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A Prince of Earth Ch. 01

By: Samuelx



In the year 1970, a top secret project began. A team of scientists sought to create a new and improved brand of humanity. They combined human and animal DNA and were able to genetically engineer a new species. This new species was known as the Titans. They looked like human beings, except that they were taller and decidedly tougher physically. The Titans were stronger, faster and smarter than ordinary humans. Originally, the scientists created forty eight hundred of these genetically enhanced men and women. They escaped from their creators and quickly disposed of them. The Titans were unleashed upon the planet Earth.

The leader of the Titans was a man known as Jonathan Braxos. He was a charismatic youth and one of the most promising among his genetically enhanced brethren. He stood six feet six inches tall, muscular, with black hair and pale green eyes. He was the first one to unite his brethren under a common goal. The Titans wanted to take over the planet Earth. Jonathan and his lover, the beautiful Alexandra Gurkru, a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed woman with amazing intelligence, planned it out. They were opposed by a fellow Titan named Joseph Phebus. Phebus opposed Braxos. He took over the Nuclear arsenal of the United States of America and triggered global warfare in an act of madness. The face of the planet Earth was forever altered. Over two billion people died. The survivors called this day the Day of Doom. This happened on the third day of July 2007. This was a day the world would never forget. Jonathan Braxos and his fellow superhumans went underground in a bomb shelter in order to survive the Nuclear holocaust that followed.

Jonathan Braxos would later lead his superhumans out of the darkness. Almost all of them had survived the Day of Doom. Jonathan and his genetically enhanced brethren were the super predators in a world gone mad. Earth had been plunged in barbarism. The planet looked like a gigantic wasteland. Out of the ashes of the world, the superhumans sought to rebuild civilization. They quickly took over the remnants of humanity. Most of the survivors in North America fell under the sway of a powerful leader known as Lord Braxos. Braxos had decided to build himself an empire. With his fellow superhumans and their human allies, they set to change the world for the better. Jonathan Braxos was the first Overlord of North America. He lived to the ripe old age of one hundred and twenty. His grandson Maximus Braxos took over after his death. All of Braxos's children had died before the Overlord's death. Jonathan Braxos had tried really hard to build a new civilization from the ashes of the fallen one. He saw it as his duty, as the leader of a superior brand of humanity. Unlike their human counterparts, the Titans had multiplied and were now a thriving community. 

The capital of the Braxian empire was in what once was Boston, Massachusetts. Jonathan Braxos had been fond of the city and had done much to try to restore it. Boston was the place where he met the woman who later became his wife, Alexandra Gurkru. The Titans ruled North America. The rest of the world was left to fend for itself. China and Japan had not been terribly affected by the Nuclear war and were thriving countries. India was also thriving. Most of Europe was not doing so well but Greece had just become a super power in the European continent. One of the Titans, a man named Michael Jharsa had gone to South Africa with a few hundred superhumans and had survived the Nuclear war. They were doing quite well. Africa had barely been affected by the Nuclear war. The Africans were doing quite well for themselves. The entire continent was ruled by a man named George Khor, the successor of Michael Jharsa. The Republic of South Africa was the throne world of a continental empire. The Americans were not the undisputed masters of the world but they were doing better than many. This was mainly due to the irresistible leadership of the Braxos family. Things were about to change for many of them. Although much of civilization had been restored by the efforts of the superhumans, ordinary humanity wasn't always content to have these genetically enhanced people as its masters. The seeds of revolt had been planted long ago. It was up to the current leader to maintain peace in the empire. The current leader, the youthful Maximus Braxos would have a world of work ahead of him.

Lord Maximus Braxos stood on the terrace of the palace. He was looking at the beautiful city of Boston below. His grandfather had loved this city and spent decades repairing it. He had been fond of the place long before the Day of Doom. Maximus was a man with a lot of troubles. He was the leader of the entire North American continent. His empire was vast. He had much to ponder and important decisions to make everyday.

Maximus stood six feet two inches tall, well-built, with black hair and pale green eyes. He was almost the spitting image of his grandfather, Overlord Jonathan Braxos. His grandfather had built an empire out of the ashes of the civilization that fell through Nuclear warfare. His grandfather had handpicked him to rule the empire. Maximus had seen his whole family die in power struggles. He had seen them hurt and betray each other. All because of power. He had never been very interested in politics although he was groomed to become a leader. He loved books. His grandfather had hundreds of thousands of books salvaged from the pre-Nuclear times and the young Maximus had fallen in love with the time of his grandfather. He read Karl Marx. He also read about the adventures of Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte. He read about Achilles and Hector in the Trojan war. He read the Thousand and One Nights. He fell in love with literature. He was fascinated by physics and mathematics. He loved Geography. He loved computers. If he had a choice, he would have become a techie. That's where his passion lay.

Maximus was the child of genetically enhanced human beings. He was stronger and faster than the average human being. He wasn't athletic or anything. He could easy lift five hundred pounds. He could run a distance of thirty miles in a little more than one hour. His stamina and speed were greater than anything human. He was by no means unique. There were many superhumans around. Thousands. The descendants of those genetically enhanced men and women created by the scientists of the twentieth century. The grandchildren and sometimes great grandchildren of the legendary Titans from the past. Maximus loved spending time on the terrace of the palace. It was so beautiful and peaceful. It was perhaps the only time which he had to himself. He was quite young, as far as leaders went. Only twenty three years old. 

