The After Seeding Bk. 02 Ch. 07

John had been pacing all day, there had to be a solution to this problem. There was no way that he could let Mitch enter the battle, even with his power increasing every day, John knew that when the actual battle took place Mitch didn't stand much of a chance. Even more frustrating was the fact that Mitch was refusing to back down from being John's second. A week! That's all they had to prepare, even with the week John was afraid that Mitch would die if he entered the fray.

Millie was extremely worried, she understood that John could say nothing of it but damn it she was his wife and she was terrified beyond belief for her husband and Mitch. Even Helen was visibly disturbed by the chain of events that had unfolded, the fact that she couldn't concentrate on her experiments wasn't lost on anyone. Mitch had tried to explain as best he could within the boundaries of the treaty but it was extremely difficult when almost everything was a taboo to talk about. Trey was trying to work even though he still had no control over his new body's muscles as of yet.

Mitch and John had finally started to work on the advanced techniques of battle strategy, finally John was starting to see patterns emerging. Had he not been as powerful as he was he saw that the first Triacarian, would have defeated him easily.

"You have to remember John," Mitch stated, "In the Battle Scape everything that you use, you create, unlike this world, you can heal wounds with your mind. We need to concentrate on this before we start actual battle strategy, we will go to the Miacarian dream sharing field to train you there."

John thought of the two of them in the house, appearing in the drawing room Mitch's eyes were wide.

"As my mate recently commented fascinating! That was also my first time being thought shifted without my knowledge of where I was going." Mitch said looking around in surprise.

Both laid down and within seconds were in the dream scape.

"Now John I want you to think heal," Mitch said, " the entire time we are here each time 'til it is automatic as you put it."

John nodded and did as Mitch advised, damn he thought this is harder than I thought it would be. Mitch explained that they needed to go as hard and fast fighting each other as they could, the exercise would help to increase their basic abilities, this in turn would bring about more powerful and longer lasting abilities when they increased power. They were soon ripping away at each other with energy spikes, whips, spears almost anything they could think of. After a few hours they were both covered in bruises, cuts and blood all of which were fading at a quick rate.

Leaving the dream scape world, John opened his eyes to see a worried Millie and Mica standing over him Mica had her hands on him a strange energy was flowing from her over his body.

"Mica hon?" John squeaked out hoarsely, "What are you doing hon?"

A relieved look come into her eyes as she answered, "I am healing you daddy, Helen taught me, she said I have great healing power, but I can't heal you as fast as Helen can, I almost lost you daddy, it scared me. Please don't do this!" Mica suddenly cried throwing her arms around his neck hugging him fiercely, "I don't want to lose you daddy!"

Wrapping his arms around his daughter, he kissed her tears away, "honey, I have to, if I don't all the bad men will hurt everyone on this planet, probably kill them. Hon, I can't let that happen."

Holding him tighter her renewed tears tore at his heart, holding her till she fell asleep John rose and carried her to her room.

Millie watched the whole time though she feared for him, she realized that yes, he had to do this. A smile crept on her lips their daughter loved her father so much, that emotion had somehow fueled and spurred her healing power to increase when John's vital signs had started to falter. Even Helen had been surprised at the amount of power the small girl had displayed.

"Your daughter will be the greatest healer this planet will have for a very long time, I will train her as much as I can before we have to leave. Her capacity for learning has started to increase far faster than I at first projected." Helen had told her, when she had ran to help John. Millie was just happy that their daughter's love was as great as it was.

The rest of the week they trained, finally the fifth day, John found that he didn't have to think heal it was already going as Mitch had said. In those five days they had almost killed each other several times, though John noticed that indeed Mitch's power was most definitely increasing faster than if he hadn't been fighting. John's power it seemed had also more than doubled it took all Mitch had just to keep up with him.

