He'd never really bought into the idea that you ended up surrounded by a luminous presence of benevolent compassion when you died, but empirically, it was hard to argue, at least with the luminous part. Then a familiar voice spoke out of nowhere, and he realized that the situation was not quite as he had assumed.

You risked your life to protect us, said the female thought-voice that had addressed him earlier. Why? What could you possibly have hoped to gain?

"Gain? Nothing," Scott replied. His voice sounded strangely attenuated, as if he was hearing it only from outside. "I just couldn't turn my back and let GENOM finish what they've done to this world."

For a moment there was no answer; then the voice said, I misjudged you, Scott Bernard of Mars. I thought all Solar men would be the same. Your actions have proven beyond doubt that I was wrong... and given me the first hope I have felt in three hundred years. You have done the Invid a great service... and now I feel I must ask another of you. But first there is much you must learn, and little time in which to teach you. Watch... and understand.

The world around Scott Bernard twisted, the light differentiating into shapes and colors, and he saw.

It was a beautiful world, Optera. So it had been from time unknowable, the verdant forests, lush grasslands, and shining seas providing shelter and sustenance to the native species, who went about the business of living in an almost bucolic state. They were the Invid, the children of Reflis, their Queen-Mother, All-Knowing and All-Loving. For this vaguely humanoid species, this world was Paradise. Conflict on a major scale was practically unknown, courtesy of the low-level psionic connection all of them shared, as well as the protection of their Mother, progenitor and guardian of their race. What point was there to violence, when even the least among them could feel the pain of another Invid through their communal subconcious?

The feeling of contentment and tranquility shared by the Invid was almost painful for Scott's human conciousness to experience, even as there was a sensation of rapid movement and descent towards that emerald-and-turquoise world. His sense of self began to dissolve away as his spirit drew closer to one of the natives, who was even now watching the sky with large, opal eyes as a strange device, large and blocky, came from the clouds and landed in a clearing near an assortment of organic-looking buildings. Scott tried to puzzle out where he had seen such a machine before, but his human thoughts were slow to come, as his curiosity meshed with that of the native Invid who was witnessing these events.

The big metal box, he realized, had smaller beings inside it, exiting now through what appeared to be a door (much fancier than the openings on their own huts). They were thin, almost sticklike in comparison to the more robust gurab'pa and gurab'lo that had gathered to witness this strange procession. The gurab'lo that Scott seemed to be "occupying" followed the group, carried along by blind curiosity, as they headed towards the largest of the organic domes.

He knew what this place was - the domain of his Queen-Mother - and to be within her vicinity was the most welcome of blessings.

Clinging to the shadows, the Invid laborer followed the strange group of thin beings. Several of them waved little boxes about, the purpose of which he couldn't divine. Others held long, blocky sticks across their chests. But they were nothing compared to the sharp-faced being who walked in the lead, who strode as if the world belonged to him.

There was no more time to dwell on this, however, as they had entered the central chamber. The Invid instinctually lowered his head, and moved to one side to make way for the Queen-Mother. Tall and regal, lean and composed, Reflis looked upon her domain with compassion and welcome. Regardless of her current form, the Invid would know her at any time, in any place. Now, clad in a long red robe, she towered over her children and visitors, at least three times their height.

Greetings, travelers, said the Queen's mind-voice, and the newcomers looked up at her in shock. I am Reflis, Queen-Mother of the Invid. Welcome to Optera.

"What-- how?! This shouldn't be possible, Master..." exclaimed one of the small-box wielding beings, looking towards the figure in the lead.

Reflis looked towards the box-wielder, then towards the person in front. All things are possible, for those who possess the will.

"Indeed... Reflis," said the sharp-faced visitor with narrowing eyes. "However, we were expecting you to appear more like... these creatures," he continued, gesturing to the smaller Invid watching around the chamber. "Not human in form."

We have watched the stars for some time, replied the queen. While the individual species are varied, this template appears to be the most prevalent. One day, when my children are ready, we shall join them within our new forms.

The box-wielding being scoffed. "That's impossible. You'd need a biosculpt system to enact even the least amount of morphic change, never mind across an entire species at once!"

Is it, now?