Maximus heard a sound and looked to see his favorite animal, Wraith. Wraith was a cheetah. A full-grown cheetah taken right from the Serengeti. He had the animal ever since it was a kitten. Wraith loved his master and was very protective of him. He followed him everywhere. The palace guard were used to the presence of the large feline. Maximus reached down and patted Wraith's large head. The cheetah purred and looked at his master with large golden eyes. Maximus smiled. The faithful beast was perhaps the only friend he had in this universe. Maximus had loved animals ever since he was a child. His father, Napoleon Braxos had a lion as a pet. His mother, Sela Janus Braxos had a wolfhound. Maximus missed his parents. They had been gunned down right before his very eyes. He was only ten years old at the time. A bunch of masked assassins invaded the palace, massacred the palace guard and then went after the family. Napoleon Braxos bravely picked up a sword and went after the assassins to protect his family. He killed two of them before he went down. His wife killed two of the gunmen and then rushed to his side. She held her husband in her arms before he died. Right after he died, she went down in a hail of bullets as well. Maximus hid in a closet and watched his family die. It was an experience which marked him for life. When he was on the terrace by himself, that's when he missed his family the most. Maximus heard another sound and turned around. He found himself looking at Hyperion Jackson. Hyperion Jackson was the Overlord's personal bodyguard. He had a way of always being where he was wanted. Hyperion was a big man. He stood six feet nine inches tall, broad-shouldered and muscular, with jet-black skin and sharp, handsome features. His long black hair was braided into dreadlocks. He was the young Overlord's last line of defense against assassins and intruders. Maximus sighed. He coughed and excused himself. Hyperion smiled at him and said nothing. 

"How are you tonight, my lord?" Hyperion asked. He looked at Maximus and the young Overlord shrugged. " I am fine, old friend." Maximus said. " I was simply lost in thought."

Maximus returned his gaze on the landscape that was sprawled before him. The glittering city of Boston. Home to over two million humans and thousands of superhumans. One of the best cities in the empire. Also, one of planet Earth's last centers of knowledge in the post-Day of Doom world. Maximus had big plans for the city. He was a powerful man. He had a lot of things to do. He also had the yearnings of a lost soul. Maximus was not the kind of man who indulged himself in any manner recognizable to the people around him. Wealthy young men liked to indulge themselves. Any craving they had. They certainly had their pick of members of either sex to choose from. They had the power. Maximus was one of the most powerful men on the planet. He ruled an empire. Beautiful women flocked to him like bees to honey. 

Still, the young Overlord seemed to lead a celibate lifestyle. He took care of the matters of empire. He met with the police leaders and the military. He spoke with foreign dignitaries. He met with politicians and wealthy business people. He dined with royalty. When night came, the young Overlord took no young lady to his bed. Many thought that was strange. Rumors floated around. People thought that there might be some interesting secrets in the Overlord's life. The imperial world was very much an open-minded world as far as sexual attitudes went. A man could have any lover he wanted, whether male or female and live life without fearing the judgement of others. Heterosexuality was the norm but homosexuality and bisexuality weren't frowned upon. In fact, young men and women were encouraged to do some sexual experimentation during their vital years. In the world of Maximus, Gay Marriage was legal. Religion and government were still separate entities. The power of organized religion had dwindled. Most people in the empire seemed to be practicing atheists.

Hyperion watched his Overlord. He simply couldn't figure out this man. Hyperion was a happily married man. His wife Juanita Charleston was a martial arts instructor and astro-physicist. They had three children together. Hyperion was very proud of his children. He was a family man and that was that. He was devoted to the Overlord and his family understood. It was his royal duty. He was raised by the Order of Knights. The Order of Knights was a group that recruited young men and women whom they selected at birth and taught them to become the most lethal of killers.

These Knights would become the faithful warriors attached to the protection of the elite in society. Hyperion was the best Knight the Order had ever produced. He was no ordinary man. He wasn't a genetically enhanced superhuman like the Overlord but he had been bio-enhanced by the Order. He was stronger and faster than the average man. Many people went for biological enhancement procedures these days. It was a risky procedure which only two out of ten patients survived. Hyperion had survived. It was his sacred duty to serve the Overlord. The Order of Knights had been around for a long time. Centuries before the Day of Doom which almost ended civilization in the early days of the twenty first century. Their duty was to protect and serve. It was not their place to question. He would watch over the Overlord.

To be continued... 

A Prince of Earth Ch. 02



The Edge. That's what I call it. The Endless Darkness. The Point of No Return. Death. The one thing no living thing cannot escape. In my pride, I thought I could do the impossible. Now, I know better. Life has humbled me. My name is Thor Voltaire. A tall, good-looking man with dark brown skin, long black hair and pale golden eyes. A superman who once tried to save the world. And ended up destroying it. Now, I'm on a spaceship all by myself, on a suicide mission. The planet Mars, new homeworld of humanity after the destruction of Earth is under attack by a horde of killing machines which I myself activated. At the time, it seemed like a really good idea. It's up to me to stop them. I've done a lot of evil things. And I feel that it's time to set things right. 

