The Uplift Protocol: In the Beginning

Issue 6: The Curious Case of Proctor Ganis

Thanks to Arthon’s extensive research in the field, alongside his Redeemer teammates we have a working Light Shaman theory for expelling the corruption within the Sleeper nanites. Now we just need the instruments Sister Nyx used to create the evil things.—Proctor Ganis

My father and grandfather knew it. They volunteered to be sealed within a cryo pod. So they wouldn’t hurt At’lan. Ganis is the only one besides At’lan with access to that area of the ship. Even I can’t go in. Its to help us protect the files and data on the nanites. Of the At’lan Population of over 2.6 million, just over 105k are infected with sleeper nanites. Most are dormant. The active agents include Amazing Grace. Thanks to Ned and his demi powers, we reverse-engineered the signal from my father and grandfather to track other sleepers.—Arthon

The reason why Proctor Ganis wasn’t too active outside of At’lan? The sleepers became infected once they left the safety of the Markav Terraforming vessel. So the outer scouting units, many of the Muthra, came in contact with the enemy. We think Chronos’ people would fire regular beams and then slip in a shot or two of nanites. Which explains why he was more concerned with a cold war with the old A51 vs being open about it. They wanted the sleepers to do more internal damage. Hoping to grab demis via the Iron Order of Micheal Brookes’ time. OR even early experiments like those performed on the Morrigan.—Sleeping in Starlight, a memoir of the 22nd century.

At’lan

Medical Wards

April 2oth, 2104

Proctor Ganis rose as Arthon entered. His dark face was framed by white glasses.

His silver coat and medical pants with green highlights as immaculate as ever.

Arthon was shocked the man got enough daylight. Such as it was here.

“Was the raid on the Ring World successful?”

Arthon handed him a data cube, “It’s all there. Even got a schematic of the device Sister Nyx used on the initial batch of sleepers. But we have to travel to Unity universe to get the material to make the compound. Then Ned can reverse engineer it to infuse people with the Light Shaman cure.”

Ganis asked, “Is it safe for Star to re-inter that place?”

Arthon replied, “No. Her brother will gather what we need. He can hide much better from the warped physical and Weave of Death surrounding that whole Universe.”

Gansis viewed the data, “Hmm. I see. You need me to work on the basis for the nanite delivery. The Light Shamans bless it, then we have the Weave Speakers pinpoint the best location to deliver this to. Can we make enough to put into water sources or otherwise? Most races can drink basic H2O.”

“Dawnbreaker will make sure of that. “

This was also why they had to hide Proctor. He was one of the few within At’lan who was also a part of the Arcane Council. He walked over to his bookshelf. Flipping through some tomes until he found what he was looking for.

“First, thanks to your father and grandfather we have the modern iteration of the nanite sequence. “ The floor shifted and a door appeared. They walked downward. The room was empty save for a row of medical pods. Ganis ordered, “Prepare to receive baseline Sleeper Nanites!”

The pods hummed to life.

He turned to Arthon, “When you have the initial batch ready, your father and grandfather agreed to be the testers. Their muthra implants make them durable beyond normal parameters. I asked Doctor Impossible to bring her enhanced medical probes as well. We will not let your family fall my boy.”

Arthon whirled as his mother stepped into the room. Her face pensive, “I place all my faith in you Gansis. And you. My steadfast son. Find the cure. Find this Nyx and stop her from hurting more people.”

She added, “Your grandfather was infected via his battles with Thoth during the Iron Order skirmishes with the US Demis and beyond. He didn’t want to worry Sul and the others so it was kept between him and the Proctor.”

Ganis brought up another display, “The nanites aren’t passed to people by touch or to their children.”

So he didn’t have to worry about his mother or himself developing them. This also explained why many of the active sleepers were distant. Amazing Grace took herself off the clearance codes for Muthra. Remaining with Earth as her demi cover. That was also why his family was under ice. They wanted to make sure they slept instead of being used for evil.

The old doctor continued, “They are specifically made to target individuals with certain genetic markers. Based on whatever brood batch Nyx cooked up. Human for Human. Typherian for Typherian. So we need Light Shamans of the same race as well. To imbue the cure within.”

Arthon winced. “So the Typherians are screwed?!”

His mother looked away. Hand over her mouth.

