Evolution's Essence (13 page)

Nova withdrew the other furry adults as the
small female that stands mid-thigh now let out soft growls and
snarls. Renee wanted to name them, but Oliver finally made her
realize it would confuse them when they get a new master.

By the young alpha female’s command the other
cubs surrounded silently the tracked down prey, an overgrown
Praying Mantis as tall as a human and it was eating a herbivore
Beast called a Venesay, similar to a deer, but much more aggressive
and as large as a moose. Being occupied, it didn’t even sense it
was being stalked from all directions. Oliver could feel Nova’s
satisfaction through the link that was established after the trial
of pain down in the city deep beneath a mountain on Drakken Prime.
The father at last saw his child do something correctly. As leader,
she had to stay back and watch the big picture even though her
Pride was more numerous than her father’s, though it hadn’t always
been so. She guided them all into position and did as taught to be
a successful hunter rather than prey. She made three swipe their
tails across wet leaves.

The distracting sound made the Mantis pause
consuming the lifeless Venesay and turned its enormous woodsy head
in that direction. Having multidirectional vision still didn’t help
as three silently sped under its large abdomen and pause. Then when
it turned and dropped the meat she roared proud and mighty. The
shocking sound startled it just enough for a mere, confusing
moment. From beneath, the three stealthily maneuvered cubs chomped
down on a leg and ran out, ripping the limb as they went in
different directions. From all directions the remaining young
Ligers swarmed and tore open the hard carapace while two additional
ran all out and ripped off the sickle-like arms that could strike
like lightning. Without, it was helpless. The leader dealt the
killing blow as she arranged for everyone to hold it’s still
powerful body down. With a swipe of her paws, sharp claws removed
the head. Then they filled their bellies.

Oliver knew what this signified and though
the adults didn’t feel sadness like he did, it was the milestone
Nova had been eagerly waiting for. Oliver dropped to the ground
unharmed, knees absorbing most of the impact before speeding
through the trees away from the felines, but watched and witnessed
regardless.

He found a huge lake not far away and he had
a hankering for Stingray, the second Beast he had ever met. He
absorbed the cape and dove into the deep depths in the same leap.
His helm filtered air out of the surrounding water and began
fishing with his sword and dagger.

Nova waited till the young were full and when
they were the other eleven parents stood shoulder to shoulder like
a striped wall. The cubs could sense something had changed and
their urging had the alpha female send a questioning thought. Her
father impressed that no longer would they be together. They had a
successful hunt and were ready to splinter. Now was the time to put
to use all he had imbued into her and any deaths to her Pride were
on her from this point forth.

In response they all whined, but at Nova’s
primal roar and ferocity that silenced all animal activity for
leagues around, they stopped and huddled together for safety. This
was their final task programmed into their genetics. Survive to
adulthood. Nova also impressed that they leave the area and any
attempt to return would be met with severity. Oliver passed along
some energy and Nova loosed a small Kinetic Stream, a beam of
electrical light that can cut steel like butter. It bunt a hole in
the ground. Without a master, the cubs knew they couldn’t do
that.

Use a master’s Psionic energy to discharge as
a weapon.

Before the twenty two felines parted, Nova in
a way warned he and the others would attack from time to time. How
well they coped would determine how soon they get their collars and
a master of their own.

Twelve Ligers watched as their young left and
disappeared into the trees, wishing them luck in their own way.

In the murky lake three large bodies churned
the lake bottom due to Oliver’s disturbance. Natural vision was
practically useless, but due to the excessive quantities of Psionic
energy always seeping from his eyes he could see electrical
energies by color, shape and intensity. It was clear he found his
prey over the gargantuan Piranha filling the waters of this world.
Ranging from ten to fifteen meters from wing to wing were Stingray,
closely resembling Earth’s manta ray, only bigger, meaner and had
teeth. Sharp, needlelike teeth. The three converged on Oliver who
feared them as much as a buzzing fly. His armor was stronger than
the razor edged fins and teeth. Deciding on a course of action he
waited, sword and dagger in hand for the first to arrive. The
flippers from his feet made it easy to flip and bring the sword
along, slicing off a wing effortlessly with the curved cutlass. His
great speeds wasn’t an aid in resistant water because after the
first kill, the next bit down on a leg. The beige dagger stabbed
straight into the spinal column at the base of the brain.
Paralyzing it.

