Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:01:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: JMH <trandar2002@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Guils/The Son 22

     "Want to explain why I have the Assembly accusing me of breaking
the cease fire?"  Vard demanded as he walked onto the bridge of his
ship.

     "I received an official order from the counterpart to have twelve
departing Sloth transports destroyed before they could enter the Void."

     "My husband might sit on the Guild Throne, but this fleet is still
under my command is it not?"

     "It was an official order," Felix said in his own defense.

     "I'm sure it was.  Did Joshua also tell you how I am to explain
our attack on a dozen unarmed ships, to the Guild?"

     "No... but he did promise me that no one innocent would be killed in
the attack."

     Did he now?  Will he be so good as to give his explanation to the
Assembly for me?"

     "Not at this moment my lord... he is right now occupied."

     "Doing what?"

     "According to our observers, your husband just signed the death
warrant for every single Inquisitor on Earth."

     "Do you know why?  Not that I mind.  Disbanding that organization
of killers was one of the things I was going to suggest Robert recommend
to Joshua."

     "All I know is that a blanket accusation of treason has been
made," Felix said as a fleet officer whispered into his ear triggering a
frown on the star general's face.  "Sir... I think I now know what has
happened."

     "Well tell me."

     "I think you would understand better if I show you.  Please follow
me to the medical deck."

     Following Felix to one of the lower levels, Vard entered a room
lined with medical tables, each one covered by a filled body bag.

     "Well... care to tell me who has just died?"  Vard demanded.

     "When Joshua told me to attack the Sloths he also insisted that any
life pods also be destroyed.  He did not say I could not examine the
resulting corpses."

     "And those who are in these body bags?"

     "Yes my lord," Felix said as he opened one of the bags.

    Looking down at the dead body, Vard saw the space vacuum ruined
corpse, the chest cavity ripped open.  What Vard's eyes focused on
however was the white porcelain mask covering the man's face.  "An
Inquisitor.  So the attack was all part of Joshua's purge?  Why did
Joshua give them permission to leave in the first place? "

     "I think the Inquisitors were using Falcon to blackmail Joshua into
letting them escape."

     "But why would they want to leave Earth... their powerbase?"

     "This is why my lord."  Felix replied as he opened up a second
body bag, revealing a face Vard knew all too well.

     "Gerick?"  Vard said in disbelief.

     Felix did not answer; he only continued down the row opening more
body bags, most of them showing the same face.

     "What is this?"  Vard demanded.

     "Clones, Vard... hundreds of them, all of them Gerick.  Now you see
why Joshua ordered that no one survive.  Understand why he is purging the
Guild of the Inquisitors?"

     "Yes... yes I do.  When the dust settles, see that these `things'
are shown to the Assembly.  They should provide the Guild with enough
explanation for Joshua's actions."

**************************************************

     When Adam awoke, his entire body burned with pain, even his eyes
stung as he tried to see through the thick haze of spores.  Looking
around he saw that his body was embedded halfway inside a yellow fungus
like plant, leaving him unable to move.  Around him were more fungi in an
array of colors, each one releasing a constant stream of spores.

     The air was so thick Adam felt as if he was trying to breath
underwater, each gasp for air a struggle.  It was just as he was about to
pass out from lack of air that a dark shadow reached towards him, placing
a small white fungus over his mouth.

     At first Adam thought he would suffocate, his breathing cut off but
when he took in his first breath, it came easily through the porous
plant, clean and pure.  For a while, Adam tried to calm down as the pain
that had racked his body slowly faded away.  As time passed though, Adam
noticed that the fungus over his mouth was starting to grow, covering his
nose before reaching for his eyes.  For a while Adam saw nothing but
darkness as he thrashed about to try and free his hands so he might rip
the white plant off.  Then, slowly, Adam started to see again, the parts
of the plant covering his eyes becoming transparent.

      His eyes no longer being stung by the partials in the air, Adam
could see the figure that had placed the fungus over his mouth.  It was
his brother Saul... or at least he looked like Saul.  He had the same
curly blond hair and purple eyes through the lens of the white plant that
covered his face, but etched all over his body were veins of deep gray.

     Adam tried to talk to his brother but, with the thing covering his
mouth, he could not make even an audible grunt.  Once again, Adam tried
to free himself from the fungus that was holding him down.  Then his
brother reached down and took hold of his arm that was not covered.

