Reticulum
Paris, France, Nov. 21, 1783
A large, festive crowd had gathered to watch the first official manned, untethered, hot air balloon flight. Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier had built the balloon and Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurent comprised its courageous crew. Prominent spectators included Benjamin Franklin, the representative from America, who usually found time to set aside his diplomatic duties when he wished to pursue his scientific interests.
As the balloon began its historic ascent, someone nearby questioned the usefulness of this new invention. Franklin replied with a question, "Of what use is a newborn baby?"
A young man joined the exchange with, "This could be our first faltering step to the stars." Waving his arm to encompass the firmament, he asked rhetorically, "I wonder if beings like us live out there?"
Reticulum
Concurrently, near the far southern constellation of Reticulum, a race of aliens sought to answer the same question. Reticulum, named by Lacaille in his Coelum Australe Stelliferum of 1763, occupies a position midway between the stars Achernar and Canopus. Two adjacent spectral class 'G' stars, zeta one RET and zeta two RET, are only thirty and thirty-three light years distant from Earth respectively. Alor, the only planet of zeta two RET, is the home of a technologically advanced species of life that called themselves Alorians.
The Alorians, while quite alien in appearance, are physiologically similar to humans in size, form, and function. Many generations of brutal rule under martial law had impoverished the Alorians while developing weapons for which there was no need. A significant technological development, based upon their knowledge of immaterial force field generation, enabled them to create a passageway through hyper space. Their "Portal" would almost instantaneously shift cargo and living creatures between two Portals tuned to each other. Further experiments revealed that operating in a planetary gravity well limited the range of the Portal despite its theoretically unlimited range when operated off-planet.
The Supreme Leader of Alor ordered the design and construction of a computer piloted interstellar vessel. This vessel, the Star Warrior, would serve to transport a Portal to their nearest neighbor, the star we know as zeta one RET.
They began with the placement of a large asteroid, intended to serve as an impact shield for the vessel, into a stationary orbit above Alor. Several warships began to carve the asteroid with energy beams to create a balanced, symmetrical hemisphere of metallic stone, the flat side of which measured a thousand meters in diameter. Cargo ships then began to deliver shelters, shops, and a Portal unit for installation on the flat side of the asteroid. They then began to portal up prefabricated components composed of a synthetic material formulated for an extremely cold environment.
Construction began with the assembly of a cylindrical structure deeply embedded in the center of the flat side of the asteroid. This structure, five meters in diameter and four kilometers in length, ended in a base structure designed to house the propulsion system of the vessel. Concurrently, a mold assembled from portaled up components began to produce circular ribs measuring five hundred meters in diameter. They connected these ribs, placed at equidistant intervals around the entire length of the central core, with a network of cables to complete a truss-like structure.
Upon completion of the vessel's framework, two Portals designed for continuous operation delivered streams of mineral bearing water that quickly froze, thereby filling the interior of the vessel with ice. A third Portal delivered and placed a self-hardening, protective slurry of reflective material to shield the ice from the evaporative effects of a hard vacuum and radiant energy.
Mounted in the stern structure of the vessel's central core were four thermonuclear reactors that used water as the reaction mass required to produce the ion streams that propelled the ship. Other equipment included steering jets, sensor arrays, and three independent ship control modules installed deep within the asteroid. Placed along the ship's core were fifty self-repairing, mobile, energy beam emitters designed to melt ice and provide the water required by the thermonuclear reactors via the central core.
Attachment of several interstellar Portal units and sixteen Portal equipped, cruiser-class warships to the lee side of the asteroid completed the ship. Designed and built in sixteen terrestrial years, the Star Warrior began its twenty-year voyage to zeta one RET within days of the launch of the Montgolfier Balloon.
Upon arrival, the control modules aboard the Star Warrior selected the most suitable of the three planets of the star, zeta one RET. It then assumed a high geostationary orbit above the chosen planet and activated an interstellar Portal.
A survey team soon arrived and found no signs of intelligent life from their orbital vantage point. After landing on the planet's surface with a Portal-equipped cruiser, they established a defensive force field dome as a base camp for further exploration. The atmosphere and climate proved to be acceptable and surface water was plentiful.