The third was further away, but that gave it
time to build up speed. Oliver sheathed the dagger on his right leg
and used his free hand to brace the tip while delivering his bodily
energy in the edged weapon, adjusting as the Stingray’s fin edge
met his. Flesh stood no chance against a Star-saber being channeled
with power. It’s atom-sharp edge made for effortless cutting.

Three meals were captured by a blue energy
net that expanded from his hands before touching the muddy floor.
Legs pumped back and forth so the flippers made it easier to reach
the surface. Rising bubbles from his mask made it simple to
understand up from down. The hearty meals were drug to shore before
he cut a thick slab of fleshy purple meat and sat it off to the
side.

From there he extended his right arm and the
Valek latched onto all the large pieces and consumed them. The
intent was to save all that was nutritious. Soon all that remained
was a stinger and a little cartilage. Everything else was ground
together and compressed into two normal pellets no larger than a
hard lima bean and the third was the size of a grain of rice. He
swallowed one and knew with it he wouldn’t need to eat for about
three weeks. The steak would merely be for the act of enjoying a
meal. He put the pieces together in a pocket and ran back.

Along the way the Pride waited and as soon as
he was there they radiated pleasure to run fast and free with their
master. Rather than run straight back he took a detour through some
mountains, running around ninety kilometers per hour. The Ligers
could go around hundred seventy to eighty, but the act of being
with him eased the feeling of separation they all felt, especially
the nine females.

It took about an hour and a half for dawn to
officially arrive when Oliver ran fast and silent through the
forested world, scaring animal and Beast at times. They slowed down
to a casual walk, made it to the grassy edge of the unnatural
clearing, passing the erected barrier keeping Beasts out and began
walking down the steep slope. Shoots of grass were already
spouting, nature reclaiming the ground as it always does.

Taking it all in he noticed that by their
ships was a much larger blue star fighter twice as large as even
the pirate king’s private shuttle. It designed as a yacht over a
sailboat style. Great arms were folded, revealing folded silver.
Solar sails. It was massive and he hull was painted royal blue.
Large legs were made for landing gear, coming right out of the
curved hull that was sharp. Wings shot out from the deck supporting
four giant balls used for rotating cannons currently pointed
forward. Displayed on the side of the ship was the imperial seal.
Earth beneath crossed swords. Extending to the ground was a ramp
from the deck. Flying around were ten Drakes and riders and above
them were thirty imperial fighters.

Their own ships looked miniscule, Oliver
noticed, looking at the River Skipper. Movement around the Flare
and Sun Spots had him using the chip to zoom in vision. Admiring it
were soldiers, Hunters as well as the Emperor and Empress.

Mostly though they soon stood before Renee
and Jessica beside the Gravity Forge and a covered fighter yet to
be unveiled. Oliver decided to let Jessica have her shine in the
spotlight and explain her own idea brought to life. He didn’t try
to hide either. Likely it was a Drake or rider, but one of the
agents touched their ear and others turned to look in their
direction. Jessica wasn’t interrupted though.

“…
A miniature Neutron Star
you say?” Oliver eventually heard the Empress ask and she stared at
the large spherical contraption.

“
Yes, Ma’am. The original
prototype failed and proved Oliver’s estimation true. I scoffed at
the idea in private, but in a mere few moments of reading my
preliminary data he mentally knew it was a distinct possibility the
matter can self sustain. I’m glad he warned me and adjusted the
calculations… And here he is.” Jessica smiled, wearing another
lovely dress, standing in thick grass brought in so she didn’t
stand in mud.

