on that matter is long overdue
.”

“
Indeed. First
off
,” Paul said, looking at the red Dragon. “
Why are you two here when he is doing all the talking?
”

“
To observe
,”
it said simply in an altogether different tone of voice.

“
You were born
after me, correct? From one of the eggs discovered in stasis?
”

“
I was
.”

“
Then I am
senior
,” he said, turning back to the big Dragon, “
to all but you
.”

“
Is this
arrogance or ignorance?
” the yellow Dragon said evenly.

“
Both I believe
,”
the large one said, “
but with a touch of
wisdom. How many psionics do you possess, little Archon.
”

“
8 tier 1, 23
tier 2, 4 tier 3, and 16 battlemeld. Has that ever been achieved by the
Zen’zat?
”

The Dragon’s nostrils flared as he remained silent for
a moment. “
Not by V’kit’no’sat Zen’zat.
Which tier 3s do you possess?
”

“
Jumat,
Sav
,
Kex
, and Ubven. All Archons
of my level possess the same
.”

“
How have you
accomplished this sharing?
”

“
We stumbled
upon it by accident and tailored it to our use. Once one of us attains an
ability, we can sync with another to trigger their ascension
.”

“
The
V’kit’no’sat never discovered the battlemeld, yet you have. I am unsure what to
make of this.
”

“
We train harder
than them, and we also give orders rather than taking them
.”

“
Both points of
merit, but I need to analyze you further. Will you allow me access to your
mind?
”

Paul turned to the yellow Dragon. “
If it’s a two way street, I’ll allow him and
you can share his point of view via your own battlemeld, assuming you didn’t
give us something you did not possess
.”

“
If I wished to
take the knowledge from you by force you could not stop me, Archon. There is no
subterfuge here.
”

“
Never the less,
I will allow him. Your power level is beyond mine
.”

“
So is his, as
you are about to see
.”

The yellow dragon walked forward and Paul held up his
bare hand. The Zak’de’ron pushed its head into his palm making flesh to flesh
contact and bypassing Paul’s Ikrid block.

Suddenly the Dragon’s mind was inside his own, a huge,
powerful presence far larger than his fellow Humans’ but not as advanced. Paul
was so used to having Jason inside his head that he could adequately size up the
Zak’de’ron and spot the areas where it was the inferior, but in so many base ways
it completely outclassed him that he was truly surprised.

There was no pushing or pulling involved, no
contention, just an exploration of one another with Paul seeing most of its
memories aside from specific portions that were blocked. He too was shielding
some areas regarding their technology, codes, hidden worlds, and was ready to
break the connection the moment an intervention occurred, but none was to come.

He could only feel the yellow Dragon’s mind, but he
knew the others were also seeing through its perception. But more than its
mind, Paul could also feel inside its body and recognized several psionic
tissues similar to his own. It had Jumat, he was sure of it, and he suspected
several other things, including ones that either the Archons hadn’t unlocked
yet or special psionics that had not been given to the Zen’zat.

He was getting a wealth of knowledge just by being
able to look around inside the Dragon’s body and memories, and he knew they
were getting the same in return. The sharing occurred for more time than Paul
could recount, then the Dragon withdrew its mind, shortly followed by breaking
connection with his hand as it stepped back to a flanking position with a
renewed respect existing between them both.

“
You have done
well, Archon. Though you are still physically weak compared
to
many Zen’zat, few have achieved as much as you have. It would not save you if
you fought them, but if you continue on your present course you will outstrip
them given time. In fact I can accurately say that your pace and intensity of
training are giving you an enormous advantage over the Zen’zat, but their
longevity is something that you will not quickly claim.
”

“
I know
.”

“
The dreams are
meant to be a final test to determine if one is intelligent enough to be
granted the highest powers. You cannot share Choratrik, do you know why?
”

“
I’m guessing
the trigger is structured differently
.”

“
It is. It
requires a mental alignment that cannot exist passively, therefore your twin
link cannot replicate it unless you are so linked during a dream when it
occurs, and such connection is deliberately blocked. You will never be able to
share those abilities
.”

“
Have your
Zen’zat ever achieved them?
”

“
A rare few
.”

“
Have the
V’kit’no’sat discovered them in the Zen’zat genetic code? Surely they had to
observe your Zen’zat using additional abilities during combat?
”

“
What knowledge
we have of their current state suggests otherwise. They most likely assume it
is coding that we gave them in addition rather than weaving it into the
original lot
.”

