Eye of Ra (13 page)

“The ruler will not be strong,” Laurence nodded his head.

“Near the end of his lifespan,” the familiar continued. “Geb had all honors in regards to him torn down and destroyed. Despite unifying the planet in peace and harmony, he remembered the bloodshed and life he had taken to achieve his goal, and he did not believe he deserved to be remembered after his passing.

Upon his passing, his family and citizens honored him nonetheless with one single tomb monument erected in the middle of the capital, where his remains reside to this day.”

“So what can you tell me about the House of Ra?” he leaned back in his seat.

“Ra was the second eldest son under Geb,” explained the familiar. “Ra is your great great grandfather by many millennia. He would sire Amun his first son, who would then sire Amun-Ra.”

“Only one kid per household?” Laurence raised an eyebrow.

“Negative, Ra, Amun, and Amun-Ra produced other offspring,” it answered. “But the first born child is the one groomed for the title of ‘Eye’ and eventually Head of House.”

“You mean the Eye of Ra?” He asked. “What does that title mean?”

“To be the Eye of a household, is a station similar to knights or samurai of your planet. It is a prestigious title bestowed upon the first born male or female which includes responsibilities in the range of military affairs, diplomacy, and eventually taking the mantle of both Head of House and the Council of Elders.”

“Seems like a lot of responsibility,” he grunted.

“That is why it is only handed down once the Head of House feels the first born is truly prepared to handle such responsibilities.” It answered. “If the Head of House feels the first born is not qualified to be the ‘Eye’, it is then passed down the either the second or third when the time comes, if they are deemed both ready and worthy of the title.”

 “Okay,” Laurence nodded processing everything he heard. “So, who’s the current Eye of Ra?”

“Based on events, the title of Eye of Ra and Head of House would go to Ma’at by default, Amun-Ra’s first born daughter. But I am unable to confirm this succession of rule as I and the ship are no longer in contact with the home world.”

“Why not?” he furrowed his brow.

“I was ordered to cut off all communications with Anu by Amun-Ra. I was also ordered not to divulge such information to any sentient being including his bloodline here on this planet unless the proper protocols came into effect.”

“What ‘proper protocols’?”

He narrowed his eyes at it, waiting for an answer.

“A detrimental threat to the bloodline of Amun-Ra, or this planet,” it replied.

“Why would …” his voice began to raise an octave.

“May I advise that you desist on submitting various questions in hopes of facilitating an answer,” it cut him off. “Unless protocols are in place, you will not obtain the information you seek.”

An awkward silence fell upon the room. Laurence kept his narrowed gaze on the emotionless cybernetic reptile. For the first time since coming into contact with it, a major red flag went up. It did not sit well with him that it was clearly hiding something. Leaning back a bit, he opted not to press the matter for the time being.

 “So if you’re my familiar and this is now my ship,” He grinned looking around. “Can I take it for a spin then?”

“Negative.”

“What do you mean negative?” His voice rose again. “I thought you said all this was all mine?”

“Protocols were put into place to ensure that any material or information regarding the existence of the Annunaki remained unattainable and strictly within the hands of Amun-Ra’s bloodline. If you were to “take the ship for a spin” it would expose that existence. For your safety and the safety of your planet that cannot happen.”

“So what the hell am I allowed to do up in this bitch?” He threw up his hands.

“You are entitled to all of the technological resources and knowledge recorded within this ship as long as it is used within the parameters of the protocols put into place,” it answered. “That also entails Amun-Ra’s personal effects and armor.”

 “Armor?” he shot up with interest. “I got armor now? What kind of armor?”

“The Annunaki forged House class combat armor of Amun-Ra. It is currently located in the ship’s armory. May I take you to it now?” It asked.

“Hell yeah yo,” he gestured. “Lead the way.”

Laurence followed the slithering cybernetic king cobra off the command deck and down the hallway from whence they came. They passed the research center and the medical bay with which he had become familiar, heading toward a section of the ship he had not explored yet.

“Hey question, are these changes within me just on a physical level?” Laurence asked. “Because I find myself remembering things that I have not thought about in years, stuff I learned from school and memories from my childhood like before I could even form words. It’s like I’m getting smarter or something.”

“You are not gaining intelligence,” answered the familiar. “Your brain cells no longer deteriorate as quickly due to age or via the former toxins that were in your system. This allows mental capacity to expand and for you to retain and remember information. This however does not equate to intelligence.”

“What’s the difference?” he snorted.

“Intelligence is one step beyond memory. It entails both the ability to comprehend and expand on information and to create new data and information based on either old data or no data at all. The complexity of information which one is able to comprehend, expand upon or create dictates the level of intelligence an individual possesses. Because of your genetic upgrade, you have the potential to become mentally superior to many intellectuals of your primitive species.”

“Primitive?” He looked down at it with an insulted mug. “What do you mean we’re primitive?”

“Based on standards set by the Dominion Council,” it answered while leading the way. “Humans are considered a primitive species.”

“Who the hell is the Dominion Council?” He stopped within his tracks.

It halted, turning to answer him.

“The Dominion Council is best described in your language as an intergovernmental organization created to promote universe co-operation for the betterment and advancement of all species across the universe.”

“An alien United Nations,” he swallowed. “There is an alien version of the United Nations …up there in space.”

