Никанор Стариков
Voyage to the Origin. Book I

Chapter 1

The vast cosmos, our solar system. An asteroid belt, millions of kilometers from Earth, composed of thousands of deep-frozen rocks of various sizes and shapes, hanging motionless in the vacuum, creating a false illusion of eternal calm. In the shadow of one such asteroid, a ship was lurking; the shape of its hull resembled a multifaceted triangle. The ship's hull bore marks that indicated it had passed through Earth's atmospheric layer many times, at very high speeds. The ship's bridge was not large, oval in shape, and contained no instruments, control panels, steering wheels, or any other ship controls. A single screen occupied the entire wall in front of the two pilot seats, displaying the endless emptiness of the surrounding space. The ship's systems and the ship itself were in sleep mode, which provided maximum camouflage, and coupled with a new-generation stealth field generator, it allowed it to remain unnoticed by any chance visitor.

The creature occupying one of the pilot seats was not human. Ninety-nine percent of its body was artificial. A fully synthetic body that provided its owner with immense strength. The body itself was completely covered in composite armor scales that shimmered with a green hue in the light. Only the eyes, alive and yet cold, betrayed it as a sentient being. This creature was Gena, he was from the race of Reptimens. Several hundred years ago, he had received his synthetic body. Reptimens by nature live very long lives, two or three hundred years, but can live longer under certain circumstances. Such circumstances were status and position within the Reptimens hierarchy. All high-born Reptimens were offered the opportunity to extend their lives by completely replacing their biological bodies with synthetic ones. Not all high-born Reptimens could afford this, only the very wealthy or those close to the emperor. Gena was lucky in this regard; he, like his fifteen brothers, was born into a very high-born clan. Gena's real name was Bugushalz Genaralsiz Veykos, given to him at birth on the planet Sergaz. The Bugushalz Veykos clan was two steps below the emperor's clan, and his clan was considered one of the most influential on the planet.

About thirty years ago, the emperor entrusted Gena with a very important diplomatic mission to the planet Earth. His main tasks were to build relations with the humanoids inhabiting this planet and to prevent the inhabitants of Earth from becoming the suzerains of the ancient race of Archons. Several missions conducted on Earth were successful; he managed to negotiate cooperation and protection from the Reptimens with the rulers of the most influential countries. But the Archons entered the political game, seeking complete control over the planet of humans. As a result of this confrontation, ten years ago, during another visit to a secret meeting on the planet with Earth's representatives, an assassination attempt was made on him, in which his biological body was seventy-five percent damaged. He was helped to survive by a man who dragged the remnants of his body after a powerful explosion to the ship and managed to shove him into a medical capsule. This allowed Gena to survive and receive his synthetic body. Later, this man became his only friend on this planet, but not for long.

Gena interrupted his memories, got up from the chair, and moved towards the cabin with the medical capsule, where a man named Pyotr lay. He needed to restore not only his body, damaged by the explosion, but also his memory. Over the past few weeks, a lot had happened in the lives of Gena and his new friend Pyotr. Another assassination attempt on Gena at the SVR special storage base forced Gena to accelerate the development of events, which could now lead to an unpredictable chain of events. Until this moment, Gena had at least some strategy and plan of action; now he was relying on his intuition, which was absolutely uncharacteristic of his race. The first thing he did was take from the planet the human offspring of his old human friend named Pyotr. Pyotr was about twenty-five years old. He lived in the city of Moscow and worked as an engineer repairing electronic systems, which were very ancient by Gena's technological standards.

Now Gena was working with the virtual panel of the med-capsule where Pyotr lay. The most difficult part was implanting into his body the implant of the Ancients, which he had stolen. In Earth's science fiction books, it is described in different ways, but the name "neural network" suits it best. A sufficiently advanced technology of the Ancients, allowing interaction with various electronic devices on the ship and on many planets; without this implant, a being can do absolutely nothing. The second most difficult task was to implant memories into Pyotr's memory. The memories were about the meeting and friendship between Gena and his father, who Gena is, and much more. The main thing was that Pyotr wouldn't die of fright at their first meeting here. Well, the human brain is not ready for such events without proper preparation. Sometimes information can even kill. He remembered this from his first meeting with a human, forty years ago. At first, the man was frightened, and a few seconds later, he grabbed his chest and died. Gena could not afford such mistakes in Pyotr's case, so after working for more than forty Earth hours, he decided to take a break. Sitting down in a large, soft chair standing nearby, he took out a cigar and lit it. Gena really liked various human things, their way of life, and much more. For example, he really liked alcohol, although it dissolved very quickly and didn't have the same effect on him as on humans due to his race's metabolism. He liked the process itself. Smoking gave him not only pleasure but also calmed him. His friend, Pyotr's father, had taught him this. They often talked for a long time on various topics and smoked. And now Gena was thinking about what was really happening on Earth. Why did the followers of the Cult of Darkness from the Archon race attack him and try to kill Pyotr? How did they manage to infiltrate the closed Russian organization SVR? The main thing that worried Gena was what he and Pyotr should do next. Where should they go? For now, they are hanging in their system, and the power plants are charging from the large star; they can't move anywhere. But when everything is ready for the flight, where should they go?

***

Darkness… How long have I been here? I didn't know how much time had passed, hours or days of my imprisonment in the darkness, but suddenly a bright light hit my eyes. I swore to myself. It took me a great effort to open my eyes. Naturally, I couldn't see anything because there was a complete veil over my eyes. As soon as I could see more or less, I:

– "Holy shit!" – I exclaimed – "You're Gena!" – I hissed, poking at the glass lid, and the lid slid open.

– "What are you yelling about?" – the Reptiloid asked, leaning towards me.

– "Gena! What the hell happened?" – I croaked.

– "Quiet, lie down, don't get up. How do you feel?" – asked Gena.

– "Really crappy, Gennadiy, really, my whole-body hurts. What happened?"

– "Petya, it's quite a story, just don't get nervous and lie down, and I'll tell you everything. So. What do you remember from the recent events?"

– "The last thing I remember is someone shooting at me with some kind of unearthly weapon. Then you show up and an explosion. What the hell is going on?" – I exclaimed.

– "I see. Calm down and listen."

– "Where am I?" – I asked.

– "Will you shut up already, Petya, and listen to me." – he roared in his bass voice.

I waved my hand at Gena dismissively and closed my eyes, in a helpless attempt to put everything in place in my head. Gena, yeah, like he'd let me think peacefully, sure, wait, that's not like this crocodile.

– "Petya. For your information, I'm a telepath and I read your thoughts. Call me a crocodile one more time, and I'll eat you" – he looked at me in such a way that I somehow believed him – "Now for the main thing. It's very unpleasant for me to tell you this. But you, Petya, are a clone, and we are on the Moon."

– "What? How the?" – I shouted, but my dry throat only produced a rasp.

– "I see, Petya, your sense of humor is still poor. As it was, so it remained. That was a joke. You are not a clone, and no, we are not on the Moon. You are on my ship, and we are in space."

– "I'm a clone? Gena, how is that possible?"

– "It's possible, but you are not a clone, I was joking, Petya, calm down, can't I even joke anymore?" – Gena smiled, showing all his teeth, and a chill ran down my spine at the sight. – "Gena, let's take it from the beginning, in order, I remember that—" – Gena, as usual, didn't let me finish, stopping me with a gesture of his paw.

– "Stop. In order, then listen, but first drink this magnificent, invigorating herbal drink, it will perk you up a bit." – Gena handed me a plastic cup with a transparent liquid. And I emptied it in one gulp.

– "Gena, damn you, that's pure alcohol!" – I croaked.

– "I told you it would invigorate you," – Gena replied, smiling. – "Get up and get dressed, you need to eat and put yourself in order. We are going to have a very long and thorough conversation."

Chapter 2

After pulling on my clothes, the same ones I was wearing back on Earth, I followed Gena out. We moved to the mess hall, if that word was even suitable for describing this room. In the center stood a huge oval metal table, surrounded by such enormous chairs that five people could fit in one without bothering each other. It took me a few tries, but I finally managed to climb onto one of them—Gena helped—but once I was on this throne, I felt like a five-year-old child put in an adult's chair. It was clear that both the table and the furniture on this ship were designed for beings much larger than me. Honestly, from the outside, these chairs didn't seem comfortable or ergonomic, but once I sat down, I realized how convenient and comfortable they were. Gena placed a box of candies in front of me; on a metal plate, there was bread, sausage, cheese, and next to it stood a two-liter bottle of water.

