Spacer Clans Adventure 3: Naero's Fury (30 page)

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They made it to the rendezvous point, and Naero cross
ed over to
The Shadow Fox.
Both of their ships remained docked together and cloaked.

Naero used the special sensors of her
spyfixers to locate the vessel and place both of her hands on the hull.

Weird. With her teknomancer abilities she could sense the living ship
’s energies, and even Jia’s superior intellect, just a part of this amazing craft.

She linked with Jia again.

“I’m here, Jia. How do we do this? Through our teknomancing, or our mindlink?”

“
I’m afraid it’s a little more complex than that, Naero. I will need to split my soul off from the ship, and join it with you directly. You must take my soul inside of your existence, and provide it both a safe place, and access to your bodily functions.”

“
I have to swallow or ingest your soul somehow?”

“
You do not actually devour or consume such. Absorbing it and keeping it whole and intact within you is perhaps a better description. I will become part of you for a brief time.”

“
Sounds like a fun ride. And once you have access to a physical body, you think you can locate Baeven?”

“
Yes. If he is here, my abilities will locate him.”

“How can you be so sure
?”

“Because
, Baeven is a part of me, and I am a part of him. The two of us became as one, a long time ago.”

Naero really needed to hear that story too.

Again, who and what was Jia?

“
Then let’s do this,” Naero said. “Tell me what to do.”

Now
I’m questioning whether this is a good idea or not, Naero. We do not fully know this entity called Jia, or her motives. Is it wise to give her access to our minds, our current form, our abilities, and the KDM?

I
’m sure you’ll be able to keep our secrets safe from her, Om. Right now, it is vital that we do this, to locate Baeven.

Very well. I will
protect our secrets and monitor the situation very carefully.

You do that, Om.
I know you will.

“
I am ready,” Jia said.

A medbed emerged from the floor of
The Shadow Fox’s
open landing bay. Naero climbed up and laid down on it.

She gasped somewhat,
as the neural sensors and connections writhed like a nest of snakes over her face and head, zapping her slightly at times with impulse tests to neural net links and connections as they formed.

“
Hey, that stings,” she finally complained.

Our minds are being linked with and accessed. Is this an attack?

Wait, Om. Don’t do anything.

“
My apologies for any discomfort,” Jia said, “but the links must be made quickly and precisely. The transfer from machine mode back to a bio-mechanical mode is much more difficult than a simple transfer from one bioform to another.”

Now Naero was curious.
The process was easier with bioforms…in what way?

“
So,” Naero observed, studying and recording the dizzying array of techniques at work with both her teknomancy and biomancy skills. “Transferring or absorbing a soul essence from another bioform would be a lot simpler?”

“
Indeed. Going back the other way, from bioform to machine mode is also much more difficult. The interface the essence must travel through is twice as complex, between two completely different modes. Yet any such transfer becomes much easier after the initial process.”

“Yeah, I
get that. The first time for anything can often be a pain. This is all extremely fascinating, Jia.”

“
Links established. I will begin the transfer. As I warned you, there will be surges of pain as I transfer my essence within you. Focus on making a safe place for me within your mind. Inform the Kexxian neural defense entity within you–the one calling himself Om–that I am joining you as a guest, not as an attacking invader. I am very curious to meet with him on this level, and discuss many matters–including the KDM.”

“
I’m sure he feels the same way about you, Jia. It should be a very interesting meeting of the minds.”

“
Try to relax, Naero. I’m restraining you somewhat as the transfer begins, keeping your motor functions in stasis. You must remain still.”

Naero
’s eyes went wide and her mouth gasped in breathless torment, as the first rush of pain rippled through her.

Haisha! Someone was pulverizing her bones.

“Hold still. I feel it through you as well. Transfer nearly complete. Almost there.”

Naero ground her teeth and swallowed a
nother scream. She was sweating hard by now.

Now it
was like plasma borers shooting up through her body and out her head.

Then
the pain of the transfer suddenly ceased.

Naero blinked, sweating and trembling on the medbed as it sank back into the landing bay floor.

She staggered back up to her feet.

Naero looked around her.

“Jia,” she called out?

I
’m here Naero. Transfer complete. I’m in your mind, my essence is part of you for now. Thank you for trusting me.

Om called out to her the next instant.

Welcome Jia. Amazing. You are…a Driathan, in fact. I see it clearly now. Accessing all Kexxian data on Driathans, and their creators, the Drians. Now I know that we shall have much to discuss, you and I.

Agreed
, Om. I cannot hide my nature in this form any more than you can being Kexxian. Both of our creators were once mighty allies, and did great things together. May we do so as well. Yet, they were also mysteries to each other, just as we remain.

Naero spoke to them both directly through their internal link, sitting cross-legged on the loading bay,
closing her eyes to concentrate and keep their intellects separate.

So, absorbing a soul from another physical lifeform is much easier than this
was Jia? I sure hope so. That was supposed to be a little pain?

I’m sorry, Naero. You can never say how it will be on the first
attempt. The soul and mind are astral and physical reflections of each other, two halves of the same coin as humans used to say. Together they form our basic essence. What makes us who and what we are.

