Stargate: Evolution

Chapter One: Discovery

A trio of Wraith Darts buzzed over the treetops, their culling beam reaching out into the night air and drawing up their fleeing prey. The small culling had been going on for several minutes, and Wraith ground forces were now moving into the caves where most of the humans were taking shelter. They would not last long.

The Wraith Commander, accompanied by eight drones, entered the dark cave, their eyes instantly adjusting. The Commander could feel the warmth of the food ahead. There were many of them, enough to sustain the guardians for several seasons at least.

Suddenly three arrows zipped out of the gloom. One hit a drone in the chest but was stopped by his armor. The other two, aimed at the Commander, missed as the Wraith twisted to the side, drawing his weapon in the same motion and firing three shots, each of which connected with a human, sending them sprawling to the ground as the stunner overloaded their nervous systems. The Commander smiled as he approached the fallen humans. Two were out cold, but the third had only been grazed and was drawing a knife. "I think not," the Commander gloated as he knocked the weapon away and latched onto the human with his feeding arm. Instantly he could feel the human's life force flooding into his body, reinvigorating his cells and refreshing his muscles. The human screamed in agony, the sound pleasant to the Wraith's ears. After a few moments, the human was a dried husk and the Commander stood to his feet. "We move on."

With the drones in front offering protection, the Wraith proceeded deeper into the cave, the damp cold air refreshing to the Wraith. Cold dark places brought out the hunting instincts in the Wraith, heightening their senses. That was what allowed the drones to predict the next human ambush. A dozen humans came around the corridor, thick wooden shields blocking the blasts from Wraith weapons. As soon as they were close, the humans drew serrated blades and leapt at the Wraith. The slower drones batted the first humans into the cave walls, but one of the humans, a limber female, plunged a knife into the neck of one drone and leapt straight at the Commander, who smiled, welcoming the challenge.

Maryn Taloth screamed her rage at the Wraith leader. Her father had gone to delay the Wraith while the woman and children escaped into the mountains. She had heard his cries echoing back through the rock tunnels and now she would kill her father's murderer. She drew her paired knives and leapt at the smiling Wraith. Her first strike was blocked by the Wraith's weapon, and her second wrist was seized in an iron vice. "Not good enough," she smiled, and kicked the Wraith in the crotch. He released his hold on her hands and fell to his knees. "You will pay for my Father's death!"

"I think not," the Wraith smiled, moving faster than Maryn could follow, aiming his feeding hand at her heart. She was prepared however. She tossed her left hand knife quickly and used the Wraith's own momentum to impale its feeding hand. The handle of the knife pressed hard into her breast, but the hilt prevented the Wraith from feeding on her.

Acting fast, the other Wraith having already subdued her companions, Maryn swung her remaining knife in a fast arc at the Wraith's neck, but he dodged and the blade cut into his right eye, drawing a bellow of agony. Smiling at her success, Maryn reached behind her back and withdrew a long knife decorated with runes of death.

She was just beginning her final strike when her senses warned her of danger. She dropped just as a Wraith sleeper blast passed over her and hit one of the other, faceless, Wraith. Turning, Maryn saw another group of Wraith enter the chamber. The leader of this group walked with a long metal staff and smiled as he caught sight of Meryn's handiwork. "You have skills with a blade. Defeat me and earn your people's freedom," he said. Maryn, knowing the Wraith was likely lying, took the opportunity anyway.

Misheltrec grinned as the human female moved slowly around him. She had two knives of differing lengths and wielded them in a manner which suggested years of training. Misheltrec gripped his staff in both hands and waited. The human moved first, attacking with a vicious slash from her longer weapon while the shorter knife swung back. Misheltrec tapped the long knife aside and swung his staff at her knees. She skipped over his swing and blocked his second stroke with her arm, the leather gauntlet creaking under the pressure. She sent a snap kick at the Wraith's crotch, but Misheltrec brought up a knee and struck her ankle with as much power as he could bring to bear at such close range. The human's ankle cracked and she gave a grunt of pain but did not go down.