– "Gen, can I ask where such 'deficit' items come from on this ship? I've already understood that we're in space and far from my planet. But where did all this come from? And another question, what else is there?" – I asked with a smile.

– "There is, lots of things to eat, troglodyte. You eat, and then you can conduct an inventory yourself of everything I brought from your planet. Before you start your meal, answer one question first. How did your father die?"

Gena surprised me with his appearance and his behavior; if not for his looks, I would have said he was just a very tall human. But I definitely wasn't expecting that question. I stared at him wide-eyed, but Gena leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and calmly looked at me. I decided there was no point in lying, and why should I? I decided to tell him everything as it was. I told him how we lived all together. How I studied, how my father and I played our game, 'guess the code on the diplomat's case'. How I found my father already dead, who had just stepped out for five minutes before work to take out the trash to the garbage chute on our floor. How I lived and what I did until our meeting. Gena silently listened to my story, then took out a cigar, lit it, and said:

– "Okay, things are becoming more or less clear to me." – Gena replied, releasing a huge cloud of smoke.

– "What's clear? Personally, I don't understand anything, Gena. What happened to me, what's with these questions? Gen, tell me, I want to know everything." – I said and looked intently at Gena. Gena nodded and began:

– "Then listen. Over a hundred years ago, my emperor entrusted me with a diplomatic mission to your planet, to establish contact with your race and continue negotiations with you, and our protection over your development, with a subsequent exit into the far reaches of space in the future. But back then, I didn't have the classified information I possess now. Once a year, I flew to your planet for a visit lasting a few days. I met with representatives of your countries; these negotiations were held in secret, at various facilities on your planet—a couple of times in the USA, more than five times in your country, twice in Europe. The negotiations went very well; we started providing you with technologies, I handed over various samples of technical devices that my race used thousands of years ago to your representatives. Forty years ago, I flew in for another round of negotiations, which were held in your country, not far from Moscow. My ship landed in a closed hangar where this meeting was scheduled. The negotiations were very difficult; your representatives demanded more technologies from us, especially military ones, which we did not want to give you due to your unstable planetary politics and the policies of individual countries. During the negotiations, the US representative stood up and demonstratively left the discussion platform, and representatives from other countries began to leave after him. The representative of the Russian side tried to calm me down and assured me of complete loyalty to our previous agreements. I decided the negotiations were over and was heading to my ship when, at that moment, an explosion rang out, which tore off a large part of my body. Thanks to the different structure of my body, my vital organs remained intact; I stayed alive. After the explosion, panic broke out in the hangar, and they seemed to have forgotten about me, but one man took me by part of my paw and dragged me towards the ship. I remember being surprised that this slender man was dragging my heavy body. When he managed, with great difficulty, to haul me into the ship, I was able to explain that I needed to be connected to a medical capsule so I could return to my planet. I don't know how long it took him, as I periodically lost consciousness, but he managed to drag me and attached a medical kit to my body. After half an hour, I was able to take off and headed to my planet, where they made this synthetic body for me." – Gena patted his chest with satisfaction. Taking another drag, he continued – "Pyotr, that was your father," – Gena said ironically.

Perhaps the expression on my face, full of surprise, or my dropped jaw interrupted Gena's story. He looked at me and said:

– "Pyotr. Our meeting is fate. After I, half-dead, reached my planet, the best doctors took care of me, and they suggested creating this body. Sometime later, already having a synthetic body, I returned to your planet, and honestly, I really wanted to rip everyone's heads off. I was so angry that I probably could have destroyed half, if not all, of your race. But when I flew to the pre-arranged place, your father met me. He was alone, and we talked for a very long time and in detail. First, he informed me that the sabotage had been prepared and carried out by someone from his 'office'. Secondly, while I was away, the humans had already agreed to become suzerains with the Archons. Thirdly, he was sure that some of his colleagues and other representatives of special services were negotiating with the Archons parallel to ours. They needed time, so it was decided to eliminate me. That is, there was an undercover struggle within your special services. But there were those who were against the Reptiloids. Just as there were those who were for our race and adhered to our agreements. Your father was tasked with informing me about this and, if possible, working with me. But since, in essence, the decision on suzerainty with the Archons had already been made, our contacts with him transitioned to illegal work. I was officially granted the status of a diplomat at the bunch of chatterboxes at the UN. The status of a diplomatic representative of another race, with security guarantees for staying on your planet, but only on the territory of your country. Your father and I began to unravel the tangle of betrayal and the interests of the Archons. We learned a lot, including about who the operators of the Abrio Center are, and why your planet was so needed under the complete control of the Archons."

Our conversation was sometimes interrupted by my trips to the restroom or by me preparing food for myself. During Gena's story, I sometimes interrupted him and asked questions—who he was, what planet he was from, what he did. Gena answered and told stories from his two-hundred-year life. Gena lit his cigar again and said:

– "Let's get back to the Archons. Previously, we knew little about this race. What we know now is that this race lives from three hundred to five hundred years, thanks to some ancient technology. The race and the planets in the conglomerate are ruled solely by the emperor. Our races are in a neutral status towards each other. There is no trade or technology exchange between us; essentially, we ignore each other. But we are fighting in space for intelligent planets and their representatives. We try not to engage in military conflicts with each other, but sometimes there are skirmishes that we try not to pay much attention to. We, like the Archons, have our own spies; we wanted to learn more about their race, how they live, what technologies they have, and so on. Now we know that several tens of thousands of years ago, their space reconnaissance fleet stumbled upon a new technology of the Ancients. The Ancient race is a race whose traces we find in different corners of space; their technologies are millions of years ahead of our current development. Basically, the race now is for the technology of the Ancients. As you say, 'whoever gets up first gets the slippers'—whoever is more powerful will rule the universe. We don't yet know what the Ancients looked like, where their life originated, where they themselves came from. But it is known for sure that they were present in our universe, and all the intelligent beings we know in the universe were created by them. The Archons, as I said, managed to obtain some very important technologies and knowledge, as they increased their expansion in various planetary systems many times over. We assume that thanks to this knowledge, they can extend their lives indefinitely; essentially, they have become immortal. All we managed to find out are bits of information from our spies. We called this technology 'Ebrio-Control'. It allows for the control and manipulation of a sentient energy being through the Abrio Center. Every sentient being possesses divine energy; you call it a 'soul'. We, like the Archons, visited your planet very often, mostly incognito, but sometimes we left our representatives. We studied you, unlike the Archons. The Archons, many years ago, created a base on your planet; in your epics, this history is referred to as 'Atlantis'. In principle, both my tribesmen and they are reflected in your fairy tales, stories, or cave paintings. When we learned about this technology, we tracked the Archons, and that's how we learned about the existence of your planet. In the beginning, you did not possess high intelligence or any technologies. The Archons manipulated your consciousness, spreading faith in gods, worship, and service to invented ideals to your different nationalities. They introduced values like money, gold, and so on. But they did all this while having a base on your planet and controlling your development. Several thousand years ago, everything changed; the Archons destroyed their base on your planet and left. But they did not stop managing and manipulating you, and that's when we were able to figure out how it works. Around your planetary system, scattered about, let's call them autonomous satellites, which somehow know how to intercept the souls of living beings. After interception, the soul is placed in a kind of closed virtual block. It remains there until the next moment of rebirth on your planet in a human body. After being reborn in a human body, all memory of previous incarnations is blocked for the soul until the moment it ascends into space."

– "Gena, let me clarify some points," – I said, raising my hand. – "You claim that reincarnation exists. And also, that the Archons, let's say, built trap networks in space to catch souls? Like, for example, how fishermen set their nets to catch as many fish as possible?"

– "Yes, that's correct. Furthermore, your soul cannot be reborn on another planet or in another sentient being. Only on this planet and only in the creatures inhabiting this planet. For example, fish, birds, insects, humans, and so on."

– "So, I could have been a cockroach before?"

– "Yes, or a goat, for example," – Gena replied, laughing.

– "You're a joker, damn it. Do you realize my brain is about to explode?"

– "It won't explode, Petya. Accept this information as it is."

– "Okay. Did I understand you correctly, Gena, that our planet is essentially a prison planet?"

– "Yes, that is the case," – Gena replied, and it seemed to me he looked at me with sadness in his eyes.

– "And who ends up on this planet? Who sends whom here, and for what?"

