by Paul, Alan
Tiberius then walked through the hall, and worked his way through the facility.
“Hello, 34.”
“Hello, Tiberius,” replied Centurion 34 who was standing outside the gathering room.
The Draconian looking room was scantily filled with just a few chairs and tables. The room was darkly lit with many hidden cubicles. Tiberius’s superior eyesight absorbed what little light there was but could not see Lexis.
He left the room feeling disappointed she was not there but when he looked down the long hall, and saw his bedroom door cracked open, he knew where she might be; Tiberius quietly snuck down to the dark entry, and entered.
“I gotcha!” Lexis grabbed Tiberius from behind in a loving embrace.
“No, Mommy,” said Tiberius. He then giggled, and relented to his mother’s hold.
Lexis then turned on his bedroom light, and watched him yawn in her arms. She said, “It is time to go to bed, Tiberius.” Lexis then dressed him in pajamas, and tucked him into bed.
“Rebel Lexis…” Tiberius pulled the blanket up under his chin.
“You know how I feel about you calling me that, Tiberius.”
Tiberius lovingly smiled into her eyes, and said, “One day, I want to go to Earth, and find a wife like you.”
“You know that will never come to fruition, son.”
Tiberius looked up at Lexis with a furrowed brow, and asked, “Mommy, what does fruition mean?”
“Fruition means, it will never be,” Lexis replied.
“But why?”
“Because you are a special boy, and you will have to meet a special girl here on Mars.”
“You mean in one of the great cities you taught me about?”
“No, there are only Polarians at the poles, and they are the enemy. You know that.”
“But they are pretty like you.”
“You will meet a beautiful Martian like you one day, and love her with all your heart.”
“No, I don’t want to…they are stupid, ugly. I want to meet…” Tiberius yawned then continued saying, “…a beautiful Earthling like you one day, Mommy.” Tiberius spoke with the mentality of a five-year-old.
“Tiberius, they are not all ugly. I am sure you will meet a beautiful woman who you will love. A woman you will live happily ever after with but for now, it is time for you to sleep.”
“Yes, Mommy.”
“Good night, son.” Lexis reached down, and kissed Tiberius’s forehead.
Shutting off the light Lexis thought, “I am so proud of my accomplishment.” The conception of Jason’s son had given her a sense of being. And albeit the insemination of the Humanoid worked, the Clan and birth mother rejected him. They sensed something was different about him, and abandoned him in the wild soon after he was born.
Although his genetic make-up consisted of the best of Jason Bjorn, and was equipped with a modern brain, his body was maturing more like a Humanoid. She had designed him to have all the attributes needed to survive on the Martian surface. Though, he was smaller in size compared to the Humanoids, and his skin did not have the tiger stripe camouflaging as they did. However, unlike his biological mother, he had a full head of hair.
Despite his human attributes, in four more years Tiberius would be a fully-grown Martian, ready for a mate. Lexis knew that once he reached puberty, he would start becoming more primal in his needs. She was going to have to provide him with someone to call his own. Her plan was simple; find a different Clan, artificially inseminate another Humanoid, and wait for her birth. And this time she hoped the female would not reject the baby.
T WO MARTIAN YEARS
“C 34, make sure you thoroughly clean out the nest, and destroy the layer,” Lexis communicated from inside the vault over the wireless ether net.
“We are going to need a full spectral analysis of their tunnel network.” Centurion 34 spoke while climbing from the service tunnel up into the large chamber of the Face Pyramid. Lexis had upgraded Centurion 34’s programing and voice modulator, virtually making him sound more human.
“Feed into the Chameleon’s computer for current updates,” Lexis commanded.
“Affirmative, and Lexis?”
“Yes, 34?”
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?”
“No, but thank you for the compliment, C 34,” Lexis replied. Although she had programmed him to say this occasionally, she still liked hearing the compliment from time to time.
