Star Force: Resurrection (SF84) (Star Force Origin Series) by Aer-ki Jyr Page B

but the simple fact is we’re winning and you’re
not going to be able to stop us. I do not expect your people to negotiate, so I
am not offering to send you back as a messenger, nor am I intending to use you
in some tactical sense. I am simply offering you travel back to your people as
a courtesy. ”
    “ Why not then
send me to a planet in this system? ”
    Paul stiffened. “ You
won’t live as long here .”
    The mastermind stared at him intently. “ I cannot determine your intent. Your intent
does not make sense. ”
    “ We are enemies
because you chose it. We don’t have to be enemies. I’ll fight and kill you if I
have to in order to stop you from killing others, but I don’t do it because I
seek your death. Someone of your skill should not be treated as expendable, and
you deserve a chance to think and reason your way out of your genetic shackles.
You’re smart enough to do it, given time, if you have a reason to try .”
    “ And what reason
would that be? ”
    “ Curiosity. Now
that I’ve told you of it, you will want to know the truth. You can’t help it.
You’ve been bred to find solutions, ascertain what works best, not blindly follow tradition. You are built to think, and
once I have shown you the chink in your armor you will not be able to resist
picking at it. You do not tolerate weakness or vulnerability, and in our
conversations I have shown you many within the Li’vorkrachnika, though you may
not fully understand them at the moment. In time, however, I am confident that
you will reason most of them out .”
    “ So you seek to
contaminate us with knowledge? ”
    Paul smiled faintly. “ Perhaps so. But the truth is not a poison. It is a weapon that I am
giving you. Only those who are wise can truly wield it. All others, no matter
how effective they may be, are clumsy when trying to grasp it because they are
in some form of denial. Only those who are loyal to the truth in its pure form
can grasp its full power, and none of them are enemies of one another. All find
themselves to be allies over time. If you came to see the truth you would be
our ally, and I’m not speaking of your race, but you individually. I don’t
think most of your kind are smart enough to work their way around your
genetics. ”
    “ Then why not
keep me imprisoned in order to give me the time to contemplate these
revelations? ”
    “ Because I know
at this point you already have, and you will either choose to pursue them
further or turn a blind eye to them. Further time in this state is pointless.
Only when you are free will you be able to truly think through the matters we
have discussed. ”
    “ Even if you did
so it would be of no use. They would not accept me back unless I escaped by my
own means. ”
    Paul pointed a finger at his scaly face. “ There. You just did it. You broke with your
programing for a split second and considered an alternative option. Don’t deny
it, it’s too late. I saw it .”
    The Human lowered the energy field and stepped up to
him.
    “ I will not
assist you with this .”
    Paul loosened his grip on the lizard enough that he
could move freely, but kept a zone over his chest where his arms would not
move. He gave him a split second to realize he was no longer bound, then
another to realize his arms wouldn’t allow him to tear at the device, before
Paul leapt up to get more height and punched the mastermind in the side of the
head.
    “ Think! ” he
demanded. “ You are nearly my equal in
strategic skill. Use your abilities and prove me wrong if I truly am, but do
not cower like an imbecile. Find the truth, whatever it may be, and face it. ”
    Unable to get his clawed hands at the device on his
chest, the mastermind went for his own throat…only to find that it was also
inescapable. Unable to kill himself he decided to go after the Human instead
and found that option was still available to him. He struck out with his thick
right arm in an overhead slash that abruptly stopped as Paul