Evolution's Essence

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  An exceptionally wide path was established to a growing field of sapling Inferno Trees where stood all the Elder Hunters as well as a train of men and women bound together by chains in a train for execution. Over four thousand long were proven to be irredeemable. A hundred thousand that were captured and verified were shipped across the two galaxies for immediate retraining.

  As suspected, Davan Took found his life’s work was indeed stolen to finish work on instantaneous travel from point to point, but another group that predated his work made a way that required only one point as anchor to send and receive living and nonliving objects rather than two points being anchors. He also stood three weeks ago, when data was recovered from the enemy dreadnaught database clearly detailing Davan Took having his morning coffee gradually laced with nanites that ultimately controlled him.

  A chief teleportation scientist stood among the chain that was captured had been the true mastermind. All murder charges were taken off Davan and given to this man. Davan’s name had been cleared of all wrongdoing and he looked like a whole new man passionate to live again and uncover all the secrets of instant travel. Until Davan gave the all clear to use it, he was in charge of all the research and dictated how it was used by proclamation of the Asian Empress herself. He even got a team to work with and was alive, making valued friends like he used to.

  Davan too stood in the crowd present to witness justice done. Watery eyes barely blinking, but it was clearly written on his expression he was thinking of his workplace friends who had become family and were murdered for no logical reason other than greed. He wished they were around to see their murderers’ find justice. If there was an afterlife he fervently wished his family kicked their asses for eternity. They’d certainly get the chance soon enough.

  A strong squeeze on his shoulder had Davan look up and saw Oliver’s empathy calm and stable as ever. The blue man nodded as the impressive group passed.

  Reporters from across Andromeda were abuzz commenting to floating orbs recording every possible detail and angle. Near all were focused on the royal contingent. Many of those who weren’t Hunters gawked at Oliver and Renee, a hot topic that wouldn’t die down anytime soon because word was released and Amanda Lockwell had been given the go ahead to break the biggest story of all time. All the stations either talked about were the mass execution or that Solarians live again.

  Two and a half kilometers later the Pride spread out and Oliver moved away from Renee to approach the standing Elders and the shortest among them. First to greet was Vanishing Claw. “Too bad Netul didn’t stick around to witness this.”

  “Yeah, but Callier needed her Match to ready their son for communal teaching. And he also had other, more pressing obligations only a Beyleez must deal with.” Oliver dug a small item out of a pocket. A small earring shaped just like a sword and passed it over. “I decided that instead of what Archiver Tammat uses, it’ll be more than a year from now before I collar another Liger Pride and give them to you. So best do this gradually. It has limited range so use your chip to turn it off if you need a break. The pain program will be initially no pain at all, but over the course of three months will get increasingly more painful. Turn it off if you cannot stand it. Play with different levels if gradual becomes too easy and remember, at full pain is what I endured for eight straight hours. Believe me, it’ll feel lifetimes instead.”

  “Got it.” Vanishing Claw looked at the simple assuming piece of jewelry in his gauntlet’s palm and passed it over. “Talon, do you mind.”

  “Payback for all the times you poke me? I’m there.” She grinned maliciously, blue eyes shimmering as she removed the backing of the earring, came closer and forced the thin shaft through his left earlobe and he didn’t even twitch. Talon replaced the backing, stepped back to turn the sword’s long blade downward.

  “Sexy. When this is all over I expect to get poked repeatedly.”

  “But of course, My Love. You’ll scream my name to the stars like I always make you do.” He winked and looked away towards the train of bound men and women each having a sensory deprivation helmet on. They couldn’t see or hear anything. Vanishing Claw decided there was no time like the present and activated the earring’s ability. The throbbing of the lobe made sure nothing else was felt.