     Saul's skin felt as if it was covered with a thick slime that stuck
to Adam's body.  Adam felt a small stinging sensation where his brother
touched him, as if several tiny needles were piercing his skin.  It was
after the pain had subsided that Adam started to hear Saul's voice.

     "Calm down my brother."  Adam heard his brother's voice in his
mind.

      "What is going on Saul? What has happened?"

     "We have been blessed Adam, selected out of all the people on Aegis
to serve a greater purpose."

     "What do you mean?  What purpose?"

     "To serve the Fungi.  To help them find out who attacked them.  To
help them get their revenge."

     "I don't understand."

     "Three of their colony ships that were traveling through the Void
were destroyed by an unknown attacker.  The attack happened near the
gateway to our world so it is here they have come seeking answers."

     "But we don't know who attacked them."

     "We have a good idea who it was, however."

     "Vard?"

     "Yes... but the Fungi want more proof, and for that they need us.
That is why our lives were spared."

     "What about the rest of our people?"

     "They are rotting... their bodies giving nutrients to the Fungi."

     "They are all dead!"

     "Adam, don't worry about them anymore.  You should be happy that I
was able to convince the Fungi that I could not do what they want if I
did not have my dear brother by my side."

     "And what is that?"  Adam asked, fear in his thoughts.

     "To find to ones responsible for destroying their ships and make
sure they suffer."

     "Why were their ships so close to Guild space in the first place?"

     Adam heard Saul laugh in his mind.  "Why they were coming to Aegis
to colonize it."

"If they were planning to attack us anyway, why are they mad that they
were attacked?"

     "It is not the why or the how; it is where the colony ships were
destroyed that has angered them.  Just as the Guild believes in the
existence of the human soul, the Fungi believe in the presence of their
own souls.  What they also believe though is that when one of them die,
their souls find new bodies in the offspring of their spores.  Even in
the vacuum of space their spores will grow from the energy of solar
winds.  It is only in the Void that they can not grow.  So in a manner of
speaking when Vard or whoever attacked their colony ships in the Void,
they forever destroyed tens of thousands of Fungi souls."

     "But why kill all our people... we did not attack them."

     "They do not view it that way.  They can not see the difference
between one human and another.  To them, each human is but a leaf on the
same tree.  Even if they could see the difference, unless they decided to
not colonize Aegis, all life on our world would have ended anyway.
Their spores do not normally leave room for native life, for they are
quite toxic."

     "What's happening to your body?"

     "The same thing that will happen to yours.  To be able to live and
communicate with the Fungi you must become one of them.  I am only half
way through the process."

     "Will we look like them?  What do they look like?  I have not seen
one yet."

     "Yes you have.  They are all around you."

     "All I see are mushrooms."

     "That is what they are dear brother... different variety of fungi
that slowly achieved sentience over time on their home world."

     "Will we end up as immobile plants?"

     "Yes... in time we will be just like them, immortal, spreading our
spores throughout space but not before I settle scores with a few
people," Saul said.

     "I wish you had let me die."

     "That can still happen my dear brother," Saul warned.

********************************************************

     Trak stood in a large domed chamber located at the heart of the
fleet's command ship.  Surrounding him were his egg-laying sisters, the
Mothers, and Red Eyes by his side.

     "We are now at the gateway to the world the human's call
Aquarius.  Why have you not ordered the invasion brother?" Stavla,
Trak's eldest sister asked.

     "This is not an invasion my sister.  We are here to bestow the
gifts of peace and unity on humanity; while they give the Chimera human
emotions and creativity... we can not destroy them."

     "Look at us Brother... you have seen through our mother's human
eyes.  You know the horror our bodies will inspire among the humans.
They will never accept our gifts willingly.  Only with the use of force
will we be able to unify our two races."

     "Stavla... why do you think I picked Aquarius as our first target?
It does not have a large population, very little industry, and is mostly
covered by water."

     "I assumed that you felt it would be only lightly guarded and
therefore an easy test for our new Chimera."

     "Yes... that was one of my reasons, but not my main one.  Aquarius
was our mother's home world."

     "So we are here because of human sentimentalism?"  Stavla laughed
with a loud clicking noise.

