The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell (49 page)

  “How are you feeling?” Dr. Costa asked him.

  “Much better. How’s the symbiote?”

  “Actually it’s doing just fine. Come take a look.”

  Dr. Costa led him to where the symbiote was. The symbiote was clearly visible inside a clone. The clone didn’t have any arms or legs, or any facial features. It was connected to a breathing tube and an IV. The clone had cybernetic implants in its brain and was connected to a computer.

  “I’ve isolated each of the DNA within it. I also extrapolated the difference between the DNA of the symbiote and that of the Apollinarians. Right now the computer is analyzing, and categorizing the data. When it is done, I will be able to tell the difference between family members. I will also be able to tell if they had any diseases. The computer can also generate an approximation of what the individual look like. It is 75% accurate.”

  “When will it be done?”

  “Between 03-to-05:00 hours.”

  “Alright… I’ll see you then. Bye-bye.”

  “Okay. Bye-bye.”

  At 05:08 it was done. La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o stood there looking at the images and data on the computer approximation of the Apollinarian DNA. He recognized himself, one General, and Emperor Zeno’y’lk. From that it helped the computer to narrow down the rest of the Imperial family.

  “You know…” Dr. Costa was saying. “…if I were to use your original DNA, plus the DNA of Little John… I could easily give you your old body back.”

  “How long would it take?”

  “Four months.”

  “How long before you could start?”

  “Three days.”

  “How much of me would be the original?”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On whether or not you would like to intermix with humans.” Dr. Costa said smiling.

  Dr. Costa is a very beautiful white woman – brunette, single, no boyfriend or children, never been married, could easily become a model/actress if she wanted to. Ever since Dr. Costa met La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o she started to want him even more.

  “Doctors know best.” Double Shock said causing her to smile in a affectionate way.

  He walked over to her (with butterflies in his stomach) took and held her hand. He then looked at her with deep concern in his eyes, and said. “Please do a me one favor... and tell me the honest truth about something.”

  “What?”

  “How do you feel about me?”

  She smiled in a affectionate way, and without hesitation she told him that she likes him.

  “This body… or the original?” He asked.

  “No… I like you… La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o. I like you a lot.”

  “Then maybe you can help me with my problem.”

  “What problem is that?”

  “I got a major case of butterflies in my stomach.” He said, causing her to laugh in a affectionate way.

  “That sounds serious. I’m gonna have to pay you a visit later and… see how you are doing.” She said with a warm smile.

  He smiled, told her that he will see her then, and reluctantly left. He then headed back to his quarters. Later in the evening his doorbell rang. It was Dr. Costa. She was wearing a dress and was looking so very beautiful to him.

  “There I go again… chasing butterflies.” He said causing her to laugh with affection.

  He took her to the Stellar Cartography Room because he had something to show her.

  “I wanted to show you something. It’s part of the reason why I spend so much time in here.” He said to her. He then spoke to the computer. “Computer. Run my program.”

  She stood there watching in amazement as she saw an alien star system. Seeing the planets, moons, and one particular planet with two moons: his home world. The computer simulation then zoomed in on one region: the Hau’rino Empire.

  “That’s where I was born… in the city of Ylk’nyn’da (e-look nen da).”

  For the next several minutes she stood there in deep fascination and asking questions. Becoming more curious with each question answered. Dr. Costa then gave him the look that she wanted more than just her questions answered: she wanted him. He then kissed her and they made love.

  “I remember now.” He said after they finished making love. He was holding her.

  “Remember what?”

  “When I was in the afterlife… I saw you. I thought you were an angel. I then heard the voice of God say, ‘Go to her.’ I thought he meant that she... uh… you would take me into heaven. Then I felt myself coming back down. I then awoke in this body.”

  “What did God sound like?”

  “I vaguely remember.”

  “What was it like? In the afterlife.”

  “Peaceful… happy.”

  After he thought for a moment he finally made his decision. It was a decision that will change, not only him, but also his people forever. It was a decision made from the love of a person.

