It's rumored that distinct beings dwell beyond the Earth's regions. Many decades have worn out, and discovering these beings has only been a theory. As such, not much is expected from our primitive species. After all, we are limited, which is more evident through our technology, which has not been able to break through dimensional barriers.

What if I told you there are beings more advanced than us out there? They are known as Codexians, and they are born with unfathomable genes. These genes have enabled them to conquer multiple words through their grievous ferocity. Codexians have similar physical features to humans; the difference lies in their DNA.

Although these beings may be considered the galaxy's apex, they have their share of troubles. One of them is that Kor-Ex once engaged in a heated battle with Dark Force, one of the most formidable individuals in the Multiverse. Not only did Kor-Ex engage with Dark Force, but he put the existence of his species on the line by carving a scar on his left eye.

Over time, the Codexians became too accustomed to their civilization's advanced technology; this made them lose the ability to access the genes that their ancestors once used to build their empire. Then, the Council of Codex incorporated a law prohibiting individuals from activating their dormant meta genes because they deemed them too destructive.

However, Caldor-Ex, one of the greatest physicists, rebelled against this law and allowed his children to live on secretly without the chip.

As fate would have it, this misconduct was brought to the attention of the Council by Caldor's own best friend.

Caldor was in his underground laboratory and conducted a copious amount of experiments. These included the tasks of advancing his home world with sophisticated artillery. In the past, the Codexians relied heavily on plasma canons. Now they chose to use light bullets.

Astrid-Ex, his spouse, came down to his laboratory using a televator. The machine teleported her from the surface to the basement. First, she stood inside a large glass capsule tube from the first floor to use the device. After scanning her, she emerged in another capsule tube inside the laboratory. When she stepped out of it, she sauntered towards his desk.

She stood behind him and clasped her hands onto his shoulders. She kneaded his shoulders like they were of dough. He sighed with relief and closed his eyes, feeling much more relaxed.

She applied more pressure on his shoulders, easily pulping the tension built in.

"There there," she said with a grin etched on her countenance. He moved his head from side to side.

"That's it, right there, that's the spot," Caldor said as he felt his soul enter Heaven.

"Oh, Caldor, you shouldn't work yourself to death. It's not good for your health," she said, lowering her head and kissing his cheeks. The smooth sensation of her strawberry lips sent butterflies down his stomach.

"I know, I know, it's just that we are in the middle of a war with the Martians, dear. Without our powers, we stand no chance. At least if I can sophisticate our weapons, then we will have a greater chance of winning," he said with concern.

She looked at him from behind and was touched by his selfless act. After all, not every man possesses the quality of a virtuous man these days.

"This is why I fell in love with you. Your selfless act, it's admirable. I wish more men were like you."

The two initiated a kiss, their lips clasping on each other firmly. However, their passionate kiss was brought to an abrupt halt when an unforeseen crisis triggered the security alarm.

"B-22!" He called out to his artificial intelligence.

"Yes sir," the A. I replied with a smooth, buttery voice.

"Identify the intruders."

"Sir, it would seem that Codex's Task Force is behind the intrusion," responded the A.I.

From the utterance of B-22's words, Caldor's pulse increased astronomically. It was in such a way that he could hear the rapid thump of each beat reverberating from his heart. His eyes protruded with shock while his breathing increased.

"Wait, what are they doing here?" Astrid inquired, who pushed her hair backward.

He sat back on his chair and rubbed his face while a stream of thoughts clouded him. He then placed his finger under his chin and thought for a while. After some time, a daunting revelation hit him hard.

"They are here for our kids."

"What?!" She exclaimed, walking around the spot she stood on while fiddling with her fingers. She then placed her hand on her head, taken aback by what he said. It would seem that her fears have manifested into materialization. If that were the case, her world would instantly fall apart.

"I warned you about this!" She shouted, as her clenched fists slammed against the table with force. "I told you it was a bad idea for you to experiment on our kids. Now they are in danger because of you!"

Slowly, he arose from his seat and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Dear, calm down." He spoke calmly.

She, on the other hand, was fuming. Her face was red, and it looked like steam would whistle out of her ears.

"Don't tell me to calm down. It's because of you we're in this mess!" She clutched onto his collar violently. Although Caldor was the one to blame, his tranquil demeanor touched her, awakening her from an abyss of impulsiveness. She took a deep breath to appease her wrath.

