Alien Genes 1: Daughter of Atuk

by Petra Theunissen

  “Not at all. It was an accident. I didn't think about the implications,” S'Tha said.

  “You know, for a moment there I actually believed you. I thought you really didn't realise the implications of what you'd done, but I can see now that I was wrong. You knew exactly what you were doing. Why, S'Tha?” Cathy asked. She had stood up from the couch and was facing the alien woman.

  “His sympathy towards you was getting in the way of our research,” S'Tha answered coldly.

  “Do you realise what you've done? That he may die?"

  S'Tha shrugged her shoulders. “They won't kill him. They haven't done it in years,” she said. “They'll just banish him from the city, which is fine by me."

  Cathy didn't immediately answer. She could read S'Tha's thoughts as if they were her own, and what she learned disgusted her. Not only had S'Tha sold Eqin out to the Algidan Council, but she'd also made a deal with his archenemy, Hasan. How stupid can she be? Doesn't she realise that it's like making a deal with the devil? She knew S'Tha hadn't even contemplated the thought that Hasan would not keep his word that Eqin wouldn't get the death sentence.

  “Do you really trust a man whose only goal in life is to get the scrolls and make a last impression on the Council?” she said quietly.

  S'Tha seemed stunned. “How do you know about the scrolls?"

  Without hesitation, Cathy lied bluntly, “Eqin told me."

  She wasn't prepared to tell S'Tha she'd known about the scrolls all along. Once she managed to put her visions into perspective, realising that what she had been experiencing were memories brought about by the nanovirus, she managed to decipher some of them and she'd learned that they were after the scrolls.

  But S'Tha clearly wasn't a fool. Her eyes narrowed. “I don't believe you."

  “Believe what you will,” Cathy retorted dismissively.

  “You know where they are, don't you?” S'Tha insisted.

  Cathy could feel her trying to pry into her mind.

  God, when are these creatures going to stop snooping around in my head? Don't they have any rules or regulations to keep them out of each other's thoughts?

  “Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you,” she answered coolly.

  S'Tha's stare was antagonistic. “And you wonder why I told the Council? You are human. You don't understand our ways; our people, but you've infected my brother's essence with your useless feelings and thoughts."

  Cathy smiled resentfully. “I may be human, S'Tha, but I'm not stupid. You may think of me as some kind of experiment, something that you can use to make a name for yourself, but I think of you as a very sad person who will one day regret having done this. It'll haunt you for the rest of your life that you betrayed your own brother. The wheels of justice do turn, you know."

  S'Tha forced out a grin. “Oh please, spare me your human insights. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be alive today."

  Her words caused Cathy to burst into cynical laughter. “If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be in so much pain today,” she said, immediately noticing the glimmer of alarm in the other woman's eyes. “Don't think I don't know what you did, S'Tha, and don't think that I won't take my revenge one day. You've fouled everything the Antediluvians stood for, you and your kind."

  Even Cathy was surprised by her last words. They sounded like her own, but they weren't. Where had they come from?

  But S'Tha appeared oblivious of what Cathy had said.

  “I don't know what you're talking about. What can you do to stop me? You're just a human,” she sneered. Then she left the house and followed her brother up the rocky and overgrown footpath to the entrance of the Facility. Her body was straight and her head high, but Cathy could sense that her arrogance was only a smokescreen.

  The discussion had unnerved Cathy. She sighed and snuggled back on the couch.

  Where did those last words come from?

  When she'd spoken them, she felt so much passion. It was as if they were indeed her own. How strange, particularly since she couldn't care a damn about the Antediluvians. Granted, she found the history intriguing, but to defend them? Or even call upon them? No, this wasn't right.

  She smiled wryly when she thought of S'Tha's reaction. Did the alien woman really think she was dealing with a subordinate creature? One that couldn't derive a conclusion even if they paid her? She shook her head in disbelief. How ignorant these aliens could be.