  Emperor Markeese Coleson stood up on the dais where a gallows had been erected. A hundred ropes hung from a long metal bar that came down to a person’s knee. When the floorboard is released the gallows stood four meters off the ground. Anyone shorter than Jake Dorgen would not stand a chance. Especially in Zerika’s gravity. Most of the people in line could barely stand as it was. “Good people of the Empire!” He began, a small transmitter sewn into the collar of his suit transmitted his words across the cavity in the ground and through live recordings going to every human news channel in existence. “If you have been following recent events then you have seen every suspect has been proven without a shadow of doubt to have had a hand in the most recent greatest evils of our civilization. Today we cleanse ourselves of their taint. The most heinous acts were done by a mere ten masterminds and will be executed not by hanging. Executioners, bring your quarry to the stage.”

  Vanishing Claw and nine others moved to the front of the train. Two being Steven and Stone. The other seven weren’t Hunter’s, but family members of esteem who lost someone dear as a result of grievously illegal crimes and got the right to deal long awaited vengeance.

  Ten were removed from the long train and shoved or shocked a little until they got on stage. Hand’s bound behind their back, the deprivation helmets were removed, but not till after getting forced to their knees by a sharp, painful kick to the joint. They cried out in pain. Both by the sharp glare of the sun and hurt knees.

  Swords were given to the seven civilians as the Emperor retold the documented crimes from the least to worst persons. After each one the civilians at last got to either behead or plunge their sword through the heart or belly till the person slowly died. Everyone watching was silent, showing little to no remorse to their deaths.

  Until the Emperor got to the final three. “Supermodel Veronica Grimsil.” The curvy woman with peach color hair. “Supermodel Natalie Pierce.” The sunlight haired woman. “And Former Hunter and president of Galicom Collin Chandler. For the crimes of millions of blackmail, slavery, kidnapping, illegal research in science, murder, theft, cloning of over two hundred thousand abominations through the rebirth program and the future attempt of genocide of all Hunters in this galaxy by the clone army… I find you guilty by documentation of your own acts and by eleven unbiased Drake telepaths to learn your secrets.”

  “Don’t kill us, Please!” The woman called Veronica Grimsil pleaded.

  “You didn’t plead for my brother-in-arms when you had Merc’s hired to kill him and Bell. Blackmailed him with the false promise of bringing his daughter back from death just to spy on the Andromeda Pirate King.” Steven grabbed a fistful of hair and punched her in the face. She bawled.

  “End this once and for all.” The Emperor ordered.

  Steven gladly removed his double balled flail and crushed her skull to a pulp, ending the cries in an instant.

  Stone removed the huge battleaxe, kicked the woman to the ground and chopped her torso in half with a lone swing. She died much slower.

  Vanishing claw met the vacant look of Chandler before taking his sword and cut the man easily from crown to groin in a single swoop. It made a great deal of mess and made the dais smell like shit, but that couldn’t be helped.

  It was over. The conspiracy was at an end once and for all.

  The bodies were carted to the Inferno trees where graves were made and the bodies were tossed in for fuel.

  Waste not want not.

  The hangings took all day long, each death went to a grave to one day produce something worthwhile. When it was eventually over things began to settle.

  Three months later the Emperor bound Jake and Andrea in public marriage on Zerika before returning to Eart
h to start mass producing Gravity Forges to strengthen defenses. The wedding was grand, but done in space because most of Andrea’s family couldn’t handle the jungle planet’s heavy gravity. Many were space-born and would die of heart failure without visiting a splicer. Bones would break too easily also. It was festive and everyone enjoyed meeting everyone. Andrea Dorgen was now officially the new pirate queen and loved bickering with the Fire Queen.

  Isabelle was now walking on her own and could talk like that of a child at the age of six or seven and she could do a few small things with her limited Psionic development. She was loved and cherished by her parents, but like her hotheaded mother, she couldn’t be around children much older than her because like her parents, she was fast and had a personality that required her to be second to no one. Sadly that meant a lot of children got hurt or bitten till they didn’t look her in the eye. Isabella had a full set of teeth and knew how to use them. She respected adults, especially after her parents spanked her to correct that behavior. Unfortunately it was Solarian instinct in children to dominate one another. Survival of the fittest and Isabella was clearly not weak. The only two children she didn’t lash out at was her baby uncle David and Netul and Callier’s son, Pathilim. David grew near twice as fast as a normal human, but even so his mental development wasn’t as great as hers. Pathilim though had telepathy and could converse with her though physically he was still in infancy and couldn’t do more than crawl. Those two were good friends.

