Star Force: Rift Page 5

  It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t pleasant either. His body had just been reduced in capability, and that left a very bad feeling inside the Archon.

  “What’s wrong?” Vortison asked, seeing several status indicators spike along with the Archon’s anger.

  “Adjusting,” Aaron said, releasing the sphere and taking a few steps outside the medical station before dropping to a knee and placing a hand on the ground for balance. “I can’t understand how I ever functioned without psionics.”

  “You’ve integrated them into yourself, now they are you just as if you’d transferred into another body. You may have memories from a time without psionics, but all your customizations are now acclimated for them. You’re having withdrawal problems, aren’t you?”

  “Minor. I keep reaching for the trigger that isn’t there and my subconscious mind keeps saying it is.”

  “Active versus memory. It’ll take some time to recalibrate.”

  Aaron stood up, his physical balance perfect but his telepathic aura was off enough that even Vortison could sense it with his limited Ikrid.

  “I’m starting to wonder if I messed something up,” the medtech added.

  “What’s my cranial pressure now?”

  “Less than before, but there are also level 1 Ikrid cells where the Ensek tissue was. I left a little wiggle room so your brain could adjust, so you might pop up a few more…”

  “Why not level 18 cells?”

  “I’m sorry, but I need the data, you being the first this is happening to.”

  “But you could have replicated my existing cells if you wanted?”

  “Yes and no. I couldn’t enlarge your current Ikrid tissue due to the placement within your brain. I had to create a secondary tissue set in a different location.”

  “So I have two Ikrids rather than just a bigger one?”

  “I would have had to rework a lot of other tissues in order to make room to enlarge your current one. Didn’t want to mess with all of that and potentially damage you. Small steps and all.”

  “You used my base psionic genetics?”

  “Yes. I figured that would be the safest way. With the data I gather from you, I hope to be able to copy and paste existing Ikrid tissue to save others the training curve, but that is far more complicated than it sounds. I’ll probably only be able to get the others part way.”

  “The regenerator creates weaker tissue,” Aaron said, taking a nearby chair and staring at the ceiling as he reworked his mind around the loss…and now second Ikrid cluster.”

  “Not brand new ‘weaker,’ for it operates off of your current state to a degree. I wasn’t able to do even that here. Your new tissue is the same as a brand new Zen’zat, but it should add to your current capabilities once you learn to integrate the two.”

  “I can feel it now. Two separate transmitters. That’s not what I expected.”

  “Best I could do without fiddling beyond my understanding. Can I bother you to wear a monitor for the next year or so?”

  “Sure,” he said, with Vortison pulling out a small circular ‘sticker’ that he placed on the left side of Aaron’s forehead. It was smaller than the older versions were, but functioned just the same…providing information straight to the nearest computer system recording his mental stats on a constant basis so the medtechs would have ample data to study so they could refine the procedure when the other trailblazers and Archons got to the same plateau Aaron had.

  “Tell me,” Vortison said, picking up on something else even before the monitors connected.

  “Feels like I got the wind knocked out of me, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

  “Could be a Core issue. We don’t know how it’s connected to body tissue, but it’s been theorized that the loss of body parts reduces the Core as well…until it regenerates. We have no way to measure or view that, and I’m not seeing anything physiologically amiss, so you may be in uncharted waters.”

  “I’m not the first person to have a chunk of their brain removed.”

  “You might be the first that had it kindly removed. The trauma of medieval procedures would have overridden any subtle anomalies.”

  “Are there records of those in the pyramid database?”

  “Unfortunately yes.”

  “I’ll work it out,” Aaron said confidently. “It’s affecting my mojo more than anything.”

  “Well, at least now I have a psionic you don’t,” the medtech said with a smirk. “Do you think we should even be giving people Ensek now?”

  “A fair question. I don’t want to make any decisions on that until I get a handle on this.”

  “Wise. Have you tried to use it yet?”

  “Still trying to figure out how to simulcast. I don’t feel a link between the two.”

  “There isn’t. I can add one later, but that’ll take some carving that I didn’t want to submit you to if not absolutely necessary.”

  “By carving you mean cell deletion?”

  “Yeah. Didn’t want to tick you off by reducing your Ikrid even a tick.”

  “Wise,” Aaron echoed. “I think I’ll be sticking around a while.”

  “Stay as long as you like. My research facility isn’t going anywhere.”

  “I’m gonna try and walk this off,” he said, standing up and heading for the door. “Thanks.”

  Vortison let him go, not sure of his own handiwork here. Messing with the mind was tricky enough. Messing with a trailblazer’s was even more perilous given the high level psionics they possessed and how crammed those tissues were inside their skulls. He hoped he hadn’t screwed something up, but even if he didn’t it was going to take Aaron a while to get a handle on this…then Vortison would have to make adjustment after adjustment until they got a more reliable procedure ironed out.

  The V’kit’no’sat had never tried anything like this, but then again they didn’t need to. Most of the Zen’zat didn’t have their brains full of psionics, plus their skulls were bigger. He imagined some of them had to have peaked out at some point, but there were no records of ever having removed psionic tissue to make room for more.