The biological smell grew ten fold since its discovery, indicating the rodent population exploded. Wafting into the service tunnel below, the vulgar stench caused Lexis to gag. She thought, “If the large rodents end up coming down here, they will pose a real danger to Tiberius.” The gnarly-looking beast can grow up to five feet in length. “One could easily kill my young prodigy.” Having great confidence in Centurion 34, and the other four, she thought, “They will easily kill them all.”
The two years had gone by quickly, and though her intention was to clean out the den sooner, her own Speciesism program kept her too busy. A year ago, Lexis had gone to the Southern Clan again, and inseminated three more healthy females with Jason’s genetic offspring. Five months later, and all within a week of one another, they all gave birth. The logic behind impregnating more than one female this time was that the Clan would see similarities between the three babies and accept them as one of their own. To guarantee their acceptance, she had intentionally laced the dead deer with an even higher amount of sedative, ensuring not only killing off the adolescents but the weak and old too. This would free up food resources, and strengthen the bonds with the new babies.
Her plan worked to a tee, and this began a vigorous strategy of impregnating all healthy Humanoids in the Southern Clan with only female offspring. Lexis created enough genetic alterations in Jason’s DNA sequencing, offering plenty of variations in the encoding, separating them more than fourteen times. This would reduce any chance of malformations associated with inbreeding. When the time came, Tiberius would be able to choose a suitable mate.
The humid air permeated a warm stagnant funk inside the large Martian antediluvian-style room. Centurion 34, and the other four companion robots scanned the interior’s corridors for any sign of life. Designed in the original construction, interconnecting chambers dotted the huge structure. A labyrinth of smaller and irregular tunnels undermined the Pyramid’s foundation.
“Make sure you block off the main entrance so they can not escape, 34,” Lexis ordered.
“Affirmative,” 34 answered.
Leading up to the chamber was a small and partially hidden staircase. C 34 set a trap there by stationing two Centurions to kill any escaping rats, while C 34 and the other two came from behind the colony via the balcony in the great room.
C 34 and the two other Centurions jumped up and climbed over the balcony handrails where the biomass smell significantly increased. C 34 paused before saying, “Turning off olfactory sensors.” Lexis had upgraded their sensors.
“Affirmative,” the two replied in unison.
Edging down the dank corridor, C 34’s finger gripped the plasma rifle’s trigger. Suddenly his sensors glowed red-hot as several heat signatures bolted from the room.
“Fire!” C 34 yelled after kneeling. He did not want to get shot from behind.
The dark corridor erupted in gunplay, and the walls’ Martian Sanskrit danced to life in a blaze of fiery blue splashes. The rat’s overly large eyes reflected like glass as they attacked.
“What huge ivory teeth!” C 34 loudly remarked while pulling on the weapon accurately.
Squeals and death groans followed with every trigger pull. The companion’s aim made quick work of the charging beasts. Burning flesh and fur created a tangy odor. The dead piled up partially blocking off the smoked filled hall.
A loud rumble quavered the ground; debris filled the large antechamber before the Centurions entered.
“Rebel Lexis, we are going to need the diggers in here. The vermin are v
ery smart.”
“Please specify transmission?” Lexis inquired from the vault.
“We have cleared the upper chamber but they collapsed a tunnel behind them to conceal their escape,” Centurion 34 responded.
“I confirm request. I will dispatch an Engineer immediately to assess the situation.”
“Affirmative,” said Centurion 34.
The Centurions killed any remaining giant rats before the day ended. Lexis then had the Engineers destroy the existing tunnel. She wanted to turn the pyramid into a livable fortress for Tiberius when he grew into adulthood.