The pain flared in her ankle, but Maryn gritted her teeth and bore it. Both combatants circled each other, Maryn limping. Knives and staff rebounded off each other, with neither able to score more than minor hits. But Maryn was tiring, while the Wraith was still coming on strong. The Wraith swung again, this time his staff batted aside her long knife and slammed into her ribcage, driving the breath from her lungs. As she staggered back, the Wraith twirled his staff and hit her broken ankle, causing her to fall to the ground with a cry. As she attempted to regain her footing the Wraith drew a small black device and fired a sleeper burst that struck her directly in the chest. A brief burning sensation passed through her body, leaving numbness behind before she blacked out.

Misheltrec crossed over to where his companion commander was staggering to his feet, clear fluid dripping down his face. He bared his teeth and made to leap at the fallen human female, but Misheltrec held up his hand. "She is mine," he said. "Your injury is the result of your overconfidence Iglarus."

"She took my eye! I will feed on her!" Iglarius replied.

"I defeated her, thus she is mine to do with as I wish. If you want to feed from her, you must first defeat me. I have always been your better Iglarus, and you are also injured. I suggest you focus on capturing the rest of our food supplies in this cave. You may feed on as many of them as you wish."

"Bah!" Iglarius hissed, stalking off with his troops. Soon the sound of stunners echoed back along the corridors. Misheltrec himself turned his attention to the female in front of him. Part of himself desired to simply feed on her and leave her corpse for whatever animals roamed this world. However a second part recognized the skill she had shown, disabling one Wraith and fighting him to a near standstill. He knew that on other Hive Ships there were humans who served the Wraith as slaves and servants. This human was not likely to submit, but at the very least he could probe her mind and use her knowledge to improve his combat skills.

As he picked her up and slung her limp body over his shoulder, her hand brushed against the cave wall, causing a section to shimmer and vanish, revealing a hidden tunnel. Giving a brief hiss of surprise, Misheltrec entered the tunnel, finding the air slightly warmer inside. After a few twists and turns he found himself in some sort of laboratory. Dust shrouded instruments lay on ancient metal tables alongside books which were more dust than paper. Several lights came on overhead as Misheltrec entered, casting a bright yellow glow over everything. Several screens activated as well, displaying lines of text in the language of the Atlantians. "The Keeper will reward me for this," Misheltrec said to himself. He tapped several controls and the face of a woman appeared on the largest screen."

"Please state your inquiry," the woman said.

"What is this place?"

The woman's face paused for a brief moment. "I do not answer to you Wraith. Security has been alerted, you will soon be dead."

"Ahhh!" Misheltrec cursed. Then, by chance, his eyes latched into an illuminated hand imprint on the bottom part of the station. Sliding his captured prey over his shoulder, he pressed her hand to the palm reader.

"Genetic scan complete. Cerebral scan indicates state of unconsciousness. Your subterfuge will not succeed Wraith," the Atlantian woman replied. Misheltrec nearly smashed the screen to pieces, but held himself back. If he could not access the records stored here, perhaps there were other things he could bring back to the hive. He carefully ran his gaze over the chamber. There were several instruments sitting on trays which he stuffed into his coat, then he spotted it. At the far side of the chamber was a cube shaped construct about the length of his arm. In the center was a white sphere, and on the edges were keys. The device was also strangely free of dust, as if some force was repelling it.

He attempted to lift it with his free hand, the other being occupied with the female. The device budged but was too heavy for Misheltrec to lift. As he readjusted his load, the female's hand slid over the device, activating several keys. Immediately the orb at the center of the device released a blinding light and Misheltrec was thrown back into the wall of the chamber. He felt a tremendous burning sensation under his skin, as if his blood was on fire, but fortunately it faded within a few moments. The human female was strangely awake. Misheltrec quickly drew his stunner and dropped her again. He sent a signal through the telepathic network and a few moments later his drones arrived. "Take that device, but do not touch its controls," he commanded. "I will be rewarded well for this."

