The Evaran Origin

by Adair Hart

  “I know,” he said. “What is this … Time Warden predator?”

  Edev flew over and shot down a projection in front of the group.

  His eyes narrowed as he studied the black-and-gold predator. It was larger, had eight tentacles, and seemed like it would be tougher than the smaller ones, but not as tough as the defenders. He gestured at it. “Ever fought one of them before?”

  Levaran nodded. “Several times. They were no match for me then, and now with this form, they’re out of their league.”

  Dr. Bryson shuddered while looking at the projection. “They look like … large mechanical spiders.”

  “An apt analogy,” said Levaran. “Time Wardens in general like to swarm, although the predators prefer to hunt alone. If they’re here, then we should expect that there will be a Time Warden commander somewhere.”

  Dan shook his head. “I wish I had a weapon or something. I feel useless not being able to contribute.”

  “I like your spirit,” said Levaran. “However, we should—” She tilted her head and faced the other side of the room. “We’re not alone.”

  Dr. Snowden swiveled his head around. “I don’t sense anything.”

  “It’s the Time Wardens. They are too far away for you to sense, but I can. As I was saying, we should take a moment to refresh ourselves. This room has replicators.”

  Kri’tokhaar pointed over at a series of replicator stations embedded into the wall a bit away from them. “Some of those look like they still have power.”

  Dr. Bryson rubbed his throat. “Yeah, I could use some water, come to think about it.” He gestured at Kri’tokhaar. “Lead on.”

  Kri’tokhaar swept his head across everyone for a moment and then headed over to the replicators.

  Dr. Snowden noted that although Dan, Sarah, and Dr. Bryson followed him and Kri’tokhaar, Levaran, V, and Edev had begun to move around the room, scanning.

  When they got to the replicators, Dr. Bryson said, “So these replicators just … what? Create matter based on a pattern?”

  Dr. Snowden gestured at Kri’tokhaar. “Based on what I saw from the future, I’m going to guess it has an element storage tank of some type, with a matter converter unit that feeds it. It can then make those patterns based on what’s available element-wise.”

  Kri’tokhaar faced Dr. Snowden. “That’s very close to how we designed it. We don’t use tanks so much as streams. Every replicator is tied into a pipe that has a stream of elements. It can pull out what’s needed.”

  Dr. Bryson narrowed his eyes. “So these … pipes … contain all elements needed for replication?”

  Kri’tokhaar nodded.

  “How does it keep them separated?”

  Kri’tokhaar drew in the air with his claws. “Imagine this pattern. Draw a circle. At two points on the top, draw two parallel lines up. The gap between the points on the circle is open.”

  “Like a keyhole?” asked Dr. Bryson.

  “I’m … unfamiliar with that term. Nonetheless, each element area has that shape and is buffered by shielding. The size of the shape depends on the rarity of the element.”

  Dr. Bryson rubbed his chin. “A layered pipe. Fascinating. Then the replicators would have specialized extractors that interact with the pipe.”

  “Yes. You learn quickly.”

  Dan shook his head and crooked a thumb at Dr. Bryson. “He might. That all sounds like mush to me.”

  Dr. Snowden smirked. “The funny thing is, with your nanobots, these types of things will be easy to learn in time.”

  Sarah swatted Dan’s arm. “That I would like to see.”

  Dan smirked.

  Everyone except Kri’tokhaar got a container of water and settled down at a nearby table.

  “I’ve heard you mention the nanobots before,” said Kri’tokhaar, facing Dr. Snowden. “They were meant for short-term use. How long have you had yours?”

  “About six months now. Matriarch De’zokaar gave us a device that can extract them, but Emily and I kept them. It’s saved our bacon several times.”

  “Bacon?” asked Kri’tokhaar.

  Everyone chuckled.

  Dr. Snowden gestured outward. “I mean that it’s helped us tremendously. We’re stronger, faster, smarter, live longer, and there are other effects that more recently materialized, like controlling our emotional state.”

  “They should have left your body on their own after a month,” said Kri’tokhaar, narrowing his smaller eyes.

  “Huh,” said Dr. Snowden. “Then it sounds like humans are unique to the nanobots. Like a symbiotic relationship.”