Little Mica's healing ability had also increased at least three times, Helen found that she was almost as powerful as her self. Helen thought they were well prepared, John had learned almost all the strategies, surprising Mitch, John came up with a few more even more detailed then Mitch's. The day before the battle John was again pacing, true Mitch was far more powerful than he thought he'd get, John was still worried his abilities were more than a match for the sun killer, but the tricky bastard had to have something up his sleeve to feel so damn cocky.

Mitch and Helen were in their room talking to Trey who had managed to build a small machine that they were asking him about.

"This will allow all of us to view the battle the first time I think it has ever happened. I researched the Piracarie many years ago, this is allowed as they once said, they provide the rules, the arena, not much else but punishment for breaking the treaty" Trey was saying.

"How can this precipitate victory? How is the viewing of said battle able to gain dominance?" Helen asked.

"It will allow you to heal certain areas faster to reciprocate better efficiency in the battle." Trey responded.

"Ah! I perceive a seventy nine percent further chance for victory, excellent extrapolation Tretyondalivinon!" Helen breathed out.

"I too, believe that this will facilitate victory, though I am concerned for John's mental capacity it has grown faster than anticipated, is there any detection of cerebral damage?" Mitch asked

"None detected, soon he might be at our children's levels." Helen replied.

"Good, soon I hope the fourth race will emerge," Mitch said a wry smile on his face.

The next day everyone had prepared as much as they could, all there was left was the waiting for the Piracarians to call them to the battle field. John and Mitch had been going over mental exercise to help sharpen John's mental reactions further. They had just finished there was a booming noise in the house, the Piracarians alerting them that it was time to start the final conflict.

Helen and Mica were between Mitch and John prepared for the worst if it came down to it. Finally they heard a voice say it was the appointed time, laying down they were soon floating in an area not unlike the Miacarian dream sharing field. John looked around expecting the sun killer to be there but only an empty gray expanse met his vision.

{I thought that we would all be brought here at the same time, } thought John.

Mitch shook his head, (we are all here but the Piracarians appear to be allowing us to adjust to our new environment before we start.}

John nodded as he started to make small weapons, then larger weapons, soon he was making mechanized shapes. Mitch was staring at John just when had he learned this? Mitch wondered he'd shown no inclination toward things of this nature when they had been training, was John truly that much more advanced than Mitch thought?

Finally there was another almost deafening boom then John and the sun killer were inside a rounded circle, from the looks of it the circle had a powerful shield around it.

The sun killer sneered when he saw Jon, (enjoy your last moments human! We are in my medium now I am all powerful here!} With that several bolts of energy flew toward John, John just glanced at the alien smiling when the bolts fizzled when they hit his shield. {Ahh! good and here I thought this might be boring, I like to make my enemy suffer and beg before I completely crush the life from them.}

John waited almost an hour watching the other attack over and over his attacks slowly growing in strength, till finally the attacks were actually making his shield flare.

Finally John sent his own bolt at the sun killer, twice as strong as the strongest that had hit John's shields.

Smiling the sun killer reached out then a look of surprise crossed his face, the bolt hit his shield and stuck there for a good minute and a half.

{What are you trying to prove human? This is nothing to me!] With that he tried to absorb the bolt then suddenly flung it away. {How dare you! Those aren't allowed!} John looked at him with contempt, {They are allowed in response to the bolts that you were directing at me! You think I am that backwards that I couldn't detect the energy syphoning effects of your bolts? I just took back what you tried to take from me that is all!} With that John sent an even more powerful bolt at the sun killer, this one the alien actually had to avoid. Both sent extremely powerful energy at the other, hours later the two were starting to feel the exhaustion of using as much energy as they had.

Another few hours saw them actually starting to injure the other John's first had finally penetrated the sun killer's shields striking him on his right side burning him to the point that side looked devastated, but John knew the alien was healing even as they were battling. Their energy finally failing to keep their shields at full, was starting to allow them to be injured, John could almost feel Mica healing his body along with Helen.

Twelve hours had passed John and the sun killer had no more energy blasts left, they had both sent all the weapons they'd made at the other. The sun killer was cut across the face, his right hand and arm, both legs had multiple cuts from the thighs almost to the feet.