Ominously, they found that the herbivorous, warm-blooded, mammalian inhabitants of the planet were close to extinction while a huge, aggressive, insect population thrived. These vicious insects killed several members of their party soon after their arrival. They named the planet Alor II.
The favorable report on Alor II launched what was to become known as the "Coup of the Scientists." Recent technological advances now enabled the Portal to transport its intended cargo from a remote location provided the cargo was located within the unit's line of sight. The scientists suddenly realized that they now had the ability to rid their world of its tyrannical military dictatorship. Fifty airmobile Portals were built in total secrecy to implement their daring plan.
On "Freedom Day," the Supreme Leader, his command structure, and the elite Leaders Brigade were portaled out before nightfall and immediately relayed through the interstellar Portal network to Alor II. For the next six months, they portaled out selected Alorians, their families, and supplies in a witch hunt-like atmosphere until they felt secure.
Foolishly, the scientists then formed their own military organization to defend their newly acquired privileged status. They then shutdown off-planet Portal for the next one hundred and forty-five terrestrial years.
Seoul, South Korea June 25, 1950
Seoul awoke to fear as it learned that Communist North Korea had launched an invasion across the 38th Parallel. By June 28, the city had fallen, as had many of its men, women, and children, the innocent victims of this surprise attack. Once again, the dark side of human nature became preeminent in the affairs of man.
While on Alor II
A boisterous crowd of hundreds gathered at the "Plaza of the Zaydar" to enjoy the punishment of a fellow Alorian accused of sedition. Zann, an adolescent male, his younger sister, and mother were present and securely tied to posts to witness the suffering of their father and mate. The guards led Zann's father, who wore only a loincloth, out to the cage containing the dreaded Zaydar. This dreadful species of the dangerous insect life found on Alor II had killed hundreds of Alorians when they first arrived on this world some seven generations ago.
His father's escort forced him into a face down, prone position on the drawer-like tray at the wall of the cage and securely tied him to it. With a burst of laughter and vulgar comments from the guards, one of them ripped off his father's loincloth.
The egg-laden Zaydar, half the size of his father, scampered about in frenzied anticipation as she knew she would soon join with this host for her eggs. After the joining, they would cage Zann's father on the plaza until the larvae hatched from the Zaydar's eggs and devoured him.
As the spectators began to cheer, they pushed the tray bearing his father into the cage. As his mother and sister cried out in horror, Zann bit his lip deeply determined to remain silent through his father's ordeal.
The Zaydar rapidly approached and leapt upon his father's back to deliver a vicious but ineffective bite to his neck. In order to enhance the suffering of the condemned, they had removed the gland that produced the Zaydar's paralyzing, anesthetic venom. Embracing Zann's father tightly with its six legs, the Zaydar's searching ovipositor moved up between the legs of its terrified victim as an expectant hush fell over the crowd. Hysterical screams ensued as the Zaydar began to deposit its eggs deep within the bowels of the child's father.
Zann awoke from his nightmare screaming much as his father had on that awful day etched forever in his memory. He suddenly realized that something was very wrong. The last thing he remembered was gasping with pain when someone sprayed an aerosol mist in his face as he left a crowded elevator. Looking around he realized that he was in a prison cell and that a senior military officer was sitting in a chair just outside the door.
The officer rose from his chair with a quizzical expression on his face and said, "You were screaming like they were joining you with a Zaydar. If you are not careful today, you may soon be doing just that."
Suddenly imbued with anger, Zann began to stand and discovered that he was naked. Unable to sustain his indignation without his clothing he meekly asked, "Why was I abducted? Why am I here?"
"We did not want to give you an opportunity to disappear by ordering you to report to us and you will find out why you are here soon enough. We picked up some of your clothing from your home and it is on the bunk above. Select something to wear and I will have a guard take you to the showers."
Gathering a sheet around him, Zann complied while thinking how grateful he was that his wife and daughter were out of town visiting his wife's mother. After he made himself presentable, Zann's captors placed him in the prisoner's compartment of a military police van that departed moments later. Once underway, the officer informed him that Zarr, the Supreme Leader, had ordered his arrest. His worst fears confirmed, Zann tried to control his emotions and prepare for the coming ordeal.