“As you crudely put it,” it confirmed. “There is an inter-governing body of species from various different worlds that works to promote and defend peace, as well as to share knowledge and technology to help increase the betterment of all species throughout the universe.”

“How many ….
species
…are there in the universe?” He timidly asked.

“Approximately thirty thousand four hundred and ninety-eight sentient species currently exist within the universe,” it flatly answered. “Twenty thousand seven hundred and five are a part of the Dominion Council, including Anu.”

The number bludgeoned Laurence into a stagger. He realized that not only were humans
not
alone in the universe, they were vastly outnumbered and not in control.

“Are you okay Laurence Danjuma?” The familiar inquired. “Do you require medical aid?”

“Nope,” he shook his head with a groan. “Just wrapping my melon around what you just said.”

“Do you wish to continue to the armory?”

“Yep,” he nodded. “Please continue.”

It slithered away as he shook off the initial shock, following behind once again.

“So you say this Dominion Council has classified humans as primitive,” he went back to the topic they were discussing. “That classification was meant for back in the times of ancient Egypt when you all first arrived on Earth correct?”

“Based on my analysis of your species currently,” it returned without hesitation. “When compared to the parameters set by the Dominion Council, your species is still defined as primitive.”

“Are you kidding me?” He snorted. “Sounds like some bullshit parameters to me. How can you categorize us as primitive when we split the atom, been to space, and even the moon? Hell, we created computers, got this thing called the internet, and cell phones, these phones that you can carry on the street and make calls!”

“Technological advancement does not equate to being evolved by the parameters of the Dominion Council.” It returned. “Humans’ current technological advances are still considered subpar compared to ninety percent of other species within the known universe.”  

“So familiar,” Laurence scoffed, “why is the human race characterized as still primitive?”

“You willfully destroy your offspring,” the metallic king cobra bluntly answered. “You commit violence and deny social opportunity based on skin color and ethnicity. And your society values females little better than domesticated animals.”

It was a punch to the chest that Laurence was not expecting; a part of him knew there was some truth to what the familiar just stated. As he processed this statement, the familiar continued, “The greatest natural resource to any species is its offspring. On almost every planet with sentient beings, offspring are coveted and defended first. Only here on your planet are they abused, traumatized, and exterminated.”

“So children are considered off limits?” Laurence asked.

“During times of planetary warfare, races would commit acts of mass genocide killing the offspring first to ensure the annihilation of another race,” the familiar cited, “under the formation of the Dominion Counsel, Order 097458, any harm to an offspring during times of war is considered a war crime punishable by death.”

“Seems like before this Dominion Counsel was formed,” Laurence scoffed; “other
species
were no different from us.”

“Allow me to clarify,” it returned, “Even before the Dominion Counsel was formed, it was unheard of for a race to kill its own offspring. The human race is one of the few races that still willfully murders its own offspring. This occurs because your race values things such as minerals and other material both organic and inorganic of monetary value even over the ecological welfare of your own planet or the future of your species.

You also hold your religions on a higher level than life, enough to start wars over them, although it is clear that three of your major religions worship the same deity, and all three religions have laws and scriptures forbidding murder.

“So holy wars are defined as stupid,” he nodded.

“The definition of a deity is that such a being is omnipotent. The stories of your deities indicate this trait, such as when the god of Judaism, Christianity and Islam separated a large body of water to allow his chosen people to evade capture. Following this logic, if a worshipped deity is truly omnipotent, he would neither need nor require his own creations to fight wars or to kill on his behalf.”

“That’s an argument I can’t refute,” Laurence nodded in agreement.

“However your greatest flaw stems from how you define yourselves based on your skin color, ethnicity, and country,” continued the familiar.

“There’s a problem having pride in who you are and where you come from?” Laurence defensively asked.

“Under the Dominion Council, the species of the planet Earth are defined as Humans,” the familiar stated, “scientifically if one was to remove your skins, which has been done, at first look, you could not discern a human with African skin tone from a human with a Caucasian skin tone, from a human with Latin skin tone, from a human with Asian skin tone without further examination. A normal, mentally functioning human of any skin tone has the same potential as its other counterparts. It defies all logic how your race openly hates and murders one another based on these insignificant parameters.

What is also illogical is the treatment of your female counterparts. It is baffling how your male society views their worth as lesser than that of domesticated animals when without them to produce offspring your species would face extinction.”

“So the Dominion Council believes in Women’s Lib?”

“The Dominion Council’s decisions are not determined by a belief structure,” corrected the familiar, “but by scientific fact, logic, and common sense. Aside from physical appearance or reproductive organs, the female sex of any species is mentally and physically equivalent to their male counterpart. Higher-evolved species comprehend that in order to grow and prosper, mutual respect for the opposite sex on both sides is essential.

Your archaic religious belief structures and other mental and chemical imbalances, which for some reason are tied into your reproductive organs, stand in the way of humans understanding this.”

“So bottom line, from the universe’s perspective, humans as a species ain’t shit,” he shook his head.

“Your species is also considered still young,” it stated. “If it can self-correct its current flaws, I calculate your species’ rate of evolution will increase by an exponential rate of eighty-nine percent. The human race is not ‘shit’ by your analysis; it just needs to get its ‘shit’ together.”

“Okay now,” Laurence scoffed. “You use profanity?”

“I am attempting to communicate on your level,” it returned. “You seem fond of using vulgarity within your vocabulary. As your familiar I am attempting to assimilate to your standards.”