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Necropolis

Helios was a dead world to Jake.

Not dead in the sense of Nemaka. Indeed, featuring temperate jungles along with deserts, not to mention terran settlement. Indeed, he was only a few klicks away from Red Base of the Dominion, with Blue Base of the KLF having pounded back into the Stone Age. In a sense, Helios was alive and kicking.

But it was a dead world also. Dead because right now, as he made his way through the crypt, Jake knew what many did not. An ancient species had once resided here. Lived here. Died here. Died because from what he and Valerian could tell, had waged war against themselves to the point of extinction, all over a single khaydarin crystal.

It struck Jake as somewhat horrific. If one considered the apparent lack of sapient life in the galaxy (zerg and protoss notwithstanding), then the self-destruction concept, that only a few species emerged through thresholds such as the nuclear one, then it was a concept he might agree with. But this was a low technology species, perhaps equivalent to Earth's Bronze Age. They'd lacked weapons of mass destruction and somehow, had driven themselves to extinction with weapons that wouldn't even make a collector's shelf these days.

The archaeologist glanced at the carvings of the crypt walls, many of them depicting humanoid figures…if "humanoid" only applied to two hands, two legs and one head, otherwise, they had nothing in common with humanity. Were these images of the species themselves? Or their 'gods?' Valerian had theorized that the xel'naga had been here once, that this was nothing more than a failed species to them. Considering that same species had apparently uplifted the zerg…Jake shook his head. The xel'naga had failed no matter what way you looked at it. He didn't need Valerian to tell him that. Not even Zamara.

He could have used the company, the terran reflected. No-one knew he was down here, because he didn't know what he'd find, or whether he should even report it. But if he did have to make a choice…well, he could have used her advice. Especially now. Now when he'd come to the bottom of the crypt, a single crystal mounted on a pedestal.

The khaydarin crystal… Jake reflected. Still here…

Still here. Thousands had died over it. An entire race had fought over it. And somehow, in the midst of all that carnage, not one of them had even touched it. Walking up to the relic, Jake toyed with the idea of touching it himself. Not that khaydarin crystals were pleasant to touch or anything, but still, he was an archaeologist. It was his job…his calling…

Who are you?

The terran recoiled. Screw his calling. Someone was calling to him.

You are not of my makers, nor their children.

The crystal. The crystal was talking.

You are new…different…not destined for greatness, but…ah.

Suddenly, Jake felt naked. He was wearing clothing, sure, and was unarmed, but…well, a gun wouldn't do him any good here. Again, he wished Zamara was still with him. He was used to the telepathic contact. But talking to protoss, as strange as that was, was much different from talking to a bloody crystal.

I'm hurt.

The protoss used crystal lattices for their AIs, Jake reflected. Had the xel'naga utilized similar technology? And assuming that was indeed the case, had they created a true individual? He'd talked with adjutants before, and even for all their sophistication, not one of them could ever be considered to be a true individual.

Individuality…so important to you. Not pure, but varied. Unity a façade. How strange that even one of your kind would make it this far.

"Yeah…" Jake said. "You know, you could cut out the monologue."

And you do talk, the crystal whispered. With a mouth. Like a lower lifeform.

"We manage."

Some psionic potential as well. Wonder what will happen, when that happens? Mouth versus mind. Yes…you're quite interesting.

"Interested, would be the word," Jake said, not sure how one talked to a blue pulsating crystal of doom, but willing to try it nonetheless.

Interested?

"Yes, interested. As in, what happened here? Why did the people of this world drive themselves to extinction over you?"

The crystal remained silent, but Jake noticed its glow was changing a bit. Specifically, it was pulsing out light, once a second. It struck him as being similar to a computer, accessing its memory.

They were a fine people, the crystal said eventually. Peaceful, at least on the surface. With the guidance of the gods-…

"You mean the xel'naga?"

…from afar, they rose to what would be their peak, the crystal continued, ignoring the human's outburst. And then the gods tested them. They sent me, into the hands of one tribe. To see how they would react. To see if they were worthy.

"And? Were they?"

The crystal pulsed rapidly…as if laughing…

Worthy…look around you, alien. Do you think they passed the test? No, of course not. They had no understanding of the nature of things. And when faced with lack of understanding, they created their own answers. And when not all were satisfied with those answers, they turned to bloodshed as a result. The crystal fell silent…as if looking into Jake's soul. You're not so different you know. As a species.

Jake remained silent. He couldn't argue with that.

And so here we are, the crystal concluded. End of story.

"You could have changed it," Jake murmured.

Sorry?

"You could have done something. Stopped the bloodshed." The archaeologist clenched his fists, hatred rising up faster than a nydus worm through strata. "Said something…done something…"

I could have…but I would have exceeded my masters' parameters. I was to test them. They failed.

"They could have lived!"

That they failed showed they were not worthy of life anyway. They were created by my masters, they failed their masters, and the last of them died in this very room, begging for deliverance. I see from your mind that two species passed the test, even if my masters…well, that's another story. But your kind…I could help?

"What?" Jake asked. "What help? Why would we-…"

Humanity stumbles in the dark. Just looking at you, I see that. It is the way of the universe, the price of sapience-all sapients must ask, why are we here? Where did we come from? Where are we going? For aeons, the answer has existed. The xel'naga seed life. Direct life. And if life arises on its own, then it is a mutation, a chance. Fortunately however, that life is without sapience. So the questions are not asked. And no anguish comes from it.

"How tragic," Jake murmured.

But your kind…you are different. You are here, but not designed. You are among the stars, yet without guidance. You're big fish in a shrinking pond…the xel'naga have gone. The protoss are diminished. As soon as the zerg lose they're head, they're gone as well. I could help, you know.

"We don't need your help."

Don't you? Look at your society, your psyche. You're divided. Scattered. You struggle with the lack of order. You're just like the species that I sent to test. How long until you fall to your own nature? How long before you wipe yourselves out?

Jake remained silent. In some ways, the crystal was right. After being with the protoss, after peering into the minds of his fellow terrans…humanity was strange. An oddity. Some oddball species that had come to be without xel'naga guidance. Strip away the veneer of civilization, and all you got was a bunch of destructive animals. He almost reached out for the object…

And stopped.

The crystal pulsed, but Jake ignored it. Instead, his eyes turned to a corner of the room. Had the people of Helios laid there once, he wondered? Begging for help? Putting their faith in something they didn't understand? In the end…they must have died alone in this forsaken place.

You have potential, the crystal intoned. You can be as great as my masters…even greater…

"I don't want that kind of greatness," Jake whispered.

Then you're short sighted.

"Maybe. But I'll take what I can see, rather than what I can't."

And with that, he left.

Jake kept walking up to the surface. He didn't turn back. The crystal didn't call out to him. In fact, he didn't say anything until he heard the crackle of static on his radio.

"Jake? You receiving?"

"Receiving," the archaeologist answered, recognising Valerian's voice.

"Thank goodness. Been worried about you. Where you been?"

"Oh…wandering about," Jake mused, glancing back at the crypt. "Exploring…"

"Oh really?" the prince asked, his voice betraying his enthusiasm for archaeology. "Find anything interesting?"

Jake remained silent. Remained silent until he turned away from the crypt. Away from knowledge, and the potentially horrific results it could bring.

"Nothing…" he murmured. "I found nothing…"