Taijitu
Forum Meta => Futuristic RP => Archived Role Play Boards => Archive => Roleplay => Topic started by: Solnath on March 18, 2007, 03:24:34 AM
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Metal touched metal as the pilot on duty grasped the connection port with his arms. Sending a message that echoed through the sleeping quarters he informed them to prepare for another jump as mineral harvesting had been completed in this system with no new leads to the primary objective found. He was indeed a male, though to local observers he might not have seemed such. Deep red skin with a metallic sheen to them was covered by the white and blue on-duty uniform. Much of their mission here was influenced by the most advanced species here, which helped to explain why the Mozaran Conflux had taken on to wearing clothes as they had approached the galaxy.
Ever since their arrival in the galaxy they had adapted to unknown situations as according to their ancient briefing. The highest minds of the Collective that had sent out the small collection of individual spirits that had since become the Conflux had long since predicted the rise of certain civilisations and the demise of others and as such even the initial flight patterns for scouting and surveying had been pre-determined millennia ago.
This ship's next stop would be an industrial system that belonged to a species that loved war. The task was simple: scan and evaluate whether they were a threat or not, then leave and report.
The pilot looked up at the young female sitting opposite to him and spoke in frequencies they had learned to use, giving the man a deep voice. He said two words, untranslatable but which roughly meant: “Beloved navigator who steers the ship of my heart through the void of my existence, please be so kind as to plot the next course.” The navigator smiled at him, another learned trait, and nodded. The pilot focused on his seventh sense and as soon as the gravitational pull of the white dwarf star had diminished enough, made the leap.
No time passed aboard the ship until it arrived, several days later, to the target system, known to them as number 76, but to certain others as Aurora.
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Matthias was watching the deep scans attentively. It had been weeks since the last Xilonog assault, and one was expected sometime soon. His crewmen, however, were rather lazy. They often allowed the ever vigilant Matthias to take the watch. The crew of the AAS Shield was small, especially for a craft slightly over half a kilometer long. Only 52 men, including Matthias, were responsible for the array of weapon systems, radars, mechanics, fire control, the list of jobs went on.
A blip appeared on the three-dimensional radar holographic display. A readout of the object quickly appeared on the display. "Captain, we have a single contact. 40,000 kilometers and closing," he informed the bridge.
"Vessel designation?" replied the Captain.
"Unknown designation, unknown classification, all unknown."
"Double-check that it's not a Xilonog vessel or an asteroid. Hail the Keeper, see if they can identify."
Matthias sighed, double checking the scans. He couldn't understand, but it was closing fast. Only 30,000 kilometers now. The Keeper reported the unknown contact as well. "Sir, contact is approaching rapidly. The Keeper is moving to intercept."
"Aye. All men, high alert. Power weapons and d-fields, prepare to engage." Red lights flashed throughout the small windowless craft, and men shuffled about to their stations. The two defense monitors swiftly approached the incoming craft.
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As soon as the pilot regained himself from the jump he sat up rigidly. The navigator had plotted the jump slightly too close, inside the system itself. He let out a short but complex curse and told the ship to brake and reverse before contact. Alas, it was too late. The ship's passive sensors had detected a scan. Slowing the vessel to a halt, the pilot sighed and informed the crew, waking them up and requesting their presence. He sarcastically thanked the navigator, who smiled sarcastically. They bought considered sarcasm to be immensely amusing. In a matter of seconds he could feel the four others aboard come online. He explained the situation quickly as the ship halted a bit under 20,000 kilometers away from the scanner, having dropped velocity dramatically thanks to the emergency brake maneuver.
Nothing seemed to happen inside the 400 meter long G-shaped ship until the other navigator sent a public message to the rest of them.
"Insufficient match to existing data... these are not the ones that were supposed to be here."
A very long second followed.
"What now?"
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The two patrol craft continued to surge forward at maximum acceleration, closing the distance to 15,000 kilometers in moments. The communications officer reported to the Captain, "Sir, contact is not of any known Xilonog make. Armada Intelligence requests we board and investigate."
"Aye aye," replied the Captain, turning to the com. "Marines, to your stations! Prep for boarding actions!" He turned to the communications officer. "Try hailing the vessel. Never know, we might get a response. Attempt both visual and audio connections."
"Aye aye, Captain!"
The Shield and Keeper continued to approach the vessel, now 10,000 kilometers away. A mid-range broadcast was made on all known radio frequencies in an attempt to make contact with the vessel.
