New Twists
#17 of The Odds Against
And part two. Once more, I hope you will enjoy it.
As always, comments are appreciated and requested.
Continued from 'The Unexpected...'
11-15-3015
Time Index; 0538 hours GST
TFV Endeavor
Asgard system, Terran space
"I'm what?" I asked, staring at Doctor Taggart in surprise.
"I'm sorry General, but the scan revealed a massive amount of abnormal DNA in your cells," The doctor said, looking uncomfortable, "And there can be no doubt about it. Its Merxian."
"Now, we know that this doesn't mean you are some sort of spy or anything like that," Admiral Tack began, rising from behind his desk. He was already going on with some prepared response he had put together, reassuring me of his trust and so on, but I was barely able to even listen to him, staring off into space while he was talking, my brain in overdrive. What could this mean? Was this why the mate bond had been able to form between Katy and I, and not between others? I mean, it was kind of obvious that we wouldn't be the first human and merxian couple... But the far more pressing question was just how, in the name of all things holy in the galaxy, had the DNA gotten there in the first place? If it had shown up like that on a bio scan, it wasn't just a few aberrant cells here and there. It had to have been in every cell of my body by now, and if that was the case, it didn't get there through the usual transfer mechanisms, like a virus, which were much too sporadic in their infection rate. The thinking part of my brain started racing through all the possibilities at once, but the emotional part, the part that had been growing ever more powerful in the last couple of months, wasn't so collected. Instead, a sort of battle seemed to be raging within me, a battle that was only barely controlled by my disciplined will.
On the one hand, there was a part of myself that was almost happy at that pronouncement. If I was part Merxian, then perhaps there were more possibilities between Katy and I than just the mate bond; perhaps there was even a possibility of Katy and I having a family one day. And after all, if it meant that Katy and I could be bonded so tightly to one another, wasn't this a good thing? Yet, even as I felt that warm thought, the other side, perhaps the side that was more human, recoiled in horror from the thought. How could I not be a human? It was all very well and good to be in love with Katy, after all, she was exactly the sort of person I had always wanted to be with, regardless of her species, but there was no doubt about it, I was a human. My parents were human, my grandparents were human and so was I. If I wasn't, then the very nature of my life was called into question. Which again brought my racing mind back around to the central question. How the hell had this happened?
"...I realize that this is an unusual situation but..." The admiral was saying and that sentence shattered my train of thought in an instant, making me suddenly speak up.
"Unusual?" I repeated sharply, my tone angry even to my ears. "Unusual!? This isn't unusual. This is absurd! How can I have Merxian DNA?"
"I checked the data against the other genetic profiles on file." Dr. Taggart began, cutting off the Admiral, who looked surprised at my sudden disrespect. "I'm sorry, but the DNA has been there a very long time, since before you were born. And that isn't all of it. It also appears that additional alterations have been made to some of the organ systems in your body, alterations that are extremely specific in nature. Now, what exactly they are doing is still a mystery, but taking all of that together, it is clear that this was no accident or random set of mutations."
"You mean this was deliberate?" I asked, shock overriding my anger. The doctor nodded and my already fracturing mind started to reel. If that was true, then someone had done this to me, fiddled with the very nature of my being before I was even born. I suddenly felt violated, as if everything that I had thought was so solid and unchangeable in the universe had crumbled all at once. I wanted to deny it, to say they were all crazy, but at the same time, I knew somehow that she was right, that she was telling me the truth. There was silence in the room for a couple of terrible minutes, then Tack spoke up again.
"How do you feel General?" He asked, looking sympathetic. That question seemed so eminently stupid that I almost snapped at him again.
"How do I feel?" I repeated, disgusted by the question. "How would you feel if you found out you were someone's science experiment?"
"I wouldn't call it that, General." Another voice said, a voice that held a surprising note of satisfaction. Looking up, I found that another man had joined us, a civilian, judging from his lack of uniform. He wore similar tattoos on his face as those my friend Pride wore, marking him as a Celdanian, but it was the look of triumph on his face that caught my attention the most. The other two officers looked at the newcomer with surprise but he stared at me with an intensity that made me feel uncomfortable.
