The Evolution of Vaughn

Chapter 1 The Good Life

Date: 432 Year of Emperor Valek Foger XXVI

Vaughn and his son Matthew walked across an empty desert of salt and sand.  A slight breeze blew from the west.  The sun was still an hour from rising, but the blue light reflected from a massive gas-giant that filled a third of the sky illuminated their path.  Matthew was almost as tall as his father, both had long, powerfully built legs and a thick torso from hours spent in their gravity chamber.

Vaughn was carrying two fishing poles and a tackle box while his son pulled a small boat on massive balloon-style tires.  In the low gravity of their home moon, it wasn’t a difficult task.  But on any planet, it was a long walk.

It was a cool morning, but that would change quickly once the sun was up.  Vaughn looked back at their tracks in the salty sand.  “Do you know why the Fogerians love Humans so much, Matty?”

“No idea,” the teenager said.

Vaughn leapt high into the air, sailing more than five meters up before drifting back to the surface.  “When we were a new species, back on our home world, we were the top predator on our planet, even before we had tools.  Does that make any sense?  We have no claws, dull teeth, and we’re not particularly fast on our two long legs.”

“How did we catch things?”

“We out-endured them,” Vaughn stated.  He glanced over his shoulder at his son before continuing.  “Our species has stamina unmatched in the galaxy.  We can walk for days without stopping.  When I was a soldier, I could run two hundred kilometers in a day.  Sure, Fogerians are faster than we are.  But after four or five kilometers, we’ll catch them when they have to stop to rest.”

“Two hundred kilometers in a day?  Really Dad…” Matthew rolled his eyes. 

“One time Uncle Holdan and I covered almost twice that in a day.  Although part of the trip was in a transport.  And the last fifty kilometers I only had one leg.”  Matt snorted in disbelief.  “Humans are the endurance champions of the universe,” his father continued. “We are stronger than most races, other than perhaps Geraldinians, but they have to eat every two hours.”  Vaughn paused, watching his son’s reaction.  “We are relative newcomers to this galaxy.  We don’t have a planet of our own anymore, but several planets have allowed us to live on their home-worlds.  This makes us second class to many people, but don’t ever let their attitudes convince you that we’re not as good.  Every race in the cosmos has its strengths and weaknesses.”

“Is that why you fought the war? To get back at the E’Clei for blowing up our planet?”

Vaughn shook his head.  “Nah, that was eons ago, and revenge never solves anything.  I fought the war because the E’Clei are a threat to you and Mom.  I fought them because they take over your body and turn you into one of them.  And because someone had to stop them.  If I didn’t volunteer, who would?”

“I don’t wanna go to war.  I want to go to Foger and start a restaurant in the Human district.  Find a girl, maybe two, and have some adventure.” Matthew said with a smile.

Vaughn laughed.  “I’d come eat in your restaurant every day.”  A moment passed in silence before Vaughn looked at his son.  “I hope you don’t have to go to war.  I fought as hard as I could so you wouldn’t have to ever do that.  Adventure is overrated.  I’ve had my share; I’ll take my normal, quiet life.”

The two approached the edge of the vast ocean that covered the majority of the moon.    Vaughn set the tackle box he was carrying in the boat and handed a rod to Matthew.  They both climbed up in the boat and cast their rods far out into the ocean.