»We thank you for your assistance against the …«
»… we didn’t come here to fight,« the Techno-Cleric said. »War and fighting, destruction and death are against the Cosmic Moral. The Humans, I’ve encountered understood this.«
»I … heard of you. You are the Techno-Cleric Toiber Arkroid and Lai Pi have met.«
A sudden bright flash illuminated the space between Triton and Neptune. The Frigonan ship had just materialized and took position near the other battleships.
»That’s the Blosphor! Let me warn you, these beings are capable of anything,« Nok whispered to 40028. It seemed, however, that the Techno-Cleric didn’t hear the warning.
»We came here because the time has come,« 40028 declared. »Just recently we found out our destiny. Our home-world is on its way and will re-establish the balance in this solar system.«
Hassan Khalil closed his eyes and gasped.
»Techno-Center will take Despina’s place!« he said.
40028 slowly hovered over to Hassan, circling him several times.
»You’re the answer! Your existence is the reason why the Dark Brotherhood had interfered with Humanity’s development and why the natural resistance to the degenerated technology was weakened.«
Hassan opened his eyes and muttered, »I … I don’t understand, what are you telling me? Why me?«
»You’ll understand … you’ll understand in time,« 40028 said softly.
»The Circle ships will attack you!«
Nok twitched as all three of the battleships opened fire. Energy was released which would pulverize Triton, but the energy was absorbed, deflected or neutralized by the Techno-Cleric’s unseen defensive methods.
»Some people have strayed from the Cosmic Moral Code,« 40028 said sadly. »Sometimes it doesn’t take much to forget these fundamental laws. Even you Humans will be tested constantly and you have to ask yourselves how you want to react to the cosmic challenges. Are you taking the path of cosmic morals or are you taking the easy way out by raging war and destruction?«
Nok Daralamai swallowed hard. She was having trouble figuring out what 40028 wanted to say.
»I don’t know what you’re actually saying, 40028. Help me understand.«
»We heard your threats. You have a lot of power in your hands to punish four, misguided Circle nations, civilizations with millions of beings. The gene will spread among them. Whatever these people did and how gruesome they acted, you have to ask yourselves, if this is reason enough to destroy them by means of a genetic-bomb?«
Nok was speechless for a moment. It almost sounded like a defensive plea as she said, »We did not activate the cookoo-gene! We delivered it, yes … but we needed to do something to defend ourselves. It’s about our survival, the survival of the Human race! We just want to scare them and chase them out of our solar system! That’s our right!«
The Techno-Clerics surrounded the main holo and attentively watched the Kresolyte Circle ship how it tumbled and drifted toward Neptune. The other Circle ships still didn’t assist the Kresolytes in their attempt to avoid the crash.
40028 returned to Nok and said, »Regretfully, these people are part of an unblessed act of balance, a system which relies on fear and misuse of power. They will vanish from the face of the universe at one point in time, but not today and not here!«
Suddenly, the Kresolyte ship’s plunge into Neptune’s atmosphere was stopped. Mighty force fields were reaching for the ship and pulled it out of Neptune’s gravity and into a safe orbit.
These Techno-Clerics! I remember Arkroid’s report. Their ships were designed to move entire planets. They really mean it and move their home-planet to us.
»What can we do? What do you suggest?« Nuri Jawa addressed 40028 while watching the main holo.
»You know what you have to do,« 40028 said mysteriously. »As long as you threaten the attackers, you’ll reap violence!«
Nok understood.
»Call the Reusus!«
Moments later, a holo established with a screaming-mad General.
»You Humans are abnormal, your allies are abnormal! You are saving these Kresolytes, these weaklings! They’ve failed us and deserve to die … as much as you and your rotten race!«
Nok briefly closed her eyes, but replied calmly, »Leave our solar system and never come back. We don’t want you here, we want to live in peace.«
»As long as our existence is in your hands, we won’t rest before we’ve eliminated you all! We will come back with a larger fleet and destroy you!« the general announced with hate in his eyes.
»We will destroy the knowledge about the cookoo-gene and how to activate it. We will erase it from the octahedron data base and not use the gene-bomb against you. You can go … but never return!«
»That’s absurd! Nobody in this galaxy would do that. Why do you want to give up your only chance to defeat us?«
Nok smirked.
»Such a victory doesn’t mean anything to us!«
Circle General Exterminator seemed perplexed. He jumped up and down, made strange gestures and cut the comm-link.
A couple of minutes later, four synchronized bright flashes, indicated that the Circle battleships had left the Neptune system.
»I can’t believe it! They did it!«
»Circle ships are beyond our scanner range!« the scanner section reported.
»They left your solar system,« 40028 said.
Suddenly, a strange phenomenon happened at Despina’s former gravitational center. At first it looked like an eddy current in space through which time and space was drained. Stars, located behind the phenomenon began to move and seemed to move away from their stellar positions.
These stars couldn’t move! It must be a visual effect, similar to a gravitational lens that can create a black hole, Nok thought and hoped that a black hole would not form inside the Neptune system.
Then space ripped open allowing a brief glance at a higher continuum.
