Nucleus 1: The Dust of Moon [Mature Sci-fi Romance]

13:15, Day 579, Year 58133

Parivartan Ghas (परिवर्तन घास), Twisting Meadows, The Twilight Expanse, Shashan

Xin blinked, taking in the foreign sky. The landscape was bathed in violet and pink. Beyond hills of indigo flowers, two huge moons hung in the sky. He took a breath, feeling his beige puffer jacket, the hum of his Quantum Watch on his wrist, his sneakers, and the weight of his Psi Shield Device on his left ear. He pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, looking at the far edge of the meadow.

And then, he saw it.

A dark mass spread across the horizon — a wave of monsters, Bone Fiends and Skuggrs, their bodies twisted combinations of bone and shadow, moving forward. Above them, five Krakens floated, their brown arms trailing. One was larger than the rest, its head covered in black skin with burning orange eyes.

Xin swallowed hard, feeling the distant rumble of the horde in his chest. It seemed endless.

Behind him, a violet light opened in the air, and Lorna stepped through. She wore a beige trench coat, a dark blue turtleneck, and black military leggings tucked into boots. Her Psi Shield Device and Quantum Watch caught the light as she approached.

She looked past him at the approaching horde. "Those fuckers are serious," she said quietly.

A second portal opened to his left, and Vyom and Kathrin stepped through, both looking grim. Kathrin's eyes showed resolve as she looked over the meadow. "Scions of the Rakshasa. Heed my call."

From the violet plants, figures emerged — Rakshasa warriors. Jalraks and Trishuls, with purple exoskeletons and rippling muscles, formed a semicircle around Xin and his team. Their numbers were small compared to the enemy, but their spirits were strong.

Xin adjusted his glasses, taking in the scene with a mix of awe and fear. He noticed the confident stance of the Rakshasa warriors with both admiration and dread.

Lorna's voice brought him back to reality. "Your Psi Shield is off," she said.

"Oh, right!" he exclaimed, his pulse racing as his hand moved to his temple. "Mind teaching me how to use my own Aether to…?" he asked quietly, as roars and howls rose from the meadow's edge.

Feeling embarrassed, Xin blushed as Lorna grabbed his left hand with her right, pressing their fingers together against his Psi Shield. She softly chanted: "Vacuus Arcanum Custos."

Energy surged into Xin's body as the Psi Shield glowed, but it wasn't Lorna's mind joining his. Instead, his own energy flowed into the device, creating a faint green bubble that quickly disappeared.

"Thanks," he said with a half-smile.

"I still don't know why your Aether's alignment is Void, but your spell last night to stop my Rover showed that you are," Lorna said coldly, though with something else in her voice. "Could be one of your ancestors was Void-aligned. Or maybe it's just Kathrin's Aether in there. I don't care."

"Thank you for teaching me that," Xin said nervously.

"You better make it worth my while and survive whatever comes," Lorna finally turned to him, her blue eyes catching the light, showing a hint of warmth. Her half-up ponytail moved with her, golden strands against the violet meadow. The rest of her hair fell over her shoulders, stirred by the breeze.

"I'll do what I can," Xin nodded.

"See that you do," For a moment, she was all Xin could see — a warrior with intensity softened by rare vulnerability. "And when we get back, I want salads with kale and avocado, St. Louis style pork ribs, a loose meat sandwich, and a big bowl of whatever soup your people eat for dinner."

Xin smiled, feeling warm inside. "No problem!" he replied, his spirits lifted.

The Fenris Horde Bone Fiends charged across the meadow, an endless flood of darkness and bones. The Rakshasa warriors roared and fought them hand-to-hand, their claws tearing through bone while their Trishuls fired deadly spikes from their jaws. But the enemies were too many.

In the distance, the massive black Kraken seemed to notice them. For a moment, Xin felt its gaze — ancient and piercing, as if studying him. He clenched his jaw, his hand touching the 10mm Magnum on his belt.

"Let's go!" Xin pulled out his gun. Its targeting system activated, and he shot at the Bone Fiends with precision.

Meanwhile, Pawan, his Omni-Drone, emerged from his jacket to hover above them, chirping happily.

But the Skuggrs pushed through, their insect-like bodies shining as they joined the Bone Fiends. Green bile sprayed from their mouths, burning through the Jalraks' armor. Several Rakshasa warriors fell, their bodies dissolving. The remaining forces were pushed back, with the gap shrinking between the enemy and where Xin and Lorna stood.

Lorna drew her gun, holding Váli in her left hand, the white metal catching the light.