  Then again, the V’kit’no’sat probably didn’t care if a Zen’zat peaked out or not. Regardless, Star Force was charting its own course here, which was both gratifying and terrifying at the same time. They’d been operating out of the V’kit’no’sat playbook on psionics for so long that Vortison was legitimately concerned he might have messed something up with Aaron, and only time was going to tell if that concern was warranted or not.

  Davis couldn’t meet the Meintre representatives in his office, for the elephant-like race was too large to fit up his narrow access staircase. Instead he was meeting a pair of them, named Vaduo and Heerma, in their own embassy building on Nexchi. Though the planet wasn’t the official capitol of Star Force, which had always been considered Earth even when they didn’t possess it, it was the operational one at the moment because it was where Davis had currently set up shop. Because of that many major races had asked for permission to establish embassies there to keep a line of direct communication open with him.

  He was selective about who he extended that privilege to, but the Meintre had been nothing but helpful ever since The Nexus had yanked their Grid Point away and given it to Star Force. They hadn’t blamed Davis for that, rather The Nexus itself, and they’d been quite grateful for Star Force giving them a safe harbor to relocate a large chunk of their population and industry while they were fighting wars back in their old territory that was now almost completely lost.

  More recently they had helped repel a major V’kit’no’sat assault along with a few other Nexus allies, so Davis figured he owed them the courtesy of going to them in person rather than demanding a holographic transmission, for they’d requested the former. He had a suspicion what this might be about, but was mildly surprised about how fast they’d come to the decision that he knew they’d ultimately make.

  “Thank you for coming, Director,” Vaduo said, flexing
his 4 tentacle-like trunks in a gesture of gratitude. “We respectfully submit our request for membership within your empire.”

  Davis raised an eyebrow. “Are you withdrawing from The Nexus?”

  “Less withdrawing than admitting that they have all but abandoned us,” Heerma clarified. “Our only true links are our warships that they were using to defend other worlds than our own. We have felt an obligation to assist them because of what occurred in the distant past, but now we count our obligations fulfilled. The Nexus is withering, and we already have greater ties to Star Force. It is a logic transition to make.”

  “Full membership will require a restructuring of your civilization. Wouldn’t you prefer a partial inclusion?”

  “That has been the point of excessive debate within the Meintre, and we have decided that the turmoil it would cause in the near term would be worth the potential benefits in the long term. If you are willing to accept us, we are willing to remake our race in whatever manner you deem appropriate. You have a long record of deeds that is impeccable. You have our trust, and we respectfully request that we be allowed to add our strength to your empire, and in return enhance our race using your methods.”

  “If you join with us, the V’kit’no’sat will destroy you if they are able,” Davis warned.

  “They would do so anyway because we are your allies.”

  “Possibly, but joining us assures your destruction if we lose the war.”

  “You have demonstrated a strength that even the V’kit’no’sat must respect. You have demonstrated a wisdom that The Nexus lacks. And you have a truce that will allow time for the Meintre to integrate within Star Force and then prepare for a resumption of the war, which is why we are coming to you now with this request.”

  “Your request is hereby accepted, with our thanks. The Meintre are most welcome to join Star Force.”

  “We are greatly relieved,” Vaduo admitted.

  “And honored,” Heerma added.

  “Normally I would assign a trailblazer or a Monarch to oversee the Meintre’s annexation, but given the uniqueness of the situation and the current cessation of the V’kit’no’sat war, I will personally oversee your restructuring and allow the trailblazers to focus on fighting the plethora of smaller wars we are currently engaged in.”

  Both Meintre exchanged glances, then knelt on the front pair of six legs in humility.

  “You do us great honor, Director Davis, and we gladly accept your personal attention to your race,” Vaduo said in awe. “The wars you speak of. They are the result of The Nexus’s collapse?”

  “Many are, yes. We are trying to push our influence into the unstable regions as much as possible, and there is a great deal of low level fighting required across a wide swath of systems. With the V’kit’no’sat we were fighting a few high level battles at a time. It’s a significant shift in the type of warfare, but the trailblazers are the best there are, which is why I often have them lead a new race into Star Force. Their adaptational abilities are part of why they were chosen to be the first Archons, and they have exceeded my initial expectations greatly.”

  “Since we are no longer going to be assisting The Nexus with other combat, may we offer our immediate fleets in assistance of these wars?” Heerma asked.

  “Securing your current territory is the highest priority,” Davis differed.

  “You wish us to maintain our rimward systems? I assumed you would want us moving the rest of our people into Star Force territory.”

  “No. This is not a retreat from The Nexus region. We are expanding out into The Nexus region as they collapse. We will reinforce what’s left of your territory and hold it, but I do want to establish a new Meintre system here. Your systems further rimward are too far away for me to work out of, and the same goes for those near Grid Point Stargate. We will build the first of the new Meintre in an empty system within Star Force territory while we stabilize the rest of your holdings. Do you find that acceptable?”

  “We do,” Vaduo said eagerly, “and we are pleased. We do not like retreat, but have been forced to accept the logistical necessities of it in recent times.”