Blinding light accompanied the materialization of an object, which at first glance, didn’t look much different than the former Despina. Sudden excitement and anxiety filed the control central as the crew observed the happenings. Crew members were running around to find better observation angles. Some jumped up from their seats. A collective cry of awe filled the room.
»Bachtar has arrived! Bachtar is Techno-Center’s Dimensional Anchor and has filled the void Despina has left behind. The transfer is complete. Everything is back in balance!«
They did it!
Surprised, Nok shook her head. Mesmerized she watched the main holo.
»Well … all there’s left to say is: Welcome to our solar system!«
Rescued
Hosch and Main were found, hours later, near the former Circle fortress. They were exhausted and fighting a cold death. The weakening, but still prevailing Arctic storm had prevented the rescue teams to reach the men faster. Hosch and Main were attended by a team of medics and doctors and were placed on gurneys inside a survival tent.
They didn’t say a word for quite some time until Hosch broke the silence, »I didn’t find a trace of Bondifar and this astrogeologist. They all left. They must have picked them up as we were still inside our marooned groomer.«
Main’s throat was hurting, he coughed before he replied, »I know … who’s telling his family?«
Hosch turned his head toward main.
»I’ll take care of that, Boss.«
»No, we’ll do this together! We didn’t lose him, Hosch, he isn’t dead,« Main insisted.
»Missing in action. I know, he’s still alive!«
»Strange,« Main smiled laboriously. »I have the same feeling.«
Hosch closed his eyes and tried to imagine where Bondifar could be just now.
Main looked into the distance.
I’ve never lost a man on my missions. Fighting and the danger are not the problem … but telling the family … that’s pure horror!
Something missing
A cou
ple of days earlier …
Inka Haan, Antonio Valmont and Jeff Sterns looked at each other silently. They were sitting at a round table with their research papers and lab books in front of them.
»We completely decoded the cookoo-gene and can reproduce it,« Inka said with a raspy voice. »I’m not so sure, if I should be happy about it, though?«
Antonio Valmont looked pale. He understood the consequences of what would happen if the gene-bomb was used against the Circle people.
Jeff Sterns cleared his throat, »Uh … hem … I hope you’re not applying any false morals here? These beings are in the process of destroying our planet!«
»Well …,« she sounded defensive. »You know what happens to the attackers when the gene is activated. All of the Circle people become sterilized and will die out eventually.
Valmont nodded.
»The cookoo-gene is highly infectious and will be transferred to all Circle people in a very short time. As soon as the pandemic has grabbed a foothold, they will be at our mercy. Who are we to say who is going to live and who is going to become extinct, even if it takes a couple of years?«
»It seems simple. We deliver the gene to them, crack the ampoules and wait until they’re all infected. The good thing about it is that we won’t be affected at all. They, on the other hand, won’t even feel anything at this point and can’t avoid it. They don’t even have a chance! They will never be able to get rid of the gene. They are literally subjected to our mercy!«
»So, in other words: the release of the agent and the activation won’t lead to a sudden demise or make them stop their activities due to a grave illness?«
»No! They will die a slow and inhumane death.«
Inka ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.
»… and we unleashed this monster!«
»There is no mentioning in your final reports how to activate the cookoo-gene, only that the activator has been found,« Sterns said dryly.
Inka and Antonio smiled at each other.
»Well then something is missing in the reports, right?« she grinned mysteriously.
Syroners
Last data entry by the Syroners, found by Digamber Chopra, deep inside the octahedron data archives:
… we are the last existing people in our space sector after a long and bloody war. We are now members of an alliance, more horrible than imaginable. We need to survive! This is, however, up to the Circle. The Circle is not an alliance in the true sense of the word, rather a group of equally strong nations who have reached a stalemate. Each of these nations is powerful enough to destroy entire solar systems. There they are, high in orbit above Syron! Their battleships can destroy our beautiful world anytime they want.
We are not helpless. We have power over the Circle people – they fear us! While our ships are orbiting Frigon, threatening to destroy the Frigonan parasite-world, Frigonans, Syroners, Quadranans and Kresolytes are threatening the Moxantan home-world and keep an eye on the natural drive for expansion of these intelligent cave dwellers. Each member nation has its place within the union of super-powers, but each of them must bleed for it. Nobody can leave the Circle, because it would mean extermination!
To appease the Circle nations, the Kresolytes are building space fortresses as offerings to them. They are master builders, but their weapons are no match. The Frigonans are constantly reaching for new worlds to satisfy their need for new hosts. Even Syron, Quadra, Moxa and Kresol are desired targets for their expansions. The Frigonans know, however, that a landing on these worlds would spell the end of their existence. The Moxantans are already aiming their most horrible weapon on the icy parasite-world. The Frigonans need to be held in check or they would break the weapon silence and run over the entire alliance.
This led to an agreement where all Circle nations, including us Syroners, are sending individuals to serve as hosts to keep the peace. Moxantans, whose offspring need living organisms for food, are demanding their cut, thus also bloodletting the alliance.
The Quadranans are intelligent beings who only appear in groups of three, but act as one individual. They are vampires of the souls and mentally overpower their slaves, draining their life energy.