"Glacies Lunae Fulgur!" she chanted as she pulled the trigger. The bullet turned into a streak of silver-blue energy, exploding on impact. Bone Fiends and Skuggrs were thrown backward, shattering like ice as the energy tore through them.

Yet for every creature that fell, two more appeared. The dark wave pressed forward relentlessly. Xin ejected his empty magazine and loaded a fresh one, briefly noticing the debris he was leaving on the purple grass. But the thought vanished quickly – the monsters showed no sign of stopping, and the space between them kept shrinking.

"We can't give up…" Xin looked back at the Hatching Chamber behind them. It rose like a strange cathedral, its massive dome pulsing with violet light. The structure seemed alive, with twisted roots supporting glowing pods near its top. Glowing tendrils hung down its sides like curtains, swaying without wind. The entrance was a huge opening of curved bone and translucent membrane, with waves of purple energy rippling outward.

Guarding the Hatching Chamber were two tall violet towers, their spiral structures reaching toward the sky. From the top of each tower, spores launched into the air, arching high before falling on the advancing Fenris Horde. When they hit, the spores exploded with light, releasing a fragrant cloud with scents of water, violet, apple, orange, and star anise. The spores burned through the bone and shadow of the Fenris creatures.

Xin looked at the towers and without thinking said, "Chitrapat..."

Lorna turned to him quickly, frowning. "How do you know that word?"

"I..." Xin hesitated, confused by his own knowledge. The word had felt natural, as if he'd always known it. "I'm not sure."

"Did Kathrin teach you?" Lorna asked, her eyes narrowing while she kept her gun aimed at the horde.

Xin shook his head slowly. "No, it just... came to me. As if I've always known it." He felt as lost as he sounded.

Emmanuel's battle cry cut through the chaos as he charged forward, his rasta braids flying behind him in his white combat armor. His gun, Kuma, fired a stream of bullets at the Fenris beasts. "Didn't expect to find you here!" he called to Xin with a fierce grin.

Beside him, Tanha appeared like a dream, her violet skin glowing as she raised her hands and chanted. "Vyālīṃ prajvala!"

With each word, purple energy shot from her fingers and struck the enemy. Where her spells hit, Bone Fiends crumbled and Skuggrs withered before the energy returned to Tanha, as if drawing their life force.

"You Sol people aren't so bad at working in packs," Tanha said to Emmanuel, her voice both warm and deadly. She moved gracefully as more energy tendrils attacked approaching enemies.

The pair moved perfectly together – Emmanuel's precision matching Tanha's supernatural abilities. Their combined attack created a buffer between the defenders and the horde, briefly holding back the monsters.

"We'll make it," Emmanuel shouted over the noise, reloading his gun. "We'll send them back to hell!"

But from the other side, two of the brown Krakens flew toward the towers, their arms spreading wide. Their mouths opened, releasing streams of thick, gray slime that stuck to the violet towers. Where it touched, the organic material withered and died, the spores dying out. Within moments, the mighty Chitrapats stood silent, their defenses neutralized.

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"That's impossible," Lorna said, gripping Váli tighter. "The Krakens I fought on Earth... they never had abilities like this."

A harsh, witch-like voice cut through the battle, carrying an ancient weight that made Xin's skin crawl. "Indeed, Sigrún. These new Krakens are Ysolde's newest children since her awakening on Osram. They are bred specifically for siege warfare."

"Hafgrim," Lorna's breath caught in her throat.

Through the haze of battle, the black Kraken approached as Xin saw her revolting form – Hafgrim, her arms moving. Her eyes showed intelligence as they fixed on Lorna. "They show such promise, don't they? Just like you did before the Virus in you was suppressed."

Xin pointed his pistol at Hafgrim, while Pawan floated by his side, chirping.

"Whatever you want with Lorna, it won't happen!" Xin's finger tightened on the trigger.

"Lorna? Is that what she goes by now?" Hafgrim's orange eyes shifted to Xin. "Ah, but I can sense your desire for Sigrún. Your mind is filled with images of her even now. Such ambition in such a small frame!"

"That's none of your concern." Xin felt his face growing hot.

Hafgrim raised an arm, as humans under her control gathered before her. Their black eyes showed their lack of free will, wearing tattered robes, armor scraps, or completely naked. "Join the Fenris Horde. With our Nucleus Virus, you may become a Draug to breed with our Hundkyndas. Thousands of children from your genetics. Imagine it!"

"Does your horde see humans as mere breeding machines?" Xin shot back.

Before the Kraken could continue, Emmanuel interrupted with gunfire from his submachine gun. "Go! We'll handle the minions!"

