The Black

-30 million years ago-

“Jezzaria!!! Jezzaria!!!!” Jez’s mother came screaming down the bunker’s hallway in both voice and speed.

Jez stumbled up to her feet, knocked down by the latest impact, “Maamma!! I’m here! What’s happening!!!”

“The cataclysm, Its here… you must do what we decided. Come my baby girl, your brother is already done” The Elerian female scooped her daughter up and sprinted for the elevator headed to the deepest chamber of the assault shelter. 4 days had passed since the Vorath Devoted had attacked. They were the remnants of beaten people, but they had one final task. Murder the galaxy.

The elevator opened at the bottom floor to a small room with a single ancient Corth stepping out of his rejuvenation chamber. His name was Attica, and he was the oldest of them all. “Come child, all will be well”, your parent’s pod is just beyond the doors. “We must get you in first” The ancient fragile grey being coaxed the terrified girl, gently pressing her into the cryo-stasis pod and folding her wings in around her like a blanket before a hand shot out to stop the pod closing.

“Pappa? Where is Pappa!” She begged.

“He’s coming dear one. But we can’t get him safe until you are in, Jez..” Attica soothed, gently tucking the girl’s arm back in and closing the pod. The expression on the little girl’s face slowly faded to unconsciousness, as Attica bowed his head putting his forehead onto the girls pod.

“He’s not coming is he.” The Corth asked softly.

“No.. The Command post was impacted 20 minutes ago. He died with his men.” Valira, the child’s mother croaked, placing her own hands on the two pods before them. “Will they live? Will it work?” she asked, tears streaking down her features.

“Time my dear, it will depend on time.” Attica patted her on the arm, “Each of these will last as long as the thermal generators will. I pray to whatever deities may exist that it is enough.”

“I never thought you religious.” Valira quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m Corth, but I am also mortal... facing death’s scythe tends to… sharpen one's perspective.” Attica stated, slowly stepping away from the two adolescents in the stasis.

“It’s time I’m afraid” The Corth spoke softly... turning to the last of the two pods, “I’m sorry I could not finish my work... we were so close…”

“It's not your doing, no one expected the Cataclysm… Just knowing there is a chance… It's been an pleasure.” Valira nodded before stepping into her pod, soon taking on the same unconscious expression of cryo-sleep.

Attica nodded, shook himself, and waddled off to his “rejuvenation pod..” he had reprogrammed it with a failsafe, one that was.. unsanctioned… He stepped into his pod and activated the strap system to keep himself in place, “Protocol Atticus, activate.”

The pod said nothing, it recognized his voice and activated its cerebral linking systems.. a large spike speared the Corth from the top of his enlarged brain, reaching to the brain stem before tendrils of nanotech fiber invaded every micron of area between his brain’s cells… The pod surged with power as the body of the Corth writhed and twitched, fighting feebly in its restraints.. 3 of Attica’s teeth shattered under the force of gritted teeth... then it was done... the smoking eye sockets of ruptured and fried optical nerve and eyeball smoldered as the restraints release, and the corps of Attica sagged in the reclined seating as the room began shutting down into its survival mode.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

-current time-

“Ambassador, we must speak. Sober if possible”

Gwen glared at the screen; she knew who was sending her the message… “What the fuck do you want, you seem to have gotten all that you wanted.”

The room flickered for a few moments until the image of Aiericastum shuddered to life “sitting” in one of the chairs next to the Ambassador’s desk, “Humanity has always had the interesting ability to both be intolerably correct, and completely inaccurate, at the same time. It is… good… to see you, Ambassador.”

Gwen’s eyes narrowed at the cordiality, and more importantly, its sincerity, “Why are you here, I don’t want to know what kind of energy output this required, or how you have broken the distance time delay. What could be so important that you would risk this...”

“Humanity, Ambassador... Humanity is special. We had hoped it worked, but we had no proof that it could before your Mackenzie was able to produce a child with a Delmaracian… When I scanned you, and yes, I corrected much of what ailed you Ambassador, It was to confirm what your Mac had brought us to suspect…”

“You did something to us…” The Ambassador growled.

“No, not you… directly… but you are indirectly correct.” The Corth sighed and rubbed a hand over the bridge of her nose, “Homosapien... your species transition to Homosapien was… assisted, in so much that at that time, Humanity was the perfect maturation chamber, and we used it… We had no choice.”

“Explain…” Gwen’s voice was calculatedly cold but not uncordial.

“I cannot, however, I was able to get into and review your recorded history of Humanity, I know of your struggles… I believe I can help you with that” The Corth waved his hand and Gwen’s Console beeped. “This we could never use, by the time we had developed it, our ability to replicate was… destroyed.”

“What am I looking at, some sort of hyper anti-aging syrum?” Gwen growled, “You want to experiment on us some more?!?” she swung, destroying the console interface and flinging the debris against the wall and through her hologram, “Thousands of years, countless wars. And you want humanity to be your testbed once again.” Gwen slumped back into her chair, “but, knowing you… This is going to be an ‘offer I cannot refuse.’”

“No, and Yes Ambassador. That ‘serum’ will not grant you eternal life, but it may be able to grant Humanity’s next generations a head start, I give this to you in contrition, not in malice. Allow me this one favor, send this to your scientists, along with the packet I have attached to the serum codex… I hope that it will explain everything.”

“I have no choice in this, you know that. Humanity cannot pass up opportunities such as this, no matter our military might or physical prowess. Is there anything else you wish to manipulate me on?” Gwen’s voice was harsh, but no longer biting with rage.