– "Initially, according to the plan of the Ancients, any soul could move throughout the entire universe without any restrictions. This is necessary for self-development and the management of living beings. But as I understand it, various souls, having gained a certain degree of negative experience or simply because they wanted to, began to commit atrocities in the universe. They destroyed other souls and sentient beings. To prevent this and isolate such souls, the Ancients devised this technology. Who first sent you here is unknown to me; perhaps it was the Ancients millions of years ago. But I know for sure who has been sending souls here for the last few thousand years and who manages them: it's the Archons. I don't yet know by what method or technology they manage to capture a soul in space, but as soon as it gets caught in the trap, it is sent to this planet. But the Archons' control doesn't end there. On the Archons' home planet, Arkaris, huge, multi-kilometer complexes have been built, where control operators work. An operator can only be a representative of the Archons, male or female. They control a human by means of complete control over the soul, throughout their entire life until death. I know for sure that they do not control all of humanity. There is a not very large percentage of beings not under their control. You are not under their control, Pyotr. But your father, as it turned out, was one of the Archon operators."

– "But what is their main goal for the experiment?" – I couldn't resist asking.

– "I don't know yet, Petya, but most of what I told you, I learned from your father. Over time, he became my spy there among the Archons and here on your planet, my friend. He was one of billions of operators in the system. But, like not many other Archons, he was against this experiment and the abduction of souls in the universe. Among the Archons, there is a small number who consider all this wrong and really want to end it. Therefore, they cooperate with us. We Reptimens, understanding what is happening, want to help you. But as you understand, the game is serious, with disinformation, propaganda, and brainwashing of those people they do not control. As it turned out, the largest number of uncontrolled people or souls lives in your country, and I don't yet understand how that happened or what it's connected to. Okay, let's break off this conversation, as I'm tired and hungry; you're eating for the seventh time, and I'm just smoking. And we need to sleep, what do you think?"

– "Gena, are you kidding me? Sleep? I want to know everything, I'm ready to keep listening," – I said, but I understood that the conversation was very difficult for Gena because in our language, it's hard for him to translate many things or speak in a way that I correctly understand what he said.

– "Still, Petya, have mercy on an old crocodile, let me catch my breath. I promise, as soon as I rest, we will continue. But now I'm going to my cabin, which I advise you to do too." – He got up from the table and headed for the exit. Of course, I complied, and we each went to our own rooms.

Chapter 3

I woke up from a sharp, burning pain in my temples. For the first few seconds, I thought it was just a migraine—a consequence of yesterday's conversation with Gena. But the pain didn't subside; it only grew, as if someone was screwing a red-hot nail into my head.

`Implant Activation: 87%.`

A voice. Clear, mechanical, sounding right inside my head. I jumped up from the bunk, clutching my temples.

`Implant Activation: 92%. Warning: Temporary cognitive impairment possible.`

– What the hell?! – I blurted out.

The room around me suddenly changed. The walls, which had been just metal panels, now glowed with bluish symbols—strange, angular, clearly non-human. I could see them through the wall, as if it had become semi-transparent.

`Activation Complete. Interface Connected.`

The door to the cabin swung open, and Gena appeared on the threshold. His eyes narrowed, studying my condition.

– Well, Petya, feeling it? – he asked, and there was something like… satisfaction in his voice?

– You… you put something in my head?! – I tried to stand up, but the world was swimming.

– Of course, I did, – Gena replied phlegmatically. – I told you, without the implant, you won't be able to do a damn thing here.

– But you didn't say it would talk in my head!

Gena laughed, his teeth grinding.

– Stop whining, human. It's temporary. You'll get used to it in a couple of hours.

I closed my eyes, trying to fight the nausea. When I opened them again, the strange symbols were still hanging in the air, but now they seemed… understandable. As if a part of my consciousness was translating them on its own.

`Ship Systems: Online. Navigation: Active. Weapons: Disabled. Cloaking: 98%.`

– This is… – I tried to touch one of the symbols, and it reacted, unfolding into a whole menu.

– Yes, – Gena nodded. – Now you see what I see. Well, almost.

I stared at him.

– You turned me into a cyborg.

– No, – Gena sighed. – I gave you a tool. Without it, you're just a piece of meat with bones here.

I wanted to protest, but at that moment the ship shuddered. A quiet but distinct hum ran through the hull. Gena's expression instantly changed. His eyes narrowed to slits, and his fingers clenched into fists.

– What was that? – I asked.

He didn't answer. Instead, he sharply turned around and rushed towards the exit.

– Let's go. Quickly, Petya.

We ran to the ship's bridge. The holographic screen that took up the entire wall now showed not the emptiness of space, but something else. In the distance, among the asteroids, another ship was moving slowly. It was black, angular, with edges sharp like blades. And it was clearly looking for us.

– Who is that? – I whispered.

Gena didn't take his eyes off the screen. But he answered me.

– Archons.

– How?! You said our cloaking was at 100%! No one can see or find us.

– That means they have next-generation scanners, – Gena grumbled. – Or…

He fell silent.

– Or what?

– Or they already knew where we were.

The Archon ship turned, and its hull flashed with a blood-red light. Then it headed straight for us.

`Targeting system detected. Threat: High.` – the implant stated.

Gena jerked his head sharply towards me.

– Petya, listen carefully. If they find us—we're corpses.

– But you're a diplomat! Surely, they wouldn't…

– No, – he interrupted me. – They are breaking all agreements. If they are here—it means they need us to disappear.

The Archon ship made another turn, and now its scanners were clearly sweeping through the asteroid belt.

– What are we going to do? – I asked, feeling my pulse quicken.

Gena bared his teeth.

– What do you think? We run!

Gena started entering commands on the terminal with his claws. Then the ship's engines roared, and we were thrown forward.

`Cloaking disabled. Engines operating at: 100%. Shields: 45%.` – the implant informed me.

– Why aren't the shields at maximum?! – I shouted, gripping the chair.

– Because we're using the ship's energy for the jump, – Gena barked, piloting the ship. – If we jump now, we won't need the shields!

The Archon ship reacted to us instantly. It surged after us, and its hull flashed as something erupted from its bow.

`Energy charge detected. Impact: Inevitable.` – the implant said in a calm voice.

– Hold on! – Gena yelled.

The impact shook the ship. The lights went out abruptly. For a second, we were in complete darkness. Then the emergency lighting flashed red.

`Direct hit. Shields at: 12%. Engines: Damaged.` – the implant reported.

– Damn! – Gena punched the panel. – They shot to kill!

I looked at the screen. The Archon ship was approaching. And now there were no asteroids between us.

– Gena… – my throat was dry. – What are we going to do?

He turned to me. His eyes were burning.

– Do you trust me, Petya?

I nodded.

– Then close your eyes.

I didn't have time to ask what he meant. Because the next moment, my world exploded in a kaleidoscope of different realities. It was something between falling into an abyss and being hit by a hammer on the head. Everything around me stretched, as if space itself was tearing apart.

`Hyperjump activated. Exit point destination: Unknown.`

I tried to scream, but there was no sound.

Only darkness enveloped my mind. And Gena's voice, coming from somewhere far away:

– Welcome to real space and deep shit, Petya.

And then… Everything stopped. When I opened my eyes, the screen showed a completely different part of space. There were no stars here. Or rather, they were completely absent. No asteroids. No Archon ship. Only an endless black void and… In this black void, I made out a planet. Orange. With swirling brown storms. I turned to Gena.

– Where are we?

He slowly exhaled.

– I don't know.

– What?! – I exclaimed.

– The jump was emergency, – he said. – Coordinates weren't set. We could have ended up anywhere.

I stared at the planet.

– And now what?

Gena turned to me. There was something strange in his eyes.

– Now, Petya, we find out…

He pointed a claw at the screen.

– Ship. Whose planet is this?

The ship's voice responded instantly:

`Scanning… Error. Data absent. Planet not registered in Reptimens navigation databases.`

Gena frowned, his scaly brows drawing together.

– It can't be… – he muttered. – I know all inhabited and explored systems in this sector.

I stared intently at the orange planet. It looked dead—no signs of cities, lights, even the atmosphere looked poisonous, with swirling brown whirlwinds.

– Maybe it's just unexplored? – I suggested.

– No, – Gena answered sharply. – Planets like this don't exist. If it's not in the database—it means it was deliberately erased from the databases.

– What are we going to do? – I asked.

Gena thought for a moment, then sharply turned to the control panel.

– Since we're here… we're investigating this planet. – he tapped the terminal with his claw.

– Are you serious?! – I couldn't believe my ears. – We were almost just killed, the ship is damaged, and you want to land who knows where?

