A Technological Invasion

Prologue 2

There was nowhere to go.

There was nowhere to hide.

The lion roared proudly. The wolves turned around and observed the powerful frame hidden behind the golden fur. One of them lunged towards the cat, only to be killed by its powerful paw. The violent swipe tore through its skin and exposed a mess of innards. The others were more wary. They howled in anger, and he roared back its challenge. The wolves knew that it was time to fight. If they lingered any longer, the lone lion would be joined by his brothers. The wolves circled into formation, preparing to strike.

For millennia, they had learned to strike as a unit. They had always targeted stronger foes, but their teamwork had always led them to victory. It wasn’t a conscious thought, or a reassurance. It was a fact of biology that they followed, instinct taking over any fear or reluctance they might have.

Nevil’s reverie was broken by the sound of howling and roaring. The anguished cries added to his own misgivings. There was no room for unease, so he worked to discard them. While he practiced clearing his mind, his mother, Evelyn, walked into the room. She had heard news of Nevil’s plans. She worried greatly about Nevil’s expedition, and so she came to give him a warning. She was a level-headed advisor, that had been the secret to their success. Evelyn’s composure and capability were precisely the reason Nevil could leave her to the dealings of the kingdom while he travelled.

Nevil told her his plan, and his mother pondered. His mother was dedicated to the studies of God and served as a moral compass for him and his brothers. She had always known about the mysteries that God had yet to reveal and the sagacity of His counsel. Finally, Evelyn proclaimed her warning.

“God spoke to me and showed me a field where beasts roam. Each vie for survival, turning scornfully to those surrounding them. Two avian creatures patrol the sky, one flying with the current of the world, the other fighting it. The smaller bird is set aflame as he dips to avoid the wind. It does not shriek in pain and seems rather to grow comfortable with the newfound warmth. A black shadowcat reaches for the fellcondor, but it is much too high for its reach. It can never hope to jump the irreconcilable distance.

“Beware the fellcondor! Beware the Telk shadowcat! Do not think the shadowcat means it harm. It searches for strength so that it might direct its frightening fangs elsewhere. Beware the Jiorite salamander! Beware the Sehrin serpent! Beware the Redimer birth! The cycle of life and death fall strangely in their grasps, and they will seal old life in ashes to keep new life afire. Beware the Korsh digger! Beware the human predator! They protect their own, desperate to demonstrate their strength. Beware the Madaiite fury! Beware the Lancaster dog! They will use the ferocity of nature itself to lash out. Beware the water-favored reptile! This one, most of all, who has the currents of the ocean at its disposal. It prepares to strike when victory is assured. Beware the beasts and each sword.”

Naturally, Nevil was confused by the outburst and the strange warning. There were strings of words that held no meaning to him. What were those creatures he should beware of? It was unlike his mother to speak with such obtuse language. She usually was so clear and precise with her advice, but now she was being vague. She was being silly. His mother couldn’t clarify the meaning, as shortly after delivering the message, she fell unconscious. Nevil was alarmed by the outburst. He wasn’t worried about her health, for he knew the medications would alleviate any concerns, but he was surprised to see his mother’s current condition. He wished to know the source of her anguish. The medical bots quickly entered action and put her into stasis so they could address the problems.

They worked quickly to run diagnostics and determine the source. Nevil had never learned to read the stream of data they provided, so he stood clueless as they regurgitated information that meant nothing to him and did not do much else. It seemed there was nothing medically wrong with her, though she did not rise. The medical bots took her away to replenish her strength, leaving Nevil to focus on his plans.

Again, he heard the howling of wolves. Their shrill call grated his ears. It was the cry of weaklings, and lesser forms. It reminded him of cries of war, even if Nevil believed he had learned to ignore their screams. Now it seemed he heard them again in the cry of the wolves, as if they transformed into the cries of those sacrificed soldiers. Could the others have died? Surely that was impossible. They had magnet guns, sonic knives, and restorative nanobodies. They couldn’t fall to mere wolves.

He looked up into a roof that was currently set to full transparency. He gazed upwards, peering into a sky with only a few stars. The light of a sprawling cityscape drowned the meager lights up high. Their small twinkles were the remnants of a dying light. He looked at the sky and fancied he could see the blue giant they would need to visit. The star was much too far away to be seen with even the most advanced instruments. Instead, the models of the universe all indicated that a massive star needed to be present in a specific region, so that the gravitational forces aligned with their current observations. The sophisticated models simulated an impossible number of variables. The capabilities were beyond Earthling technology. The calculations came from captured cores of a vaster intelligence.

The model had revealed the presence of the blue giant, star IU 3764. The giant star was incredibly massive; these were the only stars capable of creating the precious metal he sought. The star had not yet gone supernova, from Earth’s perspective, but the calculations indicated that it had already done so. If they travelled there, enough time would have passed, and they could search for the heavy materials it spewed out without being barraged by the gamma rays released from the star’s death. They would collect the remains of the dead star and retrieve the materials they needed.

They were running out of money. They were quickly exhausting the raw materials at their disposal, and they needed to find new pathways to continue their expansion. After the fall of the last great democracy, the ULA, chaos ensued. His father, Adam, had used the death of a son to weaken support for the democracy and fomented rebellion. When it toppled, many tried to fill the role it had left open. Somewhere along the line, his older brother, Seville Da Real, proclaimed himself king. Not a president, not a dictator, but a king. He ruled by divine right, by right of the only true God. His mom had been confident that God had blessed their family, and the only thing they could do to repay His generosity was to serve.

He was His tool to rid the world of those evils. The people scoffed. A kingdom hadn’t existed in millennia, but he got control, and he prospered. Seville was now the strongest form of governance on Earth. Now, Seville II ruled the kingdom, aided by his uncle Nevil.

In any case, Nevil would make plans to set off for the star system. Upon arrival, they could claim the precious materials. A star that size would produce many heavy metals. The real treasure was Zertromium. One ounce was worth a ton of gold. The discovery of Zertromium would guarantee the Kingdom of Seville a permanent spot in World Politics.