First things first, though. I was born in 2394 A.D. My father is Julius Voltaire, Chief Admiral of the Armed Forces of the United Conglomerates of Human Worlds. My mother is Sela Hyperion, Princess of House Azure. How they met is a fascinating story, especially considering what was going on in the universe at the time. You see, in 2028, genetic engineering became all the rage among human beings. Scientists found ways to create human beings with superior intelligence and physical prowess. These superhumans multiplied until by 2100, they were ten percent of the total human population of the planet Earth. The race of the superhumans called itself Homo Sapiens Magister. The Master Race. Yeah, I know. Where have you heard that before?

There was a war between the superhumans and the ordinary humans. The superhumans left the planet Earth on a massive fleet of spaceships. They found other worlds and colonized them. Thus, the superhumans colonized the planets Geryon, Ajax and Hector. They also colonized the planets Asgard, Olympus and Heracles. The humans for the most part remained on Earth, though they colonized quite a few other planets. The planet Earth became the capital of the United Conglomerates of Human Worlds, a political system which included the seventeen human colony planets. The United Conglomerates of Human Worlds was under the leadership of a President, who was elected for a period of five years. No President could be reelected past his or her term. 

The superhumans governed themselves on their chosen realms. They lived under a system of hereditary monarchy. The King was the ruler of a superhuman realm. He and his Queen were the sole heads of state. Their offspring became the next rulers after their passing. The superhumans spread out and expanded all over the Milky Way Galaxy. All superhumans were trained to be warriors, though they performed all kinds of studies such as doctors, craftsmen, engineers and the like. They were a force to be reckoned with. They had ventured further into the Milky Way than any ordinary human being ever has. Also, due to their superhuman strength, endurance and longer lifespan, they were an exceptionally resilient bunch. They called themselves the Undisputed Masters of Space. For centuries, they prospered. The superhumans were devoted to increasing the numbers of their race and also to mastering the universe. By the twenty fourth century, humans in all of the colonized Earth-dependent worlds numbered eighty billion. The superhumans numbered thirty six billion. Considering they were once a minority on the human-dominated planet Earth, they were rapidly becoming a significant threat to the continued existence of the men and women of the planet Earth. A second war between Homo Sapiens Sapiens and Homo Sapiens Magister seemed inevitable. Until the ruling superhuman clan, the House of Azure signed a peace treaty between the superhumans and the humans. A mutual defense contract in case of disaster or other hazards. At long last, the future looked bright for all humans, both mundanes and superhumans.

However, the fragile peace was almost smashed to pieces when the second-highest ranking human male in the universe decided to marry the most powerful female in the superhuman universe. Admiral Voltaire married the Princess of House Azure. This was unprecedented. A human being marrying a superhuman. The universe would never be the same. The human worlds weren't thrilled with this turn of events. Neither were the superhumans. The members of Homo Sapiens Magister prided themselves on their good looks, superior physical abilities and exceptional resilience. They considered themselves genetically superior to ordinary humans. Having the most powerful and coveted woman in their social and political hierarchy marry a human male was considered a proverbial punch to the gut. The superhumans were not happy with this turn of events. Still, the Princess and the Admiral were married. In front of human and superhuman dignitaries. And they were determined to make their budding relationship work. The entire universe was watching. They didn't care. You see, even though humans and superhumans signed a peace treaty and were now sharing culture, technology and pleasantries, they still hated each other's guts with a fiery passion. Nevertheless, both worlds had to accept them. And I was the result of that union.

Hal f Homo Sapiens Sapiens and half Homo Sapiens Magister. The son of an ordinary human male and a genetically engineered female. Nothing like me has ever existed before. Humans don't mate with superhumans and vice versa. Both species hate each other with a fiery passion. Humans and superhumans looked quite alike, though no one would ever confuse one species for the other. Superhumans are descended from all races of humans. They are Caucasoids, Negroids and Mongoloids. However, through genetic engineering, they began to differ. Superhuman males tend to average between six feet four inches and seven feet in height. Superhuman females average between six feet two inches and six feet ten inches in height. Superhumans are distinguished from their ordinary human cousins by their superior strength, endurance and enhanced senses. Also, superhumans are designed to heal faster. The first generation of superhumans was taller than their human cousins but looked basically the same. Modern superhumans are further distinguished from their human cousins by their eye color. Superhumans have bright yellow eyes. The two species vying for supremacy over the rest of the universe.

I was the Son of Two Worlds. I grew up on the planet Ishtar, Throneworld of the House of Azure, ruling Clan of the Homo Sapiens Magister species. I grew up on a world where every man, woman and child had superhuman strength and intelligence. A better world. A stronger world. A greater world. I also spent time on the planet Earth with my biological father. He's a good man. Respected by human and superhuman alike. An excellent military tactician. I didn't feel welcome in either world. The humans were fond of calling me the Super Freak while the superhumans called me the Half Breed. Yeah, growing up was a real picnic.

