Chapter 5: A Cruel Evolution Part 1

Like humans, the Cantals’ early histories have drawings on walls of caves, slabs of stones, verbally passed on, later documented on wafer delicate paper like scrolls. Though most documentation no longer existed, the few remaining made it to one man, a human, to guard the truth.

The few remaining Cantals had known the humans long enough to build up a solid trust. They knew the best hiding place to guard their precious truth would be by keeping all remaining evidence off world.

Dr. Pete Reynolds was surprised, humbled and honored to be bestowed the study and ensure preservation of the precious remaining documents and artifacts. On his initial study, a lot bore resemblance to what he found in the temple in the Kingdom of the Old World.

Dark skies, invasion, and slavery were common. Although one thing was different—the Cantal’s drawings depicted an invasion by some pretty yucky ugs that Tremaine had commented on.

A short time after they had made his acquaintance, Sataal invited a few of the OBF teams including OBF1 to Ahmadeus for a few days education on their history and culture. Around the rebel’s campfire, Sataal told an incredible, compelling story of what Pete termed as a cruel manipulation of evolution.

The enthralled humans noticed that Sataal carried an altruistic and charisma that made his followers inspired and proud. He was a stout, good-hearted warrior of legendary proportions, who had seen enough devastation to cause permanent shellshock.

“Several thousand years ago a primitive humanoid host discovered and invaded this new and innocent world. For years, they had been searching the universe for a stronger physical host to ensure a parasitic energy creature known as the Cathexistome would survive by blending the parasite with a new physical host—our beloved Cantal race. The Cantals therefore, produced the heralded third Great Race—the Trimadians. They had on board vast life energy tanks for the Cathexistome, housing them in their true form. They were desperate to repopulate their species as an unknown plague was killing the primitive humanoid hosts—the yukky ugs.”

Sataal grinned at Tremaine.

“No known cure was discovered, and fear of complete annihilation was about to become a reality. When the Cantals were discovered living peacefully on Ahmadeus, it was an exciting new beginning for the Cathexistome and virtual enslavement for the Cantals who had no defense against such an aggressive, predatory species believed to have originated from the far regions of the Nextraprime galaxy.

“Cantal hosts were rounded up by Trimadian hunting groups and shipped in bulk back to the Nextraprime galaxy, to a planet called Heliostronus and placed in the Cathexistome capital, known as the Necradome city, for selection and implantation. Resistance was futile as the growing population of Trimadians had powerful, sophisticated technology and weaponry. Once implanted, the Trimadians’ lifespan extended to four centuries, even longer, before the physical body gives up and the Cathexistome is either passed on to another Cantal host or housed inside energy chambers. Without the parasite, Cantals live an average one hundred and fifty years. We know little about this parasite. It is a life form devoid of personality and emotions and as far as we know, all are duplicates of each other. It is a true catalyst as it insidiously dominates the host, enhancing evil, dark traits.

“All Cantal children are educated to learn the way of the Cathexistome without question. This is indoctrinated into their society. However, at puberty, only selected Cantal males receive an inplantation of a Cathexistome, who provide their male hosts pure machismo, with the desire to dominate all without compromise, possessing high intelligence and cunningness. Many other so-called advantages were gifted through this exchange—good health, superficial wounds healed rapidly, superb strength, and longevity, which benefits both races. Males not selected become servants to their masters, or sent to work in the mines. The luckless female Cantals are second rate and never implanted. Selected ones used for breeding fresh hosts and all others became slaves under the Cathexistome.

“Leaders train Trimadian youths in the ways of war craft and designated as warriors. A strict, disciplined existence combined with their war skills is honed to perfection. One of their ultimate tests is to be pit against enemies and prove they are the best.

When each individual satisfies their leaders, a Trimadian symbolical triangular tattoo is embed on their upper arm. They will continue to serve their Trimadian masters, their reputation spreads and they become the perfect killing machines.

“In fact, it is instilled from childhood that if a male does not possess a Cathexistome he would have no purpose of existence. Therefore, servitude or death is the only option. To speak or even think of removal of the Cathexistome is heresy, punishable by death.

“There are class orders, just like your Hindu castes on Earth, you told me about Pete, but of course, only for the male of the species. The pecking order is war based, consisting of several rulers who develope their own domains. Below them are the various sub leaders, ranking officers, right down to the foot soldiers—the Cantal warriors, who made up the bulk.

“However, as they developed, there was a downside to the Trimadians’ constant aggressiveness, possibly brought about by the growing formation of this relatively new species. Not so much between the free Cantals and the Trimadians, but by feuding Trimadian warlords forming groups to war against their own kind to dominate and obtain the most prized possession—to be Supreme Commander overall and form one monolithic, dictatorial system. Each group is inherently territorial, and violence breaks out over Ahmadeus and any planet claimed. The underlying need for a single strong government and leader became urgent, or they would end up destroying themselves, as the plague earlier almost did.”

