Chapter 1: Awakening
Laying in deep space, a large and old metallic ship sat there, staying there as it always had been.
And inside it, could be described as a terrible scene of immorality and oppression.
The clanging of metal. The jingling of chains. The cold and bleak surroundings.
That was what the Terran known as "Zero" saw every day. His body small from malnuitrtion, with some scars and injection marks around his body, as well as a device implanted on the back of his neck, he could have been mistaken as a thirteen year old boy. Of course, when one is kept in a prison, and unconscious, for years, things like that tend to happen. After all, to his captors, he was nothing more then livestock. He didn't actually remember how old he really was, just that it was much older.
Zero was just the nickname given to him, he had no real name. He didn't even understand why.
But here he was, held as a test subject on this ship. There were other Terrans, most of them had sustained extensive brain damage, and a few had died and were removed for more invasive studying, whatever that meant. It seemed invasive to him when he was experimented on. However, it was not just Terran Prisoners. In the cells next to him were two Protoss, apparently a Dark Templar and a High Templar, also in chains with Psi-Dampeners disrupting their psionic abilities. In truth, he had the same, as he was also a psionic.
Zero barely even had memories anymore, of what freedom was like. He had gotten to know some of the people around him, but most were already suffering from some sort of madness when they arrived here. Only the two Templar remained right now that had not succumbed to insanity, Arkas the High Templar, and Razatul the Dark Templar. The only reason he had not gone completely feral most likely was thanks to these two, as they had eventually gone about sharing their stories with him, and occasionally teaching him words of the protoss language. It was their only form of entertainment, after all.
However, it appeared their rest was over, as a few scientists along with armed escorts came into the ship.
"Take subject Zero, as well as the Research Material, to the lab. Its time for the next test" he said, giving the order. It was the lead scientist on the project, Dr. Auburn.
Following his orders to the letter, the three of their cells were opened. At this point, none of them tried to resist. There was not any point, they were kept just well enough to live, but after dozens of tries, they knew it would be fruitless.
Kekekekeke...
For a moment, Zero thought he heard something, but when he looked around, he saw nothing. He was then pushed, and forced to follow, so he ended up losing the thought entirely.
The lab was the place of many painful memories. There was some protoss technology there, often the templar might be questioned as to what they were. Even if they did not resist being moved, it was here that they remained quite defiant, at least most of the time. Even still, their minds would not hold out forever. As for Zero, it was likely they would perform more experiments on him, though he was never quite sure of why. They seemed to be interested in Protoss technology and psionics, so maybe that was related, but he wasn't sure.
There were also shelves full of crates with a yellow crystal in them. He had heard it referred to as Jorium.
Either way, the guards were pushing them towards the experimentation tables, which they would be shackled too...but that was when the entire place shook, and alarms went off.
"Attention! Attention! Bulkhead breach in sector nine! Intruders Detected! Zerg Lifeforms Detected!"
Another explosion was felt, and this time they gave off an alert in a different sector. It was quite obvious, the ship was under attack. Dr. Auburn had already left, but a few others were there. The explosions had thrown them off balance...and it was in that moment that Arkas and Razatul struck. Razatul quickly turned around and ripped the rifle out of the marine's hands, firing it into him and then another, while Arkas moved around the side and pulled the pin off a grenade before pushing the marine into another while jumping back, causing them both to die from the grenade explosion. A few scientists tried to run, but Zero had managed to move and grab two of them. He was still weak, but they had been allowed to rest and eat so that they would be able to give proper results for the experiments. Normally, they would be watched and on guard, but the attack provided the distraction they needed.
"If you take out our Psi-Dampeners, then we wont kill you" Zero explained, getting right to the point. "So decide now".
The scientists, seeing the guards dead and the Templar armed, quickly agreed to the proposal. The Psi-Dampeners were made to be easily disabled or removed for experiments involving Psionics, so this was not hard for them. Of course, they were made to do it one at a time, starting with Arkaz, and ending with Razatul, so that all three of them were free.
"Alert" another broadcast came over. "Zerg Creep Detected. Zerg Infestation confirmed".
Now, the three prisoners looked at each other. They simply nodded, as no words were needed. Though they all came from different origins, they had gotten to know each other, and they recognized each other as allies. Friends, even.
"Now, you are going to take us to the hanger at once" Razatul said. "Provided you want to escape alive, that is, you will not get there alone".
The scientist simply nodded, understanding that right now, if he tried to ditch or betray them, he would likely get killed, or worse, by the zerg.
"Understood" he replied, as the group left the lab. None of them had ever seen the full scope of this place, but with the Psi-Dampeners off, they were able to sense things to some extent. Zero nearly collapsed though, but managed to stay standing when he felt it.