"Well what would you call it then, Doctor?" The Admiral asked and the Celdanian's eyes glinted.
"I would call it nothing short of a miracle." He replied, and I raised my eyebrows. "You are not just some experiment General. You're the future."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, and then another, more important question came to mind. "Who are you?"
"General Cramer, this is Doctor Lochland, one of the Federation's most accomplished geneticists." Taggart explained, regarding the civilian with surprise. "Now, what are you talking about, Lochland?"
"You were the one who gave me the idea actually." He replied, sounding so excited he was almost breathless. "When you said someone was trying to get around evolution, it suddenly occurred to me why I couldn't put the data away."
"I don't mean to be rude," I interjected, my jaw set hard in irritation, "But would someone tell me what the hell is going on here?"
"General, before the war, I was part of the project mapping the genetic similarities between humans and Merxians." he explained, "And when Dr. Taggart said that, I remembered something a colleague of mine had come up while we were working together. It was a sort of bizarre theory, one that we all sort of lost track of when the war started. He theorized that humans and Merxians shared so many similarities, not only, as most scientists believed, because we evolved under similar conditions, but also because the process hadn't stopped there. He thought that we were still evolving, and towards each other."
"You are talking about convergent evolution." I said, suddenly intrigued by the possibility. The scientist nodded and I waved for him to go on.
"Well, he never did get enough information together to prove it, and with the war going on, it didn't seem very important, but when I looked at your DNA again, it suddenly occurred to me." He said, seeming almost to be bursting with the news. "Someone wasn't trying to get around evolution by altering your DNA; they were trying to accelerate it. As I am sure you are aware, the rate of genetic mutation in our genome has drastically increased since we left Earth. All of the new environments we were exposed to, not to mention the increased cosmic radiation, has caused a substantial increase in the number of new traits that are appearing. I would assume it is the same with the Merxians. I just finished running probability models and double checking what I was getting, because I couldn't believe it. If my data is right, then within as few as ten generations, some Merxians and some humans will be genetically compatible, naturally. And without a doubt, within twenty generations, all of us will be. To put it simply General, what you represent, is the next step forward on the scale; a genetic hybrid between Merxian and human."
"You're nuts." Admiral Tack immediately declared, but I was forced to shake my head. From a purely biological perspective, the concept certainly made sense. Most viable hybrid organisms were much stronger than their parent species, more able to adapt to changing conditions because of their larger pool of traits to draw from. But that still didn't answer the question of where the extra DNA came from, or the motive for someone to have wanted to do it in the first place.
"I'm not saying that I agree with you, doctor," I began, barely managing to keep the edge out of my voice, "But lets assume you are right. Why didn't anybody find out about it before this? And if I am truly a hybrid, why don't I have any physical Merxian traits?"
"Well, from what I can tell, the extra DNA was dormant until after you were shot down." He said and a sudden chill wormed its way down my spine, making me shiver. "You must have encountered a trigger, some substance in the environment that activated it. And once that happened, it started to make changes. It wouldn't surprise me at all if, had you encountered whatever it was during puberty or before, some of the Merxian traits would have asserted themselves. They still might, some years down the road. Anyway, can you think of anything you might have encountered on that moon that could have triggered it? If you can think of anything, I might have a chance of figuring out exactly what this was supposed to accomplish, besides the obvious, I mean."
In that moment, I was so overwhelmed by the terrible truth he had just saddled me with that I almost shouted 'I dunno, maybe having sex with a Merxian while she was in heat?' Thankfully, I still managed to maintain enough sanity to keep that particular revelation to myself. Instead, I just nodded, making all three of them look surprised.
"Really?" He asked eagerly, "What was it?"
"I was going to wait to tell you all this, but, when I was on that moon, I wasn't alone." I explained, watching their eyes go wide. "The report I filed was accurate; I was shot down, but there was more too it then that." With that, I launched into a summary of everything that had happened from the day Katy and I had met to the day we had been retrieved, carefully avoiding any mention of who she actually was. I managed to make it sound like I had made friends with a random pilot, and we had decided to take down the conspiracy together. I finished up by telling them that I had come here today with the idea of bringing them in on it too. When I was done talking, my hand finally landed on the knife hilt concealed in my thigh armor, ready to permanently silence all three of them if they objected, to hell with what would come after that.
