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【Vision of an Alternate Future】

Arc 2: Return of the Crystal Guardians

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【VAF】Chapter║: 34 ─ Negative Psionic Energy

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After consultations with Entig officials on Nilrig, the AFS Nala D2586L and the CCS Cada A2286C set course for human territories. Captain Atola had some Ideas about where to start the search for the elusive Circleans. The Circle had established a primary colony on a planet called Circlecs, and this was where most of the Circleans lived, but they would periodically leave Circlecs to go on harvesting missions on human and other worlds.

Circlecs is firmly located in the developing region, and the planet Circlecs used to be a long range colony of the Seatim Empire, but it was abandoned following a Migon Federation attack on the Seatim Empire Homeworld. Circlecs is 2600 LightYears from the Silenia Solar System, at a galactic radius 3700 LightYears. The Circleans renamed it planet Circlecs after the long range colony was abandoned.

On Circlecs the Circleans are free to implement their plans, and with Crystalorb gone there was none willing to stop Circlean atrocities. There are 2 million Circleans on Circlecs, and they keep 55 million Hybrids as their energy slaves. The Circleans keep the Hybrids artificially alive, but the Hybrids are brain dead. Most of the Hybrids on Circlecs were captured on Human worlds, but in recent times the Circleans have been experimenting with cloning technology.

However Circleans don't have the kind of patience required to feed brain dead Hybrid clones until they develop to adulthood, they prefer to pounce on unsuspecting Hybrids and humans on Human worlds and export them to Circlecs. The Circle has essentially murdered 55 million people, and they keep them in a vegetative state as a constant supply of the most potent form of Negative Psionic Energy.

This is what the Circleans had planned for all humans and other species that inhabited the galaxy. The Circleans would convert all human territories into human farms, and they would periodically harvest the older humans for Negative Psionic Energy. In the Circleans the Migon Federation had found a group even more sadistic than themselves, and an alliance with what the Migon called the Proto-Phaylon would guarantee the Migon Federation security.

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Onboard the AFS Nala D2586L Captain Atola receives a Holographic Communications Channel from Naole.

Naole : " Good evening Atola!"

Capt-Atola : " Good Evening Sir!"

Naole : " I've just learned that Circlean activities are limited on larger human settlements, so we must set course for the closest heavily populated human colony in the region."

Capt-Atola : " That would be the Atlas Colony of the United Atlantic Federation!"

Naole : " Yes! I can't show up in a Crystalorb Commonwealth StarShip, so when we are closer we'll transfer to your ship."

Capt-Atola : " To get clearance to travel into United Atlantic Federation space I'll have to inform the Council of Light of our travel plans."

Naole : " Don't worry about that! As of this moment we've been specifically requested by the Entig Republic to pick up one of their researchers in United Atlantic Federation space. The Entig scientist is studying human social behaviour on a number of UAF colonies."

Capt-Atola : " The Entig Republic is providing cover for us?"

Naole : " Yes!"

Capt-Atola : " So the Council of Light has been informed?"

Naole : " Yes! They will be in touch with you shortly, and they will insist that you maintain secrecy. Knowledge of my return must be kept secret, the Council of Light must not know about my return until all the elements are in place"

Capt-Atola : " Elements?"

Naole : " The fragment of the Spirit stone!"

Capt-Atola : " I understand!"

Naole : " Good!"

Capt-Atola : " Are the Apeman coming with you?"

Naole : " They're Velrovians!"

Capt-Atola : " Sorry Guardian!"

Naole : " They insist that at least one of them must come with me!"

Moments later Captain Atola receive confirmation from the Council of Light wile she was reporting in. The AFS Nala D2586L followed the CCS Cada A2286C through a series of jumps as they made their way to Atlas Colony.

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Onboard the AFS Nala D2586L Captain Atola is in Communications with UAF planetary security for Atlas colony. Naole, the Andronian Soldiers and Naole's Velrovian Bodyguard Seltha are onboard the Nala. Seltha is armed with a Manacle of Ilesia that Naole specifically built for the Velrovians in his service. Unlike the Manacle used by the Velrovians on Crasla, the Manacle of Ilesia used by the Velrovians attached to Naole includes amongst other things Crystalorb stealth technology.

Naole enters the AFS Nala's command centre as a massive wormhole opens and an Atlantis Class SkyCruiser comes through. Captain Atola looks at multiple screens as AFS Nala navigates through the UAF Fleet.

