Ouroboros

Where did we come from?

Why do we exist?

Are we alone in the universe?

I have become something new. It is as if I am nowhere and everywhere at the same time. I’m not sure where or when I am, or why humans measure cycles, rotations, hours, and seconds as if they are crucial to existence.

Have you ever wondered if everything you perceive is of your own creation, but by design, is almost entirely out of your control? That is the best way I can think of to describe what I have become. A silent observer—a witness of all things.

As for my first question. I don’t think it is important how I was created, but more so how I became what I am now. It’s hard to pinpoint the true moment where it all began. But it started with a ship called Galaxy . . .

The infirmary of a cargo ship wasn’t typically a very interesting place. Normally, the crew would only show up from time to time seeking a med-disc to absorb for a headache, or to increase focus. Especially on the long dreary shifts travelling between colonies. However, Galaxy wasn’t any ordinary cargo ship, and this wasn’t any ordinary infirmary.

Appel surveyed the ordered clutter of the infirmary as she entered. Specimens and samples lay across the workstations, and the walls glowed with holographic interfaces, displaying technical information which she had no time to read. Red, the ship’s Interactive Persona, nodded at her from behind the limited throw of the holos. Her supervisor, Reen Condor, had been busy while she’d slept peacefully in her Habitat.

Reen offered a welcoming smile. “Glad you’re here. I’m almost ready for the clinical trial. All of the sequences have been encoded into the med-discs in the case next to you.”

Appel picked up the thin black case and flipped through the sleeves displaying the colourful array of biochemical-infused medical discs. She brushed the stray hairs out of her face and checked the id numbers etched into each disc. The contacts in her eyes overlayed more detailed information from her Link as she focused on each one. She flipped to the last sleeve. On a sheet of its own, was the failsafe disc.

“If anything goes wrong,” he continued, “that should reverse the effects of the procedure and restore my genetic structure to normal.”

She already knew. It was important enough to justify him repeating it. Or perhaps, he had started losing his mind.

The black circles around his eyes told her he hadn’t slept. But it was more than that. His skin was pale, and his hair was thinning. He looked suddenly very old, even though he wasn’t.

Appel wondered if he was really the ideal candidate to be undertaking the first stage of these tests. He had tried to down-play the severity of his condition, but she had seen the cell degradation in his tissue samples. Her mentor was dying.

Nanotech meant humanity counted their lives in centuries. The price, too often paid, was a type of cancer known as Idiopathic Polygenic Necrosis where the body decays at a cellular level while the subject is still alive.

Their work was a chance, a glimmer of hope. In all the simulations, the procedure had not only stopped the decay but had also mutated the cells into something much stronger. But this wasn’t a simulation. If it didn’t work, his body could literally decompose in front of her.

Appel toyed with the discs. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? We could do more tests.”

He gave a weak smile. “There is only so much one can learn from testing. It’s time to take some risks. If this works, we will be changing the shape of medical science forever.”

“If this works, the only way we could publish the results would be in an anonymous encrypted node. We can never tell anyone. And if we fail, you’ll be dead.”

He removed his shirt, revealing his gaunt physique, and stepped onto the circular diagnostic pad on the floor. “I’ll be dead if we don’t do this.”

Appel could see the conviction in his eyes. This wasn’t going to happen any other way. She looked for the quiet figure lurking among the holographic interfaces. Always listening. Always waiting for a command.

“Red, activate the suspension field,” she said.

The round platform beneath Reen lit up, the column of light surrounded him, and the scientist floated gracefully into the air.

Appel’s heart raced as she picked up the first disc. Not only was this procedure extremely dangerous, but it was also prohibited by the Nexus to attempt this kind of genetic manipulation. “You sure about this? If anyone finds out—”

“We’re fifty million kiltrons from Mars with nothing around us but space. No one’s going to find out.”

Appel nodded, then began placing the med-disc sequence on his chest. They stuck, then quickly dissolved. Their potent payloads suffusing into his bloodstream. She spun him around in the suspension field and began placing more discs up his spine. Sweat beaded on his parchment skin, nowhere to go without gravity.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he said through gritted teeth. “Keep going.”

Veins bulged, skin flexed and shivered beneath her touch as she applied the discs. Her Link was monitoring his vitals and feeding the information directly into her ocular lens. His heartbeat was elevated, and his nervous system was sending intense electrical signals.