"What...what is this?" he asked, as High Templar Arkas picked him up and supported him.
"I see...this is the first time you have felt the psionic hivemind of the Zerg. It is indeed a wretched thing".
"So...this is the Zerg, huh?"
"Indeed. The Zerg Swarm, led by the Queen of Blades. We must depart immediately" Razatul answered, as the scientist opened a sealed door. The moment it opened, they noticed organic substance growing on the walls. Arkas raised his free hand, and unleashed a psionic storm on it to eradicate it and cleanse the area. "ANd it appears to be spreading, rapidly. We must depart at once".
The group pushed forward, hurrying towards the direction the scientist made. Zero could feel the pressence of his mind, now that his Psi-Dampener was removed. He did not feel any deception, only fear. Fear for his own life.
He didn't quite feel evil, but Zero did not think he was good either. He just felt weird...and absent. However, he didn't have any more time to think about that, as he felt strong lifeforms approaching.
"Ark, Ral" he said, using shorthand due to the urgency.
"Yeah, I sense them too...but, this is strange..."
As they said that, the door burst open, and zerg lifeforms appeared. Arkas recognized them immediately, and Zero felt a disturbance in his mind.
"Hunter Killers?!" he said, quickly projecting a Psi-Shield around the group. The Hunter killers fired with great force, piercing the shield and hitting both Arkas and Razatul. The scientist had run ahead to another door, while as he was being carried by Arkas, Zero was not hit by any of the attacks.
Gasping in shock, Zero formed a small amount of psionic lightning in his palm and shot it out, hitting one of the Hunter Killers before jumping to the others. It didn't do much damage, but it seemed to stun then for a few moments.
"In here! We have weapons in here!" the Scientist told them, opening up a sealed door. Arkas and Razatul retreated inside, and the scientist sealed the door before the Hunter Killers could fire again.
"What were those things?"
"Those...were Hunter Killers. A Special Zerg Strain. They dont come on any normal attack" Arkas said, glaring over at the scientist. "You, what is your name Terran? What did you do to invoke the Zerg's wraith like this?"
"I am Doctor Peter Arcani. We...we do have some zerg speciments on other levels, they wanted to see if the genetics could be used...for other things, and for the project".
"What project could constantly warrant all this experimentation?!"
"Our group has ties...to the Umojans. They heard rumors, of zerg research being done by the confederates. And about rumors of the protoss later, and their psionic powers and technology. And so, our director decided to, in secret, perform experiments using Terrans to use Zerg adaptation genes to allow Terrans to gain protoss psionic abilities, as well as possibly the aspect of cellular regeneration and even immortality. Out of all the test subjects acquired, he was the most successful case".
"Then the reason all those Terrans had brain damage..."
"They were being used to help refine the process, with that boy as the base. In truth, that last operation was believed to finish the process...to create a Terran/Protoss hybrid of our own".
"All of this...just because one guy thought it was okay, you figured it was okay if you did it as well?! This boy was just a child!" Razatul said, enraged.
"Please, you think I wanted to work here?! I was told I would be working on medical formulas, and then I found myself working in a place where disobediance or quitting meant death!" he said, as Hunter Killer spikes began to pierce the door. Arkas and Razatul were not looking so great themselves. "Anyways, we need to get out of here. I think those Hunter Killers might have poisoned you".
As he said this, he looked over and went to a crate, opening it up. Inside was various Protoss Weaponry, clearly taken from prisoners. There were also other Protoss devices, including Psi-Shield devices, and next to the crate had some Terran tech as well. Given the whole group had no armor, having Psi-Shield technology of any kind was helpful. Although a full suit of armor would be better, at least they would not be taken out in a single hit.
That said, Arkas and Razatul could feel the venom flowing through their veins. They wouldn't last long if they kept having to fight, so they needed to get off the ship.
"This is strange though..." Arkas mentioned. "Im not sure if this is enough for Hunter Killers. The Queen of Blades cant so easily make them, as they were originally of Daggoth's brood".
"No matter" Razatul mentioned. "We can get answers later, after we escape and reach Protoss space".
"It will be fine if I came with you, right?" Zero asked, as the scientist handed him a terran device. "What is this?"
"Its a prototype, a Terran Plasma Shield Device. It naturally uses a small portion of the users psionic energy though, and we were told to make it so anyone, even marines, could use them" the scientist answered first. "ANd I dont mind being dropped off at a Terran settlement along the way, I just want to live, and hopefully start a peaceful, not blood filled life, maybe ill start a clinic..."
