Star Divide (Ascension Series Book 2) by Lozito Ken

Author:Lozito, Ken [Lozito, Ken]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Acoustical Books LLC
Published: 2016-03-28T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kladomaor watched the Humans. They had been resting for a few hours and no doubt had questions, but their presence here raised more questions of his own. The Humans were a primitive race that he wasn’t convinced would ever have been admitted to the Confederation before the Xiiginns had betrayed them. But the resourcefulness of the Human called Zack had surprised him. He was much stronger than Kladomaor had originally thought. He had seen reserves of strength exposed in times of great need among the different species, including his own. Having gone through the rite himself, he hadn’t believed the Human was going to survive. As it turned out, not only had the Human survived, but he had taken steps to ensure the survival of the Nershal who had wanted to see him dead. But benevolence wasn’t in all the Humans. There were some who warranted closer watching. The one called Redford attempted to conceal his yearning to learn about their advanced technology. Though curiosity was normal for any intelligent race, having dealt with others, he could tell the dangerous kinds of curiosity—the kind of curiosity that looked beyond the technological function of a device and sought the potential for gain. He needed more time to assess the Humans and to get the full report from the listening station in their star system.

“They’re an interesting mix, don’t you think?” Gaarokk asked.

“In some respects,” Kladomaor said. “In others, they are brash, prone to violence, and capable of wanton destruction.”

“That’s not what I saw in the valley. What makes you say this?” Gaarokk asked.

“After Ma’jasalax sent the signal to their star system all those years ago, I looked into what would compel her to do so. I reviewed the preliminary reports about the Humans. I never would have thought they were capable of decoding the signal, but I was wrong on that account. I underestimated them, but they could be a blight upon the galaxy. Better to use the Star Shroud to keep them ignorant of their surroundings for a few hundred years more to see if the Humans can keep from killing themselves,” Kladomaor said.

“They know about the shroud, so keeping them ignorant of anything isn’t an option anymore. While what you say may be true of their history, the actions we’ve observed today show the potential of the cultivation instinct. They need guidance,” Gaarokk said.

Kladomaor snorted. “Our prized instinct didn’t help us from discerning the Xiiginns’ true intentions.”

“Yes, but we’re not talking about the Xiiginns. We’re talking about the Humans,” Gaarokk said.

“Fine, I will admit that there is also the cultivation instinct in them—the desire to build up the world around them. This will propel them out into the cosmos, but it doesn’t mean we have to help them do so,” Kladomaor said.

“I thought our function was supposed to be as guides to lead the younger races into harmony. The Humans are here, and it is our responsibility to see that they return to their home system safely. There is also the matter of what the AI construct has informed us,” Gaarokk said.

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