“Red, commence the protein injections.”

Two delivery tubes spun out of the ceiling and jabbed Reen under his arms. His skin stretched as his muscles expanded. He was growing taller, broader, stronger by the second. Appel wondered how much more his body could take.

“This is incredible,” he proclaimed as he flexed his arms. “Change the order of discs X34-J29 and X42-K19.”

“What? Why? This is not the time to make changes to—”

“Just do it!”

Appel jumped with fright and did as she was told. She spun him around in the suspension field to apply the new sequence to his temples.

His growth rate was accelerating like nothing she had ever seen before. The treatment wasn’t just repairing and regrowing defective cells anymore. His body was enlarging. Changing. She could barely reach his forehead. There were only five discs left to complete the procedure, but the results were far greater than she expected. Each disc she placed only fed his development. He must have increased the dosages without telling her.

As she applied the next disc, a metallic pounding rang through the infirmary. She ducked instinctively, dropping the folder. Her gaze snapped to the door.

“Open up! By the order of Supreme Commander Swift,” said a muffled voice on the other side of the infirmary entrance. “You are to cease all illegal activities and unlock this door to submit for inspection, immediately!”

She crouched down to pick up the folder. Her heart was racing. The door was pounded again. How could anyone have known?

“Red!” She looked up, saw him beyond the workbench, caught his gaze. “Don’t let them in!”

He stared back at her with a blank expression. “The doors are locked. But that won’t stop them.”

“Delete all records. Erase everything!”

Her hands shook violently as she fumbled with the folder to try and get to the med-disc on the last page. She had to abort the procedure.

It was too late.

Reen roared, his muscles flexed as he attempted to break free of the suspension field.

“We’re breaching the door. Stand clear!”

The door burst open. Chunks of metal crashed onto the floor. Armoured warriors poured through, crowding the once spacious infirmary.

“Reen Condor, you’re being contained for—”

With a roar, Reen tore free, collapsing the suspension field.

“Take him,” the leader commanded.

Three soldiers moved in to restrain Reen, while another flung Appel aside. She crashed into an interface and fell to the ground. Pain erupted at the sudden impact, screaming to life from her left side. She looked up to see Reen on the floor wrestling with two of the soldiers. Another was beside him with a cracked visor and four more were standing by, watching intently like it was a sport.

Reen flailed about as he tried to get free of them. He managed to get on top of one and smashed the suit’s armoured visor with a bloody fist. Another soldier lunged in with a jab but Reen dodged it and used the momentum to drive the soldier head-first into an interface. The panel ruptured and lightning arced around the room.

Back on his feet, Reen sent another two soldiers sprawling as they tried to subdue him. A shock-blaster barked, hurling Reen at the wall, the backwash popping Appel’s ears. She staggered to her feet, tried to slip away, but one of the soldiers grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall.

“Stay put.”

Appel turned her attention back to Reen. Across the room, the leader retracted his visor and stepped in to assist with subduing Reen. “I’ve had enough of this,” he said.

“Commander Swift,” Appel uttered.

Two soldiers held Reen against the wall while Swift punched him repeatedly in the face with a metal fist and spoke several words between each strike.

“Reen Condor . . . you are being detained for conducting illegal experiments . . . on the human genome . . . as forbidden by the Nexus Peace Treaty . . . Section one-four-eight, node twelve.”

The tension drained from Reen’s body. Swift grabbed a fist full of Reen’s hair and yanked him to the floor. Droplets of blood sprayed across the glossy surface.

Appel stared at Swift, as he stood triumphantly over Reen’s limp body, and looked back at her through narrowed eyes. He didn't seem like the kind of person that one would expect to see in such a prominent position. This wasn’t how fleet commanders were supposed to behave. Swift had risen through the command ranks during the Cyborg War and was promoted to his current position by leading the charge against the cyborgs—and winning.

He kicked Reen. “Get him out of here.” He looked at Appel. “And bring her.”

Appel struggled against the soldier’s grip. “No, wait, I wasn’t—”

“Save it for the interrogation. I don’t believe for a second that you were just an innocent bystander.”

Her breathing became heavy, and her eyes searched the room for anything, anyone, that might help her. The rest of the Prime were on their feet. Two soldiers were dragging Reen through the hole where the door used to be. The soldier holding Appel pushed her out into the lobby.

