Chapter 406: Original power

The silence that followed Uncle Dom’s revelation was deafening. Everyone stared at him, processing the implications of what he’d just said. The command center continued buzzing with activity around them, but their corner felt frozen in time.

"So let me get this straight," Kelvin said finally, his cybernetic arms moving as he tried to wrap his head around the concept. "For decades, maybe centuries, the family heads have been playing some twisted version of musical chairs where the music stops every fifty years and someone dies? And nobody thought to mention this in the family newsletters?"

Uncle Dom nodded grimly. "The younger generations were kept in the dark. Each family head thought they were protecting their children by maintaining the secret."

"Well that’s just fantastic," Kelvin continued, his voice taking on that particular tone he got when he was thinking out loud without realizing how absurd he sounded. "So basically, every time someone becomes a really good king, they get a fifty-year countdown timer until some ancient grandpa comes to collect them like they’re overdue library books."

Lucy stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. "We need more information. Lucas, your visit to the Sterling archives—what exactly did you find?"

"Fragments," Lucas admitted. "Evangeline showed me genealogical records, some communication logs, but I got the impression I was only seeing what they wanted me to see."

"Which is why I made that arrangement with Matthias," Lucy said. "Full access to their complete archives. Everything they’ve been keeping classified."

Noah looked around the group, his mind racing. "If Uncle Dom is right about this conspiracy, then we need to move fast. Every hour we delay gives them more time to..." He paused, not wanting to voice what they were all thinking.

"To finish whatever they’re doing with the king," Diana completed grimly.

A palace aide approached their table cautiously. "Your Highness, the medical wing reports that your guest has been treated and is requesting to speak with you."

"Kaia," Sophie said. "I almost forgot about her."

They made their way to the medical wing, where they found Kaia sitting on the edge of a treatment bed, her injuries properly healed but her expression haunted. When she saw them approaching, she stood carefully.

"How are you feeling?" Noah asked.

"Better, thanks to your healers." Kaia hesitated, then looked directly at Lucy. "I overheard some of your conversation when they brought me in. If you’re making moves to get your father back, I want to come along."

Sophie’s expression hardened immediately. "Absolutely not. You’re the daughter of a man who tortured sentient creatures for profit. Why would we trust you?"

"Because nobody else is going to break their backs trying to rescue Vex Marduk," Kaia replied matter of factly, her voice steady despite the obvious pain the admission caused her. "My father made terrible choices, but he’s still my father. And right now, he’s in the same situation as King Damien."

"She has a point," Lucas said quietly. "If they took both king Damien and her father, Kaia might have insights we don’t."

At that moment, Diana stepped closer to Kaia, her voice carrying a deadly quiet that made everyone pay attention. "If you even think about betraying us, I’ll stop your heart before you can blink. Are we clear?"

Kaia nodded without hesitation. "Crystal clear."

Lucy, Sophie, and Lyra exchanged looks that promised similar consequences if Kaia stepped out of line. The message was received and understood.

"Fine," Lucy said finally. "But you follow our lead, no questions, no initiatives. You’re an observer, nothing more."

Uncle Dom had been watching this exchange with interest. "So where exactly are we going? Because if you’re planning to storm some fortress, I should probably mention that my combat skills are a bit rusty."

"The Sterling compound on Beta," Lucas explained. "They have the most complete historical archives of all the families. If we’re going to understand the full scope of this conspiracy, that’s where we’ll find answers."

"Excellent," Dom said, clapping his hands together. "I’ve always wanted to see Beta. I have always been the problem child. Never got the chance before they decided I was too crazy to travel."

Noah looked around at their group—Lucas and Lucy, both carrying the weight of their missing father; Uncle Dom, disheveled but apparently lucid; Kaia, whose loyalties were questionable at best; and his own team, tired but determined.

"This is insane," he said finally. "We’re about to travel to another planet to investigate a conspiracy that apparently spans centuries, based on the word of a man who was locked up for being mentally unstable."

"You got a better plan?" Kelvin asked.

Noah sighed. "No. Let’s go to Beta."

---

The transport Lucy had requisitioned for their journey was larger than their usual craft, designed for diplomatic missions rather than military operations. As they broke atmosphere and began the journey to Beta, the reality of what they were attempting began to sink in.