Docking Ring

Jupiter Rising Entry Way

I picked mom up with one hand while floating over with the special delivery for Arthon in the other. I shouted, “FROM ARTOCKS ANONYMOUS! FIRST CLASS!” Arthon shook his head, “Well at least you are more prompt than the Grav Cars of the US Post Office.”

He glanced at Mom, “She can walk you know. 2nd trimester doesn't mean….”

Mom didn’t quite glare. Being near me helped my two of 3 siblings with some empathic qualities stay quieter. At least during the day. At night they were surprisingly docile. I think Dad had something to do with that. Arthon got the hint, “Ahh. Well if it makes the triplets of future demi work happy…”

J’ino grated out, “Sorry. But it’s true. These three are far more active than Eliza and Dexter ever were.” I placed the spoils of tech on the transport. “Anything else?” Arthon shot a worried glance at mom. “No. I think we have it for now. You take care of your mom.”

Baby Number 1 started to kick. The other two thought this was a fabulous idea and started as well. I rested a hand on her stomach. Pouring my emotions into them. Guiding them to a more comfortable area. They paused. Their minds reaching out to mine. Sending fleeting images. My hunch? They’d form faster than Dexter and me.

Mom nodded, >>I’m already eating like I was around 7 months with you and Dexter.<<

So that’s why Dad had her under ship arrest. Dexter also. I sensed an extra layer of alertness within him. I carried mom over to the food dispensers. She practically ordered the whole menu and dug in. Gulliver waddled over and quacked. Jumping onto the table. Then he settled in. “Arthon’s gonna need us to stay put for the next few hours. Then it's off to Earth. We will find that thing and stop it.”

White shimmered.

The armor half phasing onto my body before retracting.

I grabbed more drinks. From water to tea to a Markav special: It was like human coffee but had a fruity aftertaste that mom adored. Sul’sandra and Taleer finished loading cargo into Jupiter. Then Sul came over to me, “I will also be joining you for a while. At’lan has things well in hand. I want to find this Nyx and end her horrors. Think she’ll go after Illarium?”

I nodded, “She probably wants to do more experiments on Light Shamans. Natet said that when Nyx initially hit the Mining complex she made a beeline for the “Children of Light”. Sul growled low in her throat. “Taleer has found evidence she is traveling from Earth to Mars. Passive for now but I do not count on that for long.”

The Admiral drank heavily then cleared her throat, “She even entered our Temple. But didn’t show up on normal scanners. It was Natet who smelled her foul presence.”

Mom shuddered and I put an arm around her shoulder, “We will figure out how to help Typha too. I promise.”

But where to find Light Shamans for them? White’s emotions turned within me.

White blurted out, <>

It was a start.

Project Alarm Clock

At’lan’s Core

Tivus dreamed. Within cryo, many thought your brain completely shut down.

That was far from the truth. At least with At’lan. Tivus was able to watch. To see through At’lan’s eyes. The various probes going about this place. To remain ever vigilant for Keeper activity.

So many were primed to do the bidding of Unity. But not enough.

It still hungered for more.

But At’lan guarded a secret.

The last resting place of a “Lost” Typherian colony.

They had been dubbed fanatics but that colony was the only chance to reclaim Typha’s lost Weave Speakers and Light Shamans. The problem was, they were deep within old Markav territory for the Milky Way. Behind a barrier that none but other Typherian Light Shamans could reach. Luckily for them, one of J’ino’s triplets showed signs of having an affinity for channeling the Weave’s energies. They would have to be careful.

For that would be a prize to end all prizes for Sister Nyx.

Jupiter Rising

Orbit of Earth

Thomas Murphy leaned on the wall.

The observation dome unlocked as he gazed out at the curvature of Earth. Its hab rings even busier than usual. Dexter beside him, “You know it will hunt for mother. She missed us once. We cannot let her find the triplets.”

Ta’mathon appeared. “They will hold the influence of the Three. To what extent even my sight cannot pierce.” Thomas had been shocked speechless when Dexter relayed the memories of his birth to his father. His son hadn’t been disappointed. He had understood his father’s motivations during that time. Eliza would too, Dexter was sure of it, but Thomas still had some unfinished business with Sister Nyx. He intended to collect.

Dexter reached out into the Weave.

Black’s influence guiding him.

