*SONG* “Diamond Sun” by Glass Tiger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-TdRfY6Jck

Everything is moving…The directions to be
Seen depending on where you are?
Who you are…
From corners…To questions…
The game has changed…because the winner
Was decided a long time ago.

“I love it!” Varence laughed out loud. “And
They thought me cryptic, a riddler?” He pointed
To the notebook. “The lines and light spin, the
Box opens and pours forth words they won’t
Understand until events have been spent and
Minds torn apart. Perfect!”

“Try to contain yourself.” Ceres responded with
Her graceful wit. “They have to see it first.”

“I swear if you have to explain one more
Thing,” Rana said shaking her head, “Bind
Them to chairs and desks…show them
The bold things happening right now…and
Still you will hear responses that they see
Nothing!”

Varence stood tall, calm, his arms folded as he
Eyed Rana playfully; silently his patience was
Becoming like hers. “A point made time and
Time again.”

“I’m sick of it.” Rana snapped as she
Strolled, or rather stomped right up to stand
Inches from Varence’s face. “That’s all we ever hear…
The tide of voices…Where’s my part? How
Special am I in this? I should like to
Roll a great rock over that glass house
And then point to the broken pieces of the
Aftermath to say…THERE YOU ARE…Why?
Because you were so preoccupied with
Yourself ‘waiting’…you never saw it coming!”

“A prudent idea.” Varence only said. “Somewhat
Cruel…”

“Jest later.” Rana told him. “Now listen
To me, you tall vegetable of reason…I could
Care less about the dark kinds’ pet monkeys…
Talk to him…Help him as you will…Because
I am done waiting for them to put together
A puzzle, to entertain them this way…Lay their
Opinions at me…I don’t care…Now help him.”

Ceres nodded. “I agree…Your plot of timing
Is growing thin. Stop doing this to him. Give
Him some reward at least.”

“I grow tired of explaining things myself.” Varence
Told them all. “Believe it.”

I was at a loss of words at this myself…
Writing it? Revealed clues…but was aggravating
As well.

“Bill…” Varence said, his tone more forceful…
“I apologize to you…I would like it a bit easier
For you…I realize everyone wants to hear their
Sole purpose…So I will take the step to
Make it very clear…Yes I aim to reach the
Minds out there…But it is NOT to rescue
Them on this ship or any other…it is for
Their minds and nature and their influence
On the future…That is it. This is invaluable…”

“Some of us will walk out there,” Rana added,
“But we will NOT announce it…or declare it, or say
When or where…We are not the geniuses of Earth,
Praise Heaven.”

“Enough.” Ceres said. “Just tell him. Give him
An easy course for a change will you.”

Varence nodded kindly. “I will…Alright…To
And for the purpose of our friend here…Plain
And simple…This is about The Legacies…
For what should have been, has not happened
And now must…”

“And it is happening.” Vala suddenly interrupted,
“And WILL…YES IT WILL HAPPEN.”

“So now I will tell you of a few little
Stories of history…That has not been told
And will,” Varence rolled his eyes, “Before
Rana finds some great rocks to flatten
The impulsive minds to your world with.”

Rana growled. “Just say it before I slap you!”

“Do you remember when we told you the
Story of the Elvar’s visit?” He asked. “Of
How they studied the inhabitants of Earth
And concluded they were tampered with
Genetically?”

“The Lord Apollo sought to deliver salvation
To a forsaken world by breaking laws…
Of virtue, as well as logic.” Ceres quipped.

Varence grimaced but continued. “During
That time…There were some events that
Transpired…unseen by Ceres…by the scout
Teams…that trekked the planet…I will tell
You of one now, for the first time…I would
Like to keep these separate…Though they do
Serve purpose to the WHOLE…But only
In the sense of over the passing of time…” He
Scowled, temperamental… “And before words or
Ideas fall on me of intentions or juvenile
Reasons…I will answer foremost…You can NOT
Act to save such a traumatized thing in one
Blow, by one event…Save the world?
I will have them be SILENT…LEARN…
LISTEN…or at this moment go out on their
Own and save a world by all they possess
This moment…Could they do it? No? Then
Listen…

“Time must have certain things unfold on
Their own…without pushing…Some roles
Must be played over time…sad but true…
The brave learn this way…

“It was on one said day, on the Elvar
Ship during its time on Earth…That
A collection of science personnel were in the
Ship’s arboretum…tending their crop plants…
When the leading science officer M’Jase
Entered…to assemble teams of their people
To go out onto the planet…to conduct…
Medical research…”

M’Rogan was a tall, broad shouldered,
Red haired young science officer…He was
Unlike most of his people in that he was
Intensely driven…He was eager to explore
Space, leave his home aboard a colony ship…
Because he wanted to do something different
With his life…He was tired of the quiet,
Collected life of his Homeworld and wanted
To be a part of making a better one elsewhere.
So it was, one day, as he tended the plants
In the arboretum…that he found himself
Complaining to his fellow crew… “I did not
Think a colony ship would yield such
Compelling duties of fertilizing fruit trees or
Tending stock animals…” He said as he carelessly
Monitored readings of his scanner. “The joys
Of being a science officer!”