John was fairing not much better, both his arms were cut, his forehead, his legs, like the sun killer he had bruises to almost every exposed part of his body. Both of the combatants were barely on their feet, the sun killer began to think he might lose this if they didn't hurry up. Suddenly John heard Mica scream, John paused only a moment, the sun killer knew he had him, smashing John in the head with a spear like weapon and thrusting it through John's side, surprised John felt limp and tried to catch his self as he started to fall.

Knowing he had to act before he passed out John thought out {second!} With that John fell to gray landscape then faded enraged more than he'd ever been Mitch stepped into the circle, his face a twisted mask of rage.

The sun killer thought he had more than enough energy to kill Mitch a thought that was soon squashed. Mitch's power had risen to the point that it threatened to take him over completely just like las ... Smiling Mitch raised his arm to block a thrust by the sun killer. Roaring, Mitch put everything into the punching blast he hit the sun killer with, a scream rose from his mind, {NO! you can't defeat me! I am far superior to you, NO!} The sun killer fell bouncing a few times before finally not moving, like John the body winked out.

A great booming sound came from the distance then a thought came to Mitch, {It is over, the human, John Bowers and the Miacarian, Michokelithompatin are the battle victors. The one known as the sun killer and the rest of his race will stand in judgement by the council and the victors for breaking the terms of the battle.}

With that they were gone, Mitch opened his eyes to see Helen standing over him a slight worried frown on her face.

"My mate? What has transpired that has you in a such a quandary?" Mitch inquired of her.

"It is John," she answered, "we were able to stop the bleeding, heal the wounds within a minute, but John has not awoken as of yet. This defies all known medical conditions, even with the injuries that he sustained, he should have awoken from the battle scape many time units past."

Mitch arose and went to John, Mica and Millie were holding him tight, both had tear stained faces, both wore the look of determination but almost defeat.

Mica was whispering, "I tried daddy I tried as hard as I could, please wake up, please daddy."

For three days Helen and Mica tried every healing technique they knew to no avail. Toward the end of the third day John's eyes suddenly snapped open, looking around he seemed puzzled, looking at the little toddler that was hugging him he became even more puzzled.

Pulling Mica's tear stained face from his chest he looked into her eyes, "excuse me, but ... do I know you?" Provoking even more tears from Mica and Millie.

Now that John was awake Mitch thought, {this is secondary control to all nanomites primary control has sustained damage, can you assess?}

{Secondary control, all physical damage to primary control's container has been repaired, primary control has sustained massive data loss unrepairable, suggest back up data be installed with restart of primary control's container,} the mechanical voice replied.

"What?" Millie almost screamed, "Loss of data? What the hell does that mean?"

Helen began to scan John's head, then looked up a sad expression on her face, "It appears as if his mind has been wiped almost clean. From the readings I am getting he is at a level of a young teen, there's nothing I can do." For the first time since she'd met her, Millie saw Helen clench her fists, a look of anger on her face.

Whispering she said, "we finally have the emergence of the fourth race, and it is wiped away by a cowardly assassin of the Triacarie"

Mitch could only nod trying to think of a way to remedy the entire situation.

John was floating, damn it was peaceful here, he didn't know how long he'd been there before he heard a thought in the distance.

{John, we apologize for letting things go as far as they did, your container sustained great damage to your brain casing, you brain essentially shut down and your essence fled to this plane. We are greatly impressed, yours is the first race to reach this level of consciousness, not even the other two have come this far.} The Piracarian thought to John.

{So ... to everyone there I am brain dead?} John thought. {Is there nothing you can do? I know for a fact that my essence as you call it, can not exist for very long out side of my body or something to keep it contained.}

{Your essence is being contained here till we can reintegrate it back into your biological container, but know this John, it may be a long and painful process, one that even we can not guarantee complete success. It is your life force and your decision, but you must decide now.} The head council member thought.

John was only a moment before he answered, {It will succeed, I will put everything I have into it.} The head council member nodded a small smile appearing on its face, truly an amazing race more than worthy of being the fourth race.

