[DalekSec]

I had all but given up on posting the rest of this. Thank you Tinn.


PT 3

Slowly turning the back of the chair to the side, what remained of Dr. Stewart sat and hung his head. The music having ended, his eyes moved to the keyboard of the ship’s computer. “Would you know it all then Rea?” he asked in a soft tone that argued against his frightening appearance. “Yes. Yes of course I would.” Rea blurted out, forgetting for the moment that her captor could abuse her at any moment.

Nodding his head, the few strands left of the thick dark hair that graced the head of his younger self danced and waved. “Then have the truth of it.” his fingers moving to the keys. Tapping on them to form words Rea could only partially understand, she saw his younger self staring at her from the box. His face pale and tired, she could not keep from experiencing a measure of sympathy for him.

“Science officer’s log.” the younger version of her captor within the magical box began. “With the death of Captain Evans I have been placed in command. Not an enviable position to be sure. After examining the readings and sifting through the data, I feel confident that with a few modifications to the programs, we can terra-form this world. The gravity well is a daunting issue and while atmospheric conditions are already being modified, one solution presents an intriguing possibility. Using all of the technology at my disposal, I have decided to alter the genomes of the samples in storage. Since the mass of this planet would make it difficult for Terran species to survive comfortably at their normal size, I have set in place changes in the D.N.A. to reduce their stature. Of course, if Earth still exists, my tampering with the samples on such a profound level would be a matter of severe criminal prosecution. However, as I, the crew and the late Captain Evans have come to accept, the chances of our ever seeing home again are all but nonexistent.”

The face of the younger version of her demon mirrored the sad expression of the Wurdulak that sat behind Rea. Watching the man in the box look up once more with a troubled expression, Rea felt his hesitancy to verbalize his concerns.

“On a more personal note. It would appear the samples of the native atmosphere, flora and limited fauna I have ordered brought aboard have been our undoing. Bacteria from the samples has escaped containment and already I and the rest of the crew are exhibiting signs of infection. It would seem this planet will exact a measure of revenge after all for our meddling. I was able to isolate the samples in the gene banks and inoculate them against the effects but as for us, I can see it is too late. Already our bodies are changing and to stem the complete collapse of our digestive systems, I have begun modifying our D.N.A. through gene therapy. Solid foods will be of little use to us in short order and it would appear that our nourishment will come directly from blood. One positive note I suppose, the changes along with regular use of the hibernation chambers will prolong our lives far past any normal count of years for a human being. May God forgive me. I have managed to make of us one of mankind’s oldest terrors.”

Turning to the giant being that sat behind her, Rea’s eyes went wide. If what she was watching was true, here before her was the creator of her people and their world. But, here also sat a being who was forced to admit to his own crimes and mistakes. His giant fingertip pressing the button once more to blur through the ancient recording he knew by heart, his face took on an even more tragic expression. The face in the magic box was already showing more profound signs of the horrific transformation towards his present day appearance. The elongated teeth and glowing eyes making a nightmare of the man’s original form.

“Too late. The higher species took root on this planet too late to be of much help to us. Once the blood supply was exhausted from the Sickbay, members of the crew turned upon one another as their hungers grew. We have lived up to the name of our ill fated ship and now I am alone. I…I killed the navigator after trapping her in Engineering. She fought as best she could but I suspect enough of her humanity remained to make the taking of life a matter of hesitation. Like the rest, her body has been broken down by the extrapolators for genetic variation. This planet will have people in our image. I had no real difficulty in making sure that the gene pool would be diverse enough to give our little progeny a decent shot at thriving. Not having to worry about oversight from agencies concerned about ethics has made it quite easy to explore the possibilities. Of course, I would welcome the sound of another voice now even if it were that of a prosecutor.”

As his image tried to smile only to find moving his lips across the sharp fangs that now filled his mouth, his voice took on a forced if brighter tone.

“Development of my mental abilities has also taken flight. I have nothing but time and the work keeps me busy. Again, I can only imagine what charges I would face for my experiments were I back on Earth. With many of the species taking hold on this planet, I find that direct mental communication in simple ways is now possible. Forcing the development of portions of my own brain, I suppose I hoped it might accidentally kill me. Well, luck of one sort or another, it would seem is on my side. I have abandoned my experiments with felines as they are too independent but the species Canis lupus seems quite open to my thoughts. I tried reaching out to the tiny humans I have created but their minds… it just hurts too much. Further I think I can only hamper their efforts to build lives for themselves and while I may be many terrible things, I will not commit that crime. I have recorded as much of the progress as I could but I find myself slipping. Oh how my professors at M.I.T. would grade me now. Excellent for results but dubious grades for record keeping. Well, if there is even an M.I.T. anymore, I suppose I can accept the chiding.”