All of the Circle nations are living in fear and horror, always watching not to show any weaknesses. This abstruse situation was prevailing for more than hundred years, then we Syroners made a fatal mistake and conspired against the Circle of Victors. Secretly, we developed a master plan, to free ourselves and break out of the circle.
Our strength was a highly developed gene technology, a science which we had used many times before to further our goals. Many cultures had fallen victims to illnesses which were developed in our gene labs. Now it was time to eradicate the Circle, leaving us as the sole rulers over our space sector.
Unknown to our allies, we developed a weapon which would modify their DNA, specifically targeted at the Circle nations, not affecting any other living beings. Open bio-genetic warfare was out of the question as the Circle nations would have had enough time to retaliate.
We developed a highly infectious gene which would lead to the demise of our opponents, making them extinct over time.
Our master plan was, however, discovered! The Circle nations went to war against us and our home-world. Just in time, we gathered all our knowledge and the secret about the gene bomb and deposited it inside a huge memory bank, which we sent out into space.
The octahedron has an intelligent guiding system which can detect highly developed beings or civilizations. If a suiting civilization is found, the information will be transferred in expectation that the receivers will rise to revenge us.
This is the last message written by a Syroner!
Bloixor, Genetic Manipulator 1st Class
25 - The Dark Brotherhood
Written by Thomas Rabenstein
They’re playing dead
Scutum-Crux, inside the Crux-Heart …
Arkroid squinted as the bright and blinding light of an enormous eruption flooded the Crux-Heart. Even with the window filters, the amount of light flooding the station was breath taking. Arkroid’s mouth hung open in an awestruck half smile. A large protuberance of the sun Maiter extended for more than a million kilometers into space before it was pulled back with a sharp arc to its surface.
» It’s unbelievable that the Dimensional Mirror can be so close to the sun,« Arkroid whispered to himself while he was watching the Dualyte snail-house-like ship fly away.
The sun’s plasma discharge had been caused by an Original Spark entering the sun’s, supra-hot atmosphere where it took position to form a predetermined grid inside Maiter’s core. Nevertheless, four Original Sparks were still missing to complete the grid.
The Dimensional Mirror won’t function if the Dualytes can’t complete the grid before the Great Tremor, Arkroid pondered. The Genorantans may have been able to defend against a Dimensional Tunnel but they can’t prevent an entire galaxy from materializing. They’ll need much more than this.
»I’m afraid they won’t be able to make it in time,« Pi whispered to Arkroid, tightness in his voice. » Conceptor Crux has deployed over a hundred thousand Dualyte units to comb the galaxies star clusters for the Trox but I feel this last ditch effort will be in vain. If they don’t want to be found, they won’t be.«
»It’s a race against time,« Arkroid murmured while looking at the sun’s surface.
After a few deep breaths, he turned around and walked toward the team.
Two large holographic busts, depictions of long dead persons, flanked the waiting team.
Arkroid nodded at Conceptors Crux and Mokhoorn whose conscience’ where living somewhere inside the station’s mainframe computer. The Goovan and Chiropter Conceptors where now working together after a long time of feuding each other.
Well at least that’s a step in the right direction! Arkroid thought satisfied.
The Nautilus crew and the Conceptors were joined by a Krolakan delegation.
The deleg
ation from the Magellanic Cloud was led by Peu’Fler. They were highly intelligent beings although they looked like hyenas walking on their hind legs. The Goovan Conceptor Mokhoorn organized the whole Krolakan fleet to come and protect the Crux-Heart.
»We have the autopsy results of the dead body,« Conceptor Mokhoorn announced. »The woman is a replication, not a clone. Several neuronal anomalies were found especially in the temple areas and in her brain. The nerves are non-organic and consist of …«
»… crystal substance!« Maya Ivanova interrupted.
»That’s correct. To create such a true replication and manipulate it in such a manner, shows high intelligence and the application of advanced technologies.«
»A devilish intelligence!« Maya hissed. »Morgotradon will pay for using a copy of me for his sick cause.«
»Let’s not have our emotions blur our vision,« Herimos said and slammed his fist against his armor. »The enemy has the resources to make our attempts fail; he’s guided and assisted by the parasite galaxy invaders. We can only defeat Morgotradon, if we remain level headed.«
»Herimos is right,« Arkroid said. »It’s high time someone finished him off for good. He prevented a meaningful resistance.«
Pi remained skeptical.
»We have no idea about Morgotradon’s resources, where he has his bases and how many allies he has. The Rexas are probably still working for him, helping the Dark Brotherhood.«
»The Deporters?« Vasina spoke aloud. »These ugly lizards reduced themselves to common pirates. Morgotradon may have lost his stranglehold on them.«
Vasina had difficulties hiding her disgust and hate toward theses beings as they had been responsible for deporting the survivors of different Progonaut Houses to Earth.
»I agree, Vasina. However, I think they’re still working for the Dark Brotherhood from time to time,« Arkroid rebutted. »I haven’t forgotten what happened on Coip-Pertyl! Somebody must have sent Rexas ships to hunt us down.«
NEBULAR Collection 5 - Panic in the Galaxy: Episodes 22 - 26 Page 20