Dr. Taggart looked shocked beyond words, so surprised at my revelations that she couldn't talk. Dr. Lochland seemed to be ignoring my possible treason and instead looked as if he was trying to decide whether close proximity to a Merxian would be enough to trigger the genetic changes. But it was Admiral Tack that really worried me. His shrewd eyes held a look of suspicion in them, but not, I thought, a suspicion about the conclave or the conspiracy. But still, I could tell that he knew I wasn't being wholly truthful.
"I..." Taggart finally began, "I don't know what to say. Do you realize the seriousness of what you are asking?"
"I do." I replied, keeping my calm, but at the same time using my thumb to disengage the magnetic clip that held the knife in place. Now, it would slide free with only a gentle tug. She looked like she was about to reply, but the old Admiral spoke up first.
"Doctors, would you excuse us for a few moments?" He said, the tone of the question not so much an invitation as an order. "And you are not to say anything about this just yet, to anyone outside this office, is that clear?" When the door had closed behind the two doctors, the Admiral settled back in his chair with a deep sigh, rubbing his eyes with his fingers, his expression one of long suffering. "I swear to God, General, you are going to kill me faster than this war will."
"Sir?" I asked, so surprised at his reaction that I let go of the knife, the magnetic catch reengaging automatically. This was not at all what I had prepared to encounter.
"I am going to ask you this once, and if you lie to me, I am going to call the MPs and have you sectioned. Understood?" He said. When I nodded in agreement to his terms, he continued, looking me straight in the eyes. "This Merxian pilot you met, wouldn't happen to be a female, would it?"
"How..?" I started to ask and he nodded slowly, as if something had been confirmed. The older officer was silent for a few moments, regarding me with an odd expression in his eyes.
"General, when we first met," He finally began, pensively tapping the desktop with his fingers, "You hated the Merxians, hated them with a passion I have rarely seen anyone hate anything before. Just before you joined the fleet, I remember hearing rumors of you hunting through the wreckage after battles for disabled fighters to destroy. And as the years passed, that hatred cooled off a bit and you went as cold as the vacuum of space. Now, all of a sudden, you are happy again, and more, you are working with one of them. And love is the only force in the universe that I know of that can make someone change that drastically, that fast."
"Sir, I haven't told anyone that," I began, bewildered at the turn this conversation had taken.
"What I am about to tell you, I have never told anyone in my life." He said, suddenly seeming dead serious, despite that he was ignoring my bewilderment. "When I was a young ensign, I was part of a Naval Spec Ops team. Well, way back during the Icarious Insurrection, my team was assigned to infiltrate enemy territory, recon and then destroy a major enemy supply base. The official report of the incident states that thirteen operatives were inserted, and in the course of two months, located a hidden enemy intelligence outpost, raided and destroyed it before accomplishing our objective with no losses among the team. In the process, we stole a massive amount of intelligence data that led directly to the destruction of the rebel's primary fleet. We all got commendations and promotions and were given our choice of assignments afterward. What the report doesn't say, is that, while thirteen operatives were retrieved, only twelve were inserted." At my surprised look, he smiled. "We were on planet for two months, reconning the facility. While we were there, I happened to meet a woman in a bar one night. She was wonderful; beautiful and smart and funny, everything I hoped to find in a partner. We ended up falling very deeply in love, quite a feat considering that I was deep into enemy territory. We talked about ways that we could be together, despite the war, and I we were getting pretty serious. There was just one very big problem. As it turned out, she was an intel officer for the rebel military. In the end, as my team was gearing up to attack the facility, I had no choice. I took a chance and told her who I was, and why I was there."
"That was..." I started to inject and he finished my thought for me.
