Chapter 15

[Queen Triada?] came the elders’ thoughts. [We had heard that you and your world had fallen.]

[That was a falsehood. As you can tell, I and my world are quite well. Thanks to Sam, our triad is also whole again. Sam has already freed two of your corner worlds. I am hoping he can yours also, ] Triada thought.

[We will do all we can to help achieve this, Queen Triada, ] the elder replied.

Sam sat nearby to see if they were going to need him anymore. [Thantas? Are you going to strengthen them now? Do they have enough strength to go through the process again?] Sam asked.

[For now, I feel that they do. Remember, I stated that I couldn’t go as fast as I wish I could. That was the reason I started to alter their physiology. I am hoping that with the changes, I can strengthen them far faster, ] Thantas replied.

Sam was shaking his head as he thought about the problem. [You are afraid that Triot is going to order you to destroy them. That’s why you are working so hard. Why? To what end? We both know that they won’t be near strong enough to resist. They—]

[No, Sam, not resist. Survive. I want them to survive, ] Thantas’ thoughts stated.

[You’re changing them into us, aren’t you? You’re using the hard gene cloning, forcing their bodies to adapt and change. It will fail. You are going the right way, though you aren’t doing an entire body scape process. Here, ] Sam replied as he felt the information flow from him to Thantas.

[I see. Strange, I was one of the top healers. I have never seen this technique, ] Thantas’ thoughts stated, a little suspicious.

[I have had a myriad of memories of late. There were so many failures that this was kept quiet ‘til they were certain. From what I can see, it was not long after you were reported missing. Though I have no real memories of Owt Los, this comes through very clearly, ] Sam told Thantas.

Sam heard Thantas gasp as the flood of new information inundated her.

[This ... this is an unprecedented solution. I would have never thought of something so simple. I—] Thantas’ thoughts said, then she was suddenly quiet for a moment. Suddenly, all Sam could hear was the torturous screams of Thantas in his mind.

“So, I thought that you were unsettlingly quiet. This should teach you to remain here as the obedient slave that you are. I had felt that you might be trying to contact others of your race. Too bad that Sam is the only one you THINK that you can rely on. I’ll soon have him as I do you. Then there won’t be any more deaths caused by your repugnant kind,” Triot taunted as he turned the pain machine higher, making Thantas scream louder.

“You will never defeat him. He is far beyond me. I hope—” Thantas was replying even as Triot went higher with the pain machine.

“You had better hope you can think straight after this.” Triot laughed evilly. Try to kill him? He’d keep her in constant pain like he used to if need be. The Cliveastone bitch would learn her place once and for all.

Both Drivas and Thellus cringed when they heard Thantas scream. Though they both wanted to help, they knew that Thantas wanted them to stay back. As Thantas had put it, they were nowhere near strong enough yet. Then again, Drivas thought as she reached out, trying to ease Thantas’s pain, only to feel the fringe of it herself.

Thellus hurriedly moved to help Drivas, then was thrown back by a wall of pain coming in waves. Helpless, Thellus could only watch as Drivas curled into a fetal position. A moment later, she sighed then relaxed.

“Don’t try that again, Thellus,” Drivas stated. “You aren’t as strong as I am, though I thank you for trying to help. I guess I should take my own advice. I am nowhere near as strong as Thantas, though in my arrogance, I thought I could help.”

Thellus nodded. “Not yet, though I feel we will one day. We are growing stronger like she wants. We will soon, commander.”

Drivas looked up from the floor at her best friend. Yes, they would get stronger and help Thantas; they would, even if it killed them.

Trying to get to a sitting position, Drivas felt her head start to swim. Thellus was immediately at her side, helping her up.

Drivas nodded as tears started to flow from her eyes. She so wished she could do more than watch. The pain she’d felt from Thantas was more than anything she’d ever experienced in her life.

Triot laughed harder, wallowing in his sick, sadistic glee. Ah, the sounds of that Cliveastone bitch’s pain were so sweet to his ears. If he could, he’d kill her again and again, making her pain more intense each time. After what she had done all that time ago, he felt the little pain he gave her was nothing in comparison.