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The pilot nodded as his connection to the ship informed that the secondary specialist had detected a hailing signal. The girl navigator looked back at him, or seemed to, which was hard to tell with their all black eyes, and stood up. As she did, most of the equipment on the bridge slid away from the massive broadcast center that had been specifically designed for contact with alien species and now descended from the ceiling.
Staying seated on the chair that seemed like a throne in the nigh empty room, the pilot activated the system and matching the frequency of the hailing signal opened a broadcast channel and waited for the ship to report connection.
Meanwhile, the primary specialist reported to the others of the approaching ships and they decided to wait and see what happened with the more diplomatic solution. The vessel had by now reversed its thrust, distancing itself enough from the star to make the jump to safety.
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In the distance, thousands of kilometers away, flated the burn out husk of a long forgotten Xilonog vessel. Beyond that, the glowing blue star of Aurora shone softly through the blackness of space. The two defense monitors began slowing their pace, realizing the vessel had altered its course.
"Armada Intelligence wants reports. I sure as hell don't want to send back nothing!" shouted the captain at no one in particular. He was often considered a daft man, many captain who commanded defense monitors were. Space was a place that drove one mad, and commanding such a tiny vessel in deep space was work for a madman.
The com cracked momentarily, and an order was shouted through it: "I want active scanning of the vessel, I want to see EVERY detail of the damned thing, got it?" Matthias went about his work diligently.
The braking thrusters did their, work, and the two craft slowed until they were 5,000 kilometers away. Close enough for railguns, thought the captain.
"Sir, they're hailing us," reported the communications officer.
"Excellent! Do we have visual and audio uplink yet?"
"No sir, the vessel has not uplinked their visual or audio systems yet. Do we send a message?"
The captain rose from his small chair on the bridge and stood before a monitor. "Aye, broadcast."
///ENCRYPTION LEVEL: none///
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Audio and video uplinks established...
Broadcast commencing...
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This is the Auroran Armada Service vessel Shield. You have entered Auroran space without authorization. The Auroran Imperium is currently in a state of heightened defense, and must take every precaution to ensure the safety of our sector. Our orders are to ascertain your purpose, your threat, and the level of your technology. Will you comply?
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The broadcast was received on the Mozaran craft and it made the pilot sigh. They had been given keys to basic communication with three of the oldest species in the sector, enough to enable a sensible first contact with them, but now here was some new, unexpected race and for them, the crew had nothing. A quick consultation among them led to the specialists supporting improvisation and the other control couple voting for prompt withdrawal. The pilot and the navigator looked at each other for a long while until the navigator cast her vote to reply to the message. The pilot sighed as this would be his duty as it was his shift.
He told the navigator to open up the same channel and broadcast a similar message back to the Shield. In the corner of the large screen containing a picture of the Auroran captain opened a little image of the pilot and for the first few seconds of the message he stared at his own image. A lean man who seemed to fit well on his throne looked back with shiny black eyes like two obsidian balls amongst a sea of red. He had no visible hair and as he blinked, eyelids flashed sideways. He hoped that his uniform and probably strange features would not upset the captain on the screen.
Then after having studied his own visage reflected back at him for a few moments, he spoke in his deep voice, judging that these aliens would be able to hear that pitch.
"Ko, Iskar kinkohan Mozarad ti fala." Greetings and most peaceful salutations, Iskar, pilot of the third Mozaran Conflux exploration space craft greets you with open arms. He carefully smiled and discreetly messaged to the rest of the ship.
"Qofor." This is going to the depths of a black hole with increasing velocity. His navigator smiled reassuringly and made a gesture. Iskar looked at this for a while before smiling even wider. He waved for the camera and sent another message to the crew, this time with a more humorous tone.
"Qoforq ahall." This is already in the depths of a black hole, so how could it possibly be worse. Even the Mozarans had learned of jinxing and this made the ship's crew smile, the specialists more than the other controller couple.
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The Captain watched the reply with horror. I've heard most of the dialects of Auroran, but this! He ain't even white or green, he' red! He turned to his communications officer. "What the Hell is that gibberish? God damnit boy, this is your job, tell me what to do!"
"Sir, I think we've made contact with another race..." he paused for a long moment, shocked. He looked to the Captain again, "I doubt they'd speak Auroran at all."
Bah, if Command hears my report they're going to think I'm daft unless I've got evidence! He looked to the communications officer once more. "Think they understand Xilonog?"