Uncle Dom had cleaned up somewhat before their departure, though he still looked like someone who’d been living rough. He sat near one of the viewports, staring out at the stars with an expression that was equal parts wonder and sadness.

"It’s beautiful," he said to no one in particular. "I’d forgotten how beautiful space could be."

Lucas activated the ship’s holographic display system. "Let’s work through what we know while we travel. Uncle Dom, you said this arrangement has been going on for years. How many years are we talking about?"

"At least three generations of family heads," Dom replied, settling more comfortably in his seat. "Maybe more. The pattern becomes clear when you start tracking the ’natural deaths’ and ’accidents’ that consistently happened to leaders in their fifties."

Kelvin was already interfacing with the transport’s computer systems, his eyes taking on that familiar green tint. "Okay, so I’m pulling up what genealogical records I can access remotely. And wow, the mortality rate for family heads is... actually kind of suspicious when you look at it statistically."

He gestured, and the holographic display filled with partial family trees spanning the past several centuries. Red markers indicated deceased family heads, and even with incomplete data, a pattern was beginning to emerge.

"See, here’s what’s weird," Kelvin continued, completely unaware that he was about to make everyone’s blood run cold. "If you’re a regular family member, you live to be like eighty, ninety, sometimes over a hundred because of the enhanced genetics from the original awakening. But if you become the head of your house? Boom, dead at fifty-three. Dead at fifty-one. Dead at forty-nine. It’s like there’s some kind of cosmic rule that says ’sorry, leadership positions come with a mandatory expiration date.’"

Lyra was taking rapid notes, her analytical mind working through the implications. "The consistency is what makes it obviously artificial. Natural mortality doesn’t follow such precise patterns."

"Right!" Kelvin snapped his fingers, still completely serious despite sounding like he was solving a game show puzzle. "And I bet if we had access to the complete records, we’d find that the deaths always happen during ’private retreats’ or ’solo meditation periods’ where the family head goes off alone for a few days. Except they never come back. It’s like they’re scheduling their own disappearances."

Noah felt a chill run down his spine. ’They weren’t scheduling disappearances. They were fulfilling obligations. Reporting for duty when their number came up.’

Kaia had been listening to this exchange with growing confusion. "I’m sorry, but what exactly are you talking about? My father never mentioned anything about family heads disappearing."

"Because your father wasn’t part of the original seven families," Sophie explained. "This conspiracy involves the descendants of the first awakened humans. The families that founded the current power structure."

"But here’s what I don’t understand," Kelvin continued, now fully in problem-solving mode. "How is this Eighth Ancestor guy even still alive? I mean, all the other original seven are dead and buried, right? They lived long lives but they still died of old age eventually. So what makes Grandpa Number Eight so special that he’s apparently still kicking around causing trouble?"

The question hung in the air, and Noah could see everyone wrestling with it. It was a fundamental issue that none of them had considered.

"Enhanced longevity could explain some of it," Lyra suggested. "If his original awakening gave him different benefits than the others..."

"But we’re talking about a thousand years," Diana pointed out. "That’s not enhanced longevity, that’s practical immortality."

Sophie frowned. "Unless he’s found a way to extend his lifespan artificially. Some kind of technology or ability we don’t know about."

Lucas was studying the partial genealogies with growing unease. "There’s another possibility. What if he’s not the original Eighth Ancestor? What if it’s a title that gets passed down?"

"Ooh, like a really morbid family business," Kelvin said, apparently finding this idea fascinating rather than horrifying. "Each generation trains the next one to carry on the whole ’mysterious ancient villain’ tradition. That would actually be kind of impressive from an organizational standpoint."

Uncle Dom shook his head. "The few communications I managed to intercept over the years suggested it was the same individual. Same hate, same vendetta, same personal knowledge of the original betrayal."

"Communications?" Noah leaned forward. "You actually heard from this person?"

"Not directly," Dom admitted. "But when you’re locked up in a psychiatric facility for decades, you develop certain... skills for gathering information. The guards and staff talked more freely around someone they considered harmless."

As Beta grew larger in their viewport, the transport began its descent toward the Sterling compound. The political capital of the Raiju system spread out below them, its governmental districts and diplomatic quarters busy with the constant flow of interplanetary commerce and negotiation.