M’Rena, a feisty red head fellow crew science
Officer stood beside him checking the fruits
Of a date-like tree to see how ripe they were. She
Laughed at his sarcasm… “Now you know this
Is important work…we have to eat.”

M’Rogan paused, sighed and turned to her. “Are we
Not on some strange new world filled with life?
How long have we been here?…And they will only
Allow senior officers out to explore it…Rumors
Fly of what waits below…Why not let us see
For ourselves?”

“You know the rules on such matters,” M’Rena told
Him sarcastically… “Non-interference on worlds
With bipedal life…Tampering with life is forbidden…
For we do not know the Creator’s intentions
For each world.”

“Well,” he told her firmly. “It seems to me the
Creator has us cross paths for A REASON…
Only leaders fear consequences since they are
The ones who play so much with lives.”
Just then they noticed a commotion…

The senior science officers M’Jase had entered the
Arboretum with a few assistants…Everyone had
Frozen upon her entrance…as she stood with
Data tablets pointing to various crew…

“What is she doing here?” M’Rena asked…
“She never comes to the arboretum…”

“Attention,” M’Jase addressed everyone loudly
With authority and urgency. “The commander
Has ordered a secret mission…We are reviewing
Candidates for scout teams for a very sensitive
Task to be completed on the planet…”
Everyone quickly gathered around her…nearly
50 of the workers clustered so fast their
Eagerness surprised her; M’Rogan and M’Rena
In the immediate front, of course.

“We will need teams for approximately 12 shuttles,”
One of the male blond assistants informed them.
“We are advised to keep the teams as compact as
Possible…6 per shuttle.”

“This is a time sensitive mission.” M’Jase
Explained. “You are all familiar with the laws
Of intervention on primitive worlds. You are
Forbidden to encourage anything. You will
Have strict orders to follow…And you are not
To discuss the details with anyone but your
Team members…”

M’Rogan was the first to volunteer…
M’Rena, the second…followed by a dozen
Others…M’Jase selected candidates at once…
Teams were assembled in a private briefing
Room shortly after…

The extensive details of the mission were
Abbreviated…The commander did NOT want
To alarm the crew with knowledge of their ship
Being on a planet occupied by the Empire…
Nor of the discoveries of a fallen civilization
And the natives genetic tampering…

This was done very fast…M’Jase, and the
Leading medical officer M’Rond simply told
The teams they were inoculating the population
With a retro virus that would help them…Why?
The reason for breaking laws was distorted…
They were told they were simply aiding
The locals immune systems…from the
Possible threat of exposure of dangerous
Micro-organisms brought by the Elvar ship
When they landed on their world; a lie.

So this is how it began…
The shuttle teams…
One was to go west to North America…the
Populations there were sparse and scattered…
The natives lived a migrant way of life with the
Seasons and following herd animals for hunting…
Shuttles were dispersed according to populations, and
At that time North America was rather quiet
Of natives compared to other lands…

As little as possible was told…still the teams were
Dispatched quickly…Still, these were science
Teams…And regardless of race, what age or
Background…All scientists were at their core the
Same…no matter what they were told, they secretly
Questioned everything…

The North American team was selected as
All others…One pilot, a communications specialist,
And four science officers with versatile
Skills which included all medical training…

The shuttle crew…
O’Sans, a blond young man, very new and
Naïve…with essentials skills and little experience;
In other words everything he did was by the law.
O’Tala, a blond woman of the Danu…with
Science training…skilled with talents of the
Mind; a.k.a…a telepath…who could read minds
And thus interact with foreigners and their
Languages…
M’Kay, a young dark red haired man…with
Basic science training…A by the book cadet.
El’Lora, a young orangey haired woman
From the house of El. A science officer, her
House and name thus meant she was very
Skilled in all things…another telepath, psychic
Gifts were a trademark of the Danu.
M’Rena, a dark red haired woman of fiery
Disposition…A science officers, of Ruatha descent;
Ruatha, the reds and notable royal line were
Known for their intensity…and skill in all
Things…