"Stupid? Oh yes. Extremely." The admiral replied. "I did it because I would do anything to keep her from getting hurt when we hit the facility. She could have turned me in to her superiors, and I would have been tortured and then probably executed, considering how things were going in the war. But she didn't. Instead, she told me exactly where the intelligence outpost was located and how to get in. We hatched a plan, her and I, one that had...well, lets be honest, little chance of actually succeeding, but it did. I led my part of the team into the outpost and we managed to steal the entire intel database, just as the report states. But while we were there, my lover and I managed to hack the Federation personnel files and add her to the list of Federation intelligence assets. To my operatives and the team leader, she was just a Federation intelligence officer who had been in deep cover and now needed extraction, not a rebel traitor. A year after that mission, we got married and we have had had almost forty wonderful years together." The admiral paused for a moment, and he suddenly appeared very old indeed. Old and so tired. "So, before I decide to help you or not, I need to know. How much do you love her? Do you love her enough to risk your career, and your life, to do all this?"
"Yes." I replied immediately. "I love her more than anything in the universe."
"Alright." He said, tapping the desktop once more. "Then I will help you. I am sure Taggart and Lochland would be willing to help too. Lets get them in here so we can hash out the details..."
***
11-15-3015
Time Index; 0537 hours GST
MAS Adaron
Enroute to Sython system, Merxian space
"Come in." Tyr called, his eyes on the readiness report that Major Tor'sek had sent him. According to his XO's report, despite the surprise combat that had cut their leave on the station short, his battalion was still ready for combat. If anything, hunting the black marketeers had seemed to give his soldiers a spark, a driving purpose. The report stated that the men were almost spoiling for a fight. Tyr grinned as the door to his office slid open, revealing commander Raiselle. Looking up at the ship's commander, the coyote felt his grin fade. The commander's white-furred face was set with a dour expression, one that was even more serious than the chiropteran normally appeared. Ever since Tyr had told the commander to make a change in their schedule, he had gotten a sense that the naval officer didn't like his request, and now he was sure of it. "What can I do for you, Commander?"
"I hope you will forgive the intrusion, Colonel." The bat said, his tone of voice sharply sarcastic. "But there is a matter we need to discuss."
"Have a seat." Tyr replied, trying not to take the other officer's disrespect personally. The bat shook his head, remaining standing before the desk, his posture somewhat less than military. "What is it?"
"Why are we going to Sython instead of our refit rendezvous?" The commander asked, the blunt question making Tyr blink. He might almost have said that the commander was being deliberately disrespectful of all things military right now, which was certainly out of character for a career officer.
"I have orders to go..." Tyr began, but the commander cut him off.
"Bull." He stated and Tyr looked at him in surprise, taken aback. "I checked. No such orders have been issued. Now, would you like to try again, or shall I put a call into the Military Police?" Tyr looked at the Commander evaluatingly for a few moments, trying to decide how to handle the situation. The bat wasn't a psychic, that much he knew, which meant that, to check whether orders had been issued above his head, he had to have a contact high up in command to find that out. One didn't make such contacts easily. Finally, he decided that the Commander's cooperation was important enough to tell the truth, or at least part of it.
"Alright, fine." Tyr said, opening his hands and shaking his head in resignation. "We don't have orders to go to Sython, but what I told you before is the truth. It is very important. Back on Colyon Prime station, the leader of the black marketeers had a case of RD-86A." the bat cocked his head at that, but didn't react much beyond that at the revelation. "During his interrogation, he gave up the source as being a firm on Sython. I couldn't risk them having a contact within the military that would let them know we were on our way, so I decided to use my operational authority to go and track it down myself. Does that satisfy you?"
"Not really." Raiselle said, his eyes narrowing. "I know how this game is played Colonel. There is more you aren't telling me, a lot more, but you aren't going to explain it, are you?"
"Sorry commander, but no." Tyr replied, even more surprised and unsettled by the bat's attitude. "There is too much at stake for me to reveal more to you at this time." The commander rolled his eyes and, for once, Tyr genuinely wished he was a psychic, just so he could get a glimpse of what the commander was really thinking.
"Sure." Raiselle replied, tossing him a sarcastic salute and turning to go. As the bat stepped past the threshold of the door once more, he turned back and spoke once again. "I have heard all of this before Colonel, a lot more than you can imagine, and I have never enjoyed it. I'll let it slide for now, but understand this. This conversation isn't done with. Not by a long shot."
