The Black Widow Connection

By TK Rising

Attacked by a shadowman, tormented by inexplicable events, and plagued with apocalyptic dreams, Tracy Kirin thought she was up against a demon from Hell. But what she finds is an ancient alien with a grudge that wants her dead.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TK Rising
• Release date: Dec 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370088904

TK Rising

TK Rising has taken the ancient alien theories to the next level. TK offers a bold new interpretation of how humans evolved, and beyond, in The Black Widow Connection, Jewel, Analog.

Book preview

Chapter 1. What’s Wrong with Alta?

My name is Astoreth Surka and I’m from planet Alta in the Megas star system. Exhausted and gaunt, Astoreth sat at the comm and spoke aloud what he had kept inside for far too long.

I hate what I know. I hate what I must do. And on the day I trigger the collapse of a star, I will make sure to be in the presence of Godriel Elconn. Astoreth spoke the name with contempt and continued. "Thousands of years ago, one of Godriel’s ancestors, Deverell Elconn and banker to Alta’s mega-wealthy, convinced his clients to create a genetic master protocol.

"Elconn successfully argued the myriad ethnic groups on the planet weren’t working out to their benefit. Too much infighting sparked by different spiritual belief systems created a threat to their way of life, and the Committee for Genetic Response formed—in secret. The Committee proceeded to take matters into their own hands.

"Through corrupt funding schemes, a genetics program launched to disperse unwanted traits and inject a master protocol. The image of themselves. They set out to create an alten race with no variation—ethnic or otherwise.

"In the warring parts of the world, they traded arms and other weapons of mass destruction to enable the unwanted populations to kill each other. The Committee infiltrated feuding groups to spread propaganda and keep the wars going.

"For the refugees of these wars, the Committee created and used a sterilization laser which could be applied on crowds without their knowledge. In this way, entire refugee camps became sterilized.

"And this cycle of war and refugee sterilization perpetuated. Their goal focused on the eradication of warring factions within a few hundred years.

"They succeeded, but the Committee became informed a massive star only four light years away showed signs its core would collapse. Classified a probable long-duration gamma-ray burst progenitor because of its lack of iron. The space-time distortion from the event would permit the shockwave to reach Alta instantly. The planet would not survive.

"That alarming news prompted the Committee to consider replacing iron with gold in our bodies and to allow gold to play an active-positive role in the life and health of our race.

"The Committee updated the master protocol. Gold would serve as both an electron donor and acceptor in our metabolism and enable our race to survive in interstellar space. Once the early insertion prototypes successful, fertility became a state-controlled event.

"Because of the wars, my nation closed its borders and pulled out of the global economy the Committee had manipulated into place. While the border wars raged, the Committee used the propaganda machine and gave sizable incentives to couples practicing family planning.

"Outwardly, family planning meant everyone who wanted a child would be successful and their bloodline would be carried forward to a new existence. Family planning seemed a benign term that to the Committee meant their objective to send only their descendants into space would become reality. As more and more couples joined the program, more and more genetic mutations took form without their knowledge.

"Some mutations went horribly wrong, but blamed on imperfections in the parent’s genes. Couples who opted out of the program for fear of birth defects found themselves sterile.

"Too many ethics questions surfaced. The program publicly ended, but covertly taken underground. The Committee maintained secret facilities with thousands of undesirables held as test subjects in deplorable conditions. Seven generations later the first pure-born came. Afterward, further updates to the female protocol took place.

"The privileged few considered equality attributes a liability for a race living in space. The female baseline changed and the alten alpha-elite dominated their households.

"Now, gold flows through our veins. Our race must supplement gold to stay healthy since deemed too costly to evolve produce and livestock to contain gold.

"Our golden skin is highly resistant to radiation exposure because our skin cells do not corrode easily. Our teeth and nails are red-toned. The red comes from the dispersion of iron into those structures to make room for the gold and to produce hair that does not fall out, teeth that never decay and self-sharpen, and ultra-strong nails.

"We have perfect vision. We can go long periods without having to take in oxygen. Our bodies heal quickly from wounds. Traits necessary for space travel.

"Developing technology to travel in space and the search for another habitable planet became the next priorities. Our race evolved to target careers in three areas: genetics, quantum engineering, and planetary science.

"The Committee elected their home continent, Atalantes, to be the genetic, engineering, and design technology center of Alta.

"Utha Major is light manufacturing and there are four agriculture and livestock continents: Utha Minor, Agrera, Euphraeses, and Tequus. Heavy manufacturing moved off-world to Sephera. Varadis and Aquent are preserves and the smallest continent is owned by the Elconn family—Elsolum.

"Terraforming projects initiated and failed. Without a strong magnetic shield, the planet is rendered incapable of sustaining an atmosphere without constant maintenance. The enormous cost of processing operations could not be offset. They had to find another living world and take it by whatever means appropriate.

"Hundreds of years of searching passed and worlds capable of sustaining complex life could not be found. Yes, the galaxy is full of the ingredients for life, but complex life is another story. The circumstances in which life can evolve in a stable environment over billions of years are extremely rare.