Arkas and Razatul looked at each other, and nodded. "Indeed. It would not be the first time we welcomed a Terran into our midst, and we will personally vouch for you, Zero".
Notably, the scientist couldn't help but notice that they spoke a bit more informally with Zero then he had seen other Protoss interact with each other in logs. Even to other Terran Friends, they were often refered to as "Friend" and then their name.
"Is there another way out of here?" Zero asked as a few more Hunter Killer attackes breached the door. "Cause I dont think that is opening".
"There is another door back here" he said, leading them to the back of the armory. The door was already unlocked and opened, but the hallway was clear. "It looks fine...im surprised we have not seen other Terrans yet".
"They probably evacuated, or went to fight the Zerg" Zero said.
"Or got infested already..." Arkas mentioned, not overly caring for his captors too much.
"Anyways, the hanger is just down here" he said, as the group headed towards the hanger. Once they made it there, they opened the door, and saw that creep had already spread across the area. There was still a shuttle that looked untouched on the far side though. Still, this did not feel very good.
"I sense a trap".
"Agreed".
"This is definitely a trap".
The group entered the hanger anyways though.
"If we know its a trap..."
"This is our only escape route. We dont have time to try any others. So, we might as well deal with it. That said...iv never seen a shuttle quite like that".
"Its an experimental design, incorperating Protoss tech. Its had a few successful test flights, though it will only respond to a psionic pilot..."
The group began to make their way there, with Arkas using his psionic lightning to clear a path through the creep. The others stayed on alert, but nothing seemed to happen. However, as they were approaching, two Hunter Killers came out from behind, while another four emerged from the entrance, firing at them. ANd outside, they saw something very strange...a large ariel Zerg, different from a Leviathan, out there, linked to the ship. It was massive for sure, but neither of the Templar recognized it.
As they were fired upon, their shields deflected the attacks, which allowed them to rush towards the entrance. Unfortunately, the spines penetrated the shields in the last instant as they ran up the ramp, Two hunter killers attacked them when they were inside, but Razatul cut through them with his Psi blades before collapsing in the cargo bay. Arkas meanwhile let loose a psionic storm at the entrace ramp with a bit more power then usual, to keep the Hunter Killers away as he collapsed as well.
"Guys! Ark! Raz!"
"...the hunter killer poison...its too strong..."
"...I dont think...we are going to make it..."
Zero cried a little, as the two protoss collapsed. The scientist went over to the control panel to open up the pilot area. "We dont have long...no, no!"
Suddenly, he got hit with a Hunter Killer spine as well, and fell to the ground, dying. Zero looked over at the ramp.
"...we cant...I wont be able to make it on my own..."
"...there is...one last thing...we can try..." Arkas said, grasping Razatul's hand, as well as Zero's. Razatul seemed to understand immediately.
"But...we cant be sure..."
"I have heard tales of it working...and, and if its true what that scientist said...he should be able...we should be able..."
"What...what do you two mean?"
"Zero...we wont survive this...but, there may be a way...we dont have to leave you...and we can help you survive. But, its risky...you might die..."
Zero just cried some more. "I am going to die anyways if you dont...and I truth you, both of you. Do it...but first...Zero is not a real name I think. So please, give me a name first?"
"Understood...then how about one I figure you will love to accept. Humans usually have two names so...Ark Raza".
"I agree with that name...now, let us begin" Razatul said, as they heard the psionic storm outside ending. ANd then, with all three hands grasped together...Arkas and Razatul attempted something unprecedented. They began the merging into the most powerful psionic being in the Protoss Arsenal, the Archon...but, rather then manifesting a physical form, they poured all of that energy into Zero. Zero's mind had been altered to be more protoss, his brain enhanced to handle more powerful psionics. Of course, this was still risky, but...even if they became an Archon here, there was no guarentee they would maintain their form before they burned out. If that happened, Zero would be left alone on the ship, and would likely end up dying in deep space as he knew nothing of the outside world, his memories long having been lost during the experimentation.
They had heard of ordinary humans being able to hold the mind of a protoss, so an enhanced mind like his, they figured could hold two.
The Hunter Killers came up to see Ark floating, surrounded by the powerful psionic energy that would match an Archon in power. They fired at him, but the needles were deflected by the powerful psionic waves emenating from him. As the merging completed, and Ark felt the power flowing through him...it was so amazing, so incredible, so large...he couldn't help but speak in amazement.
"Power...Overwhelming".