“
Why did they
not want the Zen’zat so equipped?
”

“
Arrogance is
their lifeblood. They deem the Ter’nat inferior, and are right to do so on the
whole, but they do not wish to accept that once upgraded, certain individuals
can excel to levels of peerdom. They acknowledge the usefulness of Zen’zat
while at the same time demeaning them. They did not want to give them equal or
greater powers, and only relented knowing that they could not pass them on to
offspring and that their power would be limited by the size of their bodies. We
have no fear of you, so there was no reason not to give you the potential. If
you prove unworthy it would simply lie dormant inside. You and your fellow
Archons are beginning to prove yourselves worthy, even if you are not doing it
via the path we originally outlined
.”

Paul sighed, accepting the compliment but knowing that
it meant little if the V’kit’no’sat ever returned. “
How close are we to being exposed?
”

“
The border lies
far from here, but all it will take is one whiff of your existence to bring
them down upon you, and the same is true of us. I hope you understand the
enormity of the trust we are instilling in you simply by coming here
.”

“
You also don’t
have a choice since you can’t wipe our minds…short of killing us all
.”

“
While that may
have been true in the past, you may accept it as a measure of respect now
.”

“
Likewise
.”

“
These Chixzon
you have revealed to us are dangerous, far more so than I would have imagined.
The ability to manipulate the Hadarak to their advantage is not something we
had thought to be possible. Their level of genetics must be considerable, but I
warn you not to mess with your own coding. We have put
failsafes
in to prevent most tampering, and only one intricately skilled would be able to
alter them. If you pursue the tier 4 abilities, you must do it naturally. The
Chixzon may in fact be our peers in genetics, but they operate in an entirely
different manner. Our skills do not overlap sufficient for them to rework you,
so for your sake do not attempt it
.”

“
Failsafe as in
defense, or self-destruction?
”

“
Defense, and if
obvious avenues are taken you will most likely upset a delicate balance, and in
so doing damage yourselves. We did not put any damaging code in place. Such
things are the product of inferior minds, and I suspect the Chixzon fall into
this category. They created some sort of a kill code for these altered Hadarak,
I presume?
”

“
They did
,”
Paul confirmed, having held back that piece of information previously.

“
You would be
wise to use it. What do you seek to gain here?
”

“
I have asked
you here to seek your counsel and knowledge of the Hadarak. We know much from
the Chixzon, but as you said their knowledge lies along different pathways, and
with regards to the Hadarak may be outdated. Their plans to dominate the galaxy
failed because of a singular weakness…the sedative that was discovered. Without
it they would have achieved their goals. We need to understand these Uriti and
what they are capable of, and the database that we have on Earth only goes into
so much depth.
”

“
It is a
redundant core and not meant to maintain the most delicate of files. I have personal
knowledge of the Hadarak and I will tell you never to attempt contact with one.
They are a plague on this galaxy and must be treated as such, else you will
face immediate death
.”

“
Speed?
”

“
They can be
outrun if wisely pursued, but they have countermeasures that can trap the
unscrupulous navigators, most notably their minion swarms. When they flood the
space around them, they are all but impossible to approach and ranged weapons
will only do limited damage. Their bodies are made to take damage rather than
deflect it. One must penetrate the outer layers if there is any hope to fatally
wound one, but when they act in concert they exhibit additional abilities that
make sustained fire almost impossible to achieve
.”

“
The Chixzon
added weaponry to the Uriti. If I share information with you from the Chixzon,
can you advise on the alterations and detail as intricate an analysis as
possible. I truly do not know how we are going to proceed from this point on,
but our first priority is to establish communication if at all possible outside
the Chixzon route. Beyond that, we will pursue other options so long as we can
keep this one contained here so that it is not a threat to other star systems
.”

“
Most likely
futile, but given that I do not know the full extent of their alterations there
may be a hope of merit in your ambitions. I will agree to the data sharing
.”

“
Beyond that
there is a favor I must ask, and one that I believe is in our mutual
self-interest. The Chixzon claim to have seeded the galaxy with the race that
contains their legacy. We are searching this region and have found many such
colonies, but there are bound to be far more beyond our borders. The alliance
that has safeguarded the Uriti has agreed in principle to hunting for more of
these colonies in order to inoculate them with a genetic alteration that we
have devised that will strip the dangerous coding out of them…not rendering it
dormant, but completely removing it and thus ensuring the Chixzon cannot return
in the future through them
.”