The Architect of Infinity

Posted on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 @ 1:18am by Captain Wilkan Targaryen & Patton O'Sullivan & Lieutenant Commander Lily Snow PhD, MD & Lieutenant Commander Cyrus Marner

1,889 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: 749148
Location: Talos IV
Timeline: 2430-09-09, 11:45

Every Starfleet Officer had heard stories of the Talosians. The mythical inhabitants of Talos IV, everyone who knew of them had built a mental picture of the Talosians to describe their alienness. For most they imagined a monstrous creature to befit the boogeyman type stories and warnings that were shared. After all, only the truly evil could ever invite the death penalty through a simple visit. Very few would ever picture reality.

The Talosians were small, slim, and frail humanoids on a good day. Their large, ovoid heads suggested that their brains were powerful, with veins that pulsed and twitched just beneath the surface near their tiny rounded ears. The Architect was that factored to 11. It lay motionless, just staring blankly forward at the Federation away team that had come into its chambers to greet him. Its metallic gown lay perfectly framing its diminutive body - the creature weaker than any of the other Talosians that they had ever before encountered.

Christopher Pike was the one to break the silence as they stared at the creature, "What's happened to the Talosians could be sort of a warning, couldn't it. For us individually or for a whole race. Fiction must never become a substitute for real life."

Willian Targaryen looked at the frail creature before him, amazed and horrified all at the same time. "What happened here?"

"Since their minds can reach anywhere, most of them are like cocoons or larvae now. They just sit and let the thought records or some specimen live for them," Vina said as she crossed through the room. She picked up a small container and returned showing a small blue object in her hand, "Some of them hardly move, except to take that blue protein once a day."

"I am the last of my kind," the Talosian said wordlessly as its voice came to their minds. "The ancient Talosian Empire, once the dominant government of this region, has been felled through its own hubris. Now I struggle to shield us from the alien force that now orbits this world." It winced in pain, the visages of Pike and Vina fading a moment before becoming whole again, "I haven't much more time before I fail too. Then we will be gone forever."

Patton had no idea what to do to help the Talosian but he felt like they should try. To watch a species disappear and not be able to help seemed criminal.

A frown from Cyrus as this certainly wasn't something he would like to see. An end to the race. "is there a way to rejuvenate you and your people?" taking a scan of the Talosian "if they are in a cocoon or larvae aspect there could be a way to bring them back, some sort of energy transfer, even a supplemental protein matter. Just how much time do you have?" asking the Talosian directly. Running a scan over him. Cyrus wasn't going to give up on this without fight. "What is in these supplements that they are consuming?" running his tricorder over it.

"It doesn't matter," Pike answered with a bit of aggression in his tone. "The Architect is the last of the Talosians still alive after the Keeper was killed by those aliens. The entirety of their race is about to be felled - a whisper in the annals of history. All that is left of them is confined in this bunker - their plans to continue to live were never fulfilled."

Willian looked between the Architect and the two Humans residing with it. He had recalled from the historical records that the Talosians had planned to force Captain Pike to mate with either his Yeoman J.M. Colt or with Vina, a Human who had survived a crash landing on their world. When Spock returned Captain Pike to Talos after his accident there was always a theory that they would begin their experiments again, but it seemed like they may not have had success.

"We did," the Architect interrupted.

Admiral Targaryen turned his attention back to the husk, "Excuse me."

He never spoke in the traditional sense, but they could hear the Architect as clear as day, "We did continue our experiments. We were able to create a hybrid, a mixture of Talosian and Human characteristics; however, we needed to be certain of the perfect time. Our world never healed. We wanted to give them a world that could serve them. We failed."

That got the attention of Cyrus brushing off the brusqueness of Pike. "I had to ask sir." towards Pike then he turned his attention to the Architect. "And now you are dying, and isn't there away to heal you? Or is that too late?" then he spoke. "What about the hybrids where are they? Are they safe?"

Snow remained quiet as she was scanning and recording everything. Also, she has been suffering a mild headache sense meeting the pair of Humans. She heard that the Talosian's are a powerful telepathic race, she was wondering if she has a slight resistance to their abilities.

The trio had stared at one another, wordlessly conversing back and forth. Willian wondered how much of what they saw before them was Christopher Pike, Vina, and the Keeper themselves. While the Talosians had been powerful the reality was that Pike and Vina had to be dead. Were they talking to facsimiles or the real deal somehow kept alive all this time?

"I'm very real, Admiral," Pike interrupted his thoughts.