– We have no choice, – Gena snapped. – The engines are damaged, the hyperdrive is inoperable. If we try to go back, they'll catch and kill us. And here… – he pointed a claw at the screen, – here, no one is expecting us and no one will look for us. We'll have time.

I wanted to object, but at that moment the implant delivered a new message:

`Weak energy signals detected on the surface. Nature: Artificial.`

Gena bared his teeth.

– See? Someone is here.

– Or something, – I added grimly.

– In any case, we're going down.

Gena and I headed to the transition hangar. Then he grimaced and said, handing me a silver-colored jumpsuit:

– Yeah. Should fit you. Get dressed.

Gena took some kind of weapon. It looked more like a long staff. But in his hands, it shrunk in size, and he slung it over his back.

– Don't I get a weapon? – I asked sarcastically.

– Matches are not toys for children. And I don't have a lighter. So, you'll manage.

I got angry at him and hissed under my breath "Goddamn crocodile". For which I received a slap on the back of the head from Gena.

– Let's go, wannabe space marine.

We returned to the bridge. Gena began landing on the planet. The planet's atmosphere greeted us with turbulence. The ship shook, but Gena, gritting his teeth, held the course.

`External temperature: +280°C. Atmosphere: Unbreathable. Composition: Methane, hydrogen sulfide, traces of unknown compounds.`

– A real paradise, – I muttered, gripping the armrests of my chair.

Gena didn't answer. His attention was fixed on the screen, where outlines of… something began to emerge from the brown haze.

– Is that… – I squinted.

– Ruins, – Gena whispered.

Giant, half-destroyed structures, resembling either towers or crystals, stuck out of the sands. They were black, with a faint purple glow along the edges.

– Who built them? – I asked.

– I don't know, – Gena replied, but there was a strange tension in his voice.

We landed on the outskirts of the ruins. The ship's engines barely managed the landing, and when the landing gear touched the surface, a grinding sound was heard.

`Damage: Critical. Repairs required.`

– Great, – I sighed. – Now we're stuck here.

Gena was already putting on a spacesuit—or rather, something like a light exo-suit, and he handed me a similar one. I obediently took the suit from his claws and started pulling it on. To my surprise, it fit me perfectly. As if it was made for me.

– Get dressed. We're going to look.

– Are you crazy?! – I recoiled. – It's hellishly hot and the atmosphere is poisonous out there!

– The suit will protect you, – Gena threw back. – And if we find something useful in these ruins, we can fly away.

I wanted to refuse, but I understood—he was right. Without reconnaissance, we'll die here.

The planet's surface turned out to be even worse than I expected. The sand wasn't just hot—it hissed as if alive, and the wind, saturated with sulfur, whipped against us. The ruins loomed before us like tombstones of a forgotten civilization.

– Someone lived here, – Gena said, running a claw along a wall. – A very long time ago.

I looked at the strange symbols engraved on the surface. They resembled…

– This is Archon script! – I exclaimed.

Gena turned around sharply.

– How do you know?

– The implant… – I poked my temple. – It's translating.

Gena frowned.

– But that's impossible. Archons don't leave traces. They erase everything related to their presence.

– So, this was before they became like that? – I suggested.

Gena didn't answer. He stepped forward, deeper into the ruins. And then…

`Detected. Biological signature: Unknown life form.` – the implant reported.

I froze.

– Gena…

He already saw it. In the center of the ruins, among the debris, stood something.

– Is it human? – I asked.

– No.

A figure in a tight-fitting black suit, without a helmet. The face… too smooth. No mouth. No nose. Only two huge, completely black eyes. And it was breathing this fiery mixture. Gena slowly reached for his weapon.

– Petya… step back.

But it was too late. The creature sharply turned its head in our direction. And looked straight at me.

`Warning. Anomalous psi-activity detected. Threat: Maximum.`

– Run! – Gena roared.

But the creature spoke—right in my head.

`Pyotr… you have come.`

I was petrified.

– How… how do you know my name? – I said aloud.

The creature took a step forward.

`We have been waiting for you… For a very long time.`

Gena drew his staff and fired at the creature. An energy charge pierced right through it. But it didn't stop.

`They are coming for you. They are already close.`

– Who?! – I shouted.

The creature reached out its hand towards me. And at that moment, everything around changed. I saw walls, ruins, space. Thousands of ships. And the planet Earth—in flames. It was engulfed in red fire.

– What is this?! – I squeezed my eyes shut.

`The future… if you do not stop them. They will fulfill their design.`

Gena grabbed me by the arm.

– That's it, we're leaving!

At that moment, the creature disappeared. And in its place remained only… a small crystal. Purple. Pulsing. And the voice in my head whispered one last time:

`Take it with you. It will help you… now run.`

Without thinking, I grabbed the crystal. And at the same moment, my head exploded with colorful lines and hues. Then darkness. When I came to, we were already on the ship. Gena was furiously hitting the panels.

– Come on! Start, you beast!

– What… what was that?! – I clutched the crystal in my trembling fingers.

– I don't know, – Gena hissed. – But now I understand why this planet was erased from all databases.

– Why?

– Because it's not just a planet, Petya.

He turned to me, and horror burned in his eyes.

– It's a prison for minds. I've heard of it. My ancestor told a legend about a prison planet for higher minds. We called it The Darkness.

I squeezed the crystal in my hand, and it glowed, and at that moment the engines roared.

– Well now! – Gena exclaimed. – So, this crystal…

He didn't get to finish, as something black and angular began to rise from the ruins…

`Launch detected. Threat: Unknown.` – the implant informed me.

– What did they launch?! – I shouted.

Gena didn't answer. He silently pushed the throttle to full. When I looked at the screen, I saw on the terminal display a giant, black, void-like ship rising from the sands. And it was as if alive. Its entire hull was moving and shifting.

`Coordinates of unknown object determined. Destination: Earth.` – the implant stated matter-of-factly.

Gena turned to me.

– Now do you understand?

I nodded.

– We have to stop them.

And our ship shot into hyperspace. And I clutched the crystal in my hand…

Chapter 4

Hyperspace distorted around us like water parted by a red-hot knife. I sat clutching the purple crystal in my hand, which pulsed with a faint light, then grew still, like a living thing.

– What is this, Gena? – I asked, watching its light reflect off the Reptiloid's scales.

– I don't know, – he grumbled, not looking up from the controls. – This crystal could be a key, knowledge, possibilities, anything we desire. It's a technology of the Darkness.

– A key to knowledge?

– Perhaps to what the Archons are so carefully hiding.

I looked at the crystal, and at that moment, the voice sounded in my head again:

`They are afraid… of the Truth.`

I shuddered.

– Gena, it's talking to me!

– Who?

– The crystal! It… – I didn't get to finish.

The ship was thrown out of hyperspace with such force that I hit my head on the terminal panel.

`Damage: Critical. Hyperdrive disabled. Shields: 3%.`

– Damn! – Gena punched the panel. – We didn't make it!

I got up and looked at the screen. There, among the stars, hung a planet. Blue. Green. So familiar.

– Earth… – I whispered.

– Possibly, – Gena hissed. – But we can't stay here. They're looking for us.

– We're back! Where are we going?

– To the Moon.

I stared at him.

– What?

– My base is there. Hidden from enemy eyes.

I wanted to ask how he got a base on the Moon, but at that moment the implant in my head screamed:

`Scanning detected. Source: Unknown. Threat: Detection.`

Gena turned sharply.

– Petya, hide the crystal. Now.

I stuffed it into my suit's inner pocket, and the strange pressure in my head immediately eased.

– What was that?

– They're looking for it, – Gena hissed. – And if they find it…

He didn't finish. Instead, the ship shot forward towards the grey surface of the Moon.

The ship entered the Moon's thin atmosphere (or rather, the lack of it) with a shriek of overheating shields. Gena gripped the steering wheel, his scaly fingers squeezing the levers so hard the webbing between his claws crackled.

– Hold on! – he hissed, and the ship nosedived, breaking through an invisible layer of ancient protective fields.

I pressed myself into the seat, feeling the gravitational compensators whine under the strain. Craters drifted below, but one of them… was emitting. Its dark bottom shimmered as if covered in liquid metal.

– That's not just a crater… – I began, but Gena jerked the lever sharply, and the ship plummeted downwards like a stone.

– My humble abode.

The walls of the crater suddenly parted, revealing a hidden hangar. The ship flew inside, and multi-layered shields instantly slammed shut behind us, cutting off any traces of hyperspatial distortions.

