PEGASUS (FARSIDE SAGA: BOOK TWO)

In a time long before the Peacekeepers, there was a ruling species known as Hyderians. They were a transmorphic silicone-based life form capable of fusing with different types of energy. They lived a life of science, specifically research and development into quantum mechanics. The discovery of Beta 9, a new form of energy particle, gave them the means to open doorways to other galaxies. This gave them the opportunity for exploration. The Hyderians gained power through knowledge and technology and were highly sought after for thousands of years. They expanded throughout Farside, becoming what was known as the Hyperion Dynasty...until they came across a Galaxy known as Lasko 7.

The Argon based life forms didn't take too kindly to Hyderian physiology and therefore attacked, thus starting a millennial war. The Hyderians, although very capable of defending themselves, were not a race for war. The Hyperion Dynasty eventually fell and the Hyderians were almost extinct, until the the resurfacing of an old and very powerful history.

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HYDERIA (3,045 BPK)

A series of binary codes scrolled across the vision of a figure encased in a six-foot frosted cryotube being rushed down the corridor on a floating platform.

"Is the separation chamber ready?" He heard a voice on the left say.

"Yes, open controls. Just like you said, but... what's going on?"

Another voice to the right responded as they crossed the threshold into the medlab.

"Don't know. He was found in the caverns by the old ruins. Endar said he found some kind of case. When he opened it, something attached to his power core and started spreading."

The first voice said.

Hearing this, he tried to look at his chest, as the binary data finally stopped scrolling past, but found he couldn't move at all. The inner casing held him immobile as he tried to struggle. Suddenly, his field of view changed as he saw the inner casing moving around. Realizing it wasn't the casing moving, as his ocular sensor traveled across his body, he searched for a way out. Not knowing how he did it, he changed his vision to thermal. Almost imperceptible, he could see the very small purplish-red plume of heat seeping into the casing through a small pinhole against the whitish blue background. The small amount of heat did nothing to change the unnoticed -178°f in the casing, but it was just enough to give him a way out.

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Somewhere in the Fiber-optic Forests of Hyderia, there is a massive cave system, unknown to the Hyderians, that runs deep underground. Endless tunnels and interconnecting passageways all leading to a central chamber. There were many entrances into the system. Year's of battles, weather, and nature have closed off many and hidden others. Two teams each found an entrance and decided to map it from both ends.

Entering the dark tunnel, the second team emerged into the first chamber and set up their equipment. Once settled, they could hear the faint sound of computers humming and beeping further into the darkness.

"System integrated. Program 1 initiated..." A deep monotonous voice reverberated.

"Program 2 startup in 10...9...8"

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He peered into the hole and before he realized what he had done, he found himself standing in a medical facility in front of two frightened Hyderians slowly backing up. He examined his arms, which went from a bluish silver to a deep black with yellow neurocircuitry. His hands no longer held its detailed form but ended in single slightly rounded nubs. His appearance was like that of a 3D gingerbread man. He looked back at the hole in the cryotube. All Hyderians are transmorphic but somehow, he felt different...better almost. He was just about to ask what was happening to him when his body suddenly went stiff.

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"Program 2 integrated. Kregorian Protocol activated." The deep monotonous voice said.

The two Hyderians stepped into the chamber just as a holoscreen appeared above a flat slab of a silicone table that appeared to grow from the floor. They looked at each other with curious expressions, then at the image on the screen.

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Frightened, he tried to hold on to his sense of self as he felt his central core being reprogrammed. He knew his designation as Yanti Ontunero, he knew his title as 3rd rank middle-class quantum theory analyst, he knew he did field research in fiber and quantum communication, he knew he was Hyderi...Hyde...Hy......Kregorian?...What's a Kregorian?...[translated]...Guardian...

Suddenly, he knew his purpose. Raising his arms, he shot them out, covering the two Hyderians who had just turned to run away and continued along the corridors and passages. In 7 minutes he assimilated every Hyderian in the building.

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"Long ago, organic lifeforms thrived throughout Farside..." The deep voice echoed through the chamber as the two Hyderians watched the assimilation on the screen.

"...Many advancing beyond their organic bodies using cybernetic implants or creating virtual links to cyber networks. For many millennium, organics ruled Farside, until a gamma radiated dark matter burst from a collapsed black hole in dead space ran through the galaxy. Seeing their end coming, one particular race of organics found a way to transfer their unique electrical impulses into a molecular controlled silicone artificial intelligence. In doing so, they lost their sense of self and ran on a single phrased program...REBUILD AND PROTECT...thus creating the first Kregorians. For hundreds of thousands of years, without any semblance of organic life to return to, they rebuilt Farside Galaxy with the cybernetics and artificial intelligence. Once accomplished, they became guardians, aggressively defending the inhabitants of Farside and had become known as 'Ender's Claw', or Kregorians until slowly they began to evolve. They became curious, slowly at first, then eventually all. They became known as Hyderians, or 'Lost Explorers'. The Hyderians lost a lot of their Kregorian molecular abilities and could not duplicate it. Instead, they created an A.I. controlled source code using the original programming and stored it in a hidden cavern. Completely resetting a Hyderian back to an original Kregorian, it was deemed only to be used in times of great need. Now is that time, I...am that source code!!" The voice said as the two Hyderians watched all but one of the Kregorians take off into a single yellow beam of light towards space.