Zoe, they can tell that?
Apparently. I'm surprised, too.
NEXT EVOLUTION: 71%
At least jumping out of a plane and getting beaten up by a Mekanic had been worth something. "How do you know how close I am to my next evolution?"
Garvek chuckled. "Some of my colleagues would dismantle me for saying this, but there's a bit of Mekanic in every Chimeric. It's not difficult to read you."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Your evolution levels, abilities. All very orderly and defined, almost computer-like, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah," I admitted. I had wondered about that before. It was kind of strange, almost like playing a video game.
"Not very organic. Why do you think that is?"
Zoe?
I have no idea. But if what he said yesterday was true…it would make sense.
What?
The more we meld, the more our genetic backgrounds intertwine. You're no longer completely human. If Mekanics and Chimerics used to bond…
I had an idea of where Zoe and Garvek were going. "Chimerics and Mekanics used to bond. They shared genes or whatever you have, right?"
Garvek clapped. "You get it! While Mekanic and Chimeric makeups have diverged, they still carry remnants of the time when they co-existed as bonded pairs. What you see today as a Beastmaster is a relic of that ancient heritage."
That…kind of makes sense, doesn't it?
Zoe didn't reply. Zoe? I wasn't sure how she was handling the news. It had to be like finding out the teacher you hated in school was actually your grandpa. Or something like that.
I'm not sure what to make of it. We were always taught that Mekanics and Chimerics were opposites, incompatible, unable to bear the others' existence. But what if he's right?
"You, actually Vikki, said this would end the War. How?" I asked.
"Ah, so you're starting to see. Wonderful!" Garvek reached over as if to pet my head, but I dodged away. He straightened and continued chatting without missing a beat. "The War is largely a product of Chimeria's aggressive intergalactic expansion policies…"
That's hardly true! The Mekanics—
Zoe, okay, pipe down. Let's just hear him out.
"…since their military might relies on finding suitable hosts for bonding. Most host races have severe drawbacks. Humans are unique in this regard. I do wonder about that. The earliest Mekanic records indicate some interaction with this quadrant…"
My eyes glazed over as Garvek droned on about some prehistoric galactic events. I coughed, which ended up sounding more like a growl in my Beastform. "So, ending the War?"
Garvek nodded eagerly. "The Mekanics, meanwhile, have been forced to keep the Chimerics in check. Without our intervention, they would have overrun entire interstellar ecosystems. Their ability to bond with hosts mean they can survive in almost any environment." Garvek spoke more slowly. "Let me put it this way. Chimeric are the cockroaches of the galaxy. We're the exterminators."
Cockroaches? Why that blockhead son of a—
Calm down, Zoe. I agree that's unfair, but let me handle it. I mean, hadn't Zoe said Chimerics were like bees? Always looking for a new hive to populate? I could see what Garvek meant, to a degree.
Dustin!
I'm not agreeing with him, you know that. They're still the enemy.
"Why'd you attack Earth, then?" I asked. "We were minding our own business when—boom! Texas is gone. Millions dead."
"The Chimerics were already here when we attacked," Garvek said. "They had confirmed that humans were a compatible host and were planning a large-scale population transfer. We intervened. Their base of operations was in what you called Texas."
Is that true, Zoe? The Chimerics were here first? Everyone had said that the Mekanics attacked first and that the Chimerics arrived later to defend us.
I…I'm not sure. There were rumors of a great discovery around the time the Mekanics attacked. I didn't think…I don't know. It's possible. For once, Zoe didn't seem as sure of herself as usual.
"So you were going to wipe us out to stop the Chimerics from expanding? How is that any better than letting the Chimerics expand?"
"We would gladly sacrifice one planet to prevent the infection from spreading," Garvek said.
"But if humans can help you make Mekanic babies, Mekanics will stop trying to kill us?"
"I can only speak for myself," Garvek said. "Some don't believe me. Some don't care." His black eye pulsed briefly with a red glow. "Fools! We're dying as a race and all they care about is one more victory against the Chimerics. I convinced the moderates to hold out until I have more data."
"But Mekanic activity has been increasing lately."
"As I said, some are restless. Meaningless incursions. Needless risks and losses. A bored mind is a dangerous thing, as your people say."
The Mekanics didn't agree on the direction of the War? Could we do anything with that? What do you think, Zoe?
Agreed. Perhaps we could turn them against each other, somehow. Like they did to us.
"So…not everyone sees things the way you do?" I asked. "That's a shame."
Garvek sighed. "They're a fickle group, unstable, changing their minds on a whim. You don't know what it's like dealing with them."
That wasn't encouraging. If Earth's fate was in the hands of crazy robots that even Garvek thought were unstable. Damn. I tried a different approach.
"What about the Second Strain?" I asked. "What's their deal?"
Garvek tilted his head, as if studying me. He couldn't read my mind, could he?
"You can ask for yourself," Garvek said suddenly. He raised his hands into the air.
The floor opened up once again. Before the section of the floor had fully opened, a giant brown insect jumped out, landing besides Garvek. Staccato.
"Hunter!" Staccato screamed. His bladed forearms pulsed with a blue glow.
"Wait your turn, old man!" A blurring gray ball shot out of the floor, bouncing off a wall before landing on the floor next to Staccato.
Cody bared his teeth in a vicious smile. "They said we can do anything we want as long as you still have a pulse."
"Ah, ah," Garvek clucked. "Now blows below the belt. I'll want to make sure the reproductive tissue is intact."
"You hear that? He wants your balls." Cody barked in laughter. "Once we zero you, Staccato and I are going to have so much fun."
The two of them approached from both sides.
Zoe? Shit! I took a step backward, then another. Zoe!
CHAPTER 18
Staccato charged, slashing with his bladed forearms, at the same time that Cody launched his cannonball. I didn't dare to Phase Shift with Staccato's ability to pierce through my defense. There was no way I could dodge both attacks at the same time, either.
Instead, I attacked. I launched a Claw Whirl, becoming a vortex of slashing claws. My claws crashed against Staccato's bladed arms with high-pitched screeches, knocking them away. Then, Cody's cannonball smashed into my twirling attack, sending us both spinning away in opposite directions.
ENERGY: 690/700
It had worked. I hadn't taken any damage. There was no way I could keep this up, though. I dashed towards Garvek, briefly considering whether I could hide behind him. Then, I remembered how he had tossed aside his body once before.
"Garvek! What the hell?" I screamed, circling around him.
The others didn't attack immediately, though.
They might be holding back. Maybe they're not aware of Garvek's capabilities.
Or blowing up a Mekanic's body is bad manners. I didn't know their exact relationship with the Mekanics.