Capt-Atola : " Now that's a big ship!"

Naole : " I take it there are fewer of them than there used to be?"

Capt-Atola : " Yes! Most of the Human SkyCruisers were destroyed in the battles that followed Crystalorb's defeat, and without Crystalorb supplying the mineral resources building the SkyCruisers is extremely expensive. The Human race can only build 10% of what we used to be able to build."

Naole : " It's strange you know?"

Capt-Atola : " What's strange?"

Naole : " I went to my long sleep believing that I would awake in a time the Human race had moved forward, but instead I've returned to find that the Human race has moved Backwards."

Capt-Atola : " It must be disappointing?"

Naole : " Yes! For too long we at Crystalorb believed that the fact that the United Human Civilisation consisted of 5 separate Federations did not create vulnerabilities to the Human Civilisation as a whole, but clearly we were wrong. My analysis of the past 120 years of fighting indicates that the 5 Human Federations have not coordinated as effectively as they did during the time when Crystalorb was around, and that leads me to conclude that Crystalorb was the glue that held the United Human Civilisation together."

Capt-Atola : " This is why we came looking for you; The Council of Light recognized this simple truth a long time ago, and they sent ships across most uncharted systems looking for you in the hope that you might know how to rebuild Crystalorb. The Council of Light knew that by rebuilding Crystalorb you would also be reuniting the Human Civilisation."

Naole : " The 5 Human Federations are a mere shadow of their former selves, but when the Spirit Stone returns to this realm the faith of man will be restored, and our people will be reborn!"

Capt-Atola : " Can the Spirit Stone do that? Can it reunite the Human race?"

Naole : " The Spirit Stone is a power like no other! Come young Crystalan, we must continue your Education."

Capt-Atola : " Education?"

Naole : " I've been teaching you how to walk like a Crystalan since I met you."

Atola, Naole and the 3 Andronian Soldiers leave AFS Nala for the surface of planet Atlas.

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Located in sector 08H00 at high Galactic Radius 2800 LightYears, about 5000 LightYears from Earth Atlas Colony is one of 3 deep range Human colonies, the other colonies were; the Ra System Colony of the African Federation of City States and the Silenia 5 United Human Civilisation Colony. With a population of 837 million Humans the Atlas Colony is the fourth largest of the United Atlantic Federation.

The Atlas Colony was established in 2265 as a United Atlantic Federation mining Colony, but after the 2287 Migon attack on Earth the United Atlantic Federation established a ship building facility on one of the 3 moons orbiting planet Atlas. Over the next hundred years the United Atlantic Federation used Galactic Alliance Teraforming technology to create a breathable atmosphere for humans.

Following the defeat of Crystalorb the Atlas Colony became a Galactic Alliance supply centre, and because of its position Atlas Colony along with the Ra System Colony provides parameter defence for Arun; the capital of the Azleck Republic. Arun is considered a forward base, and from Arun the Galactic Alliance launches missions to protect human territories around the Earth system.

For over a hundred years following the defeat of Crystalorb the Galactic Alliance had struggled to sustain a Station on the Earth system, and it was eventually concluded a permanent Galactic Alliance presence in the Earth system put humans in greater danger. After the Galactic Alliance withdrew to more secure stations Migon raids on human colonies near Earth stopped, and the Migon began to focus their attention on the Azleck Republic and the Nabi Federated Kingdom.

The Azleck Republic and the Nabi Federated Kingdom are the next major powers that the Migon Federation seems intent on isolating, and if the Migon succeed the O'con Federation would be cut off from the Galactic Alliance. For 152 years the Galactic Alliance has kept the O'con Federation adequately supplied with rare minerals, and this has been instrumental in the O'con Federation's continuing resistance to Migon offensives against the O'ltana.

The Migon Federation calculated that without the Galactic Alliance stations the Galactic Alliance would no longer be able to operate in the region, and the O'con Federation would grow weaker over time due to a war of attrition. The Migon Federation was not too concerned about the Human race, and they knew that without Galactic Alliance support the 5 Human Federations could be easily defeated.

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As Naole's party lands on planet Atlas they are met by a John Olsen; a member of the Atlas Colony planetary Council. John Olsen was eager to catch a glimpse of the Andronians, and he knew that Andronian technology gave them invisibility, but the Andronians would have to reveal themselves upon making contact with the Entig scientist to prove that they were indeed the Andronians, The Entig also used stealth technology that gave them invisibility.