At that, the Mother Of All Invid smiled, and gestured to her side, where the smaller Invid lurked about, watching what was going on with equal measures of curiosity and confusion. Come here, S'caht, she asked one of them, and such was his trust and love for his Mother that the Invid in question stepped forward without hesitation.

Scott-that-was-S'caht looked up at Reflis with wide, trusting eyes. She looked down at him with care and love, and then reached down and touched his shoulders with her hands.

S'caht-that-was-Scott gasped as awareness and clarity came to his mind. He could feel his body reshaping and lengthening, his senses sharpening, his brain filling with new thoughts as the number of neural pathways increased exponentially. The process took mere seconds, but for the Invid (and Scott), it was a glorious eternity, a moment of blessed communion with his Queen.

When the glow receded, S'caht-that-was-Scott was noticeably different. No longer hunched over, he stood taller and straighter, looking down at his now five-fingered hands and feet with wide black eyes. The lesser Invid pulled back, clearly in awe of their transformed brother. He looked about, and his better eyes could now pick out the individual clothing articles on the people who now surrounded him, and the devices that they wielded.

This is the power of our metamorphosis, our environmental evolution, proclaimed Reflis to those assembled. No world shall remain inaccessible so long as the Invid draw breath!

"Fascinating," murmured the sharp-faced man. He looked up at the Queen-Mother of the Invid with calculating eyes. "I'd be most eager to learn more about this... evolution," he said with a cool smile.

Watching the scene, a new feeling settled in Scott-that-was-S'caht's heart, one that his lesser Invid mind had never experienced, but that his human rider was very familiar with.

As the vision faded, he could only put one word to it:

Unease.

In the half-light of Special Projects Facility Twenty-Seven, a small group of men, clad in white, long coats, watched and waited for the critical moment. The chamber in which the bio-energy device had been installed was filled with a subliminal hum of power. Any moment now, the next phase would begin.

BIRTH

Awareness, focus
warmth, Matrix
confusion, strangeness
Mother-Reflis?

Men watched as the creature extricated itself from the biological capsule that had formed on the tissue bed below BM-1 over the past several days. It had been quite an interesting process to observe, and the data gathered from the scanners were sure to provide new insights in the days ahead.

But that was for the future. For the present, other tasks took priority.

The creature, small and hunched over, was covered with a thick leathery skin and possessing hands that were more like oversized pincers. Without any higher cognitive processes, it sought out the nearest source of food, a nutrient trough filled with some sort of strange fluid.

However, before it could reach it, a sudden shock was applied to it. The little Invid let out a keening cry, and pulled back from the source of the shock. After a few moments, the pain subsided, and it tried to reach the trough again. Again, there was another shock. This went on for several minutes, until some impulse deep within the iigaari triggered, and it shuddered where it stood.

As the strange men watched, a rippling change progressed across the Invid's skin. The epidermis hardened and thickened, covered with knobby protrusions. Thus protected, the iigaari once again headed for the nutrient trough. Once again, the shock was applied, but this time the creature ignored it, barely even registering the voltage as it reached the source of sustenance and began to feed.

"Astounding," muttered one of the white-coat clad men, making a note with a stylus. "Their adaptive processes put even the Vorcha to shame!"

"But can they adapt more than once?" asked another. "That's one of the main reasons those Vorcha were disqualified from the project in the first place. No point in trying to force them to adapt to one world if they'll be useless on another."

Another voice made itself known at that point. "That is what you gentlemen are here to figure out," it said, a cool clarity in its vocal tones.

The voice of the sharp-faced man moved to where it was above the feeding Invid. "Can it understand what we're saying?"

"It doesn't matter," said the second white-clad man. "We can blank its memory anyway."

The sharp-faced man nodded. "Good. I'll take care of the next portion of this test myself."

Before any of the white-clad men could protest, he removed his tie and jumped over the perspex railing partition that had separated the Invid from the observers.

What followed next, even the observers were hard-pressed to keep track of. In a series of quick and brutal motions, the sharp-faced man drove the feeding creature away from its food source several times. Each time, the smaller Invid tried to fight back, but was unable to, due to its opponent's strength and speed.

