Page 62 of Guardian's Heart

All three of us worked countless hours combing through any database we could enter to find answers to those questions during the next few days. Nock's simple idea of a DNA analysis had brought us right back to zero. According to the DNA banks, Zaarek was from unknown origin, same as me, but we had expected that. It was assuring, though, that according to the results, both Zaarek and I came from the same biologicalstock, meaning neither one of us had been grown in a lab or was a cyborg. The computer even found a gene that linked Zaarek's species with mine and Nock’s. It was so minimal, though, that we disregarded this for now. There were more important things to focus on. It was worth noting that the gene in Nock and me had been a lot more deteriorated than Zaarek's.

On my insistence, we scanned Zaarek's head just to make sure the Ohrurs hadn't implanted some kind of chip in his brain. His headaches whenever he tried to remember something were becoming more than worrisome for me.

"I don't think we're going to find anymore in these databases." Frustrated, Nock pushed the cubes away from him, where they disintegrated into nothingness until summoned again. It still amazed me how that worked.

Zaarek stared at Nock. "So what are you suggesting?"

Nock stayed quiet, sending meaningful looks at Zaarek that I didn't understand. Zaarek did, though. "Oh no, not happening." He shook his head.

"What?"

"Our streamer here thinks it would be a good idea to break into one of the four leading Ohrur's homes.”

"It's not a bad idea," I sided with Nock.

"It's a terrible idea. Do you two of any idea what kind of security surrounds those families?"

When Zaarek saw our blank expression, he explained, "Space Guardians, lots and lots of Space Guardians."

"So they have their own private army?" Nock dug for more info.

"It's part of the training," Zaarek retorted before his face fell and he rubbed his neck.

"Part of the training?" I prodded. "Do you remember something?"

He didn't look like he was in pain. "I don't know. I'm not sure. I think it's something I heard."

"Hmm." Nock gave him a sideways glance but didn't prod. "So no breaking into Ohrur mansions yet."

"Can't you contact one of the other Space Guardians?" I suggested, bringing up something Nock had proposed earlier.

"If need be." Zaarek didn't look happy about the idea, but he didn't outright refuse it as he had before. "Let's see—"

A beep interrupted us. It came from one of the endless searches we were running through the systems, announcing a find.

Nock pulled it up on his tablet. Zaarek and I crowded around him. "I queried the Ohrur history. I thought maybe something abouttheirorigins would spur a hint of yours."

Most of the information we already knew about the Ohrurs was about an oligarchy that was run by four prominent families. However, one piece of information caught our attention. Twenty thousand years ago, a disease killed nearly fifty percent of the Ohrurs. A devastating blow that could have meant the end of them. Except that during that time span, the first Space Guardians appeared on the universe's playground. In the beginning, they were used as bodyguards by the Ohrurs, but theywere so effective that soon after, the Ohrurs began hiring them out.

"What kind of disease?" I wanted to know, browsing through the cubes.

"It doesn't say, other than that it was extremely contagious and deadly." Nock was also swiping through his cubes.

"That's strange," Zaarek joins us, "a disease like this wouldn't just affect one species. Especially a species like the Ohrurs who are in constant contact with others."

"We'll expand the search," Nock suggested.

I wasn't sure what an event twenty thousand years ago could have anything to do with our current situation, but if that was when the Space Guardians first appeared, it might be something worth looking into.

A galaxy slowly entered our field of vision in the viewing window. It was a breathtaking sight. First, there was nothing but black vastness, then, suddenly, a light illumination slowly grew brighter in many, many colors. The brightest was always the sun, and this galaxy was no exception as our ship flew closer.

"The Pandraxian Empire," Zaarek announced. "We'll be on Astrionis tomorrow morning. Let's feed the humans and give them the good news."

I didn't like it whenever he turned distant, but I understood that it was his way of dealing with the Ohrur situation. I didn't like the way they were exploiting him and the other Space Guardians at all; it reminded me too much of greedy corporations on Earth.

Especially one paragraph about how the Ohrurs were one of the smallest populations in the universe and yet one of the wealthiest. It was because they were pimping out men like Zaarek to the highest bidder, using them for their own financial gain. Not to mention the fact that we had found zero evidence that the Space Guardians ever received their share. Ihad a foreboding feeling about what happened to retired Space Guardians. We hadn't talked about it yet, but I was sure Zaarek and Nock were both thinking the same thing. The retired Space Guardians didn't just vanish into thin air.

ZAAREK

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