The dark fleshy halls of the caasiok gradually changed around her as she was dragged through the living ship.
Her body was in agony. She felt herself be plunged into a pool of some clear dense fluid that soothed her pain and then she fell unconscious.
Dr. Bryant appeared back at the ship alone. Which was deeply concerning to Raymond and Danny.
"Where's Selene?" Raymond asked the obvious once he'd returned inside.
The scientist had a nervous, uncertain look; "Ms. Carrington challenged Ku'senai to single combat. She is healing from the duel."
Though he called it that—it was more of a one-sided mutilation.
Raymond's expression was deeply concerned.
"Why!? I thought she came here for help! Why would the Zykra hurt her?"
"Calm down. It's quite alright."
They both gave him a 'are you serious?' look at that. He went on to explain.
"Ku'senai intended to teach Ms. Carrington a lesson in respect. I do not agree with her methods, but the Zykra are a complex species. Their ways may seem barbaric and unkind to us. But she does not intend to kill Selene. Nor does she intend to end their deal."
"..I need a drink." Danny grumbled.
Raymond shook his head. "What does that mean? This Zykra queen just beat up Selene to prove a point? But she plans on doing everything Selene asked anyway?"
Dr. Bryant closed his eyes sullenly in contemplation for a quiet moment.
"It's more nuanced than that unfortunately. She will revive Aboleth. But at a cost. Ms. Carrington must learn what it means to be Zykra, and give Ku'senai reason to believe she will champion their greater will going forward."
Selene had the abilities they needed—but her personality was juxtaposed to the Zykra's goals. She wanted to protect humanity from assimilation. To use the Zykra to enforce her will alone. She was overly compassionate.
But they would've never agree to make her a queen if Dr. Bryant hadn't first assured them that Selene had the capacity to enforce the Zykra's will at large. To change into whom they needed.
...It was a shame it worked out this way. He didn't enjoy seeing Selene hurt.
She shouldn't have antagonized the queen. Her power made her feel invincible, her victories so far—gave her confidence. But she is not the only one with the power of a Zykra queen. In fact—she is likely the weakest Zykra queen currently living.
The other queens had eons to refine their power, to gain battle experience, and to find ways to further themselves.
She would need to do the same if she had any hope for contesting their influence within the Zykra.
Raymond was just as caught up in thought as Dr. Bryant was. But he spoke eventually.
"What are they going to do to Selene?"
Dr. Bryant deflated into a chair in the pilots cabin. He ran a hand across his sweat-covered brow and sighed. This was not a phrase he would typically use. But it fit the situation so aptly. She'd been living in a fantasy of what the Zykra wanted. What they were. And now she was going to learn what they really were. What they really wanted.
"They're going to give her a reality check."
Selene splashed out of the glowing white pool. It drooped from her in clumps.
"Ugh, what is this?" she asked. She'd hardly remembered where she was. What she was doing last.
A deep and robotic Zykra voice answered.
"Healing compound. Promotes Zykra innate healing abilities."
Her gaze snapped to a smaller Zykra. It's voice didn't match it's size at all—it was 3 feet tall at most. It was like a moth. Fuzzy with two bulbous eyes that took up most of it's face. Two tiny pinchers made up a mouth, and it's antenna had burs on it like a telephone antenna.
It also had a cape. A little cape. It seemed like it was maybe it's wings held down over it's shoulders. Fluffy, like it was. It's thorax stood upright. But it had an abdomen which poked out form the cape behind it. A fuzzy butt essentially.
It's eyes were mostly shiny and black, but it also had a red glow pulsing from within. It was kind of cute in a creepy way.
"Who are you?" Selene asked. They answered instantly. As if it took them zero time to think.
"Controlled evolution specialist. Assimilated from progenitor species. Given autonomy for creative control over syntaxes. Adapted to confer with humans."
Selene gave him a tilt of her head as if to ask; 'That's all?'.
"You may call me Evo."
"So Evo-"
"It's short for evolution."
"Riiiight... Why am I here?"
Selene really had no idea. The last thing she remembered was entering the caasiok to ask Ku'senai to revive Aboleth.
Evo's antenna split wide and hung over it's sides. Which for some reason gave it's eyes a cross-eyed look as the reflections of the red orbs within it's eyes changed.
"Attacked Queen. Were defeated. Adaptation needed."
'He' went towards her- with his fuzzy segmented arms reaching out for her.
Selene splashed back into the pool to get away. Which confused Evo.
"Adaptation needed." he said again.
"No."
This confused the tiny moth.
"Insufficient body mass. Psionic potential hampered by hormonal redundancies. Limbs short, inadequate. Keratin discharge in strands on surface of scalp unnecessary."
"Do you mean my hair?" Selene asked, unsure of what he meant.
"Yes. Evolutionary byproduct for warmth. No longer needed. Will remove." Evo reached again.
"Hands off!" she shouted at him pulled herself away from him.
