“Of course, Dr. Dennison, the orange capsules are called Jerra’s Milk; it has a bittersweet taste going down,” explained Thoth. “It is a genetic bonding agent that will increase the rate of repair to your cells. The ‘glowing pill’ is called Starflower; its energy output is half that of a blue dwarf star. It was created to replenish the energy of individuals such as yourself.”
Freedom’s eyes narrowed at Thoth’s thorough description of Starflower.
“You’ve treated individuals like me?”
“Come now, Dr. Dennison,” Thoth answered with a simple smile. “With all that you have been through and experienced, is that so difficult to hear?”
“You wouldn’t happen to have water?” She inquired. “I still have a gag reflex when it comes to pills.”
“Of course, Seshaw.”
Seshaw quickly removed its right hollow breast casing with its left hand. Sophia’s eyes widened again, witnessing the faucet underneath dispensing clear blue water into the metal breast. It brought a bright, chuckling smile to Thoth that Sophia caught.
“Apologies,” he said while waving his hand. “A fond memory manifested into my mind.”
Sophia nodded, choosing not to delve further, taking the breast casing and pills.
She popped the five capsules and downed the water. Sophia made a slight yucky sound while handing back the breast casing, which Seshaw reattached back to its chest.
“You were right about the bittersweet taste…”
Sophia winced and shivered as her eyes began to glow brighter than usual.
“Holy …!”
“Starflower gives the patient an immediate boost of energy. The rush will subside soon enough.”
“Tell me this is not prescribed as addictive,” Sophia groaned. “Because it feels really, really good.”
“Although there have been cases, it’s infrequent for Cosmivorses such as yourself to develop an addiction to Starflower; once a Cosmivorse’s cells are fully replenished, your body becomes self-sustaining, regulating its energy intake. A Cosmivorse would have to ingest over one hundred capsules to feel the same euphoria causing an energy overload to the body; the body would then bleed off what it does not require.”
“The addict would then have to up the dosage,” Sophia interjected.
“Correct,” Thoth nodded. “The subject would seek out higher concentrations of energy such as stars, supernovas, dark matter pockets, or edges of sinkholes. This causes a permanent overload of the body. The cells eventually lose their regenerative trait and begin to deteriorate in time, causing death.”
She somberly nodded to Thoth’s explanation.
“Can we discuss the condition of my daughter now?”
Thoth nodded in agreement.
“She is currently being treated within one of our restructuring pods. She is stabilized, but her journey to recovery is long. She has, unfortunately, sustained a significant amount of psychological trauma due to her physical injuries.”
“Please elaborate,” Sophia requested.
Apprehensiveness formed on Thoth’s face as he was unsure whether it was a good idea to go into the gory details. The pain and distress in the human’s visage before him said there was a possibility she would snap whether he told her or not.
Thoth made sure to carefully choose his words.
“She sustained multiple head fractures. Also, all of the bones in her upper torso from front to back, including her spinal column was shattered.”
A yelping sound came out of Sophia as she doubled over on the cradle transport. Thoth instinctively reached out, grabbing her to prevent her from falling off.
“Oh god,” Sophia whimpered as molasses tears streamed from her face. “Oh, god!”
“As I have stated, she has passed the worse,” Thoth pressed with a soothing tone. “With the aid of our restructuring pods, we have repaired the damage that was done. That and her body’s superior regenerative capabilities have kept her clung securely to mortal coil.”
“I want to see her,” Sophia got out in between sobs. “Can I see her?”
“Yes, you may,” Thoth nodded. “I must bid thee caution. She is currently in a comatose state.”
Sophia wiped her eyes and slowly nodded before sliding off the cradle transport to stand on her feet.
“This way, please,” Thoth gestured.
Sophia followed him down the hallway further into Atticala’s main Hall of Science and Healing. She allowed herself to briefly relax and let her eyes wander around, observing the alien world she was on and its residents.
Through the large transparent glass floor to ceiling windows, she saw structures like Ancient Egypt, Mayan, and Incan empires back on Earth. Anu’s ‘pyramids’ and ‘temples’ were hi-tech alien buildings constructed from either gold, silver, or clear-cut diamond-like crystal materials. They all gleamed due to Anu’s blue star.
Her eyes then wandered to the people that either stood or passed them in the hall. Full-grown Annunaki males ranged from six foot four to almost seven feet, while the females stood between six foot two and six foot eight. Like Thoth, they had standard human proportions. Their skins had a weird shiny smoothness and varied in shades like pale white, light grey, dark grey, fox reddish-brown, caramel bronze, cocoa brown, or midnight. Men and women both wore onyx black or platinum blonde hair, either bone-straight stopping at their shoulders, fully braided or braided with one side shaved off, or bald. A few, mostly the younger generation, added streaks of colors to their hair. What set them apart from humans was their eyes; they were larger with a bit of a slant.
Sophia blushed from the fashion of the planet. The styles they wore were straight out of the history books and movies she watched about ancient civilizations from Earth, except the materials were higher quality, sheer and revealing. The Annunaki were not a modest species.
“Here we are,” Thoth gestured. “The Hall of Healing.”