  Four more months passed when the cubs were no longer cubs. Twenty one fully grown and trained Ligers stood at attention in a line. The males a had bit more of a mane where females were sleek. Nova’s daughter was bulkier and taller than any of the females and even the male she had taken as hers. They survived to adulthood and passed all the tests required. They merely lacked the experience of their ancient parents.

  Five tons of scrapped steel sat in a haphazard pile outside the house Oliver and Renee called home. Most Elder Hunters had long ago left, but Vanishing Claw and Talon stood beside Scythe and a heavily impregnated Javelin carrying Scythe’s child. Oliver’s Valek initiated the Liger collaring program and it chomped down on the scrap and chewed it up like a beating heart before he laid a hand on a neck and the Valek encircled furry necks one after another. When the black receded, left behind was a thick azure collar over snow white necks. After each collaring was completed he glanced to find Isabella standing on the wall, curly auburn hair brushing her tiny shoulders with adorable ringlets. To either side of the daughter were the heads of Sparky and Rose keeping an eye on her so she didn’t get close. This ritual was sacred and things needed to be kept absolutely quiet. Everyone else was watching behind the wall except Oliver and his Pride of twelve.

  Once all were collared he used most of the remaining steel to create the malleable Liger armor by cutting their flesh a little to combine some blood to the material. A similar process to what he did to Renee in New Wrangler Prison what seemed eons ago.

  With the last feline bonded to armor he looked up and connected to the Creelin Observer cloaked at the edge of the Zerikan solar system. “Archiver’s, please contact Game Warden Collu on Jaffablin and tell her the Pride is ready.”

  “She is making final preparations as we speak, King Void.”

  “Haven’t heard your voice in a long time, Archiver Brambbit. Are you coming to watch another bonding ritual?”

  “Some other time perhaps… Game Warden Collu will arrive in moments.”

  In just a handful of seconds, down the road came a brilliant flash of light. Oliver backed up when he saw her.

  Collu in the middle of the underground street stood entirely naked. Nothing touched her body. Her skin was bluish-grey and thin, but strong. Flat breasts didn’t hide a pair of nipples that were only used to allow a baby to breathe by secreting a lotion. She had her long segmented hair/antennae laying across her back. She even had a vagina much like a human woman. Convergent evolution for a sexual species. But her glowing eyes stared straight ahead, completely blank white.

  Taking a single step had the twenty one Ligers charge at her and roar so loud most covered sensitive ears. Any sane person would try to flee, even in vain. Collu didn’t show any sign of acknowledgement and they swiped extended claws in her face. Missing by mere millimeters. Spiked armor, proved their inexperience because shallow cuts appeared on her arms.

  Just the queen of the Pride stood her ground, large blue eyes glaring with greater intelligence. Collu stopped nose to face till the female made the armor get sucked into the collar. They stared each other down for a moment then Collu’s torso near vanished in the deadly maw. Fangs pierced flesh, making blue blood run down a firm butt without a hole. Creelin expel moisture through their vagina or penis. They didn’t eat conventionally so didn’t require a way to leave waste.

  As soon as the fangs pierced, the Pride surrounding her went completely silent and tense, ready to tear her apart.

  “Daddy, she’s hurting!” Isabella squeaked, her adorably freckled face was pinched in discomfort.

  “I know, baby doll, but remember, you need to be a bit more quiet.. shhh.” He whispered, scooping her into an arm. “And don’t try touching their minds. They’ll kill her and you. You don’t want her to die do you?”

  “No, Daddy. Ma say’s dying is bad and you never get to see someone again. I’ll be more quiet… Okay, Daddy?” She said, tilting her small head like a puppy. Renee wanted Isabella to call him Papa, but Isabella was a defiant and spirited child. Renee though made sure she was called Ma and nothing else. “How long must we wait?”

  “A few hours, Kiddo.” Vanishing Claw rubbed her soft head.

  “Wish I could help her. I feel her pain.”