And every time it fought, a new emotion crept into its mind.

Anger.

Finally, a threshold was reached, and the iigaari convulsed, its body shifting rapidly to accomodate the torments of the past hour. With a bestial roar, the newly-formed gurab'pa now charged at the sharp-faced man, stubby hands outstretched to grab and crush.

Coldly, casually, the sharp-faced man avoided the onrushing Invid, grabbed its arms and pulled them back painfully. With a howl of pain, the creature fell to its knees and onto its chest.

Struggling futilely, the Invid could not move away as the man leaned down towards its ear hole. The black eyes registered something akin to fear as they saw the cold smile on the man's lips as he said, "In time, you all will call me 'Master'."

With that selfsame cold smile, the sharp-faced man turned his head, and nodded to one of the scientists.

Blackness engulfed them.

A shroud of darkness cloaked his senses. He could not feel the air on his skin, or smell the scents of the laboratory, and his limbs refused to respond. He felt confined, restrained, and his thoughts were sluggish, held in limbo by outside forces.

But he could still hear. Somehow, sounds were reaching his sensory organs. With this realization, Scott strained to listen, to understand what had happened to him. Modulated, regulated, grouped... was that speech?

The voices were odd and cold, grouped together a short distance away. Scott-that-was-S'caht did not understand the sounds, did not have the frames of reference to comprehend what the words meant, but S'caht-that-was-Scott did understand, and a cold finger of dread traced itself along his spine.

"Until Operation Skywatch is fully staffed and operational we are vulnerable. The Wedge Defenders are too well-equipped. They're more dangerous than you realize."

"Dangerous to your Ikazuchis and Lancer fighters, Tagge, but not to the full might of Neo-Worcester's automated defenses and Project SOL! Before the year is out, we'll be fully online -"

"Spare me your promises, Motti. You know as well as I you've had serious delays and cost overruns, don't try to hide them. Why else would the Master have ordered the ICZER program?"

"Hrmph!" interjected another speaker before the first could respond. "Astbury's creations are a waste of time, effort, and resources. Too much has been sunk into that program, for so little payoff, when the dollars could be put to better use elsewhere."

"And who is going to train your mechanical hordes in the time we have, Mohc? You?"

The prior voice snorted. "That's sort of the point, Tagge. A legion of BU-55C and BU-99S Buma can easily handle all our facility security needs with minimal programming, unlike human beings, who are prone to distraction and disloyalty. It would take little time to expand the program -"

"GENOM's military staffing will no longer be of any concern to us," answered a calm, controlled voice. It was clear, cultured, with no trace of accent... and no undercurrent of sympathy.

There were an assortment of panicked gasps, rapid shufflings, as the owners of the other voices immediately drew silent. The calm voice moved closer, speaking as it approached the still-shrouded Scott-that-was-S'caht.

"Shifts in the local tax structures have created an economy ideal for GENOM's growth. Our current advances have made recruiting new talent easy. People want GENOM's products, and we provide them. Take a good, close look at the track record of this company. In a few short months, we have agressively expanded into the medical and defense industries. We have gambled in markets traditionally regarded as 'non-profit'... hospitals... schools... prisons... energy management... space exploration... and have succeeded. All of these are already paying out dividends that benefit the Corporation in the immediate future."

By now, the cool, urbane voice was standing right in front of Scott-that-was-S'caht. The cadences of that voice were familiar, disquieting, and within the depths of S'caht-that-was-Scott, something akin to both fear and anger welled up in his mind. It couldn't be him... but it had to!

"But we here at GENOM believe in planning for the long term. To defend our corporate assets now, and for decades to come. A dedicated fast-response platform that can be put into production immediately."

Suddenly, a strange new sensation flooded across Scott-that-was-S'caht's synapses. Embedded status indicators came to life. Power flowed into hybrid limbs. Visual scanners fed images directly into his eyes, and the part of him that was human could understand them all too clearly:

G-OS UNIX System XVII Release 3 version 1.07
UNIT IAS-1-1001 OFFLINE
system activating
base operating system ... ... ... ... OK
cybernetic interfaces ... ... ... ... OK
life and combat support ... ... ... ... OK
powerplant status ... ... ... ... OK
motive systems ... ... ... ... OK
sensor systems ... ... ... ... OK
weapon systems ... ... ... ... OK
system activated on Feb 20 12:20:03 EST 1992
cybernetic command frequency detected
ccf accepted : PRI-1-OMEGA-ULTRA
AWAITING COMMANDS
UNIT IAS-1-1001 ONLINE

"Fellow executives, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to the new backbone of the GENOM Military Arm : the Invid Armored Scout!"