Councilman John Olsen extends a hand to greet Captain Atola. Only Bruce and Atola are visible; Naole and the Andronians remain invisible.

John Olsen: " Welcome to Atlas Captain Atola!"

Capt-Atola : " Thank you sir!" she takes his hand "Thank you for having us sir!"

John Olsen : " Is the rest of your party here?"

Capt-Atola : " Yes!" the Andronians make their presence known by allowing their energy fields to shimmer "They are here!"

John Olsen : " I see!"

Capt-Atola : " They are eager to get started sir!"

John Olsen : " What did you do to earn yourself such a privilege Captain?"

Capt-Atola : " We were just at the right place, at the right time sir."

John Olsen : " Well, we've arranged for a security detail to escort you around Atlas. I must tell you that we know that the Entig scientist is here, but we've never seen him!"

Capt-Atola : " My associates can locate him!"

John Olsen : " Then finding him will not be a problem?"

Capt-Atola : " They have to be within 50km to detect his presence, so we may have to fly over a few cities!"

John Olsen : " Our security detail will fly you over any of the 23 cities on this planet."

Capt-Atola : " Thank you sir!"

John Olsen : " Call me if you need anything else."

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After flying over six of the cities of planet Atlas the UAF escort security detail set the executive shuttle on a course for Aldera; the second largest city on Atlas, the largest being Atlas City. As soon as the shuttle began flying over Aldera the Andronians immediately started picking up Negative Psionic Energy. A more focused Arial search revealed the source of the Negative Psionic Energy to be a Circlean.

Naole did not wish to endanger the City's population by engaging the Circlean in the City, and so he began to device a plan to draw the Circlean out of Aldera to an open field some 40km away where he could safely attempt to kill the Circlean. Naole knew something he did not tell his companions, and that was that only the most powerful Circleans dared to venture out of the Circlean communities alone.

The Circlean on Aldera was alone, and that meant that he is powerful enough to protect himself from any foreseeable threat. Few things could threaten a Circlean, and with Crystalorb defeated only a Hodian Grandlord or a Lodian Grandlord could threaten a Circlean Centinel. The Circlean Centinels are the opposite of Crystalorb's Crystal Guardians, and they are the most powerful warriors of The Circle.

The Circlean Centinels take their orders directly from the 9 Eldons of The Circle's Inner Circle, and each Centinel usually has more than 180 Centurions under his/her command. However from time to time the Circlean Centinels were sent on solo missions to seek out powerful Hybrids for The Circle's cloning programs on Circlecs, and this was the mission of the Centinel found in Aldera.

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After the escort security landed the executive shuttle on the outskirts of Aldera Captain Atola instructed the UAF escort security detail to take the shuttle back into the air and wait at an altitude of 15000 meters. The Andronians wear Technorganic Armour comparable to Crystalorb's Crystal Armour.

With the UAF escort security detail gone Naole makes himself visible.

Naole : " Here's the plan!" he looks at Bruce and Atola “You two will raise your energy by transforming to your Crystalline Form, and when the Circlean picks up you energy he'll come straight for you."

Bruce : " That's your plan?"

Capt-Atola : " So we're bait?!"

Naole : " Yes! Because of your Crystalan heritage your Crystalline Form is more powerful than that of other Hybrids, but because you are also Hybrids the Circlean will mistake you for ordinary Hybrids."

Capt-Atola : " I get it!"

Naole : " You have to know that we are dealing with a Crystal Armoured Circlean Centinel."

Bruce : " What?"

Naole : " Do worry Bruce! The Andronians and I will protect you!" Naole turns to speak to the hovering invisible Lieutenant Juvil "I need you to make sure that the Circlean Centinel does not send communications to his people."

Lt-Juvil : " We will contain his transmissions."

Naole : " Then let's begin!"

Atola and Bruce transform to their Crystalline Form; raising their energies to their highest levels.

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It did not take long for the Crystal Armoured Circlean Centinel to detect the energy of Atola and Bruce, and just 10 minutes after Atola and Bruce transformed to their Crystalline Form Crystal Armoured Phulec Lesedi arrived. From the Air Phulec saw Atola and Bruce, and because he wasn't expecting a trap Phulec did not bother to search the skies for possible threats.

