(*)
Sparkly dog9: I'm glad you think so. Hope you continue reading.
Loner Queen 18: hope it's worth the wait.
Doomseas1: Thanks I'm glad you'll like the mad siencetist
Guest: the friendships will really kick off next chapter, meanwhile enjoy this one
Notosgia sucker96: yep, the hard stuff starts next chapter, this one deals with the main villain.
In the night guest: Thank you for saying my writing is beautiful! Such a compilment!
Kalianne: Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Alaster Bonemen: hope you like it.
Alex Skywalker: good to hear.
(*)
The universe goes on eternally, it has no maker, and without progress, no definable meaning
We are the Psion,
We did not make the universe, but we will make from it's material whatever our customers desire, or our curiosity wishes
Whatever meaning the martial-substance has is because we have give it to the universe
If the substance disobeys us, we will remove its meaning
This is our right, and within our power
The Psion obeys in all things the command of the Tribunal Administration
If the Psion does not, we shall remove his meaning
This is our right, and within our Power
The sole Psion is as meaningless as the U-S (universe substance) without the pod
The subjects placed in our research have no meaning, save for what we give them
If the substance disobeys us, we will remove its meaning
This is our right, and within our power
We are the Psion:
This is an excerpt from the Code of the Psion: their most scared text, after the Outlawing of Religion and Superstition in the Era 9903 by the Third Tribunal Council. All of age members of Prison society must recite and pledge themselves to this Code before they receive their Life Destination.
Chapter I a few months ago.
Existence abroad the Ilerici Research Facility was a precarious balance of Psion culture. Where their love of the unexpected, the unexplored, and the endlessness of conceived progress in the universe lay before them... controlled and tamed, shaped by skilled hands to whatever shape they willed it to be. Or were paid to make it.
The entire station was in a delicate dance, it's twirling form shaped like the hexagon ice-crystal; one of billion that fell on a thousand different worlds that they had studied on and experimented on, in the course of existence. Though currently it was in orbit around a jungle giant Atorio VI.
It's hallways were sleek, oval curved, crafted of silvery green metal and sanitized white, the roof tall, and pleasantly humid, to accommodate the cold bloodiness of the Ilerici permeate inhabitants.
One such inhabitant was making its way down the hall now; the chief inhabitant. Like the rest of his kind, he was tall yet slim, an enlarged cranium balanced on a deceptively skinny neck, tilted up with the triangular headdress of his authority, yellowed and black, like the rest of his robes. His face was elongated by surgical means early in his youth, to better display traits that suggested superiority. Red eyes were half drifted shut as he strolled through the Hydroponic sector of the station, an aide trailing dutifully twenty steps behind him.
It was a point of pride for the Psion Kit'ano Meng-Gal, that in his term as Directer of the Ilerici, there had been a a 400 percent increased in researchers and technicians meaning their data quota on projects regarding Subjects, as well as successfully lobbying for a more rigid turn-around point regarding Subject test recovery, allowing for the more prudent disposal if deadlines failed to be met.
Yes...by all accounts, and countless merit recognition by the High Tribunal, Meng-Gal had ushered in a new Era of Scientific Progress. And the secret to his success, his triumph over his rivals, was simple. All one needed was an Open Mind, endlessly alert for even the smallest possibility of innovation and improvement. And if this meant occasional side stepping the Tribunal, and taking offers they had officially turned down...then the Tribunal didn't have to know.
Especially when the offer lead to business ventures with with the strangest of creatures. Earthens.
It was an...odd part-time membership. A thing that was hardly a thing at all. Meng-Gal did not fully understand this Light, and had never meet its council face to face. But he was not required too. What he did see were beings attempting and willing to disrupt the monotonous meaningless of their world, order to prepare it for another stage of evolution.
Basically, they were imitators of the Psions.
And the vision they had...for such a primal species, still bound by their notions of old ways, the Light indeed shone. It was a pleasure to work with them regarding their Kr project, to encourage the early advancement of cloning on the earthen world. After all, nothing wrong with cultivating future customers.
Meng-Gal breathed in the garden steamy air, lifting his fingers to stroke the purple leaf of a plant used to make a paralysis drug, one that was used often when new Subjects arrived at their facility, yet unbroken to their destiny. Many of the plants were stripped bare in anticipation.
New arrivals were coming in, a gift of the Light in regards to their partnership.
It had been a...curious transmission.
The holo of the earthen technician, Desmond, had caused him to frown as he reported his multiple failures. Not only had he failed to keep his facility secured, but had allow the infiltrators - juveniles by the species standards- had utterly destroyed it. All of it. The cloning labs, the data, and even project Kr itself, releasing it long before the appropriate state. It was tainted now. And given the universe substance it was made of, nearly impossible to destroy.
If such a technician resided in his command, he would be rendered Meaningless.
The Light shared his frustration he was sure, but over the communication, it put aside the emotion; coldly take charge of the situation. Given that the Kr and the infiltrators now new much more than they should, they could not be returned to where they had come. Yet, given the state of the facility, it was impossible to keep them their.
The Light had wanted all four young males disposed of at once, but Meng-Gal had objected. On his view screen, images of the males in battle had astounded him, derailing his notions of the physiology of the earthen. It captivated him with the same thrill as when he was a child in his Generation's creche, and had curiously picked apart the wings of glow-moths from the host, simply to see what would happen. It was delightful.
Such specimens could not be wasted. Not even Kr.
Though surprised by his offer, the Light had consented, and naturally, Meng-Gal spared no expense in arranging a transporter for his treats.