The shrouded darkness left his senses, and Scott-that-was-S'caht stepped forward to the astonished gasps of the assembled bipeds. As his central optic mount pivoted left and right, looking at the room and its occupants, it caught a glimpse of a reflected image from one of the mirrors that lined the walls of the boardroom.

The image, processed by a trio of lenses in his optic mount, was of a wide, hunched-over being, clad in rust-red armor and balanced on reversed-joint legs. Two ovoid arms were currently tucked up under his body, and two protrusions jutted up from the machine's curved upper carapace. It gave an impression of a nimble killing machine, a biotechnological warrior crab from Hell.

The Invid side of himself had no understanding of what it saw, even as data readouts relayed information to its limited mind. But the Human side of the amalgam recognized the image all too well and what it meant. The image in the mirror was an Invid Armored Scout - HE was the Armored Scout! And standing off to the side in an impeccable business suit, with a cool, smug expression on his slim face, was none other than

LARGO!!!

Without thinking of the consequences, heedless of the fact this was just a vision, S'caht-that-was-Scott's mind went red with fury at this thing that had caused (would cause?) the fall of the Wedge Defense Force, the loss of so many lives. But his attempts to rend the Master of GENOM limb from limb in his anger were thwarted by the very body and mind he now inhabited. Command protocols and safety interlocks prevented him from moving, and deep within Scott-that-was-S'caht's mind there was nothing but blind obediance and loyalty. Scott could do nothing but fume wordlessly within his organic/technic prison as Largo continued his presentation, cooly detailing the mecha's capabilities to his stunned audience.

"The Invid Armored Scout is a dedicated high-speed swarm interceptor. While the first production model is only nominally supersonic in a standard atmosphere, later revisions are expected to be much faster. Regardless, an external booster module will enable even the Mark I to achieve orbital velocities with ease. It is capable of both melee and ranged combat, courtesy of its forward anti-destroid claws and dual plasma cannons."

The armor's optic mount followed Largo as he addressed the assembled GENOM officers. "The Armored Scout is self-sufficient, easily replaced, and capable of being fielded in large numbers. After a successful deployment in Neo-Worcester, we can expect the Armored Scout to become an essential part of GENOM's defensive strategy for the decades beyond."

"But what about dedicated ground combat against destroids? You can't expect these ... Armored Scouts to perform successfully against heavy or assault-class mecha," protested Motti. "Whereas the automated defenses and Project SOL can target any enemy of that class size easily! Not even your boomer troops can claim that, Mohc!"

"The next phase of Invid mecha development is already in hand, gentlemen," said Largo coolly. "It will address this perceived lack of coverage. GENOM assets will be protected all the way from executive personell to company property."

As the argument between the GENOM military executives began to slowly escalate, S'caht-that-was-Scott could see Largo's eyes narrowing. As he did so, words intruded on his sensor displays:

CCF Command Received
PRI-1-OMEGA-ULTRA Command - Target Employee ID MA-415674-CAM
PRI-1-OMEGA-ULTRA Command - Power On Self Test ILG-3 PC 1
PRI-1-OMEGA-ULTRA Command - Power On Self Test ILG-3 PC 2
ILG-3 Plasma Cannon 1 ... Charging
ILG-3 Plasma Cannon 2 ... Charging
Targeting Lock Achieved

S'caht-that-was-Scott felt a sickening sensation - not at the suddenness of the command, but the almost puppy-like desire to please its master that blossomed in Scott-that-was-S'caht's mind at its presence. Unable to move, unable to change a single thing, the Invid Armored Scout's ventral plasma cannons powered up, startling the bickering executives.

"What the... what's it doing?" asked Motti as he could see the barrels of the plasma cannons orienting on him.