And finally…
M’Rogan, the dark red haired science
Officer, well skilled in all manners of medicine
And science…Another of the Ruatha line…
He was strong willed, determined…Hopeful,
A risk taker; eager for adventure…
And thus, eager to break tradition…

Their shuttle departed with the rising of
The sun…All of them were excited…An adventure!
A mysterious world! With no senior officers
On board to hover over their shoulders…Unlike
The other shuttle teams…it was a crew
Destined to find a compromising situation…

On the shuttle…
M’Rena struggled with her medical scanner…
She had to reprogram it for scanning and
Studying humanoid life forms; it had only
Been used so far in the arboretum. “Why
Couldn’t they have given us new scanners?
My device is not cooperating.”

“At least you are not responsible for these.”
M’Rogan gestured to the tubules of
Anti-virus in his med-kit. “There is something
Strange about these formulas.”

“What do you mean?” M’Rena asked him.
They were the only two talking…Everyone else
Was quietly immersed in their own inner
World of the adventure at hand; a mistake of
Course. They should have talked more.

“It’s just strange.” M’Rogan told her. “There
Should be other elements here.” He said as he
Examined them with his scanner. “If I didn’t
Know better than to question our superiors…
I would conclude these were genetically oriented
Viruses, not bacterial…”

“Why would that be?” She asked him.

“I don’t know…it makes no sense.” He said.
Something was very wrong. He knew it, but
Said nothing more.

“The shuttle met the continent smoothly. There
Was erratic stormy weather, but that
Wasn’t a problem…A band of natives was
Easily found right away…In a region we
Know as the Hudson River…The team
Descended under cover at twilight upon the
Natives…Following strict protocol…and
Inoculated the clan of thirty without a
Problem…

This went on for days…They would scan for
Primitive people…study them during the day…
Stun them into early sleep at dusk…
Then vaccinate two thirds of the tribe
As they slept…The young, fit and most
Active only…as ordered…

The entire time M’Rogan was secretly making
Additional studies of his own…Of the people,
Of the virus they were injecting into the
Locals…something was very wrong…

On the 8th night of their mission M’Rogan
Gathered M’Rena and O’Tala for a private discussion;
They were the eldest of the team. He was intent
On sharing his findings…
“I have something to tell you, show you.”
He said urgently whispering to these women
Outside of the shuttle as they stood in its
Soft light under the dark…

“What is it?” M’Rena asked curiously.

“Have you noticed anything strange about
The inhabitants of this planet as we’ve
Been vaccinating them?” He asked
Encouraging their speculation.

“Aside from them being so dark of skin
And so small?” M’Rena asked, shaking
Her head. “No.”

“Nothing at all?” He insisted.

O’Tala hesitated, but agreed. “I have. I have
Been sensing the same thing. For primitive minds…
They all display the strange patterns…”

“That would be?” He asked.

“They are intensely hormonal.” O’Tala
Explained… “But in a very complex fashion…
Fantasies, daydreams…Very complicated
Emotions…The men are driven to relieve their
Hormones…so they can think…And then they
Are quite philosophical for primitives…And
The women…”

“Yes?” M’Rogan was fascinated…

“The women,” O’Tala said with wonder, “It is
As if they are driven, possessed, to get
Pregnant…At a very early age…They fantasize
Endlessly…Adoring ideals of the genders…
Thus antagonizing the attention of the men…
I have NEVER encountered such a degree of
Fantasizing…I was taught primitive minds were
Far simpler…Fantasies are characteristics
Of the aspiring mind…not animals…These
Dreams they have suggest an increasing urge
To produce better…not sustain what they have.
They literally dream themselves into a higher
State…a higher path…it’s quite remarkable
Really…”

“You seem as if you admire them?” M’Rena
Asked her, almost shocked.

O’Tala paused briefly looking about the night scenery…
At the fauna, the scents in the air… “I could
Just…”

“What?” M’Rogan pushed her to speak it.

“We are taught that primitives have simple minds.”
O’Tala explained. “In our education only a few
Worlds, species, have ever been encountered as
Such…Yet to be here…on this world…among
The natives…a world much like our own…
And it’s people…too much like our own…”

M’Rogan nodded. “Yes, I see it too…”

“What are you saying?” M’Rena asked.

“They are human…” M’Rogan said it first…

“But altered somehow…” O’Tala continued.
“For primitives their emotions are so complex!”

