Chapter 22

We have saved a total of 20 planets.

One of the more recent once we did save came a great yield of technology. They created a band that isolated a trait in their bloodline. Others were used to isolate a certain group of beings from passing their genetics off in their true form. Someone was trying to erase the existence of such a race through genetic modification. I was disgusted to see such at thing, as was Gene. He was permitted to take samples from the people to examine himself. Only to discover they were making a grave error.

It took Gene and Prodigy to explain the fault of their ways. Gene was more to the point. "If you lack genetic diversity, you are going to breed yourselves to death!" he stated rather angrily. "Listen and listen good, you think that one aspect of your DNA is inferior because of that little genetic in it, well guess what. That's what's keeping your people diverse and not dying out!" he shouted, Gene even went to the people who were being oppressed. "Your genetics are not inferior to those around you, if anything, yours are valuable however they refuse to see it such a way!"

Prodigy even looked over their bands and nodded. "You aren't doing yourselves any favors, besides. What's stopping someone from overriding these things and making sure the BAD genetics remain as the good ones are lost?"

It was an abrupt change for the aliens however they understood and wished to rid their world of these bands.

We took them off their hands and I made certain to send a good amount to Mother for her own project. Prodigy on the other hand broke most of them down for parts to use for other plans he was working on.

The last planet though really reminded me of home oddly enough.

It was a lush jungle like land, there were many people, however, they were all female… and serpent.

Gene froze to the sight as well when we made first contact. The women were all warriors however had a distrust of us instantly. "BE GONE! There are no males left to hunt!"

"Huh?" I asked.

"Don't be foolish, you are alien hunters who seek our males… they have all been slaughtered so don't bother."

Slaughtered they say?

"We are not here to hunt, we are travelers… please, can you tell us what happened?"

They hissed at us over our request, it must be adding salt to an open wound. "Our males have been killed for their pelts. Our sisters are to suffer the same faith or a worst one. We are being poached for the sake of our skin!"

"I've heard of this before." I said to Gene. "There are hunters out in this nebula that hunt others that they consider either weaker or could be use for other purposes."

"So what do we do?" he asked.

"Hunt them," I said with a smile.

The females got defensive once more. "No, we are not going to hunt you, we are going to hunt those hunting you. Will you allow us?"

They exchanged looks. "Very well, prove your worth, bring back proof of their deaths!" they said in a challenging tone.

I agreed.

Gene and I returned to the ship. I summoned the Melzargard clones.

"My Lord

You called for us

Yes you did

How many we serve you?

Are we going to kill!?"

I smiled to them. "Indeed, however only those who I say to kill. The serpent people are to be left unharmed, you will cause no damage to their homes or to their people. However, those hunting them… kill them with great prejudice!"

They all smiled to the order.

I don't have to tell you how it all turned out.

We presented the snake people the bodies of the hunters by the next morning. There were 234 hunters in total, they were stunned to the amount and yet we earned their trust this way.

Gene spent his time looking over for any sign of males, all their bodies were removed from this world, and they have been extinct for nearly 200 years. I spoke with the female in charge who explained the last of the hatchlings came only 210 years ago. "Our people live a long time, we don't age that much. However the males were important. Since we have none, our species will die within the next 40 years if nothing is done."

Needless to say, Gene went right to work.

He took DNA from the crew and modified it as best he could. When he tried to make them serpent… they became rather grotesque beings. Unworthy of reproduction with the serpent people. However I still kept them, they will be security for this world.

Gene then tried his own DNA.

He was able to alter it well enough despite his own enhancements. Not to mention, he had been saving his own blood for some time. He was able to make the prefect serpent clone of himself, and it lived!

The clone was stunned at first, yet when we introduced it to the females, they froze at the sight of him. We were there for the introduction. Gene explained that the serpent male was much like himself yet altered to the needs of the people.

He was swarmed upon!

Twenty females threw themselves at him, until the queen had to call them off. She looked to the clone and back at Gene. "Can you make more? Can we have different males?" she asked.

"Of course!" he insisted.

"Then take him back with you until there is enough for my people please. I cannot have a civil war break out over a male!"

This became a problem. Alien DNA won't make a good snake person. Human on the other hands…

Gene sighed aloud as he made a call to his father.

#

I left him be to make the call, at the same time, I have begun to feel a little strange as of late.

I have always had this odd sensation in me, yet it has been growing for some time. Gene has been keeping a closer eye on me than usual and was making notes. For what? I didn't know, however he told me to keep him informed if I felt strange or different at a moment's notice.

When he finished the call, he found me to explain that the samples may take some time to get here, but his father has a plan. "Oh? Where would he get human samples from?" I asked.

"Well, when one enters the Heroes Association, they got through a medical screening and test. Many have to have their blood drawn and inspected before being allow to join, just to be certain there were no performance enhancing drugs during their rank evaluation… EVERYONE has to submit a sample if possible."

There came that gleam in his eye once more. "That's all well and good, but that was the Heroes Association correct?"

"Yes," he said and smirked.

"Then how will your father obtain them?"

The smile only grew. "An S Class hero can get access to the samples." He explained, "Not to mention, the Heroes Association fell. No one owns those samples, so… if someone knows where to look…"

"How could your father know where they are?"

Gene shrugged to me. "Who knows, my father has his ways."

He waited merely a week for the samples to come. When they arrived they were merely specks of blood on slides. Yet thanks to Prodigy and his skills, we have created a machine that can, not only revive old blood, but it can also make new blood!

He got to work right away and began with 30 clones. "Let's see, we will do one of each for now, so we know what the need is and to keep the genetic diverse…" he muttered.

I watched from a far as he went to work. Impressed to say the least, and yet wondered at the same time how he kept it all together. He could pick out various weaknesses in a clone, he could tell if one wasn't getting enough nutrients to grow or if one was lacking in growth for another reason.

It was a remarkable sight. But none more so than to have the five Geryuganshoop clones work along side with him! How he earned their respect, I have yet to discover, but I should be grateful that they are cooperating together rather than fighting.