“Are the first batch of prototypes ready, Professor Zimeon?” Emperor Voltair, who was still thirty cycles younger, asked a Voltairan Geneticist who went by the name of ‘Zimeon’.
“Aye, Grand Emperor,” dark-skinned Professor Zimeon nodded whilst standing next to a massive control panel board. “The prototypes are ready for the artificial ‘birthing’ process.”
“Finally,” Lero, who also remained thirty cycles younger like Voltair, spurted out from off to the side. “After month-cycles and month-cycles, and failure after CONSTANT failure, we are FINALLY graced with the vile presence of these truly unholy abominations.”
“Abominations???” Emperor Voltair mocked. “Lero, do you forget your place?”
Looking at his Keeper, Magnus watched as Lero, who rolled his eyes, replied, “No, Emperor. I do not ‘forget my place’. I merely jest… slightly.”
Narrowing his eyes at the Rannukan Mercenary turned ‘Mentor/Guardian’ of Magnus, Emperor Voltair asked, “Do you not agree with my plans, Lero???”
“Your plans? You mean your ‘plans’ to conquer the whole thrackin’ ‘Verse with the aid of these… THINGS?”
“CONQUER???” Magnus gasped as Emperor Voltair glared at Lero.
“Conquer the ‘Verse? Heh, heh… Come now, Lero,” Voltair snickered. “I do not wish to ‘conquer’ the Known Universe.”
“If not the ‘Verse then what?” Lero asked.
“Just the galaxy… THE WHOLE GALAXY. With the aid of the Galactic Deciders, when they come of the proper cycle that is. Heh, heh, heh…”
Magnus’s eyes widened again as he now stared at the emperor with a whole new view on him.
Whilst the World-Breaker stared at the Emperor, Professor Zimeon called out, “Your Majesty, the first subject is now ready.”
Turning around, Emperor Voltair faced Professor Zimeon and said, “Grand… BRING HIM OUT.”
“Him?” Magnus said to himself as the cries of an unknown, imperiled man started to fill the airways.
“So, Professor… How is this supposed to work?” Voltair asked as he watched the helpless Obbavarian being lowered into the awfully deadly looking goo.
“Tis quite simple, my Emperor,” Professor Zimeon replied. “As you can see, the test subject is currently being descended into the vat that contains the ‘prototype’, which is done ‘birthing’ and is now ready for the ‘bonding’ process to begin.”
“Thrack,” Lero gasped as he, Emperor Voltair, Professor Zimeon, and Magnus all watched as a headless, slimy black and dark green accented ‘skin-suit’ emerged from the glowing green goo that filled the vat up to its brim.
With an opening being where the suit’s headpiece should be located, it was big enough for SOMEONE to be placed inside of it.
Aside from the suit’s ghastly appearance, it also looked like it was slowly moving inward and outward.
It was as if the suit… WAS BREATHING.
“What is that?” Lero asked in confusion.
“The Prototype,” Professor Zimeon sneered as Lero turned to him and gave him a confused glance.
“Are you certain that this shall work, Professor?” Emperor Voltair asked Zimeon.
“Yes, Your Grace… I am certain,” the Professor confidently confirmed.
“Grand. Now… LET’S GET ON WITH IT.”
“Yes, Emperor. Yes, of course. Once the subject has been lowered fully down towards the Biomechanical Symbiotic Exo-Suit…
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“Bio-Symbi-what?” Lero asked in confusion.
Turning to the Keeper, Professor Zimeon explained, “Biomechanical Symbiotic Exo-Suit. In order to properly ‘operate’ the Biomechanical Symbiotic Exo-Suit… Also known as a ‘B.M.S.E.S.’, which is actually its own living and breathing organism, there must be a fully functioning biological specimen that will act as the suit’s ‘host’. Once complete and total symbiosis has been achieved, the host and suit shall become ONE SOLE ENTITY. Understand???”
“No. Not really.”
“Well, you shall… SOON ENOUGH.”
Turning his head back around, Professor Zimeon watched as the Obbavarian’s restrained body was finally being lowered into the B.M.S.E.S.
“YOU ALL SHALL,” Professor Zimeon continued as the Obbavarian’s body was then fastened inside of the suit, rendering him virtually immovable for the time being.