"What are we going to do?" She inquired. Desperation was etched on her countenance, not knowing what to do as their children's lives hung in the balance.

"Get the kids ready. We are sending them far from Codex."

Without hesitation, she nodded and rushed to their chamber to prepare their children for a launch-off. When she arrived, she found her eldest son, Seth, watching over them. Although Seth was the oldest among the other four, he was still a child while the others were babies. He stood relatively close to one of the four babycotpods. They were Codex's form of cradles, and they had a built-in hood-in hood with a retractable handle.

Astrid hurriedly entered the chamber and was accompanied by eight androids who helped her carry the pods downstairs.

"Mom, what is going on?" He asked, wondering why she was transporting his siblings to a different location. She paused and lowered herself to his height. Her eyes welled up with tears, feeling the scrutiny of sending her kids to a faraway place.

"Honey, remember when I told you that there'll come a time when your father and I will have to send you away for a while?" She addressed with an ingratiating smile.

He nodded while she caressed his cheeks.

"Well, that time has come, dear." She wiped a tear that drizzled down her left cheek.

"But why are you crying?" He asked innocently.

"I'm happy you will go out for an exciting adventure, dear. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she smiled and kissed him on the forehead.

**************

Meanwhile, Gordon, the commander of the Codexian Task Force, stood impatiently outside with his team. They were trying to destroy the sizeable metallic gate that blocked them from entering the lair. He took out a plasma cannon and aimed it toward the steel gate.

"Stand back, gentlemen. This will be a hell of a blast!"

His men took a few steps back while he fired several beams toward the door. Eventually, the blast's force fractured the gate's integral structure. Since it was compromised, he thrust his foot against it and knocked it down. As he entered the building with his team, they were confronted by Caldor's security force. The androids stood in their way and aimed their plasma cannons at them.

"Warning, entry to this facility is prohibited. Evacuate at once!" The androids instructed.

Gordon was not intimidated; he engaged in a heated duel with the androids. Fortunately, he was assisted by his task force. Ultimately, they triumphed over the machines, leaving them in a heap of scraps. That isn't to say there weren't casualties. Many of his men were brutally murdered.

The task force used the televator to get to the lab. When they arrived, Caldor had already placed his babies into the four space pods. He was sitting behind his desk, typing on his computer to initiate the launch. Gordon incinerated the machine with a blast from his cannon from behind; this was when Caldor was about to press the launch button. Once the computer was obliterated, an explosion repelled Caldor against the nearest wall.

Astrid and Seth rushed to his aid him. The Task Force covered the entire perimeter. Two troopers charged and tackled Astrid and Seth onto the ground. Once the two were face-flat on the floor, the troopers locked them into submission, while Caldor was the only one allowed to stand to answer for his treason.

He glared at Gordon, unrelenting from staring deep into the latter's cold, dark soul. If possible, Caldor desired to beat his former friend to a pulp. The two had known each other since they were infants. They were the best of friends. They counseled each other during the darkest days; they aided one another in the driest days. When one would do something, the other followed. They had a bond that many siblings lacked. However, Gordon selfishly betrayed his friend to secure his position in the Task Force.

"How could you do this to me, Gordon? We were best friends! My children's lives are in danger because of you!" Caldo exclaimed; his heart was oozing with affliction.

Gordon glanced at his weapon and gently caressed it, "Did you honestly think that I'd compromise my job for you while you committed treason?! I have a life of my own, Caldor. I don't want to get caught in the fiery line when I could've done the right thing and reported you!"

Since Astrid couldn't move her head because of the trooper that locked her down, she only watched from the floor with one side of her face. Tears formed in her eyes while Gordon continued to address her husband.

"I took it upon myself to address the Council about your misconducts. They ordered me to bring you in for your prosecution. If all goes well, you might not be executed. You will serve your sentence in peace but your kids, however... it's a different story. They will die!" He said, unperturbed.

"I understand, old friend; I've committed treason. I accept whatever punishment that I am offered. However, my kids have nothing to do with this. That's why you won't stop me from fulfilling my plan!"

B-22 then scanned Gordon using a crimson ray.

"What the?" He replied, gobsmacked.