I pushed myself, though. In a world full of superhumans, I pushed myself to becoming better than they were. By the time I reached adulthood, I was world-weary and also ruthless and pragmatic. Thinking more like an ancient and ruthless mastermind than a young man on the threshold of life. I graduated valedictorian of Magister University, the largest and most prominent university on the planet Ishtar. The university had three hundred thousand students. The best soldiers, scientists and craftsmen in the universe were trained there. No human had ever set foot at Magister University. Well, I became its first non-superhuman pupil and its first non-human valedictorian. I was also the best athlete it had ever seen.

After graduating from Magister University, I did a rather bold move. I joined the Armed Forces of the United Conglomerates of Human Worlds. They had an Officer Exchange Program. Basically, three thousand of the best human military officers would join the Magister Military Academy for training while three thousand superhuman soldiers would join the United Conglomerates Military Academy. This was done in the interest of lasting peace between our two species. A lot of good it did. Anyway, I jointed the UCMA and quickly distinguished myself as an officer. I rose to the rank of Flagship Captain and remained with the Officer Exchange Program's new Extended Interspecies Liaison Program. Basically, I became the first non-human officer to command a military spaceship with a crew of human and superhuman soldiers. I was making history. My spaceship was the city-sized Flagship Hercules, named after the ancient Greek hero.

For years, I worked for the humans in the interest of lasting peace between our two species. I honestly felt that the universe was big enough for both humans and superhumans. United, could you imagine what we could accomplish? Unfortunately, there were powers both human and superhuman who didn't want lasting peace between our two species. I tasted the bitter flavor of treachery from both sides. The humans were preparing for a takeover of the universe. And since they knew that battling the superhumans openly would only lead to defeat, they created a virus which would only kill genetically engineered superhumans. I had to give them credit. It was brilliant. With my crew, I opposed the human military scientists who created the virus. They were hiding out in their labs on the planet Tetral. I couldn't let them unleash the virus. It would mean the death of billions of superhumans and the end of interspecies peace. So, I made a decision. It was cold. But it had to be done. I destroyed the planet Tetral. And the scientists who were hiding there. The virus was no more.

I returned to the planet Earth. I explained my actions to Her Excellency Jessica Etienne, the President of the United Conglomerates of Human Worlds. You know what ensued? I was to be placed under arrest. Apparently, the scientists who created the virus were acting surreptitiously with the President's blessing. This was troubling. I managed to escape. My crew supported me. The humans were planning a war against the superhumans. I returned to Ishtar and warned the rulers of Homo Sapiens Magister. I thought peace between our two species could still be preserved. So, Earth had a corrupt president. This wouldn't be the first time this happened. I returned to my mother, and she was pleased to see me.

The Magister military wasn't thrilled about my homecoming but they were glad that I warned them. War seemed imminent. The military got ready. A massive fleet was assembled and set a course for the planet Earth. Halfway there they encountered a massive fleet of human warships. The first battle of that terrible war ended with a victory for the superhumans. The humans would forever deem me a traitor. I am not a traitor. I wanted to avoid the war but I couldn't simply let the humans wipe out the superhumans. The humans fought back after that initial loss, and they fought hard. During that conflict, I met the woman who would become my wife.

Her name is Athena Apotheose. A tall, gorgeous woman with long blonde hair and pale blue eyes. She was the Chief Admiral of the Immortals, the Elite of the Magister Military. The Immortals were the Shock Troops of the Magister Empire. The best of the best. Which isn't speaking lightly in a universe of supermen and superwomen. At first, we clashed. She saw me as inferior due to my being half human. And she considered my wanting to broker peace with the humans in the past a sign of weakness. I stood up to her. We came to blows, actually. I stood my ground and would not give up or change my mind. She respected that, at least. We didn't become friends, though. I hated her guts and she hated mine. The fact that I was Prince of the Magister Imperium did little to assuage her. My mother was now the Empress of the Magister Imperium. When she passed away, I would become the Emperor. That was Magisterian Law. End of Story.

For five years, the Magisterians and the Humans battled it out. Athena and I fought side by side. And we grew to respect one another. She was a very strong woman, ruthless and beautiful. Reminds me of my mother, you know. I became known as the General, and was given my own shock troops to command, the Destroyers. I trained them myself. It was tough to get these supermen and superwomen to respect me. But they heard of my ruthless battle against the humans. And of my victories. They learned to respect me. I was beginning to see the evils humanity was capable of. Throughout history, the humans had always been prejudiced. They hated one another based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and religious preference. Now, they hated us because of our genetic structure and the gifts it brought. I loved my species. And I would never let the humans destroy us.

My allegiance to the Magisterians was further enhanced when Athena and I got married. Yes, we got married. In no time, I had her barefoot and pregnant, as they say. She looked lovely. She returned to Isthar. I wish I could have stayed with her and watched the birth of our children. Yes, children because she was pregnant with twins. The ruthlessness of the humans was beyond even what I could imagine. Their scientists constructed a Nova Bomb and unleashed it against Isthar, the crown jewel of the Magisterian Imperium. Ishtar had a population of five billion superhuman beings. Ten percent of them were killed by the Nova Bomb. My mother perished during that devastating incident. My wife was off-world at the time, so she was alright. That day, the Magisterian Empire lamented the loss of its best and brightest. Our entire species rose up in rage and cried out for the extermination of all human beings. My first act as new Emperor was deciding to give the humans a taste of their own medicine.

