Warpath (Rise of the Empire Book 4) (17 page)

The alien head was triangular, wider on top and narrower at the bottom, with a beak like mouth that had teeth. Their eyes were sunken in their skulls, similarly to humans or Nel. Their fingers ended in talons. They looked menacing and powerful. Which was actually misleading as they were weaker than an average human or Nel. The alien bones were semi-hollow, probably remnants from a time when they could fly. Their muscles nowhere near as strong as human’s, the result of a lower gravity home world. Outside of their armored suits they were no threat.

Nicolet stared at the alien that was silently studying her. The individual across from her was male, and the highest ranking survivor of the invading fleet. Nicolet’s job was to get as much information she could from him. They had already hacked their computers and learned much from their databases. The race called itself Furvor. There wasn’t really anything that they needed from the prisoners, they already knew the location of their home world and their colony. Just as they knew that they had planned on wiping out the Trivaxian’s and taking their planet. The things Nicolet needed from him were of another nature. She needed to get a feel for the alien’s temperament, their customs and beliefs. The Emperor had already decided on what they will do with them, but the more they learned about them the easier their job will be.

“Tell me Wing Leader, why did you attack the Trivaxian’s without a cause?” Nicolet said in standard and the translator built into the table translated the words into the alien’s language. The bird like alien listened, cocked his head and responded.

“They were in the way.” Wing Leader responded.

“In the way of what?”

“Their planet is suitable for my people, we wanted it for ourselves.”

“But it was already occupied. Couldn’t you have gone around them? Or engaged in peaceful trade with Trivax?”

“What is trade?” The alien said, or tried. Butchering the unfamiliar word.

“Trade, it means giving something in return for something else that you need.”

“Why would we do that? They were weaker than us, and we needed another world. Our worlds had become overpopulated, a new world was necessary.”

Nicolet sighed. “You don’t see anything wrong with what you did, do you?”

“We had a need and means to get what we need. Why shouldn’t we take what we want?”

“Because it isn’t right. You say that you are stronger than Trivaxians, but what about us? You are weaker than the Empire, should we come and take you worlds simply because we can?”

The alien listened to the translation and then remained silent, thinking. “It is within your power. Will you?” He asked hesitantly.

Nicolet shook her head in a gesture that was wasted on the alien. “No. Because it isn’t right, we don’t go around killing people when they pose no threat to us. But you are dangerous, and can’t be allowed to run free across the galaxy.”

“So you will kill us?”

“No, but we will take away your ability to harm anyone else.” Nicolet said, then she stood and left the interrogation room. There was nothing else that she needed to know.

Chapter Fifteen

April; Year 31 – Warpath

Adrian rolled to the side as another spike slammed down at the place his head was a moment ago. He twisted and managed to come to his feet, only to be swiped away by a clawed arm, resembling that of a scorpion. At the last moment Adrian managed to put his hands in front of himself and block some of the attack’s force, which was considerable. He flew back, and then hit the floor hard with his back, losing his breath.

He heard a series of steps, hitting the floor far too close to each other for any human, just as he felt the vibrations from the floor. He turned his head to see a large arthropod like creature bearing down at him. He waited until it was close enough to touch and then he moved. He rolled below the arm that was coming down at him, and then got into a kneeling position. The Arthropod tried to move back, but Adrian swiped two out of its four legs from the outside to the inside. The Arthropod lost balance and fell on its side. Adrian moved quickly behind it and grabbed the big triangular plate on the top of its head.

As soon as he did that the Arthropod froze, and then a breath later, a series of clicks and lisping sounds came out of the Arthropod’s mouth. As soon as the sounds stopped, Adrian let out a big laugh.

“I believe that it is the other way around, four wins for me and three for you.” He said and released the Arthropod. The Guxcacul rose to his feet, his triangular head now standing about half a meter above Adrian’s own. The Guxcacul had fourteen limbs, seven on each side. Eight of the limbs for moving around, and six as arms.

