Three Square Meals Ch. 054

Irillith took some strands of her glossy white hair, and held it in front of her eyes in astonishment, and said, "So this is just like a branding? But to let him know what? That I'm obedient, and ready for fighting or breeding?"

Rachel nodded yes to Irillith's questions, then paused, before saying, "Our species were created eons ago, so I very much doubt the original Progenitor is still around. He also made the Drakkar, and the Trankarans, but not the Kintark."

John let out his breath, finding it all a lot to take in, and said, "OK, so tell me about the Trankarans then. I'm surprised they're a Progenitor creation."

She stared at the Silicon based genetic code, and said thoughtfully, "They are a much newer species than either the Terrans or the Maliri. I don't know this for certain, but I'm pretty convinced that he custom-built the Trankarans to be specialised miners. Silicon is unwieldy for building genetic structures, and carbon is a much more flexible and adaptable building block. I think the Trankarans might be the culmination of a series of experiments to adapt the standard Progenitor template.

As I was able to obtain samples from Forgemaster Gilgrem's assistants, I was able to study some unaltered Trankaran genetic code. They both have a similar behaviour modification built into them, which makes them predisposed to look favourably on a Progenitor, as well as his activated creations."

"Hold on a second," John said. "You said you got some 'unaltered Trankaran genetic code', does that mean you've managed to get a sample of altered code?"

Rachel nodded and said grimly, "Yes. From the head of the Glowing Queen."

"So she was working for another Progenitor!" Alyssa exclaimed. "Progenitor-John seemed convinced that Chancellor Niskera would never be able to negotiate with the rebels. Maybe that's why?"

John rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, "This other Progenitor must have been using the rebels to try and take control of the Trankaran species."

"That was my theory," Rachel agreed. "The Glowing Queen looked distinctive enough after being 'activated' that the rebel Trankarans must have flocked to her instinctively."

Irillith looked fascinated, and she said, "I assumed all the shocked looks I've been getting from my white hair, was just from moral indignation at having it scandalously long. Are you saying that the Maliri women we've run into since I've grown it longer are responding instinctively and positively to that change?"

Rachel nodded, and said, "Yes, that's my current working theory. I took a DNA sample from you when you were injured, and the Maliri are definitely pre-programmed to look favourably on Progenitors, and activated Maliri females. I suppose that way, a Progenitor can just pick a Maliri for his Matriarch, and she'd submit to him quite willingly. After that, any more Maliri he brings under his thrall are looked on approvingly by the rest of the species, presumably to make it easier to bring in more recruits for his armies."

"How about us?" Calara asked curiously. "Are we going to have the same effect on Terrans?"

Shaking her head, Rachel replied, "Unfortunately Terrans don't have that genetic modification built into their DNA. They'll treat you as they would any other stunningly beautiful Terran girl." She grinned and exclaimed, "Which has pretty much the same effect anyway, at least with men!"

John smiled and said, "Well I can testify to how overwhelmingly gorgeous you all are."

The girls all gave him appreciative smiles, grateful for the compliment, while Faye looked up at him hopefully as she asked, "Does that include me too?"

"You are pretty cute," he told her with a smile, and she grinned at him in delight. Turning back to Rachel, he asked, "So does this tell us anything more about the other Progenitor who's started popping up around here recently? I assume he's the same one that was working with the Drakkar against the Ashanath."

Rachel shook her head sadly, and said, "No, nothing new I'm afraid. Well, other than the changes made to the Glowing Queen were purely cosmetic. From the analysis I've done on her head, she seems to have just been an ordinary Trankaran female, and the glowing swirls on her skull appeared once she was activated. Other than those, she was no different from the female Trankaran assistant who gave me a genetic sample."

"It does tell us one thing," Alyssa said with certainty. All eyes turned to her, and she smiled lovingly at John as she said, "It lets us know how much you care about us. This other Progenitor just cut the Glowing Queen loose as a disposable tool. You've spent weeks nurturing and enhancing all of us."

