The Face of Earth Read Online Free Page B

unexplored Fourth Quadrant. Its location was one of the reasons Megg had chosen it for her species project.
    “Start the star drive and enter the galaxy,” Megg commanded, “and set course for Helios.”
    Luvian did as he was told, and soon they were speeding past the stars of the Milky Way. He headed the ship toward Helios, the star that the planets of the Olympian Solar System orbited. According to the literature Megg had given him to read, the third planet in that system was near enough to Helios to support life. Megg called the planet Earth, and created a humanoid species there to test her hypothesis that immortal souls evolved in sentient beings over time.
    Luvian didn’t believe Megg’s hypothesis was correct, but he had other reasons for wanting to be part of the research team for this experiment. He was a member of Prevent Experimental Species Termination, and he was here to ensure that Megg didn’t exterminate the Earthlings when her experiment failed. And it would fail, since everyone knew immortal souls only belonged to superior species who had existed since the beginning of time. All other species only had mortal souls that died with their bodies.
    Megg stood and stretched. “I’ll be in my quarters, Luvian,” Megg informed him as she left the bridge. “Let me know when we reach the Olympian Solar System.”
    “Yes, Megg,” Luvian acknowledged. As Megg left the bridge, Luvian felt himself relaxing. Being around Megg set him on edge. He had to hide how he felt about killing in the name of research, and he found it difficult to maintain his impartial façade. But it was important that he keep up the pretense until the experiment was over. The deaths of a few were an acceptable loss to save a species. He hoped Megg would allow the Earthlings to live and he wouldn’t have to resort to extreme measures, but given her personality, he didn’t think that was likely.
    It had taken PEST centuries to infiltrate this project, and the only reason they had been able to do so now was because they had recruited him. His family was respected by all Stelairians, and several of his ancestors were still involved in the government. His family’s position put Luvian above reproach.
    Luvian grinned at the finesse that PEST had used to open this job. They had arranged for his predecessor to be promoted, leaving Megg with the burden of finding a new assistant quickly. Luvian had been the only assistant available at the time, and his family had encouraged Megg to take him on in the hopes that he would make something of himself.
    He stared at the viewscreen as the ship passed stars and nebulas. It would take a few hours to get to the Olympian Solar System. He sat back, thinking. If he had to kill Megg in order to stop her, it was likely that he would die as well. Their immortal souls would be released and they would have to journey back to their planet in order to be reborn into new bodies. This far from their galaxy it would take centuries for their souls to travel back to Stelairius, and once they were reborn, they would lose the memories of their previous lives. He grinned maliciously. He was barely one thousand years old; he didn’t have much to lose. Megg, on the other hand, was billions of years old; it was staggering how much she’d lose.
    Even though Stelairian science had found a way to determine whose soul inhabited a child’s body, the child would have to relearn everything that was lost. It would be millennia before Megg could reclaim even part of the knowledge that made her one of the most powerful Stelairians alive today. It would be a coup for PEST, and he would be the one to give it to them. He chuckled as he watched the stars stream past.
     
    *           *           *
     
    Once she reached her quarters, Megg sat at her research console and reviewed the file on the Earthling situation. It seemed the experiment had taken an unforeseen turn. Instead of continuing to evolve, the Earthlings