     Yes... but not my own, sister.  You have forgotten our mother's
stories.  Our mother was not some commoner among the humans but a Guild
Mistress, sister of the ruling Assemblyman of Aquarius."

     "So you think this Assemblyman will be able to recognize you as his
kin, and give you his world just by asking for it?"

     "Yes sister... I do."

     "Then we shall prepare to mourn your death."

     "We shall see, Stavla.  We shall see."

Leaving the chamber with Red Eyes, Trak made his way to the mammoth
hanger, filled with craft of all sizes.  On their knees waiting for him
were two dozen Chimera warriors.

"Board your ships and follow me as escort but do not land."  Trak
commanded as he climbed into a fast but unarmed two man scout ship.

Blasting out of the gigantic moon size command ship with six Chimera
fighters flanking him on either side, Trak reached back into the minds of
his sisters and used them to open the gateway to Aquarius.  With a flash
of light a large blue green world, orbited by two small moons appeared in
front of him.

Looking at his scanner, Trak saw that his sister had been right; this
world was not heavily protected, guarded by only three flat looking
medium class ships.  His ships being much faster and more agile than the
human craft, Trak and his escorts were able to pass by them without
having to fire a shot.

Diving through the planet's atmosphere Trak, watched as the hull of his
ship began to glow with heat.  Then, leveling off, he raced towards a
crystalline white cliff, marked with long blue waterfalls.  It was here
that Trak believed he would find his mother's brother.

After he landed, his fighters guarding the skies above, Trak disembarked,
taking a step toward the large cave like opening in the cliff.  He was
stopped however when he felt Red Eye's armored hand grip his shoulder.

"I go first."  Red Eyes demanded with a series of clicks and hisses.

"I am in no danger son."  Trak said reassuringly.

"I am the warrior.  You are the ambassador.  It is my purpose to protect
you.  Will you deny a Chimera his right to serve his purpose?"

Trak let out a low hiss.  "Very well."

Lifting his spear rifle, Red Eyes walked in front of his father, his
eight eyes looking in nearly every direction for any threat.  He soon
found it for at the mouth of the cave were dozens of iron masked men,
guns aimed.

Trak let out a soft human chuckle before commanding three of his fighters
to take hovering positions, behind him, their cannon's aimed at the
Guild soldiers.  He watched with bemusement as one by one the human's
lowered their guns and raised their hands over their heads.  Trak, making
his way past Red Eyes, walked over to one of the masked humans, reaching
to run his claws down the cold iron.

"Take me to the Assemblyman.  Tell him his nephew is here to talk to
him," Trak said in the human tongue.

"Nephew?"  The man said confused, his body shaking from the high
pitched screeching sound of talon against metal.

"Yes," Trak grinned, extending his mandibles to show his sharp venom
filled fangs.

The man walked back slowly before turning around to run away.  "I do
hope he plans to return with my uncle."  Trak said with such a monstrous
laugh that the other humans backed away.

With the crystal walls of the tunnel lit by its own natural light, Trak
saw at once when a man wearing a grinning gold mask appeared.  Feeling an
immediate connection, Trak reached out with his mind to touch the soul of
the gold masked man.  "Uncle John?"

"What are you?"   John demanded.  "How do you know my name?"

"I am your sister's son, uncle."

"Drake?"

"No my name is Trak.  My mother never told me I had a human brother.
Where is he?  I would like to meet him."

"He is not here.  Neither should you be.  How dare you say you are my
sister's child.  Where is Clare?  What have you done with her?"

Trak let out a menacing hiss.  "My mother loved me... more than any of
her children.  Why do you dishonor her memory by mocking me so?"

"Temper... temper."  John chuckled, removing his gold mask.

In a rage, Trak charged through John's guards, tackling his uncle, his
mandibles extending around the Assemblyman's throat.  "If I have a
temper it is because my mother, your sister, gave it to me."

"Tell me... tell me what happened to my sister."  John said as he gasped
for breath.

"She was attempting to escape the Brotherhood in a small ship when one
of my people's explorer pods rescued her."

"If she was really rescued by your people, why did you not return her?"

"We Chimera are curious by nature.  We have taken samples of humans
before but never a Guild Mistress."

"So what did your people do to her?"

