Chimera Revolution: The Nue-Gaea Chronicles

Tsoy

Thanks from the Author

I, Marcus E.T., would like to take a moment share my happiness that you chose to pick this book up. This book has been roughly two decades in the making for me. Since middle school, I dreamed of a sci-fi world where my favorite animals/monsters from myths and legends would coexist alongside humans with super-powered armor, powers over nature, and all other forms of weird science. I didn’t start writing a single story in this book until right after I finished college in 2010, and even then, I believed these short stories would just be for fun because surely my idea would go straight from my head to the television/movie screen… but no.

Over the years, I learned more about myself while also learning more about the world the characters you’re about to explore the world of Nue-Gaea (pronounced nu-guy-uh) with and learning more about the myths and science that inspired them. Fortunately, I also learned more about the world of publishing and Hollywood, and I’m even happier now that I went this route. While it was difficult (and sometimes expensive) to craft these stories and gather this artwork, I am thankful for the journey I took to self-publish this first volume. Yes, this anthology is going to be the first of many I will be making to tell the stories from Nue-Gaea. Yes, there is a larger, centralized story that is already planned out, and will be teased throughout this book and future anthologies, and eventually there may be a full novel to share that story with you… but I am still holding out hope that that full story will eventually be brought to the big or small screen!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy The Nue-Gaea Chronicles for what it is—a storybook and guidebook into this fantastical world, giving insights into the legends and technology proliferating it and the amazing creatures inhabiting it. Every story here featured my own take on some familiar and not-so-familiar creatures and some significant characters with more story to tell and some one-off characters who just wandered in my head one day and convinced me to write about their misadventures. Every story is meant to explore growth, unity, change, purpose, acceptance and the meaning of family—all parts of what it means to be a Chimera.

I would also like to dedicate this book (and those to succeed it) to every person who has ever felt like an outsider, everyone who has ever been persecuted or made to feel less than human, anyone who has struggled to understand their purpose or find a place among people they can call family. My hope is that most of these stories will appeal specifically to people like you. My own father once told me that people like us aren’t meant to fit in. It’s also my belief that what makes those of us who don’t fit in exceptional is what makes humanity as a whole stronger.

Anyway, feel free to read the stories in any order and learn a little about each of the therian species and some of the heroes and history of this world. And again, I thank you for choosing to see what Nue-Gaea has to offer, but know there is still more to come!

Chimera:

(Greek mythology) a fire-breathing monster with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail; any mythical animal with parts taken from variousanimals.

A thing that is hoped or wished for, but in fact is illusory or impossible toachieve.

(Biology) an organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues, formed by processes such as fusion of early embryos, grafting, or mutation; a DNA molecule with sequences derived from two or more different organisms, formed by laboratorymanipulation.

A cartilaginous marine fish with a long tail, an erect spine before the first dorsal fin, and typically a forward projection from thesnout.

An individual member or collective of peacekeepers from diverse species responsible for the prevention of crime, promotion of peace and justice, and maintenance oforder in Nue-Gaea.

Table of Contents

Map of Nue-Gaea (art by Alejandro Lara)

Welcome to Nue-Gaea

Your introduction into the world shared by therians and humans.

War and Peace

Every country comes with its challenges… Here is a brief history of Nue-Gaea’s Allied Nation.

Chimera Armor (art by Tom Edwards)

Drake’s Hunt

The oldest of the Chimeras, gifted with great power and a new suit of armor, uncovers a disturbing operation beneath the nation’s capital.

Satyrs (art by Alejandro Lara)

As the Legend Goes…

One old satyr educates a new class of Chimera cadets on the story of the Alliance’s hero and founder.

Ailuranthropes and Lycanthropes (art by Mahesh Gaichor and Yogesh Bhagane)

A Game of Cat and Wolf

To settle a territorial dispute, two shape-shifters compete in a trial by combat.

Gorgons (art by Chris Jacque Shannon)

If Looks Could Kill

A prideful miner meets a seductress who is more deadly than she appears…

Harpies (art by Mahesh Gaichor and Yogesh Bhagane)

Of Feathers and Fearlessness

A young man enters a forbidden forest to find a rare herb that could cure his ailing mother.

Simians (art by Alejandro Lara)

Rivalry

Two of the Alliance’s future heroes clash in their first meeting at the Chimera Academy.

Phoenixes, Halcyons, & Thunderwings (art by Chris Jacque Shannon)

The Gathering

A researcher observes a rare event in the skies near one of the most dangerous locations in Nue-Gaea.

Salamanders (art by Alejandro Lara)

First Encounter

One wealthy runaway witnesses the power of one the Alliance’s best peacekeepers when she needs rescue from a lethal foe.

Jabas (art by Alejandro Lara)

Arrested Minds

Jailers subject a murderous and mentally ill lycan to an experimental procedure.