  She'd suspected for some time now that the pain she'd been feeling wasn't just the result of the nanovirus with which Hasan had injected her. In fact, she suspected that the biological changes within her were the result of something else, and just before she moved above ground; she found the proof in S'Tha's laboratory.

  She waved her hand and a tiny crystal sphere floated towards her from a hidden corner. She took it into her hand and held it up against the light. It took her some time to figure out how all the alien technology worked, but once she understood its basic principles, it was easy accessing the information she needed. All she had needed to do was to access S'Tha's thought patterns, something she'd been practising on the quiet without the others’ knowledge. It was a neat trick she'd picked up quite by accident, when she was trying to see if she had telekinetic abilities.

  She spun the sphere in her hand, wondering what their so-called Council would say if they knew what S'Tha had been up to...

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  That night Cathy hardly slept a wink. Her mind kept racing around the revelation that Eqin could be severely punished for his association with her. She couldn't allow that to happen. She couldn't allow him to be punished again.

  Again?

  She sat up straight in bed. Why would she know he'd been punished before? The memories escaped her, but deep inside she could feel something stirring. The memories had to still be there. They had to have been pushed deep into her subconscious, which meant that she might be able to retrieve them bit-by-bit if she were to focus her energy inwards. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, trying to do just that. Focus ... focus ... She could feel her spirit drifting—and suddenly she was in a garden.

  The moon was up. She was barefoot and in her nightgown. She was talking to someone ... Who was it? Focus ... It was Eqin. There was concern in his eyes. Another man appeared, and she recognised him from before. It was the man Eqin had identified as Hasan.

  Hasan walked towards her, and she tried to back away. She knew he was about to do something but she was unable to stop him. He reached out to her. His hand touched her head and there was a flash of light. The pain was indescribable. She could still hear them talk, and she knew Eqin was in some kind of trouble and that Hasan was angry. Then Eqin was gone. Clenched in her hand was a necklace.

  She opened her eyes. The necklace. She vaguely remembered having something like that. Where did it go?

  After lying awake for a long time, she got up, cringing with pain. Would it ever go away? She stumbled down the passage to the lounge. The house was lit just enough to see where she was going but not enough to wake her up completely.

  She could feel it moving with her, conscious of her every step and want. At the window in the lounge, she stood listening to the wind and the waves, looking out over the darkened sea. The stars peeked out from between a fast-moving mass of clouds. The storm had almost passed.

  Looking up, she wondered what it would be like travelling to other worlds. It was something about which humans only dreamt. No wonder other species regarded them as lesser beings. They had neither reached the level of technological advancement nor the moral development to control the impact of what they might find out there.

  “Cathy?"

  She jerked around at the sound of the voice. She hadn't been aware of anyone else in the room, which was peculiar because since she started changing, she had a heightened sense of knowing when someone was in her immediate vicinity.

  Frazzled, she frowned. “Eqin! Don't do that. What are you doing here? I thought you were back at the Facility."


  “I couldn't bear to be back, and since I didn't have anywhere else to go, I came here. Unless you'd rather have me leave?"

  “You're always welcome, you know that. I just wish you'd let me know me you were here,” she said, trying hard to sound upset.

  “Hey, this was my house long before you set eyes on it...” he said in an attempt to make a joke but he didn't succeed very well.

  She walked over to him, and sat on the arm of the chair. He had a perfect view of the night sky from where he was sitting. “What do you think is going to happen, Eqin?"

  “I don't know.” He shook his head. “Hasan ... He's a dangerous man, and yet he has a brilliant mind. If it weren't for his ambition and lack of respect for the human species, he'd probably have been the best scientist that ever lived.” He paused a moment. “That he was asked to come here isn't a good sign. It means they don't trust any of us anymore. When he finds out whom we've been harbouring here, he is going to be furious and he'll be sure to let the Council know."

