Chapter 3: Evolution

I awoke in a momentary panic. It was dark. At first I thought that what had knocked me out had blinded me. I held my hand in front of my face and couldn't even see that. That really scared me; I remember the new vision I had back in the cave. Even that was not working.

I stood and began to feel my way around the walls looking for a way out. The walls were completely smooth; I felt nothing, no light switch, no door -- nothing. As I continued to search I heard a clicking, a crack of light formed on the wall in front of me. Wider and wider it became until it was wide enough to walk through. I cautiously approached the opening; just as I was close enough to step through I was brought up short by the appearance of a creature I had never seen before.

"Do not be afraid. You will not be harmed as long as you are here." It said to me.

"Who ... What are you?" I asked.

"We are an ancient race. We are your progenitors. We created you -- in a sense. Walk with me and I will explain as much as I can."

It took just a split second to decide. I can't say that 'they' attacked 'me' because I was destroying their propulsion system when they shot me with the weapon that knocked me out; so I decided to walk with it and listen to what it had to say.

"Alright, I will go with you and listen to what you have to say. But keep in mind that I will defend myself to the best of my ability if I am attacked," I told it.

"Be at peace, we are not here to harm you. As a matter of fact, we are here to complete your transformation and training."

"Transformation? Training?" I repeated, hoping for an explanation. "Then you're not here to invade my planet?" I asked.

The creature made a sound I assumed was its equivalent to laughter, responded, "No, we are not here to invade your primitive planet. By our standards your planet is not ready for First Contact."

"I agree. Then why are you here? You mentioned transformation and training earlier. What did you mean by that?"

We walked slowly, making sure we had time for the story that was unfolding before me.

"For millennia my species have been at war with the Enemy. For as long as we have been at war with them we have never learned what they call their species. We have tried diplomatic methods; we have sent spies and assassins to get information from their computers, all to no avail. To this day none have returned.

"We do not know where they came from originally. They move there fleet from planet to planet harvesting everything from the inhabitants to the planet's resources. We have seen the planets they have ravaged. There was nothing left except the lifeless planet. The plant life died off when they stripped the atmosphere from the planet.

"Apparently their entire species lives on their ships and they harvest animals, people, water, minerals and the atmosphere; everything of useable value. They are like what you call locusts moving from planet to planet stripping it of life. In a way, they remind me of how your species would be if they were spacefaring at your current technological level. You do not have the technology to replenish your resources without having to strip it from a planet or trading with it." It explained.

"You are right, we do not have such technology, however, we do have a television show we call Star Trek that has a device called a replicator. The replicator can take energy and turn it into matter such as food, drink and other material items. I think this would be a necessary technology for a species that lives permanently in space." I told it.

"You are correct. Thousands of years ago my people discovered this technology on a derelict floating near the super massive black hole at the center of a nearby galaxy. To use a term from your planet, this ship was a mother-lode of information. The crew of the scout ship is still there living on the alien craft. Two thousand years ago they sent a data burst back to us and we developed our technology from it; weapons, propulsion, shields, sensors and yes, replicator technology.

"Even with their complete database we have yet to decipher their way of generating energy. It appears that they either captured a singularity or found a way to create one in captivity artificially. We have had to adapt our cold fusion reactors in order to power their technology." It added.

"Thinking of another of my planet's television shows, Stargate: Atlantis, is it possible that the creators of that ship evolved or "ascended" to a higher plane of existence?" I asked.

We hadn't thought of that line of thinking. We have never considered such a possibility, we will continue to search their database for references to ascension and evolution." It said.

We talked for several hours about the history of both races. Walking around the ship as we talked it showed me to a section of the ship they had modified as my living quarters.

"This is where you will sleep tonight. Tomorrow I will come for you and we will discuss the transformation and training that was mentioned earlier.

Even though I no longer require sleep I spent the rest of the night in quiet meditation, reflecting on what my host told me earlier. My newly acquired night vision had not yet returned. I resolved to ask my host about this at a later time.

The hours passed quietly as I sat reflecting on the past year. Through the entire event the AI in my head remained silent. I wondered if it was damaged or just offline.

It wasn't long before there was a knock at my door. "Come!" I said in a voice I hope it would hear.

"It is time, Young One." It said as the door opened.

"Young One?" I asked rhetorically.

"I am 457 of your years old. How old are you?"

"I see your point.

"Follow me and we will begin the procedure for completing your transformation. After the transformation is complete we will begin your training."

We walked in silence for a while before coming to a door. My host put what could be its hand; it had only three digits and an opposable digit, on a rectangular plate on the wall. The door slid open to reveal a room with an examination table in the middle. I didn't see any medical instruments in the room, but as we entered the room my host held out its hand toward the table, "Get on the table and lie back. You will be given a sedative, it is best if you sleep through the procedure." It said.

I was not excited about this. Even with all of the changes that have happened to me so far I could still remember all of the media hype about UFO abductions and the medical experiments performed. The thought of a rectal exam came to mind and I shuttered at the thought. In spite of my apprehension I climbed up on the table and lay back. I heard a short hiss and I was out. My last thought before I passed out was 'where was this kind of pain killer when I was human?'

Elgrid stood beside the examination table and looked at the creation of his species. Hoping beyond hope that this creation would end the war its species has fought for so long. After contemplating the possible future for its species for a moment longer it pushed a button on the table's edge. The ceiling split open and an apparatus slowly descended, stopping just a couple of feet from the body on the table.