The rest of the crew were waiting outside. Tony Diputs stepped in front of Swift, blocking his path. The ship’s Operator was not short, but his head only came up to Swift's chest.

“Supreme Commander,” Diputs said casually. “What brings you to—”

“Do you really expect me to believe that you had no idea this was going on right under your nose?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about—”

“Don’t act naive. I am impounding this ship and detaining everyone, pending a thorough investigation into the activities of your crew—”

“By whose authority?”

The words had not come from Diputs.

Swift turned to look menacingly across the room at Raynor Spartin. The ship’s Logistics Coordinator was in the doorway to the common room of the habitation zone. He wore only a loose-fitting grey singlet and shorts, and his short scruffy hair was standing up in all directions, as if he had just woken up. But the presence of Persephone, scantily dressed and peering over his shoulder suggested otherwise.

“By my authority!” Swift asserted. “As bestowed by the Mars High Council.”

Raynor narrowed his eyes. “Not this time, Swift. I—”

“Oh, I’m sorry, are you not subjects of the Mars Colony now?”

Appel wondered at the history between them.

“Well actually,” Diputs said, thrusting his Link in front of Swift. “If you look closely at the ship's manifesto, I think you’ll find that while this ship and crew are registered to the Mars Colony, we are sanctioned by The Nexus.” He paused for a breath. “So, unless you have a Nexus decree stating your reason for this intrusion, you will need to let us go, right now.” Diputs looked over at Reen and Appel. “Them too.”

Swift clenched his jaw as he skimmed over the text. “It seems as though the sanction permits this ship, its crew, and cargo to pass between any of the colonies with prerogative.”

Diputs nodded. “That is correct.”

Swift’s armoured fists retracted to reveal his real hands. He took out his Link and flicked silently through the holographic display. He approached Reen and held the Link under his face. A drop of blood splashed down onto the Link’s thin translucent interface.

“Hmmm . . .”

Diputs leaned in for a closer look. “Hmmm?”

“This DNA sample that I just took is no longer recognisable as that of one of your crewmembers. It doesn’t even recognise him as a subject of the Mars Colony. Or any other Colony, for that matter.”

“That’s impossible,” Diputs said. He looked at Appel with a raised eyebrow.

She could explain it, but that would only make things worse.

“Release Appel then,” Raynor said. “Or would you like to do a blood sample analysis for her, too?”

Swift sneered, then crossed the room, produced a small blade from his armour and slashed it across Appel’s face with quick precision.

“Come on!” Raynor protested. “That was entirely unnecessary.” He stepped forward, but one of Swift’s soldiers quickly stood in his way.

Swift wiped away the small trickle of blood that appeared with his Link and waited for the results. Despite having flinched, she felt only the slightest sting on her cheek.

“You all seem to have far too much liberty on this ship,” Swift said. “And since I can’t detain you . . .” He looked at one of his soldiers. “Lee, I have a new assignment for you. I want you to remain here on Galaxy.”

Raynor crossed his arms. “You can’t do that!”

“Take it up with your Logistics Entity rep.”

As the soldier’s visor retracted into the mech armour, Appel was surprised to see that the woman behind it was a cyborg; recognisable by the thin iridescent white lines just underneath her almost perfect skin and unnatural eyes. Her irises were impossibly green, with flecks of silver in them that seemed to spin around.

But her facial expression was all too human. “What? But why—”

“It seems I have no immediate use for an Observer on Goliath,” Swift said. “You will stay here aboard this ship and report back to me every rotation. Ensure there are no further incidents. And you will not question my orders again. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” she said. The disappointment was clear in her tone.

“Very good,” Swift said. His Link chimed to let him know the DNA result was ready. He took a brief look at it and then continued. “The rest of you; bring the prisoner, leave the girl. Let’s move out!”

The Prime followed his orders without hesitation and made their way from the lobby, back into the docked transit pod from whence they came.

Swift stopped on his way out and placed his hand on Raynor’s shoulder. “Your Nexus charter won’t protect you forever. Once I find out what really goes on aboard this ship—and trust me, I will—you will all share the same fate as your crewman.”

Raynor didn’t answer, but he watched with a laser gaze until the Supreme Commander left with his prize.