Volume 3: Gamma-12, Chapter 3.40

Nyla was really into the tropical side of the paradise-core, wanting to meet up at some cabana bar right on the water. The agents only had an hour to get their sensors in place, but they assured us that would be more than enough time. Mission command was still standing by, wanting to hear Kianna’s threat assessment before finalizing any plans. It was like we were all standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to jump headfirst into danger, or to be told we could turn back peacefully. Just like I promised Eve I remained within arm’s reach—or rather she was in my lap as usual, sitting at the table next to Kianna and Gorgam while we waited for Nyla to arrive.

“You’re sure the two of you should be sitting like that?” Gorgam asked delicately.

A low rumble started in Eve’s throat, so I gave her a quick tug on a hair tentacle to silence her, “Eve’s getting really anxious around Nyla now, so she made me promise I’d always stay within arm’s reach.”

Kianna chuckled, “Being within arm’s reach and sitting on your lap are two very different things, Adam.”

Gorgam seemed even more confused, “Why is Eve getting anxious? She could easily overpower any Gamma generation Predazoan.”

I just shrugged, “Worried over my safety above everything else, as usual.”

We didn’t have time to get into it further as we saw Nyla

skipping

towards us, wearing that black bikini and open-shirt combo again. “Hi everyone!” She waved cheerfully, donning the energetic college-girl persona same as yesterday.

Kianna and Gorgam inclined their heads and gestured to the seat in front of us, “Please, won’t you join us, Nyla?” Gorgam offered.

Nyla flashed a smile at everyone in turn, and as she sat down she looked at Eve in my lap, “Wow, you’ve gotten really attached to your pet.” She offered mildly, causing Eve to start growling again.

“He’s not a pet!” Eve snapped.

Nyla held her hands up peaceably, “

Whatever

.” She turned to the researchers, “So, you were some of the doctors involved in the creation of the Predazoan clones? I assume you must’ve been off-site when we destroyed NX-947b.”

Gorgam nodded, “Correct, we were all working on satellite stations, so none of us who remain had any hand in the horrible experimentations you suffered.”

Nyla smiled, “Good, I was worried I’d have to kill you for something silly like revenge or whatever.” She said offhandedly.

Gorgam chuckled nervously, then turned to Kianna.

“We’re still part of the same research division, and now we’re trying to clean up the mistakes of our predecessors.” She gestured to Nyla, “We’re on a mission to make contact with all the Predazoans, and part of that is performing threat assessments to see what kind of danger you pose to local populations.”

Nyla quirked up an eyebrow, “So what, if you all consider me a danger you’ll kill me just like Gamma-17?”

Kianna and Gorgam barely contained their surprise, and I just barely held back from swearing there. The researchers exchanged a look, wondering how Nyla knew the fate of her sister.

Eve let out a quick sigh, “She has the extra-sense too, fools; she can easily read whatever passing thoughts go through those empty heads of yours.”

Nyla winked and gave a thumbs up, “Now I see why you like hanging around these simpletons, Eve; it would be a lot of fun messing with them all the time.”

Gorgam nodded his head quickly, “That was an unfortunate outcome, yes, but Gamma-17 had three busloads of civilians held hostage; we had to intervene to save lives.”

Nyla waved it off, “The lives of some dumb meat sacks don’t really concern me same as they won’t concern any Predazoan.” She looked at Eve and smirked, “Or shouldn’t,

normally

.”

I was proud Eve stopped herself from growling then, but she did hold my hand rather tightly instead.

Kianna shook her head, “If their lives don’t matter why are you so careful to keep from killing, to only consume a small sampling of biomass from fellow passengers?”

Nyla shrugged, “Easier to stay hidden this way.”

Kianna gestured to Nyla, “I don’t think that’s all, I think you

like

living as a regular person, sharing these experiences with your fellow passengers. I would even be so bold as to say your supremacy drive is leading you down a more peaceful path.”

Nyla tapped her chin as she thought it over, “I

have

been enjoying my time on these stations, it’s true…”

Gorgram nodded, “Do you have any idea what perfection looks like for you now, what you’ve been accumulating all that biomass for?”

Nyla remained thoughtful, looking out at the beach around us, “Not really, I’ve enjoyed taking the slow approach, figured I could live in paradise for some thousands of years while I let my instincts slowly shape me to my perfect form.”

That surprised me a little Nyla didn’t know what perfection looked like to her. Eve right away knew she wanted to be my mate as some Predazoan/human hybrid, and even Gamma-17 had the idea to become a living planet.  Was it reasonable to believe some of the Predazoans didn’t have a clear picture to perfection yet? I’d only met three so far, not like I could really call anything a trend yet.

“And what all have you enjoyed about living on these stations?” Kianna asked, sounding very much like an armchair therapist at this point—better than my old therapist Sarah at least.

Nyla smiled, “The food is wonderful, surprised I find eating prepared meals so pleasurable. I like the atmosphere, lounging around in the sand and in the water. Having the androids wait on my every need is great too…” She paused for a moment, looking around at all the other passengers, “And yes, I suppose I do enjoy the people, getting little snapshots into their insignificant lives, feeling their thoughts and feelings swirling around in those simple minds of theirs.” She shrugged, “I don’t really have any great desire to harm them.”

Kianna smiled brightly, “That’s wonderful!”

Gorgam smiled too, “If you allowed us to monitor your growth, help however we can, I’m sure you’ll be allowed to stay free within the Holistia Nebula.”

Nyla quirked up an eyebrow, “Free within limits, right? I’d have to stay on your leash I imagine—a long leash sure, and in an enclosure of my preference, but still, I would be your prisoner.”

Smiles fell all around the table as Kianna and Gorgam exchanged worried looks.

