All concern for fixing more systems or what the drones were finding in the other empty rooms was temporarily diverted when the drone returned the DNA sample from the preserved hair sample. The drone had been unable to properly identify it, as the sample contained markers for multiple species, and the programming that it had was not extensive enough for an analysis at that level.
But once they got it under the medical bay's scanners, the answer only became more confusing.
The basic structure was much like humans and many of the alliance species, but the genome was a mess. Where 80 percent of the genetic structure was normally common among carbon-based life forms, this one appeared to have the basic structure that would identify it as human, but with the evolutionary traits and genetic code for a hundred different possible variations tacked on.
"Could this be a genetically engineered super soldier?" One of the Innu asked.
"That's possible. It's not unheard of for those with a System to pick up genetic code from other species that the nanobots determine is compatible with and beneficial to the host. This is on a whole other level, though." Max agreed.
He knew that Nico had been heavily genetically engineered in her past life. Heavily enough that her original species had been impossible to determine when he had been hunting for her origins in hopes that she would return somewhere for sentimental reasons.
But this was different. It didn't look as optimized. It was more like they threw everything at the genome and then picked and chose which genes should express themselves.
"Check the stability and compatibility. I want to know if this was an inherited combination. It certainly looks artificial, but what if it was artificially created to be passed down through generations, with the most desirable traits being expressed when needed?" Max requested.
The team got to work analyzing the data and running VR simulations to see if their predictions were viable, and whether the traits could be passed down, even though they were clearly artificial.
What they found was astonishing. Not only would the added genes be passed down, but if a blood infusion was given to another species, there was a good chance that it would mutate and take on more desirable traits found in the blood.
The last bit they had found through pure Innu curiosity, when one of them identified a single gene for extremely hard and self regenerating fangs that could be traced to a species of ancient carnivores from the Innu home worlds.
They decided to test if the blood could be used for wider varieties of genetic alterations, and were promptly informed by the computer that there were genes included which were parasitic and mutagenic in nature, which would take over the host genome and modify it.
"You know what this looks like?" Nico asked, as Max was watching the evolution of a species infected with this genome.
"No, what are you thinking?" He asked, still distracted.
"It looks like the obvious endgame of your Optimize ability. It has the ability to optimize both itself and everything around it, at least the living things, and my data here shows that altering the environment during development will cause different genes to express themselves as the subject grows.
It's a species of self-optimizing super soldiers, but not just soldiers, they can be nearly anything, even if that means scales and claws, or wings are needed." She explained.
All the others turned to look at her as she finished that thought, then they all began a new round of experiments, testing her theory while Max waited and read their thoughts for confirmation.
After a few minutes, the tests were finished, and the research team was pale faced and staring blankly in shock at what they had realized.
Max decided to save them the trouble of trying to form words, as he had already had time to grasp the answer in its entirety.
"That's right. The missing link, that jump between the primitive species and the dominant species on every species that you tested, none of them were natural. They are all the result of interference by another species. For some of them, like humans, the Innu, and the Giants, they are not even from a base species.
Only seven of the possible home planets for humans even have a similar species that they could have come from, and they have all been previously eliminated from contention as the true origin planet thanks to genetic dating.
On an interesting note, the Valkia appear to have come from a base species that isn't from their Galaxy, so either the genetic material, or the entire species were transported there." Max informed them.
The team leader stared at Max, unblinking, as she took in the new information.
"So, what you're saying is that this species. It's us?" She finally asked.
"Yes. Humans, Innu, Giants, they're all descended from the same species. That's why we're so similar when other species are so widely varied."
Nico smiled as she found the data that Max had on the Valkia, pulled from his personal files, as the bird in question was something he knew from research on the Anomaly Region.
"The Valkia are descended from the Steel Wing Phoenix, hybridized with the Giants. So, they're not only not native to their home Galaxy, they're a completely artificially created species."
The Innu laughed at that revelation, then realized they had no idea what the second species was.
Nico opened the simulation that she had run on the topic for everyone to see. "They're a species of sentient birds with a nearly identical metallic bone structure to the Valkia. The thing is, they live in the Anomaly region, not far from the Koleska. They have no business being in the Alliance Region, much less being in the area millions of years ago.
At that point, they might not have even been fully sentient yet, and they don't have the technology even now to make the journey. How they ended up there should be a mystery, but we are working on the assumption that this species had their data when they passed through or settled the region and found that the planet was best suited for a flying species."
After a few minutes of silence, where Max passed around coffees and shots of Reaver Rum to help settle everyone's nerves, it was the junior member of their team that said what everyone was thinking.
"So, the humans that Ranarth talks about, the third mortal species along with his people and the Arisen. That's not just you, it's us too. We're all the descendants of the human survivors that we have been searching for, and they were nothing like what we expected the word human to mean."
