Nascent Decay (The Goddess of Decay Book 1) (37 page)

Rhylie hugged Mersi in silence and gave the toddler a quick peck on the head before leaving. Vorcia had been right about one thing. He was precious and adorable, but she still wasn’t sure how she felt about having a child.

*

“Chamber, did you update the map of the known galaxy while we were there?” she asked once she was outside of the ship. It somehow seemed less weird communicate verbally with it.

Yes I did
.
Very up to date, in fact
.

“Good.”

The first place she visited was Mars. It was mostly abandoned now, but perhaps eventually it could be repopulated. A few holdouts still remained, refusing to leave the world they had been born on.

It didn’t matter, they were still a hunted race, even if they were largely forgotten for the time being. She spent a little bit of time in her parent’s vacant compartment. Some kids had broken into it, vandalizing it and breaking almost everything that had remained.
Fitting
, she thought.
A perfect metaphor for my life
. She visited the places she had always loved growing up, from her childhood, through her teens, but they were empty, and smaller. She didn’t stay on Mars long; she couldn’t stay long. The emptiness and memories wouldn’t let her. Vorcia had called her the most powerful being in the galaxy, yet she couldn’t fix the things that mattered most.

When she left Mars, she spent some time going by some of the remaining human outposts in the system. Most were either completely abandoned or populated by only a few that had dug in and steadfastly refused to leave. After the bustle of the rest of the galaxy, they were so vacant by comparison that they felt as though they were frozen in time, from an era long gone by. Eventually she left her home system to explore the galaxy and see what she could see, disappearing into the vastness of space.

At least she had the Chamber to keep her company.

Conflict is eternal; it builds us up into something greater than we really are, or it breaks us down, degrading us into useless fragments.

Conflict is omnipresent, lurking within the very fabric of space-time itself. It is the essence of existence, as well as the harbinger of life and death. It can be chaotic, but it can only be tamed with discipline. Without challenge, nothing would grow, or expand. Nothing would ever fail; but there would be no sweetness of victory as well.

There is never a true end to anything, only a series of endless beginnings that interlock, weaving into a web more intricate and organic and dynamic than any other. Such is true about the galaxy, as it is about life. A beginning begets an end, which leads to yet another beginning.

Sometimes words can take on a life of their own, and become a living, breathing being that is greater than whomever spoke them. Sometimes they continue to live longer than those that gave them birth. Sora’s words of warning continued to survive, long after her death in such a way.

The power vacuum that remained in the wake of the death of four of the Masters was nearly unprecedented in collective Galactic History, and the rush to fill the void left behind would spread conflict and violence far and wide, until there was nowhere in the galaxy that had not been tainted by it. Kraeke’s pleas for peace did little to stop the chaos as it spread.

The resistance groups, feeling emboldened, began to flourish, their ranks swelling until they could begin carving out territories of their own. War after war broke out across the reaches of the galaxy, and with all wars, the ones that suffered the most were the oppressed, those born without a voice. They were the first to be thrown into the conflicts as fodder.

Rhylie had disappeared after she left her home system, and no one could find her. Despite her promise to keep in contact, there were no more communications from her.

Mersi and Reskle continued to care for her son in her absence. Konii became an ambassador for peace, in an effort to stop the wars, and was never far from Kraeke’s side. Vorle had gone down a darker path, and once again took leadership of a violent militant faction of his own, staging attacks on those that would enslave and oppress the races of the galaxy.

Adam was eventually returned to his people on a planet within an uncharted system in Kraeke’s arm of the galaxy, where he tried to resume a normal life, to rebuild something that had been lost forever. Many humans joined the galactic resistance groups, especially Quasar, while others began starting over, trying to create a new home, and come to terms with what was behind them.

As we are all prone to do.