"Possibly."
"Well, activate the translator you fool!"
"Aye, Captain," he replied, pressing several buttons before looking to a screen again. "Broadcast."
///ENCRYPTION LEVEL: Xilonog///
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Broadcasting...
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Ka du Anda? Da Aurora ghan, un Aurora kal du.
Do you understand? This is an Auroran vessel, and you are in Auroran space.
A broadcast from the nearby Keeper was received shortly after. "Captain, Armada Command has no protocol for first contact. We are authorized to fire if need be."
The communications officer nodded, and the Captain replied. "I bet they're writing up a protocol right now. If these things try running away, aim to disable. I want them alive."
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Now this was something they had a key to. Iskar looked off-screen and smiled to the navigator, the speech being more familiar than they had expected. Probabilities, after all, went only so far.
Iskar nodded to the camera and said: "Iskar anda. Da Mozara ghan, un-" Iskar understands. This is a Mozaran vessel, and- a slight pause as he wondered whether there was a word for peace. Too bad their knowledge of this language was based on prediction as errors might exist. Mostly likely, lethal ones."
"Un Mozara... kash lekashar." Iskar prayed that he had said what he meant, And Mozarans... are unwarlike.
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The Captain grinned as the translator replied with broken Xilonog: "Iskar understands. This is a Mozaran vessel and the Mozaran are unwarlike." He wasn't grinning because he understood, but because the last word in the sentence was tantamount to impotent in the Xilonog language. No Xilonog would call himself impotent. The communications officer also seemed to be grinning.
"So now we find out why they are here. At least we know we've got something better than them," the captain seemed to be almost cheerful now, his name would certainly be mentioned in the protocol. Ahh, Captain Tarius... the man who discovered... he frowned, maybe he'd be mocked instead.
"Aye aye, captain. Broadcasting."
///ENCRYPTION LEVEL: Xilonog///
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Broadcasting...
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Wa Aurora du kal'da? Ka nak du grith?
Why are you in Auroran space? Do you need help?
In the distance the Keeper powered down her engines and drifted in space and began to continue her deep space scans.
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Seeing the Auroran Captain's reaction, the six aboard the ship concluded that the key was indeed functional. As no hostile means were taken by these strangers, the crew decided to allow the scanning of the scout-ship as there really were nothing but minerals and resources aboard.
After listening to the message carefully, Iskar replied.
"We seek the ones who fight. They should have been here. They are no longer a threat?
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The Captain had been watching the creature on the monitor. He didn't trust them, and neither did the communications officer. They were only transmitting their messages in bursts, wary of giving too much information to the aliens. Maybe later they'd give the Mozarans the same courtesy the Mozarans gave them. But now was not the time.
The creature spoke, its lips moving quite rapidly, and the translator relayed the message.
Tarius' lip curled up, but he was curious. He looked to the communications officer, who activated the broadcast.
"You mean the green-skinned brutes? They're supposed to be here, eh? Well, they were, you missed em by a few years. If you're lucky you might find a few of their bodies drifting around near the debris. They enslaved us, and we killed them. This is Auroran space now."
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Iskar turned his head slightly to look at the hidden navigator and after an accelerated discussion in the ship's network, he turned back with a more serious expression.
"This was not seen. We want no harm." He paused as if listening to something. "May I join your vessel?" he asked. "Talk is hard now and to join would help. We could learn your speak and make us clear."
Glancing at his lover, he continued: "The 'green-skinned brutes' may be our enemies. We came here to see if it was so."
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Tarius pondered the suggestion, before checking the status of the marines. All men were on standby.
"Scans report under ten life forms," Matthias announced.
"Alright boys, engage thrusters, bring us alongside the vessel."
The barracks of the defense monitor bustled with life as marines donned simple armor and drew their pulse rifles. The Lieutenant checked that every mans armor was strapped firmly, every man had enough oxygen and ammunition. "We're ready, captain."
The captain turned to the small camera which began broadcasting his image. "So, how should we do this? We can board your craft by close range teleporters, shuttle, or you can use some nifty technology." The captain's tone was full of sarcasm, and he watched the distance between their vessels close while the Keeper opened her railgun ports and took up a defensive position at 4,000 kilometers.
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"Prepare to activate the generator if something goes wrong," skidded across the network and was promptly acknowledged. Iskar conjured up a three-dimensional image of the ship in his lap, smiling at the clearly sarcastic tone.