Nagas (art by Alejandro Lara)

Damages

The loss of one boy’s life sets a series of events in motion that could cost the life of another.

Orcs (art by Alejandro Lara)

Human Weakness

Brutus fights for freedom in an underground arena, awaiting a chance for vengeance against his captors.

Gargoyles by (art by Brian McCranie)

To Be Feared

Gentle and noble by nature, but fearsome in appearance, life for young Onyx is not easy.

Centaurs (art by Alejandro Lara)

Rite of Passage

Three young centaurs must complete a short journey to be recognized as adults, but their skills and intelligence are not the only thing tested.

Vampires (art by Alejandro Lara)

Thicker Blood

Undercover and tempted by his inner darkness, one Chimera must find a way out of a terrorist group before he’s exposed.

Krakens (art by Alejandro Lara)

Undying Flame

As a Chimera and an ambassador for the Divine Territory, Iolani must choose between his love for his twin sister and his duty.

Lamiae (art by Alejandro Lara)

Lamia’s Tail

Charias is the first of his kind to enter the city of Atlantis, but struggles with what he is and who he desires to be.

Voraxians (art by Alejandro Lara)

NIMROD

A threat from below presents an opportunity to test the newest aid to the Chimeras.

Merpeople (art by Alejandro Lara)

Inheritor

A young man is chosen to inherit the power of the legendary winter eidolon, but is he ready to carry the responsibilities that come with being the Winter Warden?

Dagon (art by Alejandro Lara)

Council Meeting

Leaders of the Alliance assemble to have difficult discussions about the events in the Allied Nation so far.

Welcome to Nue-Gaea. In this world, humans and therians—that is intelligent, anthropomorphic beasts, people with animalistic features, and shape shifters—coexist.

From the single, expansive continental mass of Pangaea to the mysterious, grand Abyssal Region, there are all kinds of creatures. Creatures that can bend the elements to their will rule the skies, dwell in the waters, and stomp across the land. There are some simple beasts (non- therians) that do not possess the ability to communicate or engineer tools, but are powerful in their own right, such as the ancient titans that predate mankind.

On the land, the small Allied Nation, built in the eastern portion of the continent, is ruled by an elected Council comprised of therians and humans, and a tenuous peace is maintained by the diverse peacekeepers known as Chimeras. Technology and nature blend well together here, but there are limitations to the application of science.

To the north, lies the wondrous Divine Territory, where all life is said to have begun.

Here, in the Eternal Garden, otherworldly beings thought to be spirits of nature, representing the will of the planet and the Creator, guard the sacred trees and other items of power. It is said that the first humans and therians were once cast out of this paradisiacal place and only those born in the land may now come and go as they please.

To the south, the incredible Infernal Region, where great deserts, canyons, and dangerous beings reside. Those who do not live in this place generally fear it. Legend holds that here is where the great Behemoth, the first creature made to walk the earth, sleeps.

In the west, only the wilderness lies. There is no law known except the law of the jungle, but there are other civilizations believed to exist here. Little is known of this uncharted area, especially by humans, but natural barriers protect the Allied Nation from the unknowns that lurk in this western world.

In the vast oceans, the empire of Atlantis is the center where humans and aquatic therians live in peace. Half of the city remains surfaced while half remains submerged, riddled with hyper-pressure transportation tubes, oxygenated portals and submersible ports, this megalopolis is one of the most advanced and tranquil places on Nue-Gaea. The gigantic Leviathan, the first beast to swim the seas, dwells in the deepest parts of the abyss, but she is rarely a danger to those who do not bother her. There are many dangers and mysteries in its aqueous depths, but there is also a calmness here that few who live upon the land would ever know.

War and Peace

In the beginning, the first humans were placed upon the face of Nue-Gaea and given the Eternal Garden known as Eden. The Titan of the Land, called the Behemoth, the Titan of the Sea, known as the Leviathan, and the first of the therians who would later become protector of the Garden, the Chimera, were also set into the world in this time along with myriads of simple beasts that were named and tended to by the humans.

Soon more therians were created to live among humans, and all but the titans and Chimera would reproduce. Along with these living beings, the mysterious beings of pure, otherworldly energy, called eidolons also existed, watching and administering the laws of the Creator to them.

Everything was provided through the planet, which displayed a will of its own. In the Garden, there existed two trees of Knowledge and Life that produced fruit. Eventually, every creature was given a choice: To remain in the Garden or consume the fruit of one tree and take the gift the fruit bestowed on them into the world beyond the Garden, but lose the ability to return to the paradisiacal home. Over time, the humans and many therians agreed to eat the fruit and journey into the outside world. The humans chose to eat the fruit of Knowledge, which gave them understanding and vision of things they could not previously perceive in the world, while all of the therians chose the fruit of Life, allowing each species to exhibit a new power they did not previously possess which could be passed down to their progeny. With this new power and wisdom, the humans and their therian allies ventured across the continent and ocean, however, without the benefit of the Garden they were all left to fend for themselves in the world beyond it.