Sataal hesitated at that point, and took a long drink, as he carried on to the next dramatic part.

“One certain individual confronted the leaders and boldly claimed he would become their ultimate leader; to unite all fleets under His rule. He has been watching from a distance for some time and promised he would bring about great powers and an evolutionary change that would, one day have the gods brought to their knees. Under his leadership they would want for nothing, earn great wealth beyond anything they could imagine, and he would show them wondrous technology that would make them the most advanced race ever to exist.

“Naturally, they laughed at his insane and excessive lofty claims, and challenged him. He stated flatly that he would think very much less of the Trimadians if he were not! However, he was not a patient man that day. To stop all skepticism, he stated if he became their leader, he asked only one thing in return. That was total, unquestioned loyalty to serve under Him. Right then, many of the leaders challenged him, and all ended up second best.

“That was an historical day and a pivotal change for the race. The day the Trimadians discovered a being that looked like them, but could not die. An immortal! He earned their instant respect and fear. Though he loved the worship that fed his almighty ego, he was a man that preferred the path of discretion. The enigma that surrounded this seven-foot tall, muscular creature only further appealed to the masses, who viewed him as their god.

“Before claiming and organizing his new regime, the man-god stated he needed to leave Heliostronus to do one more task before he would devote himself to their world. Three days later he indeed returned, stating it was time to create a residence for him and a few good men. He named his new house Casus Belli—or Cause of War. A life size stature of him clutching a mighty sword was placed in the Necradome City and also in the gardens of Casus Belli to forever commemorate the Trimadian’s new leader, the one who called himself Kalvich, the Supreme Ruler.”

Sataal stopped and looked at Pete who was spellbound. “Do you think you should take notes to take back to Pilcher perhaps?”

“No need, I can remember it all, when I return I’ll just pop it on my computer for my bosses.”

“What!”

Mason grinned, “Our resident archeologist has a photographic mind—in other words, he can see and remember everything, not like us mere mortals.”

Pete blushed slightly. “Yeah, but there are some things I would like to forget too!”

“Yeah,” said Tremaine. “All the ugly girls he dated.”

Mason and he laughed raucously.

Sataal looked at Pete sympathetically, still unfamiliar with this human need of derision. In his culture, there was respect, loyalty, and camaraderie. He himself would not tolerate such disrespectful outbursts in public.

“Would you like me to continue, Pete?”

Having a non-military background set him up for the occasional bantering from his teammates.

“Yes please,” he groaned.

“The Trimadians never looked back. Their population was growing at a rate where their main goal in life was to seek out new planets to spawn and inhabit. Organic hosts are prioritized, but only after territorial resources, especially minerals, crystals, and collection of alien technology.

“Once a world was dominated, they would journey to different worlds, causing war and anarchy in the search for land and possible hosts. Under Kalvich’s leadership, the Trimadians received various markings, to show which Trimadian group or fleet they belonged. As the soldiers moved up in the ranks, different markings would symbolize their designation. Their fearful reputation was spreading throughout the galaxies. Their intelligence and unbounded sophisticated technologies made them unstoppable. Covert missions and spies were abundant. Their subsequent intelligence instigated many strategies adapted by the Trimadian warlords to onslaught their enemies.

“One thing was for sure, the behavior and rules they adopted would ensure they would never ever get close to extinction again. And with a powerful, immortal ruler they were guaranteed to be the most dominating race in existence.”

“So how have you hidden from them all this time?” Tremaine inquired.

Sataal grinned. “I have my, what you call talents too. With my scientific background, I have established a force field around our headquarters in the mountains, including our crytaalic supplies.”

“How do you generate such power?” asked Mason.

“Chemical reaction using Crytaalic. I will demonstrate this for you soon. It is of course, the key ingredient to remove the Cathexistome from the host. It is an important, versatile weapon indeed. There are many modifications for its many uses. For expunging, the brittle, pure white crystal needs to be crushed, liquefied, and evaporated. Only then is it safe to administer without harm to the Cantal host. The manufacturing process is difficult, but manageable. The Trimadians have the means to pick up the energy waves the crystal emits using their ships’ sensors from light years away. That is why I have the force field. To my knowledge, only raw Crytaalic is located on Ahmadeus. It is the only known substance the Trimadians fear, and they would do anything to destroy it and its users. Trimadians would confiscate or destroy any locatable supplies and torture any being if found in possession. If no more information was extractable, punishment was either execution or one-way trip to the mines on their home world. Occasionally, to discourage other would-be dissenters, the Trimadians would publicly mutilate and execute offenders. Ironically, crytaalic energy was once regularly used as a power source by the Trimadians, but even then it was still a potential danger to both Cathexistome and host.”