Void's Psionics (52 page)

They stopped shaking hands. “For me
especially. How was it in Sector 336 this past year?”

The smile faded. “Not as good as I had hoped.
We’ve been experiencing problems on that front in the past six
months. I had just some to gather some new recruits after one of
our orbital platforms were crippled minutes before the Keptl
arrived in force. I was among only nine ships able to get away
before they swarmed it and made us lose that whole system. Luckily
I got word an armada was made and sent two months ago and we were
able to take it back…” He paused, expression pensive.

“
How many.” Oliver asked,
laying a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“
Thirty thousand plus
civilians, five thousand Marines and a thousand veteran Hunters
under my command. Only sixty three brothers and sisters made it out
after the retreat was called.”

“
Sabotage?”

Elder Scimitar barely gave a nod. “I heartily
believe it so. It was no coincidence the Keptl suddenly show up
with our pants around our ankles. But no one knows how the barrier
fell. The battle still rages, but the loss of life was great to
reclaim that foothold for resources.”

“
I forgot what is mined
there. Graphite right?”

“
Chromium and Alkaline
actually. Chromium to make metal
shiny
” Scimitar rolled his eyes as his
armor was showing very little silver and as proof he didn’t care
about frivolous things. “and Alkaline for Psionic energy storage
our ships need. Especially our fighters. Starships are good and
all, but in the thick of battle it’s
our
fighters who need as much stored
power as they can get for long and drawn out
confrontations.”

“
Thanks for clarifying it.
Sorry I wasn’t there to help out.”

Scimitar waved him off. “It
is done and in the past. There is nothing you can do, Brother.
Besides, your quest is much more deadly and needs your talents than
protecting a resource planet that has never seen life before. You
likely would have gotten killed too during battle. No, right now
you need to find out what happened to the Solarian people. That
is
where
you need
to be at this time. When it is over I hope to fight alongside you.”
He gave Oliver a hard look. “This village has been telling me of
your mate’s attempt to increase our potential by making us into a
semblance of… well you. Do the rumors have merit?”

“
Actually she did and Yes
she has discovered a way.”

“
Then why do you sound so
guarded?” Scythe motioned and they moved to a nearby wooden bench
beside the roaring waterfall. Less than a meter from the frothy
bank.

“
Because there are some
issues doing the Solarian gene therapy.”

“
Tell me.” The man kicked
back languidly, gauntlet covered fingers playing with the skull
etched pommels of his old and well used blades.

“
I don’t remember all her
geneticist jargon, but there are some risks.”

“
And our lot in life as
Hunters isn’t?”

“
Point taken.” Oliver put
his elbows on his knees, interlocked his fingers and rested his
chin on the meshed digits. “The problems I understood are that
human brains aren’t actually wired like ours exactly. She found out
that her readings by human technology couldn’t differentiate
between our species all that much. And I mean that literally. We
might look damn near human, but our evolution branches are too far
apart for the gene therapy to rewrite your neural pathways to ours
without serious and irreparable brain damage. But our species
aren’t so different that we cannot breed…”

“
But our sisters told me
you…”

“
If I wasn’t the strongest
Psionic user in all Solarian history, an anomaly, my seed
could
be safe for a human.
But because I am what I am, no woman could survive the fever one of
my children induces in the mother, aside for Renee. But my newborn
daughter Isabella can conceive a child from a human… which she will
if she ever wants a child of her own.

“
The therapy can’t make you
think on mine and Renee’s level, but that isn’t all that must be
considered.” Scimitar remained quiet, but lifted a lone curious
eyebrow. “Just like Renee was when she got pregnant, introducing
the gene which allows Beast essence to combine with DNA heats the
body to the point it shuts down…
permanently
.” Oliver was quiet for a
minute. “Renee’s results show there is a one hundred percent chance
of death if the person has the rejection reaction. The rejection,
she says, is due to those who lack the gene she calls Monoam…
something…”

“
Monoamine Oxidase A? or the
MAOA gene.”

Oliver sat up and gave the Elder a confused
expression. “Yeah. How did you…”

“
It is the hidden
requirement to become a Hunter. Civilians who choose to join our
brother or sisterhood are tested to see how significant the gene
dominates and we let them experience our training, but if they
do
not
have the
baseline level for the gene we ultimately tell them no. Most opt
out early on in our strict training regimen, near always giving up
on the idea soon after testing. Only about sixty percent of the
whole human population has it. The aggressive traits are a survival
instinct. It is why our female warriors do not breed with untested
civilians. We are trying to produce more with the gene needed. The
MAOA gene was known as the Warrior Gene back in the twenty first
century. It makes us more resilient to the harsh reality of war. A
survival necessity to cope. It is what lets us push forward when
civilians run in terror or freeze in shock.” Elder Scimitar closed
his eyes to ponder for a moment. “The Marines often run a high
percentage as well… about eighty percent their overall ranks if I
remember correctly. So this therapy only will work for those who
have it? Any other side effects?”

“
Yes to the first. There is
nearly no chance of overheating or rejection to those who have it.
She told me she even programmed a cryo simulation to keep the
patient cool, but the therapy completely takes over human biology
and without an innate natural defense it’ll spread like a virus. As
for side effects, should you choose it, you’ll be unable to eat
anything other than Beast. Drinking isn’t altered.”

“
Like you and Vanishing
Claw? Not much of a change in my normal diet. Having a high protein
based diet speeds healing and muscle efficiency anyway.” He
shrugged.

“
Let me be clearer. You’ll
get violently ill on just one bite of bread. One piece of fruit.
You can drink things without pulp, but anything of substance is
rejected so badly you’ll puke enough to want someone to do you a
kindness and knock your ass unconscious. I know I did and I’m glad
Stone did it for me when I got too sick. But you should know there
are benefits.”