Souls were returning to the whole of the Ouroboros. The next generation would be more potent than the last. The Weave was planning on a resurgence of Light Shamans and Weave Speakers. They had already cleared out a solid third of the Arc Ways around the Terran Alliance space. But they would need to clear out the old Markav territories as well. They needed to make sure the souls of the next cycle had the best chance. Black rumbled, <>

Dexter told his father, “Nyx does have a breaching point within New Ashbury. We going to bring Eliza into this?”

Thomas replied, “Not just yet. I want her to remain close to her mother. It looks like White genuinely calms the children. If Eliza isn’t available or I am not, I ask that you guard your mother.” Dexter agreed.

“I have to ask, how is keeping our Typherian names from the Houses going? Granted V’alkor and M’taris know them. But why deny this?”

Thomas smirked, “Because your mother knows how much it rankles the social norms. But she’s playing the long game. You will know yours soon enough. She also wants to do it when your actual heritage comes out.”

Dexter hooked his hands behind his head. “Oh boy. At the Well of Ancients.” That place was the most sacred upon Typha. A direct connection to the souls of the past. According to legend. He rubbed his chin. Lamenting the fact that his wild beard had to be tamed. Oh well. At least it was fashionable. He hoped to find some interested ladies beyond the harpies ogling him for his genetic gifts. He wasn’t into firey types. He imagined Eddie would love someone even more aggressive than Doc. No, Dexter wanted a passionate woman. But one who would see him as a friend and provider. Not just a stud out to pasture.

His eyes grew bleak as more “offers” hit his INet account from Typha’s eligible House ladies. Even those reality show women of Earth had more class. He automatically erased everything from Eliza’s Banner account. While he had quite a few offers, she had nearly triple the requests, plus she saw that Lorain had automatically forwarded most to Q’vera. The Red Defender was having a field day diverting even more requests. No one wanted to bother Eliza with this anyway. With his mother farther along in her pregnancy, no one wanted to rock that boat either. So Q’vera took the Ayeer mantle of Rejecting all the Suitors with expert seriousness. If he had a dollar for every time she had busted a gut, he’d be 100k richer.

He added his father in on some of the more outrageous requests.

Even that man’s Texan upbringing cringed at the desperation with these House females. Thomas winced, “Have they no self-respect? The only ones not in this race are M’tah, Odessen, and Ithar. Hmm, over 800 men applying to win my daughter. Along with 50 women.” He shot Dexter another befuddled look.

“300 women and 20 men for you today. How is this so normal for Typherian Houses yet the Commons would give most the side-eye?” Thomas cracked his knuckles. Feeling his shoulders tense up. These people didn’t understand his children at all. Or even his wife.

“The Houses are known to love power more. Most of the Commons just work their regular 9 to 5. Honest and less inclined to lord it over people. So far, the only Houses they will give the time of day to are Odessen, us, or M’tah.”

Thomas moved to the edge of the observation deck. “Kinda like the idea of working royals then?” His son nodded, “Yep. They aren’t as insular. Be glad you didn’t have to go through all the protocol meetings that Zach did. I get why he’s super happy Eliza is the scion now.”

Dexter’s face lit up with a genuine smile. “He has a running bet with Q’vera on how much fainting will happen every time Eliza addresses a man as an equal within the social realm.” Thomas patted his son on the back, “That’s the ticket. Let’s go round up the team. I bet even J’ino is getting stir crazy.”

*****

J’ino floated in the Jupiter’s recreation pool. Hoping that the babies would take the time to have a nap. Eliza had given Cooper a turn at the wheel, so to speak, by encasing Mrs. Murphy in a green construct in the form of an inflatable donut. Then the Bardaxian proceeded to float around in a wide arc. Pulling the exhausted mother along. Arthon was in a heated discussion with Lorain but J’ino felt her eyelids grow heavy. They had finally stopped kicking the equivalent of her bladder in humans.

Thank the Lord.

The last thing she felt was two strong arms lifting her from the pool.

*****

Mom was finally asleep.

Dad was doing his heroic thing and wrapping her in a plush towel.

Lorain was negotiating with Arthon. I focused on Cooper’s heartbeat to stop myself from eavesdropping. Remembering a certain Hobbit. I did not want to get thumped by Lorain. Her gift was terrifying in many ways. She paused. Leaning away from Arthon. Lazer focused on me.