Closing his glowing eyes, the image on the screen shook as if to fight off the ghosts around him. Rubbing his face with his hands and drawing a deep breath, his expression wavered between confusion and anguish.

“As a final summary, I exist. I am not the man that was assigned to the team so long ago but part of him resides in me. I find my mind expanding in some directions and growing silent in others. If this world is the last testament of mankind, I suppose I should get the credit and the blame. Science Officer Dr. William Stewart of the Terra-Forming vessel U.S.S. Wurdulak.”

After that entry, the screen went blank. Rea could only guess that Dr. Stewart found it too painful to continue his accounts of the metamorphoses taking hold of the world and himself. Turning back to the giant face of the creature in her presence, Rea could not feel fear or hatred for the man he had once been or the thing he had become. Unable to blindly accept that here, in her very presence was the being that had come to be known as the divine creator of all, Rea found no words to pose all of the questions that quickly filled her mind.

Looking into the glowing red eyes of the giant, Rea got a glimpse into just how far reaching the changes had been beyond his physical appearance. Age was not even a matter of consideration as how could one judge eons on that scale. Like the tiptoeing of a burglar, she felt his mind touch hers for an instant. Unlike a thief, she knew his guilty hesitation to do so. Reacting like one who has blundered in to invade another’s most private moments. So many images and concepts escaping his thoughts to slip into her own, Rea saw the machines around her with new eyes. If this was the power of her demon, what amazing possibilities it posed. Cocking her head to one side, Rea considered more than her end for the first time since she had come to be in his terrible company.

“I know your thoughts and the answer is no.” His lips setting in a frown as he stood to leave the room. “And what thoughts are those demon?” Rea asked with a tinge of playful mockery in her voice now that she knew his strange origin. “To share in what has become of me for your own purposes. I have done enough good and harm on this world and I will not dabble in its affairs further.” Walking through the doorway into the Sickbay, Dr. Stewart was tempted to put Rea out to rejoin her people. However, having tasted the hint of her reasons for being in his company with his mind and his nagging enjoyment at having someone to converse with on any verbal level argued against such actions. She was welcome to stay if she chose to do so, or leave if she preferred but he would not allow himself to intervene.

Rea felt mildly violated having the giant being delve into even the most superficial of her private thoughts. Still trying to comprehend some of the more arcane subjects his recordings had touched upon, she welcomed the growing ability to appreciate more and more as she considered the meaning of his words. In the eyes of her people she had been damned without possibility of redemption or opportunity for appeal. Examining Dr. Stewart’s abilities to cheat death and manipulate the world to plant the seeds of life as she knew it, such powers were too much of temptation to ignore.

Hesitant to let her mind dwell too long on how she might come to share in those powers lest he discover such thoughts on her part, Rea occupied herself with the machine before her. “Computer.” she sounded out the word as it had flowed into her mind from the brief encounter with that of Dr. Stewart. “Yes. This is a computer.” she smiled at being able to grasp the concept with a firmer grip.


Rea fought sleep as she investigated all of the wisdom and knowledge the amazing thinking machine offered her. With the drops of insight offered by her having been touched by the mind of Dr. Stewart, Rea shocked herself at how many of the magical concepts became familiar. Looking at an image of the double helix of D.N.A., she watched the little blocks disconnect and recombine to form new patterns. More than just pretty pictures, Rea began to absorb what they meant.

Pulling up more files and reading them with the hunger of years of inquisitive starvation, Rea found that as soon as she got the answer to one question, dozens more took its place. Her eyes burning and her muscles sore, she lay next to the keyboard and smiled. Knowing sleep would not be held off forever, she was comforted in the assurance that her demon would never deny her cravings for knowledge. That was one of the more certain feelings in his mind when it had touched her. Far from fearing what a woman’s mind might make of things, he had silently offered her a warm feeling at the idea of her learning all that she wished to.

Closing her eyes at last, she felt comfort. As some thread of their brief bonding must have lingered, she found she could follow it to the thoughts of the one who had touched her. Knowing it was a dream and enjoying the freedom that such fantasy allowed, she discovered she could feel his fingers upon her. Looking into the eyes of the giant, she was able to enjoy not only the sensation from her own perspective but that of his as well.