"Resolving the debate," replied Largo with a flat gaze.

CCF Command Received
PRI-1-OMEGA-ULTRA Command - Fire ILG-3 PC 1
PRI-1-OMEGA-ULTRA Command - Fire ILG-3 PC 2
ILG-3 Plasma Cannon 1 ... Firing
ILG-3 Plasma Cannon 2 ... Firing
Target Neutralized

Flashes of scarlet light lanced across the boardroom table, reducing the protesting executive to ash in milliseconds.

"I trust there will be no other complaints?" asked the Master rhetorically, as the mecha's plasma cannons began to cool. Nobody answered him, too shocked to say otherwise. "Good. Then I would say this demonstration was successful. The Invid Armored Scout is to go into immediate production!"

There was applause from those assembled, even as one last command trickled across Scott-that-was-S'caht's synapses, and his vision darkened:

CCF Command Received
PRI-1-OMEGA-ULTRA Command - Initiate Standby Mode
Initiating Standby Power-Down Mode
UNIT IAS-1-1001 OFFLINE

Once more, the viewpoint shifted. Once more, he witnessed the central chamber of the main Invid Hive, the heart of Reflis's domain. But now, instead of a feeling of peace and contentment, there was an undercurrent of tension permeating the mental ambit all around him. Something peculiar had been happening for some time now, unseen to most of the Invid there, but not to Reflis. They knew not what it was, but whatever it was, the majority of the Mother of All Invid's attention was focussed on it.

Looking around, Scott-that-was-S'caht could see that he was not the only one feeling this. Along with his brethren, he gave his support to their Mother, who sat in the center on a raised platform and chair, where she had been spending most of her time these days. Though meager, it was still welcome, and Reflis directed a slight smile towards her children in thanks.

Her respite was short-lived. Once again, her attention was drawn elsewhere, and the lesser Invid in the central chamber could feel her increased agitation. Along with it was a sense of warning, and the lower Invid heeded the caution, withdrawing to the alcoves along the periphery.

A single figure stepped from the shadows of the entrance hall. Clad in his black mandarin-collar suit, his hair slicked back, the sharp-faced man was instantly recognizable now. S'caht-that-was-Scott cringed inwardly at the sight. Whatever business he had here, it wasn't anything good.

"Reflis, we meet again," said Maximilien Largo, one arm across his chest as he gave the Invid Queen a short bow. "I trust you are doing well?"

Reflis leveled her gaze at the Master of GENOM. What is it you want, Largo? she replied, and there was such sharpness to her mental tone that Scott-that-was-S'caht flinched, even though it wasn't directed at him.

"To thank you," he replied with a cool, thin smile. "Your gift of a Birthing Matrix has been most educational and fruitful."

And what have you learned? the Mother of All Invid asked in return, her mental voice cold. What has required the birth of so many of my children, so far away from Optera and their siblings?

"I believe it would be more expedient to just show you," said Largo with a tilt of his head. "Given that I brought them so far to meet their 'siblings', as it were."

Massive forms, taller than Reflis, sheathed in curved purple and lavender armor, stepped out from the shadows of the entrance hall behind Largo. They were bipedal, balanced on pairs of thick claws, and their bulbous limbs ended in a trio of vicious talons. In addition, some of them had what looked to be ovoid weapon cannons surmounting their shoulders, bracketing their hunched torsos.

Reflis stared in shock at the massive metal abominations, a shock that was felt by all the native Invid in the chamber. What have you done to them?

"Improved them," Largo replied calmly. "Provided them the tools to take to the stars. That is what you desired for them, isn't it?"

The tension in the room suddenly crystallized, and Reflis' eyes narrowed on the humanoid interloper. You are no longer welcome here, Largo, she proclaimed, rising to her full height. Leave now, and never return, and you will be spared! The Invid, regardless of their origins, are not your tools to be used and thrown away!

The Master of GENOM did not seem particularly impressed by the Invid Queen's proclamation. "Oh, I disagree, Reflis. I see a long, fruitful future for the Invid under GENOM's protection."