  Kri’tokhaar’s eyes blinked slowly. “You humans are truly unique. It sounds like the nanobots have evolved, and they did it with your species. Very unexpected.”

  Dr. Bryson smiled. “I don’t want them out. It sounds like it’s the next step in our evolution.”

  Dr. Snowden bobbed his head. “Augments are, actually, but I suspect nanobots at some point.”

  Dan chuckled. “Well, if these nanobots are supposed to make us smarter, mine haven’t kicked in yet.”

  “Give it time,” said Dr. Snowden. “It’s not like a switch is flipped, but over time, things will make sense to you that would have been mush before.”

  “I’d like to learn to fight like Emily,” said Sarah.

  “Me too,” said Dr. Snowden. He noticed V looking over at them as everyone laughed.

  Dr. Bryson followed Dr. Snowden’s gaze. “I like V. It’s so cool that you get to travel with him.”

  Dr. Snowden nodded. “He’s one of my closest friends now. Had a situation a while back where if he hadn’t stepped in to help me, I wouldn’t be here.”

  “Well, if Levaran lets me travel with her and Edev, maybe I can get to know Edev like that,” said Dr. Bryson.

  Dr. Snowden nodded. “It’s possible.”

  “Levaran and Evaran are very powerful. It’s good to see them using their abilities to help others,” said Kri’tokhaar. He lowered his buggy head. “Even if it is an abduction.”

  “Hey, man,” said Dan. “Shit happens. How you respond to it is what’s important.”

  “I … I wish you did not have to test that approach like this,” said Kri’tokhaar.

  Sarah smiled. “At least we get nanobots and to meet a parallel-universe version of Albert and our daughter.”

  Dr. Bryson nodded. “Yeah, I mean … there are positive things that can come from this. Just have to look at the bright side and not dwell too much on the past.”

  “I wish I could have met your species under different circumstances. It is … water under the bridge, though,” said Kri’tokhaar.

  Dr. Bryson grinned. “There you go.”

  Levaran walked up to the group. “I’ve had Edev scout around. She has detected two predators, but they are a bit away. We can go when you’re ready.”

  Dr. Bryson slapped Kri’tokhaar’s back shell as he stood. “I think we’re good.”

  Levaran tilted her head at Kri’tokhaar as he rose. “Very well.” She circled a finger at V, who joined them on the way to the hallway entrance on the other side of the room.

  Dr. Snowden enjoyed talking with Kri’tokhaar and saw that the others did too. The thought crossed his mind that Kri’tokhaar could even travel with Levaran. How that would work when visiting Earth would be interesting. Maybe a camouflage suit or holographic overlay or something.

  He was surprised at how quickly Dan and the others adjusted to where they were. It could be that his presence helped to stabilize things. He knew that if he and Emily had come out of the virtual simulation and Dan and Sarah had been there for them, it would have been much easier.

  Dan slapped him on the back. “Thinking, aren’t you?”

  “Always,” said Dr. Snowden as he grinned.

  Over the next thirty minutes, Dr. Snowden observed the environment and the corpses of various creatures. In the first fifteen minutes, creatures ran away from them. The group did get challenged by a humpbacked hu
manoid with an elongated neck and unusually large arms, but Edev’s repulsion beam hit the ground before it and sent it packing. The temperature had gone down some, and judging by Dan and the others rubbing their arms, he knew they would need to get off the ship soon, before it got too cold.

  In the second fifteen minutes, he began to see a pattern in the few dead creatures they saw. They had halted at one of them to investigate. It had been stabbed several times and had energy-beam marks across its body. Initially he thought it might be the Time Wardens, but the wounds indicated that multiple small creatures had done it. Levaran mentioned that there were several possibilities, but nothing to confirm with.

  He was glad to see that Kri’tokhaar was looking a bit more relaxed. Dr. Snowden was unable to decipher Kri’tokhaar’s feelings based on his waving antennae, his clacking claws, or the variety of noises he made, but he got a sense of Kri’tokhaar’s emotions in the way he walked and talked. And mostly, it was his eyes. Always his eyes.