  “No more. We will help you hold the line, my new brothers. And together we will grow our combined power and show The Nexus how they have squandered your strength. You have much untapped potential, and I will help you unlock it. The transition may be difficult, but this is not the first time we have helped a race through it.”

  “We await your orders, Director.”

  “Inform your people of my decision. I will select a system by the end of the day and assign a Kiritak unit to begin construction of Star Force infrastructure that will accommodate your size. Once it is minimally established we will begin bringing your people in and teaching them our techniques and technology. I’ll be there and oversee the transition once I can get the proper infrastructure in place to allow me to connect to the rest of the empire. Events will move swiftly, and I need your people to be willing to give maximum effort even if they do not fully understand what is happening.”

  “You will have it.”

  “Good,” the Star Force Director said with a smile. “Let’s get to work then.”

  6

  May 13, 4845

  Pooovalla System (H’kar territory, Rim Region)

  Ratchniva

  Arch Duke Tevvaline was not happy. She was pleased with the truce and the time it allowed her to build without having to suffer losses, but the fact that Director Davis had banned any recolonization of the Devastation Zone was intolerable. Strategically wise, but intolerable, for she and Flynn-046 were responsible for the H’kar faction and almost the entire reconquest of H’kar territory that had been seized by the lizards had fallen to the V’kit’no’sat.

  The outer H’kar region had been untouched, but was now just on the good side of the border and she’d been planning for its invasion for some time. Now that fight was being put on hold for, hopefully, another pair of centuries, but the actual capitol for the H’kar wasn’t Ratchniva. It was Karrach, their original homeworld. Ratchniva was the capitol the H’kar had created in Nexus territory when they’d lost the war to the lizards, and was now her base of operations since the H’kar had lost Karrach for a second time.

  Davis not letting them reclaim it was intolerable. There were many H’kar still alive to this day that had previously lived there, and they’d learned the long history of the planet and how it was essential to the H’kar. More than anything it was a symbol of their legitimacy, and while Star Force didn’t put too much stock into symbols, for the H’kar this one mattered. So too did it matter for Tevvaline and Flynn, for there was nothing standing in their way now from reclaiming it aside from Davis’s order.

  Earth was being recolonized, so why not Karrach? Many H’kar had been asking this question, and Flynn had given them his approval, but also his discontent with Davis’s order. He didn’t have to like it, nor did she or the H’kar, but the order was necessary. The V’kit’no’sat were going to be back and any colonies in the Devastation Zone would probably get hit first, so what was the point of rebuilding Karrach only to lose it a third time?

  To Tevvaline it was a matter of pride, and even though they couldn’t recolonize Karrach that didn’t mean they couldn’t visit it. She’d cleared that with Davis and had gotten permission for an outpost there, but it was little more than a sightseeing hotel for H’kar wanting to go back to the homeworld. Resources couldn’t be wasted when there was so much more to do, but there were more than enough H’kar businessmen willing to fund the expedition that she and Davis had agreed to let it happen…and those businessmen were turning a tidy profit from all the tourism going there, so it was a win/win situation.

  But those that went there only held resentment, though not at Star Force or Davis. They held resentment against the V’kit’no’sat, and the barren planet with plenty of ruins left over from the purging was a stark testament to what was coming back for them later. The H’kar were more aware of this than the
other Star Force races and wanted to fortify their original homeworld and make their stand there…but those with a more strategic sense knew that resources would be better spent strengthening worlds that could already defend themselves rather than rebuilding Karrach from scratch.

  It was on her to-do list though, and not being able to get at it because of an imaginary line on the map was intolerable.

  But Tevvaline had other priorities to consume most of her time, namely border security. When the V’kit’no’sat came back there were only a few other Star Force systems between them and the Devastation Zone, so Davis’s orders had her beefing up the H’kar rather than focusing on exports to help with the rimward wars, though a significant portion of the H’kar battlefleets were out there fighting now under Flynn’s command while the Arch Duke was left here to build as fast as she and her exoskeleton-clad H’kar could.

  The Pooovalla System was the key to the H’kar Outer Region’s industrial base, even more so than Grid Point Annsa. When the H’kar had fully joined Star Force the Royals that had ruled them were kicked out, nicely, and made citizens like all the rest as Flynn began to restructure their civilization. Tevvaline hadn’t joined him there until much later, being promoted from Javier-068’s Clan Super Soaker Marquis to Duke and assigned by Davis to help Flynn with the H’kar. She’d been in that same assignment ever since, rising to the rank of Arch Duke as the H’kar continued to grow into one of the foundational pillars of Star Force.

  They certainly weren’t the flashiest faction. Walking about on four pointy legs with bifurcated arms that resembled claws and an exoskeleton that furthered the comparison to a crab. They were also rather gruff to speak to, not entertaining the practice of communication without a reason, which she rather liked. They were hard workers, though not as prodigious as the Kiritas. In combat they were average at best, but their exoskeletons added an extra layer of armor that meant they wouldn’t go down as easy in combat as a Human.