Then you 'see' wrong! And with that, Reflis abruptly moved towards Largo, her eyes flaring with untold power that lashed out towards the smaller figure. Faster than the Invid eye could track, Largo dodged the beam of energy, and the fight was on.

This was something the gurab'lo and malarosm in the chamber had never witnessed. Their Queen Mother fighting for their individual survival and that of their species. As the fight between Reflis and the (now blue-skinned) invader raged across the central dome of the hive, something stirred within them. They had no words to put their new feelings into, but S'caht-that-was-Scott recognized the emotions and their intent instantly:

Courage
Protect
Defend
FIGHT!

With a wordless cry of defiant rage, the malarosm raised his fist high, pointed out towards the melee, and charged towards Largo to protect their Queen.

NO! yelled Reflis across the mindlink, startled by their sudden action and fearing for their safety. A lapse of focus that proved disastrous, as Largo took advantage of the distraction to drive the Invid Queen to her knees in a quick series of brutal blows. As she struggled to regain her breath, he shifted his focus to the Invid now attacking him.

It was a very short battle. Mere flesh and bone and massed numbers of inexperienced fighters were nothing compared to the might of a Hyper-BUMA, especially one as skilled as the Master of GENOM. Within moments the gurab'lo and malarosm who tried to attack him had been killed, with no more effort than a normal human would expend to swat a group of ants.

"... no..." Reflis gasped out, the word spoken by inexperienced lips. She watched Largo wipe some green viscera from his arms with the remnants of his shirtfront, then look cooly around the chamber. All that remained were the immobile forms of the purple Shock Troopers, Reflis, and himself.

With a cold, thin smile, he stepped forward to the still-recovering Queen. His arm lashed out for her neck, forcing her to face him, his red eyes boring into her blue ones.

"Do you see now, Reflis?" Largo hissed, his hand around the Invid Queen's throat. "Even now, my Armored Scouts and Shock Troopers are surrounding the other Matrices. With a thought I could have them, and you, wiped out in an eye-blink. Your pitiful species would be stranded and lost, and I would still possess the remnants."

Reflis said nothing, but her eyes widened at the implications. With no Birth Matrices and the lack of a definite Queen, her people's rudimentary society would collapse. It would take centuries for the Invid to return to anything like their current state. More likely they would simply become extinct.

"Now then, your Majesty," said Largo, using the title (which he had never spoken when he was pretending to respect her) as a further mocking twist of the knife, "we shall talk some more about the production of those Birthing Matrices..."

What Reflis or Largo said next went unheard, as S'caht-that-was-Scott's perceptions faded away. His life bled out onto the floor, congealing into pools of green liquid beneath his destroyed torso. Scott-that-was-S'caht died wondering, for the first time in his lifespan, how things had gone so very, very wrong.

And then, once more, there was darkness.

The world changed once more for Scott Bernard, and he struggled to comprehend what he saw and experienced. A procession of rapid impressions, vivid snapshots from a multitude of viewpoints, flowed across his conciousness like waves against the sand. Repeated themes and relentless changes wore away at him and the Invid, sapping the strength of both body and soul.

Years passed in moments to Scott's awareness. The GENOM Invid in the factories stood penned in, barely able to move, as they and their race-siblings were herded and loaded into waiting mecha. Consciousness became an erratic thing as their only drive was to attack and destroy the ones they were launched against. Those that were destroyed only further fueled their wrath, causing them to sacrifice themselves in great numbers against the red disk/white delta-wearing enemy. The bindings of control dug deep within their collective psyche, keeping them from deviating from the will of their masters, their orders sent from far-off machines.

And far away, the Invid of Optera paid the price for their GENOM siblings' enslavement. The relentless fury and senseless death, felt from afar, crippled the native resistance to their foreign overseers. The cycle of life on the planet became strained and slowed; the native Invid struggled to undertake even the most basic, necessary tasks, and were unable to mount even a simple defense. Even the Birthing Matricies were not exempt, for whenever a viable one was created and activated by Reflis, GENOM's troops (and their Invid Mecha slaves) would come and claim it for their Master.

The whole of Optera itself felt as if it was trapped in a vise, caught in the inescapable grip of Largo.

