Apex

Chapter 1

• Kriss •

It didn't take very long for us to lose.

We always assumed that we were on top. We were the apex. We were the alphas. We were mankind. We were the only creatures in the world that could possess humanity.

Humanity. What a joke.

Where was the humanity when we choked our planet with pollution? Where was it when we forced other species into extinction? Where was it when we dropped atomic bombs on our fellow humans? Where was the humanity when we watched the flesh slide off people's bones and their eyes melt out of their heads?

Humanity. If those horrendous acts define humanity, then I don't want to be human.

The ground shook with rhythmic thumps. I watched the cage across from me as the other people's eyes grew round. One man screamed, pressing himself into the farthest corner of the cage. He sat on his butt and buried his face in his knees.

I rolled my eyes. As if that would keep him from being next.

The trembling grew more violent. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists. Deep, shuddering breath in. Shuddering breath out. The trembling stopped. I opened my eyes.

An enormous face filled the front of my cage.

Strangely, they have human features. This one had a sharp jawline and a pointed nose, flawless blue skin, and magenta eyes that were narrowed at me. His gargantuan hand reached for the lid of my cage.

They came from beyond the stars, superior in every way.

Just like us, they desired everything they laid their eyes upon.

Unlike us, they always got what they wanted.

• Zoryne •

The results of our research were promising. The superior species had caused damage that would take several years to reverse, but the planet was still salvageable.

The door slid open and I stepped into the room. The lights glared off of the terrariums.

YD-R3 was home to a wide and diverse variety of life. Several research sites like this held thousands of creatures. We've recently released our home world animals into YD-R3's wilderness. The similarities between our planets have allowed them to adapt smoothly.

I walked down the rows of habitats before making it to a particular aisle. As usual, they've inherited the planet's name. Some of the R3s let out distraught noises as I passed them

It'd been eerie to discover that they are in our likeness. Their features are identical to ours in almost every way. Though their hair types vary and so do their skins, their distribution of muscle and fat and the range of their facial expressions are uncannily similar. It was convenient that they were so miniscule.

They cowered in their cages and flinched whenever my eyes passed over them. It wasn't surprising. They've cowered since the moment we landed here. They couldn't help themselves. Even if we hadn't intended to display our pure superiority, it would have only taken a few accidental steps to make them submit to us.

Still, the feeling of their bones breaking and organs popping beneath my boots was a sensation I'd rather not repeat. It was humbling to see the flattened bodies of beings who resembled us washed away as we cleansed this world of their filth.

I blinked away my thoughts and focused on my task. It was a pain to pick the ones that cried. The hitting and biting didn't hurt, but I had to watch myself to make sure I didn't harm them unintentionally before the tests even began. Amongst the R3s, in a tank all by itself, was a female who didn't flee to when I neared. It stood stiffly, quaking badly but not running away. It would do.