"If you want to join us, do so here," he said out loud and touched a part of the ship inside it's G-shaped coil with a cybernetic hand, the ship's landing area. "I will be there fast. Iskar Kin off." He nodded to the navigator and stood up, the connection still established. He walked past the screen to the airlock of the primary command centre and reallocated the excess particles there to form a breath mask for him. He considered for a while and covered his ears with the same shiny substance that covered his eyes.
He logged in for a fraction of a second to detect the position of the Auroran craft took off at a sprint, jumping down transfer ducts when needed.
Meanwhile, the navigator sat on the throne and took over control of the ship, establishing a connection with the secondary controllers. The change of position was not necessary, but it was symbolical and Mozarans loved symbolism.
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Tarius opened the com channels, informing the marines of their intended destination. "You will travel by shuttle to the central landing area of the craft. The atmosphere within their vessel is not especially comfortable, so make sure you're out there for no more than four hours. Your conversation will be monitored from here. We can't trust aliens, so if anything goes wrong get off that vessel."
The lieutenant looked to his men. "Alright, boys, almost standard procedure. But this time, we use words and not plasma bolts. No firing, or I swear to God your ass is going to be fried."
"Lieutenant Faust, sir. What if they open fire?" asked a Marine.
"There's 6 of them. We kill em all, got it? But we aren't there to kill. So, me and nine others, head to the shuttle."
"We're not taking a full shuttle?"
"There's six of them, in a four hundred meter long vessel. It's either really spacious, or really cramped. I also don't feel like babysitting ten more people."
Ten marine quickly boarded a small shuttle. The plasma drives sparked to life and a blue glow emanated from them. Within moments the small bay doors opened and the craft raced towards the G shaped vessel. Within a minute it had set down within the small alien vessel and the marines opened the pressurized hatch. Lieutenant Faust slowly stepped out, breathing in the fresh oxygen from his mask.
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Iskar arrived only a few moments behind in a most peculiar manner. He had managed to pick up a white shield-coat in his haste and it fluttered in the oxygen-nitrogen compound that had been formed to serve as the atmosphere for their guests. Also, Iskar fell from a transport conduct in the ceiling of the hangar, decreasing his velocity thanks to the tube's reversed gravity. The rest of the hangar remained at 0.6 G as always. The tube operation was one of the truly perfected systems, to help travel inside the ship in all situations.
Iskar landed with a soft thump and crouched for balance as he had been coming down fast to be on time. He was off-line, but closely observed by the rest of the crew so he stood up and walked closer to the marines, stopping twenty meters away and raising his hand slowly in a greeting.
"I come in not-war," he said in Xilonog, his low-pitched voice slightly muffled by the breathing apparatus covering the lower half of his face.
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Lieutenant Faust looked quizzically at the creature called Iskar and it's peculiar entrance. He glanced up to the tube in near wonder, then he spoke in plain Auroran, transmitted through speakers in his mask. "I don't understand a damned word you're saying." He turned to another marine, waving him forward. "Specialist Tael, inform the... thing... that not every Auroran speaks Xilonog. Then, ask him how we can help learn our language, so I don't have to hear the blasphemy any longer."
"Yes sir," commented a marine, relaying the words in a more diplomatic form to the Mozaran.
His magnetic boots were keeping him locked to the hull, but he still felt slightly nauseous. It always took several minutes to adjust to a new gravity setting. He looked back up to the tube while the marine translated his words.
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Iskar listened eagerly, nodded and thought for a while. The limited vocabulary made it difficult for him to form complex sentences, but as he heard the language, he absorbed more of it.
"I need to join with your know-machines that know your language and all of it. Like so I can learn your language fast." He shifted his weight, unsure of what the reaction to access their computers would be if that indeed was what he had said. The coat might actually come in handy. He hoped it would not.
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Faust watched the creature speak, vaguely intrigued by it's eccentricity. If nothing else, at least he was humoured. "Private, cut the uplink to the Shield. Purge all of the memory systems except the universal translator." The good thing about shuttles was they were only needed for one routine, flying. And that was something Aurorans did not trust robots to do, so wiping the shuttles memory would cause no long term downsides, especially when the useful information would be reloaded when the uplink to the ship was re-established.
He turned to the creature, motioning for it to enter the shuttle after the marine. "Tael, tell it it can use the computers. See if it'd be willing to give it their language as well, unless that's not possible."