Rachel nodded decisively and locked eyes with John as she said, "Yes, that's very true. All our DNA has been massively modified by you. Perhaps I used a poor choice of phrase before when I made it sound like your work on us was clumsy, and I'm sorry about that. A better description would be 'thorough and extensive', because I'm starting to suspect that the way we've all bonded and grown is definitely not the normal way Progenitors do things."

There was a chorus of happy sighs, and John saw a similar look of adoration from each of the girls around the table. He smiled back at them all, but then paused as he thought of something.

"Rachel, you mentioned before that the Drakkar had been created as a rush job. Was that done by this original Progenitor as well?" he asked the tawny haired girl curiously.

"Yes, that was his handiwork," she confirmed. "He did a crude hatchet job on the base Drakkar species, and turned them into ideal soldiers on very short notice. They are a younger species than the Trankarans, and I'd guess this happened around ten thousand years ago."

John was fascinated, and he went on to ask, "So if the Ashanath were right with their timelines, modifying the Drakkar was probably the last thing this Progenitor did, before he disappeared about ten thousand years ago?"

"Yes, that fits," Rachel replied with conviction.

He leaned in and asked, "So what could have threatened this original Progenitor enough for him to do that? Using the Drakkar doesn't seem like the normal way a Progenitor normally does things. They're mostly male for starters."

Rachel shrugged helplessly, and said, "Sorry, I've no idea on that one."

Calara had been listening intently, and she said, "If this Progenitor disappeared, it doesn't look like this gambit worked. Maybe he was killed by whatever threat he was responding to?"

Alyssa looked grim as she stated what everyone was thinking, "So what was powerful enough to kill a Progenitor, and where is it now?"

The room went quiet as they all thought that over, darting nervous glances at one another.

John had been pondering the numerous things that Rachel had discovered, and he eventually looked at her and said, "Thank you for all the hard work you put into this, you did an astounding job. We're extremely lucky to have you with us."

A brilliant smile lit up her beautiful face, and she walked over to him and gave him a loving kiss. "It was my pleasure," she told him sincerely. "Being able to help you guys feels so wonderful."

John pulled her on to his lap, and gave her another big kiss that left her panting breathlessly. "I'll give you a proper reward when I get a chance," he promised her with a grateful smile.

Rachel's eyes gleamed with anticipation, and she gave him another passionate kiss. She eventually remembered the others were all watching, and gave them a sheepish look, as they smiled at her affectionately.

"Sorry Dana, I'm holding you up," she apologised. John helped her to her feet, and as she was returning to her chair, she threw a furtive glance Alyssa's way.

Alyssa nodded, then thought to John, *She didn't want to mention it in front of all the girls, but when you get a moment, she wants to talk to you about Progenitor-John.*

When Rachel sat down again and gazed in his direction, John nodded at her, and she gave him a grateful smile. Dana had started rising from her chair, her beautiful face lit up with excitement, and John raised his hand saying, "Hold on for one moment, Dana. I just want to ask Irillith something, while we're talking about Progenitors."

Dana pouted, but sat down again, while Irillith turned to look at him curiously. "What did you want to ask?" she inquired politely.

John smiled at her, and said, "Our whole relationship started with the premise that you knew a great deal about the Progenitors and their secrets. While we're discussing them, is there anything else you can think of that might be useful?"

Irillith flushed in embarrassment, and she looked full of remorse when she eventually met his curious gaze. "I'm so sorry," she admitted in a glum voice. "I was bluffing. I did recognise you for what you were, and I'd heard lots of stories, but I really can't tell you much more than you know already."

He let out a sigh of disappointment, and said ruefully, "It was a very convincing bluff. I was sure that you and your mother might know something about the Progenitors."

The Maliri girl shook her head sadly, and a dark shadow crossed her face as she said, "Everything we knew came from Tashana. She was fascinated by the Progenitors, and spent decades researching your species. She used to tell me stories about them when I was young."

John frowned and asked, "Tashana? Who's that?"

Irillith's eyes filled with tears, and Alyssa could feel self-loathing pouring off her through their empathic bond. She rose from her chair to go and comfort the heartbroken Maliri girl.

Irillith's face crumpled as she sobbed, "She was my twin sister."