That was why he was here, balancing himself for the task ahead. The orderly arrangement of plants and fauna soothed him, as it the tasteful rock garden and liquid pools. So much had to be arranged. Planned, and of course, as their facility could only support so many subjects in captivity, four had to be terminated in order to make room for the new arrivals.
A soft ding sounded to his back, and his aid cleared her throat.
"Honorable Director Kit'ano, may I address you?"
"You may."
"We have received word from the transporter. He will be docking shortly. He reports that all Subjects have survived transportation from Earth to Ilerici."
He breathed it again, pushing down the emotion of giddiness that threatened to surface. That simply would not do. Turning, he took a moment to appreciate the right angle his aid had bent her body into, long arms held against the leggings of her yellow-green body suit. The delicate fingers of the Psion, which allowed them to so so much of their work twitched in nervousness, the ends glowing along with three spots on her cranium. Which showed she was in the process of using the network of her mind to communicate with whom she needed to be.
She would not rise until he permitted her. He decided to prolong it a bit.
"Make contact and summon Scientist Eich-Mn Suri-Harah down to the docking bay. The Subjects are to be assigned to his unit block."
His aid didn't blink, but through his bond to her as her superior, he could sense the faintest flicker of surprise. It was blocked to quickly for the Directer to abash her for it, yet he resisted a sigh. Eich-Mannh and his wife were a brilliant Scientist. Brilliant beyond compare, if a tad...conservative in the past. More so than the Tribunal normally allowed -though again and again, they had turned a blind eye to honor their genius. After all, Eich got results, always. And his research into bio-genetic-enhancement was unrivaled in the galaxy.
He had also encountered a...trying time...and his work had suffered as a result, becoming sloppy, uninterested. Some of Tribunal had begun to grow inpatient, teasing the idea of termination into meaninglessness. But Meng-gal had soothed their annoyance, with the reassurance that Eich would return to his normal standards within the next planetary cycle.
It was a sacrifice...giving the Subjects over to Eich. Meng-Gal half longed to pick up his old tools and dive into them himself. But the Directer believed that this would not only save Eich's career, it would save his Meaning. Remind his oldest friend who he was, and what he still had left to do.
Besides...with what was coming, Eich needed all the protection such an assignment could give him.
"Dismissed," he told the aid.
(*)
Down in the docking bay, the whole of the stuff was gathered in two neat rows to witness Sempo's return to favor. Glowing cranium marks dulled lowly as network mind strained to see through every-eye available to them, no one wanting to miss anything.
On a dais platform, Meng-Gal and the two Head Scientists sat in spoon-like seats of honor, and the Directer higher than them by a smidge, naturally. Eich was in the middle, and the coworker beside him had a tight grip on his jealously, so the lower ranking stuff remained obvious, but a skilled mind worker such as Kit'ano was not.
His friend, however, remained impassive, gracious fingers folded atop one another.
As the bay doors of the Ilerici slide off, the mean looking ship slipped within and settled down with a touch of arrogance they had come to expect from the pilot...as shown when the ramp lowered itself to the pounding of his footsteps. And complaining.
"Ah frag it, can't you clownheads turn the heat down in this place ever? Feel like the Main Man is in a fragging sana for rich dweebs for frag shakes."
The transporter hired was...a memorable one. The last Czarnian, Lobo, resembles a chalk-white human male with, blood-red eyes and blackened eyelids. He was savage in reputation and appearance. And second to none in his reliability.
As shown by the four pods floating obscenity behind him, nevertheless drawing every eye in the place.
Not that Lobo knew this, as he stormed his way up the makeshift aisle. Stopping just before the dais, he rested a booted foot on its edge and swept his arm behind him.
"Well, here you are -four earthen dweebs ready to be pocked, probed, zap and nurtured. When the Main Man Delivers, he Delivers."
"He does indeed," Meng-Gal noted, holding out the chip that held the bounty hunter's pay. "We are indebted to your service-"
"Yeah yeah, fragging whatever?" Lobo drawled, arms folding over his burly chest, "Next time you hire the Main Man, make sure its to fragging kill somthin'. Carting kidnapped dweebs across the galaxy...people will say the Main Man's gone soft."
"I'm sure that's not the case," Eich offered from his seat, his mouth still behind his fingers, the words spoken dryly. Beside him Head Scientist Shi'ro Amon-Go twitched with uneasy as Lobo leaned in closer.
"Ah, what do you know barf-breath? The Main Man's got a rep to keep -ya clowns didn't even let me tussle with Super-dork or the Justice Dweebs over their kit-lings. Man that would've been a fight...ah, but take what you can fragging get, right."
Lobo took the chip...and swallowed it in one gulp. How he planed to retrieve, Meng-Gal was sure he didn't know. Or desired to know.
"Later dweebs. Just remember, next time ya call, call for a kill."
Shortly after, the crude creature was gone, and the majority of the staff dismissed back to their normal duties. Only the Head Head Scientists, their assistants, and the Directer remained to approached the pods and their containment.
It was clear glass on top, allowing those gathered to peer in. Sure as their Meaning, the new Subject's were their, though their appearance was slightly different as too how they were shown over the transmission. The fact that they were unconsciousness probably had something to do with this, in all likelihood.
And the fact that they had been stripped of their boots, belts, gloves, and in the smallest subject's case, his cape. And all equipment. Also, a bit of frost clung to their hair from the chill of suppressed animation. The full effects of which would have to fully wear of before any project can begin.
But enough observation. It was time for the Subjects to be awaken and processed.
Reviews make me happy so tell me what you thought and I'll update sooner. So how do you like the mindset and first look at our bad guys? And thier outlook and philosophy? The real action starts next chapter as the boys wake up, are processed, and told they are lab rats. Plus yes, Lobo will have more to do with this story...God help them.