We landed hard on the landing pad, and for a second, silence reigned, broken only by the crackling of cooling engines.

– Shields at zero, hyperdrive is dead… – Gena muttered. – But we're alive.

I unclenched my fingers—the crystal in my pocket was still pulsating, like a heart.

– Where are we? – I looked around.

The hangar was carved directly into the lunar rock, the walls covered in a web of ancient mechanisms and new, clearly Gena's, modifications. Blue screens glowed in the distance, and shadows of something… moving, darted across the ceiling.

– My base. Built on the ruins of something older. – Gena stood up, his pupils narrowing in the darkness. – The Archons don't know about it. Yet.

The base turned out to be small, just a few rooms carved into the lunar soil. But it had everything necessary: generators, food supplies, even a small ship dock.

– How did you build this? – I asked, looking around.

– Not me, – Gena replied, connecting our ship to the base's power system. – It was here before me.

– Who then?

– The Ancients.

I froze.

– Are you serious?

– Yes. And this isn't the only thing they left behind.

He walked over to a wall and ran his claw over an almost invisible panel. The wall slid open, revealing a passage into a dark tunnel.

– Let's go.

The tunnel led down. Deeper into the planet. We entered a circular room. In the center stood a pillar of black metal, covered with the same symbols as the ruins on that planet.

– What is this?

– An archive. Of everyone the Archons sent to Earth and those who were reincarnated over a hundred thousand years, – Gena answered. – Or… what's left of it.

He approached the pillar and placed his palm on it. The symbols lit up. And suddenly… The room disappeared. We were in space. But not ours. A battle unfolded before us. Giant ships, unlike any I had ever seen, fought each other. Some fired into the void, but were then torn apart from within.

– What is this?! – I tried to step back, but we were inside the hologram.

– War, – Gena whispered. – Their war.

– Whose?!

– The Ancients… and the Darkness.

At that moment, one of the ships exploded, and that very creature burst out of it. Black. Faceless. With huge eyes. It looked directly at us. And spoke:

`They will return. Be prepa…`

The hologram went out. We were back in the room. I was breathing heavily.

– Gena… what was that?

– A warning, – he replied. – And a key.

– To what?

– To understanding what the Archons are hiding.

He looked at my pocket, where the crystal lay.

– Give it to me.

I slowly took out the crystal.

– What are you going to do?

– What I must.

He took the crystal and inserted it into a recess on the pillar. The world around us exploded in bright light. The walls dissolved. And I saw. The truth. The truth was horrifying. The Archons were not the masters of the technologies and Earth. They were servants of another race. This race was called "The Darkness." The Darkness didn't just need planetary resources. They were beings from another dimension who devoured worlds. They consumed them to sustain their own existence. To have resources delivered to them, they created servants, the Archons, giving them soul manipulation technology. They, in turn, possessing the technology to create beings, created humans and infused them with what we call a soul. The soul is intelligent energy plasma with an entrancing white color. The soul is sentient, but it is not from our dimension. For many thousands of years, the Archons completely controlled humans and extracted our planet's resources. They dug huge pits on the planet, filled them with seawater, hiding their activities. Then another race came, and a war broke out in space.

When the vision disappeared, I collapsed to my knees.

– This… is impossible…

– No, – Gena whispered. – It's the truth.

– But why would the Archons do this? Why free us?

– Because they promised you, – Gena said. – Eternal life. Immortality, if you will. That's what your masters of the word say, in the temples of worship.

– You mean the churches? So, what now?

Gena removed the crystal from the pillar.

– Now… We must stop them.

– But how?!

He looked at me.

– We will awaken the Ancients.

– What?!

– Their technologies lie dormant on Earth. In secret places. If we find even one…

– But where?

Gena smirked.

– You've already been there.

I froze.

– The SVR special storage facility?

– Yes.

– But… The Archons are on the planet! They already know we're looking!

– That's exactly why they would never think we're crazy enough to return to the planet.

I took a deep breath.

– You're insane.

– Yes, – Gena agreed. – Petya, you have to understand. We have no choice.

He handed me the crystal.

– You must do this.

– Why me?

– Because… – he paused. – Because your father was one of them.

– I remember. But you never told me about him.

– He betrayed them. For you.

I squeezed the crystal until my fingers ached.

– So…

– So, only you can activate their technologies.

I closed my eyes.

– When do we leave?

– Soon.

Gena settled me in one of the rooms at his base, and I fell asleep. When I woke up and found Gena, the ship was ready for new flights.

– Hello, sleepyhead, – Gena greeted me with a smile.

– Did I oversleep a lot?

– You slept for over twelve of your Earth hours.

– Wow! – I was surprised.

– Alright. If you're ready. We can take off, – I nodded.

We headed to the ship. Checking all systems didn't take long. Sitting in the chair, I became thoughtful. How strange everything is. It turns out my father served two races. At some point, he realized humanity was in danger and decided to help. It's a pity we spent so little time together. I suddenly remembered our evening gatherings over crosswords and a cup of strong, tasty tea. At that moment, the ship roared. We rushed towards Earth.

Gena's ship entered Earth's atmosphere, leaving a fiery trail behind. The camouflage was working at its limit, but I still felt shivers running down my spine.

`Scanning… Archon scanner traces detected within a 200 km radius.`

– There are many of them here, – Gena muttered, gripping the steering wheel. – But they aren't expecting us here.

We were flying over Siberia, somewhere in the remote taiga. Our course was set for an abandoned complex—a former secret facility from the Soviet era, now listed as "mothballed."

– Are you sure there's something useful there? – I asked, watching the snowy peaks flash by on the screen.

– More than sure, – Gena hissed.

I wanted to ask what that meant, but at that moment the ship jerked violently.

`Energy impulse detected. Source: Unknown.`

– That's not the Archons, – Gena frowned. – It's something else.

I looked at the screen. Below, among the forest, something purple was glowing.

– Is that…

– They're already here, – Gena hissed.

– Who?!

– Ta-dam! Pyotr, meet the Darkness. Darkness, meet Petya. – Gena said, pointing at me and laughing loudly.

We landed a kilometer from the signal source. Gena issued me a weapon—a compact energy pistol, which I holstered on my belt.

– Shoot only as a last resort, – he warned. – It will attract attention.

The forest was too quiet. No birds, no animals—just the crunch of snow under our feet. And then the light. Purple. Flickering. As if darkness itself had manifested in the air.

– What is that? – I whispered.

– A portal, – Gena answered. – They are awakening.

I stepped closer… and saw. Black shadows were emerging from the portal. Faceless. With black eyes.

`Anomalous activity detected. Threat: Catastrophic.` – the implant screeched.

– Gena… – I stepped back.

– Don't move, – he raised his paw as if afraid to scare them.

But it was too late. One of the creatures turned in our direction. And looked straight at me.

`Pyotr…`

The voice in my head was icy. At that moment:

– Petya, run! Run to the ship! – Gena roared.

I dashed back, but the creature disappeared—and materialized in front of me. Its hand pierced my chest. But there was no pain. Only cold spread throughout my body. I was paralyzed and couldn't move. The voice in my head whispered to me:

`Pyotr. You must wake up…`

And at that moment, the crystal in my pocket flashed. The creature howled and threw me back into the snow. Gena fired—an energy charge tore the shadow to shreds. There were many enemies, far too many.

– Petya! Give me the crystal! – Gena bellowed.

I pulled it from my pocket and threw it to Gena. He caught it mid-air—and slammed it into the armor on his chest. Gena's scales cracked. Gena's body was flooded with purple light. And then… He changed. His synthetic armor unfolded, revealing ancient mechanisms inside.

– Activation of protocol: "Guardian". – Gena roared.

The voice no longer sounded like his. It was the voice of something ancient, powerful. The creatures retreated. But not for long. They rushed at him. Gena… no, the Guardian—swung his arm, and space around him tore apart with bright weaves of energy. I felt a certain power filling me. But the creatures were already disappearing, being sucked into black holes that appeared and vanished in an instant. I was speechless. But the last creature managed to lunge at me. Its fingers dug into my temples. I saw.

I stood among the ruins of a city. But not ours. Giant towers, resembling crystals, pierced the sky with their spires. And above it all. It. The Darkness. Without form, without a name. It was devouring this world, and then I understood. This wasn't the future. This was the past, their past. If it breaks free from its confinement, the same will happen to Earth.

I came to in the snow. Gena was standing over me. The creatures were gone. The portal had closed.

– Did you see? – he asked.

I nodded.

– Then you understand… We are losing.