Back at John's house everyone was working on a way to save John's mind, but with each day that passed Helen began to lose hope she'd never seen an essence last this long with out a system to contain it. Two weeks after the end of the battle Mitch was watching over the area from above the house when he received a thought, {Mitch,} it said startling him out of his thoughts, {we need your help.}

Mitch was so startled that he almost fell from the sky, {for you John I will attempt anything how can I help?}

{I need you to keep my body asleep, I need Helen to clear a path way for me back into my brain it is the only way I can re-emerge.} John thought.

Mitch rushed to Helen telling her what John had said, soon they had John's body asleep. Millie and Mica sat near by hoping that this wasn't a false alarm or the last they'd ever hear from John. Helen instructed Mica what to do with her help Helen felt that John had a far better chance to re-emerge.

{I have conveyed the message, let me know when to begin I appreciate all that you have done for me,} John thought to the Piracarians.

{John Bowers you have done far more for us than this paltry thing we do for you, call upon us when you have need. We will contact you soon for the decision on the Triacarie.} With that John felt his self moving at incredible speed, then he was suddenly in his house, floating above his body. He could clearly see the path in but it appeared to be trying to close, hurrying he began to rush back into his brain as fast as he could. At the rate the path was closing, he didn't know if he'd make it all the way back in. The last thing he remembered was Helen and then Mica straining to hold it open god, he hoped it was enough.

Two days later John slowly opened his eyes, and almost immediately snapped then shut, damn it the light hurt! He tried to tell someone to shut the curtains but his throat didn't want to cooperate.

Reaching out John thought, {someone close the fucking curtains! I can't open my eyes the light is much too bright.} John thought he heard a rustling then a voice he remembered from a dream a long time ago or was it a few weeks ago, "they are closed."

Slowly he opened his eyes, there was a teen male, a young girl, an older teen female, a toddler girl and a baby with an almost adult expression on it's face. AGH! Damn it his head hurt, but that at least was going away, funny but all the people in the room looked so familiar.

Reaching out he pointed at the older teen female, "I know you, I don't know how, but I feel you are one of the most important people in my life."

The Female smiled and an almost palatable shock went through his body. "Do you remember my name," she said.

Straining it suddenly came to him, grabbing her he held her tight, "Millie my love how could I ever forget you?" Looking over he pulled the toddler girl to him, "and Mica my precious little girl."

Helen and Mitch's faces were conveying looks of relief, Mitch him self found that he was definitely developing a great fondness for the human.

"The Piracarians have informed us that it is over as I assume you know." Mitch informed John.

John shook his head though it caused somewhat intense pain. "What of the Triacarie? All I can remember is the council saying that they would contact me for a decision on them but nothing else."

"You and I are to decide their fate. I was told by the council that they broke the terms of the battle." Mitch informed John.

"I see, so the sun killer sent his men here to attack everyone," John stated, Mitch could only stare a moment then nodded.

"Had it not been for Mica we all might not have survived, her reaction was almost instantaneous." Mitch said looking at the toddler girl. Hell the only one faster that he'd seen was his old instructor and John.

A week passed John was finally up and moving he seemed to have all his memories, but it was still a little early to be sure. Finally getting back to work Mitch had stayed along with Helen, Trey had already gone back and after a week had already stabilized the power of the units. They'd just sat down to eat when they all heard a voice.

Behind them a rather tall, thin, ancient looking man cleared his throat. They all turned to stare, John nodded and stood, "Everyone I'd like to introduce the head elder of the Piracarie."

They all greeted him before he spoke, "I am here to glean your decision on the fate of the Triacarie, you are well within the all peace treaty to have their race terminated. I feel though, there is something else you have in mind."

"Yes," started John, "I and my second have concurred that they should cease to exist, but not termination wise. We wish you to remove their violent tendencies and help them to resettle on another world. Also, Remove all contact with human or Miacarian from their minds in the hope that one day the three races can again meet as allies."