Starborn: Origin of the Stars

“A deal?” Robin looked at Ang’Tue skeptically.

“Yes. I know you play it down, but you actually are still afraid I’ll mess up your genes or anything, right? We still don’t know each other that long after all. So, why not make a deal? I can help with your mutation, giving it something like an upgrade. However, in return you have to do something for me.” The old man said.

“What’s wrong with my mutation? What deal are you suggesting?”

“Your mutation is a bit different from others. Let’s go back to the analogy your friend used before. Our mutations are chapters that need to be unlocked, upgrades are just another chapter. Repairs help to fix missing pages of all your chapters. Your mutation right now has two chapters, so you already got an upgrade. However, what I cannot see is if there are more upgrades to unlock - which is interesting since I've never heard of such a case before. Your genes for the mutation are also completely repaired already. It’s the mutation itself which makes this a most fascinating case though.” Ang’Tue explained, his three eyes all sparkling with excitement while thin trails of smoke rose from the edges.

“The chapters of your mutation themselves somehow have other chapters that are still locked, sub-chapters if you want. The analogy gets a bit shaky here, but let’s assume it’s another feature to your mutation that is still not accessible to you right now.

I already noticed that your G-Anomaly is different from normal energy senses, but I didn’t realize just how far off it is!”

That was much to take and Robin had to think back to his meeting with Guard. Once more he really wanted to ask it, just what the fuck it had done to his genes. But then again, the anomalies started even before he met the Drel’s AI. His ability to sense Æther, the energy type the Keeper are using for their tech. His hyper-sensibility in regards to detecting even the faintest traces of energy.

Too much is just… wrong. If it is something he didn’t get from Guard, then he should have been born with it, right? The first instance where he noticed something different was when he interacted with the Keeper pyramid, but that encounter was not something that had fundamentally changed his genes, it could only have unlocked something at most.

So if he was born with it and a quick gene-analysis like this could reveal parts of these anomalies, shouldn’t the UAS already know about it? Like with everyone else, they checked his genes thoroughly after his G-Anomaly was unlocked. How could they have missed that? Were his genes still veiled at the beginning? Was the scanner they used too simple? Or do they know about his anomalies ever since then…

Robin began to feel the world press down on him like a heavy weight on his mind. He closed his eyes and tapped into his mutation. This way he at least could hide from the trist, gray surroundings and get some color back to his life - even if it only was a bright blue.

Slowly he breathed in and out, calming his mind.

“What deal are you suggesting?” He finally asked Ang’Tue, who stood next to him and had remained silent.

“I have the data, but I cannot send it from here - I need to go to Acosea. Only from there will I be able to contact the Eltaran. However…”

“You won’t be able to leave when the UAS comes. They will never let you walk away just like that.” Robin completed the unspoken sentence.

“Yes, I fear it will be like that. I’d like you to help me to get away from here, reaching Acosea, the capital of Seavis, and after that we can part ways. In return, I’ll help you to unlock the ‘sub-chapters’ of your mutation.”

Robin thought about that. It wasn’t an easy decision to be made, he would go directly against the UAS with that. If Keran blew this up, he would be really done for.

“Okay, you help me - and Patience by the way - and in turn I’ll promise you to try my best to get you to one of the big cities. But I cannot guarantee anything. Therefore, talk to Timothy, too. Explain to him, what he has to do to send the data himself. So if shit hits the fan and the UAS invites you to be a… long-term guest, you can at least be sure that the data reaches the Eltaran.”

“That… is more than what I could’ve asked for. Thank you.” Ang’Tue nodded in agreement.

“Great, so with that off the table, please begin. It is really awkward lying here naked on a stretcher all the time, while we have fundamental discussions about our future!”

Ang’Tue didn’t dally around after that and immediately began to tinker with the machines surrounding the stretcher. Robin was anxiously watching him. He wasn’t afraid of being double crossed by the Eltaran since he really needed Robin’s help, and to be honest, Robin never really was afraid of Ang’Tue messing with him in the first place.

He liked the old man and even though they knew each other only for so long, a basic trust was already built. Maybe it was because of them fighting together, maybe because of the old man just having this kind of charisma or maybe because Robin simply was too naive.

When he saw that Ang’Tue once more pulled back his sleeve, it finally dawned on him what the man meant, when he said ‘it will cost him’. How often has he led blood in the last 24 hours? That can’t be healthy, can it?