And through it all, Scott could feel Reflis' preoccupation, frustration, and confusion. Her desperation to save some remnant of her species became all-encompassing. It bled over into her children's minds on Optera, only adding more disorder to the communal subconcious. What the Queen felt, the Invid felt, and the combination of all these factors only served to increase the mental malaise that crept into their souls.

This state of affairs could not last forever. One way or another, something had to give.

And then, one day, it did.

Captain Paul Dawson brushed a piece of lint from the sleeve of his uniform as he sat, waiting for the dropship to make landfall. Although this was, on paper, a standard retreival mission, first impressions were still important. The sight of the uniform of GENOM's Military Arm, not to mention his combat-ready "honor guard", would reinforce the impression of stalwart inevitability he wished to convey. No need to waste energy in flashy displays or brazen applications of weaponry, when crisp attire and standby equipment would do.

After all, the natives of Optera still needed the occasional... reminder of who was really in charge of the planet. Things would go so much simpler if they were cowed from the start, and Captain Dawson appreciated simplicity.

The dropship touched down smoothly in the middle of Landing Platform 5, the one established in front of the primary Invid Hive. His officers and guards stepped smartly down the boarding ramp and across the tarmac. All around the periphery patrolled White Legion troopers, BU-12C Boomers, and Armored Scout guards. Dawson gave them a cursory acknowledging nod as his group proceeded towards the Hive entrance.

At the outer gate to the complex, Captain Dawson checked in with the base commander, who was waiting at the guard post with his own detachment of Boomer guards.

"Something on your mind, Pemberton?" asked Dawson, taking note of the commander's distracted air. A posting to Optera was considered an easy job, the inhabitants thoroughly cowed by the presence of GENOM's Military Arm, never mind the everpresent threat of the Master taking a personal interest again.

"My apologies, Captain Dawson. The local native Invid have been somewhat preoccupied the past several days - moreso than the usual."

Dawson frowned slightly. "Do you anticipate any trouble?"

"No, I don't believe so. The only effects I've seen are the normal maintenance tasks lagging behind. The slugs are acting more 'sluggish', pardon the pun."

The captain pursed his lips. "Be that as it may, reinforce my personal guard with some of your Armored Scouts. A united front will be the best way to keep the natives in line."

"Of course, sir."

With that matter attended to, Captain Dawson and his officers passed beyond the gates accompanied by Armored Scouts, Boomers, and stormtroopers. The wide hallways were more than sufficient to accomodate the entire group. What lesser Invid he saw cowered away from his procession as they passed into the depths of the Hive. All as expected. He didn't see exactly what Pemberton was worried about.

Within minutes, they reached the central Hive chamber. As expected, the central area was clear of loitering Invid, though Dawson noticed the smaller ones lingering in the shadows beyond the organic columns that defined the high-ceilinged dome. The only truly notable figure in the room was that of Reflis herself, her expression grim as she sat as straight as she dared on her improvised throne.

Clicking his heels, Captain Dawson gave the Queen-Mother of the Invid a perfunctory bow. "Mother Reflis, thank you for agreeing to my audience."

Reflis frowned slightly. "You may dispense with the pleasantries, Captain Dawson. We both know why you are here," she said, using human speech instead of telepathy to express her words.

"As you wish," Dawson agreed. Squaring his shoulders, his hands behind his back, he said, "As per Perpetual Directive ML-401-I, I hereby formally request and require the delivery of the latest mature Birthing Matrix into GENOM protection for delivery to New Japan for processing. Is the organic device ready for transport?"

"No."

The GENOM officer raised one slim eyebrow. "No?"

"No, human. We shall not be pawns of your 'Master' any longer." Her words twisted Largo's title like the foulest curse (which to her, it was). "My world, my children will not labor like slaves under his rule any more."

"You underestimate the Master's powers, Reflis," replied Dawson cooly, refusing to be cowed.

"And you underestimate ours," answered the Mother of All Invid, rising to her full height, her resolve strengthening. "We have learned much these many decades, even as Largo poisoned and twisted our distant brethren."

The GENOM captain and his officers took a cautionary step back as his Armored Scout and combat-boomer guards formed a protective circle around him. "And what would that be?" he asked, but even as he spoke, he got his answer.