  “Yer Ma was just as sensitive till I spliced her so she would fit in with kids her age… Empathy is strong in you too. ” Jake said, holding baby David in a single arm too.

  “Grand Papa, where is Ma and Grand Mama Andrea anyway?”

  “Don’t know Lass. I’m not their keeper. Why don’t ye go play a holo-game if yer bored already.”

  “Can I, Daddy?” it was damn near impossible to say no to such an adorable child with big, innocent eyes.

  “After your homework is done. You need to work on astrology a bit more. When I get your report you can play your Hunter simulation game and I’ll even let you pretend hunt a Tortoise.”

  “Yea!” She squealed, kissed his cheek and jumped down to run inside, Rose following the child with immeasurable eyes of love for children.

  “She’s already simulated hunted up to D-rank Beasts already?” Elder Javelin said while rubbing her five month round belly. Next month was the new full term for those having the gene therapy. “How can that be when she just learned to walk… what? Two and a half months ago?”

  “Sure did. My little girl is going to be a great Huntress.” Oliver was filled with love for his daughter. “The holographic game I had to modify a little so she could play. She has a little blunt dagger that is practically a sword in her grip. It’s fun to watch her stalk through the forest inside our home. She still can’t use her powers beyond reading surface thoughts and can’t Gather enough to make so much as a spark, but you’ve all played the game so I’m sure you know launching a slicing wave isn’t needed as much as the motions are… she may be tiny, but she’s fast and full of energy. If Renee and I didn’t buy that game she’d make us pull our hair out. Izzy only sleeps all night if she plays that game or a racing game. Otherwise she won’t go to bed and cuddle with her dolly.”

  “What new thing has she decided on now, Brother?” Scythe couldn’t help showing off his white teeth. Isabella grew so fast mentally that she constantly changed her mind.

  “Oh, she’s going to become the Queen of Terra here on Zerika when she becomes an adult.” They talked normally with the soundproof barrier between them and the ritual being underwent. He had to so as to not endanger the ritual. “And take Dav…” he paused, slipping more than intended on a sensitive matter.
>
  “And what?” Talon asked as even Jake Dorgen and the Drakes grew uncomfortable. “What has you four so unsettled? Especially you, Oliver. You never get anxious unless the little spitfire is around us.”

  Oliver leaned against the wall and couldn’t believe it still had happened. “It’s why Renee and Andrea are back on the Dorgenox. We’re lying to Izzy to keep her oblivious till decisions are made. Isabella met Davan Took face to face two days ago?”

  “What’s the harm in that? He’s a good man all things considering. Did he hurt her?” Vanishing Claw was instantly gripping his blade. Isabella was a doll whom everyone fell in love with on contact.

  “Not at all. It’s just…”

  “Just get it off yer chest, Lad. It’ll be alright later. Visitations will be strictly monitored if it must be done as that old journal says.” Jake said, sitting down, keeping an eye on the too stiff scene beyond the gate and wall. If not for breathing and twitching tails it could have been a paused scene in a movie.

  “Davan didn’t hurt her and it was so unexpected I still don’t know what to do… or even how to process how to deal with the situation.”

  “Tell us, Brother.” Vanishing Claw didn’t know how to react. He chose comforting between brothers in arms.

  “Apparently it’s very rare in my kind and was noted in the journal Renee has read from the Queen of Wind called Fru… but rarely is too light a word. It is so rare only one in a trillion Solarian children can know their Match at a glance. Queen Fru in all her many children only had one with Izzy’s condition… Isabella took one look at Davan the other day when we visited the ship. The little brat ran right up to him after jumping off Nova and kissed him full on the lips to say ‘You’re mine. If you ever smell like another woman I’ll kill them.’” He closed his eyes and chuckled darkly. “Renee has already discovered Davan is without a doubt Isabella’s ideal mate by chemistry alone. Before I pulled her off the poor man she was already buck naked and rubbing herself all over him like a damn monkey. Covering him in her scent. Renee had to put her to sleep and I brought her back here and am letting her figure out what to do. If anything I feel bad for Davan.”