M’Rogan held out his medical tablet…
A virtual intelligence data board much like
Our computers; only far superior. “I have
To show you something.” He brought up
A screen of his selected notes… “Look at
This…”

M’Rena and O’Tala immediately studied his
Data… “These are human DNA strands…
Human?” M’Rena questioned, shocked.

“What are those obscure abnormalities,” O’Tala
Pointed… “Those shouldn’t be there…”

“When I was younger,” M’Rogan explained,
“I had the advantage of reviewing genetic
Samples of various alien races of my science
Advisor’s records…specimens taken from
Historical records…as well as recent specimens
From crashed vessels in our system…”

“And?” M’Rena asked.

“These are Sirian DNA sequences,” he said
Carefully, quietly…nervously… “Fused
Into all areas of their base core…”

“What?!” M’Rena said, her jaw dropped.

“And there’s more,” he told them, “I found
Reptilian sequential strands…As well as a
Form of blended sequences…with multiple
Elements of various races…as though someone
Took a virtual recipe of races…selected very
Specific strands to blend into base pairs…
Deliberately.”

“You’re saying these people were…” M’Rena
Fought to declare the possibility, “Created?”

O’Tala tilted her head, careful to sense if
The others were listening. “That’s utterly
Diabolic…But it would explain the
Natives intense emotions…The intense
Desire to mate…like animals…The aggressiveness
Of the males…combined with this amazing
Imagination they have.”

“Why would anyone do this?” M’Rena asked.

M’Rogan held up his finger. “The Empire…
I heard stories on the ship of the vast
Diversity of the ecosystems of this planet…
Unlike anything ever seen before!”

“The Empire created this planet?” M’Rena
Said curiously…

“They do not do that…” O’Tala said
Fearfully… “They conquer worlds…Absorb
Them…No one ever really knows what
Becomes of them…”

M’Rogan nodded… “Say it. You are thinking it.”

“This planet…” O’Tala said, letting her senses
Speak the words. “There was a civilization
Here…People…Cities…Fallen…Conquered…
Enslaved…Gone…Some must have fled…
The others…that survived…” She swallowed
Nervously… “They were altered…”

M’Rogan bravely went on for her. “They
Were rebuilt…I am thinking they were
Degenerated…inbred to mutable genes…with
New DNA spliced into their make-up…Then
Their hormones were escalated…To breed
As much as possible to produce offspring…
Offspring that would, over time, stabilize all
Of these genetic material…into one new
Form…of meta human.”

They were horrified. “To what end?” M’Rena
Asked.

“Their emotions are unlike anything I have
Encountered.” O’Tala said. “Properly harnessed…
The fuel…with instinct…combined with any
Form of psychic power would create a being of
Significant power…Possibly one day…God-like
Power.”

“But the factors involved…” M’Rena concluded.
“The mutations would be, could be endless…
Even monstrous…There would be creature-like
Humanoids…Hybrids…Throwbacks…Anomalies…”

“How do we know there aren’t such things?”
M’Rogan told them.

“What are we vaccinating them for then?”
M’Rena asked.

M’Rogan held out a vial of the viruses they
Were using. “This…is not an immune system
Stimulant like we were told. THIS…is
A genetic virus designed by our esteemed
Officer M’Rond to suppress all DNA
Strands that carry non-human information.”

“Halting their evolution?” M’Rena asked.

“Their violent behavior is far too strong
In their nature,” O’Tala told them…
“The aggressiveness, the fighting…if it were
To continue to grow with their numbers…It
Would render them a monstrous warrior race!”

“We have to do this.” M’Rogan nodded. “Or
One day…They will become a force unlike we
Could imagine…Do not tell the others about this…
Let us keep this to ourselves…and anything
Significant that we find…”

Disturbed, the three of them withdrew
To the shuttle…to an settling night’s sleep…as
Their mission continued…

Across the continent they went…And with
Each tribe they encountered…The evidence only
Mounted…More clans, more tribes…each
Displaying the hostility…the intense emotions…
The overwhelming mating urges…

It was not uncommon to find women baring
5 or 6 children from an early age…
But the ferocious environment took its toll on
The population…The animals proved to be quite
A collection, and experiments also…And then
There was the warring nature of the people…
Overall the average life span of the natives
Ranged from 40 to 50 years…less than half
Made it to this age, this half all that
Were born fell victim to chance…Only the
Strong survived…Only the bear bred endlessly…
It was a primal experiment of survival…
The subjects of interest survived…The weak
And undesirable always fell…

But the most disturbing thing M’Rogan discovered
Was that the natives were enduring VERY fast…
Within a few thousand years…The inhabitants of
The planet would become unlike any race in the
Universe…The possibilities were limitless…Even
With the vaccinations they were given…The
Natives were destined to become something NEW.