– What do we do?

– Find a very vile Archon.

– Which one?!

– The one who started this.

I asked:

– The Emperor?

– Yes.

– But how?!

Gena looked at me.

– You already know.

And I really did know. The crystal wasn't just a key. It was bait, and the Emperor was coming for it.

– You're suggesting using me as bait?!

– No. – Gena shook his head. – Gena put his paw on my shoulder and continued. – I'm suggesting you become a Hunter.

Gena's ship, battered and smoking, struggled through the Moon's gravitational field. The sensors screamed, warning of critical damage, but we could already see it—the hidden base, disguised as an ordinary crater.

– Hold on tight! – Gena hissed, gripping the controls.

The ship nosedived sharply, and for a moment I saw the crater's surface part, revealing a hangar hidden beneath a layer of holographic camouflage. We landed with a dull thud, and for a second, there was silence, broken only by the crackling of the cooling hull.

– Well, home sweet home, – Gena muttered, unfastening his harness.

I stood up, feeling the artificial gravity engage under my feet. The hangar wasn't large, but it was clearly not built by Gena alone—the walls were covered in ancient symbols, and some of the equipment looked as if it had been assembled from the wreckage of something alien.

– You said the base was built on ruins… whose? – I asked, examining the strange mechanisms.

Gena didn't answer immediately. He walked over to a panel on the wall and ran his claw over almost imperceptible indentations.

– The Ancients'.

The wall slid open, revealing a passage into a dark tunnel.

– Let's go.

The tunnel led down, deep into the Moon. The further we went, the stronger the feeling that we weren't alone. The air was filled with a barely audible hum, as if mechanisms that weren't supposed to stop were working somewhere. We entered a circular room. In the center stood a black pillar, covered with the same symbols as the ruins on that planet.

– The Archive, – Gena explained. – It holds knowledge about everyone the Archons have reincarnated over the last hundred thousand years.

He placed his palm on the pillar. The symbols flashed.

We found ourselves in space. But not ours. A battle unfolded before us—giant ships, unlike any I had ever seen, fought each other. Some resembled crystalline structures, others—living organisms.

– This is war, – Gena whispered. – Their war.

– Whose?!

– The Ancients… and the Darkness.

At that moment, one of the ships exploded, and out of it burst—a black, faceless creature with huge eyes. It looked directly at us and whispered:

`They will return… Be ready…`

The hologram went out. We were back in the room.

– What was that?! – I could barely catch my breath.

– A warning.

Gena looked at the crystal in my hands.

He took the crystal and inserted it into a recess on the pillar. Everything around exploded with light.

I saw. The Darkness—a race from another dimension, devouring worlds. They created the Archons to harvest resources for them. And to keep humans from resisting—they gifted them the technology of soul reincarnation. The soul is a sentient being, stolen from another world. And Earth… was merely a prison planet for them.

I collapsed to my knees.

– This… is impossible…

– No, – Gena hissed. – It's the truth.

– But then why do the Archons…

– Because the Darkness will return. And when it does… they will need new vessels.

Gena removed the crystal from the pillar.

– Now you understand why they're hunting for this.

– Yes. And you want to use me as bait?!

Gena shook his head.

– No.

He placed a heavy paw on my shoulder.

– I want you to become a Hunter.

I looked at the crystal. It pulsed in time with my heartbeat.

– Alright.

`Activation of combat protocol: "Hunter".` – the implant stated.

The implant's voice sounded cold, emotionless. I stood in front of a mirror in the lunar base and looked at my reflection. The body was mine, but completely different. Thin silver lines appeared under my skin—nanofibers woven into the muscle tissue. A faint blue light pulsed at my temples—the neurointerface synchronizing me with the technologies of the Ancients.

– Like it? – Gena grated his teeth in a semblance of a smirk.

– I feel like a hero from a cheap sci-fi action movie, – I grumbled, clenching and unclenching my fists. The sensations were strange—as if my muscles had turned to steel, yet they felt alien.

– These aren't just implants, Petya. This is the legacy of the Guardians. Your father… – Gena fell silent.

– What about my father?

– He was one of them. Not just an Archon. He was a Guardian.

I turned sharply.

– You're lying.

– No. – Gena came closer, his yellow pupils narrowing. – He was hiding among humans to watch the Archons.

My brain refused to process it. My father—the one who was always away at work—an alien spy?

– Then why did he… – my voice betrayed me with a tremor, – why did he die?

– Because they found him.

`Incoming signal detected. Frequency: Emergency.` – the implant reported.

The implant's voice interrupted us. A holographic screen flashed on the base wall—the distorted face of a man in military uniform.

– Pyotr?

I recognized him immediately. It was my father's friend, General Sokolov. They served together in the SVR special storage.

– How did you…

– No time! – the general's voice was breaking up from interference. – They're already here! The entire special storage…

At that moment, the hologram went out.

– What was that? – I turned to Gena.

– A trap, – the reptiloid hissed. – But we need to go there.

– You just said it's a trap!

– Yes. It's their trap. But our opportunity.

He handed me a black disc the size of a palm.

– What is this?

– The Key to the Gate.

The disc was cold. Too cold for ordinary metal.

– What Gate?

– The ones hidden beneath the special storage. The ones that lead directly to him.

– To whom? Gena. Why do I have to pry every bit of information out of you like pulling teeth?

Gena bared his teeth.

– To the Emperor of the Archons.

A few hours later, the ship was ready. Gena checked the systems, I loaded the weapons.

– Are you sure he'll take the bait? – I asked.

– He's already coming.

I sighed.

– Then let's go.

The engines roared. The Moon was left behind.

Chapter 5

After landing on Earth in Siberia, it took us several days to reach the secret facility near Moscow. We couldn't fly under the ship's full cloak for long because it was glitching and wouldn't work for more than two or three hours. We needed a facility codenamed "Falcon-12." Legends had swirled around this facility since Soviet times. According to some sources, there were atomic bombs there; according to others, they stored a flying saucer for the country's leadership. The ship terminal's beep snapped me out of my thoughts; once again, the ship's cloak had deactivated, and we had to make another stop. During these stops, Gena rested, most often just sleeping in the chair at the terminal. I, meanwhile, studied the implant. I'll tell you, it's an interesting and useful thing. For example, if you want to know Chinese, a couple of minutes and you speak it like a native. The main thing is that the databases are loaded into the implant. Finally reaching the needed location, we waited for nightfall to infiltrate the required utility tunnel.

We got in through an old utility tunnel. Once inside the tunnel, we discovered the complex was empty. Too empty. No guards. No technicians. No emergency lighting. A metallic taste was in my mouth. And then a scene unfolded before us: there was blood everywhere. On the walls, the floor was covered with it. It felt like a meat grinder had been here. But the strange thing was, there were no bodies anywhere.

– Where is everyone? – I whispered.

– There, – Gena pointed a claw at the floor.

– Meaning?

– They're all beneath us.

– Are they zombies? – I asked.

– For fuck's… Petya. You sometimes surprise me. I swear to god. They're controlled by the Darkness. Got it?

– Yeah. You're the one who… – but I didn't get to finish as I slammed headfirst into a doorway with full force. It was a passage into an elevator shaft. I examined the room. The elevator wasn't working, but the emergency hatch in the floor had been broken open from the inside. We decided to go down using it. When we descended to the lower tier, we entered hell. A giant hall, descending hundreds of meters down. The walls were covered with the same symbols as in the lunar archive. And in the center stood *them*. Dozens of people in black jumpsuits. And in front of them—stood. A man? No. A creature in a flowing cloak, with skin too pale, almost transparent. It was the Emperor of the Archons.

– Stop the ritual! – Gena roared.

The creature slowly turned towards us.

– Genaralsiz Veykos… – its voice sounded like grinding metal. – I've been expecting you.

– Where is the Key? – Gena raised his weapon.

– It is already here.

And then I saw it. Behind the Emperor, a portal was opening. Purple. Just like the one in the forest.

– They're coming… – I whispered.

– Yes, – the Emperor smiled. – And you, Petya, will help them enter.

Gena fired. The energy charge froze in the air before the Emperor.

– Foolish repti…

And then the darkness from the portal reached for me.

`Anomaly detected. Threat: Critical.`

I couldn't move. It was inside me. Suddenly, a voice in my head said:

`Wake up…`

And the crystal in my pocket exploded with light, spreading throughout the hall. The Emperor threw his hands up. I was thrown back into the void. I stood in an all-consuming emptiness. Before me—stood It. The Darkness. But now I could see—it wasn't just a shadow. It was a Guardian. Or rather, it had been one. Only now it was fallen.

