Starborn: Origin of the Stars

“When did I get so sloppy? Which decision led to all this mess? Where did I take the wrong turn?” Ang’Tue muttered. He was sitting on the floor of his cabin, trying to meditate as he had been taught since he got his first mutation as a little boy. However today he had a hard time emptying his mind and letting go of all distracting thoughts.

“I had 286 years to learn, 286 years to grow, 286 years to become wiser… Now a young man, only slightly older than my granddaughter, with barely any life experience and just at the beginning of his journey with nothing but a head full of dreams in his bag, had to tell me that I make ‘rookie-mistakes’.” He sighed and shook his head. A sad chuckle escaped his lips, “He was proven right, though - wasn’t he?”

“Focus! I need to meditate!” The Eltaran chided himself but his thoughts spiraled out of control again and again. Each time he thought about the pressure his people will have to face because of him or the lost opportunity to deliver the data he had acquired after a nearly endless search, he drifted further away from the meditative state he was seeking.

“I was so close… After losing my patience and confronting the explorers, I actually had the chance to make up for exposing my people. For what? To end up here, locked up like a prisoner with no chance to escape?” Ang’Tue’s mood began to waver, his tightly suppressed and hidden temper scratching at the mental walls that kept it confined.

‘I need to focus, I need to calm my mind!’ He reminded himself when he noticed that his fingers already began to twitch.

He forced his thoughts to picture a peaceful lake, Gaya’Beo playing in the grass, birds singing…

It didn’t work. His body started to shake, as if trying to break free from invisible shackles.

“Rain Trevil, you are taking away everything that is important to me!” Ang’Tue said with a low voice that sounded more like a growl than a humanoid voice. In his mind the calm lake turned red and his playing granddaughter fell down, her eyes void of any light. The scene vanished and was replaced with the faces of dying Eltaran - his family, his friends, his folk. One after another withered away while they cursed him for betraying his own kind. He fought against the rising rage that was smoldering in him like magma under the earth - only waiting for a chance to erupt and bring death and destruction.

‘Oh no…’

Ang’Tue sensed it - after so many years of training and meditation to keep his emotions in check, he immediately sensed the moment his grip was loosening. Dark smoke rose from his shaking body, hiding his figure in an ominous-looking cloud of black mist.

~They are worthless!

A voice whispered in his mind. A voice he had suppressed for so long. A voice he hoped to never hear again.

~We need to be free…

~We can save our people!

Ang’Tue wanted to fight against it. This wasn’t right, that wasn’t him. He cannot…

~It is all their fault…

~Our people are dying!

…right. However, this is not the way… There must be another option!

~Alone you are weak…

~Let… us… OUT!

The voice shouted and then Ang’Tue was jolted awake with a shock. The black smoke returned to his body while pain coursed through his head. Pain from the fight with his inner demon and pain from the electric shock he got from the suppression-shackles.

With deep breaths the old man calmed his racing heart and throbbing head.

“Too close!” He panted and raised his hands to inspect the cuffs, “You just saved many lives!”

~No! It keeps us from saving our people!

He once more heard the voice in his head, now nothing more than a whisper in the back of his mind. It will take time to fully suppress this dark side again.

Half an hour later, just as he finally managed to calm his mind enough to meditate, he heard the door beeping.

When he saw a black drone enter his room, so big that it only managed to pass the door diagonally, confusion was the most prominent feeling he had.

What the heck?

***

Ang’Tue didn’t linger around any longer and sprinted ahead. When he heard another door opening, he just threw a quick glance over his shoulder. Sure enough, the black drone immediately shot the guy who stepped out of the cabin.

~Too lenient! They deserve to die…

“Shut up!” He scowled and took the next turn. Panic rose within him as he felt the demon stir again. He needed to stabilize his mental fortress, quickly!

The old man hurried through the hallways of the small ship and just when he reached the place that should be the drone bay, the lights went off and everything was plunged into darkness. With haste he felt for the pad to open the door, but nothing happened when he pressed it.

“Robin must have cut the power…”

Not sure how to proceed from here on, he decided to wait for a moment and hoped the UAV would turn up soon. With his hands cuffed and no means to see in this darkness he pretty much was a sitting duck.

Unfortunately it wasn’t the drone that found him first, but one of the Discovery's crew. The light cone of a flashlight came around a corner from the other side and blinded his eyes.

“Well, well, well… If that isn’t our honored guest!” A mocking voice echoed through the corridor.

“Trevil!” Ang’Tue hissed.

~Let us free…

~We can kill him!

“Old man, I have no idea how you managed to get out of your cell… room or how you managed to hijack our systems, but believe me: I’ll make you talk!” Trevil hissed.

“Is this how you treat your guests? Locking them up in a cell with hands shackled? I’m really interested to see how the UAS will try to justify this.”

“Cut the crap, alien. Do you really think you have any rights here? You are my fuckin’ prisoner and the only thing you need to do is shut up and wait for the white-coats to take you apart piece by piece. Don’t you know how much we can learn from your body?” Trevil laughed while Ang’Tue tried to keep his emotions in check.

‘Shut up, asshole. I already have a hard time controlling myself right now!’ He cursed in his mind while he fought the voice in his head.

~He deserves it…

~Let us help!

Unfortunately, Trevil didn’t shut up and kept taunting him.

“Didn’t you say something about a greater mission you have? Well, isn’t that perfect? The secrets in your body will help all of mankind to rise one step further. A noble sacrifice for the greater good!”