Upon arrival at the Planetary Headquarters building housing the Supreme Leader and his staff, they searched him again. They then led Zann to a well-furnished office on the top floor and left him standing before a desk alone. A few minutes later Zarr entered the room, took a seat behind the large wooden desk, and sat there looking at his unhappy guest. Breaking the silence between them, Zarr said, "I know we share a regrettable history, but I need your help and your world needs it as well."
Zann angrily responded with, "Before my mother killed herself, she told me how my father prevented you from accosting her while intoxicated. Then you falsely accused my father of sedition and sent him to the Zaydar. You are responsible for the deaths of my parents and your term 'regrettable history' cannot conceal the fact that you are a cold-blooded killer."
"Your father hit me from behind and knocked me down in front of my peers at the Supreme Leader's annual ball. While my behavior may have been questionable, your father's was outrageous. I sincerely regret the deaths of your parents, but your anger cannot change the past and neither can I. Are you going to cooperate and do as I ask?"
"I would rather join with a Zaydar than support the murderer of my parents."
In response to the push of a button several guards entered the room and took up positions near Zann. Picking up a controller Zarr turned to the map on the wall behind his desk that began to rise revealing a large video monitor. The monitor displayed Zann's naked wife and daughter clinging to each other in fear while standing between two beds in a room full of naked, leering soldiers.
Later
Zaber, Zarr's senior aide, knocked on the office door and entered to make his report regarding the task he had just completed. Zarr asked, "Well, did you get rid of her?"
"A short while ago your wife and her staff departed for your vacation estate as you suggested. She will remain there until asked to return. Zann's wife, daughter, and their personal effects have arrived at the palace and now occupy the rooms assigned to them. I told Zann's daughter she would share your bed and that we would send both her and her mother to the enlisted men's brothel if she failed to please you. She began to cry like a child. Perhaps she is too young for the honor of sleeping with you."
"Be careful or your tongue will join you with a Zaydar," Zarr replied grimly. "I will share the evening meal with her and her mother in my suite and I want their food seasoned with a tranquilizer. After we eat, return the child's mother to her room and ensure that they do not disturb us until I call for the morning meal. Bring Zann to my office when I arrive in the morning. We will see if his offer of cooperation is sincere."
Next day
"Good morning Zann. I trust you found your accommodations adequate."
Zann meekly entered Zarr's office and in response to a gesture by Zarr sat in the chair in front of the desk. Zarr began by saying, "I know you are concerned about your family. We have returned them to your home and they are under house arrest. An excellent tutor will continue your daughter's education and all their needs will be provided for as long as we have your cooperation."
"What do you want of me?"
"The tools I need to conquer a world! Recently, the home world reactivated their interstellar Portal and sent a delegation of military officers to visit us. The home world has detected primitive, coded electromagnetic radiation from a star system some thirty light years distant. They intend to refurbish the Star Warrior, load it with war ships and Portals, and send it to this star. They have invited us to join in the attack on the world of those foolish enough to advertise their existence. I have little interest in this venture, as the Star Warrior will not arrive at its destination before I am dead of old age.
"Responding to an invitation to visit the home world, I led a large, heavily-armed attack force through the Portal only to arrive unarmed and completely naked. Their Supreme Leader, his staff, their wives, and a well-armed security force were present to welcome us with their laughter. The traitorous vermin have programmed their Portal to receive only living organic matter while leaving everything else behind including my dentures. My entire army was prepared to follow us through the Portal and consequently it knows of my humiliation.
"I am the rightful ruler of Alor. I intend to rule both worlds and nothing will prevent me from achieving my goal. You will use your skills as our leading geneticist to enhance the ability of our most vicious insects to attack and kill well-armed soldiers.
"We will use your insect warriors to lead the next attack on the security force of the home world's interstellar Portal. My soldiers will take the weapons and clothing of the dead and hold the Portal while our technicians reprogram it to portal in our army and their weapons. Failure in this task will result in your joining with the Zaydar and your wife and daughter will spend the rest of their lives working in the enlisted men's brothel."
"For the sake of my family, I will do as you command."
"Zaber, my senior aide, will be in charge of this project and will ensure that you receive all the support you require. Both of you face the same consequences for failure."