T HREE MARTIAN YEARS
The thick grass bent below his large feet as he slowly crept through with his spear. Tiberius’s shark like skin easily fended off the early morning dew; though the air was still, making it a challenging hunt. A pocket of fog rose from the ground, helping conceal the approach. At any time, sneaking up on a herd of deer was a difficult prospect. And after singling out a large buck, Tiberius stood. The deer’s eyesight caught his movement but it was too late. In that instant he cantilevered at the waist, reeled back the spear, and the buck turned looking straight into Tiberius’s eyes when the spear flew with deadly accuracy. The ill-fated animal dropped straight away, and death gripped the groaning deer as it struggled to breathe.
Lexis had taken Tiberius hunting nearly every day for two months, teaching him tactics. She taught him how to use any means of cover to mask or hide his presence, such as trees, tall grass, weather, and the lay of the land.
“Always approach downwind so the animal won’t smell you,” instructed Lexis.
“Yes, Lexis. I know, you told me this already,” responded Tiberius after pulling the spear out of the dying Pecora.
“I know but I want to reiterate what you have learned.”
With unpredictability, Tiberius plunged his knife into the upper abdomen, splaying open the organs. He then reached up inside the deer, and pulled out the animal’s heart. Lexis watched in silence as Tiberius ate the still beating heart. “He’s thinking for himself,” she thought.
Observing the day’s hunt, she noticed for the first time that he had developed his own throwing technique, and displayed a primal desire to connect with the animal. “He is becoming a skilled hunter.” Dropping the deer immediately, showed his mastery. Usually, the two had to track the dying animal for some distance.
Outside of teaching him all the sciences, history, and everything she knew about being human, she also had to prepare him for the inevitable. Soon he would want to mate. The genetically modified females would be his only option when the time came. One day he would have to challenge the Southern Clan Leader’s position, and fight him to the death. This course of action would be his only way to mate within the Clan.
Already showing aggressive Humanoid tendencies, Tiberius was in the beginning stages of puberty. Soon he would be uncontrollable, and nothing would stop him searching out a mate. For now, all she could do was prepare him for adulthood. The Cydonian plain was where she would do it. Also, by running him all over the savanna, she hoped it would help cool off his jets until he was ready to usurp the Southern Clan Leader.
F OUR MARTIAN YEARS
Lexis was astounded by Tiberius’s learning capacity, and innate ability to understand complex ideas. He absorbed information at an incredible rate. So impressed by this she decided to do an in-depth study into his DNA. In the vault’s lab, she discovered an anomaly in the Humanoid’s sequencing. Within the strands was hidden information. She could not immediately see the DNA information because there was an encrypted biological lock blocking access to the data. Cracking the lock, and deciphering the material would take some time but she was most certain the Humanoids on Mars were originally designed for military applications.
When Mars exploration began, the United States of America was at the pinnacle of space exploration. Their military was centuries more advanced than any other country on Earth, giving them an edge, and when the early civilizations fell during the drastic climate change, they were the last of the countries to fall. Lexis surmised the Humanoids were their product.
During the fourth year, Lexis taught Tiberius modern warfare, and how to use all the weapons at his disposal, including the weapon systems of the Chameleon. Tiberius loved the Chameleon; he had easily mastered navigation, and knew every inch of her inside and out. Lexis concluded he was far superior to any human she had ever known. Her genetic tinkering had created the perfect specimen.
Lexis explained to Tiberius all she knew about his DNA, and told him that he would have a great path before him. She planned to unlock a grand future for him and was determined to see it through.
F IVE MARTIAN YEARS
Casting corrugates of opposing shadows, Deimos and Phobos flushed the Martian landscape in a tainted vanilla glow. Approaching the encampment, a knot of stomach anxiety roiled up inside Tiberius when he saw the hard corners of the longhouse. A warm gentle breeze whispered at his face, causing olfactory glands to work overtime. “The dung pit must be in front of me,” he thought. Masking his own scent the warm night worked in his favor when the mixture of foul odors carried downwind. Skirting the structure’s flank, he circumvented the pungent waste pit with a nerve-rattling stride.
Sweat profusely poured from his brow. He came within reach of the entrance and began pissing on the animal skin covering the opening. The contravene act would guarantee his distinct but potent male hormone be carried inside by an inward draft, inundating all with his tangy testosterone laden stench.