Massive forms, taller than the Queen of the Invid, taller than even the Shock Troopers, stepped out from the shadowed alcoves on either side of the Invid Queen's seating area. They were bipedal, sheathed in blue and white armor, balanced on thick, blocky feet, and their bulbous underslung limbs ended in a trio of nimble retractable talons. Their curved and elongated upper torsos loomed over those assembled like a second pair of outstretched arms. They clearly shared design similarities to the GENOM Scouts and Troopers : they had reverse-jointed legs, curved organic-looking armor, and the upper projections over the shoulders were clearly heavy weapon systems. They even had the same vertical triple optic mount! But nobody in the Invid Development Program had ever thought of producing things like this!

Dawson sucked in a sharp breath, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. And then he winced, and clapped his hands to the sides of his head, as Reflis' mindvoice snapped across the synapses of every Invid, native and GENOM-made, within range:

KILL THEM!!!

... and so civil war came to Optera. Reflis's mindvoice was dulled, a mixture of sorrow and pain and guilt layered behind it. S'caht-that-was-Scott could feel the confusion and turmoil as the Invid of Optera turned against their bastard siblings and their GENOM overseers. Like an animal whose leg was stuck in a trap, desperate and panicked, they attempted to fight their way free from enslavement, to cut out the cancer that had lingered so long in the Invid's collective soul.

Scott-that-was-S'caht fought bravely, savagely, sheathed within the armor of a Pincer Enforcer... mechanically, spastically, within the shell of an Armored Scout... lethal disks of phased plasma, beams of concentrated heat, and simpler particle bolts screaming through the air, destroying Buma, Human, and Invid alike. The forces on the ground surged and withdrew. For a time it almost looked as Reflis and the True Invid would succeed, destroying or driving off the last remnants of Largo's lackeys...

... but as the last of the GENOM shuttles fled the planet's surface, there was a disturbance, strange and unfamiliar from above. The senses of the Invid Queen turned towards the skies, even as she gathered her power and her surviving, already-evolving, children to herself in readiness for pursuit. But what descended from the heavens was not Armored Scouts or Shock Troopers, nor Lancer II fightercraft.

And in retaliation... the sky burned.

For Scott - and S'caht - everything vanished, overwhelmed by a wave of heat and light.

Wednesday, April 10, 2295
Unknown system, Enigma sector

Scott's four comrades stood outside the glowing forcefield surrounding the strange-looking crystalline dome that was the planet's only structure, looking in vain for some way in or some sign of their leader. His Veritech fighter was standing just outside the field in GERWALK mode, its cockpit canopy shattered, but though there was blood in the cockpit, there was none outside - no indication that a bleeding man had disembarked and gone anywhere.

"This is nuts," Ray Randall grumbled, releasing the edge of Scott's Alpha's cockpit coaming and dropping back to the dusty ground. "No blood on the outside of the fighter, no blood on the ground, his Cyclone's still stowed... where the hell is he?"

"He must be in there," Lance Belmont remarked, indicating the dome. "It's the only place he can be."

"Fat lot of good that does us," Ray said. He picked up a rock and tossed it at the dome; it struck the field and bounced away to lie smoking on the ground.

"Getting in a snit about it's not going to help," Houquet Erose snapped.

"You got any better ideas, sister, now's the time," Ray replied.

Shinobu Takeuchi stood playing her tricorder over the field for a few moments longer, then closed the instrument and turned back to the others. "It's quite a powerful forcefield," she reported. "We might be able to breach it with a Beta's heavy weapons, but not without significant damage to whatever's inside."

"Well, that's just terrific. We can't get in to rescue him unless we blow him up," said Ray. "I - ... what?" he said to Houquet, who stood gazing past him, an expression of surprise clearly visible through the visor of her CVR-3F helmet. Ray turned around and saw that an opening had appeared in the forcefield, roughly the size of a standard door.

"I'd say that's an invitation," said Lancer, swinging a leg over his Cyclone. "Let's go see who's home."

TO BE CONCLUDED

"Double Vision" (Part 2 of Exodus Climber Mospeada, an Exile Mini-Serial) by Philip J. Moyer and Benjamin D. Hutchins
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