“
Like an increase of power?”
Scimitar asked with a wry smirk.

“
For one thing. Yes. Renee
estimates you’ll be capable of reaching a human pinnacle about that
measurement of where Jake Dorgen or Vanishing Claw is right
now.”

Scimitar’s jaw dropped.
“
That
much of an
increase?”

“
Thereabouts. Depends on how
much Beast essence your body can naturally assimilate. You won’t
reach me by a long shot, but you can be assured you’ll pack a much
larger punch. The other aspect is you pass along the genes of
Psionic and bio-immorality to any offspring as well as know with
assurance that the ‘Warrior Gene’ as you called it is passed along
no matter what. You no longer need to regulate strict mating for
the purpose of passing the gene along and hope it remains strong.
If one of the women mated with a civilian and had a child, it would
have her stronger influence as the dominant gene. Same goes for the
man if the woman doesn’t have it.”

“
Generational offspring with
a one
hundred
percent guarantee?”

Oliver nodded. “So long as they have it, but
Renee hasn’t started live trials. We’ve been rather limited in that
regard isolated on the mountain. Aside from a few animals she
worked on, it seemed to work before I fed the subjects to my Pride.
She needs volunteers now.”

“
Then I will request it when
we are finished. I’m glad I chose not to interrupt the time of
peace with your mate. This therapy could be the key to holding our
own against the Keptl and stronger Beasts. We’ll never beat them,
but if our brothers and sisters can hit back harder against an
enemy, they can stand a chance to survive more than a century or
two.” His wise countenance animated a little. “And it will benefit
the whole Empire because in time more of the population will have
the inherent genes of their forefathers. Like I am a symbol that my
own ancestors fought long and hard to produce me. And my children
live because I do. Each new child born will eventually pass it on.
It will save lives and resources.”

“
It is the reason Renee
concentrated so hard to unlock the hidden key to hers and mine DNA
to do so. It was through me she found my sperm carries innate
Psionic gene and she synthesized it. She told me mine aren’t
natural either, but my daughter already has proven she carries my
gene for immortality. My woman may hate people as a whole, but as a
medic she feels responsible for each and every death she could have
prevented.”

“
Wait, but if this gene
takes over, won’t it try and cause brain damage as you said
earlier?”

“
It would had Renee not
developed a revolutionary genetic limitation to safeguard the
mentality of the person as well as through their way of mating for
having children. Any child produced through the union will also
have it, preventing any true Solarian mutations.”

“
Mutations?”

“
A mind the human body
cannot be compatible with. Our minds are too fast if you haven’t
forgotten how our bodies can move.” Oliver smirked and the man
lightly punched his pauldron. “Your splicing may have made you
faster, but nowhere near as fast as me nor my woman for that
matter.”

“
That armor of yours it a
mite different.” He said, noticing them not for the first
time.

“
Has to do with my biology.
It seems reflects how strong I have become. After I passed being a
Class Twelve it stopped changing, but grew more dense without
altering the shape further. Your swords can’t cut me, not even with
a slicing wave.”

“
Let me test that theory.”
Came a malicious sneer from behind.

There came a painful strike from behind
before the words registered from a powerful blue arch powerful
enough to slice a planet like a sharp knife through a ripe apple,
but focused within a half meter span. It exploded against his back.
The impact slammed Oliver forward to the ground like a ten ton
boulder a moment before another weight impacted hard, landing large
booted feet on either arm. Oliver was stunned and effectively
pinned. Being so close to the water, Oliver’s face was almost
submerged.

Standing triumphantly above was a silvery
polished giant of an armored man wearing a blank white mask.
Clutched in his upheld hands was a pristine, snow white double
edged longsword. Both hands raised, blade angled downward. “Seems
your boast was right. But let’s see you stand up to Father’s gift.”
And stabbed the wide blade downward, intent to run it through
Oliver’s heart.

Beneath the black cape was the indigo shield
the attacker didn’t know about. It was the only thing that saved
him from a true end. As sword tip met smooth shield, the sword’s
inflexibility glided over the domed surface, deflecting the fatal
stab. The attacker said indifferently “Interesting.” When the edge
of the shield allowed the sharp weapon to cut down.

Hot pain slid through the left side, parting
armor, flesh, muscle and a rib as well as adding a small cut into
Oliver’s left lung. Rage filled him an instant after the surprise
as the person standing on his arms began to withdraw the longsword.
Pain seemed to wash away the shock of surprise by a stunning
blow.

Elder Scimitar was on his feet, drew both of
his curved swords in that same motion and infused them with Psionic
energy out of trained instinct from countless battles. He struck
the intruder’s descending sword as it was aimed again, but this
time for the back of Oliver’s exposed neck that was in the act of
rippling up and around to put up the helmet. Before the murderous
stab could behead, Elder Scimitar was just in time to deflect the
pale longsword with one heavy blade and aimed the second for the
neck of the plastic or ceramic masked man. Seeing glowing black
eyes burning malevolently through thin eyelets. Almost making the
white mask smoke out black tears.

The first strike deflected the longsword, but
the second missed as the tall attacker jerked away at inhuman
speed. Stepping back from the Elder Hunter, landing on air rather
than water.

Armor sealed the gap caused by the sword’s
piercing and helped also put pressure on the open wound the nanites
were bust trying to seal as Oliver heard the human Elder yell
“HUNTERS! KILL HIM!!!”

As soon as the rage he felt was complete and
consuming he was up on his feet faster than the blink of an eye.
Already drawing his midnight cutlass and indigo shield in the same
motion. He had his helmet on, coursed electrical energy throughout
his entire body to make the armor even harder and then locked eyes
with the masked person sending out unintentional mild telepathic
intent he was going to enjoy killing everyone, especially
Oliver.