As the Obbavarian continued to plead and cry in its native tongue, Emperor Voltair asked, “Ugh… Professor, what in the thrack is that THING saying?”
“That HE wants to be freed,” Lero stated as Emperor Voltair looked over at him in confusion.
“Since when do you speak Obbva, Lero?” the Emperor asked.
“Long before you and I encountered one another, Emperor. In my cycles as a Starstrider, my travels have taken me to the furthest edge of the galaxy… AND BEYOND.”
Emperor Voltair narrowed his eyes at the Rannukan as Professor Zimeon erupted, “It has begun! The bonding process has begun!”
Turning their heads forward again, Emperor Voltair, Lero, and Magnus, who still stood behind them all in complete and total shock, watched as three different layers of ‘slimy skin’ formed up from the suit’s brawny, scaled shoulders to completely cover the screaming Obbavarian’s head.
Once the three layers had formed, they automatically sealed themselves, completely encasing the Obbavarian inside of itself.
“SKREE! SKREE! SKREEEEEE!!!” the encased Obbavarian screeched through its razor sharp, silver needle-like teeth whilst its six beady red eyes glowed in the dimly lit laboratory.
As the encased Obbavarian continued to screech and holler in his restraints on the platform that had since ascended from the vat of glowing green goo, Emperor Voltair grinned sickly.
“So, Your Grace… WHAT DO YOU THINK???” Professor Zimeon giddily asked the Grand Emperor.
“Beautiful. Tis beautiful, Professor… TRULY,” Voltair replied as he marveled as the transformed Obbavarian. “You have really outdone yourself this time.”
“Grand thanks, my Emperor. Given your ‘enthusiasm’, I shall have a FULL batch of prototypes ready before the end of this week-cycle. All I have left to do now is give them a name. A name that shall appropriately suit the ‘particular work’ you shall have them do for you… AND THE GRAND CAUSE.”
While Emperor Voltair continued to gaze at the encased Obbavarian like a drunk staring at a bottle of liquor, Magnus slowly approached him from behind.
Looking past the control panel console and over the safety guard rail that lined the platform, the World-Breaker looked down at the unholy monstrosity that had literally ‘consumed’ the poor Obbavarian.
Upon laying first glance upon the creature, Magnus dropped his jaw as he became instantly speechless.
He could not believe his eyes.
“Emperor Voltair… What shall you ‘name’ them?” Zimeon asked.
“KREN,” Emperor Voltair ushered, causing the Professor, Lero, and MAGNUS to stare at him in mixtures of surprise, confusion… AND UTTER SHOCK.
“Kren???” Lero repeated in confusion.
“Hm. Kren?” Professor Zimeon uttered. “I suppose it does have a certain type of ‘ring’ to it, Your Majesty.”
“THE KREN,” Emperor Voltair continued whilst still staring at the encased Obbavarian. “Tis what they shall be called…. What they all shall be called.
“NO,” Magnus gritted as he stared down at the encased Obbavarian in sheer hatred and anger.
“Why ‘the Kren’, Emperor?” Lero asked curiously. “It mean somethin’ to you?”
“Why yes, Lero… IT DOES,” Voltair replied whilst fires ‘burned’ in his eyes. “A Kren is a VILE, DASTARDLY EVIL CONNIVING, TRAITOROUS…”
“Traitorous?” Lero repeated, catching the Emperor off guard.
Correcting himself, Emperor Voltair said, “I meant ‘treacherous’. Tis what the Kren are… AND SHALL BE once I unleash them upon our galaxy for the Galactic Deciders to battle against… AND MAKE WAR WITH once they have all reached the proper cycle.”
“Thus forth ‘justifying’ and validating your conquering,” Lero asked with his scaly brow lowered.
Glancing back at Lero whilst Magnus stared at him with a burning hatred in his blood shot eyes, Emperor Voltair smirked, “Why, of course. Heh, heh, heh…”
Angered by all of the things that he had just witnessed in the memories that were stored within Lero’s Holo-Fier, the World-Breaker wanted to attack the Grand Emperor and eviscerate him into sheer nothingness, but the memory timed out… SENDING MAGNUS BACK TO ‘THE PRESENT’.