Eye of Ra (20 page)

 “You mapped Horus and Sekmet’s DNA coding as they were being unlocked,” Laurence formulated. “That’s how you knew how to program the virus to unlock my triggers, correct?”

“Affirmative,” confirmed the familiar. “A vast amount of dormant genetic coding within humans serves the same function. At least ten percent of dormant coding differences from individual to individual grants unique abilities to each human
.
Your species is one of eight percent within the universe that has this unique coding, and one of three percent that possess it on such a large scale.”

“Why didn’t you unlock all of my coding?” Laurence flatly asked. “Were you afraid I would turn out like them?”

“I do not comprehend the concept of fear,” the familiar bluntly retorted. “My primary order is to protect and preserve the life of the Earth-born descendant of Amun-Ra, which is currently you. Unlocking your coding was the logical course of action to repair the damage your body had been through. There was no reason to unlock coding that did not apply to that process.”

Laurence nodded respecting its response.

“So what happened next?”

“Before he expired,” the familiar continued, “Based on the disastrous outcome of their experiment, Set expressed his desire that Amun-Ra recommend the extermination of the human race in their final report.”

“Whoa, hold up,” Laurence shook his head. “Extermination? Why?”

“Osiris and Set originally formulated through their own independent studies that humans were an emotionally driven race obsessed with power and mass consumption,” continued the familiar. “The Gene Soaking experiment proved that even at an evolved state, these mental defects would not only remain present but become heightened. The experiment also revealed the near limitless potential of the human race if allowed to evolve.

In a time frame of twenty-eight days, two humans evolved to a state where they were able to fight on par with three Heads of Houses with advanced armor and weaponry for that time and devastate large portions of the planet. In the middle of combat, Horus manifested an ability that only three known races in the universe possess and took nearly three thousand years of evolution to obtain; which he used to mortally wound both Osiris and Set.

Set concluded that this combination would make humans one of the greatest potential threats to both the universe and other planets with sentient life.”

Laurence, seeing all he needed to see, removed his helm.

“So what would have happened next?” he asked. “If Amun-Ra had filed the report.”

“If Amun-Ra had filed the report as commanded, it would have been sent to the Dominion Council. In such cases, a mandatory emergency grand hearing takes place. Dominion Council members representing their respective planets make arguments based on the report either for or against the extermination of your species. Hearings end after the final arguments are presented. Council then adjourns for the length of a human week for members to process the arguments heard and to conclude whether to change or keep their position.”

“Let me guess,” Laurence swallowed while pacing. “They come back to vote right? Tell me it has to be a unanimous vote.”

“Actually a vote for planetary extermination of a species only needs ninety percent in favor,” stated the familiar.

“Holy shit,” he shook his head. “So what happens in the scenario of a ninety percent vote in favor?”

“The extermination process varies depending on the species because of physiology,” it responded. “However it is done as quickly and humanely as possible. For humans, a high frequency sound audible to your race and some animals would have been emitted across the entire planet causing a form of brain aneurysm. Death would be instantaneous to anything that heard it.” 

  “So you mean to tell me, the entire human race had to get wiped out,” a livid Laurence began using sarcastic hand gestures. “Because your stinkin science project ran amok? You know how f’d up that sounds? So what was yawl gonna do, beam down, and wipe us out with your death metal sound shit?”

“Actually, the current facility under your possession is equipped to carry out such an extermination protocol,” it answered back. 

Laurence’s lower jaw literally hung after hearing the familiar’s response.

“Wait …stop …back that up,” his skull rattled as if he had been physically punched in the face. “You saying that I own a weapon that can wipe out every living person on the entire goddamn planet?”

“That is correct, along with some animals.”

All Laurence could do at that moment was wag a finger.

“I swear to God,” he finally found his words. “If I survive this shit, we gonna have a full disclosure on everything! Everything! Is that clear?”

“As you command,” it obeyed.

“So based on what you just said, that would mean Amun-Ra would have been the axe man if he had filed the report and the Dominion Council voted in favor of extermination,” Laurence formulated. “But he didn’t agree with Set’s conclusion. So what happened next?”

“Amun-Ra doctored the original report, officially classifying the Earth as a Quarantine Planet,” answered the familiar. “In his report, he stated that he, Osiris, and Set were exposed to an airborne pathogen within the Earth’s atmosphere, and that it was the cause of death for both Osiris and Set. Following protocol in such situations, he proceeded with proper burial rites on Earth and would remain on the planet to prevent the spread of possible infection. Based on his report, no further expeditions would be arranged, and any additional observation would be maintained by scheduled orbital satellite patrols.”

 “Scheduled orbital satellite patrols?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Some of the icy Solar System bodies that you perceive as comets are actually unmanned drones. They periodically collect readings and transmit back reports within the quadrants they were programmed to observe.”

Laurence shook his head, no longer shocked at what he was being told by the familiar.

“What was the ‘airborne pathogen’ that he said they contracted?” Laurence finally asked.

“There was no name for it back then,” answered the familiar. “But today modern medicine on your planet has named it conjunctivitis.”

Laurence let out a nervous laugh as he remembered the meaning of the word.

“Pink eye,” he said it out loud in disbelief. “He said they contracted …pink eye.”

“Correct,” it confirmed.

“And they bought that?”

“Amun-Ra was a highly respected scientist in his field,” it stated. “Very few would ever refute his research, and after the Zetnati outbreak which almost wiped out the entire …”

“Let me guess, more protocols for getting contaminated,” he sighed wishing to press on. “So he banked on fear to cover up his tracks. What was his reason for lying?”