Specialist Tael quickly relayed the information in Xilonog. Some Aurorans spoke Xilonog fluently, it had become useful during the resistance to learn what he enemy was planning.
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Iskar nodded in acknowledgement and entered the shuttle. The small space made him feel comfortable as he looked around for an input device. He couldn't find one.
"Where is the use-thing for the machine?" he asked with slight confusion in his voice.
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The shuttle powered down rather suddenly, and the marine called out to the lieutenant, "Give her a minute!" After several long seconds, the craft powered up again, and a cheery marine hopped out of the cockpit. "Alright, she's rebooted."
The lieutenant looked to the specialist, then pondered. He nodded to Tael, "Tell him if he can direct connect through the secondary interface," he pointed to the interface before the navigators seat. It had several ports built into a secondary computer, and a keyboard with a simple monitor. "If he can't, tell him he's shit out of luck."
Specialist Tael relayed the information to the creature through his mask, looking back to Faust, who also checked his oxygen levels.
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Iskar listened closely and sat down on the chair. He breathed in deep and said over his shoulder: "I will be in pain, do not fear." He lay his hands on the keyboard and suddenly the top layer of his metallic hands seemed to peel off and disappear inside the machine.
A quick scan he discovered that the translator was all that remained in the shuttle's database and smiled. A good precaution, he thought and activated the download. The rush of information made him convulse and snap straight in the seat. After a few seconds of spasms with only his hands fixed on the keyboard the metal rearranged itself on his arms.
Iskar panted and analysed, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes. "Thank you very much," he said in Auroran after recollecting his thoughts. "Communication should be a bit easier now, don't you think?" He smiled under his mask.
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Lieutenant Faust was taken aback by the scene, and when the creature spoke a chill ran down his spine. Never had he heard his language spoken so well, and yet it was so cold. He shrugged, deciding the creatures would need a small amount of time to realize which emotions went where. "Alright, let's exit the shuttle and I'll have my men purge the systems again... you must understand the situation the Auroran Imperium is in. Aurora is under siege by the Xilonog, and our factories sole purpose is to produce weapons of war which keep my people alive, our people don't have time to make mistakes. We've been enslaved for over four centuries, and we aren't so keen on relinquishing our new found freedom."
Specialist Tael tapped his helmet, establishing a link with the Shield. "No, the aliens have learned our language. Shuttles uplink will be reestablished in five minutes." The shuttle powered down once more, before restarting again.
"The Xilonog are overdue for an attack, the two ships you encountered are part of a system defense group which looks for threats," the lieutenant realised he was slightly more comfortable with a creature that spoke his language, and he tensed realizing that it was still a foreigner. "Why have you come to Aurora, and why are we not the ones you were supposed to meet?"
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Iskar stood up, still exhausted and listened carefully to the marines in their native language. "It is a long story, millenia long, in fact. Let me introduce myself properly first, now that it is possible," his stance became straighter and more powerful as if he received energy from speaking. He followed the Lieutenant outside, flexing his muscles as he stepped outside.
"I am Iskar, pilot of the Mozaran Conflux. Aboard this ship, one of six exploration vessels, are my beloved navigator, Ysyl of the Crescent, another pilot/navigator couple and two specialists.
"I can now see why you were so concerned about our appearance and most humbly apologize for the intrusion. We... jumped inside your system due to a slight error in my piloting," Iskar smiled as this way he protected the perfectness of his beloved from the aliens interest. "We expected these Xilonog to be here instead of you. We came here to assess their threat level and provide information for the Conflux so that our leaders might decide on the best course of action regarding them."
The red-skinned humanoid smiled through the transparent mask. "And we are most likely not a threat to you. We bear little in the way of armaments, mining lasers and explosives. For the time being, the Conflux has decided to avoid conflict with locals. As such, I am not sure whether or not we can assist you in your war presently." He looked around him.
"The atmosphere should be suitable for you, oxygen and nitrogen with a ratio of twenty-one to seventy-eight. Hydrogen dioxide, water, is also in the gas."
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"Our initial scans picked up high levels of other gasses, so allow me to confirm this..." he looked to Specialist Tael, who walked inside the shuttle. After checking a few monitors, he nodded to the lieutenant.
The lieutenant, however, had remembered stories of a plague that had afflicted the Xilonog shortly after their occupation of Aurora. He decided against his better judgement, releasing the clasps of his helmet, tossing it through the low gravity environment into the shuttle. "Keep your helmets on boys, if these guys have any diseases we'll need vaccines, and we only need one sample." He turned to his comrades who nodded in return.