Selene wasn't sure how she knew—but he was sad.
"Must fulfill designation. Human genome largely redundant. Telepathic abiltiy worth preserving. Little else."
Selene scoffed; "My hair is pretty useful."
The moth man tilted his head, seemingly mocking how she did so earlier; "How?"
"'Cause it's pretty?" she said as if he was stupid. He returned a similar vibe as he looked up at her. He pointed a hand at her. It was tiped with two fingers, one of which was leveraged at her.
"You are Zykra. Sexual dimorphism redundant. Ability to attract mate redundant. Zykra genome optimized. Pure. Will be weakened by redundancies. Must improve. Favor for redundant evolutionary traits is redundant. These emotions are created by hormones for pack dynamics. No longer member of human pack. Redundant."
Selene glared at him. Making sure to keep her limbs far from him. And Evo stared back at her.
"...Redundant." he repeated.
"So I fought the queen, and she beat me up so bad that I don't even remember it?" she asked as she started observing her surroundings. The room was lit in the ambient white light of the pool she stood in. It was about thigh-high where she stood. But it could be deeper in places.
The room around had umbilical cord looking things handing from the ceiling in places like vines. Tiny creatures were all over the place. The closest descriptor Selene had for them were 'flies', but they had glowing white abdomen. They would occasionally flutter to another perch before examining it before repeating the process.
The chamber itself was probably about 12 meters around.
"Human memory. Evolved for pattern recognition. Response to stimuli. Inefficient."
"Oh, it isn't redundant?" she asked.
"Not all traits are redundant. Can be salvaged. Improved. Memory. Intelligence. Tactical planning."
Maybe this was the guy who would help Aboleth.
"Could you bring back another Zykra back from the dead?" she asked.
"Death is human construction. Death is change. Can change again." he said as he turned and went over to a 'table'. There was the body of a dead scantid on the table.
"I adapt. I control. I change."
He reached up and grabbed one of the vines of flesh above him. It 'unplugged' from the ceiling and he started using it as a hose, spraying brown fluid onto the scantid. It was like a 3D pen, drawing shapes and curves to the carapace armor.
"I don't want to change..." Selene mumbled.
Evo didn't turn from his work as he spoke.
"You fear change. Survival instinct potent in natural evolution. Misunderstanding. Nature of time and space. Always changing. Always adapting. Death undesired adaptation. Best avoided through beneficial adaptation. If survival is true desire. Then change."
"You can make me stronger?" Selene asked then.
"Initial assimilation incomplete. Queen desired camouflage. Many traits of progenitor human species remain. Had purpose then. Does not now. Redundant."
So Selene was only ever allowed to change back into a human as a way for her to 'blend in'? Thank god. She only retained some sense of her human self as a way to trick other humans. But now it was something she'd fight to the death to keep.
"I want to keep my ability to change into a human. And I want those 'hormonal' traits you think are so redundant to affect my Zykra form just as well as they do in my human form. Actually."
Evo turned to face her then. "Inefficient!"
"From your perspective. But the humans are more dangerous than the Zykra think. My 'camouflage' is useful. Feeling these emotions helps me predict their actions."
"Queens prideful. Always. Disregard my adaptations. Slow progress."
"Some progress is better than no progress, right? I'll let you make me stronger. But I want to keep my human side. Also, I have a friend. She's a Zykra too. She's hurt."
"Aware. Zykra ally, commander surrogate. My Queen has ordered. Will change. Will improve."
Selene stepped out of the pool and shook herself off. A bit of the goop landed on the moth mans wing-cape and one of the hand-sized flies quickly landed on him to suck it up.
"I want her to have camouflage too."
"Camouflage weakens Zykra genome. Substantial essence to power. Could be used elsewhere."
Selene shook her head. If being human made her weaker then fine. She'd find another way to be strong. So she wasn't as strong as a full-blooded Zykra queen that was probably a million years old.
She'd find a way to win regardless. Or what would be the point? Power wasn't everything.
"I want her to be able to relate to humans for the same reasons I do. It's crucial to the subjugation of the system."
"If you insist. Queen ordered my aid. Once changed Queen requested your presence in... Crucible."
Selene was surprised at that; "How do you know that word?"
"I adapted to human interaction through assimilation of psionic signature of Dr. Bryant."
Huh. Selene could kind of see it. Evo's ruthless adherence to logic fit well with Dr. Bryants. So that's how Evo knew about human names for Zykra things.
"So how will you change me to make me stronger?" Selene asked.
"If camouflage desired. Other adaptations still possible. Initial method for assimilation incomplete. Conversion process not a result of direct exposure to Zykra genome. Will strengthen. 50%."
"50%? That's a pretty big upgrade."
"In most parameters. Direct Zykra essence infusion more stable. Will increase carapace density. Muscle elasticity. Increased speed, power, sight. If space created. If human redundancies purged. Could be 300%."
Evo glanced at her with it's antenna raising slightly as if to ask; 'how about that?'.