With precision, Lorna fired three shots from Váli. The rounds whistled through the air, but Hafgrim's form rippled like shadow to dodge, each bullet passing harmlessly. In one smooth motion, Lorna holstered her pistol and drew Baldr, the Psytum Sword igniting with a brilliant blue glow. She launched herself forward, the blade humming.

"Pawan! Help Lorna!" Xin exclaimed.

Pawan darted after her, its small form weaving through the chaos. As monsters converged on Lorna, the drone projected a green beam that bathed her in healing light. She moved like a dancer through the brown monsters, Baldr's edge leaving trails of blue energy as it cut through twisted bone and flesh. The Psi Shield on her ear flickered with each deflected blow, a blue dome that kept the worst at bay. When claws occasionally found her, the wounds sealed instantly under Pawan's healing beam, leaving only torn fabric.

Xin aimed his pistol at Hafgrim. The lessons from the shooting range with Lorna came back – elbow close to body, breath synced with aim, let out slowly with the trigger pull.

"Here goes." He pulled the trigger again and again, each shot calculated, his stance aided by AI-targeting. The bullets flew toward the ancient Kraken, his anger focused into points of precision.

Hafgrim shrieked as Xin's bullets hit, dark fluid spraying from the wounds. But their advantage was short-lived. Hafgrim drew forth her human shields – the people stumbling forward like puppets, their eyes vacant. Their nearly naked bodies formed a barrier between the Kraken and her attackers.

Each attempt to strike Hafgrim resulted in another innocent life lost. Xin's shots and Lorna's blade found only flesh that was already doomed, while behind this wall of bodies, Hafgrim's wounds sealed themselves quickly. The air grew thick with the smell of blood and regenerating Radi-Mon tissue. "Such irony, the souls of humans snuffed out to fuel that which they oppose — "

"Keep talking!" seeing an opening, Lorna jumped skyward, Baldr's blue light trailing behind her. But Hafgrim was ready. A tentacle shot out quickly, wrapping around Lorna's torso mid-leap.

Before she could react, another tentacle coiled around her face, covering her mouth. Her sword deactivated, Lorna struggled against the restraints, but Hafgrim's hold was too strong. Without her voice, without movement, her psionic abilities were neutralized.

The battlefield seemed to still as the Fenris Horde pressed forward, growing more confident as their Elder Kraken held the Psi Lynx in her grasp.

A scream cut through the chaos as acidic bile splashed across Emmanuel's armor, eating through the white plating. "Not yet…!"

But before they could finish him, Tanha transformed, her pale skin hardening into segments as she changed shape. Her worm-like body surged forward, massive jaws tearing through the Skuggrs, their bodies bursting beneath her attack.

"I'll make you pay — !" Xin's finger tensed on the trigger, but Kathrin's hand closed over his wrist.

"Patience," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the horror before them. "The moment will come."

Xin's hands shook with rage as he kept his gun aimed at Hafgrim, watching as Lorna struggled in the Kraken's grip. Her legs kicked desperately, her muffled cries barely audible through the tentacle over her mouth.

As if summoned by Kathrin's words, the air split open with a tearing sound. An Ormheimr appeared – a living portal of twisted flesh and bone, its mouth stretching wide. From its depths emerged Skarn, his five tentacles writhing behind him as he rose to his full height, towering over even the largest Skuggrs.

"Your resistance is admirable, Centauri denizens," Skarn's voice echoed across the battlefield, like grinding stones, "but ultimately futile." His gaze fixed on Lorna, something almost like tenderness crossing his monstrous features. "Give me Sigrún Fjeld and the Moondust Crystal shard in your care. Do this, and the Rakshasa Horde may yet be spared."

"Skarn. The Hivemind taking Sven Solheim as vessel. To believe in the generosity of your offer is to insult our own intelligence," Kathrin's voice carried across the field, cold despite her sarcasm.

"Your wit remains, dear Kathrin," Skarn's massive form shifted, his tentacles coiling menacingly. "But surely you understand the futility of your position. The Rakshasa have thrived in isolation for so long. Why risk everything now for a few Sol denizens?"

"Only by accepting risks do we have choices," Kathrin straightened, her eyes flashing.

Skarn's laugh rumbled like thunder, his features twisting into something almost like pity. "Then you have chosen extinction." His tentacles began to writhe more violently, anticipating the battle.

"No, it's the only way to survive." Kathrin's voice cut through his pronouncement like a blade. She turned to Vyomendri, her whispered command allowing no argument. "Give the Moondust shard to Xin. Now."

At the edge of the battlefield, Tanha changed back to her human form, rushing to Emmanuel's side. Her hands glowed with violet energy as she knelt beside him, the healing magic surrounding his wounded body. The corroded armor began to repair itself as flesh knit back together, pulling Emmanuel back from death.