Our military scientists came up with something called the Singularity. Basically, it creates fast-expanding Black Holes in space. It required the energy of an entire solar system. I let the scientits do their thing. And we unleashed Hell on Earth. We created the Black Hole, and nature did the rest. The planet Earth, and the twenty seven billion people who lived there were swallowed whole by the Black Hole. The planet Earth's gravity well collapsed. Nearly the entire solar system was destroyed. The planet Earth was no more. Sol, the Earth's Sun, died. Its collapsing energies were used to create the Black Hole through a process understood best by the people who designed the Singularity as a weapon of cosmic proportions.

After the Death of the planet Earth, the human world was in disarray. The Magisterian Fleets roamed over all the human territories, destroying any planet which refused to surrender. We were out for blood. And we would not rest until the entire human species was wiped out. They wanted genocide. Well, we were going to make them history. Remove the stain of humanity from the universe. They started the conflict. We wanted peace. We didn't care to conquer them. The universe was vast enough for both of us. They were liars. They were treacherous. They betrayed us. So, we unleashed Hell upon them. The planet Earth, Cradle of Humanity, was no more. The humans were disheartened by the loss of their homeworld but they regrouped and fought back. That's when we took a page out of their history books. We decided to try our hand at Eugenics. We engineered a virus which would wipe out any non-genetically engineered human beings. It had a one hundred percent casualty rate. How about that?

This virus was called the Cleanser. And it did its job perfectly. On the human world of Rhodes, it was tested. Within five weeks, eighty percent of the planet's human population of six billion was dead. We also nearly wiped out the human fleet. Until all that remained of the human seats of power was Mars, the first planet the humans colonized, back in the twenty first century. Refugees from defunct human worlds fled to Mars, where the remaining human military assembled. The Red Planet was to be the site of humanity's last stand against us, the genetically engineered devils. We decided to wipe them out.

I told myself that I was doing this for my children, for all future generations of superhumans. The humans were obsolete. They were a prejudiced, superficial and defunct breed. Soon to be made extinct. We were their superiors in every way. We lived longer. We were stronger, faster and smarter. We enjoyed life more. We valued life more. Magisterian men and women mated for life. Humans divorced left and right. Human males and females were often engaged in gender wars over resources, politics and policies. Magisterian males and females enjoyed the same rights and respected one another. Truly, we were better than them in every way. Why shouldn't we wipe them out and inherit the universe?

That's the question which I posed myself as Emperor. The Magisterian People called for the extermination of the humans. Understand that I hated the humans. They were an inferior breed. Losers. Outdated. Out of style. However, did I really want to commit genocide? I wanted the humans to crawl on their hands and knees before the might of Magisterian men and women. I wanted them to acknowledge and bow down to our genetic superiority. Part of me understood why my fellow superhumans wanted them extinct. The humans were infamous for their treachery. Now, at last, we had brought them down. Why not wipe them out and inherit a universe where only superhumans ruled? Why not eliminate the competition? Why not indeed? Don't think I hesitate because I am half human. The superhumans were much quicker to accept me than the humans. The Magisterians respected my strength and intelligence. They called me Emperor. The humans could never see past my genetic identity and see the true man inside. For this, they would pay. 

The planet Mars had changed since the days when Earth was the capital of the human empire. The new Mars had gigantic reflectors which generated artificial light from orbit. The humans had terraformed it centuries ago. Most of the surviving humans in the galaxy lived on Mars. If you can call this living. The planet Mars was overcrowded, overbuilt and the humans were suffering. There was a dearth of water and food there. I ordered the Extermination of the Humans. A fleet of killer robots would be sent to Mars. They would swarm the Red Planet and eliminate every living thing on its surface. These robots were top of the line. Designed by the best of our scientists. You see, each and every single one of those robots had the power of twenty five nuclear bombs. These killing machines were the size of a spaceship. They would deliver their deadly payload on Mars and wipe out the human species. Once and for all.

I should have been happy. But I wasn't. I wasn't feeling guilt over defeating the humans. However, I didn't want to be responsible for genocide. The humans were already comparing me to Hitler while the Magisterians were calling me the Savior of the Superhuman Race. I was the man who defeated their enemies. The Unconquerable Strong Man. That's what they called me. On the day when humanity was fated to be slaughtered, I left my wife and children on Ishtar, capital of the Magisterian Empire. I left the planet onboard my Star Cruiser. My favorite ship. It was fast, quiet and efficient. Armed with enough firepower to rival an armada yet almost undetectable. I set a course for the Mars System. 