"So, ya'll are miners?" he inquired rhetorically, continuing before the alien could answer. "Well, that's just fine, although since there's obviously no Xilonog here we're not sure what use you have for this system." He breathed a deep breath, inhaling the manufactured oxygen of the ship. Just like home, he thought. "So, what do you mine anyways?
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"No fear for disease. We are not strictly biological and it grants us certain advantages."
"We mine higher-degree elements; uranium, thorium and elerium are our main priorities. We also collect simpler metals, aluminum, copper, iron, titanium and precious metals, gold, silver and platinum." He thought for a while. "We also look for primitive life-forms for genetic data to enhance our own if possible. We have deteriorated in the last few hundred years at an alarming rate."
"What use do we have for your system? Nothing I could say without contact to the Conflux. Except that considering that our mission in your galaxy will most likely take a long time, it would be good to have..." He paused to pick the proper word. "Brethren here." He gazed outside through the blue haze of the containment field, seeing space mostly covered by the curve in the hull.
"Space is a cold place, Auroran. Too cold to be alone in." Finally his voice had caught a tone, one of regret and inhuman sadness. Iskar sighed and continued to look out of the landing bay. He had a habit of losing himself when talking about space. He reckoned that after travelling so long in the void, a part of it was in him.
"You are not alone here, Auroran," he finally continued, his deep voice cool like before, but now it had a more natural tinge to it. "Many races beside the Xilonog have developed spacetravel and they will come. You may win your war against your former oppressors, but you should also prepare for the others."
Ysyl, he whispered through the ever-present circuitry as he connected to it and transmitted the data from the universal translator to the main database. He enjoyed the painlessness of uploading. Observe and acknowledge: dispatch one message probe to communications range and inform the Conflux of the situation. We have potential allies who might be able to help us in our search. And who might be of pleasant company. He added the last with a virtual smile.
As you wish, fire of my heart. Probe on stand-by.
"If you do not mind, we would like to inform the Conflux of our situation with a probe." He turned to stare at the Lieutenant with his shiny black orbs.
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"As long as your mission does not prevent us from fulfilling ours, I see no reason why we cannot work together..." he said hesitantly, somehow sensing the creature may have seen worse things than he could have imagined. He looked to Specialist Tael and told him to inform the Shield and Keeper that the vessel would likely launch an object which was not a threat. Both vessels acknowledged.
"You can launch your probe when you will," Faust said, looking at the Mozaran's strange red flesh. "Space is indeed a lonely place," he noted, his eyes glancing down to his boots, "although it never bores me to see the stars or orbit Aurora. They say our world was once beautiful, but now a massive layer of smog covers it. If you orbit at the right angle, the blue light from our star does wonders in the atmosphere, and the city sparkles in a wondrous way."
He paused as well, surprised as he realized he was drifting off as the Mozaran had. He found it strange that the alien could feel the same emotions as he, very different than the Xilonog. "The 'others' that you speak of, they would be wise to be as polite as your kind," he said as a crooked grin crossed his face. "You seem like you've come a long way, what is your mission?"
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The small cube a dozen meters away lifted up and slowly penetrated the forcefield before accelerating towards the rim of the system. Iskar looked at it as it disappeared behind the hull.
"Our mission... We have many missions. One is to prepare the civilisations for the guidance of the Collective should they wish it. Another is to seek a way to control zerospace." He looked at the officer and continued, knowing that they had no such word, but that it came close to the meaning. "Zerospace is what we use. You might call it another dimension, which it is and is not. The technical details are complex and some are beyond even me." There was no boasting in his voice. He just happened to be one of the best 0-space manipulators in the Conflux, second only to their highest leader.
"The others... I can not say. We have not made contact with them as of an hour ago, but regardless, we have an advantage to them," he sighed. "An advantage and a curse. They lack the perspective we have gained over millennia." He looked outside again.
"A horrible perspective in many ways, but at least we do not have need for fear. We accept," he thought for a while and added in the regular cool tone: "Specialists, stand down from generator activation." They are not a threat.
"You actually do have something we have been lacking for a long time, something we haven't needed - or realised we needed - before." Iskar turned to the Lieutenant and smiled, white shining between his thin lips. "Emotions."
