Page 38 of Her Alien Savior
Chapter seventeen
Riley
Withmytranslatorupdated,the jewel-toned scientist and apparently volunteer subject explained that the original purpose of the nanobug was to help societies manage their populations safely to match with resources of their planets. It was never meant to be a means of controlling the lives, nor threatening future generations. The nanobug was supposed to be a temporary alternative to reverse the damage of artificial substances in their food stores, by pausing the growth hormone making children capable of reproduction much too early, some as early as merely five Earth years, or what I learned was around 24 rotations of the blue star per year.
They called four years (or around that) to be one Lomi cycle, how they gauged alien age, so if I asked how old they were and they replied 20, that would equal to around 80 Earth years of time. That means to them their spawn barely made it a full Lomi cycle before they were showing signs of spawn readiness, but they weren’t fully grown enough to bring a spawn to term or survive the process if they did not listen to their elders about the dangers of rut.
“You’re telling me five year olds were capable of making babies?” I asked them both astonished.
With sad eyes she nodded and continued, “Some as young as one Lomi cycle. This technology was capable of targeting cells and blocking the growth hormone from maturing the reproductive organs. None of us infected by the nanotech are actually infertile, just delayed in our maturation.”
Princess Klemon added, “With years of observation we’ve come to understand that contact with highly compatible mates can trigger the growth hormones in many species to overpower the nanobug, but it is not enough. The spawn rate is much too low as the typical compatibility rate between mates is that they need to have a higher genetic difference between their L.A. compositions.”
“In English, please?”
“The nanobug is tricking the body to think their L.A. compositions are much too similar to ease the process of conception.”
“No, I don’t mean speak in non-science speak,” I huffed in exasperation. “What is L.A. composition?”
“Leukocyte Antigen, the part of any species D.N.A. that must be as different as possible for a compatible match and biodiversity.”
“So, what you’re saying is that the nanobug tricks the body into thinking the two mates are too closely related and spawning is blocked by the nanobug, but when the L.A. is different enough the nanobug can’t prevent the fertility of an opposites attract situation?”
“Yes, in a way, all the things that must go right to spawn is a higher compatibility rate, and thus more difficult for the nanobug to prevent the mating.”
I laughed. I never really thought about reproduction this way, but essentially being compatible meant being so different from one another that the D.N.A. magnetized.
“And the nanobug that I was injected with on the ship? That was, what? A means of changing my L.A. composition?”
“Not exactly,” Princess Klemon swiped at a screen to show me some charts that I couldn’t read, since I wasn’t fluent in reading Trillix. “It was twofold really. Having necia blood gives you a higher healing rate, which has been shown to help counter the reproduction of the original nanobug by speeding up your reproductive organs growth as your human t-cells fight off the invasion, and help your organs push through the block. And secondly, with necia blood your body is more compatible breeding with necia warriors, and I’ve added growth hormones to the nanotech to neutralize the original tech.
“The goal is that with the healing necia blood, and the original tech fighting off the newer tech, that both will fail, and stop functioning all together. Your body, with the help of the necia blood, should flush out the virus, and your compatibility with your mate should trigger his own rut making it possible for you two to mate successfully. If you can trigger his rut, regardless of your mating success this is evidence that the tech works and we can begin the next phase.”
“Which is what exactly?” I snarked, folding my arms over my chest. Words were all well and good, I thought, but I wasn’t fully convinced I wasn’t being manipulated.
“Offering the tech to the necia, and allowing them to dual me in the Council Palace to pay for the crimes against them and other species across the universe.”
My mouth hung open in shock. “Won’t you die?”
“It is a fair cost,” Klemon said simply, and then proceeded to walk out the door.
“She can’t do that?” I questioned with disbelief. She was really going to sacrifice herself? The estreld, Tomquin, placed a hand on my shoulder for comfort.
“Necia warriors must reclaim their rights alongside the council, and have a warrior become their ruler over that of the Queen of Trillume. As they must also have the means to protect themselves from manipulation by having the technology to override the world destroyer, Ganpan-fal. You, Riley, were chosen because of your D.N.A.—“
“Having the original nanobugs for some reason,” I finished for her, and she shook her head.
“No, and yes. But mostly because you were a match to the D.N.A. used to make the prototype cure. It will take us time to find another with similar enough D.N.A. or start a new batch with another human volunteer.”
“I’m not sure I follow. Are you saying the cure is D.N.A. specific?”
“For now, yes. And though Princess Klemon won’t say so, she believes a piece of her friend lives on in you through her blood.”
I didn’t have to be told what that meant. The sadness in her voice was enough. They both lost someone, and now I had their blood. Who was she?
“Will I be allowed to stay on Trillume, or go elsewhere, after I serve my exchange?”
“Of course, but most facilities on Trillume are only operational to those that have diplomatic waivers, mated with someone who is trill or with a diplomatic pass, and those that have traded for access. This facility grants diplomatic waiver to all staff and volunteers while they reside here.