During the trip, I had plenty of time to think. And as I thought back, I was reviewing my life. I was the Son of two worlds. My father once called me the best of both worlds. Better than Magisterians and Humans combined. How could I live up to his name if I condemned his species to death? The humans were wicked creatures. So were Magisterians. It was our nature, genetics be damned. What would I do? The question which hovered in my mind was soon upon my lips as the ship came in view of Mars. A big red dusty ball in space. Home to the few remaining humans. The Magisterian Empire had placed a massive containment grid around the Red Planet. No spaceship could enter or leave it. The Grid would let our robots through, though.




A Prince of Earth Ch. 02



I was musing when I saw them. Hundreds of thousands of Human-shaped flying machines. Each one one hundred feet long. Powerful enough to wipe out all life on Mars. And there is the moment of truth. Should I turn around and run, return safely to my wife and children and let humanity die? The humans had betrayed me. They transformed me into their worst enemy. Why should I show them mercy? That's when I knew. My father always emphasized balance. A balance between all things in the universe. Light and darkness. Large and small. Male and female. Power and powerlessness. Good and evil. If I let the human species die, it would upset the balance of the universe. The Magisterians were the supreme masters of the universe. It would be centuries before the humans developed the numbers or the technology to have even a snowball's chance in hell of opposing us. We had won the war. We must not show ourselves to be every bit as evil as the savages we conquered. I readied the missiles of my ship. I ordered the ship's navigational computer to launch them. Even as the flying robots came into view, the missiles detonated. I watched as space changed from starry darkness into sudden brightness. I didn't stop every missile. I didn't stop most of them. Millions of people died on Mars. But millions more survived. Enough for the human species not to be extinct. I did the best I could to stop the robots. In the end, they turned against me. I was vastly outnumbered. And it was the end of me.

I felt the impact of a robot-lauched missile. My Cruiser was equipped with the best shields in the universe. However, it was not designed to withstand deadly energies which might rival that of a small sun. As my ship caught fire, I closed my eyes. I am Thor Voltaire. Emperor of the Magisterian Imperium. Husband to Athena Apotheose, Empress of the Magisterian Imperium. Father of the Imperial Twins, Adam and Eve. The Son of two Worlds. Son of Julius Voltaire, Chief Admiral of the Armed Forces of the United Conglomerates of Human Worlds and of Sela Hyperion, Empress of the Magisterian Imperium. Half Magisterian and Half Human. Forever proud of both halves of my being, my family and my spirit. Protector of the Magisterian People. And now, Savior of Mankind. May my passage into the next world be swift.



A Prince of Earth Ch. 03



Hello, there. My name is Slarios. And I am a God. Capital G, capital O and definitely capital D. Got it? Cool. I am one of the Heraclides, the mightiest group of deities this side of the cosmos. Currently, I am standing in deep space, watching over the Event Horizon near a mighty star system. All around me, darkness and light are battling it out. A solar system is battling against one of the deadliest forces in the universe. A Black Hole. Which one of them shall win? I don't know. By divine law, I must be only a spectator to these proceedings. That sucks. Not the part about the solar system possibly dying but the whole non-intervention and non-interference thing. Welcome to my life. 

I can do just about anything. Travel back in time, snatch a big old Tyrannosaurus Rex and drop it in the middle of a crowded city. Just to see what would happen. That would be something. I can also turn an entire ocean into a puddle or vice versa. I can do all kinds of other things. Like turn a person into a shoe or vice versa. Travel inside the sun, and lick its core. Make a gas giant really live up to its name. Yeah, I can do all that, yet there are limits placed upon myself. I can bend reality to my will. I can make you piss your pants. Unfortunately, I can't interfere in cosmic affairs. If you ask me, it's about time the rules changed. They suck, as it is. If you really want to know how bad, you need a history lesson.

Imagine, if you can, what it would be like to be a god. Do you find it mind-boggling? Well, I've got news for you. In the next stage of evolution, Homo Sapiens Sapiens will evolve into two different species, the Gods and the Demons. Yeah. Whoever thinks humankind is destined to become extinct is wrong. One million years from now, there will be no more humans. Only Gods and Demons. Immortal entities descended from humanity vying for domination of the universe. You see, it all began with the technological revolution. The twenty first century was not kind to humanity. Global Warming. Environmental changes. Global terrorism. Famine. Viruses. Plagues. All these were threats to the long-term health and survival of the human species. Billions will die before the twenty first century is over. Out of the ashes of humanity, two new species will rise.

The planet Earth is destined for destruction. I think we all know this. Whether it's World War Three, a deadly plague, Global warming or a combination of all three, the world is marked for death. And humanity with it. Fortunately, genetic engineering came along and rescued mankind from extinction. Genetic engineering enabled human beings to do things they had never been able to do before. Powerful agents of social control determined what capabilities would be engineered for every new kind of human. They were called the Regulators. The Regulators were a secretive, ever-present and seemingly all-powerful global agency which ruled the technologically advanced world of the future. They came to power in the early twenty second century. Back when ordinary humans were nearly rendered extinct because they could not adapt fast enough to the changes to their environment. Their primary duty was the controlled genetic evolution of humanity.

