In the heart of Casus Belli was the Supreme Ruler’s infamous top-secret laboratory, BX25. Most times, only used by Kalvich himself. Around the perimeter were rows of shelves and benches that displayed various alien artifacts, and stomach turning prehistoric and modern surgical instrumentation–all still very much in use.
Parts of bizarre dead creatures and countless organisms from all over the universe were preserved in rows and rows of containers. There were countless potions, gourds of colorful liquids, containers full of exotic powders and crushed crystals. None were labeled. It may have been a top secret experimental laboratory, but to an uninformed onlooker, it was Jim Henson’s Muppets meets the House of Horrors.
Inside a locked vault, stored away from all other items, encased in a membrane of energized protein based liquid, was a small, unobtrusive looking creature that was one of the Trimadians’ worst enemies, captured and kept alive for study–a Locum. The evolution of the Locum had fascinated Kalvich. Crytaalic was, for all intensive purposes, no longer feared thanks to the research carried out from this one subject. Kalvich’s extensive experiments spelt the beginning of the end of the Locum. But he had his reasons to keep it hidden.
Intense light was concentrated on the activity taking place in the center of the room.
For the first time, Kalvich was not experimenting, nor interrogating, or conducting any torture.
He was, himself, undergoing a major, intense surgical procedure.
Three of his most trusted top scientists were overseeing the operation. Kalvich, under heavy anesthetic, was lying inside a tube container that was connected to an array of computers controlling and monitoring an amazing transformation taking place. Before he had entered the tube, he had been given an Avrodite potion, used to hasten this specific process. The potion was made up with a precise mix of processed Zymergillian crystal, mixed in with liquid Avrodite, and many associated proteins and acids.
Avrodites, the same crystal that was illuminating Cemel’s cell, are rare and to this day only found on Heliostronus. They were accidentally discovered inside Kalvich’s mines several hundred years ago. After a thorough investigation, the explanation for a number of explosions when miners were cutting into a new giant pocket of rock gave way to this new discovery. This substance was brittle, like Crytaalic but volatile, and needed to be handled with extreme care. The miners used scanners and modified lasers calibrated to locate and isolate the Avrodite.
During the initial Avrodite experiments, Kalvich unfortunately lost a few valuable scientists in the process, but their deaths were not in vain. Thankfully, all their hard work was recorded, including precise details of the exact friction necessary to cause instability. Once manufacturing processes had been safely established, Avrodite was perfectly safe.
Over time and research, a number of uses were discovered for this beautiful but strange crystal. Kalvich himself discovered that just a minuscule piece emitted a unique pulse, similar to crytaalic, but thankfully had no effect on the Cathexistome. They discovered the pulse could be harnessed to be used for tracking objects in space, quite similar to sonar echolocation.
In liquid form, under extreme pressure, they helped stabilize and enhance Zymergy powered engines, and provided an endless source of power to the instrumentation in Kalvich’s central control room including security scanners, computers, and sensors. It purified any electromagnetic radiation in the atmosphere, therefore, protecting the Trimadian’s integrated electronic/crystal based systems.
Kalvich had used it to experiment in the old, traditional shadow world magic practices. Which led to another not so well known use: Avrodites could alter a subject’s organic physical form when the Avrodite pulse rate was sped up to supersonic levels.
The Avrodite Pulse was the key to the operation taking place that very moment.
The next crucial ingredient was the target’s genetic material, their DNA. Only a microscopic sample was required. Blood, skin, hair, or nail was extracted, usually without their knowledge.
The pulse emitting from the Avrodite was segregated by the computer and married with the extract of DNA. The computer program controlled the transformation. Not only was a physical duplication possible, but the ability to share the knowledge, experiences, and memories of the subject. Kalvich had primarily used this secret formula for extremely successful covert spy operations in the past.
The Supreme Ruler demonstrated that not only was he an accomplished scientist but an experienced, deadly warlock with an impressive résumé to boot. After all, he was eleven thousand years old, and his boyhood hobby had grown into a vast, practical knowledge of magic and scientific experiments. His unquenchable thirst for knowledge bordered on obsession.