– You… are one of them, – I whispered.

A voice sounded in my head:

`Yes.`

– Why? Why are you doing all this?

`To save them.`

The picture in my head flipped. I saw the planet of the Archons. It was slowly fading and dying. Their emperor—the last of the Ancient Guardians, trying to stop the death of his own world. Seeking a solution. Any solution. And here it was. To trap the Darkness in another world. In ours. So, the Darkness would nourish his planet with life. In return, the Darkness gained full control over our planet and all the fragments of divine power—the Souls of living beings.

– You used us…

`Yes.`

– And now you want to break free?

`No.`

– Can I help?

`Yes.`

– I'm ready. Tell me what to do.

And then I understood. They didn't want to get out. They wanted to die. They wanted peace. Universal peace after thousands of years of serving the Darkness. I spread my arms, accepting the light coming towards me. A few seconds later, I felt an impact and was thrown out of this void.

I came to on my knees. Gena was standing near me, holding a weapon. I looked towards the Emperor. Behind his back, the portal crackled. The Emperor was screaming, turned towards the portal.

– No! No, you can't!

But it was too late. I took the crystal in my hands. And it unfolded in my palm, emitting rays of light in all directions. And the darkness disappeared. Everyone disappeared, even the Emperor was gone. Gena offered me a paw, helping me to my feet. Then he narrowed his pupils and asked:

– How are you?

– Fine, – I answered hoarsely.

– Is that really you?

– Listen, you crocodile, why are you picking on… – he didn't let me finish, lightly punching me in the shoulder. I staggered but stayed on my feet.

– Bag of bones, calm down. I get it, it's you. Let's get out of here and see if anyone else survived.

We found General Sokolov, along with a few other employees, a couple of hours later. The rest of the staff were gone. As if they had been erased from reality. After providing first aid to the survivors, we headed upstairs. Emerging, we were met by a frosty Moscow region morning. Snow crunched underfoot. I looked at Gena. Gena stood silently by the ship. I decided to talk to him:

– Do you think they're gone? – I asked.

– Yes. – he answered without turning towards me.

– For good?

He looked at me.

– No. They will return. And this time we might perish. They now know the power you possess. And I, for that matter.

– Gen. I don't even know anything myself. But promise me we'll deal with this.

– Are you ready?

I nodded.

– Excellent! We'll prepare!

– So, we'll prepare.

Gena bared his teeth and waved his hand for me to move towards the ship.

Three days later.

The darkness of space was deceptively calm. Our ship—now upgraded with technologies borrowed from the lunar archive of the Ancients—glided through the asteroid belt, avoiding Archon scanners. After we left Earth, Gena decided to head for the moon. There he planned to figure out the archive and get new Ancient technologies for us. But it wasn't that simple. The archive denied access to classified information. Gena was about to smash that pillar into a thousand little pieces when I offered my help. Thanks to some brute force and who knows what else, I hacked the access in three hours. We were amazed by the amount of information in the archive. It contained descriptions of technologies so advanced that Gena even whistled. So, for the last few days, we had been upgrading our ship. When my legs couldn't hold me anymore, I went to the bridge to sleep, leaving the Reptiloid to work. Waking up and seeing we were already in space, I wasn't even surprised. Gena was very focused, watching the terminal.

`Anomaly detected. Coordinates: Sector Alpha-9.` – the terminal informed us.

– Gena! – I swiveled the screen. – Look.

The Reptiloid approached, his yellow eyes narrowing as he examined the points that had appeared on the terminal. The screen flickered with an image: ship wreckage. But not Archon.

– Whose wreckage could that be?

Gena ran his claws over the panel, zooming in.

– Reptimens markings… but old. Very old.

– Thousands of years?

– Millions.

I stood up.

– Are we checking it out?

Gena slowly nodded, and we moved to the hangar. As we approached the ship, no activity was observed on it. We docked with the giant hull, covered in a layer of cosmic ice. Passing through the docking corridor, we found ourselves inside. Inside the ship—there was no light, no energy. Only cold and dead silence.

`Atmosphere: Absent. Gravity: Unstable. Traces of organic matter detected.` – my implant reported.

– Organic matter? – I became alert.

Gena was already moving forward, his paws leaving prints on the frozen floor.

– Something was here. – Gena said nervously.

We entered the central hall—and I froze. Bodies lay everywhere. Dozens of Reptiloid bodies, frozen in unnatural poses. Some—with weapons in their hands. Others—as if trying to flee.

– What could have killed them? – I asked quietly.

Gena bent over one of the bodies.

– Something… pierced the armor. Definitely not the Darkness.

I looked closer. On the Reptiloid's chest was a torn hole. No signs of charring, so it wasn't from a weapon.

`Traces of quantum disintegration detected.` – my implant squeaked.

– What? – I exclaimed.

Gena straightened up sharply. Looked at me.

– They didn't just die. Their… souls were erased.

– Who can do that? How is that even possible?

– I know only one race capable of that.

I understood without words. He meant the Ancients.

– But why? For what? What did they do?

Gena didn't answer. He was already moving further, towards the captain's bridge. I followed him. Once on the bridge, I looked around. The first thing that caught my eye was another Reptiloid sitting in the commander's chair. But something felt off. I said quietly:

– Gena, something's not right here, – and at that moment, one of the chairs slowly turned towards us. In it sat a Reptiloid of enormous size. Twice as big as Gena. His scales were black-grey. I wanted to tell Gena not to approach, but its eyes opened. And it looked at us.

– You… are too late. – hissed the unknown Reptiloid.

– Who are you? Identify yourself. – Gena shouted.

– I am the captain of this ship. My name is Xilan. – he began speaking again.

– I … – I started to say, but Gena stopped me with a hand gesture.

– I am the last survivor of the ship "Claw of Eternity". We were searching for them, – he whispered, his voice creaking like an old mechanism. – The origins of the Darkness.

– Did you find them? – Gena stood nearby, his claws gripping the armrest of the chair next to Xilan. Xilan slowly nodded.

– Yes… They… are not just beings. They are a disease. An infection of our reality.

I exchanged a glance with Gena.

– How to stop it? Do you know? Did you manage? – Gena asked him.

Xilan raised a trembling paw.

– The Emperor… is not who he seems. My brother. He *is* the Darkness.

– What?

– He… was the first. The first of the Guardians to be infected.

Gena exhaled sharply.

– You're saying the Emperor of the Archons… – but Gena didn't get to finish as Xilan cut him off.

– He is not an Archon. And he never was. – Looking with his cloudy gaze, he said – Come closer, human. I looked at Gena, but he nodded approvingly, and I slowly approached Xilan. He grabbed my hand and said:

– They are hiding the truth. Seek… the Keeper. You must find him, only he will tell you how to defeat the Emperor.

– But who is he? – but Xilan didn't answer me anymore. Xilan's eyes went out. And the ship… Came to life.

`System activation detected. Threat level: Catastrophic. Danger! Danger!` – the implant screeched in my head.

The walls groaned. The perennial ice on the floor cracked. And somewhere deep within the ship, something awoke.

– Screw this! Let's get the hell out of here! – Gena bolted for the exit.

Goosebumps ran down my spine, but I managed to pull myself together and rushed after him. A sound came from behind—as if a giant piece of metal was tearing apart from the inside. We ran down the corridor towards our ship's docking point. I turned around and saw it. How the Darkness was emerging from the walls of the ship. From the darkness emerged a creature I had never seen before. It was different. Ancient and hungry.

`Anomaly detected. Class: Unknown. Recommendation: Flee.` – my implant reported.

– No kidding! And I thought we could play fools for money with it. – I ran even faster after Gena.

We burst into the airlock, slammed it shut—and our ship shuddered.

– The Darkness is here! – Gena hit the panel. – Undock!

Our ship tore away, breaking the docking connection. At the last moment, I saw the creature strike its tentacle against my viewport.

– Bitch! – I swore aloud.

But we were already rushing into hyperspace. When we transitioned to hyper, I relaxed a little. I decided to clarify the issue of the Keeper.

– Who is this Keeper? – I was still trembling, sitting in the chair.

Gena was silent. Then he went to the terminal, which was connected to the data archive on the moon, and entered a query. The screen flashed.

– Here. Look. – Gena called me over.

On the screen was a clear image of a planet. But not ours.

– What is this? A parallel world? – I asked Gena without turning to him.

– No. A previous world. This is what your planet used to look like.