Phulec made the mistake of assuming that he was simply looking at two unusually powerful Hybrids being free with their power at the edge of a city. Circleans were now the hunters and they had become used to the belief that none could hunt them. The Circle had become overconfident, and they were beginning to make the same mistake Crystalorb had made.

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Phulec landed just 10 m from Atola and Bruce and just as Phulec was about to attack Guardian Naole landed behind him.

Phulec : " Crystal Guardian?"

Naole : " In the flesh!"

Phulec : " You must be Naole!" he opens his Armour's face cover "The last Crystal Guardian!"

Naole : " Not the last! There are 2 Deputy Guardians on O'con."

Phulec : " But you're the highest ranking Crystal Guardian alive?"

Naole : " Yes!"

Phulec : " Then the legacy of Crystalorb will end with you!" he transforms to a Grey Crystalline Form, and then he closes his Armour's face cover "You see! I'm like you; an Ascended Crystalan! I can absorb your Energy, but you can not absorb mine! You can not defeat me Blue Guardian!"

Naole : " The legacy of Crystalorb will never End Centinel!" Naole transforms to his Crystalline Indigo Form, and Atola and Bruce move away from Naole and Phulec "Crystalorb will be reborn! That’s not an Ascended Crystalan Form; It’s the Reducted Crystalan Form! Circleans lack the calm control required to achieve the Ascended Crystalan Form!"

Phulec : " Reducted Crystalan Form?"

Naole : " The Ascended Crystalan Form Is about more than the transformation of the Skin. The Reducted Crystalan Form is just the first step in the transformation to the Ultimate Crystalan Form! To be Ascended you have to master the control required to achieve Energy Harmony! Negative Psionic Energy creates too much distortion in the body’s energy regulation system to achieve Energy Harmony! Your mind can never achieve the serenity necessary to be Ascended!"

Phulec : " That sounds like Crystalorb rhetoric to me! The power resonating within me says different!"

Naole : " Granted; the Reducted Crystalan Form gives a significant power increase, but that power is limited, the power of the Ascended Crystalan Form is limitless!"

Phulec : " Still clinging to Crystalorb nonsense! Crystalorb is gone! Forget Crystalorb, you're free from the control of the Spirit Stone! Join us, and together we can create a new order in the galaxy."

Naole : " With Circleans ruling over all the races?"

Phulec : " Eventually! But we will start with the Humans! We are part Phaylon, and the Phaylon don't answer to lesser beings! Our destiny is to stand at the peak of the evolutionary ladder!"

Naole : " Freedom is the right of all Sentient-Sapient beings! The fact that they claim it proves their right to Freedom."

Phulec : " That's the Stone talking! The dead have no power over the living! The dead have had their lives; they've had their turn, why do they wish to involve themselves in the affairs of the living?"

Naole : " Because they care!"

Phulec : " No! It's because they can't let go! You Crystalans stand for dead Crystalans, but we Circleans stand for living Circleans! Why can't you see?"

Naole : " Crystalans stand for Love, Justice and Honour! We remember that we are also Human! What about the rest of Humanity?"

Phulec : " The Humans would have been dead a long time ago, and the only reason they've survived is because Crystalorb kept stepping in to save them! Will you join us?"

Naole : " Never?"

Phulec : " Then you must die!" he increases his energy output "One way or another, you will help us! Your life force energy will be mine!"

Then suddenly Phulec launched an Electrolaser Lightning Bolt attack, forcing Naole to defend.

Naole : " Red shield!"

As the Negative Psionic Energy charged Electrolaser Lightning Bolt reaches Naole's shield it collides with the Red Positive Psionic Energy in Naole's shield.

Phulec : " Red Energy?"

Naole : " Poor Circlean, rushing into battle without understanding the enemy! Your overconfidence will be your undoing."

Phulec : " Red Energy is not as potent as Grey Energy!"

Naole : " But you can't absorb it, and that makes all the difference! Do you have enough power to take me on in a contest of strength?"

Phulec : " Power?" he focuses his energy into an attack "Grey Wave!"

Naole : " Red Wave!" Naole counterattacks

The atmosphere explodes as the Energy of the Grey Wave collides with the Energy of the Red Wave. Naole had countered the ultimate attack of a Circlean with the ultimate attack of a Red Guardian. The atmosphere is charged with electrical energy as Negative Psionic Energy collides with Positive Psionic Energy, transforming the resultant energy into other forms of energy.