The Hunter Killers fired at him, as zerglings finally appeared. He let loose a psionic shockwave, blasting the forces back and erradicating the Hunter Killers. Using the Psi-Enhancer implant on the back of his neck, he quickly linked his mind to the signal he felt, coming from the ship, and triggered a launch. He also ordered the ramp to close, but more Zerg forces swarmed in. He telekinetically pulled the Psi-Blades to him, forcibly altering their structure to fit his arms as he powered the blades, cutting through the zerglings and two more Hunter Killers that boarded. As he did, he felt a pressence within them, trying to probe for information, but he shut it out of his mind.
Once the ramp was closed, and the engines powered, he raised the shields of the craft while engaging its stealth drive, quickly commanding the auto-pilot to get them out of there and to a different star system. And with that...he was able to successfully escape...
"Thank the stars that worked" he said, then getting a bit embarrassed. That was when he noticed, he felt...more like a person. "I don't think iv ever felt this good, or clear..."
"Indeed...you do seem better" Arkas' and Razatul's voices said in unison from inside of Ark's head.
"This is...far more spacious then I expected" they added. "And it appears our minds still merged to some degree when we became an Archon, but we both still seem to be here".
"Ark, Raz...can you hold on for a sec, there is something I need to ask that guy before he dies" Ark mentioned, and the two understanding what he meant. He then walked up to see the dying scientist, and removed the Hunter Killer thorn with one hand. "Tell me...is it true, about the Zerg DNA?"
"So...you saw..."
"Yeah, I did".
"To be...specific...it was not Zerg...DNA..." he said, spitting out blood. Sensing he was about to die, he grabbed the man's head, and probed it psionically for memories.
Indeed, it appeared they did not directly use Zerg DNA, but...after examing Zerg DNA, and believing themselves to have found the sequences that helped the Zerg rapidly adapt, they altered his own DNA to have those sequences. Its also the real reason his growth had been stunted, the Zerg Sequences were constantly keeping his body in a state to where he would not die, constantly evolving, adapting, and changing on a microscopic level. This was also why his brain was able to adapt to be more Protoss, and made it capable of holding two protoss minds inside of it.
Dropping the corpse of the scientist onto the ground, he now had three people in his brain. He also had several of Arkas' and Razatul's memories, although...he felt like he was about to collapse and be sick. Even if his brain was able to adapt, its not like this was an easy process...it was still taking its toll. And so, he made his way to the lounge of this ship, managing to make it to the couch before passing out.
Chapter Notes:
So, I was trying to base a lot of this off of lore, although some parts were ideas I also came up with. Anyways:
-This is not the first time a Protoss mind resided within a Terran mind. This has happened before in the books, with a normal, non psionic Terran having a Protoss mind inside of him. None of them were aware of this of course, but Ark's mind/brain was modified to be more Protoss like and support more powerful psionics, so the compatibility is far better.
-The physical form of the Archon is actually there simply to "Anchor" the psionic maelstrom that they create, and therefore, my idea was that Ark would be that Anchor so they could stay with him and help him longer, since Archons would normally burn out eventually.
-Certain materials, such as Jorium, have been confirmed to boost psionics. And devices to both boost and dampen psionic abilities have been well mentioned by Terrans.
-Terrans actually can reach the Psi-Level needed for Psi Blades, though generally its mainly Spectres who can do this. There was also Project Gestalt, and Nova and Kerrigan (human) were likely at that level themselves, so its not impossible to reach naturally, let alone with enhancement. If someone who might be able to do it naturally gets enhancement, their psionics could get very powerful.
-The reason for Ark's appearance was for a bit of symbolism, but also realistically speaking, its an immoral research facility that does super immoral research. They dont treat the test subjects properly. Without proper nuitrtion, people end up short and thin. It would be unrealistic and unreasonable to have a test subject who was under these conditions for years to somehow be tall and well built. That just doesn't happen, its pure fan service people. Plus, I thought it would help play into the indication that they were willing to kidnap and utilize children with strong psionic potential, like Ark has, to better define them. Plus, part of the inspiration of this idea was having a terran that was raised by and felt more in common with Protoss.
-Please note that there are even Terrans who can form Psi Shields without devices, such as Tosh. Therefore, you should assume that anything a character says is based on their knowledge and beliefs at the times, and can be subject to being inaccurate, having been lied to/telling a lie, or is just outright wrong. Terran psionics can indeed create energy shields with just their minds, at least the powerful ones.
-The reason no specific date is mentioned is because no one knows it yet.
-Umojans are one of the Terran superpowers. Not as well known or widely expanded as the Dominion, but their advanced technology is far superior to the Dominion's. Yes, there are more Terran powers out there then just the Dominion. There is also the Kel-Morian Combine. Please do not forget such things, and allow the Dominion to have a monopoly on our attention of Terran forces. So I used them, and not the Dominion.