The comanding// Jupiter Ascending

Chapter 8

    I wake up floating in a blue light. I gasp "Good evening, Your Majesty" A mechanical voice sounded, "allow me to assist" I get rightside up and stand up. I look down and see I'm in a gray floral type gown. "I'm Sendi, your Chamber Presence. We wish to attend your needs." I take a step and look around, "uh, where am I?" I keep walking and see a beautiful night sky. "This is Alcazar of Kalique Abrasax, Second Primary of the house of Abrasax." She explains, "what's an Alcazar?" I say quietly to myself.

    "A fancy way of saying my home" I look over and see a woman who has wrinkles but a kind smile. "I'm Kalique." she says I turn to face her fully "Saturn Jones." I say introducing myself. She holds out her hand. I gently take it, "I'm sorry for staring, but it's really quite astonishing." She says, I raise an eyebrow at her, "what is?" I ask, "it'll be easier to show you... and your sister." My head perks up "my sisters here?" I ask, she smiles and nods. She takes me to my sisters room, "Jupe" I say running over to her and pulling her into a hug. "Oh my gosh Saturn, I can't wait to tell you about what happened." I just smiled at her, I looked and saw she is wearing the same dress as me just in a light purple. "This way ladies" Kalique motioned, we followed her in a room full of thousands of candles, we went to the end and saw a statue of two women, we both gasped as they looked like us. "Could this get any weirder?" Jupiter asked "I wouldn't bet against it" I say the two of us lightly laugh. "Imagine it for me, seeing my mother and aunt after they passed" we look over to her. "We're not them" I say softly, she smiles looking at the statue of the two women holding hands. "Your planet is just now entering its Genetic Age. You understand very little about something that is a vital part of our reality." She smiles and walks over to a floating orb and starts to light a candle. "In our world, genes have an almost spiritual significance. They are the seed of our immortality. When the exact same genes appear in the exact same order" she motions to Jupiter and I. "It is for us what you would call reincarnation."

    "But how could we be the reincarnation of your mother and aunt? Unless they were from Earth?" Jupiter asks. "My mother and aunt were what you call twins, like the two of you. They were born before your first cities were built." She explained, "are you some kind of vampire race?" Jupiter askes I lightly elbow her while Kalique lightly laughs. "We are the cause for a lot of those myths, but I promise you that they were both as human as the two of you or I. The difference between us is our knowledge and technology." She looks over to us, "how old do you think I am?" she asks, Jupiter and I just look at each other "Uh... I don't know. Late forties?" I say Jupiter just nods her head. "I recently celebrated my 14th millennium" my eyes went wide. "You're 14,000 years old?" Jupiter concluded, "14,004 to be precise. My mother and Aunt were approaching their 91st millennium when they passed. You'd be just as amazed at how fast it goes."

    "Wait, if you guys live for so long. If you don't mind me asking, how did they pass?" I asked motioning to the statues, she turned her head to look at the statues and stayed quiet for a moment. "They were murdered, well my aunt died trying to save my mothers life but to no avail." She explained, I look at Jupiter, "Oh my gosh we're so sorry" I said, "did they ever find out who did it?" Jupiter asked, Kalique responded with "No" then continued. "The three of us didn't always get along. But I have hope that these recurrences might mean a second chance for the three of us." She says taking a step closer to us and smiling. "Now, come. Let me introduce you two, to the new possibilities of your new lives." She said turning away Jupiter grabbed my hand. I looked over and smiled at her and started following Kalique, she took us to one of the towers that had what looked like a big bath. Jupiter and I stayed put as Kalique stepped in front of us. She got completely naked, I quickly turned my head and put my hands over my eyes. Once I heard her get in I uncovered my eyes and looked back at the bath. She completely submerged herself and came back out a few seconds later, she looked way younger like she could be our age. "Holy shit" I said as she came out. "Each of us has a code for our optimal physical condition. The problem is our genes have an expiration date. Which is transferred to our cells. A long time ago, someone figured out how to replace deteriorating cells with new ones. Today it's as easy as changing a lightbulb." She explains as her helpers dry her hair and get her dressed.

    "That's amazing" I say, "yeah where are you getting these lightbulbs?" Jupiter asked, Kalique smiles, "you grow them" I raised an eyebrow confused with her statement. "Wait like clones?" I ask, she shakes her head and laughs "no, clones lack genetic plasticity. Several million years ago, a gene plague caused by cloning nearly annihilated the entire human race." She explains taking a sip from her drink one of her helpers gave her. "I was told that the House of Abrasax seeded the Earth is that where you get it?" I asked, remembering what Stinger said, Jupiter looks between me and Kalique. "Your Earth is a small part of a very large industry." She says not breaking eye contact with me. "Feel my skin" she says holding her hand up to Jupiter then me. "In your world, people are used to fighting for resources like oil, minerals, or land. But when you have access to the vastness of space, you realize there's only one rescorse worth fighting for, even killing for.." She paused for a moment, "more time." I just looked at her interested in what she was talking about, "time is the single most precious commodity in the universe." She finished, she had a big smile on her face, I just stood there for a moment thinking about what she said.

    We started walking down and talking, well more Jupiter and Kalique, "um... Do you mind if I just take a stroll around? By myself?" I ask, not really paying attention to what they were talking about. Kalique looked back at me and smiled, "but of course" I smiled back and walked down another hallway, I looked around and stood near the side looking at the beautiful night sky, looking at all the stars and the moon. I continue to walk around, I turn to see someone coming towards the window. "Caine?" I say as he lands and grabs me and lightly puts me against a wall, he gently places his hand on the side of my face and looks at my face and arms. "Caine what are you doing here?" He looks into my eyes for a moment then clears his throat and takes a step back, "I still have an assignment to complete" I nod and look away "Oh" I say not looking at him, I see him quickly grab his gun and point it at Kalique and Jupiter, while protectively putting an arm in front of me. I push past his arm "Hey! Woha, woha. No!" I say standing in front of them. "So you must be one of the hunter's Titus hired. Well-made by the look of him." I turned giving her a 'what' look she looked between Jupiter and I, smiled and shrugged.