  He sighed, and then continued, “S'Tha ... She was so stupid for doing what she did. Her discontent with me has caused everyone to be in danger of punishment. I don't understand what's come over her. I though we were the same, but it seems I was wrong."

  She placed her hand on his shoulder. “It's ambition. She's keen on making a name for herself, and she lacks the insight to realise what she's doing. Her upbringing has made her very short-sighted and naïve,” she said.

  “But we had the same upbringing, Cathy. We grew up in the same house with the same parents.” He looked at her questioningly. “Why would you say something like that?"

  “I don't know. I just assumed that...” The realisation came as a surprise even to her. “I assumed that you grew up separately..."

  “We didn't. We grew up together."

  “But you're so different..."

  He was quiet for a while. “I've always known that S'Tha is ambitious, but at the expense of another being?"

  “Don't take it too hard, Eqin. We all make mistakes,” she said. Hearing herself utter those words sounded strange even to her. She was still trying to come to terms with what S'Tha had done to her. Not being able to tell anyone had made it even more difficult. She was still far from even thinking of forgiving S'Tha, and she tried to find peace in the knowledge that this was probably her destiny, but even that was hard to come to grips with.

  “Are you afraid?” she asked.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know. I'm tired of living with the belief our specie is superior to every other one. It's so incredibly short-sighted. As far as Hasan is concerned, he's become obsessed with finding the scrolls. He's getting old, and he wants to achieve this before he dies. By whatever means. He'll remove any obstacle in his path without thinking about it.” He paused and placed his hand on her hers without looking at her. “How much do you remember of the past?"

  “Do you mean the very far past ... or that which happened a few years ago?” She pulled up her leg and rested her head on her knee, contemplating the answer. “I still get hallucinations. They're less frightening, though—thanks to you. I can now distinguish between them and the real thing. Sometimes I can remember little bits and pieces of my own past, but they are far and few in between. The scrolls..."

  She knew he wanted to ask her about the scrolls. After all, if they believed that memory was genetic, wouldn't she have remembered by now what had happened to the scrolls?

  “Do you know what happened to them?” he asked.

  “I'm not sure. I remember that ... they talked about it. They wanted to safeguard them. I haven't yet figured out where, though. The one whose memory I have doesn't seem to have been involved in hiding them."

  “There's a theory they were buried under the paws of the Sphinx. Is that true?"

  “I don't know ... I can't really remember. Those memories are very vague. I seem to remember more about a disaster ... a terrible disaster. Maybe they're just more emotional,” she said thoughtfully.

  “Do you remember anything about the scrolls?” he insisted.

  She closed her eyes, and reaching deep within, went to a past far beyond human memory. She could hear the cries for help. There was desperation. A man was standing in the flames, holding something in his hand. She recognized him instantly. He was wearing the same clothes as the man she called father. His other hand was reaching out to her through the flames licking at his robe. She desperately tried to reach him, but she couldn't. The flames kept her away. He stumbled, and fell. Then he was gone.

  Cathy could feel the pain of the memory and tears sprang in her eyes. “Father.... Please come back..."

  Unexpectedly a figure of a woman appeared. She was walking through the fire, but her feet didn't touch the ground. She seemed unharmed by the ferocious heat. Although Cathy had never seen her before, she instinctively knew that this person wasn't part of these memories. She looked in awe at the woman's ghostly appearance. The dark hair was flowing in the breeze, and the fire was reflected in her eyes.

  The woman spoke into Cathy's mind, You don't know me.

  No, I've never seen you before. You're not part of these memories, Cathy answered, unfazed.

  No, I'm not, but I'm part of you now, the woman replied.

  I don't understand. Who are you?

  I am you. We will meet soon.

  The apparition held up her hand as if in a greeting, pointing the palm towards Cathy. Without warning a surge of energy burst from the hand, hitting Cathy with such a force that she jerked backward and literally fell off the chair. Blackness veiled her head...