What is a
coin again?

Naero laughed.
Om, a coin was a physical form of money used in ancient times. Much like we use digital credits now for trade. Small disks of various semi-precious metals, often stamped with images or words on either side. Hence the expression Jia used–two sides of the same coin.

From her place within their mind, they experienced Jia
’s presence as a warm glowing light within them–a bright star.

For several long minutes they discussed the ramifications of
minds and souls. How to absorb, protect, and control them, once merged with them.

But Jia also warned them.

There have been and most likely will always be beings who are able to mount mind and soul attacks on other entities. Such attacks are both psyonic and astral in nature, allowing the attacker to take over the mind and soul of another and inflict their will over the other entity–even to the point of controlling their physical body, or even damaging or destroying a person’s own essence in the process.

Naero
shared her contest with Danner, how he had been able to take over Janner, and even switch minds and souls with him somehow.

In their ancient war with the G
’lothc, both the Kexx and the Drians learned all too well how the great enemy were both shape-shifters, and soul killers. The G’lothc used such abilities and attacks with ruthless impunity, to inflict great damage.

Om added quickly,
Yes, and those were among many reasons that their foul kind were all hunted down and eradicated.

Naero thought of Danner again. What would or could she do if he took over Janner again, or even herself?

I’m curious. The Spacer Mystics taught us how to shield our minds, but how would you defend against such a direct attack? What if another entity did force itself into your mind and try to take control?

Jia answered.
Usually a strong mindshield is sufficient, Naero. Always remember that within your own mind, your will is supreme. You can do anything. If you discipline your mind and force of will enough, no outside power–no matter how strong–can force you to do anything against your will. The trick is not to let fear defeat you. Fear and strong emotions weaken your force of will and your ability to resist, or even control yourself. Try it with me. I will lift your right hand up.

Jia
did so. Naero’s hand rose up, but Naero did not do it.

That
felt…weird, Jia. I couldn’t stop you.

You were not prepared to
or actively trying stop me. You were unfocused. Now, concentrate. I will try to lift the same arm again. Don’t allow me to do so, this time.

Naero felt the intense pressure between them.
Yet this time, she easily shielded herself from Jia’s thoughts, and incredible force of will.

Her hand did not even twitch.

See? I can do nothing if you do not allow me the freedom to do so. And if another entity tries to attack or invade your mind, you could use your own force of will to punish and even harm them.

Look out, Danner. Knowing that made her feel a little better now.

Naero had another insight. Could this work to help her control her Dark Beast? Or would it not, because the creepy thing was in fact, a part of her already? How could you defend yourself against yourself?

Did that even make any sense?

Both Naero and Jia could sense Om’s burning curiosity.

Yet
how was this possible, Jia. My access files from the KDM state that the G’lothc could not only tear souls out of others, but also feed on soul energies–even devour and destroy them.

Jia sighed very deeply.
That is true, the G’lothc wielded a very great and terrible power over those whose minds they conquered and overcame–but they did so first through fear or strong emotion. It is an inherently evil thing to destroy and nourish oneself on the souls and essences of others. Doing so stains, taints, and poisons the devourer, and twists their own existence for all time. Another reason, among many, why the voracious and opportunistic G’lothc had to be eliminated. Yet in the end, the cost of winning such a horrific war led both the Kexx and the Drians to question greatly, how much they themselves had been tainted and corrupted by the extent of such a long, terrible conflict.

Naero put in.
I know only a little about the Kexx, and I have only heard mention of their allies, the Drians. The Drians created the Driathans, did they not? And you are a Driathan, Jia. What, then, are the Drians to you? Something akin to gods?

For a moment Jia let her
own guard down, just for an instant.

In
that bright flash of insight, Naero and Om sensed the overwhelming grief, loss, and despair that all Driathans endured–even millions of years later–at their sundering from their beloved creators.

My kind can barely speak of what the Drians meant to us
, Naero. To us–their beloved children–they were indeed part gods, part beloved parents, part guides and mentors. We adored them, for they would not let us worship them, nor would they let the destruction of their great war touch us. They did their best to protect us–for one of the things the G’lothc desired above all else, was to take us over and control us. It was said that our fate was at the heart of the war–the very cause of it. And like any parent, the Drians fought with all their might and wisdom to protect their beloved children from being subjugated, tormented, and enslaved by such hideous and foul beings as the G’lothc–who corrupted and destroyed all that they touched.

Yet in the end, we all paid a great price for that conflict as well–even in victory.

With Jia’s soul inside her, Naero was moved to great sadness, and felt herself weeping. Just the memory of such loss was an intense burden, and Jia and her people had felt the full force of such grief for a very long time.

At the Great Sundering–
when the Drians said farewell and left us to stand upon our own–our sorrow at losing the shining light of their love and wisdom was nearly more than we could bear. All of this universe still mourns the loss of their light and knowledge, and their immense beauty and wisdom. The Driathans remain a pale reflection of the Drians, made in their radiant image, to leave some fragment of them behind as a gift to all of Creation. We are but pale shadows of their inspiring awe and wonder.