Equations and formulas chasing strange images slipped away until she heard him think one word that seemed so out of place. “Pretty”. Snuggling on his palm within her dream, Rea gasped. While many words had been used to describe her by the people of her village, aside from her father and mother who used it in a completely different sense, “Pretty” was a term almost alien to her. Comparing herself to the other girls her age, she had always fretted upon legs she saw as too thick and not long enough. Her middle never had the slim lines of the others and she always considered her face a bit on the masculine side. Being a girl who tamed mounts and could lift her father’s heaviest hammers while enduring the heat of the Smithy, she had been categorized as less than properly womanly. Even going about barefoot, while not forbidden by any tenant of faith made her an object of stares when she would travel to the market in the town square.

While such admissions on her part would be harder than her almost proud confession of being able to read before the Legit, Rea had always secretly longed to be called “Pretty” by one who meant it. Certainly Goss had offered many faint and false words to try to seduce her but all had fallen to the ground with hollow tones once she realized his motives.

Scowling at herself in the dream, Rea grunted. “What would a demon know of pretty in any case?” Hearing a faint ethereal chuckle, she looked up to see the terrifying face offer an almost passable expression of genuine appreciation. Thinking that it might be nice to be touched as well as held, she stretched as one of the fingers of his other hand moved closer to oblige. Amazed at how gentle a creature of such size could be, Rea found herself pressing to his hand. Her full breasts seeking the comfort of the hills and valleys of his palm. Arching her back as his fingertip followed the curvature of her spine, she found herself longing for more physical contact. Before she could stop her mind from flashing an image of his giant fingertip moving closer to her womanhood, she discovered his digit obeying her wishes. For all of its deathly appearance, the giant finger was warm as it slipped along the flesh of her posterior to slide between her legs.

Stiffening as she considered what a sin she was committing, she snickered. Had she not been cast out from the faith? Was there any greater condemnation she could face now that even her name and that of her father were forbidden utterances in decent society. If the God of the Legit and his minions was true, then she was already out of his grace and no further sin could make her fate any darker. If God was more like the creator that her mother and father had whispered about, then had she not suffered enough to warrant a little pleasure? Stopping herself in mid thought, she looked up into the face of the ancient giant and her eyes went wide. If she accepted as true all the things she had seen and read this night, was she not, at this very moment in the embrace of the true God?

“No. I am many things but not that.” his mind whispered to her in a most pleading tone. “Only the fact that I am not a God gives me hope. Were I a God, there would be no excuses, no forgiveness for the many mistakes I have made.” His tone so steeped in sorrow, Rea felt her eyes moisten at his admissions. Nodding as she moved her hips to press a little harder against his fingertip, Rea gave him a smile. “Scientist” letting the one word drift to his mind as a comfort she saw his lips curl in a happy manner. “Yes. Thank you.” his face moving closer as his finger ran along the lips of her straining warmth. Shuddering as she accepted his touch, her mind brought forth an image of the natural consequences of the sexual act for procreation. Helixes curling to exchange bits of information as the model on the computer had shown her. His fingertip shaking as it stopped in place, she looked up into his glowing eyes. His silent voice taking on a tone of awe, she watched his jaw quiver. “Brilliant.” Even more than “Pretty”, his word made her flush with joy. To be praised for her body and appearance was one thing, to have her mind singled out for note by the one who made her world was intoxicating.

Sliding her sex along the ridges of his finger as she lay face down in his giant palm, she offered up more images and words along with proof that she understood their deeper meanings. Feeling his finger tremble and his palm quiver. Both the excitement of the act that he too was enjoying as well as his shock at her rapid ability to absorb concepts so new to her became sensual on a level she had never imagined. Rubbing her bare nipples along a fold in his palm, she gritted her teeth as heat rose off of her sex to grip her body. Rolling over to present him with the full glory of her body, she spread her legs and pleaded for his touch. Feeling his fingertip run along the curves of her soft tummy to caress her breasts and then move slowly down once more to her eager womanhood, she gripped his skin with her fingers and toes. His mind unguarded as he rediscovered the pleasure of touching a lover, she found herself able to reach into his thoughts for even more of the incredible knowledge he carried in his brain. Sensing the longings on his part not only for passion but the companionship of a mental equal, she squealed with delight as he allowed her deeper into his thoughts. Her body shaking as her muscles tensed in anticipation of her body’s surrender to such pleasurable stimulation, Rea howled at her release. Staring into his huge glowing eyes as she gave him the fruits of her body’s heat, she felt his own pleasures.

Slumping at last to lay content in his palm, Rea purred as she ran a fingertip along his flesh. So many books in the library of his mind and she had been given the key on a platter. Not an act of mere commerce by any means but rather a sharing of selves that allowed for selflessness on the most profound levels. Curling up on his palm as it became once more the surface of the desk, Rea smiled. If she made the choice to transform herself into the image of her creator, she now had the knowledge of exactly how to do it.