  It seemed almost universal that slow blinking indicated calm and rapid meant nervousness. It made him proud that Dan and the others were accepting of Kri’tokhaar. It showed the best of humanity, that, in his opinion, they could adapt and evolve and even change their views. He suspected Kri’tokhaar noted this too.

  The krall and Sarah seemed to have formed a bond. As they walked, Sarah would scratch the krall behind the ears, or pat it on the side. The krall seemed to enjoy the attention and had even been less antagonistic toward Kri’tokhaar. He suspected that if it came down to it, the krall would help Kri’tokhaar in a pinch.

  He had spent most of the time since the cafeteria with V, and he got the sense that V felt a little left out. Based on the looks V had been giving, it seemed he was curious and wanted to interact. This situation must have intrigued him, and although Edev was his counterpart, Dr. Snowden figured interacting with people who were parallel versions of important people in his and Emily’s lives was a priority for V.

  Dr. Snowden knew how close V and Emily were, so maybe this was V’s opportunity to learn more. Dr. Bryson had spent some time with V as well, and he seemed eager to engage V in theoretical discussions.

  When they came to a storage-container room, Levaran paused. She raised a hand for everyone to stop, then motioned with two fingers forward.

  Edev shimmered out of view and flew forward.

  Dr. Snowden could feel it too. His nanobots were tingling, which probably meant that a Time Warden was around. Their energy signatures had a temporal component to them, which is something he was more aware of now. He stood next to Levaran. “How many?”

  Levaran narrowed her eyes. “I’m … not sure. I can detect something, but not its location. Edev can’t see it either.”

  Dan exhaled slowly as he looked around. “You think this thing has stealth?”

  “Predators don’t have that. This is either a new creature or a new type of Time Warden that Evaran and I haven’t seen before. We should proceed with caution.”

  The krall took the right side of the group while V took the rear with Kri’tokhaar. Dr. Snowden went to the left side, and Levaran took the lead, with Edev flying around.

  Dr. Snowden did not like storage rooms. It seemed every one they had encountered on the ship contained a nasty surprise. The dim lighting and light mist on the floor added to the foreboding atmosphere, but it was the eerie silence that unnerved him.

  Dan’s eyes darted around when they were at the room’s halfway point. “I have a … weird sensation.”

  “Like a tingling?” asked Dr. Snowden.

  Dr. Bryson nodded. “Getting it too. Feels weird.”

  “Same here,” said Sarah.

  Dr. Snowden rubbed his chin. “It’s probably not temporal awareness. My guess is you’re stressed and the nanobots are boosting your body to compensate.”

  “Huh,” said Dan. He snapped his head to the side. “I thought I saw something.”

  Levaran raised her hand to pause the group and took a few steps toward the area Dan was inspecting. “Let’s check.” She raised her right arm and fired a repulsion blast.

  Dr. Snowden’s heartbeat ramped up when the blast unveiled a large spherical body that had multiple tentacles. It was a Time Warden, but unlike any he had seen so far. Small holes on the sphere opened up, and smaller Time Wardens with just three tentacles and a small orb in the middle crawled out.

  “The hell is that?” asked Dan with widened eyes.

  Levaran motioned forward. “Move!”

  As the group surged forward to the exit, another Time Warden similar to the first one appeared in their path.

  Dr. Snowden peered back and saw that yet another had come out of stealth behind them where they first entered the room. “It’s a trap!”

  “Then we’re going through them!” said Levaran. “Follow me!”

  Dr. Snowden ushered Dan, Sarah, and Dr. Bryson forward while watching the rear with the others.

  The clickety-clackety noise of the smaller Time Wardens filled the room.

  His mouth went dry as he saw the smaller Time Wardens shooting a line at the ceiling and pulling themselves up and then sailing around. They were taking positions high up on the storage containers. He pointed near the ceiling behind them. “The small ones can grapple!” A quick sweep around showed that the smaller ones were approaching on the ground as well.

  V grabbed Dr. Snowden’s arm. “We must go.”

  Dr. Snowden nodded and spun around. He and V hustled up to the others.

  Edev hovered behind them and shot a mix of repulsion and stun beams as she dodged fire from the smaller ones.

  Levaran ran headlong into the Time Warden in their path. It wrapped its tentacles around her, tangling her up. The smaller ones jumped on her and began to attack.