With some pistol-like tool Ang’Tue pointed at his own heart and began to groan in pain.

“What the hell are you doing?” Robin exclaimed in shock but was ignored.

The old man slowly pulled the tool towards his arm, as if he was dragging along something under the skin. With his other hand he grabbed what looked like a syringe and pricked it into his lower arm. Soon, when the pistol-thingy reached that spot, the syringe filled itself with a strange liquid.

The color is rose (67%)

The liquid is blood (31%)

‘Should be blood, right? But I saw him bleed before and at that time it was the same color as everyone else’s. This looks much brighter, as if it is blood diluted with water…’ Robin thought while he observed the process.

After half the cannula was filled, Ang’Tue put the tool away and pulled the needle out of his arm. Heavily panting he sat down on one of the office chairs to catch his breath.

“Mate, what the hell did you do? That’s no blood, is it?” Robin asked.

“That… is the price I have to pay to fulfill my side of the deal. It is related to the Eltaran’s affinity to mutations and not something we easily part with as reproducing it… forget it, let’s finish this.” Ang’Tue said and stood up. He put the cannula into a little slot at the side of the stretcher and returned to the desk where the computer that controlled this machine was.

“Ah right, that will hurt a bit. You better bite down on your shirt.”

“What? Really?” Robin began to overthink this whole endeavor but still grabbed his shirt and stuffed it in his mouth.

“Okay, ready? 5.. 4.. 3…” Ang’Tue said and began to count down. However long before he reached zero, Robin felt something impaling him and began to scream as if he was skinned alive. Luckily his mouth was stuffed, so it was more like a muffled yelling, mixed with lots of tears that dripped down his face.

The pain was nearly unbearable. His back hurt as if someone had stuck a hundred nails in it all at once. Despite his wavering mind that wanted to fade into unconsciousness, Robin thought back to the many holes in the stretcher and realized that this may very well be the truth. Just when he finally saw himself winning the fight against the raging pain, he heard the old man’s voice from far away.

“Okay, now the painful part begins, be prepared!”

‘What…?’

Pain, a world of nothing but pain! The little pricks in his back from before were nothing in the face of the pain from his genes which were getting forced into new shapes against their will. His whole body felt like it was on fire, prickling and numbing, burning and freezing, pressured and torn apart - all at the same time.

Suddenly, new pain followed - pain in his face…. And there it was again. It was nothing compared to the rest, but still disturbing. Once more his face hurt and Robin forced his eyes open. Someone stood over him and slapped him full force.

“There you are, stay with me young man. It’s nearly done!”

The figure was right, not as quickly as it came, but still faster than expected, the pain subsided and peace returned.

“You did well! Falling unconscious isn’t that dangerous but it takes much more time to recover afterwards - and we don’t have much time left.” Ang’Tue said and pointed at the door where Patience stood with a horrified expression.

“What the fuck is going on here???” She yelled, fear and anger mixed in her voice.

“Just some repairs to his mutation, no worries. He will be back in top shape in no time.” The Eltaran awkwardly chuckled.

“I’m fine, thanks for caring. Don’t beat him up just yet - I think I agreed to this somewhat.” Robin spat out his shirt and cawed, his voice not fully recovered.

Carefully he sat up and reached for his back and touched his wet skin. He couldn’t find the expected wounds, the needles must have been very thin or they injected a strong healing stim before retreating - probably both. The pain was really gone by now, he felt… good?

Grinning, he stood up from the stretcher and looked at Patience with arms wide open.

“See, everything is fine. I feel great actually!”

Patience just stared at him, eyes wide open. From behind him, he heard Ang’Tue give a little cough. When he turned around, he saw his reflection in one of the glassy panels.

Not only was he butt naked, his whole body had a glistering sheen as if it was wet.

“Is that…”

The color is red (100%)

That is your blood

“Burn in plasma!” Robin yelped and quickly covered his private parts.

“I… just what the fuck…” Patience was still struggling for words.

“Yeah, stop gawking already and prepare yourself! You are going next!” He scowled but she only looked as if he was an idiot.

“I’m going next? Have you lost your mind?”

“Ah well, young miss, a poor choice of words on his part. I’ll help you with a standard repair of your genes, no bloody mess involved, I promise.” Ang’Tue tried to salvage the situation.

“No blood and no getting naked, I assume!” She scowled.

“Of course! I would never…” The old man said defensively and began to sweat when he saw her angry glare.