The Regulators were the Overseers and the manufacturers of the new humans. Genetically engineered men and women developed superhuman strength and endurance. These were called the Ox Men or Worker Class. They had average intelligence but physical strength and speed levels far exceeding those of ordinary human beings. Also, healed much faster than any human being could before them. They were designed to be the Shock Troops of the New Humanity. The workers, builders and soldiers of tomorrow. Then, there was the Aquatics or Fish-Men. They were the Explorers. These genetically engineered human beings had the ability to breathe underwater. They were built for life in earth's oceans. The third and final class was the Apex. The Apex were the thinkers and leaders of the New Humanity. Men and women designed for superior intelligence and mental capabilities. These supermen and superwomen possessed extraordinary mental powers such as Telepathy and Telekinesis. The Apex were the rulers of the society of tomorrow. These men and women were the true power behind the Regulators.

The Regulators planned for all brands of genetically engineered humanity to leave the planet and conquer the stars by the end of the twenty second century. Unfortunately, in 2287, there was a revolution. The Ox Men were tired of being the beasts of burden of the Regulators. Thus the war began between the Ox Men and the Regulators. The Ox Men were the most numerous of all classes. They made up seventy percent of the population. The Aquatics and the Apex collectively made up thirty perrcent. The war lasted a long time. Until the Apex created a genetic virus which nearly wiped out the Ox Men. Ninety percent of all Ox Men perished. Untold numbers of genetically engineered men, women and children. Twenty thousand of them escaped from the planet Earth onboard a massive spaceship. They were never heard from again. The Apex continued to rule the planet Earth with an iron fist. They maintained an alliance with the Fish-Men of the Aquatic Realm. Without the steady work force of the Ox Men, the Apex were forced to abandon all plans for the colonization of other worlds. They were thinkers and planners, not workers.

The Ox Men roamed all over space before finding a habitable world just outside the Milky Way. They named this world Heracles, in honor of Hercules, the Ancient Greek Hero. He was a symbol behind which the Ox Men rallied during the war. The Ox Men colonized the planet Hercules. They took the new name Herculean. The Herculeans reproduced rapidly until by 2800 A.D. they numbered six billion. For centuries, the Herculeans dreamed of revenge against the Apex and the Aquatics for the death of their brethren on the planet Earth. The Herculeans decided to spread out. They colonized the planet Chaka. They also established colony worlds on Magister, Lennox, Wharton, Xenos, Areopagus, Olympus, Kronos and Iolaus. By the year 3000 A.D. the planet Hercules was the capital of an interstellar empire with thirty member worlds and one hundred billion inhabitants. The Herculean Empire was ruled by the Imperator. The Imperator was a publicly elected official. He or she ruled the Empire for a period of ten years, then left the throne to be ruled by the next Imperator. The Imperator of the Herculean Empire decided to wage war against the genetically engineered human beings of the planet Earth.

Meanwhile, the Apex and the Aquatics were not faring so well on the planet earth. In spite of their awesome technology, the planet was falling apart. The oceans were poisoned. The skies rained acid. Also, the Apex and the Aquatics were slowly dying because their races lacked enough genetic diversity to continue. Not even cutting edge genetic engineering could save them. Fewer than one hundred thousand members of either species remained. And they were beginning to fight each other over the few remaining resources. That's when the Herculean Empire returned...and spelled doom for them all. The Apex and the Aquatics hadn't heard from the Ox Men in centuries, not since a few of them took off on that spaceship. Now, it seemed that the descendants of the Ox Men from Ancient Earth were back for revenge.

A massive fleet of Herculean battle ships gathered around Earth and commenced orbital bombardment of the planet. Scores of Apex and Aquatics perished. The survivors found some way to ensure their existence. They entered a massive mechanical complex known as the Transformer. The Transformer destroyed the physical bodies of the Apex and the Aquatics. It preserved their minds and transformed them into entities of pure thought and energy. Spiritual entities capable of existing outside physical bodies. The Apex and the Aquatics merged into one new race, the Spirituss.

The Spirituss became a powerful, seemingly all-seeing force in the universe. They could travel at the speed of light, moving from one world to the next. Sometimes, they possessed the bodies of sentient beings. Meanwhile, after the destruction of the planet Earth, the Herculean Empire continued to expand. They multiplied until they conquered sixty thousand colony worlds and numbered five trillion. The descendants of genetically engineered men and women from the ancient planet Earth had done well. The Herculeans made formal first contact with the Spiritus in the year 10 000 A.D. Seven thousand years after the destruction of the planet Earth and the extinction of the Apex and Aquatic species.

The Spiritus had evolved and multiplied since that First Brood. New entities were formed when two or more powerful minds joined to create them. The Spiritus became a god-like race. They lived forever. Traveling from planet to planet, acquiring knowledge and growing in power and numbers. The Spiritus were a force to be reckoned with. And eventually they turned their sights on the Herculean Empire, which brought about the end of their primordial ancestors. Thus, a war began between the Herculeans and the Spiritus. The Spiritus were an ancient, god-like race. The Herculeans were the greatest technological and military power in the universe. When the war first began, the Spiritus wreaked havoc on the Herculean Empire. Thousands died at the hands of invisible alien spirits who could control the weather, possess people or even shift an entire planet on its axis. 