  “I made my decision. When you give me back my original body… could you make it where I am as tall as a typical human?”

  “Yes why? Oh… I see.”

  “What about the rest of my people? Can you do the same to them?”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Believe me… they won’t care.”

  “Maybe so… but you should still let them make that decision.”

  “Look... it’s something that you wouldn’t understand.”

  “Try me.”

  “Apollinarians would find your species as beautiful as they would one of their own. But they have that slave holding gene within them, whereas humans do not. For the Hau’rino people we have fought for our freedom for thousands of years. So naturally it would change our DNA. But not the rest of our species. So we would perceive it to be quite liberating if we were a human-Apollinarian hybrid. They wouldn’t care.”

  “Alright… I start work tomorrow.” Dr. Costa reluctantly said.

  Over the next few days Dr. Costa worked tirelessly to create a DNA modifier. On the first night that she started, La’jyn’eu asked her if she would like to move-in with him. She agreed with a smile and without hesitation to it. They got along quite well. They never got on each other nerves. His behavior alleviated her stress giving her the drive to carry on. Her behavior and outlook on life helped him to find peace with himself from the Tylkuoply war. They were meant for each other.

  Long after Task Force ZH-3C’s mission on Golden Hyperion ended, the crew of Ziin’lyi’tols was in orbit above the third planet in the Omicron Ultra star system, which the EOD converted into a Supply, Storage, Industrial & Manufacturing world. The planet was as big as the Earth, roughly 38% of it was covered in water, and like Mars, it was a dead planet with no real moons. Like the Earth, it is a mineral rich world. The EOD did terraformed it somewhat, but only enough to walk upon its surface without a spacesuit. They wanted people to periodically go there (robots did most of  the work), not to live there.

  Before the crew of Galactic Prime, or Task Force ZH-3C, learned about, and confronted something that the EOD called “Flip Jumpers,” the crew of Ziin’lyi’tols learned that the entire Omicron Ultra star system, minus Golden Hyperion, was robotic controlled. But they didn’t know if the star system is the sole reason why the EOD wanted a near monopoly on robots. It would turn out that Task Force ZH-3C would learn that the hard way. It had everything to do with Flip Jumpers. They are not entirely robots, nor are they cyborgs. They’re something new, they’re something different. What they are, are the most dangerous weapons in the known galaxy.

  Over the four month time period that Double Shock was changing into a human-Apollinarian hybrid, he was starting to become depressed. Dr. Costa got him to tell her why. Whenever he looks at himself in the mirror, he sees a freak. She didn’t like that. She told him that he is not a freak and that she loves him blindly.

  130 days after he was injected with the DNA modifier, Double Shock woke up in his original body. (Minus the fact that he is now shorter and can now breed with humans.) From that point forward he no longer considered himself a Wol’ga’con or a human (he never really did), but as a true Apollinarian. He didn’t consider Vaistll as an Apollinarian but as a Wol’ga’con. Throughout his transformation, not once did he ever noticed that Dr. Costa didn’t see him any differently. She still saw him as La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o. Her love for him truly was blind. Although her first pregnancy was a miscarriage and the next one was a still birth, she saw it as a sign of how successful his transformation is turning out. Since he wanted to become a father, it contributed to his depression that he couldn’t get her pregnant. Once his transformation was completed, they started to talk about marriage. While they were talking about it, their conversation turned to Golden Hyperion and the fate of Galactic Prime and Task Force ZH-3C. They then talked it over with the rest of the crew and they decided to go to Golden Hyperion.

  When they got to Golden Hyperion they saw the battle scars left over from the mission. Everybody was too shocked and horrified to say anything. They then went to the capital city and learn the truth. What they learned scared the hell out of them, even Double Shock.