When the door had closed behind the naval officer, Tyr settled back in his chair, a cold chill creeping its way up his spine. Now he really regretted not knowing more about the Adaron's Captain. Truthfully, he knew exactly what the bat meant. The old 'Its too complicated for you to understand so shut up and do your job' response was one he too had heard when he was a young officer, all too often. Anyone assigned to Special Forces, where the reasons behind what you were doing were not always so clean cut, knew that it actually meant 'You aren't going to like the answer so I am just not going to tell you,'. Most regular soldiers just sort of accepted that answer, which meant that the Commander was much more than he appeared, as Tyr had suspected. Shaking his head, the coyote made a mental note to keep his guard up in the future...
***
11 15 3015
Time index; 0648 hours GST
MAS Yunius
Colyon system, Merxian space
"Please see to that it that I am not disturbed, Captain." Katy said, stepping over the threshold into her quarters from the corridor. Pausing only long enough to hear her adjutant's reply, the green eyed vixen touched the control which shut and locked the outer door. Dropping her equipment bag in the entryway, she walked into her bed room and flopped on the bed, lying face down in the darkness, her aching heart dragging at her like a weight, not even bothering to remove her armor. Closing her eyes against the bitter tears, she shuddered, setting her teeth hard to hold back the sorrow. She couldn't help it, all she wanted in that moment was to have her mate there beside her, to have his arms around her and to nod off into sleep with his mind twined tight with hers. Instead, all she had was a thin, tenuous link, a bare filament of thought that connected them across the great distances of space.
She wanted just to lie there until she finally slept, to banish the world with its horrors and duties until she could no longer feel the pain of her loss. And so she would have, had not a sound disturbed her, a beep that was quiet for now, the computer system sensing her presence in the rooms. Slowly, ever so slowly, she forced her head to turn to the side, to look towards the comm. terminal in the corner of the room. The system was on, the holographic display indicating that it had received an urgent message. As she lay there, her mind refusing to acknowledge that she should get up and see what it said, the computer beeped a second time, the tone a little bit louder. Closing her eyes once more, the vixen shook her head slightly. Nothing could possibly be urgent enough to make her get up and do something, could it? A third tone, much louder this time, sounded from the terminal, as if the computer was trying to contradict that thought.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Katy forced her limbs to move once more, pushing herself out of the bed and back onto her feet. With slow footsteps, she made her way to the chair before her terminal and dropped heavily into it, making it sag with the sudden addition to its mass. Reaching out with reluctant fingers, the vixen typed in her password and the message displayed itself. It took her eyes a good two minutes to take the glowing Merxian characters displayed in the air and convert them into actual words, but when she finally comprehended what it said, her mind committed itself to actually understanding what the message said, rather than dwelling in depression.
It was a message from Tyr, all about the clean up of the black marketeers, but towards the end, when the message mentioned what Tyr had found aboard the station, she found her depression pulling back from the forefront of her mind, grappling instead with the problem presented by the chemical weapon. As she read the rest of the message, where Tyr explained how he was going to investigate, she felt a sudden psychic thrill run through her. It was a sensation that was much more powerful than the foreboding that would have come with the knowledge that such a weapon had been created. At once, she activated the com system to reply, tagging the message as the highest possible priority. Writing as fast as her fingers could go, she told Tyr to only go into the Sython system at high alert. The psychic warning she was getting centered on her old friend, and somehow, in the incomprehensible way of all psychics, she knew he was heading into a trap. But even as she triggered the send key, Katy knew that even if Tyr got the message in time, his ship was not meant to stand up in combat by itself for very long. Already decided on her course of action, Katy activated the comlink set into her armor.
"Captain, this is General Jes'ic." She said and she heard the commander of her flagship start to reply, but the sharpening feeling of worry wouldn't let her wait. "Set a course for the Sython system, best possible speed. Ship to alert status red, all pilots to their fighters."
"Yes ma'am." He replied, sounding surprised. "May I ask why..?"
"It would take too long to explain." Katy replied. "Just do it captain. I'll be in the fighter bay..."