  The krall raised its shield and charged into the side of the Time Warden, knocking it and Levaran over.

  V began to pull the smaller ones off Levaran as Dan, Sarah, and Dr. Bryson sidestepped the fight and tried to slip past.

  Kri’tokhaar activated a shield and began firing a small weapon. His energy beams were knocking back the smaller ones, and the ones he focused the beam on for a little longer evaporated.

  Sarah and Dr. Bryson screamed as two smaller ones jumped on them and pricked them.

  Dan was a blur as he pulled them off and smashed them into the ground.

  Sarah fell to her knees and squinted as she doubled over.

  Dr. Bryson fell forward and struggled to get up.

  Levaran had been able to regain control of the Time Warden that had wrapped her up, and with a strike from her energy gauntlet, she smashed the central orb, causing yellow goo to run out.

  When the goo evaporated, the Time Warden stopped moving. The smaller ones approached in large numbers.

  Levaran pointed forward. “Into the hallway!”

  V picked up the remains of a Time Warden and tossed it behind him, knocking out several of the smaller ones. Dan picked up Sarah while Dr. Snowden steadied Dr. Bryson. The krall had taken up the rear with Kri’tokhaar and Edev, and between their shielding and weapon fire, they were able to keep a buffer.

  As they entered the hallway, Dr. Snowden froze. It was a Time Warden predator. They had been corralled.

  Kri’tokhaar rushed to a door console and, using his claw print, sealed the door to the storage room.

  Levaran waved for everyone to step back as she positioned herself front and center to face the Time Warden. She wobbled for a moment, and raised a hand. “Hear me, Time Warden.”

  Dr. Snowden’s eyes widened. Whatever the paralyzing toxin was, being stabbed so many times had an impact even on Levaran. He could see her straining to just stand up.

  “You have already been heard and judged,” said the predator. It rushed forward and knocked Levaran away.

  The krall growled and pushed the predator back using her shield.

  Edev fired, but her repulsion beam could not move the predator, and the stun beams had no effect on the shield
ing.

  V rushed forward and grabbed one of the predator’s tentacles.

  The predator tried to stab V with its top tentacles but could not penetrate V’s shielding.

  V was able to grab another top tentacle.

  The predator lifted V and began to squeeze. It staggered around while using its remaining two tentacles to keep the krall and Kri’tokhaar at bay.

  Dr. Snowden saw an opportunity. With the others keeping the tentacles busy, the core body was vulnerable. Peering back, he observed that Levaran was kneeling and trembling. Her face showed pain, and when she tried to stand and fell back, a chill shot up his spine.

  The krall kept a bit away from the predator and provided cover against its energy beams.

  Kri’tokhaar popped out behind the shield and took pot shots, but the predator’s shield held.

  Levaran gestured forward. In an anguished voice, she said, “Dr. Snowden. The rod.”

  Dr. Snowden exhaled raggedly and laid down Dr. Bryson. He extended the rod from his PSD and approached the predator with his shield out. When he was getting close, the krall, Edev, and Kri’tokhaar joined him and spread out to draw the predator’s attention.

  The predator spun around and shot out a scanning beam.

  Dr. Snowden peered back and saw that Levaran had activated her shielding and had Dan and the others behind her.

  V ripped out a tentacle, but was still tied up. He grabbed one of the predator’s bottom tentacles, causing it to falter.

  Time seemed to slow down as Dr. Snowden’s nanobots went into overdrive. He could see the elliptical body dipping toward him. His eyes searched, and although he was not sure how, he thought he detected a weakened spot in the shielding. He surged forward.

  The remaining top tentacle moved to grab him, but Kri’tokhaar jumped forward and got rolled up by it.

  Dr. Snowden stepped to the side and, with a grunt, plunged the rod deep into the predator’s body. When he yanked it out, the end was covered in a yellow goo that then evaporated.

  The predator crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

  “You did it!” said Edev.

  Dr. Snowden exhaled as he helped Kri’tokhaar up. These predators were no joke. He nodded at Edev. “Yeah, barely.” He glanced at Kri’tokhaar. “Impeccable timing.”