28:
"Since you are not aware of this plan, tell the Emperor not push forward with this. I forbid it. We mekholis are patient and long lived enough to wait for results even if it requires hundreds of years. Bioengineering is our greatest feat, it is the reason we can create worlds!"
"You are like the Gods of old, of the Mother Galaxy. Only that you are the Gods of Andromeda."
Emmer and Theba looked, almost simultaneously to Zebedee. Zee has been witnessing all these things and came out with a conclusion that the Mekholis tend to deny or not acknowledge at all.
Zebedee felt awkward at the glance of Emmer, almost as if the Prince wanted him to shut up. But he can argue its reality if he can. Zebedee then continued,
"Why not allow the Empire to try the circlet on the Aleggons, since Kersians may not benefit from it being too close to the human base. To be more specific, to the Oinoghreus, who are very loyal to the Empire, just to pacify the worries of the Magnificent Prince."
"Zee, the Aleggons already have circlets!" Emmer glared at Zebedee. "I am only for testing time."
"The Emperor's orders were specific enough, Earl Zebedee. I am to tell the Noble Prince of the Great Emperor's decisions. Your desire to forbid it is fully noted. I assure the Noble Prince that I shall argue the same to the Emperor if you wish it so," says Leeh Samireh.
"Tell the Empress of my happiness with the Prince and our son Khavuss." Theba told the Head Guardian.
Zebedee didn't catch whatever nuance Theba was saying to the Head Guard, but it appears that Emmer wouldn't talk anymore.
"We shall report of the ceremony of 'circlet coronation' for many Kersians in case the Emperor pursues the idea. I will also be the first to tell you if the Emperor changes his mind."
Emmer just signaled them but orders Zebedee to remain. He shall go back to the Tetrahedral Palace when Emmer desires it for him.
***
"It's been days since the Head Guardian returned to the Palace and you haven't received any message that they'll stop the program," Zebedee announced his approach to the Prince, who is at the second story of their Summer House.
Emmer didn't answer as Zebedee decides to visit him in the verandah overlooking the base of the giant Obelisk. Emmer is in a relaxed mood, wearing a white cotton overall with a suspender. He only wears the overall with no undershirt so Emmer appears more like a chubby muscleman of more than 2 meters. He appears intimidating since the North Pole isn't exactly warm. Its so cold in here but the coldness doesn't seem to affect him either. His wife is with their son but she seems to a show a little sign of feeling the cold.
Emmer looked intently as Zebedee, who is now on a floater, trying as best not to appear awkward, "Why did you call us, Mekholis, Gods of Andromeda?"
"Because you are, at least by the definition of gods in my world. Humans were called King-of-kings and Lord-of-lords there, which is tantamount to a god. You're the closest thing to gods of my world. None of the gods we call then can do what you can do except for creator gods. You engineer stars, worlds and creatures"
"You just pre-empted me, because I do plan to do exactly like that. I want to remake or reset Hammada. A failed project of my Great grandfather. Make it habitable, by introducing humans like you there, and watch what would happen. I never thought of it until we discovered you. You have the genes of the old race. The race that evolved into us."
"The ultimate plan?"
"That's still beyond you. I can't tell that either, but I'll give you a clue-it's about Lords."
"What of your father's plan then?" Zebedee ignored the clue.
"If he pushes through with it, so be it," Emmer said.
"Okay. You can foresee the near future, don't you?"
"Yes. Which is the reason why I'll let him do it," Emmer said. "Its fate."
***
The Prince and the Princess sat on their respective thrones, essentially just the nice-looking chairs of the Summer Mansion on the porch on the first level of the Summer Palace.
Facing them again are the Aleggons, headed by Leeh Xamai standing in front of them. Only his Guards are there and not their families although as this could affect them as well.
"I called for all of you, save a few Aleggons guarding the entrance of the Obelisk. As there is this decision by the Emperor concerning some creatures. I have initially resisted the idea but then again, our Emperor is also my father and whatever his decisions are, I would respect."
Emmer continued. "This concerns his desire to implant a second level circlet on some Kersians surrounding him, who are either council members, loyal guards and palace assistants and also on some Kersian leaders of this planet."
"Do you have any thoughts on this decision."
Leeh Xamai moved a step forward with a bow. Emmer gave him permission to speak.
"If I may not be rude to ask, O Mighty Prince as to the benefits and after-effects of this use of circlet to them as they may not evolve any higher than a human and to which we know Kersians are also humans."
The Kersians are humans? Zebedee reacted in his mind, which elicited a glance from both Theba and Emmer: Emmer, from hearing his thoughts and Theba from noticing a slight change of Zebedee's facial expression.
The Kersians don't look like humans at all, they look like hybrids of earth mammals. On earth will look like fearsome mammals like lions, tigers, bears and raging bulls like Leeh Xamai, or giant white bats or giant flying lemurs like Lah Farai. And of course, the Oinoskambs, that can be of any shape although they tend to look like large dogs when in normal form.
But the Lexais and Akmadians do, since they have four limbs, arms and legs, and 5-digit hand and foot. They possess the same body structure but their faces are different. Their eyes are very slanted, their noses are way too thin, even for Caucasian races but they aren't Caucasians. Their ears remind him of elves in the Western folklore. Their skins are gradient of dark to light. Dark on the frontal side, brown on the sides and light on their back sides. Their heads are almost egg-shaped, pointed on top, which no humans have save for those who were born mutated. They look closer to Akhmadians who share similar features except their Akhmadians hands and feet have 7 not 5 digits, with more globular heads but much closer face to humans.
To Zebedee's observations, the Mekholis are giant humans that grow old in a much slower rate than humans, because in theory, their lives can last for 7 thousand years, or 100 times longer than earth humans which is very much god-like to people.
Emmer answered Leeh Xamai, "they won't change much physically like to you but their faculties would be similar to humans like Zebedee. They do not possess then mental toughness of humans though since they already have natural brain wiring and can be susceptible to behavior changes such as aggression on a mere suggestion or triggers. They will live longer lives. All you have to do is look at Leeh Xamai, Lah Ribheg and Rooh Zivel. What I don't agree with is their use of artificial Deu crystals because it is not well tested yet."
Emmer was addressing the Elite group of Kersians although he answered Zebedee's thoughts as well, which Leeh Xamai thanked him.
"All of you have Circlets that were tested," and therefore pose no problem at all.
"I guess that all ends up in our faith to the Emperor's decision as a wise one," Its Theba who talked, which Emmer did not object, because it's true.