I stared at him.

– You're joking.

– No. What is this, a circus? – Gena looked at me in surprise.

Gena unfolded the map and continued.

– One cycle. Another. A third. They repeat. Each time—a new Earth. New victims. But…

– But what? – I asked impatiently.

– It's always the same. One person remains across all cycles.

A blurry image of a man appeared on the screen. Then it became clear, and I saw my face.

– What the… What the hell…

– It turns out the Keeper is you, Petya. Only… not you. – Gena exhaled.

– Meaning? This is really some kind of nonsense, Gena!

– Immortal? No. – he continued muttering to himself. Then Gena turned to me.

– I get it. The soul of the Keeper was placed in you—it's a system error. The one who was supposed to die… but survived.

– But why me?

– Because… – he didn't get to finish as a voice sounded in my head from the implant.

`Incoming signal. Source: Unknown.`

The terminal screen exploded with static. And then, a voice, my voice…

`Find me… before it's too late.`

Chapter 6

A hyperjump into the unknown was always accompanied by distortions. But this time was worse. I felt nauseous. I leaned on the armrest of the chair and tried to stand up.

`Quantum disorientation. Side effects: Nausea, temporary blindness, hallucinations.` – my head-companion informed me.

– Thanks, Captain Obvious, – I hissed, wiping sweat from my face.

`You're welcome, Keeper!` – the same calm voice sounded in my head.

– You're sentient?

`Yes.`

– Then why were you silent before?

`Our synchronization level did not permit it. Also, I did not trust you. You are a human!`

– I see, – I wasn't in the mood for conversation right now. I sat back in the chair and leaned back.

`You need rest, Keeper.`

– I know.

Gena was digging through the navigation data. Then he shot me a look and said:

– We're at the designated point. But… – he exhaled loudly and continued – But there's a problem!

– Somehow I'm not surprised. What is it? – I asked in a calm voice.

He swiveled the screen towards me. On the screen was an image of a planet very similar to Earth. But it wasn't Earth, though it looked very much like it. The continents were mirrored. Eurasia was flipped. Even the sun shone differently—it was too red.

`Atmosphere: Suitable for you. Radiation level: Normal. Biological signatures: Detected.` – the implant reported and then fell silent.

– Someone lives on this planet? What do you think, Gena?

Gena slowly turned to me and spoke.

– Your copies.

– What do you mean? Are we in a parallel world?

– Possibly. Look, – he pointed a claw at the screen – see this? Moscow. Here's your house, here's your yard. Here are the cars from your time, just like on your planet. Here are people walking.

I zoomed in on the screen. And indeed, there were people, cars scurrying back and forth. The city was living its ordinary life. The cars looked very much like ours, but somehow moved unnaturally. I moved the camera to my district. The houses looked like houses, very similar to ours. There was my building, my entrance. Parked cars lined the street. But still, everything felt somehow unusual. I'd say wrong. The first thing that caught my eye was that all the cars were parked in a single line. Hoods facing the same direction. Well, where in my Moscow did people park like that? You just dumped the car where you could. But here, there was order. I moved the camera to the city center. There were traffic jams, but not a single car on the shoulder. People walked to work in single file in both directions. Well, they don't walk like that where I'm from. Where are the scooter riders? Where are those bastards? They weren't here.

– Gena, – I turned to him – this is some kind of surrealism. People don't walk like that where I'm from, and cars aren't parked like that. Everything here is somehow correct. There's order.

Gena nodded his head.

– I can assume, Petya, that this is a copy of your planet. It was created to test various scenarios for the development of your race. But here's what bothers me. – he moved the camera to where Antarctica should have been. – Look, there's nothing here. No snow, no ice, just sands.

I studied the sands, and then I saw pyramids, other structures.

– But that's Egypt. What's it doing in the northern part of the planet? And why is there no ice here?

– I don't know… – Gena drawled and started moving the camera across the planet again. I leaned back in the chair and felt nausea rising in my throat. Gena turned to me and said:

– Pete, you need rest. Here's my proposal. We'll stay in orbit for now. You go to your cabin now and rest. – he raised a paw – Don't argue. I can see you need rest. One day won't change anything. Then we'll land on the planet. We'll see what's what. And decide where to go next.

– Agreed, – I said doomfully and stood up. As I approached the bulkhead, Gena said to me:

– And we'll talk. I think it's a good opportunity to chat.

– Okay, – I replied without turning and headed to my cabin. Staggering on trembling legs, I made it to the cabin. Without undressing, I flopped onto the bed. As soon as my head touched the pillow, I fell asleep.

***

I woke up from a sharp burning pain in my temples. Again. For the first few seconds, I thought it was another side effect of the implant, but the pain was different—sharp, piercing, as if someone was screwing a red-hot needle into my skull.

`External influence detected. Source: Unknown. Threat: High.`

I jumped up from the bunk, clutching my head.

– Gena! – I shouted, but there was no answer.

The room around me had changed. The ship's walls became semi-transparent, and strange symbols—the same ones I saw in the ruins on Earth—showed through them. They pulsed as if breathing, and with every moment the pain in my head intensified.

`Pyotr…`

I heard a voice. No, it wasn't the implant. The voice was alien. Muffled, as if coming from underground.

– Who's there?! – I rushed to the door, but it wouldn't open.

`You have come… but you are too late.`

The walls shuddered, and before me appeared… a Being. Faceless. With black, empty eyes. It stood half a meter from me, not moving, not breathing.

– What the hell are you?! – I recoiled, bumping into the bunk.

The being slowly raised its hand and touched my forehead. The world exploded in colors. Pain. Endless, internal pain. I fell through layers of reality, plunging into someone else's memories that weren't mine. I saw cities being consumed by flame. Beings turning to dust. Stars going out one after another. Then I saw *them*. The beings of the Darkness. They didn't just kill—they erased. Souls. Memory. The very fabric of reality, worlds. And then… I saw myself. I stood among ruins, clutching the same purple crystal. My face was mine, but the eyes… the eyes were filled with darkness, black as space itself.

`You are a mistake, Pyotr. You were not supposed to survive!`

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't.

`They are coming. They are already here.`

After that, the being disappeared. The world returned. I came to on the floor of the cabin, drenched in cold sweat. The door swung open, and Gena appeared in the doorway.

– Petya?! What happened?

– It… it was here… – I struggled to get up, leaning against the wall.

– Who?

– The Darkness.

– Fuck, – he swore loudly. Gena froze. His eyes narrowed to slits.

– Are you sure? That it was *it*? Maybe the Archons?

– It spoke to me! Said that I… – I fell silent.

– What?

– That I am a mistake.

Gena was silent for a few seconds, then turned sharply.

– Right. That's enough rest. Get ready, we're landing.

***

Before landing, Gena and I decided to name this planet "Earth-2." It was very similar to my home planet. When I entered the bridge, Gena handed me a flask with some liquid and demanded I drink its contents before landing. I didn't argue and sat in the chair.

The planet's atmosphere was almost the same as back home. Almost. Only the sky was too red, as if covered in smoke from an endless fire. And the sun… it hung low, like a huge blood-red ball. We landed on the outskirts of the copy of Moscow—if you could call it Moscow. The city was *correct*. Too correct. The houses stood in neat rows, the streets intersected at perfect angles, even the trees were planted in strict order.

– This… is unnatural, – I muttered.

– Everything here is unnatural. This is the work of control, – Gena hissed. – Total control.

– So, what do we do? How will you walk through the city center? You'll scare everyone.

– I'm not going. You're going alone. I'll climb a few kilometers up and engage the cloak. I'll follow you, covering you from above.

I shook the Reptiloid's hand and exited the ship. The ship was cloaked, so I wasn't afraid of being detected. Emerging from the thick bushes, I headed towards the city center. I noticed the people around looked normal. Men were in suits of various cuts. Girls and women in beautiful dresses. But… I didn't see any children anywhere. Such nice summer weather, and no kids. And another thing…

– Gena. They're not talking. To each other, – I noted.

No laughter. No arguments. Not even whispers. The crowd moved in unison, like programmed puppets.

– They're dolls, – Gena grumbled into my earpiece. – They're not even people.

– Then what are they?

– Copies. Copies of real people from your planet. An imitation of life, society, and beings. Whose work is this? Alright, be careful, something tells me there's danger around.

– Understood, – I replied and tripped over a piece of protruding asphalt. At that moment, the crowd suddenly froze. Everyone. Simultaneously. And turned their heads towards me.

– Holy shit… – I stepped back.

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