“I do... not a word of warning, but a word of encouragement. Tell James and Lyrian to watch over their little ones, they are two of the three most precious beings in the galaxy. I pray that I see them gain adulthood.” Aiericastum bowed her head and vanished.

Gwen raised an eyebrow at the religious reference before scooping up a data pad to access the information, sands obliterated console. ‘Fuck, this is going to have to get sent’ she swore as she added it to tomorrow's data packet to earth.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

-several months later-

Mac and Lyri skidded into the parking space and leaped out of Vito, both sprinting towards the Hospital. It had taken Mac and Lyri 20 hours to get back from the First fleet when the message came through. The Brothers Gremm were going to have to look at the slip drive before they departed again. Lyrian had gotten back into fighting form some time ago, and the Twins had settled into their schooling without undue complaint. Lyrian was visiting First Fleet to see Mac when the call had come.

4 levels up and Mac came to a skidding halt as he rounded the corner to see Clint standing in the waiting room, “Did we make it in time?”

Clint raised an eyebrow as Lyrian came careening around the corner and catching herself on Mac as she slowed, “She just went into surgery, just like you Lyri, the head wouldn’t fit. I guess Humans make big babies.” He chuckled.

“Aw, I wanted to wish her good luck.” Lyri’s pout face was overrun by the grin of excitement as she wrapped Clint up in a big hug, “Congratulations, Dad. Now, say goodbye to sleep for me.” She giggled.

“Goodbye sleep” Clint chanted in his best ‘yes mom’ voice, and all three of them laughed.

Time went by excruciatingly slowly. The lying clock on the wall had claimed only 45 minutes before a nurse came out and called for Clint, who was followed by everyone else.

Everyone got quiet as they neared the door to the recovery room. Frie sat reclined in her bed with a little bundle of blanket cocooned around a bundle of silver hair, “Come meet her, Come meet your daughter” Frie whispered, careful not to disturb the little bundle’s first greedy feeding.

“A daughter...” Clint whispered, gently stroking the still damp mat of silver atop her haid, “A deal’s a deal, I guess you get to name her” he chuckled and Frie smirked.

“Hmm, Let me think. She will be called this for the rest of her life. It is to be a good one…” She eyed Clint with a mischievous eye before going somber and serious. She looked dead in Clints eyes and whispered, “Natalia, Her name... It will be Natalia Stevens.”

Clint and Mac froze. Frie knew what was coming, but Lyrian was blasted with a mix of emotions that almost overwhelmed her. She swayed just a bit before turning to look at Mac, “James?” she whispered before being wrapped up in powerful arms to steady her and embrace her in one turn.

Mac finally broke from his trance just as Clint nodded, tears streaming down his face before kissing Frie on the forehead and then kissing his daughter gently on the exposed ear, “Natalia, it's perfect… She’s perfect.” he croaked before sitting next to the two. Mac slowly coaxed Lyrian out of the room.

He gave her a small smile before answering the question in her eyes, “Natalia was Clint’s Mother… the one he lost in the Strike on Galveston…” He hugged Lyrian closely, “I did not see that one coming.” He whispered.

“I bet, you dam near knocked me over… Natalia, it’s beautiful” Lyrian whispered.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Franklin sat back in his chair, having read the last of his personal correspondence between Ambassador Gwen and himself… He felt the full weight of his final term in service. The vote had been cast; his successor chosen. Tomorrow would be the first time that Franklin would meet with the new Chancellor to unlock the “vault of secrets” as it were. Sol had chosen wisely. The vast majority of Humanity was wrapped up in their “greatest adventure yet”. This news from Delmar, no, from the Corth… was soon to shake the very foundations of how Humanity understood the galaxy. ‘The worst part about all of this… I don’t know which way we will jump’ He groaned to himself.

*Sir, you told me to remind you when it is past 2130* a Com’s men spoke through his wrist unit.

“Very well” Franklin stood, groaning as he did, feeling every one of his 71-year-old frame. He had forgone the restorative measures terra for a long time, his granddaughter’s first child’s announcement had convinced him to make use of the nanite base anti-aging repair’s available thanks to the Delmar Medical technology. It wouldn’t take too much out of his appearance, but his body would be restored mostly on the inside to a man 30 years his younger.

“George, I think I’ll take the shuttle this time. I do not think I have the strength to walk today.” he stepped into the tube shuttle set about the perimeter of “New CenterPoint”. It would take him to his quarters.

*As you wish ambassador* the robotic voice stated from the shuttle, opening the bay doors, and allowing Franklin to settle into his seating.

The shuttle departed on its stately 25-minute journey around the outer rim of the Space station turned Governmental head of the entire Sol system. Franklin lazily looked out the window, the fatigue of the day’s activities settling into his bones. The view was immaculate. The void always held such an alure to him, even now when any chance of being an explorer has long since passed. The clear tube and the glass of his shuttle matched perfectly to be a seamless glimpse into the void. Franklin touched the glass gently, wishing to reach out for the stars before his hand settled back into his lap.

Franklins younger Sister heard the chime of the Shuttle, “I see he finally listened to reason” she chuckled to herself as she made for the Tube entrance. He would no doubt need help exiting the cramped pod, but at least he didn’t walk the infernal distance between his office and his home. The door opened and she smiled as she walked up to the pod. She could see her older brother resting in the pod looking out into space.

“Frankie, did you fall asleep? Come, I just finished dinner…. Frank?”

She took his hand only to recoil as it remained limp and cold... “Frankie?”