“You destroyed one of us?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
“Of course not,” R-339 said calmly. “This was a predator with six legs and heavy claws.”
A varex. Another memory resurfaced, and he nodded, grudgingly respectful. “If it is the creature I believe it to be, your ranger is to be congratulated. They are vicious predators. But how could it have survived?”
“That is what we would like to know as well. Some people suspect that the planet is awakening.”
“The Awakening Protocols.”
R-339’s gaze sharpened. “You are aware of these?”
He gave a frustrated sigh. “I am aware that they exist. I am not aware of their contents. My memories have not yet returned.”
“I see. Then I suppose we will remain in the dark about what to expect.” R-339 hesitated. “But that is not the end of the story. A researcher at one of the northern labs detected a biochemical reading beneath the earth and discovered another of your kind.”
His ears started to ring, and Jaz slipped her hand into his.
“My kind? You mean I am not the last?”
“Apparently not, although the other male is not like you. He is smaller and his scales are golden.”
A smaller male with golden scales. The description echoed through his fragmented memories, triggering a recognition that he couldn’t quite grasp. A different bloodline. A different purpose. Not a Keeper, but something else…
“The Var’thaal,” he whispered. “Warriors designed for direct combat rather than preservation.”
“Designed?” Jaz gave him a shocked look. “Your people designed themselves?”
“Not in the way you mean. But we were… shaped over countless generations by our location and our purpose.” He shook his head, frustrated by the gaps in his understanding. “The details are unclear. My memories of that time are incomplete.”
“The male I encountered was equally confused about his origins,” R-339 said. “But he was not alone. And he was extremely protective of the female who discovered him.”
Something in the ranger’s tone made his eyes narrow. “You threatened her?”
“I evaluated the situation. He responded as I imagine you would respond if I made a threatening gesture towards Ms. Kour right now.” A ghost of what might have been amusement crossed R-339’s face. “I chose not to pursue that line of inquiry. And indeed, his mate is equally formidable in her own way.”
Jaz shifted beside him, her shoulder pressing against his arm. “This other male—does he have a name? Where is he now?”
“His name is Rhyx, and the woman is Dr. Alina Faulkner?—”
“Dr. Faulkner?” Jaz interrupted.
‘Yes. Do you know her?”
“I’ve never met her but her work is brilliant. I’ve been following her for years.”
“Then that my make this easier.” R-339 reached into a compartment on his vest and produced a small data chip. “They’re currently at a settlement called Dustfall, approximately eight hundred kilometers southeast of here. I’ve been in communication with them since our initial encounter.”
“Why?” he demanded. “What is your interest in our kind?”
“Several reasons.” The ranger set the data chip on the table between them. “First, because GenCon has been hunting this Rhyx with the same intensity they’re now hunting you, althoughto be completely honest, I’m not sure if they truly understand what they are hunting.”
“GenCon has been searching for ancient Martian DNA for years,” Jaz said quietly. “It’s one of their most secret research programs. I only know about it because I intercepted some encrypted communications years ago, when I was still working for them.”
He gave her a shocked stare. “You worked for GenCon?”
“When I first arrived on Mars. Before I understood what they really were.” Her jaw tightened. “I told you what happened to my friend.”
“Whatever they believe they are searching for, we consider it vital that they do not find it.” The ranger’s voice dropped. “If they could steal some of your abilities, or even interfere with the awakening, they could do enormous damage.”