"There’s something else that’s been bothering me," Noah said as they prepared for landing. "According to the original story, the Eighth Ancestor’s ability only manifested when he was pushed to his absolute limit. It was the ability to copy and steal other people’s powers."

He looked around the group, making sure everyone was following his logic. "But if that’s true, why does he need the family heads specifically? Why not just grab random awakened individuals? Why the emphasis on the most powerful from each bloodline? Because as we know, the king is essentially the most powerful Grey, right?"

"Quality over quantity?" Sophie suggested.

"Maybe," Noah replied, but something about that didn’t feel right. "Or maybe there’s something special about the original seven bloodlines that he needs."

The transport touched down at the Sterling compound, and they were greeted by the same crystalline spires and formal gardens Lucas, Lyra and Lucy had seen during their previous visit. But this time, the atmosphere felt different. More tense, more guarded.

Prince Matthias and Princess Evangeline met them at the landing pad, their formal diplomatic bearing barely concealing what looked like significant anxiety.

"Princess Lucy," Matthias said, offering a respectful bow. "We weren’t expecting such a... comprehensive delegation."

"Circumstances have required broader consultation," Lucy replied smoothly. "I trust you’ve prepared access to the archives as we discussed?"

"Of course. Though I should mention, some of the older records are... fragile. We’ll need to handle them with appropriate care."

Evangeline’s gaze swept over their group, lingering on Uncle Dom’s disheveled appearance and Kaia’s obvious injuries. "Perhaps some of your companions would be more comfortable waiting in the guest quarters while the primary research team accesses the archives?"

"Everyone stays together," Lucy said firmly. "The information we’re seeking affects all of us."

As they walked toward the archive facilities, Noah noticed that the Sterling compound seemed less busy than during their previous visit. Fewer staff members were visible, and those they did see moved with the kind of nervous efficiency that suggested everyone was on edge.

The Sterling archives were even more impressive than Noah had expected. Crystalline storage matrices lined the walls, each one containing centuries of carefully preserved information. The air hummed with preservation fields and data management systems that made even Kelvin’s enhanced cybernetics seem primitive by comparison.

"The genealogical records are here," Evangeline said, guiding them to a section where holographic displays could project multiple family trees simultaneously. "The communications logs are in the restricted section, but per our arrangement..."

"Full access," Matthias confirmed, though he looked like the words physically pained him.

Kelvin’s eyes lit up with another realization. "Wait, wait, wait. You know what’s really messed up about this whole situation? The Eighth guy’s ability was supposed to be copying powers, right? But according to Uncle Dom’s story and what your father told us, he could only access it under extreme stress, and even then nobody really understood how it worked."

He stood up and began pacing the archive space, his mechanical arms moving expressively. "So here’s this guy who basically got left out of the superhero club because his power was too subtle or whatever, and now he’s apparently been using it to systematically harvest abilities from the most powerful members of the families that betrayed him. It’s like the world’s most elaborate revenge plot crossed with some kind of supernatural pyramid scheme."

As the team spread out to examine different sections of the archives, Noah found himself drawn to the communication records. The earliest entries dated back several decades, and their tone was formal, almost ritualistic.

But it was Kelvin who made the breakthrough, his technopathic abilities allowing him to process information at inhuman speeds.

"Guys," he said, his voice losing all trace of its usual humor. "I found something in the medical records. Every family head who disappeared had something in common."

He gestured, and the display filled with biological data, genetic sequences, and ability classifications.

"They weren’t just the strongest from each bloodline," Kelvin continued, his expression growing more serious than Noah had ever seen it. "They were the purest. The closest genetic matches to the original seven ancestors. The ones whose abilities most closely resembled the prototype awakening."

The implications hit Noah like a physical blow. "He’s not just copying their abilities randomly. He’s specifically targeting the ones whose powers are closest to the original awakening."

The pieces began to click together in his mind, forming a picture that was both horrifying and strangely logical. But before he could voice his growing suspicions, Uncle Dom spoke up from across the archive.

"Because the original awakening was different," he said quietly, his voice carrying a weight of knowledge that made everyone turn to look at him. "The power that changed the first seven... it wasn’t just individual abilities. It was something more fundamental."