The lowest set of arms was the smallest, branch like arms that were flesh over bone like human arms, and these were the arms that had finger like appendages with two equivalents of human thumbs on each hand along with three additional fingers that they used for handling delicate work. The middle set was long spikes with two joints, the tips of the spikes were hollow and inside were three slim tentacle like fingers that could also aid in delicate tasks.

The top set looked very similar to the claws of Earth scorpions, only maybe a bit smaller and better proportioned to the Guxcacul’s bodies. The adult Guxcacul males were all about the same size, they didn’t have as much variations as humans and Nel had. Their legs kept the back part of their body about a meter off the ground, and their front part added another meter in height. The front part, the torso with their arm limbs was upright and with the head about a meter and thirty centimeters long, while their back was parallel to the ground and about the same length. From the end to the top of their head the Guxcacul were about three meters long, with their torso upright they were about half that.

They weren’t that much bigger than a human, but they weighed about twice as much as one. Most of their weight came from the hard plates that protected their weaker flesh. The head was made out of the triangular shaped plate on top of the flesh head, with two eyes that peaked out of the head shell, and a mouth with two short mandibles.

Guxcacul started moving towards the exit of the small sparring room while again speaking in a series of clicks and lisps.

“Come now Riss, don’t be a sore loser. You could have had me if you had just watched your legs, I keep telling you that is your weak point.” Adrian answered. He had long ago learned Guxcacul language, and the Guxcacul that Adrian called Riss (his real name is unpronounceable by human or Nel) had long ago learned standard. The two communicated with each other while each spoke in their native tongue.

“
You alone have reflexes fast enough to take advantage of that weakness, I can spar with none of the others, lest I seriously injure them.
” Riss said in his language.

“True. But a true warrior seeks to improve himself regardless of the need for it.” Adrian retorted. Riss released sound that was the Guxcacul equivalent of exasperation.

“You might face an opponent in the future that will be able to take advantage of your weakness. You need to work on it.” Adrian added, as Riss came to their lockers he took out a translator device and attached it to his chest plate. He used it to communicate with most everyone other than Adrian and a select few. The translator was connected to Riss’s implant, and it translated the words the moment he spoke them with no delay. It took Empire a couple of years to design implants for the Guxcacul, for Nel it was much easier as they were very similar to humans. And as the Mtural survivors refused the offer of implants, they had a lot more time to focus on Guxcacul.

Riss was the only Guxcacul that had joined Warpath. He was unique among his own kind, as Guxcacul generally didn’t value the individual as much as humans and Nel, and they weren’t really warriors in the sense that was familiar to humans. But when he asked, Adrian accepted. Since then Riss had become one of the best warriors of Warpath, if albeit a bit strange.

“I know that you are right,” Riss said and his translator spoke the words in standard. “But there is too much to do, and too little time. I am pressed to familiarize myself with the Titan, and I am also overseeing the finishing touches.” He said.

Adrian sighed, he sometimes forgot that he was the only one with the advantage of mind space. He knew that Riss was busy with his ship. Riss was also one of the commanders of the ten ships that were now almost finished.

“Yeah, I know. The Titan needs to be your priority, but afterwards I want you to focus on your craft a bit more.”

“Yes Clan Leader.” Riss said, and only the fact that Adrian knew him very well allowed him to know that the tone was mocking.

“Yes, you will follow orders. Unless you want me to keep reminding you about your weakness for all eternity.” Adrian said grinning. Riss too had gone through the immortality gene therapy and would not age. With the Empire’s genetic knowledge it was only a matter of identifying the right markers and altering them slightly to remove cellular degradation. And it was also much easier to achieve in Guxcacul, as they were already long lived, with an average life span being three thousand years. Riss was also the only Guxcacul that went through the therapy. The other Guxcacul survivors had refused, just like the Mtural did. Adrian’s wolion companions, Sora and Akash also went through the therapy, and will live as long as Adrian did.