Vina added, "Our consciousness was imprinted upon the Keeper. When our put together bodies finally failed on us the Keeper moved us into its mind. We live there and the plan was that we would one day be merged with one of the new hybrids."

"Time may not permit that at this point," Pike interjected.

"I am dying," the Architect admitted. "The strain of keeping the illusions in place is taking the last of my energies. I am using all my strength to keep this last outpost hidden from the enemy force above us. To stop them from destroying the last refuge of my people and our children. Or rather theirs."

Chris nodded, "The children are more the children of Vina and I than the Talosians. Her injuries were extensive, but her eggs were viable," he looked at Vina and she morphed into her true appearance after the Talosians had rebuilt her following the crash. He changed too into his appearance after the accident that trapped him inside a living Hell. The lights on his craft blinking as he spoke, "I could barely function like this, but there was enough of me left to extract my reproductive material."

"We created their offspring in a laboratory," the Architect continued, "adding Talosian characteristics to their genetic profile. They are a perfect mix of Human and Talosian anatomy, essentially the best of both worlds."

"Does that frighten you," Vina asked with frailty in her actual voice as she appeared struggling to stand.

"Why should it frighten me?" Cyrus remarked, "With what has happened, this will ensure a chance of both races to survive. Both of your genetics and you will have progeny." his eyes filled with compassion. "I truly wish we could have come sooner, would have known sooner."

Patton listened as they spoke. It sounded like they might be able to help in some way. He wasn’t distracted but he had
to split his attention in case danger came their way. “We need to do what we can to help.” He said, knowing it was a given but still felt he needed to say it.

"Would it be possible to use someone else's energy to help to finish your project?" Snow asked.

The Architect and the Human attendants looked at each other, wordlessly sharing a conversation that was probably far more intense than any of them could imagine. It felt like an eternity, but the truth was only a scarce few seconds passed by when a portion of the wall seemed to vanish before them. The Admiral couldn't help but wonder if the opening was always there and hidden away by some ancient mystical power or if it had truly been sealed off.

"Our children are below," Captain Pike explained. "Their embryos are in stasis and are waiting to be incubated."

"Why did you never proceed?" Willian asked as a million questions filled his mind.

Pike looked solemn, "The Talosians did not expect it to take this long for their world to be reclaimed."

"Our children need help," Vina pleaded. "Can you take them with you? Can you find them a world like ours to nurture and build? I know that you have your misgivings, Admiral, but we need your help if they are to live."

The cavern started to shake violently as the sound of distant explosions could be heard echoing from the chambers above. The thunderous roar grew as boulders and other rubble started to fall among them, nearly knocking them away. The Architect was unmoved, but the looks of the former Starfleet Captain and the survivor betrayed the horror that they feared.

"They've found us," Vina screeched.

"I am picking up a force." Patton said as he held his tricorder in his hand. "It is all around us and they are correct, they are here to kill off the rest of them and us with them."

"You must evacuate the embryos!" Vina screamed. "They deserve a chance!"

Willian pulled his phaser from the holster on his belt, setting the weapon to the maximum stun setting. "How long do we have until they penetrate our defenses?"

"Maybe fifteen minutes." Patton replied. "A half hour at the most. We need to move quickly if we are going to do something, Sir."

"Is that the only way to the embryo chamber?" Targaryen asked Captain Pike.

Pike nodded, "One way in and out. They built it that way to make it as safe as possible."

"We need to setup a defense perimeter," the Admiral ordered. "I want the two of you to get below and secure the embryos to transport."

"Yes sir." Snow said heading for embryo storage area.

"I'll come with you," Vina informed as she walked closer to the Scientist and the Doctor.

"Aye Captain." and then Cyrus looked at Vina. "Please do, as we won't be familiar with your set up." as he and Vina followed after Snow.

"Mind if I stay here and help the two of you?" Pike asked as he approached the Admiral and Security Officer. "It's been a while, but I think that I could be useful."

The Captain of the Enterprise looked at his predecessor, wondering just how well the man could do against the enemy. Was he really there? Did the Talosian have some mystical power that would make the attackers believe they were affected? There were a million questions, but only one reality. Willian lifted his pant leg and pulled a concealed Type One phaser from around his ankle. He gave the pistol to the former Captain, "Least I could do for the Captain of the Enterprise."

Pike took the phaser from the Admiral, looking at it carefully as he held it in hand.

"Let's go to work."

Patton silently wished them well as they left and then his attention turned to protecting those around him.

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