The line of thought ended and Iskar felt triumphous. He shared his ideas with the rest of the crew and was answered with an amazed stillness. He was right. This revolutionary revelation must reach the Conflux. The others hesitantly agreed.
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Lieutenant Faust shuddered slightly, attempting to not make it noticeable. They need emotions? How long HAVE they been in space?
He paused, trying to think of some witty remark to say. He found one: "Well, not every emotion is useful, and I wouldn't trust myself to teach you emotions, my comrades say I'm moody. If you don't have em, maybe you're the lucky ones... and watch out for jealousy, she's a killer," he said distastefully, thinking of his wife. Ex-wife, rather. His men were getting lazy, only two of them were actually paying attention. The other seven seemed to be either sitting on the shuttles ramp, or gazing at the alien vessel. He rolled his eyes and looked back to Iskar.
"To be honest, honesty being a good emotion, I wouldn't go forcing the Collective down anyone's throat. Trust me, I speak for all Auroran's when I say we don't enjoy being told what to do by... someone else. And Zero-space... sounds... interesting. I'm a marine though, not a physicist, so I don't think I'd understand anything past the first 5 words your speak," he joked.
"I'm not sure there's much else I can help you with. I'll wait with you until your probe returns, in case your superiors require something. But beyond that, you'd either have to follow our craft to Aurora or come back sometime later. You'll probably get a warmer greeting next time 'cuz you sure ain't green," he said, looking over the creatures red skin with a crooked grin.
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Iskar nodded and smiled back, not fully understanding how hating one species could lead to hating a colour, but he would learn. "The Collective is... unique, I would say. It connects everyone together where we come from. As for Zero-space... It is hard for anyone not born to it to understand. Like explaining colours to someone who can not see light at all. A seventh sense of sorts."
He added a few numbers together and said continued: "The probe should be able to transmit in fourteen minutes with full clarity, then after about seven minutes later the Conflux will have voted and two minutes until the probe can broadcast our orders to us. Would you prefer to wait here or back onboard your ship?"
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Faust pondered for a minute, looking to the alien. Part of him told him his men wanted to get back to the ship, but part of him told him to stay in case the Mozarans needed him. "You've got them numbers down pretty precise. Us Auroran's aren't usually as reliable."
He hesitated, looking at the Mozaran with a sort of respect. "At any rate, we'll head back to our ship. I must say, space never fails to surprise me."
"Ya'll have a good day." He felt like saying more, but he didn't know what to say. He quickly departed to his shuttle, where the marines locked themselves into their seats. The shuttle doors sealed tight, and a short hiss proved that the vessel was pressurized. A quick start of the plasma engines sent the craft out of the bay and towards the Shield. Shortly after docking, Lieutenant Faust entered the bridge, still wearing his armor.
Faust snapped a quick salute, "Sir, the aliens will be receiving a return message within a half hour."
"You've done an excellent job, Lieutenant." He nodded to the communications officer, and proceeded to authorize the Keeper to continue with its patrol route. It's disruption fields and weapons powered down, and it accelerated into the void. "We'll wait here until she has received a reply."
Lieutenant Faust snapped a quick salute and proceeded to exit the bridge.
-
Iskar watched as the shuttle took off and stared after it for a long time. This would make actual contact with the Xilonog easier in the future and, in a way, they now had information they might not have acquired through silent observation. He hoped the Conflux would be pleased.
Traveling slower this time, he reached the bridge in fifteen minutes. He smiled victoriously to Ysyl who stood up and returned to her original seat. Iskar sat on his throne and waited for the reply.
Probe communication detected, pilot. The primary specialist messaged after a few minutes.
Thank you, specialist, Iskar replied and connected to the ship. The message was short and clear:
Stage four still in progress, avoid all actions against the security of the Conflux. Pilot Iskar hence promoted to the rank of Protector.
But that was not the end of the transmission. A further scrambled message continued and he realised it could be unlocked with his personal access key. He smiled.
The Conflux grants you full authority over your ship and the relations with the Aurorans in bounds of the predetermined rules. Your exceptional idea is under revision.
Re-establish communications. He ordered Ysyl.
At once, beloved Protector. Her reply carried a hint of pride.
Still smiling, Iskar spoke to the camera. "This is Protector Iskar of the Mozaran Conflux. I have been given full rights to relations with your species as long as it does not harm the Conflux."
"In other words, I submit my offer to help you in both developing your civilisation and, more indirectly, your war with the Xilonog, if such you require."