Kathrin leaned close to Xin's ear, her lips barely moving: "Bheda Atisīmā." The ancient words twisted the air itself. Xin's pistol chirped as its targeting system locked onto the arms holding Lorna. At that moment, Kathrin whispered to him. "Go!"

He pulled the trigger, and the bullet erupted with green energy, transformed by Kathrin's spell. It struck true, boring through Hafgrim's flesh like acid through paper. The black tentacle whitened and withered, dropping away from Lorna's face.

Free from her restraints, Lorna dropped to the ground in a crouch. Baldr blazed to life once more in her hands as she spun, the blade cutting through another of Hafgrim's limbs. "Die, you little dritt!"

The Elder Kraken recoiled with a shriek, retreating behind a wall of advancing Skuggrs that surged forward to protect their wounded mistress.

Vyomendri approached Xin, his violet skin gleaming as he pressed a crystal shard into Xin's palm. "Make this count, Imperial," he growled, his eyes showing centuries of wisdom and wariness. "The Rakshasa is taking a huge risk by trusting you with the shard. Kathrin especially."

Nearby, Tanha's healing magic pulsed through Emmanuel's body, her voice a soft whisper of ancient mantras as she worked to heal him. The violet energy knit flesh and bone back together, fighting against the Skuggrs' corrosive damage.

"Śūnyatā Mahāgarta!" Kathrin's voice boomed across the battlefield as she thrust her hands toward the ground. The purple grass split apart as a massive void tore through reality itself, a chasm of darkness opening beneath the advancing Fenris horde. Bone Fiends and Skuggrs fell into the abyss, their shrieks fading. Skarn and Hafgrim stopped at the edge, the latter's wounds still bleeding as they assessed this new obstacle.

Above them, the sky darkened as four Weavers descended, their massive bee-like forms humming with effort as they carried the Space Rover.

But as Xin looked up at their approaching salvation, Skarn's laughter cut through the chaos.

"The shard may be beyond my reach, but I've already won something far more precious." Skarn's laughter echoed across the chasm, his tentacles writhing with pleasure as he fixed his gaze on Lorna. "Dear Sigrún. Our child is almost ready to emerge."

"What…" Lorna doubled over, gasping as she clutched her abdomen. Her knees buckled, and Xin lunged forward to catch her, the crystal shard still in his trembling hand. Her skin felt fever-hot against his palm.

"What have you done to her!" Xin demanded, rage and fear in his voice as he supported Lorna's weight. Her breathing came in short bursts against his neck.

Skarn's massive form loomed at the chasm's edge, his satisfaction obvious. "I merely planted a seed in her when we first met on that pathetic island of yours, Imperial." His features twisted into what might have been a smile. "Your human medicines may have dampened the virus, but they were blind to my greater gift."

"That's impossible!" Kathrin said, her tentacles already extending toward Lorna. "The human digestive system —"

"Is no barrier to the evolved biology of Fenris seeds," Skarn interrupted, spreading his arms in twisted triumph. "My scion devoured her waste, burrowed through tissue, and found her womb. Such a perfect mother she's been, nurturing it all this time, never suspecting."

Lorna's fingers dug into Xin's arm as another spasm wracked her body. A wet spot darkened her blue turtleneck and trench coat – her water breaking. Kathrin slithered closer, her usually calm features tight with concern.

"Hold on," Xin whispered, pocketing his pistol and the Moondust Crystal's shard before shifting to better support her, keeping his eyes locked on Skarn. "We'll figure this out together."

"How touching, my sweet Sigrún," Skarn mocked, his tentacles moving with anticipation. "That Imperial who loves you wants to play father to my heir. Tell me, little man, are you prepared to raise a child of chaos?"

A flash of movement caught Xin's eye as one of Kathrin's tentacles pressed a vial of swirling purple liquid into his free hand. He recognized it instantly – the Rakshasa cure.

"Why would you—" he started, but Kathrin cut him off, her voice clinical yet urgent.

"We can't stop the birth now, but we can influence what emerges," she explained, her dark eyes darting between Lorna's face and her abdomen. "Her body has managed to form amniotic fluid without visible pregnancy signs – the child must be small, perhaps the size of a Trishul hatchling. The potion can alter the offspring's neural development. Make it... less like him." Her tentacles gestured toward Skarn's towering form.

"And more like her," Xin finished, understanding dawning in his eyes as he uncorked the vial.

Before Xin could respond, Lorna's body seized with another contraction. Her cry of pain cut through his soul. The Space Rover descended behind them, but Xin knew they were running out of time. Whatever Skarn had done to her, whatever was growing inside her, it was coming now.