"With these realities, economic inequality schemes successfully widened the divide between the wealthy and the less fortunate which made identification of the worthy easier for the Committee. Only those who could pay to board the ships would leave Alta prior to the hypernova event, not the entire population as the outward message implied.

"The Committee intensified the search for another living world. Both solar systems and galaxies have narrow habitable zones. In that zone, they required single-star systems having the right stellar characteristics—which are the exception. The real needle in the haystack, however, to find a rocky planet in the habitable zone with a moon roughly one-third its size in a consistent and fairly circular orbit and non-eccentric rotation. So, we had a long laundry list of pre-conditions.

"But this list remained key for a stable planet. Six billion years ago, a protoplanet impacted Alta. Our oversized moon coalesced. The moon slowed and stabilized Alta’s rotation over time. Liquid water collected. The moon created essential tidal influences and the circular orbit, the seasons.

"If the planet is tidally locked, it is not habitable. If the orbit is too elliptical, there is no chance for life. If there is no moon, or the moon is under-sized, the planet is subject to wild fluctuations in gravity from other nearby large celestial objects and complex life cannot evolve. Multiple moons have the same effect.

"The extra-large core created by the impactor enabled the long-lasting magnetosphere which blocked ultra-violet rays and allowed microorganisms to flourish and be spread with the tides created by the moon. Without it, the magnetosphere goes away and there is no chance for life. The extra-large core also produced another crucial feature, plate tectonics—a living biosphere.

"Planetary science technology had to advance a great deal, four hundred years of innovations, before the astrophysicists targeted a rocky world with one large moon ninety-three million miles from a G-class star. The presence of water vapor and oxygen verified by the light refracted off gasses surrounding the planet. The new world unanimously dubbed Alta Novus. The celebration went on and on. Some did not celebrate too much because Alta Novus lay thirteen-hundred light-years from Alta. A lengthy journey.

"They needed to fly at the speed-of-light. Otherwise, it would take many thousands of years to get to the new world.

"Two more centuries went by and progress in the aero-space academy remained woefully behind schedule. Several different theories emerged on how to achieve light-speed. Over time one theory rose above the others—zero mass, but the elite teams had failed to successfully simulate the state.

"So, the Committee’s overall plan remained askew because the design of the ships needed remained radically dependent on having or not having zero-mass capability. A go, no-go threshold existed ten thousand years in the future, but zero-mass capability overwhelmingly preferred over living in space for millennia-on-end.

When the zero-mass equation became solved, I was, of course, present. I never left the site in those days. It happened in the early hours before dawn when the alarm sounded. My colleagues and I ran the simulation like we had a thousand times before, but instead of disintegrating into particles smaller than an atom, the field responded, Astoreth’s voice wavered. I’m sorry. I didn’t know then what I know now. It will all be over soon.

Astoreth ended the comm and sent the transmission into space.

Chapter 2. Meet the Elconns

Godriel Elconn intently prepared for an upcoming exam. An only child same as his father and his father before. All the way back to the founding Committeeman, Deverell Elconn. He would have one son, and so on. A one-child policy remained the determining factor as the most efficient means to discipline and teach an offspring to carry on in the footsteps of the ruling forefathers. In pre-academy, at twelve years of age, Godriel studied to be a molecular geneticist and quizzed by a virtual educator.

Which gene sequence is necessary to produce a flawless female reproductive system?

Godriel keyed in a response on the virtual monitor.

Thank you, Godriel. That is correct. Provide the baseline sequence used to successfully update alten cellular respiration.

Godriel quickly keyed in the sequence.

Thank you, Godriel. That is correct. Provide the sequence for ten of the one hundred thousand theoretical infectious diseases programmed into an alten immune system.

Molecular geneticists held the highest positions and revered on Alta. Godriel remained one of the chosen few to continue to lead the race through genetics, same as his forefathers. Godriel’s father, Fiorese Elconn, expected greatness and reminded Godriel every day.

Godriel turned to see his father observing.

Godriel, I expect one hundred percent on your next quarter-term. I have gone too easy on you in the past. Last quarter, you missed a half a point. In the future, there will be punishment for any infraction.

Father, when I finish today, can I look at your genetic models? Please? Godriel dismissed his father’s warning as only words designed to illuminate a strong point.

No. Study and then to your room.

But Fiorese remained good for his word. To Godriel’s dismay, physical reprimands became commonplace. Sometimes severe enough to leave welts and dark bruises if Godriel did not perform to the level his father demanded. In turn, Godriel did everything he could to make his father proud. Godriel took the beatings and turned them into resolute conviction.

But Fiorese stayed good for his word. To Godriel’s dismay, physical reprimands began in earnest. Sometimes severe enough to leave welts and dark bruises when Godriel did not perform to the level his father demanded. In turn, Godriel did everything he could to make his father proud. Godriel took the beatings and turned them into resolute conviction.

At fourteen, Godriel remained an honor-student and excelled at general molecular anatomy, advanced mathematics, biology and biochemistry, and enzymology.

Father, look! One hundred on my enzyme quiz!

What’s the tandem repeat for telomeres?

Um, T-T-A-G-G…G. Can I look at your models today, Father?