One moment he was laughing with sadistic glee, the next he was against the wall. Struggling to breathe, he could feel the cold energy of the Lord Doctor.

[Whatever qualms you may have with the Cliveastone, best be shelved for a more controlled time. Need I remind you that if she dies, we all die.] The Lord Doctor’s thoughts echoed through Triot’s mind. [Need I also remind you that if she dies, you will be the first to be eliminated very slowly. Don’t think that your little toys will save you. Unlike the Cliveastones, we are not affected by the shields. Best you remember before I replace you.]

Triot was summarily dropped without remorse, gasping for air the moment his throat opened.

“I was only punishing her for—” Triot started, only to be off his feet again, gagging.

[You forget who you are talking to! I KNOW who and what you are. Don’t make me regret keeping you around all these centuries. I would gladly destroy you without a second thought, ] the Lord Doctor stated. Dropping Triot, the male crumbled to the floor, still gasping, trying to catch his breath.

Triot could still feel the raw power of the Lord Doctor in the room. “I will not forget, Lord Doctor,” Triot stated, his voice almost a whisper as he still struggled to breathe.

[Good. If we can defeat this new threat, then we can destroy these three triads that have reformed.] Triot’s eyes went wide. Three? That was enough to set all their plans back to almost two hundred years ago. It had taken a massive amount of personnel to defeat the last three the last time.

Looking around, Triot reached out, feeling the three triads. A gasp arose from his sore throat. Queen Triada! That bitch had been the leader of the last triad. Now he felt that hers was in the center of the three. They might never defeat her again. It had taken a lot of work to get past her. This time she’d be more than ready.

[Ah! I see you haven’t forgotten how to use your pitiful abilities. Good. There may be a day where you might actually be one of us again. I suggest you get ready; I may have to call on you soon. Also, withdraw all your men to the edge of the three triads. No move against them. The first two are very strong now. Triada is protecting the third, ] the Lord Doctor stated before he withdrew.

Triot shakily climbed to his feet, his anger helping him to push himself up. Leader or not, he was going to kill the Lord Doctor one day, one way or another. First, though, he had a few things to do; namely killing this Sam ass. For the moment, Sam was by far a bigger threat than the Lord Doctor. Finally able to walk, Triot went through a door that was almost always closed and locked.

Inside, Triot looked over several of the machines that were there. A new improved gas gun? Shaking his head, that was worthless now, he thought. Sam was more than immune. In fact, it seemed he thrived more when it was used on him. Moving on, there were several more powerful solid projectile weapons. Again, he shook his head. That was worthless as well.

Next, he came upon several extremely powerful energy weapons. Shaking his head, those were no good either. Stopping before an energy-draining weapon, Triot had to think a moment. Sighing, he shook his head. It had to penetrate the enemy’s skin. As he’d seen more than a few times, there wasn’t anything they had used so far that would do that.

Next, he came upon a few mind booster machines. They had been working on these for some time now. He himself had already increased his power to three times what it had been. He was nowhere near as powerful as the Lord Doctor, though he was sure he was now past the last three of the council. The problem was if he made a move, he was sure that the others would attack. Though, knowing them, they might cheer him on.

Sighing, he realized he had at least a week before he could undergo another treatment. Next to them were the improved mind shields. Shaking his head, he acknowledged they weren’t working that well either, as Sam had proven by cracking the best he had.

The last thing he came upon was a temporary power boost. Shaking his head, he remembered that it had been a dismal failure. The last subject’s brain had been more than a little cooked. Then again, the male had only been a simple Dronditte from the IP home world.

Looking over the new tests that had been done, he could see he was the only one that would ever be able to use the apparatus. Shrugging, he knew it was too soon for him to do that. Even if it doubled his power, he’d still be nothing compared to the Lord Doctor. He’d have to tread carefully. If the Lord Doctor knew of his machines, he might try to terminate him before he got very far.

Stopping a moment, Triot thought of what the Lord Doctor had said: “Don’t think that your little toys will save you. Unlike the Cliveastones, we are not affected by the shields.” Triot’s eyes went wide. Did the Lord Doctor know of all his new machines? Was he aware of Triot’s heightened power?