The Herculean Empire fought bravely against their implacable ancient enemy. Eventually, a Herculean scientist discovered a technology called Psycho-Materialization. Psycho-Materialization was the conversion of invisible energy into matter. It gave the Herculeans the ability to force the Spiritus into physical form and destroy them. Thus, the armies of the Herculean Empire developed PM-Guns to fight against the Spiritus. The Herculeans fought against the Spiritus. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. The Spiritus adapted to the Herculean technology by developing the ability to absorb the life-force of the sentient beings they kill and use that life-force to generate bodies which they could inhabit. Thus, the Spiritus evolved into a new species, the Daimon.

The Daimon were born when scores of Spiritus took on humanoid physical bodies. These new bodies were superhumanly strong and fast. Also, they had the ability to regenerate. The Daimon had amazing capabilities. They could absorb energy from almost any source, channel it and harness it to whatever use necessity dictated. This made them virtually indestructible. The Daimon could use ambient energy and use it to create micro-thin force fields around themselves, becoming invulnerable. They could also heal from even fatal wounds. They also constructed spaceships out of organic matter instead of metal. The Daimon became a supreme power in the space age, a force which rivaled the sheer might of the Herculean Empire. 

The Daimon were an immortal species. Their bodies were almost indestructible. However, they could be damaged to such extent that the sentient being inside is forced to flee, lest they have a damaged avatar to inhabit. When a Daimon's physical form is destroyed, it returns to being a Spiritus. It takes a Spiritus thousands upon thousands of years to gather the energy and power it requires to recreate a physical form once it's destroyed. Essentially, once a Daimon's physical form is destroyed, it's the end of them. The Spiritus which emerges from the destroyed physical form of a Daimon is weakened and lacks the matter-manipulation of a normal Spiritus. It also lacks the ability to move at the speed of light. It essentially becomes a shell of its former self.

The Herculean Empire waged war against the combined might of the Spiritus and the Daimon. In time, the numbers of the Herculean people dwindled. The Empire crumbled. The remaining did something altogether unprecedented. They evolved. The Herculean People achieved their fullest potential without the aid of genetic engineering or technology of any kind, unlike the primitive ancestors of the Spiritus, the power-hungry and malevolent Apex and Aquatics. So, their evolution was pure. The Herculeans found peace, both within and without. They evolved into beings which were both physical and intellectual. The Intangible Race of the Heraclides. Unlike the Spiritus, they did not simply become spiritual entities. They actually achieved spiritual enlightenment. The Heraclides removed themselves from the universe, but not before planting the seed of the Origin.

The Heraclides evolved from the Herculeans, a race of technologically advanced superhumans themselves descended from the so-called Ox Men of ancient Earth. They explored time and space, along with their genetic history. And they discovered the seed of humanity. Both the Spiritus and the Heraclides were descended from the descendants of genetically engineered superhumans, themselves descended from ordinary human beings. They found the Ancient Seed, and recreated the Origin. They planted the seed of ordinary humanity on many worlds. Then, they completely removed themselves from normal space. They moved to a dimension called Magna. They simply called it The Great Place. The Heraclides evolved from a war-like species hell-bent on universal conquest and instead became celestial guardians. Watching over the universe and protecting the seed of humanity.

But just because the Heraclides weren't interfering in universal affairs didn't mean that the Daimon and the Spiritus weren't. The Daimon traveled from planet to planet, galaxy to galaxy on their massive spaceships. They conquered world after world. Without the Herculean Empire to actively oppose them and keep them in check, they conquered world after world. Sentient race after sentient race fell under their dominion. The Heraclides were forced to intervene. Thus, the two races came into conflict again. The Spiritus evolved yet again. They began feeding on the life-force of sentient beings to survive. The more they fed, the stronger they became. They could not feed on the Daimon. The Daimon had no life-force. Besides, they were basically one and the same. The Spiritus crossed the line on the day they destroyed an entire planet by siphoning out the collective life-force of all organisms living in it. The Heraclides went to war against the new and deadlier Spiritus.

This was a cosmic war fought across a myriad galaxies. Worlds perished. Entire solar systems were wiped out as two immortal races duked it out. The Heraclides wanted to preserve all sentient life and allow it to reach its maximum potential. The Spiritus wanted to siphon the life-force of every sentient being in the universe during their quest for power and possibly evolve into something unimaginably powerful. This war has been going on for a million years. Yes, that's what the universe looks like in the year 1 000 000 A.D. And old Slarios is stuck in the middle of it. Isn't it cool? Well, it's my universe, so your opinion doesn't count for much. Sorry but that's the way it is. 

After due consideration, I've decided that the Heraclide's Divine Law doesn't mean jack. Right now, they've established a line of defense for worlds which support humanoid life. The Spiritus, now known as the Demons among countless world mythologies, are wandering the other side of the cosmos. Looking for other worlds to pillage and destroy. I can't let that happen. It's not that I have a deep love for these worlds, but I just can't stand letting the Spiritus win. For starters, they're ugly, and not too bright. I'm going to kick their collective butt. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some cosmic battles to wage. See you around the universe. Oh, and if your sun ever goes out, it's not my fault.