In time, humans and their therian allies founded new civilizations, establishing great cities and governments on the land. However, the trust between the two sides fractured due to conflicting ideas and inflated egos, most likely as a result of the treasures they now possessed from the trees and the lack of guidance from the eidolons, and ruination began to fall on the people. There were many therians who blamed humans for their fall from grace and they eventually ventured even further to the south and spread out to the west as well. Some humans and therians explored the seas and eventually founded the empire of Atlantis. Over time, they began to forget their time in the Divine Territory, but only through stories did the origin of all life remain.

Eventually, humans and therians became more divided on how their new nation should be ruled and a new war for dominance broke out that would come to be called the Human-Therian War. The humans were led by four faceless, nameless champions that were known as the

Immortals, thought to be indestructible warriors and inspirational leaders who donned armor of red, white, black, and green. The therians were led by the most powerful members of each race who possessed the strongest abilities bestowed from the Tree of Life, simply known at the Beast Lords. It was in this time that the legendary hero known as Orion, a human raised by therians, rose up and appealed to the various therian and human leaders for peace. No one knew where this man came from, but with him four eidolons with various powers over natural energy related to the seasons also came, bonding with the Immortals who eventually accepted Orion’s ideals. With his allies, Orion fought against both humans and therians who would not allow reconciliation. In time, Orion was successful in bringing the war to a quick end, but the hero himself disappeared, supposedly killed in action battling against a powerful therian lord. While his body was never found, his vision for the future would never be lost, and so the land the humans and therians once fought over would come to be called the Allied Nation.

After the death of Orion (A.D.O.), following his example and recognizing their own proclivity for war, the newly established Alliance formed a united group of peacekeepers to police and protect every man and therian. Comprised of every willing creature from multiple species in the Alliance and named after the champion of the Divine Territory who they still told stories of, the peacekeepers known as Chimeras uphold a code to preserve peace and life and prevent war at any cost.

Chimera Battle Armor: Made of a special metamaterial capable of dampening light and sound, the Chimera’s battle armor is often their primary weapon in the field. The full armor is only used by human peacekeepers because it is difficult for therians to wear this without being hindered in their natural abilities to some degree, but there are variants to the equipment still in development including the Protean version and the denser Atlantean version. Equipped with nonlethal light- and sound-based weapons to incapacitate enemies, strength and sensory enhancing capabilities, and other field tools, this customizable second skin makes the Chimeras a match for any threat to the Alliance.

Drake’s Hunt

Drake Ryuma vaulted over the rooftops effortlessly, nearly startling a waking gargoyle roosting on one apartment building.

Enhanced strength, courtesy of the new Protean Chimera battle suit, as the R&D boys liked to call it, and the power of the being dwelling within his person made things easy, but he could do it in his sleep without the added advantages after so much practice playing in the woods with therians as a kid. The tech in his helmet was also a crutch to him. The heads-up display gauged the distance from his targets and the visor of the helmet automatically tinted to night vision and locked onto his prey, who was only a few yards ahead of him now. Not that it mattered. He was closing the distance fast.

The armor was like a second skin, form-fitting and equipped with a variety of light- and sound-based weapons to incapacitate any opponent without causing mortal wounds. In addition to the regular equipment the standard Chimera battle armor came outfitted with, the Protean version came with a special shapeshifting feature thanks to nanotech in the armor. Drake had a neural implant put into his skull some decades ago to allow him to better pilot and control compatible machinery while working in the field as a Chimera. The implant actually proved to be more useful than previously thought with the advancements in technology now available.

With only a thought, Drake could will the armor to create blades, spikes, or claws for him. This prototype armor was intended to be used for therians who were currently operating in the field without basic protection due to the constrictions of the standard battle armor, but Drake agreed to test it out. He had to admit, he wasn’t hating it, but from his own experience he knew the tech could still be more of a hindrance than a benefit to most therian Chimeras.

Getting up into his mid-forties, he was one of the oldest human Chimeras still active in the field, but he was also one of the most dangerous, even without the special armor and his prized Spriggan-wood staff, which was now magnetized to his back by the metal coil welded to the center of the rod which served as the handle. Drake was one of a kind, which was why he preferred to work alone now instead of leading a traditional three-man squad. As a member of the Ryuma clan and as a longtime peacekeeper, Drake was chosen to inherit the power of the eidolon of spring, as many would call it. The eidolon granted him regenerative abilities that kept his forty-plus-year-old body as strong as it was in his twenties. He could project the energy of the eidolon to heal others, communicate with and influence plants, and aid in the metamorphosis of certain beings.