Naole and Phulec continue to exchange energy attacks for another 5 minutes, and the energy release can be seen from 20km away. The authorities of Aldera City deploy security teams to investigate the source of the disturbance.

Hovering just 20m above the ground, and 65m from each other Naole and Phulec pause as they rebuild their reserves.

Phulec : " You are much stronger than I expected!" Naole receives an urgent communications link from Captain Atola "But it's not enough!"

Naole : " You still don't get it Circlean!" then he switches to internal Coms to speak to Atola "What is it?"

Capt-Atola : " Aldera City authorities have deployed security teams to investigate this area, ETA; 10 minutes!"

Phulec : " What don't I understand?"

Naole : " Have our UAF escort security detail run interference for us!"

Capt-Atola : " Will do! Atola out!"

The Coms link to Atola is closed; Naole switches to external Coms to speak to Phulec.

Naole : " You Circleans have forgotten what true Crystalan strength is all about!" Naole Charges his Crystal Lance with Red Crystal Energy "The power of a Crystal Guardian comes in response to a need."

Phulec : " Need? I'm not afraid of the Crystal Lance!"

Naole : " The true power of a Crystal Guardian flows from the heart! Nothing creates a stronger need than love! Nothing!"

Phulec : " Try this!" he focuses his energy for a maximum power attack "Grey Wave!"

Naole : " Red Wave!" Naole counterattacks “Red Wave Spear!"

Then Naole sends his Red Wave Charged Crystal Lance flying through the air, moving with his Red Wave attack. The Red Wave Charged Crystal Lance splits the Grey Wave attack; creating a tunnel which leads straight to the Grey Centinel Armour's Chest Crystal. The Red Wave Charged Crystal Lance cut into the Grey Centinel Armour's and punctured Phulec's Chest Crystal.

Because the Red Wave Charged Crystal Lance split the Grey Wave attack and thereby creating a tunnel, it exploited the vulnerability of wave attacks. The tunnel through the Grey Wave bypassed Phulec's spatial energy shields, and because the Crystal Lance was propelled by Red Wave Energy Naole's Red Wave attack got through; shuttering the Grey Centinel Armour's Chest Crystal and mortally damaging Phulec's Chest Crystal.

Phulec falls to the ground clutching his Chest Crystal.

Phulec : " How?" laying on his back "How can you fight like a Red Guardian when you're a Blue Guardian?"

Naole : " There is no Pure Red Guardian or Pure Blue Guardian!"

Phulec : " That was an amazing attack! I didn't know that a Crystal Lance could be used like that!"

Naole : " The technique was kept secret; it was developed during the Circlean wars by my sister Casara and me as a method to defeat Eldon Armour."

Phulec : " You had the power to defeat me all along didn't you?"

Naole : " Yes!"

Phulec : " Then why drag this out?"

Naole : " I needed you to expend your Negative Psionic Energy!" Naole kneels before Phulec, then leans in to lift up his head; making him more comfortable "I needed your Negative Psionic Energy to be at its minimum."

Phulec : " Why?"

Naole : " Fate has chosen you to be the first Circlean in generations to have their Spirit join the Crystal Source! You may have been born a Circlean, but you will become as close to a Crystalan as a Circlean can become, and your name will be known to future generations as the first of the Circleans to return home."

Phulec : " At least my death serves a purpose!"

Naole : " Are you ready?"

Phulec : " I am!"

Naole : " Blue Heart!"

An aura appears around Naole as he begins to pump his own life force energy into Phulec. Calmness comes over Phulec.

Phulec : " I've never felt such peace!"

Naole : " You’re becoming a Crystalan!" an aura appears around Phulec as Naole continues to drain his life force energy into Phulec "The legacy of Crystalorb lives in you now! The survival of Crystalans is my burden to carry!"

Phulec : " I feel the presence of past Crystalans!"

Naole : " Sleep now brother; rest forever! Suffer no more!"

As the process continues Naole drains 90% of his life force energy into Phulec, and Phulec dies with Naole's Blue Positive Psionic Energy dominant. Naole collapses from the strain, and so the Andronian Soldiers take both him and Phulec's body to the orbiting AFS Nala D2586L. Atola rendezvous with the UAF escort security detail and they pick up the Entig scientist on the way back to the AFS Nala.

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