The enormous hall was filled with a sea of metallic golden pods. The majority of them were open, while a few were closed.
As they made their way through the sea pods, Sophia noticed some of the inhabitants' condition.
Some slept comfortably on top of soft white cushions, while others floated in a state of sleep within a green liquid.
Her body rattled as she timidly approached the pod that housed her daughter.
Large uncontrollable golf ball tears fell from her eyes as a whimper squeaked out of Sophia, looking down at Kimberly minus clothing floating in a state of sleep within a translucent green liquid.
“What do you have her in?” Sophia got out with a cracked voice.
“It’s a type of nutrient bath,” Thoth began to explain. “Many of its properties are close to amniotic fluid. We find that reintroducing patients back into this simulated state of birth helps with cellular repair and growth. They also prevent the issues of bedsores, infection, and allow us to administer heliclorian cells for operations.”
“Heliclorian cells?”
“Like your world’s work with nanotechnology. Heliclorians enter through the orifices of a patient’s body and locate the damage or afflicted area for treatment or repairs.”
“Her cells do not see the heliclorian cells as a threat?” She asked.
“Excellent question,” Thoth smirked. “The answer is no. Heliclorian cells can communicate with cells identifying themselves as non-threatening. They will then work together to heal the body from damage or affliction. Once they have completed their tasks, they become inert and are consumed by the regular cells for additional nutrient.”
A fleeting smile came to Sophia’s lips, both impressed and appreciative of the treatment Kimberly was receiving. The next question she asked with a lump in her throat.
“Is she in any pain?”
“Seshaw, please display a scan of Kimberly Dennison, set all her vitals to Earth medical parameters.”
Upon command, Thoth’s familiar projected a 3D image of Kimberly’s muscular and nervous systems, brain scans, bone
structure, heartbeat, and breathing per second.
“As you can see, all of her vitals are currently normal. She’s in no pain despite the massive amount of physical trauma she endured,” Thoth pointed out.
“Then, the cause of her coma is psychological?” Sophia asked.
“I am afraid so,” He nodded. “Normally, we would have a resident telepath enter her mind and communicate with her on the astral plane. However, her mind being in a constant state of flux, would make communication dangerous for both the telepath and her.”
“Telepaths… why am I not surprised,” Sophia whispered.
With a shiver, Sophia placed her right hand on the glass of the pod, where Kimberly’s head resided.
“I can’t protect her…she keeps getting hurt…because of me.”
Thoth walked over, standing by her side, looking down at Kimberly with her.
“I have two daughters of my own,” He said with a soft smile. “Seshat, my youngest, follows in my footsteps pursuing the field of science and healing in these very halls. My first-born, Tefnut, became a warrior like her mother.
True to her mantle, she travels from galaxy to galaxy, leaving for human days, weeks, sometimes months, depending on the mission, whether it be apprehending pirates, smugglers, diplomatic negotiations, or giving militaristic aide or support to fellow species under the Dominion Council.
When she returned here to the homeworld, I would purposely avoid her for no more than a half of your human hour. I would be somewhere weeping with joy and giving thanks to the departed for watching over her and returning her to me.”
Sophia smiled while wiping her eyes, remaining silent listening to Thoth’s story that she knew had a point to it.
“One day, I fell asleep underneath a tree in our garden in the middle of reading research notes. Tefnut, at the time, had been away with a joint unit hunting down a pirate syndicate that was targeting supply transport ships. When I finally awoke, there she sat, right on the ground next to me with the brightest smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
Fear instantly overtook me; I asked her what was wrong if something had happened. She calmed me down and reassured me nothing was wrong, the mission was a success, and that she was simply happy to be home and see me.
My child, a full-grown woman, and a highly decorated warrior then laid her head down in my lap like she did when she was a youngling and went to sleep.”
Thoth paused as he swatted mist from his own eyes.
“On that day, realization struck me. Indeed, a parent should not bury a child. However, we as parents sometimes forget that our children still need us, even when they can stand on their own. They will always crave our love, counsel, and, most importantly, the fleeting time they have with us before we return to the Awakening.
Death is inevitable for all of us, but my daughter dawns armor and takes up arms to help preserve peace in the universe and lengthen the time we spend together, even at the risk of her own life. Your daughter seems to be no different from mine.”
“It’s hard to see it from that point of view,” Sophia whispered. “When you’re looking from this side of the glass.”
“We agree on that,” Thoth nodded.
“May I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“You said that I was a Cosmivore. You said there were others like me in the universe.”
“Correct,” Thoth confirmed. “Cosmivorses are the only beings currently in the universe capable of drawing from energies within the celestial spectrum for sustenance. This can only be achieved when a subject’s cells develop a high form of intelligence to handle the complexity of containing and regulating massive amounts of energy through the collective body.
Like humans, most species across the universe rely on some type of star for life. Our bodies retain heat and send electrical charges throughout our nervous system for us to function. Cosmivorism is classified as the next level of evolution for sentient species.”
“My daughter changed my cellular structure while I was pregnant with her,” Sophia said.
A surprised Thoth nodded while rubbing his chin.