…

As his cruiser sailed through hyperspace, Misheltrec ran a hand through his hair as he attempted to decipher the runes on the Atlantian device. It had similarities to Wraith script, which was not surprising considering the Wraith written language had evolved from Atlantian. So far he had translated only three words: Alteration, evolution and Wraith. The other artifacts he had salvaged were arranged on the table beside him. His chamber was the largest by far on the cruiser since he was its commander. A private sleep chamber lay beyond a door to his left, and a window ran along the right hand wall, armored shutters clamped to either side. From that window Misheltrec had witnessed dozens of cullings, including the final attack on the Atlantian city. Since then he had made finding Atlantian technology a secondary mission for himself. The large storage chamber beyond his sleeping chamber was filled with both broken and intact Atlantian devices, though he had yet to be able to activate more than a handful. His human captive had the potential to assist him in that regard. Based on what had occurred in the Atlantian laboratory, she seemed to be able to activate Atlantian technology. There had to be something about her which allowed her to do such things, and he would find it.

The female was already awake when Misheltrec entered his sleeping chamber. She tried to attack him, but the binding on her wrists and ankles held her back. Her long brown hair flew around her head as she struggled for a few moments before giving. "Where am I!" She demanded. Misheltrec smirked.

"You are aboard my ship. You possess something within you which I desire." Seeing the immediate fear in her green eyes, he chuckled. "I do not intend to procreate with you; such things are beneath me." He took a seat on his bed, a rare thing considering Wraith slept in stasis most of their time between cullings. However, a few always remained awake to guard the others, and they had decided they could afford luxury. Many items had been taken from worlds culled by his vessel. Indeed, his bed, the wooden desk and bookshelves had all been taken from the ruling residence of a world his hive had culled centuries ago.

"Why should I help you? You'll simply feed on me at the end regardless."

"That is not necessarily true," Misheltrec replied, pleased at the confusion racing across the human's features. "There are many of your kind who serve us, and in return they are allowed to live. If you willingly aid my research, I can insure the same for you."

"Why should I trust you! You killed my father, likely the rest of my family as well. I would rather die than aid their murderers!" Tears ran down Maryn's face as images of her family passed before her eyes; her parents, her younger brother and sister and her Uncle. All likely dead. "Kill me it you wish, I will not aid you," she promised. For a brief moment she thought she saw sadness in the Wraith's eyes, but it was instantly replaced by irritation.

"Very well, then I will simply take what I need." He sent a mental probe into the human's mind, surprising her with the feel of something cold and ethereal piercing her head. "Who are you?" He asked, the words echoing within his victim's brain. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in her. He could see flashes, the thoughts she was thinking at that moment. Faces of people she had known, her home village, and he could taste her fear and hate. While in her mind, those emotions were as palatable as life essence.

He delved deeper, sifting through her memories. He could sense her attempts to push him out, and her mental screams rang in his mind, but he did not let it stop him. He peeled away her memories year by year, searching for something which made her different from other humans. At the end however, he was disappointed. There was nothing in her memories that suggested she was anything but an average human. He angrily withdrew himself from her mind, seeing her eyes rolling back and her head falling forward as she drifted back to sleep.

…

Misheltrec watched as his cruiser exited hyperspace in orbit of a richly forested planet and began to descend into the atmosphere. The shaking awakened his prisoner, who instinctively pulled at her bonds but quickly gave up. "What's happening?" She asked.

"We are approaching the hive," Misheltrec replied.

"So are you going to let your people feed on me then?"

"No, you still have the potential to be useful to us. The more you cooperate however, the better the treatment you will receive. I should tell you that we Wraith do not have to drain your life force quickly at all. We can easily extend the process over hours, or even days. I have seen humans go mad from the agony." For an instant, an unfamiliar emotion flashed across Misheltrec's mind. He felt…unhappy at the prospect of feeding on his captive. He shook his head to clear the distraction away. As soon as he felt the ship touch down he walked out of the chamber. Before sealing the door, he took a last glance at his prisoner. She had closed her eyes and appeared to be meditating. Smirking, Misheltrec sealed the door and set off toward the hive.