“What would you have us do? We can’t allow beings who possess the power to destroy planets to remain completely free within the Empire; there are millions of lives at stake all across this system with you just being here.” Gorgam reasoned.

Nyla shrugged, “And of course you make a very valid argument—from

your

side of things. But look at it from my perspective; I was born in a lab, contained for decades while your scientists dissected me, made me and remade me over and over, and now I finally have my freedom to do whatever I please with no strings attached. As far as I’m concerned, the only thing standing in my way is your little mission party.” She grimaced, “And I suppose Eve there…” She added, and a lot of that bluster seemed to die away with her admission.

Kianna reached forward as though she was about to take Nyla’s hand, but then thought better of it, “Nyla, you must understand the Predazoans are a

universal

threat; your existence simply can’t be ignored. That doesn’t mean your existence needs to be unpleasant; work

with

us, let us help you, figure out whatever we can to make it all right, but don’t just pretend this is some simple matter that could be easily swept aside. Forgetting Eve, even if you dispatched us all you absolutely know the Empire wouldn’t relent until you were properly contained.”

“And you could end up contained in some horrible cell in a deep space research vessel, or you could be contained here in this amazing paradise.” Gorgam nodded along, “The choice really is all yours.”

Nyla drummed her fingers along the table as she considered their words, “And I suppose there’s somewhat of a ticking clock on this, right? Need to reach a conclusion before we change stations.”

Gorgam smiled apologetically, “Unfortunately.”

Nyla looked off in the distance again, as though really weighing whether the paradise stations would be worth compromising her freedom. She turned back to us and looked at Eve, “I want to hear her story first—the truth, not the silly little alibi you cooked up for camouflage or whatever.”

Despite how agreeable Nyla’s been, Eve hadn’t softened once on her. She continued to glare at Nyla with her glowing yellow eyes as though hoping she would suddenly burst into flames. Finally, she made a funny little trilling sound of annoyance I hadn’t heard since Eve was in her child-form, “I achieved perfection.” She said simply.

“Ha, bullshit.” Nyla responded immediately, but when she saw—or sensed Eve was telling the truth, her eyes grew wide, “

How

? It’s barely been a

year

!”

Damn, has it really been that long? Time certainly flies when you get abducted by aliens and fall in love with a crazy powerful Outsider god.

“My form is much more contained than what all most of our sisters are trying to achieve; instead of consuming a massive amount of biomass, I only needed a small amount from a specific source so I could alter my core and achieve perfection.” Eve explained easily.

Nyla looked at Eve as though seeing her for the first time, realizing she wasn’t in some camouflage form, but in her perfect, true form, “

Really

? Such a simple form as this?”

Eve nodded, “All my cells are in unison, I have a profound new energy and power, my limitless potential is completely unlocked; I am

perfect

.” She confirmed.

Nyla looked at me now, sensing there was more to me than being some random pet, “And where does Adam fit into all this?”

Eve’s tentacles wrapped around me a little tighter, more protectively, “He is my new Prime, the beacon that led me to perfection.” She sat up more in my lap, as though trying to show herself proud, “My perfect form is as his mate.”

Nyla’s eyes opened so wide they actually flashed yellow for a second, “The pink

monkey-boy

!?”

Eve snarled at Nyla—no, more like

roared

, and honestly it sounded like a fucking

dragon

, nearly deafening me I was so close.

“Holy shit Evie, careful…” I muttered, covering my ears.

Kianna and Gorgam looked around as though they would need to run damage control after Eve’s outburst, but after a quick scan they realized we were still in the clear.

Man, people on vacation really didn’t give a shit at all.

Nyla still looked like she couldn’t believe it, gesturing back and forth between us, “So you actually—with Adam, the two of you really…?” She let the question drop.

Eve smiled brightly, looking friendlier than she’d been all day—or more taunting maybe, “Since you don’t have a sex-drive you’d probably never understand, but the pleasure I feel when I mate with Adam is even

better

than achieving perfection.”

“Oh, fuck off!” Nyla really couldn’t believe that.

Eve shrugged then settled back in my lap, giving me a cute, affectionate kiss on the cheek, “Believe what you want, sister.”

Nyla looked dumbfounded over the whole thing, but the wheels were still turning upstairs, “Then I assume Adam is somehow involved in the Predazoan containment mission, which is why you’re working for them too.” She surmised.

“Something like that.”

Finally, Nyla regained a little of her fire and smirked, “Contained in a different way, but you’re still contained, right?” At that Eve’s smile fell as Nyla’s grew, “Oh my, you’re

both

contained. Well wouldn’t that make for quite the interesting story.”

Sensing Eve was about to lose her cool again, I decided it was finally time for me to step in, “Look, Nyla, it’s not about us or our story, not about Eve and her perfection, not even about the other Predazoans. All that matters right now is what

you

want to do; will you fight and resist us, or will you accept the terms to remain here in the Holistia Nebula under our surveillance?” I asked boldly.

Nyla cocked her head to the side and looked at me—really looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time, and I could see in her eyes she was actually surprised by what she saw. “It’s not the best outcome possible, but I suppose it’s the best available right now. I imagine there won’t be much that changes for me if I play along for now.” She nodded to me, “Tell your superiors I’ll be fine to remain contained within my little paradise.” Her expression softened a little so I could see some of that ageless Predazoan wisdom shine through, “You’re quite formidable yourself Adam, I can see why Eve is so smitten with you.”

I smiled and turned to the researchers who all wore equally victorious grins, then turned to give my grumpy Eve a big kiss. After meeting up with our second Gamma Predazoan, we were able to come to an understanding and avoid any danger or bloodshed.

If mission command didn’t see Eve and I as a perfect working pair after that performance, I didn’t know what would.