  “Cathy. Are you alright?” Eqin had jumped up and was bending down over her.

  She opened her eyes startled. “What?"

  “Are you alright? You jumped back like a scalded cat. It was like something hit you,” he said, clearly concerned.

  “Yes. Yes, I'm fine,” she said, trying to gather her thoughts.

  He helped her up, and she sat down on the chair. She was disoriented.

  What happened? This is new!

  How could her vision have such a physical impact? It wasn't possible.

  She'd felt a certain familiarity with the woman. It was as if she knew her intimately. Who was she?

  Eqin was still waiting for an explanation, but she couldn't think of how to describe it. She didn't even know what happened herself. “I'm fine. Really,” she reassured him, took a deep breath and moved on, “I know that the scrolls were there. I remember seeing them, but I honestly don't know what happened to them. They must have been burnt in the disaster."

  “What disaster?"

  “It was some type of disaster, or an attack maybe. I can't seem to get a grip on it. I do remember there were flames everywhere, and screaming. It was terrible. I can still feel the horror,” she said, rubbing her arms to get rid of the goose bumps.

  Then she noticed a strange look in his eyes and, somewhat puzzled, she stared at him. “What are you thinking?” she asked.

  He hesitated and then smiled. “You know, for the first time in a long while you seem to be at peace with yourself. Moments ago you were still...” He tried to find the right word to describe his thoughts, “...searching..."

  His statement surprised her. She hadn't been aware of it, but he was right. She did feel suddenly inexplicably at peace with herself, but instead of making her feel relieved, his words brought sadness back in her face.

  “Have I changed that much from who I was?"

  He gently touched her hand. “Don't misunderstand me. You've gone through a lot. It's bound to change you, but I sometimes I miss that carefree person you were..."

  His touch stirred feelings inside her, and she anxiously pulled back her hand. As much as she would like to give in to the feelings, she knew that she shouldn't. Eqin was already in enough trouble as it was and it wouldn't be wise to add to them.

  Then she became aware of something else—that something was amiss. Her demeanour changed and her body stiffened like tha
t of an animal on the hunt. An intent expression spread across her face as she was trying to figure out what it was. Without a word she got up and turned towards the west. She sensed imminent danger.

  Eqin seemed taken aback by her sudden change in behaviour. “Cathy? What's wrong?” he asked.

  “Hasan..."

  “What about Hasan?"

  She could feel the old man's presence. It was as if a shadow had fallen over the island. “He's here,” she said.

  “He can't be. He's supposed to arrive tomorrow morning."

  She stood motionless, her head cocked attentively. “He's here. I can feel his presence ... He's come to surprise you, to catch you off guard.” Her eyes focussed on something far away.

  “He's looking for you. He's wondering where you are. You'd better go,” she said.

  “Cathy, you have to disconnect yourself from him. He'll sense you,” he urged anxiously.

  She shook her head. “He can't. He's not powerful enough..."

  Even without looking at him, she knew Eqin was frowning as he queried her. “What are you talking about? He is one of the most powerful—.” She didn't let him finish.

  “You must go now, Eqin. He's looking for you. If you're not there to meet him, he'll come and look for you here, and he'll ask questions.” She stood motionless in front of the window.

  Eqin looked at her, disturbed. She seemed completely unaware of him, as if completely detached from her surroundings. There was an animal-like quality about her he hadn't noticed before. He'd never seen her act in such a manner and it made him uneasy.

  How could she possibly know Hasan's arrived?

  And, even though he believed she was convinced she could prevent Hasan from detecting her, he had reservations on whether she'd actually be able to do so. Hasan was an old man, and his powers had grown to the extent that he could get into people's minds without much difficulty. On occasion, he'd even seen the old man move heavy objects if he needed to, without exerting energy. There was no doubt in his mind that Hasan was powerful. He'd spent many years perfecting his skills, and he would sense her presence in an instant—as he always had done.