by Andur
The Forlorn are bipedal humanoids with sturdy, backwards bent legs. Though someone decided to give them more arms than any being would ever need. They have two big main arms to manipulate heavy objects, though they also use them to move around.
On the chest between the main arms are three smaller arms with delicate fingers. The head is configured similar to a human's, but is missing nose and ears.
The Forlorn contact team was very focused on apologizing for the initial meeting between our races. They confirmed that the three ships which initiated the battle at Oibras belonged to the Drazi. The fourth ship belonged to the Forlorn and was hunting them.
They are hoping for trade and to create a peaceful relationship with us as their neighbours. Though I am not sure what we could need from them. The only thing that comes to mind is that energy source of theirs. They call it a zero-point-generator.
We already tried to steal the information from the Drazi, but whenever my IMs got close to their power generators or computer cores they blew them up.
Apparently there exists something like a galactic society of races which the Forlorn and the Zeen are a part of. They regularly meet close to the galaxy's centre. I am not yet sure what's needed to join this exclusive club.
The Drazi don't belong to that society. They are regarded as pirates and a pest which you can't coexist with. The civilised races charged the entire species with crimes from piracy to genocide and found them guilty. That's why they are free game to exterminate for any race that encounters them.
Like I already observed they have a real problem with population pressure. That's the reason why they are slowly spreading across the galaxy despite being treated like vermin.
Their point of origin was close to the galactic centre where they had several hundred star systems under their control.
At some point they started waging war on one of their neighbouring species and brought them to the brink of extinction. A coalition of older races who saw them as a threat started to form. Especially since communication and making treaties with them is almost impossible.
Once the Drazi reach a certain population threshold they split into multiple groups and start fighting each other.
That apparently happens on a regular basis in their society, which makes it impossible to have them as neighbours.
The races who felt threatened by the Drazi formed a coalition and crushed the Drazi's core worlds. Unfortunately they only caused a huge transmigration wave by doing so.
By now the centre of the galaxy is almost cleaned up, but the fleeing waves of Drazi settlers are slowly wandering outwards along our spiral arm while being chased by said coalition.
Their sworn task borderlines on fanaticism to me. Yes, the Drazi are a threat, but hunting them down among billions of stars seems to be an impossible task.
The only reason why the coalition isn't fighting a completely lost battle is because of the Drazi's low technological level. Apparently they need worlds to settle because they aren't able to build independent habitats with closed environments.
The Forlorn are located closer to the galaxy's centre and experienced attacks by the first Drazi scouts since several years. They also try to keep a bubble of several dozen light years clear of Drazi settled worlds.
Sol has a few more years before the shit really hits the fan. Once the real emigration wave reaches our worlds we'll have a lot of trouble.
“All this is causing me headaches. Did the elders already give their opinion on the situation?” I ask Ed.
He shakes his head. “They are still searching through all the information and trying to make sense of it. We are learning a lot about the galaxy's political state. The Forlorn and the Zeen also invited us to visit the next gathering of civilised races.”
“I think I'll search for Cyla and relax a little.” I stand up and say my goodbyes to Ed, then I make my way to Cyla's current location. The ship's computer says that she is inside the habitat.
After leaving the living-module I head directly to the habitat by using the gangway which is connecting the asteroid with the Coeus.
I find Cyla standing on the habitat's central plaza. She is with Ilin and Ayo. The Forlorn turns her attention immediately towards me. “I am happy to see you. I just learned that you and Cyla are brood-mates. That explains a lot about you two being always together.”
“Brood-mates?” I ask.
“Two people who are sharing close proximity for the sake of procreation.” Ayo follows with an explanation. “The Forlorn don't have a concept of platonic love, though they care for offspring that's related to them if they get old enough to talk. They lay one egg every two years and dump them where they are standing. It's up to luck if they hatch or not. The hatchlings aren't even regarded as people until they start talking. Sometimes it's quite depressing to talk with Ilin about her offspring.”
“Platonic love?” My eyes wander to Cyla. ~What were you guys talking about?~
~It's hard to explain. They started asking about relationships between members of our species. Then they got fixated on our relationship.~
I see. Then I ask. ~Though I wouldn't call us brood-mates. Don't they have a lighter form of relationship?~
Cyla crosses her arms in front of her chest. ~Apparently not. And what do you mean, lighter form? I for example want to have kids at some point.~
Kids!? Me as a father!? ~Could we postpone this discussion. I don't think I am ready for such a responsibility at this point in time.~ Yes! That was a good answer. Thank you for your training, Grandmother.
“I think they are doing it again.” Ayo interrupts our conversation and saves me from an annoying discussion. “Are all members of your species born with the ability to talk to each other's minds? It reminds me of the Urr, though you are doing it on a much smaller scale.”
“No, there are affinities for certain abilities among the bloodlines. Telepathy belongs to that.” Cyla answers.