As soon as the two walked out of the sparring room, Riss turned his triangular head to Adrian. “I must leave you now Adrian, I need to check the progress on Titan’s propulsion systems.”

“Of course Riss, I’ll see you later.” Adrian said. He too had responsibilities. Adrian headed towards his quarters for a quick shower, and then went to the Forge.

***

Adrian entered the research center, immediately seeing Isani, head researcher Grace and Alexander – his old friend from the academy back on Earth, now Alexander was one of the most prominent doctors in Warpath. The three were engaged in a serious talk, but as soon as they saw Adrian they stopped and turned to him. Isani approached him first.

“I think that perhaps we should delay this test, at least until we manage to reduce the information load.”

“The projections say that my mind should be able to handle it. Right Grace?” Adrian retorted.

“Technically, yes. But this load would be enough to render any other person unconscious. The only reason you can, is because of the abilities that we can’t even begin to understand.” Grace answered.

“Not understanding them doesn’t mean that I can’t use them.” Adrian said.

“Adrian, we can’t predict what this will do to you.” Alexander started speaking, “It could very well be that everything goes over fine, but we just can’t be sure. The input is too much right now, we need to either lower it or find a way to make it easier for the brain to interpret.”

“If we lower the information input the Watchtower interface becomes useless, we might as well keep using the command boards. No, we need this, you know why we need it, and for now I am the only one who can use it.” Adrian said.

Isani shook his head and his tail swung from one side to the other in agitation. “You will kill yourself one day if you keep pushing yourself blindly.”

“They could be right Adrian.”
Iris chimed in his head.
“We don’t know what this can do to you.”

“I will not let fear keep me from moving forward Iris. This is dangerous, yes. But no great leap is without risk.”
Adrian said to Iris, then looked at his friend. “Ah, that is where you are wrong my friend. It is the only way I know of growing beyond my limits, I push so that others have a way to follow behind me. This is no different.” Adrian said.

“They might not be able to stop you from doing this Adrian, but I can.” Alexander said slowly, Adrian turned to him to respond but Alex raised his hand to forestall him. “I will not, I just want to know you that I can. I am your doctor, and you need to respect the boundaries I set for you. You can try the Watchtower, but I will be monitoring your stats, if at any point I think that your life is in danger I will pull you out. Understood?”

Adrian watched his friend coolly, and then after a tense few moment raised his hand and flipped his palm from side to side agreeing.

“Good.” Alexander said. They moved towards the room where the interface itself was. They entered the room over-looking the interface first. The room was filled with people, measuring equipment and computers. Through a glass window Adrian could see the interface down in the adjacent room. Only a simple chair, the rest of the interface was in the walls and below the floor.

“What have you prepared?” Adrian asked, while his hand strayed to the back of his neck and the relatively fresh access point implanted there.

“A Fictional scenario. You will be commanding a fleet of ten ships against fifty in an inhabited system.” Grace answered.

“Alright. Let’s start.” Adrian said and moved through the doorway to the room below. He reached the chair and sat down. The chair restraints moved over Adrian and secured him to it, first his body, then his head. He then felt a prick at the back of his neck, at the access point for the Watchtower. The access point was a direct connection to Adrian’s brain and his implant, on its own it did nothing, but coupled with something like Watchtower it had great potential.

Adrian felt it when the chair’s connector secured the connection with his access point. It felt like a bite from a small insect.

“
Are you ready Adrian?
”
Grace asked over the speakers.

“Yes.” Adrian answered.

“I hope that we come out of this whole…”
Iris said worryingly.

“Aren’t you the one that always wants to try new things?”
Adrian asked.

“Establishing the link!”
A voice said over the speakers.

“I like trying new things but not when-”
Whatever Iris was about to say was lost, as Adrian felt something switch in his brain, he felt the link between the Watchtower and his brain initiate. And in the next moment he screamed.