The travels of the team quickly brought
Them to the southwest of the continent…
They simply followed the migrant tribes
South…along a grassy plain beside a marvelous
Mountain chain…To a land of diverse deserts,
Forested hills…lush meadows…and waterways
Rich with game animals…

The season was mid-fall…The leaves of
The deciduous trees were changing color…
The temperatures were falling…And there was
An enrichment to the air…

O’Sans, the young pilot, alongside M’Rogan’s
Instruction had them following a small
Band of natives for two days…

They were on unusually interesting tribe…
Adorned with deer and wolf skins…Unlike others
They had encountered…This family-tribe was
More timid…elusive of other groups, they
Avoided fighting…hid frequently…And
Appeared rather quiet compared to others…

O’Sans set the shuttle down in a lush greenery
Area of hills below the ancient Rocky
Mountains…to a place that would one day
Be the Four Corners…

The clan they followed was taking shelter
In a series of caves…hiding from other
Warring tribes…seeking only the simple
Care of their survival…The team was
Especially taken with them…Noting their
Gentler behavior…They studied them
Meticulously…

M’Rena and O’Tala were in the field
That day…distantly monitoring the young
Women of the tribe as they foraged for berries
And nutritious vegetation…They were, however,
Quite obvious themselves in glittering light blue
Metallic uniforms no matter how carefully
They hid in the underbrush.

A very small, red skinned teenage girl had
Caught their interest…They followed her alongside
A stream…as she gathered wild berries and
Immersed herself in daydreams under the sun
Of a crush she had on a young man of the tribe…
Taken with thoughts of young love…and dreams
Of children…O’Tala told M’Rena every thought
That went through the girl’s mind…They were
So distracted…They hadn’t noticed the band
Of young men…warriors of a local tribe that
Were stalking the Indian women…and this
Girl…until it was too late…

O’Tala sensed them… “There are twenty young
Men in the woods!” She told her
Friend and team member in a desperate
Whisper… “These monsters were out hunting
Animals…then saw these young girls and
Their minds turned hormonal…”

M’Rena became nervous and alerted the
Rest of the team at the shuttle…

O’Tala saw the three young men rising
From the bushes behind the young girl as
She knelt to drink from the stream…Their
Faces were painted black…Their hair was
Tethered back in stained leather straps and
Dark feathers…They were shirtless…adorned
With strange necklaces of claws…Desperate
And brave…She sought to reveal herself to
Frighten them…attempting to stun some reason
To the violent act about to play…

“Please,” O’Tala called out, “Listen to me…”

The young girl, clothed in deerskin and bone-beads
Screamed…The sight of the strange tall
Curly haired blond woman in the sky colored suit
Was unlike anything she knew!

The young warriors stood tall in the shade
And froze at the sight of O’Tala…They
Could not explain to their minds what their
Eyes saw!

“Please just…remain calm…” O’Tala pleaded.

Then M’Rena emerged, “What are you doing?”
She begged her blond friend. “Stay from
Sight!”

The young girl screamed wildly…which only
Disturbed the young man nearest her…His
Mind was too possessed with lust…He lunged
To beat her to silence her deafening cries…
Which alerted all the other nearby women of
Her tribe…as well as ALL of the stalking
Warriors…

The young man then grabbed her, tossed the
Girl over his shoulder and ran for the cover
Of the bushes and denser tree cover…
While the other two warriors set their eyes
On the fair, blond O’Tala…and the mysterious
Looking, exotic red-haired M’Rena…
Overtaken by primal urges they found
Nerve to approach them hungrily…These
Women…unlike any they ever saw or knew…

“What are you doing?” M’Rena said with
Disgust, noting their black painted sinister
Faces…

O’Tala was appalled. “They want to mate
With us! They want to take us!” She said,
Reading their thoughts. “STOP!” She commanded
To them…They ignored her…and continued
Their approach…
Just then the other young warriors began to
Appear…First one…Then two…Then six…
A terrified scream suddenly
Filled the air…The young girl they had seen
Was being assaulted…

M’Rena grew angry…She held out her medical
Scanner…brandishing it like a weapon
To intimidate them…
The warriors only briefly paused…
Impatient…Fearful…Nervous…M’Rena
Stood her ground…

O’Tala sensed the others… “The team is
Approaching…Can you hold them off until
They arrived?”