Three terrestrial months later
The recently completed planetary support base for the overhaul of the Star Warrior awaited the arrival of its tenants from the home world. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of Alor II, a newly completed top-secret underground facility became operational. Located within a large system of caves, this facility lay well beyond the reach of the surveillance equipment certain to accompany the home world's overhaul party. Lavishly equipped, well staffed, and totally isolated, its disparate staff had just begun to accept their forced exile and coalesce into functional teams.
Zann, working late into the night, sat at his computer terminal searching for information about his family. He had recently noticed a similarity between the alphanumeric passwords granting him access to the various scientific databases of the planetary computer system. Zann had then written an algorithmic program to extrapolate other possible passwords based on those they had given him. Excited by his discovery, Zann waited impatiently as the computer completed its task.
Many hours later Zann had the information he had sought so diligently. His wife and daughter had committed suicide at the Supreme Leader's Palace shortly after his second meeting with Zarr. Zarr's security force then covertly removed their remains for cremation and disposal in a nearby landfill.
Burning with hatred for Zarr and every member of his depraved species, Zann sat in shock at his terminal. Pushed far beyond his breaking point, Zann reached the conclusion that he would give Zarr what he wanted and more, much more.
The on-screen information regarding Zann's family deeply shocked Zaber as he found Zann asleep at his terminal. He rushed back to his office certain that his daughter would be Zarr's next victim. Using his personal password he discovered that they had disconnected his family's comlink and strangers now occupied his home.
Before he could make a direct inquiry about his family, the screen displayed a message stating that the system was down briefly for software updates. When they restored service, Zaber discovered that he no longer had access to any of the military, police, and governmental databases.
Sick at heart, Zaber turned to the bottle for solace. Finally surrendering to a long fought addiction to intoxicants, Zaber could now drank to excess without feeling guilt. Zann's reaction to the deaths of his wife and daughter, an obsessive drive to accomplish the project's goal at all costs, initially surprised Zaber. Later, he realized Zann believed that the project's success would enable him to achieve his ultimate goal of revenge.
Zaber then killed Zarr's blatantly obvious spy and continued to report to Zarr in his stead. Totally indifferent to each other's pain, Zaber and Zann nevertheless covered for each other as doing so permitted each of them to pursue their personal agendas.
Five terrestrial years later
The Star Warrior began its long journey with a perilous dive into the gravity well of zeta one RET. The ship would soon enter the depths of interstellar space with the momentum derived from its powerful engines and the gravity of the star. As the Star Warrior successfully completed this maneuver, the last members of the home worlds overhaul party returned to Alor.
Zarr, free at last from the home world's ubiquitous surveillance, immediately scheduled a visit to inspect the product of Zann's project. Fully aware that Zann had defeated the password system and knew the circumstances of his family's demise, Zarr arrived with an armed escort. Zann's reaction to their deaths totally mystified him. His spy reported that Zann frequently drove himself and his staff to the point of exhaustion. Zaber also reported that Zann often courted open rebellion with the unreasonable performance demands he imposed upon his staff. Zarr decided that the threat of the Zaydar must be responsible for Zann's dedication.
Zann and Zaber greeted Zarr and his party properly when they arrived and led them inside for refreshments. Later the group went to a small theater where a large video monitor displayed a view of a huge cavern.
Picking up a remote camera control and a microphone, Zann simply said, "Zarr, let me introduce the Avenger, the insect warrior you wanted me to create." As Zann directed the camera view along the wall of the cavern, an awesome insect came into view. Standing taller than an adult Alorian, it had a black, chitinous exoskeleton and a segmented thorax joined together by a slender, serpentine waist.
A short neck extending from the top center of the smaller forward segment of the creature's thorax supported a large round head capable of turning from side-to-side. A horizontal row of three large multifaceted compound eyes on the forward third of the head provided the insect with a wide field of view. The top of its head brandished a pair of seeking, sinuous antennae adding to the creature's malevolent appearance. Also attached to the forward thoracic segment was a pair of legs and two arms, each ending with two pairs of opposable digits. A long stinger that continuously flicked in and out of a cone-shaped orifice located between its arms on the front of its thorax suggested the dangerous nature of this creature.