No. You took too long to answer. Study and then to your room.

Godriel felt reward was long overdue which eventually prevailed over fear of reprimand. After study, he stole into the library without permission. Just for five minutes. Everything in the library updated continually, always the latest version. The new knowledge flowed in from labs and universities across Atalantes. In real-time, Godriel gazed at allele mutations within patterns of inheritance evolve to remove unwanted traits.

Clack. From the hallway and Godriel dashed inside the closet. He peered through slats while Fiorese Elconn strolled to his desk and activated the comm-panel. A virtual image appeared and his father sounded encouraging, Izorek, I understand you solved the double-helix problem.

I…Yes, it is a breakthrough, sir! I was just now finishing my report—

No you weren’t. In fact, I have it on good authority you tried to bury it. Fiorese now sounded scornful.

No, sir! My loyalties lie with you—and with the Committee. Always.

Fiorese tapped the screen and responded, "Open the file, Izorek. You formulated a glitch in the program to hide the discovery. Then you changed the design-of-experiment. Just a tweak—so success would not be repeated. It’s all there. Eyes everywhere, Izorek. For now, I’m the only one who knows, but that could change.

You know, this would land you in prison for the rest of your life. Though, I imagine that doesn’t concern you. No, I’ll tell you what I’ll do instead. I will take your wife and child and they will end up as corpses in a genetic anatomy lab. Their heads will be cut off, their brains sliced, their insides will be ripped out and dissected to the smallest molecule. But if you cooperate, your family will remain safe and sound.

Godriel barely heard a shaky voice respond after which his father replied, Good. No more stunts of this nature. I need you to work day and night on viral and bacterial genetics. That is all. With a quick swipe, the image vanished.

Godriel did not make a sound. He didn’t move even after his father left the room. He remained hidden going over the event in his mind.

At last, with the light of day fading, Godriel crept from the closet and ran to his room. He had come to a conclusion. That’s how I can be like my father. Then he’ll be proud of me. But how does he do it? I’ll watch him. Oh, he would surely kill me if he ever found out!

Godriel used voice-activated recorders for lectures and studying, and planted one in the library closet. He eventually learned his father spent much of the time looking for information on—everybody. Anything which could be used as a way to control others or to obtain wealth remained documented and filed away for use when needed.

If his father couldn’t find anything useful, he would create a problem which could be used to his advantage. His father played peer against peer on many occasions to manipulate them into damaging each other’s reputations. After which his father would take his fair share of the spoils. The entire process fascinated Godriel. On the outside, his father appeared the pillar of the community. On the inside, cunning and ruthless. Godriel wanted the same power and control his father had.

Godriel used his father’s tactics and mastered his craft. He no longer suffered beatings for missed grades. He sailed through early and mediary academies and off to advanced academy before he knew it. His first time living away from home.

Before Godriel’s departure, his father reminded, Mother’s milk is the purest and most important source of gold for the health of our bodies, Godriel. You won’t take supplements. That is for the average citizen. I will have doses delivered to you. You’ll keep it undisclosed from the other students. Do you understand me?

Of course, Father. Godriel sensed his privilege and as soon as he arrived at the Advanced Academy for Genetics, he selected those who would be his contributors.

After all, I need to keep my grades up.

Ejjur Kampoor appeared uniquely suited to Godriel’s needs. An elected student. Not from a founding family line and not automatically enrolled. He had to apply and be accepted. He lived in the communal dorms. Quiet and polite. Godriel’s investigation of Ejjur showed him clean as a whistle and exceptionally smart.

He’s perfect.

After a month, Ejjur caught on to the hacks and simply changed the encryptions. Godriel quickly cracked the new encryptions and hacked back in. Ejjur installed a more sophisticated countermeasure, but it wasn’t good enough to keep Godriel out. This went on for most of the year and Godriel expected no impediments he couldn’t overcome.

Godriel exhaled with a bored tone after his latest attempt to hack Ejjur. Ejjur, why do you even bother to change the encryptions? He set a decryption algorithm and sat back. Ejjur, old pal, I have military-grade decryption tech. Better than your tech, every time—Vesper’s infernum! Godriel cursed while a slithering snake virus launched. He tried to block it, but failed. While Godriel’s tech remained superior, he had never bothered to learn its full potential and watched helplessly as Ejjur’s snake broke the fire wall and proceeded to corrupt everything he had. Right before finals! Godriel fumed. Oh, Ejjur, you have no idea who you’re messing with. You’ll pay for this. The dean of the academy is in my father’s files, which makes me untouchable. Why, I could kill any alten and get away with it. Godriel reveled in these immutable facts. More importantly, anxiously willing to put it to the test soon as he dealt with the fact that he needed to pass the upcoming final.

Godriel made some discreet comms and found a supplier who contacted him within the hour.

That will be two million credits, said a young voice in a presumptuous manner.

Not permitted to know the dealer’s name or see his face scorched Godriel’s vanity to submit to such conditions. Did you say, ‘two million credits’? Do you know who you’re talking to here?

"I know I’m talking to one desperate alten. You need the entire exam one day prior to