Unfortunately, with limited plant life flourishing within the city limits, even the eidolon’s powers were limited, so the prototype armor was a welcome aid given the circumstances. Being ranked second highest in command to his best friend and former teammate, Chimera Commander Leo Singh, and being one of the most famous Chimeras in the Alliance’s history had its advantages as well.

In a few bounds Drake was upon his target. He grabbed the small man he’d been pursuing by one arm and pulled him up to eye level. The perp grimaced but tried to put on a bold face and stare Drake down defiantly through his visor.

Cute, Drake thought. He’s trying to be a tough guy.

The young man was probably no older than twenty-five or possibly in his late teens, but he had dark eyes that seemed to have observed a lot of cruelty in the world. Given the nature of the radical group he was affiliated with, Drake had no doubt he’d probably participated in dealing out some of that cruelty as well. The group called themselves the Sons of Adam, comprised of solely human extremists and hatemongers whose only goal was the termination of the Alliance, the banishment of therians to the wilderness, and the ascension of the human race as the superior species in the world. There were some among the group who protested peacefully, but most of them were scoundrels and cowards who operated through violence in the shadows, tormenting therians and humans who had families with therians.

As a Chimera, there was a familial bond with others who wore the peacekeeper’s crest, whether they were covered with skin, scales, fur, or feathers. Ignorant bigots who hated his brothers and sisters for what they were and not who they were disgusted Drake.

I’m old and impatient, Drake growled. No need to lie. Our Jaeger drones identified you at the scene of the crime and the fact that you went through so much trouble to evade me doesn’t help in any case. So, let’s speed this up and you get to the part where you tell me exactly where the weapons your gang stole are headed to.

The young man smirked and continued to stare into the visor for a moment as if he could actually see Drake’s eyes and he was searching them for something. Then he finally spoke and said, The weapons will be moved underground to the southwest side of Omni City. There is a large cache of them being held there.

As he spoke, Drake switched to the x-ray vision in his helmet and concentrated on the boy’s chest to catch any changes in his heart rate. He was telling the truth. However, Drake was disgusted by the arrogant smirk on his lips.

Drake released the boy’s arm and shoved him to the ground. He was kind of hoping the kid would give him an excuse to use a little excessive force. After all, this was a teachable moment. He kept one eye on his prisoner as he switched the communications on in his helmet to broadcast to the Chimera Headquarters at the heart of the city.

Artemis, could you please dispatch a Jaeger drone in the southwestern sector of the city to locate an underground facility that could be used for weapons storage and send the coordinates to me?

You’ve got it, Artemis replied in what passed as hearty for her.

Artemis was the primary artificial intelligence that ran the majority of the security operations systems and info sourcing for the Chimeras. She was linked to every Chimera’s armor and the major computer systems and security programs across the Alliance. She could perform her own maintenance and she managed the Jaeger drones that monitored every foot of the Alliance’s territory and its borders. Every security camera, every drone, and every Chimera’s armor was an eye for her to view and record all goings-on within the Alliance’s territory. Unfortunately, privacy had to be balanced with security, so even Artemis wasn’t allowed surveillance within homes and most businesses. However, with the right tools, the A.I. could find inventive ways around her limits. She was truly amazing and some would even say she, along with her brother Apollo, was the mind of the Alliance itself.

In a couple of seconds a map of the city appeared on Drake’s HUD with a marker indicating the possible stronghold he would be looking for. Thanks, he said. Could you also arrange transport for our new friend here and let them know he was extremely cooperative. I will be happy to give him a lullaby.

Drake could feel the young man shifting uncomfortably.

Wait a second, the boy said, what do you mean a lulab—

With a quiet click, a small compartment popped open on the forearm of Drake’s gauntlet, revealing a tiny gun. The tranquilizer dart found its target in the young man’s neck and he instantly fell asleep.

Mixed the herbs myself, Drake muttered. Dose strong enough to put a simian down for a nap in no time, and more than strong enough for a boy. It’s past your bedtime anyway.

The armor’s magnetic boots and jump jets enabled Drake to easily get down to ground level. It was late in the evening, but the streets were still active with weary workers heading home from long days and regular night-goers. Using the stealth capabilities of the armor, the wearer was cloaked from sight and the special metamaterial also dampened any sound he made, making Drake even harder to detect in the busy street. The only way anyone would notice him was if he happened to make direct physical contact with them or they noticed the ripple of the light bending around him. Most of those he passed were too distracted, either by handheld devices or their associates, or too inebriated to notice him anyway, but he took special care to weave through the crowds without drawing any attention to himself. Not that anyone would stop a Chimera on duty unless they had an emergency of some kind.

The underground facility he sought was only a couple of miles from where he’d caught his informant. It was an easy jog for him and he didn’t tire easily anyway. He