I continue to follow the conversation without much interest until Ilin reveals that her scientists have analysed the blood samples which they got from us in return for their own.
“Your DNA seems to consist out of two or more intertwined DNA strands which are able to recombine randomly with each other upon breaking up. The fascinating thing is that while they are forming new combinations, they only allow those which work out for the organism.” Ilin makes a gesture for the unknown among her people. “We've never seen something like it before. Your ability to mutate seems to be without limits.”
Maybe I should introduce them to my mother. She likes manipulating DNA. Now that I think about it I've avoided taking her calls for a while. I should probably answer her the next time we are in Sol. Just to see what she is up to.
We spent two more hours with the aliens until Ayo calls it quits. The Zeen can't be in our environment for extended periods of time. He needs much dryer air. Preferably close to zero water. He is actually slowly poisoning himself while running through our habitat.
On our way back to the command module I get an update on the Forlorn society from Cyla. Apparently they live in something akin to Earth's Roman Empire during the time in which the emperor didn't have absolute power, but had to share it with the senate.
All in all I am surprised that the Forlorn and Zeen are similar enough to us to have a conversation with them. But if their story about the civilised races is true, then there is much strange folk out there.
We arrive at the command module and I close the door behind us. Upon turning around I suddenly find Cyla standing directly in front of me. “We haven't finished a certain discussion.”
“Which discussion do you mean?” I ask, finding myself being cornered against the door.
She reaches for her chest and starts unbuttoning her uniform. “The one where we have kids and you sounded very unhappy about such a future possibility. I just want there to be no misunderstandings on such an important topic. Having no clear understanding on something like this could prove fatal for a relationship.
”
“No, unhappy is a too strong word for it. I just said that I am not ready to take care of a kid.” I answer. I've honestly no idea why I should want one.
Her clothes drop to the ground, piece by piece, in a very erotic way. She places my hands on her chest and starts removing my shirt. “Yet you are willing to take the risk of floating my boat every day.”
“We have the treatment, so the risk is small.” All young adults get a chip implanted above their collarbones. The chip prevents conception by releasing chemicals into the blood stream. It's necessary to control the birthrate in a society where the people stay in peak condition for up to two hundred years.
“But the risk is still there.” She reaches into my pants and starts moving her hands while kissing my chest with electrifying kisses. “There is no such thing as complete safety and we are doing it almost every day.”
The sensation is mortifying, so I close my eyes to enjoy being served like this. But one moment before sending me over the edge she pulls back and steps away. “So you weren't saying that you'll run off if the contraceptives ever fail?”
Of course not! This woman! “I didn't mean it like that!”
She wanders over to the sofa and gets onto it on all fours. “I am just warning you that I won't abort a pregnancy should it ever happen.”
She is evil! She brought me to the brink and now she is waving her butt at me while telling me something like this! I shed the rest of my clothes in a hurry and grab her hips to take her from behind. “You know very well that I couldn't be without you.”
She moans and moves herself against me. Then she curls backwards to kiss me. “I love you too. Especially when you are attacking me like this!”
38. ~Bad dreams.~
“
Summoning-Magic allows the creation of magical constructs with their own minds. Sprites and Artificial Intelligences fall under that category. It's very important not confuse them with simple elemental summonings which have no mind of their own and can be called forth by almost all magicians. Elemental summonings don't move on their own and can be regarded as pure puppets.
A magician who creates a sprite copies a part of his own consciousness into the new being. Therefore the creator of such a being has to take responsibility for his creation. If the creation is independent enough to be regarded as its own being, it gets all the rights of an independent being.
Sprites don't necessarily have to be created from dead material like metal. They can also consist out of pure energy or even living matter like plants or flesh.
”
-Magical Affinities
Kaus Borealis, Coeus
Cyla
I awaken to the moans of pain. At first my consciousness doesn't want to fully awaken, but then I rub my eyes and realize that I am in our bedroom.
My mind reaches for the computer and I switch on the lights. The light blinds me for a short moment, then I look around. The one who is moaning right next to me is Gideon. “Gideon?” I reach for his shoulder and shake him, but he doesn't wake up.
He is shaking and burning hot with fever. His body is covered in sweat. Reaching for his mind I get no answer and that's when I really start to get frightened. The energy within him is just a small, flickering spark.
I roll over and hug him. Then I concentrate on the teleportation spell, abandoning all regulations. The newly attached living module one has a complete healing facility with two competent doctors. There has to be medical personnel on a ship with a crew of this size.
I quickly check my point of destination by accessing a security camera in the medical facility's wardroom. Then I teleport us, taking a part of the bed and Gideon with me.
We appear in a white clinical room. Before I could do anything, the half of the bed which I took with me, tilts and falls over.
I try to shield Gideon as we drop to the ground and he falls onto me. Voices of surprise call out around us.