“With what weapons?” M’Rena snapped…
She felt trapped…frustrated…But held her
Anger…
One of the warriors let out a shrieking cry…
Declaring his intentions…to scare the
Women…M’Rena bit her teeth hard…Her
Blood hot…Without looking she carelessly
Pressed buttons on her scanner thinking to
Stun them…Then maximized the beam strength
And began firing…

Her first shot hit the nearest warrior…who shrieked…
He immediately went silent when the yellow
Ray struck him, then fell to the ground…
Then on and on she aimed at all the others…
There was shock and confusion on their faces…
As one by one they fell…until all sixteen lay
Motionless in the grass, in the stream…in
The woods around them…

There was an eerie silence…
“What did you do to them?” O’Tala asked.

“I stunned them…” M’Rena shook…

O’Tala went to check the nearest man on
The ground…She scanned him with her device…
“His entire nervous system is shattered…Every
Nerve has been destroyed.”

M’Rena was wide-eyed in shock… “But I…”

Then suddenly a whirling sound…And
From the blindness of the woods an arrow
Pierced the scene, the quiet shock…To strike
O’Tala threw the back…piercing bone, flesh…
Her heart…Blood spat from her mouth…Then she
Fell to the ground…

“O’Tala!” M’Rena screamed and then rushed to her.
She feverishly turned her over as she rested her
Friend upon her knee…only to watch the
Life fade from her face…M’Rena’s face grew
Pale…She was numb…She had never seen
Death before…

Just then, the young warrior with the bow
Emerged from the woods across the stream…his
Arrow aimed upon her…Shaking, he froze, ready
To release his flying arrow…Her eyes locked with
His…a strained silence…He shook, she lowered
Her brow…then quickly aimed her medical scanner
At him and fired the yellow death ray…
A few seconds…Then he too fell paralyzed to
The ground…

Then the others of her team arrived…too late…
M’Rogan with the young M’Kay at his side
Quickly knelt with her…El’Lora and O’Sans
Soon behind them.

“What happened?” M’Rogan asked first…

M’Rena couldn’t speak…the sight of death held
Her voice…The scene quickly described itself…
El’Lora, another telepath, read the traumatic event…
“They attacked you?” Her eyes traced the
Area, her mind every body on the ground…
“They’re all dead!”

“You used your medical scanner?” M’Rogan
Snatched it from her hands. “This is no weapon!”
He noted its settings… “This would shred every
Nerve in a body! You killed them?!”

They were horrified. “So many of them!” M’Kay
Exclaimed.

“O’Tala?” El’Lora asked…She focused her intuitive
Senses…like radar to feel for life… “She’s dead!”

“I didn’t know what to do…” M’Rena mumbled…
“We were following a group of young women…
Along the water…One in particular, she was so
Small…When those savages appeared…and—“

“What?” M’Rogan fought to remain focused.

“The young girl,” M’Rena said with hollow breath…
“She screamed…One of the men carried her off…”

“Find her!” M’Rogan ordered as he gently
Laid O’Tala’s body to the ground…Each of
Them fought to remain calm…They had never
Been prepared for this…

M’Kay and El’Lora quietly and quickly scanned
The area…The remaining young warriors had fled…
But they did find the young Indian girl in
The bushes nearby…unconscious, brutally beaten and
Ravaged…They retrieved her, and with M’Rogan
And M’Rena took her and O’Tala’s body back
To the shuttle…

Safely shut inside their vessel…They laid
O’Tala to rest under a blanket on her shelf-like bed…
They then gathered around the examination table
In the center of the large one-room saucer shaped craft…
Where M’Rogan rested the native girl…

The girl had been sexually assaulted and beaten…
They had never seen such abuse…
“You should NOT have gotten so close.” M’Rogan
Grumbled, breaking the silence as he studied
The girl…

“We were not expecting an attack!” M’Rena
Defended…

“You killed those natives.” M’Rogan said in disbelief…
“How are we to explain this?”

M’Rena became angry. “For what they were
About to do? They should have been castrated!
I’m not proud of what happened…But I had to
Defend us…”

“We should return to the main ship at once,” O’Sans
Suggested. “This is wrong…”

“Surely we’ve covered enough territory.” M’Kay
Agreed. “Report in at least…”

“And the girl?” El’Lora asked with concern…

“No one says anything!” M’Rogan commanded…

“What?” M’Rena questioned. “This mission has lost
Cohesion…What do you want us to do?” She
Studied his manner, his lead…something was off…
He was hiding something… “What are you not
Saying?”

The team waited on M’Rogan’s words…he was
The eldest, the leader…His word in the field was law…
But his behavior betrayed him now… “The girl is
Pregnant…but not from this attack…She is at
Least a few weeks with a growing embryo…” They
Watched as he assembled medical tools…equipment
And performed an abortion…

“What are you doing?” M’Rena was horrified.