The larger, rear segment of the thorax was a black, chitinous platform supported on four legs and topped with a flexible, hairy integument that enclosed the creature's abdominal organs. Beneath this platform hung two, parallel rows of red, coiled tendrils running front to rear which held the creature's live prey against its mouth parts. Digestion began when two adjacent glands exuded a viscous fluid that formed a temporary digestive sac to contain the creature's prey and the digestive fluid that liquefied its cellular matter.
Zarr, enraged by what he saw, said, "That creature is too big and slow to be effective against even a lightly armed, trained soldier!"
"My Avenger can kill anyone here without difficulty," Zann responded. "If any of you believe otherwise, I challenge you to prove me wrong."
"Zann, you are a fool. You can watch as I kill this ugly creature myself and then I will deal with you." Turning, Zarr ordered Zaber to take him and two others to the Avenger. He ordered the remainder of his party to take Zann into custody and watch the monitor to see how easily he could kill the Avenger.
A short while later they watched as Zarr, with his weapon drawn, boldly closed on the Avenger whose antennae moved as though tracking his approach. As Zarr raised his weapon to fire, his body began a violent involuntary trembling motion and he dropped his weapon as his two companions fell to the ground unconscious.
Picking up the microphone, Zann calmly began a running commentary as they watched the Avenger approach the stricken Zarr. "As some of you may have deduced, the Avenger's weapon is its telepathic power. It can selectively induce the synaptic junctions of its prey to fire at rates that will produce effects ranging from immobility to death. Zarr's trembling is the result of his fear and I can assure you that he is fully aware of the danger he faces.
"The Avenger is now removing Zarr's clothing as it would interfere with its digestive process. The Avenger enjoys its victim's psychic distress and will frequently torture its prey before consuming it. Now that Zarr is naked and the Avenger is holding his arms, it will release Zarr's mind from its influence.
"The Avenger will now employ its stinger to prepare Zarr for digestion. As the stinger painfully pierces Zarr's shoulder and hip joints, it is injecting a fluid that dissolves his connective tissue resulting in a total loss of physical mobility. Now the Avenger is placing Zarr's butt on the floor and forcing his head down between his ankles to create a smaller package.
"The Avenger will now squat over Zarr so that the tendrils hanging below the rear thoracic segment can grasp Zarr and hold him for digestion. Watch carefully as the Avenger rises. There, you can see that Zarr is still conscious and aware. The two glands next to the tendrils are now exuding a transparent, viscous liquid that will form a digestive sac around Zarr. This sac is now filling with a yellow digestive fluid that will turn dark brown as Zarr dissolves. Honored guests, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Zarr is dead!
"While we wait for the Avenger to finish with Zarr, let me tell you more about my creation. Intelligent, powerful telepaths, the Avengers can understand and use our technology. Asexual, they have no idea of love or even friendship although they will work together to achieve a common goal. After every large meal they molt and reproduce by binary fission during their fifth molt. The resulting pairs of offspring are small adults, each possessing the complete memory and mental powers of their parent. They will eat live prey only and are always hungry.
"Have any of you noticed that Zaber and I are the only ones remaining of our original complement of more than a thousand? Were you aware that tens of thousands of refugees hiding from our despotic rulers once occupied this wilderness area? The Avengers have eaten our entire staff and most of the refugees and will compulsively eat and reproduce until the Alorians become extinct. When food is no longer available, the Avengers will become dormant until they ultimately die off. They now number in the thousands, and as I speak, they are capturing the entire Portal network on our world. For the time being, the Avengers have accepted my leadership and as they flourish the Alorians will perish. Eventually, they will achieve my goal; the destruction of the Alorian race.
"Watch the monitor as the Avenger will soon release the remains of Zarr. The abdomen is beginning to swell as the essence of Zarr flows into it. Now the glands that produced the digestive sac will quickly reabsorb it."
Suddenly, the Avenger dropped Zarr's wet steaming remains to the floor prompting Zann to reveal the depth of his dementia with the onset of his hysterical laughter. Zarr's hair, his eyes, and some of his internal viscera remained with his bones prompting some of the terrified members of his party to retch with revulsion. One of them shot Zann just as Avengers began to enter the room.
Thus began the end of the Alorians while their interstellar steamship continued on its long voyage to Earth.