Index

Time

1 second – 1 Picocycle

1 minute – 60 Picocycles

20 minutes – 1.2 Nanocycles 1 Hour – 3.6 Nanocycles

1 Day – 90 Nanocycles

1 Week – 0.5 Microcycles or 604 Nanocycles 1 Month – 2.6 Microcycles

1 Year – 31 Microcycles

1 Decade – 315 Microcycles or 0.3Millicycles 1 Century – 3 Millicycles

1 Millennium – 3 Centicycles Races

Siirocian
: An ancient race that claims to be the oldest civilization in the galaxy. They have a much longer life span than most of the other races in the galaxy and are generally very patient and manipulative. Their culture is insular and secretive, stealing most of their technological advances from the other races, especially the Fetullians. Their home world of origin is arid and comprised of a wide variety of ecosystems with large expanses of oases dotting the otherwise desperate landscape. Ex: Vorcia, Drasce
Fetullian
: One of the races represented on the Galactic Council, their home world is in the Siirocian arm of the galaxy. Their culture is deep and varied, with a passion for art and science. They are often held back by the Siirocian, who are threatened by them. Their home world of origin is very gentle and lush, although small. Volcanic and seismic activity is rare, although some regions receive massive amounts of rainfall. Ex: Isaar, Noura
Siddish
: An aquatic race that also claims to be the oldest race in the galaxy, a point of prideful contention in their feud with the Siirocian, which is the oldest in the galaxy. They were the first two races to encounter each other over 30 Centicycles ago, in the vastness of space. Their home world of origin is comprised of violent, turbulent seas with massive storms that rage across the surface. The few strips of land are little more than large, volcanic islands. The Siddish are genderless. Ex: Kraeke
Daotian:
An amphibious race with a striking variety of sub-races. They are capable of regenerating appendages, and as such reject most forms of implants and technological upgrades. Biological modifications often have strange, unintended effects on Daotian races, due to their adaptive physical qualities. Although they are usually quite intelligent and curious, they are considered a primitive race for political reasons. They are one of the most commonly used races for testing and exist mostly as slaves. Their original home world has been ruined and turned into a toxic wasteland of corrosive sludge in the temperate regions. Ex: Mersi
Namih:
The Namih come from a twilight world, a planet in synchronous rotation around the star at the center of the system. They are often avoided by other races due to the uncanny and potentially unnerving qualities they possess. They only drink fresh blood or consume small living prey, but most have settled for synthetic substitutes in order to assimilate themselves with the rest of the galaxy. Ex: Reskle
Dophal:
One of the few sentient aquatic races to achieve interplanetary travel on their own. They have highly adaptive physical regenerative qualities, much like the Daotian, but cannot regenerate spinal injuries. Their homeworld is covered in gentle, shallow seas scattered with chains of delicate islands. The poles are constantly under a sheet of ice, and there are many deep rifts in the ocean. Ex: Konii
Acirum:
The most recent race appointed to the Master Council, they have progressed quickly through the galaxy’s political ranks by harvesting and exploiting any and all resources they can. They are generally brash and brazen, lacking sophistication and tact. They tend to flaunt a contrived nobility, and claim the moral high ground in all issues, although their popular culture is driven by fetishes for sexual violence. Ex: Riddai
T’ces’ni:
A hive mind culture of rigid rules and behavior, they harbor a false sense of pride in their willingness to follow others unquestioningly. They are dedicated, untiring workers capable of the most magnificent feats of construction in the galaxy, as long as they are told what to build and given precise blueprints. They have the largest known army in the galaxy, and are unmatched in their coordination and communication in space or ground combat. With a non T’ces’ni leader, they could potentially conquer the entire galaxy. Ex: Potaan
Irinese:
A prolific race that can withstand a wide array of extreme conditions and mortal injuries that would kill any other race. They have exploited this by harvesting resources without consideration for the effects on their environments. They can survive toxic conditions, extreme heat and cold, extreme radiation, diseases, and will shut down when they are on the verge of starvation and dehydration. They can survive extreme pressure and even the vacuum of space. Ex: Sothu
Bhagolian:
One of the first races to be enslaved in the galaxy, and the only surviving slave race from the early history of intra-galactic communication. Their home world is long forgotten, probably destroyed or corrupted beyond supporting life. They survived where other enslaved races went extinct by embracing and adapting to slavery. Their cultural identity now revolves around submission and acquiescence. Often used for high profile positions, serving the wealthy and powerful due to their meek nature, exceptional wisdom and intelligence. Ex: Sora
Rodassian:
An ancient race that has been passed over many times for consideration for the Master Council due to political reasons. They are one of the few sentient races capable of flight in denser atmospheres, which requires tremendous upper body strength. Those that have lost the ability to fly due to physical degradation are usually shunned or looked down upon. Although they have somewhat of a variety of cultures and sub-races within their race, they are still very much predators, logical and emotionless. Ex: Vorle
Druukyn:
An enslaved race that is among the most durable in the galaxy. Along with Irinese, they are prime examples of sentient extremophiles. They are generally strong, tireless and obedient when kept happy. They can survive and even thrive in extreme cold and extreme heat with little or no protection. Once you have earned their trust and respect, they are utterly loyal. Ex: Rahve

Other work by this Author:

Promises of Eden
:

A morality tale set in the not too distant future, after earth has been conquered and enslaved. Humans and other alien races are being used to deconstruct the earth for resources by the invaders.
How far would you go for the promise of Eden?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U5UBIBK

The Nightmare Virus – Desperation
:
Twilight settles in on humanity as the last vestiges of hope fade on the horizon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V1ECIJU

Blood in the Water
:

The depths are dark and treacherous for even the deadliest of predators, and what may appear to be prey may
just be an even deadlier ruse. A dark political thriller set in a feudalistic underwater kingdom. It is not a question of if, but when the madness will consume you.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U36BREY

Transcendence
:

A twisted tragedy wherein the predator becomes the prey, set in ancient Mesopotamia.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V09A8Z2

The Nightmare Virus – Slow Burn
:

At the end of the day when Hell’s been paid and the Devil is given His due, the pain washes away as the bruises fade from black into blue.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z9NMTRK

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