It didn't take long for him to realize that the artificial intelligence was only scanning him to see if he was a threat.

"Take cover!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs while the A.I. released a set of plasma cannons from the ceiling. The guns aimed at them while the Task Force took cover behind the lab's furniture. A shoot-out commenced, buying Caldor some time to complete the launch. When it fired, some of the beams incinerated many of Gordon's men despite wearing protective gear.

"Go, Astrid! Take Seth with you... Go!!!" Caldor shouted.

"What about you? I can't leave you here!" She replied with concern.

"I'll be okay! Now go!" He shouted once more.

Astrid and Seth rushed out of the lab. However, Gordon had not diverted his gaze from them. Instead, he shot her from the back. By the grace of fate, he missed her heart by a second, and she leaned against the wall for support. She placed her hand against her chest and put pressure on it to stop the bleeding.

"Mom!" Seth exclaimed, who stopped running and turned back to check on her. At that moment, he panicked, not knowing what to do.

She gnashed her teeth and winced, "It's okay, Seth, just go." She replied, unperturbed.

"You're injured! I can't leave you here!" He exclaimed, feeling pity for her. Astrid refused to be pitted, it gave her a sense of vulnerability, and she despised feeling that way.

"I said that I'm fine!" She shouted with irritation.

"Just go on without me! I'll catch up to you!"

At first, Seth was hesitant to oblige to her demand. It only took an intense stare from his mother's face to realize that she was serious about this matter. He swallowed a hard lump and nodded before running away. When he walked away, Astrid pushed herself out of the lab. Fortunately for her, her courageous spirit spared her from death.

"Lord-Ex, shall I ready the phantom drives?" B-22 inquired.

"Yes, initiate the launch," Caldor replied from behind a table, holding his right shoulder. He blocked the bleeding from his wound caused by the explosion he fell victim to.

Had the Lord not blessed Caldor with a brilliant mind, would he have drowned aimlessly in deeper waters? The genius scientist always had a plan on top of another one. For instance, he coded B-22 with a backup drive to enable the pods to launch off to space in case something unfortunate happened to his computer.

Moreover, to show that the heavens were on Caldor's side, Gordon and his Task Force were still occupied with the cannons shooting at them. However, he didn't have long til they destroyed all of B-22's guns.

The launch sequence began as a blaze of flames emitted from the thrusters of each pod and propelled them out of the lab. Outside the lab, Astrid saw this and held her son's hand tightly while a sharp, piercing pain slashed her heart. Her eyes were fixed on the pods, which soared out of the atmosphere efficiently. Before leaving, she closed her eyes and finally accepted that it was time to let her children go.

"Farewell, my sweethearts. May the Lord be with you," she muttered with a smile while tears painted her cheeks.

************

The Codexian Royal Palace

At The Courthouse

"Caldor-Ex, you stand before the Council of Codex. Before we sentence you, do you have anything left to say," Inquired Councilman, Bor-Jor

Bor-Jor is the head of the Council, and he has a long brown, bushy beard with a dash of grey linings. He also has a bald head, with a bit of brown hair sticking out from the sides of his head. Three other members of the Council joined him. Two were female, and the last member was male.

"I do not regret what I did. Not only do I believe that many of the laws that you have opposed on our people are redundant and tedious. Further, I'd like to prophesy that the dawn of a new age is coming. A new generation of Codexians will replace you and liberate the planet from your reign of terror."

Bor-Jor and the other three glanced at one another, infuriated by his insults. A harsher sentence was not far from their minds.

"Caldor-Ex, I now sentence you to death. One, for committing treason; two, for sending your kids to a further location from us. And three, for blaspheming against us. As for your wife, we will pardon her only if she allows us to exile your eldest son, Seth-Ex," stated Bor-jor with pride.

It was by the mercy of God that the Council spared Seth

"Father, I'm scared," Seth said as he looked up at him.

"It's gonna be alright, son," Caldor said.

A pair of soldiers approached Seth from behind and led him to a spaceship outside the courtroom. The ship was also launched into space while more soldiers led Caldor to the guillotine. His head was placed in the lunette while the executioner raised the blade with a rope. Afterward, the executioner released the thick cord as the dreaded tool dropped down with tremendous speed and slit his head.