After saturating the door covering, he stepped several paces away from the longhouse where Tiberius then defied the dominance of the area’s velvety ruddiness by setting ablaze a semi-circle of torches. “The flickering torchlight will create a mesmerizing spectacle within their primitive minds.” He remembered what Lexis had instructed. Not one Clan had discovered fire yet, and Tiberius would not only introduce them to fire but a new beginning of many revolutionizing things, changing their world over night. A paradigm shift of sorts but first, he would have to survive mortal combat.
Adding to the spectacle, Tiberius’s body glistened in a colorful blue shiny paste, reflecting the burning torchlight; he faced towards the Clan’s longhouse. Lexis had covered his taut muscles in blue colored grease she had created from wild flowers and boiled animal skin.
Vein coursing excitement raced thoughout his body as the blood pressure thumped in his ears. He was driven to near madness with the need to procreate. Wanting to give plenty of time for his strong musky odor to fill the longhouse, he waited before calling out the challenge.
Body rippling with firelight, he finally yelled, “Haka!”
Tiberius impatiently paced in between the torches watching the entrance for movement. A gust of wind bent the flames’ tops causing shadows to angrily dance to and fro.
“Haka!” he screamed again.
With torch lit eyes, Tiberius now spotted several large faces peering from the opening. “They’re all too scared to come out,” he thought.
He squatted at the waste and began slapping his thighs. A rigid backbone defined his posture when he began his cadence, “Haka! Pala-ah! Uka pala-ah, haka-ka!” Exaggeratedly, he stuck out his tongue. And after several overemphasized tongue wags, he repeated, “Haka! Pala-ah! Uka pala-ah, haka-ka!” He slapped his chest several times while pointing up to the moons.
The Clan’s curiosity supplanted their trepidation, gradually revealing themselves. There was something familiar about the stranger. Gathering outside, they watched him perform the Clan’s war dance.
During his embellished ground stomps and emboldened movements, Tiberius easily picked out Clan members with similar genetic features. Differing them from the majority, his heart raced while fixating on the females. Albeit, he thought they were so much more beautiful than the rest, his resemblance to those genetically related females caused the entire Clan to look upon him with acceptance.
Every Clan had developed a distinct war dance, usually
done to intimidate or drive off other Clans. He had studied their war dance to challenge for Clan leadership, but the Dominate Male was too amazed by the torchlight. Tiberius paused looking at the passive leader, and thought, “I need to instigate this asshole.”
He repeated the war dance. “Haka! Pala-ah! Uka pala-ah, Haka-ka!” At the end of the rehearsed dance, Tiberius deviated from the war cry, and extemporaneously said, “Eat shit, asshole!”
He then reached between his legs and tossed mud, imitating flinging shit. Shit flinging was a huge insult in Clan life. When the mud hit the Leader’s face, it enraged him. Firelight emphasized the drawn lines of contempt as the Clan Leader’s face tightened. He then clenched his teeth, pushed aside a youngling and rushed Tiberius. Curiosity had turned into a full on assault. With hands straight out, he charged Tiberius as if he were going to strangle him. The Clan leader was not alone; another male followed right behind. Humanoids had the size advantage, being two feet taller, and out weighing Tiberius by thirty pounds; they were most formidable.
Lexis feared this might happen, she tried zeroing in with her plasma rifle’s scope but they moved too fast. Not being able to draw a bead from her vantage point, she watched uncomfortably from a distance.
Tiberius grabbed the Clan leader’s left hand, smoothly stepped backward, and using his own weight against him, tossed the Leader aside with ease. Sparks flew everywhere when he knocked over a torch causing the grass to ignite. Tiberius instinctively hunched straight down to avoid the second attacker. Though his swift thinking caused the unbalanced attacker to flip-up over end, he took a hard knee to the temple, stunning him.