“Although it is plausible, symbiotic transmission from child to mother is very rare. It usually happens when the mother is under a severe amount of physical or emotional distress.”
His answer brought a sardonic smirk to Sophia’s lips, not directed toward him.
“Being on trial for the murder of your husband that carries a death sentence can bring on a lot of stress.”
“What’s surprising is the difference in power levels between the two of you,” Thoth pointed out. “Without the aid of Awakening energy, both you and your daughter should be at a Planet Eater level, with her levels being much higher than yours.”
“Her powers of energy absorption activated much later than mine,” Sophia pointed out. “I have been absorbing energy for nearly a decade in Earth time.”
“Time frame is not a factor,” Thoth shook his head. “Through symbiotic transmission, your daughter’s cells shared their genetic coding with your cells to safely unlock your dormant coding.”
Thoth’s revelation stunned her.
“You’re saying …” Sophia swallowed while gesturing to herself, “That this …is…all…me?”
“Yes,” Thoth nodded. “However, due to the age of your cells, the rate of energy absorption should be much slower than that of your daughter’s. The readings Seshaw took from you estimated your absorption rate to be that of a Star Eater.”
“Which is …higher, then that of a Planet Eater, correct?” Sophia asked with narrowed eyes.
Exponentially higher,” Thoth informed her. “Seshaw, if you would.”
Through her eyes, Seshaw fired a holographic projection on the energy levels of Cosmivorses.
“As you can see, Cosmivorses are measured by the following levels: Planet Eaters, which is determined by the size of a life-sustaining planet’s core. Next is Star Eater, measured by the size and energy output of a star…your output falls in the line of a bright giant blue star, which is extremely impressive.”
“Do you happen to know the levels of the two who I fought on my planet?”
Thoth glanced at her and cleared his throat before answering.
“The Thracian High General Princess Attea …”
“She’s a princess?” A miffed Sophia asked.
“Why yes,” Thoth nodded. “She is on the level of a Supergiant blue star, while her brother, the crown Prince Merc is a Hypergiant blue star.”
“The way the Princess tapped and controlled her energies against me,” Sophia slipped in. “Is that a technique I could learn?”
Her question forced Thoth’s mouth to part as a jolt of shock hit him, making her nervous.
“Princess Attea was forced to use the Flow technique against you?”
“That’s what you call tapping into the additional energy from your cells?”
“No,” Thoth said while shaking his head with his hands up. “What you did was called Governor Releasing. As you probably know, your cells control and regulate the massive amount of energy stored within them. Governor Releasing is commanding your cells to stop monitoring the energies within you. This grants you an immense power boost but at the cost of cell deterioration destroying your body.
The Flow technique allows external energy to flow rapidly through a Cosmivorse’s body, multiplying their physical attributes without directly storing energy.”
“Similar to wind or water turning a windmill,” Sophia deduced.
“Exactly,” Thoth feverishly nodded. “Some of the most powerful Cosmivorse’s in a Flow state have been known to destroy whole planets with a single strike or energy release.”
“Well, she sure as hell rung my bell when she clocked me in that state.” Sophia scoffed.
Her flippant response caused Thoth to narrow his eyes and lean into her personal space, unnerving her.
“Princess Attea struck you while in a Flow state?”
&
nbsp; Sophia stood her ground, shifting her eyes left to right, wishing he would move and unsure how to answer.
“Um, …yes.”
He leaned back, remaining locked on her eyes, which told him she was not lying. It made him both uneasy and extremely curious.
“Then, by all rights, you and I should not be having this conversation Dr. Dennison,” Thoth said bluntly. “Any opponent on her power level or higher like her brother could survive such an attack, but anyone your level on down would have died instantly the second she connected, and that is the best-case scenario.”
“What’s the worst case?”
“Total regenerative system failure in the traumatized area she struck. It is diagnosed to be one of the most excruciatingly painful ways to die, and there is no treatment because system failure begins in the first five seconds if the blow connects with either the head or any area with vital organs.”
It was then that Sophia realized why Thoth was giving her such an astounding look of disbelief.
“There are three other categories,” Sophia pointed, wishing to draw some attention from herself. “White Star Eater …”
“The third most powerful level a Cosmivorse can grow to,” Thoth turned unwillingly, getting back into the discussion. “Only a handful of beings in the universe hold that title…one being the Queen Mother of Thrace, Furia.”
“Merc’s and Attea’s …mother.”
“Why, yes.”
Sophia slowly nodded before asking about the final levels.”
“The last two are Galaxy Eater and Universe Eater.”
“Universe Eater is based on a hypothesis,” Thoth gestured while explaining. “One has never been recorded to exist. However, experts have theorized that if Galaxy Eaters exist, then it is plausible for a Universe one to eventually come to be.”
A sharp chill ran down Sophia’s spine from his explanation.
“There are beings…out there…that contain energies within them equivalent to a galaxy?”
“Why yes, three have been recorded,” Thoth answered. “One is deceased, one has not been seen for eons, and one currently sits as the High Region of Thrace, Lord Nelron.”
War of Mortal Gods Page 6