Xylo asked, “That seems a dangerous trait to engineer. I would think the subjects might become too powerful?”
Kaede nodded. “Possibly. It’s clear they had tools to keep her controllable. They taught all their human subjects the archaic human English—the only language they were allowed—to make communication difficult if any of the experiments escaped or were sold, to keep their location hidden. They bribed her with useless studies about Earth and humans to keep her complacent. Their files show they considered her a failure. They were never able to force an adaptation. To cut their losses, they tried selling her—to my client.”
“That explains so much. Why everything she has learned has been flooding her thoughts. She yearns to experience the things she read about. And why she is so hungry for knowledge. It was denied her.... Do we happen to know why they backed out of their deal with your client?” Xylo asked.
Kaede’s visor turned to Xylo, the display reflecting on its surface. “The night she was with the sire of her cubs changed everything. His semen apparently unlocked her ability to adapt, and she became pregnant. They backed out of the deal because they realized they may have succeeded. Further study was needed—they wanted her to birth her offspring for additional experimentation.”
He paused and returned to the screen, opening a few more displays.
“Yes, here. They theorize that her body used the sperm of her partner to manipulate her DNA, ensuring his sperm would be capable of fertilizing her eggs, as well as making her body capable of bringing her offspring to full term. Most importantly, they theorize she is likely capable of producing offspring with any of the Children. You can appreciate what danger this places both Selena and her offspring. It is still not known if she is capable of producing offspring with any non-Children species, or if there is any limit on how many attributes her body can adopt.” Kaede tapped again on his armband, then reached up to swipe an image of Selena’s body onto the display.
“These files contain the specifics of what they did to her. They infused her with nanobots—one of the most advanced of their mech technologies. They were designed to enhance her body’s natural healing abilities. Specifically, to allow her body to repair any damages that might arise from her adaptations—including breeding with or carrying and birthing offspring of vastly different species. To our knowledge, she has only mated with an Aldawi. Is this true?”
Kaede looked across the display at Xylo as though questioning the status of his and Selena’s relationship.
“Selena mentioned she had only been with the sire of her offspring once. She has not been with any of the crew on this ship, or they would have formed a permanent bond to her,” Xylo stated dryly.
“Something you’d like to change, right?” Kaede let out a short laugh.
“That is up to her, but yes, I am hoping she permanently seals our bond.”
Xylo could feel the others watching the exchange, and his vines shifted anxiously around his torso. He did not understand the direction of Kaede’s questioning. Of course, he hoped Selena fully accepted him. His petal-wings fluttered in frustration.
“Have any of you witnessed any odd behavior from Selena? Or has she mentioned anything that felt off to her?” Kaede asked.
“She has been growling and hissing at us and wondering why. She said it was unusual, but now I believe she must be displaying Aldawi traits?”
“Ah. That’s interesting. I wonder what else Selena’s body has adopted. I’d keep a close eye on her as she gets closer to delivery. Female Aldawi are known to be highly aggressive, especially when pregnant,” Kaede advised.
Ayces spoke up, “Do you have any knowledge about her offspring? We had assumed they would be Aldawi-human hybrids, but now, I’m not so sure. Has she been altered so much, she is capable of producing full Aldawi offspring?”
Kaede swiped again at his projection, closing the image of Selena and bringing up a new file. Silence fell as Xylo and his colleagues watched Kaede work.
“The Yaarkins didn’t record any theories about the offspring their Project Adapt generation would produce, even after their discovery of Selena’s pregnancy. It’s possible they didn’t have time. We’ll have to simply prepare for anything. I’ll provide you copies of the files we gathered from the Yaarkin ship. Hopefully, they’ll assist in your research.” Kaede swiped the display to close the file, then ended the projection. He tapped a few more moments on his armband, and the Circuli’s wristbands all dinged. “I’ve sent all four of you the files. Make sure they are kept secure.”
“How did you send the files without our wristbands’ info?” Chyox demanded.
Kaede’s deep, melodious laughter filled the infirmary.
Xylo eyed his colleagues as he wondered what was so funny. Their facial expressions mirrored his confusion.
Chyox asked pointedly, “What have I said that you find so humorous?”
Kaede brought himself under control, then fell into parade rest—feet shoulder-length apart, hands clasped behind him.
“Your ship is old. Its network is child's play to me. I’m fully capable of managing a whole fleet's worth of attack drones or an entire planet’s network. To ensure Selena’s safety, I’ve hacked your network and have full access. Nothing on this ship can remain hidden from me, and I can protect Selena from anywhere aboard the Destiny. If required, I could even override your captain’s control. I have no plans to—but know that nothing will prevent me from keeping Selena safe. You four are responsible for her health and that of her offspring. Leave everything else to me,” Kaede stated with full authority.
Xylo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Not only was Kaede known to be dangerous and highly capable in physical combat, but Xylo could scarcely comprehend the mental strength and ability required to do what Kaede had stated. He wondered if Kaede’s concealing uniform hid clues to explain how he was capable of