"We kept her in the Void while we studied her.  During that time we
learned of the telepathic ability of the Guild members.  That gave us a
common language which allowed us to communicate with Clare.  Through her,
we learned of love, hatred, sadness and joy, the whole spectrum of human
emotions.  It was then that we Chimera decided to take the next step in
our evolution.  We made your sister one of us so that her human traits
could be passed down to me and my siblings."

"So my sister has had many children such as you?"

"She was the Mother.  She gave birth to thousands of us."

"Was?"  John tried to jump but was pinned under Trak's body.

"As it is the way with my people... once she laid her last egg she
died."

On hearing those words the fight in John disappeared as he slumped all
the way to the ground.  "I see.  I'm alone now."

Trak removed his mandibles from his uncle's throat as he let his white
hair tendrils reach down and stroke the Assemblyman's face.  "You are
not alone my uncle... you have me now."

As he breathed, John detected a musky smell in the air that was leaving
him lightheaded. "Are you going to change me like my sister."

Trak ran a clawed hand down John's shirt, tearing it down the middle.
He was amazed at how warm and soft human flesh felt.  It was like lying
atop a warm living mass of clay.  "Only if you want to uncle, which I am
sure you will eventually."

"So confident are we?"  John moaned as a clawed hand slipped through
his torn shirt to scratch his skin lightly.

"My mother told me everything she ever knew or felt.  Who knew your
heart better than your sister?  We Chimera desire to join human
emotions... the human soul to our race.  That was Clare's gift to us
Chimera.  We do not come empty handed however.  For humanity, we will
take their soft flesh and made it hard and strong, while giving the
people unity and an ever lasting peace.  Think of it uncle... no more
senseless war.  There would be no need for Prelates, Legates,
counterparts, Star Generals, Assemblymen or Guild Mistresses.  You never
wanted to be an Assemblyman.  When humanity and the Chimera are one, you
will be free to do what you want... to go back to your books if you so
wish."

John had to admit the offer was tempting but he still could not see
beyond the alien figure on top of him.  "Will I turn into a creature
such as you?"

"Do I look so hideous to you uncle?" Trak asked with disappointment in
his voice.

"If my sister taught you anything about us humans, it is that we feel
revulsion and fear toward that which is alien to us."

"But I don't have to be alien to you uncle."  Trak replied, releasing
more pheromones into the air.  Ever since his mother had given him her
memories he had longed to take a full blooded human as a mate.  Since
John had been the principle person in Clare's life, it had been John's
face that Trak most often saw in his dreams.

John did not reply, having fallen under a pheromone induced trance.
Extending his mandibles Trak revealed his human shaped lips and pressed
them gently on his uncle's forehead.  As he lifted John up in his arms,
with every intention of taking him back to his command ship, he saw a
figure appear in the tunnel, a man who had a gun raised.

Making a threatening clicking noise, Trak began to walk backwards, away
from the man with the gun.

"Put down my husband," The man demanded.

"You must be Ryan... my uncle's Protector," Trak replied as he
continued to walk away.

"If you know I am a Protector then you know I will kill you if you
don't give me back my husband."

Now a few yards outside the tunnel entrance, Trak stopped moving and
carefully placed his uncle on the ground.

"Now step away from him," Ryan demanded as he started to walk forward.

Trak let out a deep hiss but did as he was asked, moving several yards
away from John.    Then, just as Ryan reached the mouth of the cave, Trak
made the slightest of nods with his head.  With Ryan's next step, taking
him outside the tunnel, Red Eyes, who had been clinging to the side of
the cliff, jumped down on top of Ryan, knocking him to the rocky ground.

For a few brief seconds the two wrestled on the ground until Red Eyes
opened the large maw of his mouth digging his poison filled fangs into
Ryan's shoulder.  Soon Ryan was unconscious, his breath short and rapid.

Going back to where he had placed John, Trak lifted his uncle back into
his arms while Red Eyes did the same to Ryan.  Together the two Chimera
carried their cargo back to the scout ship.  Soon Trak and his escort
were soaring back into space.


******************************************************


Thanks to all who have become fans of the series.  I do hope you've
enjoyed what you've read so far.  A new fantasy series... The Children of
Mir is now over halfway posted in the yahoo group for those looking for
another story to read.  Two other stories, The Centurion and The Academy
have been published and are now for sale on Amazon.  Take care.

				    JMH

trandar2002@yahoo.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adultwritingworkshop/