I was in trouble. I felt it in the water. I felt it in the air. The one ring to….

*****

Lorain smiled sweetly at Arthon. The Muthra feared for Eliza. The couch variety of troubles. Lanis made a curling motion with her fingers and Captain Murphy tumbled into the water. A moment later her head broke the surface. She mimicked the dog paddle to make it to the ladder. She yelled, “And in the Water bind them!” Doc stuck her tongue out and made that motion again. Murphy wobbled and fell back into the water. But not before Arthon caught the grin on Eliza’s face.

Women.

He shrugged and thanked Lorain, “This will come in handy. Still need to gather enough samples from the other major races.” The cloud of worry didn’t return. So that’s what Eliza had been doing. His mother’s faith would be rewarded. Helena didn’t raise a fool. A soaking wet Murphy stood next to him a minute later. Her eyes sparkling. “This fool of a Took would like to speak to the sorceress for a moment.”

Lorain rolled her eyes, “What’s gotten into you?”

Eliza draped a towel around her neck, “Got ya to laugh didn’t I?”

Lanis frowned, “What makes you think I was upset?”

Murphy moved in to tap Lanis between the eyes.

“Blood was constricting. I didn’t want you to get a migraine.”

Arthon recorded this conversation. Hoping to decipher the female brain later.

He wondered why they didn’t just come out and say, “Hey! I noticed you were down. Did a funny. You happier now?”

“Indeed I am. Thanks, Captain!”

Thomas walked past with a comatose J’ino cradled in his arms.

Her head resting against his neck.

It got him thinking. It was time to talk strategy with Eddie, Dexter, and Arthur.

He had a feeling Eliza and Lorain would be debating the finer points of things for hours.

*****

Arthur ran around the track. Letting his mind wander. Rodger, his giant gray Great Dane kept pace. This ship had everything they could ever need. Eddie was ahead. Running in stride with Arthon. They waited until he caught up. In between breaths, “What’s up now lads?”

Eddie puffed, “Prospects! Any idea where we could find more Light Shaman help?”

Arthur consulted his Intez. “Indeed!” They ran another 3 miles. Goading each other to go as fast as they could. Pausing to hit the showers. After all three men gathered within the officer’s mess. Finding Taleer and Dexter there as well. The Markav gave that 3 fingered salute over his heart. Arthon grinned, “Let’s discuss options!”

*****

As we exited the showers, Cooper was waiting patiently on the other side of the privacy curtain. I could tell because of the shape of the silhouette and the heartbeat. Doc had decided to practice more with that nerve blocking thing. It worked on me despite my invulnerability because of her Mark connection to me. I didn’t mind. If I went mind-controlled bonkers I’d want her to be able to stop me. She wanted to test her limits with someone she trusted. So I was the guineapig. I also learned something vital. She was extremely ticklish. Near the ribs.

After we dressed, I threw a water bottle her way.

She drank it. Her eyes filled with mirth.

Once done, “I’ll have you know, medically I am at the top of my game.”

She jumped on my back, “Time for some payback Cornfed.”

Cooper barked, <>

I ran. My Bardaxian followed.

Today had been a good day.

*****

As Eliza ran with a steady gait, Lorain deleted more of those horrid mating proposals. So many House members wanted Eliza to be the next broodmare of genetic wonders! Dexter had it pretty bad as well but since the Houses prized females within the breeding circles and social climbing, their bloodlines were cherished even more within certain domains. No wonder the Commons saw the Houses as insane. Many normal Typherians mated for life. 1 to 1. None of this extra 2nd or 3rd House branch bastard business. It made some old Earth royal dynasties and bloodlines look tame in comparison. She knew if Eliza found out now that things would get messy very quickly. V’alkor needed her fully accepted even by this subsection of Typherian society if he planned for Dexter and Eliza to take real stewardship of the Throne Matrix.

So Lorain continued the ruse.

Taunting the would-be suitors with barbs.

Once they got to Typha, she’d let them have it full blast, with the extra social ques she had learned from Louis Lanis.

The Commons would be vindicated.

While the Lying House would lose its hold on the planet.

She had other reasons why she was practicing the nerve blocks on Eliza.

Lanis wanted to learn the limits so she could apply this to Void Walkers.

That Hilary thing would never lay a hand on Eliza again.

Doc would make certain of it.