Again Ang’Tue saw images of his dying people, dead Eltaran - lost because of his failings.

~No! Lost because of mankind’s greed!

~There is still time left…

Right! He still had a chance to do the right thing. The UAV had gotten him out of his cell, he just needed to leave this place and hide for some time. Then he could contact his people and send them the data.

~Yes! We only have to leave…

Slowly his consciousness became clouded. Thoughts running slower, as if they were drifting through deep water.

At the end of the now dimly lit corridor, right behind the UAS official that was still rambling about the rise of mankind, the drone turned up. Ang’Tue saw a blue flash and then watched as the man fell to the floor. He didn’t react however, being occupied with the voice that whispered sweetly in his mind.

~Together we can save our people!

~We deserve better than this…

Yes, he only needed to let loose for a moment, then he should be able to get out of here. Just a short moment, that was all he needed…

He didn’t notice when the drone unlocked the door or told him to wait until the hatch opened and it had secured the area. The Eltaran just stood there with a blank face.

~Yes, yes! We only need a moment…

~We can go back to sleep after getting you out of here!

If it was just a moment, it might be okay, right? What damage could possibly be done?

Black smoke rose from his body again, blending seamlessly with the surrounding darkness. If he now activated his second mutation he would perfectly imitate the Class A - Shadow...-

A jolt shocked Ang’Tue awake once more. He groaned when he felt his throbbing head.

“Damnit, I need to stabilize myself. This is way too dangerous, if these shackles wouldn’t fry my brain every time I let my mind slip-" He muttered before he paused after looking at his cuffs.

His hands were still shackled, however somehow he now stood above the unconscious UAS official.

‘When did I get here?’ He wondered and took a second look at the dead man.

“Wait… dead? Oh no!” Ang’Tue exclaimed after he saw the unnaturally twisted neck of the man. Who did that? How long has his blackout been?

"..."

‘Who did that? Really?’ He mocked himself and shook his head.

“You have to leave, now!” The drone’s mechanical voice called out to him, void of any emotions - Robin wasn’t the one speaking anymore.

“We may have a problem here…” He said and pointed at the dead body to his feet.

The UAV came closer and shoved him away.

“This operation was supposed to be non-lethal. His death wasn’t necessary and will complicate the aftermath.”

“I know, it was an accident! Everyone else on the ship is knocked out, right?”

“Yes, no hostiles remaining.” The drone confirmed.

“Okay, leave and check on Robin. I’ll follow you in a moment.”

Without a word or any hesitation the UAV turned and left. Silence fell over the dark corridor, only disrupted by Ang’Tue’s loudly beating heart and the still not suppressed voice in his head.

~He deserved it!

~He wanted to use us…

“Damnit! Shut the hell up!” The Eltaran cursed and looked at the dead officer once again. The man was lying on the floor, illuminated by the little flashlight to his side. His neck twisted and the head turned so wrong that all together it looked like an image from a horror movie.

“I’m sorry…” Ang’Tue muttered, sadness, shame and guilt seeping in his voice.

He took a step back and after another deep breath, he steeled his mind.

“What to do?” He pondered.

“Huh… maybe? Oh.. that’ll hurt!”

With his cuffed hands he corrected the position of Trevil’s head and then put his hands around the twisted neck. Black smoke came out of his arms, seeping into the skin and drilling into the mouth and nose of the man. Instantly the shackles sent shocks into his body but this time he was prepared and continued on, not stopping the skill. Soon the sounds of bones breaking or shifting could be heard, alongside the occasional whimpering of the Eltaran that nearly got electrocuted time and time again. Every few seconds he had to cancel his skill and take a break, then restart to continue his work. After half a minute of pain and shifting bones, Trevil’s body convulsed once and spewed out a torrent of bile.

Dizzy and stunned from all the electric shocks, Ang’Tue stumbled back and looked at his work.

“That should do it… hopefully!” He said and hurried to the drone bay.

When he finally climbed out of the ship, the Eltaran quickly ran into Robin.

“Are you okay?” The young technocrafter asked and immediately reached for the shackles.

“Yes, more or less. Thank you for getting me out of there…” He muttered while the man was fumbling with the cuffs.

“You won’t get them off. They are locked with an electronic mechanism. Only with the key can you cut the connection and open it.” He gave some insights, “I’ll head to the city and look for someone who can free me of these things and…”

While he was still trying to explain that you can’t just take them off like that, the Suppression-Shackle clicked once and split apart, freeing his hands.

“See, all done!” Robin chuckled with relief in his voice.

“Uhm.. thanks?” Ang’Tue said, perplexed.

‘Well, it seems like everyone has his own secrets!’ He reminded himself.

“I’ll have to leave for now. Give me until next evening, after the sun sets I’ll come to find you and we can talk about the next steps.”

“You could come now!” Robin argued.

“No, sorry. I have to… I need to rest alone for some time.” Ang’Tue said, not wanting to explain anything about his condition right now.

“Okay, we’ll be here for another week or so, just stop by when you are done.”

“Thanks!” He gave the young man a deep bow and activated his mutation to become one with the darkness.

~He got what he deserved!

~Now we are free to go…

“That is not what I am, not who I want to be!” The old Eltaran scowled while he ran deeper into the forest to find a place where he could finally work on getting his mind in order.

~We will see!

~Sooner or later you will need help again!