Without their consent…Ignoring their faces and
Comments…He then withdrew specimens from
The girl’s ovaries…and fertilized them with a
Prepared inoculation…Then implanted the fertilized
Embryo into the girl’s juvenile womb, re-impregnating
Her… “What I have been doing for the past week…
Imparting an improved seed.”

“Where did you get the specimen?” M’Rena
Dared ask…Then her instincts gave her the
Elusive answer as their eyes locked. “You used
Your own DNA to be the father! You have
Been impregnating the young native women
With your own DNA?! How could you do that?”

“What is going on?” M’Kay asked fearfully.

“This is not part of the mission!” O’Sans
Protested…

M’Rogan then retold the facts he had shared with
O’Tala and M’Rena earlier…Of the data they
Had uncovered on the natives’ genetic history
And abnormalities…and then shared what he
And O’Tala had secretly been doing since…

“We determined,” M’Rogan explained,
“That the best possible way to stabilize their,
The natives’ genes, was to instill a more stable host
DNA…Many of the women we have been vaccinating
Were pregnant…we simply adjusted the
Characteristics…”

“Adjusted?” M’Rena said angrily. “You tampered,
You experimented on them! You have altered them!
How many times have you done this?”

“Approximately 12 pregnancies.” M’Rogan
Confessed.

“Dear Heaven!” M’Rena was appalled.

“Male children.” M’Rogan specified. “Using me, and
O’Tala’s DNA…This will prevent inbreeding…
Diversify quickly into tribal groups…They will be
Able to sire more stabilized offspring. They were
Too aggressive…”

M’Rena folded her arms. “The children will be alien
To their people…if they survive such an environment!”

“They will become peaceful, intuitive…More human…”
He told her, he told them… “It will help them!”

“You had no right to do this!” M’Rena ordered.

Suddenly, by manner or their argument, the young
Native girl on the table began to stir… “She is
Waking up!” El’Lora told them. “Sedate her!”

The girl suddenly burst awake…shaking, crying,
Screaming…They held her down as M’Rogan
Prepared a sedative while the telepathic
El’Lora tried to ease her mind… “Don’t be
Afraid, we’re friends…”

The girl cried and mumbled words in her native
Dialect…
“She is asking what we are,” El’Lora told them,
“She is confused but she is AWARE…She
Thinks we are forest…spirits…She’s afraid…
But she does know we are here to help…She is
Remarkably perceptive for someone so young…
And primitive.”

“Maybe we don’t need to sedate her.” M’Rena
Asked. “See if you can find out more about her,
Of what she knows…about herself, her people…
This world…anything.”

They watched and listened carefully as El’Lora
Communicated with her…As the conversation
Progressed…the details came… “Her people are of
The Wolf tribe, they follow the Wolf teacher,”
El’Lora told them… “They are of the plains…
To the North of here…from the lands of the
Great river…They come this way each
Year when the leaves change…”

They noted how quickly the girl calmed
Down in their presence… “Her tribe
Follows spirit wisdom…The teachings of nature.”
El’Lora said, fascinated… “They are taking
Shelter in the dry caves in the hills not
Far from here.”

El’Lora became involved in the psychic
Communication with the girl…a silent
But soothing exchange that completely
Won the girl’s trust.

“What is she telling you?” M’Rogan insisted.

El’Lora hesitated to share the strange details…
“Her father is Chief Howling Wolf…A wise
Man unlike others…She wants to know if
We would go meet with him…She says a Spirit
Wolf has been teaching him, guiding him…
That her father is very wise…She
Speaks of the Great Spirit Creator,
Father of All Things, who made the
Land, seas and people and animals…
I am sensing a powerful spirituality
Within her, her people.”

“We have not encountered that before?”
M’Rena asked.

“No, we haven’t?” M’Rogan asked.

El’Lora froze… “She says…” Her voice quivered.
“Spirit Wolf told her father, her people…
That one day Star People would come…To tell
Them secrets of their world…That they would
Be granted great wisdom among others…
And…”

“What?” M’Rena dared to pursue…

“Something about her father…the chief…”
El’Lora was shocked… “About the future
Of many worlds that hang in the balance…
The fate of the stars…would depend on
This world one day?”

They looked at each other nervously…
“Tell her we would like to meet with her
Father, this chief…” M’Rogan calmly
Urged… “As soon as she feels able.”