"Huh... Still not interested."
The moth man slumped his shoulders.
"Very well. Current human redundancies will be persevered for camouflage. Submerge in healing pool. Will begin."
"Also I want to keep my hair... And skin... And over all human look in my Zykra form. Got it?"
She was nervous as hell. If she was really beaten so easily by Ku'senai... She really needed an upgrade. But at the same time she didn't want to lose any sense of herself. Of what she currently had. Her somewhat human appearance in her Zykra form helped ground her.
"I was created for this. Queens are prideful. Resolute in their demands. I would not be here if I ever refused their demands."
Zephyr paced around her room.
She wasn't allowed to leave. Danny would bring her meals and stuff. Raymond took her to the showers and bathroom. It was a literal prison.
"I'm so screwed..." she grumbled to herself.
They took her tablet so she only had her own thoughts to entertain her.
She was losing.
Her plan to cross off Aboleth completely backfired. That bug bitch would come back anyways. And keep spewing her pro-Zykra propaganda in Selene's ears.
Make her forget or not care about humanity.
Before she was in charge of minimizing the damage her mother caused before Selene took over. And now Zephyr felt she had the same responsibility for Selene.
After all who would turn an opportunity like this down? When it meant having a seat at a table which would decide the fate of humanity?
Zephyr hadn't realized how much she wanted it. But gradually as she learned about the situation after Selene took over, it became clear that she could be remembered forever in history. If she made the right choices...
Seducing Selene and grooming her might've been the wrong move. Selene is kind, but she isn't stupid. And maybe Zephyr could see herself that way, it's not that Selene wasn't good looking. She just never thought about it before. The idea of being with a woman never popped into her head until she saw the way Selene looked at her.
Zephyr slapped the sides of her face. What was she thinking?
She didn't have the privilege of thinking about a relationship with Selene. The second she figured out what she did to Aboleth... It would be game over for her. No matter what that Elias alien told her.
They'd kill Zephyr. Take the device. And give it to someone else.
Pure and simple.
They've been on this Zykra ship for hours and hours. How much longer would they be here? How much longer until Aboleth was revived? She wished they would get it over with so she didn't have to worry anymore.
"I'm so sorry Selene..." she said to herself, on the verge of tearing up.
She had no idea Aboleth was more than just a Zykra drone. Was she? How much humanity was left in her? Did she actually kill a person?
These questions, the regret of what she did plagued her. Everything was teetering on the precipice. If Selene leaned into her human qualities—she could save humanity. But if she didn't... She could easily bring about an apocalypse.
Zephyr stared down at her preserver gauntlet. And the blade apparated.
Would she be able to do what she had to?
No. Of course not. They would just replace her. Or worse yet, invade themselves. With no human surrogate needed. They only haven't already because they wanted to bring Selene's telepath abilities into the fold.
She unconjured the blade of light.
That wasn't an option either. Selene was their best hope so far, Elias probably knew that as well. You can't beat the Zykra in a numbers war.
Though she wasn't afraid to admit she felt relieved. Killing Selene would not only mean certain death for herself—it would be a seriously fucked up thing to do.
She couldn't kill her. She couldn't seduce her. She'd probably be sentenced to death after Aboleth wakes up. What could she do?
Dr. Bryant didn't tell Raymond and Danny when he'd returned to the ship.
But he had a conversation with Ku'senai after Selene was dragged away.
"You didn't kill her?" he asked. Grateful, he looked up at the encephalon queen. Her burning violet gaze bore a hole into him. Disappointment evident.
The bug-butler spoke in her place; "Only a remind-er was need-ed. You were cor-rect. She has potent-ial." the insectoid mockery of a human shambled next to the crater Selene had laid. The twitching sporadic upper body completely at odds with it's graceful and balanced legs.
"Her will is not what con-cerns me. It is not un-like her ability. Un-tamed. Un-brid-led. A boon to our race. It is her humanity that con-cerns me."
"She will learn your grace!" Dr. Bryant pleaded. "I will guide her—and she'll mold this system in the Zykra's image!"
The queen clasped her hands together in a regal fashion over her thorax stomach. Plates of carapace armor curved and met in a point at the center.
"You. Must change. As well."
"Have I not changed enough, your majesty?" he asked her as he knelt before her; "I have exposed myself to the Zykra mind in ways that would drive a lesser man insane!"
Ku'senai nodded. "You have served well—for a human. But I be-lieve, you are. Ready."
He let out a sigh.
"Very well. I will try to endure. Please be kind, your grace." he pleaded once more as he steeled himself.
Then a wave of psionic energy crashed down upon him. Instructions. Knowledge. Will. History. The essence of the Zykra filled him once more until the edges of his psyche frayed and withered.
He lifted off the ground and his arms splayed outwards as purple light shot out from his hands and mouth.
It was agony. But it was the exact kind of understanding he yearned for all his life. The truth of everything.