“As you crudely stated earlier,” continued the familiar. “Amun-Ra believed the failed results of Horus and Sekhmet were not a justifiable argument for the extermination of human life. He believed that with the centuries that it would take for humans to reach their maximum evolutionary potential, they would mature both mentally and emotionally, shedding their primitive way of thinking.”

“I guess he was wrong,” Laurence snorted lowering his head.

In that instant his eyes widened as a thought popped into his brain, realizing that the whole story was not being told.

“Familiar, how many children did Amun-Ra have?” Laurence asked.

“Two full bred females from his original mate on Anu and six half-bred offspring from his mate on Earth,” answered the familiar. “Four males and two females.

“All six kids on Earth were from the same wife, right?”

“Affirmative.” It answered.

“Was his first child born before or after this incident?” he asked now pacing.

“His first born sons were conceived seven months later,” the mechanized serpent informed him.

“Sons?”

“Correct. His human mate was carrying two male twins,” it clarified.

“Did Osiris or Set know about this relationship?” he turned to it.

 “Neither Osiris or Set possessed any knowledge that Amun-Ra was copulating with a human, or that she had been impregnated by him. Copulation with a species under observation is a direct violation of the research laws set by the Dominion Council. If Amun-Ra’s violation was discovered he would have been tried and punished, and his human mate terminated.”

“That’s cold,” he shook his head.

“Are you referencing the literal temperature or the urban slang?” The familiar asked.

“Urban slang.” He responded pacing again.

“Noted.”

“Wait a minute!” Laurence spun on his heel turning to his familiar again. “Annunakis have a mad long life span. How did he pull off a life-threatening illness? Did he really get sick or something?”

“After his final transmission, Amun-Ra cut off all communication with Anu,” answered the familiar. “He then took viral injections to alter his DNA to resemble that of a normal human male of that era. Due to his genetic code being altered, he could no longer don his armor. Afterwards, he gave the ship instruction to descend into the ocean to its current location. I then masked his vitals from the home world until his death. He lived an additional sixty-two years and expired at the age of one thousand and forty-six. His human wife and existing children gave him a regular human entombment in Egypt.”

“Here’s a dumb question,” Laurence folded his arms. “If Amun-Ra had kids, how come you weren’t passed down to one of them? How come they never inherited the ship or this armor?”

“Although Amun-Ra nurtured his offspring and attempted to bestow proper knowledge and instruction upon them,” divulged the familiar. “Amun-Ra’s human mate violated his wishes and divulged to his offspring false accounts of his origin.”

“What false accounts?”

“The offspring were falsely informed that Amun-Ra was an actual Sun deity who shed his godhood to become human to be with her.”

Laurence wanted to burst out laughing at that point, but maintained his seriousness. 

“This inaccurate data triggered the same unstable traits and characteristics within his children that Horus and Sekhmet displayed. Amun-Ra came to the conclusion that this was apparently common in an era where the strong ruled aggressively over the weak without conscience,” it continued. “These traits began to grow as the children aged, especially amongst the males as they believed that one of them would inherit his godhood and rule the planet.”

“So why didn’t he just tell them the truth?” he shrugged.

“Amun-Ra felt he had violated enough protocols when it came to humans. The human race had to progress on its own without further interference, that also included his children. The only recourse was to wait until generations had passed in order for the trait to be weaned from his bloodline. Near his end days, he instructed me to create algorithms to detect these negative traits within his line. In instances where I detected such traits I remained dormant and only became active to protect his line in secrecy.”

“So you’ve been like that, passing from hand to hand for thousands of years, until you came into contact with me?” He furrowed his brows.

“Correct, you possessed the traits Amun-Ra deemed worthy for me to become your familiar, allowing you access onto the transport, and his armor.”

It took Laurence back a bit, as he remembered who he had been before coming into contact with the familiar.

“So what gives this Dominion Council the right to decide which race lives or dies based on their evolution?” an irritated Laurence asked.

“The decision to observe the evolutionary progression of a race to determine its threat level to the known universe was based on the outcome of the Razcargian Conflict,” answered the familiar.

“Razcarwhat?”

The familiar’s eyes lit up as it projected a holographic image of a slender and extremely toned humanoid figure. The first thing Laurence noticed were the sizable ram horns protruding from both sides of its skull, underneath the large matted blood-red lion’s mane of hair it wore. Its yellow eyes had a feline aspect, and its nose appeared as if it belonged to a sewer rat. Its brown and reddish skin looked like smooth leather. Four small sharp metallic spikes hung in a row from its chin, and it wore a skintight green bodysuit with attached split toe booties covered in a chaotic grayish black webbing pattern.

“Razcargians of Razcar, once located in quadrant 09456,” it introduced. “A war-driven race bent on conquest. Aside from their military advancements, both males and females possessed natural physical traits that surpassed almost every form of sentient life.”

“Like what?”

“A mature Razcargian male was capable of lifting more than a hundred thousand tons, was able to regenerate within three Earth minutes, and could withstand the harsh atmosphere of space for one Earth day,” the familiar said. “A triad of Razcargians, which is a platoon by human standards, could enact genocide on a single planet in half an Earth day. During their campaigns, they were able to subjugate at least twenty planets and exterminate sentient life from seven.”

“Damn,” was all Laurence could utter as he shook his head.

“As word continued to spread of the horrors of the Razcargian campaign,” continued the familiar. “Several hundred planets including Anu made the decision to join forces and wage an offensive beginning what would be known later as the ‘Razcargian Conflict’. The conflict waged on for approximately one and a half Earth decades with a total loss of life estimated to be one point five billion. Amun-Ra’s father was one of the casualties of the conflict.”