“
Good morning,
Oliver.”

“
Morning.” He shook the
Emperor’s hand.

“
Olly, where are the cubs?”
Renee asked, wearing her armor because she carried Isabella cradled
at her back and underneath her long cape. “The Ligers are all… they
were sent away huh?”

“
We both knew it would
happen one of these days.” He said and unwrapped his cape to cut
the slab of meat in half and hand her one.

She sighed and ripped a chunk with her teeth.
The Empress blanched but the husband looked intrigued.

“
What what would happen?”
the Emperor wondered.

“
The cubs are trained till
their first successful hunt and then are sent to fend for
themselves. Nova and the others will attack them from time to time
to hone their skills and cooperation. Pain is also part of the
task. The leader needs to deal with pain to find someone worthy.
They are on their own. Oh, don’t try to capture them or get close.”
He warned when he noticed a look on his and the scientists faces.
“They’re feral right now. Nova isn’t overriding their primal
instincts. At their size and ability to resist Psionic energy
you’ll become food faster than you can blink. Don’t believe me,
watch the speed of an adult.” He made a signal and one of the males
roared, leapt over the group as well as the massive yacht and
powered his bulk all the way around the bowl of land to come to a
stop in the same place he vacated. “Any questions? No? Good.” He
chuckled at the shocked faces, seeing Liger speed for the first
time. “Jessica, please continue.”

“
Right.” She swallowed as
attention returned to her. Netul chuckled and shook his head,
standing against the River Skipper. “After the first prototype
failed catastrophically, my wife and I lobbed ideas back and forth
and we realized to ease the strain on the second, inner shell we
add a third and a fourth as a last line for safety. Oliver added
his most valuable input and created an advanced subspace safety
feature. So in event of another collapse of integrity it
automatically is sent through subspace for as long as it’ll hold on
its way to the center on the nearest galaxy.”

“
Where is the hyperdrive
engine?” a scientist asked.

“
This square box here holds
the engine aimed downward.” She supplied.

The scientist scoffed “What trickery is this.
A hyperdrive engine no larger than my suitcase is impossible.”

Jessica looked to Oliver who also ate beside
Renee and he helped out by saying “No need to supply dampeners
since no one is inside. But the thrust of the thruster is as
powerful as my Flare. And it too has a hyperdrive system you’re
welcome to look at. It’s six thousand percent more efficient than
anything you’ve seen. You can go back to Earth in the Milky Way in
about two weeks and use less Booster Oil and energy while you’re at
it.” Jaws hit the floor with few exception.

Jessica resumed the lecture on the Gravity
Forge’s principals and the sheathes made for Star-sabers. How color
must be in metal because painting on a frictionless surface won’t
work.

By the time he and Renee
finished eating breakfast and she took her pill that would feed for
weeks Jessica completed her introduction. Oliver glanced at the
covered object and said “Coleson, Jessica’s Gravity Forge
idea
may
have only
one use, to crush atoms to fuse together, but here is a military
application.” A tiny burst blew the cover off. He mentally folded
it and tucked it under an arm. “A standard Marine space fighter
with my personal hyperdrive system that makes it deep space. In
event of retreat, you can leave the fighters behind because they
can get home without being put in suspended animation.
Cryo.”

Displayed was a shiny silver jet with
standard issue cannons under wings. Four legs held it up as landing
gear, but the interconnecting plates gave it a wicked snakeskin
pattern. A clear sapphire cockpit lid glimmered as the morning
light twinkled off the sheen. The group converged, especially
military professionals with a keen eye for quality.

Renee added. “By the way,
Olly’s hyperdrive is the same as what he incorporated in that toy.
And it is a whole heap of a lot heavier than it looks. Materials to
make it could make thirty fighters. The gravimetric strips
must
work constantly or
it’ll sink quick in gravity. Found that out the hard way.” Oliver
and Netul laughed remembering the fiasco on entry when the ship in
question tore through the crate it was transported in.