  The people mentioned that they were afraid of the EOD and wanted to leave them. Seeing that the crew of Ziin’lyi’tols captured an EOD Ultra Class vessel, the people found their new rulers. At that moment, the Omicron Ultra star system now belong to them. Both Project 21 and the EOD lost value in the system by that point in time and neither side would challenge their claim to independence. They truly were free of the EOD.

  Throughout Double Shock transformation, Tech Specialist Torrio, Dr. Verrone, Dr. Costa, and the other scientists, were working on the symbiote trying to solve the problem of communicating with it. They wanted to do what Mynik’ny’nuta did when she brought Double Shock back. And one month after they arrived on Golden Hyperion, they finally succeeded.

  For the first time since they been together, La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o and Dr. Costa got into an argument over the height of the Imperial family. She wanted them to be their original height, he didn’t. She told him that she was going to do it whether he wanted her to or not. He then turned around and mentioned under his breath, ‘ynieno’ (e-nay-no), which in the Hau’rino language means: thanks, thank you, etc. She then smiled when she heard him say that and said, ‘You’re welcome. Don’t worry about it my love. Everybody will still look up to him like they always did.’ He just smiled and walked on.

  Before that March was over with, Emperor Zeno’y’lk was resurrected. The people quickly learned that, although he can be ruthless to his enemies, he was more of a benevolent ruler than a malevolent one. He is highly-intelligent, very smart, quick-witted, loves to laugh, multi-language, enjoys all types of music and movies, multi-cultural, well articulated, and quite appreciative. But what they loved the most about him was he gave them a sense of purpose. He gave them something to believe in that is greater than then themselves without it making them arrogant. He had that spiritual wisdom  that could guide them through their darkest hour. He’s the type of an Emperor that the people would die for and he never would ask them to. The people loved him.

  The people also got another gift before that March was through – the Empress. Like her husband she is intelligent, smart and well learned. She is happy-go-lucky, and kind hearted. She is the reason why her husband is a benevolent ruler. She warmed his heart with love. She was not born of royal blood. She is a former actress who caught his eye. The two of them fell deeply in love with each other after they met. They became the celebrity couple on Golden Hyperion.

 
The people would stand there in those months of April and May, in any type of weather, looking at the 7’3” Emperor Ikanyney (e-ka-ni-nay) and the 7 foot Empress Naya’ni (na-ya ni) Zeno’y’lk giving their speeches of praise and congratulations. It made the people feel proud. The people felt closer to the royal family then to their own politicians in the whole galaxy. The people would do anything for them. And all that is being asked of them is to prepare the Omicron Ultra star system for the arrival of 3.11 million Hau’rino nationals and x number of humans.

  With the resurrection of Emperor Ikanyney Zeno’y’lk in that month of March, the Hau’rino Empire was reborn. Throughout the month of April the rest of the Imperial family was resurrected. All of them kept their original heights. From that point forward, it is the Emperor who would choose who to bring back next. The people did, and didn’t care that the rest of the Hau’rino nationals were not their original heights. As for the Hau’rino nationals, they were glad that they were free of the Tylkuoply hive.

  There were no more than twenty thousand humans living on Golden Hyperion in March 2289. And they would have laughed at the thought that they might become a major power one day. And now, with someone who they consider a true Emperor, they are starting to believe that one day they may turn out to be a major power, a force to be reckoned with.

  They consider all other Emperors to be fake because with Zeno’y’lk, his blood-line goes back at least 2 -to-3,000 years – uninterrupted. In the year 2354, the remaining 3.11 million Hau’rino nationals will be brought back. And shortly after that, the Omicron Ultra star system will become a major power in the region.

  One year, after La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o got his body back, on Valentine’s Day, both he, and Dr. Costa (she was six months pregnant) got married. The entire Imperial family, including the crew of Ziin’lyi’tols, was there on that day. Everyone look so beautiful on that day. Both the Emperor, and the Empress’ outfit complimented their color. Ikanyney, like Vaistll, is a beautiful red, while Naya’ni is a beautiful blue. Their outfits also complimented each other.