The air outside the cruiser was cold and damp, heavy with thick white fog. Misheltrec breathed deep. The air aboard Wraith ships, though comfortable, was no substitute for the real thing. The mostly buried mound of the hive loomed before him, trees and shrubs growing over its dirt covered surface. At the entrance two drones moved aside to allow him entrance. Behind him the rest of the human captives were being led into another entrance where they would be cocooned until their life essence was required. He himself set off for the Keeper's chamber. His footfalls echoed down the empty corridors. Only a few drones, kept awake for security, crossed his path.

Finally he made it to the Keeper's chamber. As usual she was pacing from one end to the other. Slight footprints had been indented in the metal from all the decades she had been here. She turned and regarded him with her deep set eyes. "Was your culling successful?" She asked.

"Indeed it was," Misheltrec replied, giving the keeper a slight grin. "I was also able to recover several Atlantian devices from a hidden laboratory." The keeper chuckled.

"And did any of them work this time Misheltrec? I know that in all your decades of searching only three of your 'finds' have proven functional."

"I also took a female who appears to have the ability to activate Atlantian technology. Using her, I may be able to activate more of my devices."

"I see. You may do as you wish with your human."

"Thank you Keeper," Misheltrec said and turned to leave. As he did he felt a hand grip his shoulder. Turning back to the keeper he smiled. "Was there something else?"

"I was about to feed when you returned. Would you care to join me?" The keeper asked, snapping her fingers. Two drones brought in a struggling human male and dropped him to his knees.

As Misheltrec looked down at the human, he felt that same emotion he had experienced on his cruiser, a pang of something which made him lower his feeding hand, drawing a look of confusion from the keeper. "Another time perhaps. One of the Atlantian devices I recovered shot me with some sort of energy blast. I believe it is upsetting my desire to feed. I intend to begin my research with that device." He could feel the keeper probing his mind, her touch almost sensual in its caresses of his thoughts. He hoped he had chosen his words carefully. Hunger was one of the worst things a Wraith could experience, and to be found actually desiring hunger could have…unfavorable consequences.

"Very well," the keeper replied. "There is a phrase I have heard one of the prisoners tell an ill companion. Get well soon, I believe it was."

Misheltrec smiled as he left, his staff ringing against the deck plating. Once he was out of the keeper's chamber he allowed himself a sigh of relief. He and the keeper had an amiable relationship, considering they were two of only four Wraith Commanders awake aboard the hive ship. Iglaris was another of her favorites, though Misheltrec was fairly certain she only appreciated his ruthlessness.

As he stepped back onto the mist shrouded clearing, Misheltrec decided to take a brief walk to work of his nervous energy. The mist parted before him. There was enough moisture on this world, the fourth from its sun, to keep the fog on the ground for nearly the entire day, only lifting for the hot middle hour. Already it was early evening and the temperature was dropping, but it would be another hour before it posed any discomfort to a Wraith, though a human could easily freeze to death on the colder nights.

As he entered a thin section of the forest, Misheltrec spotted round fruits hanging from a tree. They were dark blue in color and about the size of his hand. He had seen fruits like these on several worlds he visited, but had not sampled anything like them since his hunger had awakened. This time however, he heard an odd rumbling come from his stomach, along with a slight pain. "What is this?" He asked the fog. Deciding to test a theory, he tugged one of the fruits off its branch and took a bite, filling his mouth with sweet flesh and juice, a few drops of which ran down his chin. For the first time in centuries he felt a surge of pleasure much different from that of feeding on a human. It flashed over his body like a shock of power, and when he swallowed he felt his stomach fill slightly and his hunger eased.

"So, that is what the device has done to me," Misheltrec said. He could sate his hunger on things other than humans. The desire to feed on humans was of course still there in his mind, but ever since his contact with the Atlantian device he had felt a growing sense of an emotion he could not define. It was as if thinking of feeding on humans triggered some hidden reflex of regret. It was truly an odd sensation. This would require further study. He grabbed three more fruits off the tree and set off back to his cruiser, eager to begin his analyses.

Next chapter coming soon! The Emperor Protects.

ENTILZA