“Help! He doesn't wake up!” I call out, but even as I do so medical personnel lifts Gideon off of me. I get to my feet and try to get to Gideon, but two nurses, a man and a woman, are blocking me from doing so. The man looks rather embarrassed while the woman gestures for him to turn around.
That's when I realize that I am standing butt naked in the middle of the room. I bend down and cover myself with the part of the blanket that got teleported with us. I can't help myself. Clothes are kind of inconvenient when you are sharing a bed with your lover.
One of the men who are tending to Gideon turns to me and asks. “Did he have a recent magic induced mutation?”
“Yes.” I answer. “But that was weeks ago. He grabbed a power line to cast a huge spell when he was forced to do so. The doctors already discharged him.”
“It seems like he has a relapse. We've to stabilize him.” The medical personnel lifts Gideon onto a bed and wheels him out of the wardroom.
I try to follow, but the two nurses stop me again. “You have to stay here.” The female nurse offers me a plain robe and I take it.
The man is still staring at me, so I give him a glare that says everything about his future, should he continue to check me out. After he's turned around I hurry to put on the robe.
The woman steps closer. “Please explain in detail what happened.”
“I woke up and he was in pain. I tried to wake him up, but he didn't react to me. I couldn't even connect to his mind.” I wince. “That's bad, right?” I know that it is.
She steps forward and takes my hand. “Don't worry. We've the best medical personnel here. He couldn't have fallen sick at a better place. He'll surely be up and about in no time.”
I feel her thoughts and realize that she is trying to comfort me. “Please don't lie to me. Or at least don't take my hand while trying to comfort me.” I pull my hand away from hers, hating this ability of mine. Then I sit down on a chair and try to think what else could have caused Gideon's condition. But nothing comes to mind.
After a while some people appear and carry out the remains of the bed to get it out of the way. It's night time, so there weren't that many patients present to begin with.
The nurses are still staying close to me, as if they've nothing better to do. Then I realize that they probably really had nothing to do up until now. It's not like any sick people were purposely sent on this mission. Probably they had nothing but minor complaints up until now.
Suddenly someone steps in front of me and I look up. It's one of the faceless. “Ed?”
“Yes. Are you alright?” He asks.
“No.” Gideon is not alright, so neither am I. “Did they find out what was wrong with him?”
“I just arrived here after hearing about it. One of the medical personnel said that they are still doing tests.” He answers.
Figures. Mutational problems can have nasty side effects. “I see.”
“You seem to be awfully shaken. If you could see your own face right now...” His voice fades away. “I'll bring you back to the command module. He is in good hands.” He reaches for my hand, but I stop him.
“There is no need. I would rather wait here.” I don't want to be alone in that room right now while Gideon isn't doing fine.
“Cyla, why do you care so much for him?” He suddenly asks.
I look up, baffled. “Because he is my boyfriend? You are really great at consoling people! You know that?”
“I don't think you have to be worried about Gideon. He is like a cockroach. Other people would've rolled over and died over five times already.” Ed looks to the floor where a few of the bed's splinters remained. “You've teleported him and yourself through the ship. That was dangerous.”
“Sorry for being shocked upon waking up next to my lover who was about to die!?” If I could spew acid at him right now I would do so. And I thought it would be good to include him in the family.
“It's just... maybe it's my fault. I have seen a lot of bad people and you just seem a little too attached. That's all. I am not saying that you aren't a goo
d match.”
I sigh and cover my face. “Don't you know anything about techno-mages and telepathy? I never had a relationship that lasted for over a month before I met Gideon.”
Ed seems taken aback by my confession. “How so?”
“Because once natural telepaths touch someone, we can feel his essence even if we don't want to.” I gesture at the door. “It's not like you are intentionally spying on someone's thoughts. It's just that most magicians forget to shield themselves properly. Or they don't have the proficiency. It's not exactly easy to have a relationship when you always know that there is something off.”
“The other way around it's not good for a relationship when you know that your partner is hiding his thoughts on purpose.” I count with my fingers. “Before Gideon I went out with twelve other guys and it never lasted long before I ran into a repulsive little secret. I don't want to say that they tried to hurt me or violated a law, but being with them never felt right.”
“And Gideon feels right?” Ed asks astounded. “One might think that he is a strange one?”
I rub my hands together. “Maybe that's exactly why I love him. Everyone else I met so far always tried to hide something from me. Gideon may be a little strange, but when I am with him I feel safe and at home.”
“Everyone has something to hide.” Ed answers with a grave voice. “Gideon is no exception.”
I smile. “Yes, you are right. But when he decided to let me into his life, he told me everything and there was no deceit. You probably don't understand how it is when two telepaths talk to each other, but when we talked that day I felt that he really tried to let me in. And since then every day was the same. I would be mad to give that away. If I've yet to learn an important truth about him, then it's because it didn't come up so far.”