Soon thereafter, the young girl…named Rabbit
In The Grass…led the team to the caves in
The hills that she described where her tribe
Took shelter…it was a dry, rocky area…
Somewhat sparse of greenery…set with
Conifers, dry brush…beautiful in its own
Way…

The mysterious strangers with their silvery-
Light blue uniforms and red hair intrigued the
People as they were greeted with gasps, awestruck
Grins and complete respect…

It appeared like a clandestined meeting…
As if pre-written…They were guided into a
Large cave…where young people stood and sat
Making crude paintings on the walls…
Stories of their travels…of animals and
Hunting…their history…

The chief greeted the Travelers with immediate
Gratitude and respect, as if he had been
Waiting for them…Rabbit In The Grass
Introduced her father…Howling Wolf said, “Greetings
To you…please sit with us…”

El’Lora communicated and translated with
Both verbal and psychic words between them…
M’Rogan stood the leader, with M’Rena
By his side…Their rich red hair filled the
Tribe with fanatic awe…

As said by M’Rogan, “Tell them we
Are friends…”

The chief asked what land, what tribe
They were from…They tried to explain they
Were from another world…That they were
Of the Dannon, the Danalura…the Danu…
But the translation was complete, so they
Simplified it to be known as the tribe of Dan…

“Spirit Wolf foretold your coming.” The
Chief explained… “He said you were our
Lost brothers and sisters…”

At this, the young cave painters began
Rendering the meeting onto the walls…
With child-like simple lines and colors…
It was basic…simple…rudimentary
Skilled hands…They had no knowledge
Of symbolism…They painted as they knew how,
With no mysterious intent…

M’Rena explained about the attack by
The stream on them by the young warriors…
The chief explained they were a hostile
Warring group call the Black Paw…(who
Would in history fall out of record…M’Rena’s
Attack was a fatal blow that way…)…He apologized
For their loss…

The chief explained how his entire life had
Led him on this quest…To travel this way
Along the mountains waiting to encounter…
The Star People…

Confused, but enamored by the mysticism…
The team had little clue what to say…
What could be told or shared?
The natives wanted to know…
The team was forbidden to tell…

El’Lora explained they were explorers…
And been travelling his land…to help the
People…That his daughter would give
Birth to a special child, a boy…who would
Do great things for his people…That in
Other tribes. There would be born some
With greatness in them…to watch for them…

As the tribe listened with wonder, and
The cave painters rendered the exchange
On the cave walls…The chief then made
His revelation…as told to him by the
Spirit Wolves that spoke to him…
El’Lora translated accordingly…

“One day our people will work together…
Will come together…A tribe of many colors…
From this world and the stars…to save
The fate of this world and all others…
To save all the stars…
From a darkness that was growing…
A darkness seeded in all the land…
Corrupting space…He said, that the
Great Spirit had a plan…for everyone…
Not to fear the path, only those that
Would hold them from it…
Some things have to happen first…
To open eyes to see…
No one knows everything…
But together they would see everything.”

The exchange, the meeting was magical…
Resting both sides from the troubles they had
Faced…And suddenly each side found answers
To questions…Greater Powers were at work…
Greater eyes and ears that did, in fact, reveal
Themselves…when proper respect and attention
Was given…

When the ego surrenders…and the ears
Truly open…confusion does disappear…

M’Rogan told El’Lora to tell the chief
One day they would be back…
When both sides were ready…
They would share all they knew and
More…and see a deliverance from the
Darkness to a brighter future.

M’Rogan imprinted a mark upon the wall…
Totems were made…visions beheld…
No dates were given…Only the
Knowledge that the day would come…
Perhaps retelling the story is a start…

They parted way…The natives holding
To their tale of the magical meeting…and
Promised future…
And the team concluded their mission
And returned to the mother ship…swearing
An oath of silence about what happened…
They knew fate would have its way…its day…
It always does…

“And so that was one story.” Varence said…
“One shuttle’s adventure…Do you see?”

Ceres nodded… “The ones who claimed to
Know so much had a startling encounter…
Imagine that.”

“So this meeting, this promise foretold,” I
Said, “Is attributed to the Spirit Wolf?”

“No,” Varence kindly corrected, “What I’m
Saying is that there was more involved than
Meets the eye…The lesser hand was guided…
The wiser forged a road…A mystical
Messenger imparted a message…And destinies
Intertwined…All things are connected…
Before the Elvar ever came…A future
Is to behold…like it or not…”

“Those that fight it only make it worse…
For themselves.” Rana said.

“Don’t they always.” Varence replied.

There are more secret caves…

Valiant
My artwork: Sun Diamond

source: http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=42742