-
Help in the war? thought Tarius, look slightly skeptical while allowing the broadcast to remain open. He pondered for a long minute on what to say, growing nervous of the black eyes that watched him through the transmission.
"Well, I'm not sure I'm authorized to discuss these sort of things," he informed the Mozaran after several minutes of pondering. "I can do one of two things, I can escort you to Aurora and we can meet with a proper delegation there, or we can call for one to come to us."
He sat silently, waiting for the reply. He studied the creatures strange..... everything. The only thing that comforted him was that it had two legs and two arms.
-
"Whichever is easier for you to arrange will be managable for us," Iskar replied and thought for a while. "I am not sure what we have to offer to you so I will have to contemplate on the topic. Time is not an issue to us. We will wait for your arrangements."
A brief conversation inside the ship's network ended in the secondary officers returning to duty and Ysyl standing up and smiling at Iskar. He smiled back and in the simultaneous manner of lovers universally, they both made the symbol of Xi - everything good there is in life and existence - and Ysyl departed.
Iskar stared after her with a slight curve on his lips, enjoying the way her uniformed body moved. In a sense, the shroud of clothing brought an excitement of its own, as you knew something but it was just beyond the reach of your eyes. When she had disappeared behind the white door leading to their quarters, he turned once again to look at Tarius, finally studying the strange creature properly in amazement.
-
Well... I guess that means they're straight... I think, thought Tarius as he observed the alien. "I'll call a vessel to meet us. Fleet is undergoing war games near Aurora in preparation for an offensive, last thing we need are them mistaking you for real enemies."
He turned to his communications officer, who opened an audio frequency with a high level encryption code.
"This is Captain Tarius of the Shield, having made contact I am requesting a vessel with a formal emissary rendezvous with us at the designated coordinates." He nodded, and the communications officer pushed a button. Outside the ship a small sphere, essentially an engine with a computer, was deployed. It raced off towards the blue star before flashing in a small burst of light.
"Alright, we'll have company soon," Tarius informed Iskar.
-
Iskar nodded in acknowledgement just as the secondary officers entered the bridge. "Shall you board us again or shall I take a shuttle to dock with this meeting vessel or will further communications be conducted through this audio-visual connection? Our ship is currently positioned right outside the critical range of error for a jump and I have been requested by the Conflux to keep it at such a point in case of any possible emergency."
-
Tarius didn't know what the new protocol would be. "Eh, I don't know yet. We'll probably ask that you board the Shield."
"Captain," Matthias chimed in over the com. "I'm picking up a signal."
The Captain turned to look at the holographic display of the locale. "Auroran?"
"Negative."
Captain Tarius turned to the monitor, as if he wanted to say something. Nerves rattled through him, and his voice was shaky with fear. "All men, high alert! Standby for action!" The bridge seemed to bustle to life as a blue glow emanated throughout the corridors. "Open railgun doors, power weapon systems and d-fields. Marines, ready yourselves! We have contact!"
A flash appeared several thousand kilometers away, and the Shield quickly turned to engage, opening fire with her railguns. Round after round shot out from her bow at massive speeds. A Xilonog vessel seemed to thrust itself out of the light, slamming into the hail of railgun rounds which impacted against shields with little effect. It quickly returned fire, large orange spheres directed at the Shield.
"All ahead full!" shouted Tarius, without realizing the transmission was still being broadcast to Iskar. Impacts from rounds shook the craft, her d-fields only reducing the blows. The Shield hurled itself toward the Xilonog vessel, orange orbs slamming into her fast approaching shape, and the crazed Captain appeared to be smiling as the ship rocked from the blows.
-
Protector, the Auroran vessel is under attack, shall we intervene? the primary specialist messaged as Iskar watched the transmission.
Negative, but prepare a class four mining charge and activate the forward accelerator with ninety-percent power. He detailed the plan over the network and the ship began to turn. If the Aurorans seem to be losing, launch the charge. The specialist brought the trajectories of the Xilonog ship into view and a crosshair that signified the presumed location of the Xilonog vessel with a lag of six seconds.
"Captain, do you require assistance?" Iskar asked with a raised voice and studied the actions seen on the screen. "If so, withdraw from the alien vessel and we will se if they can resist high amounts of compact energy." He felt an odd rush of excitement in his veins.
He smiled.
Then he grinned.
-
Another blast ravaged the vessel, knocking the crew through the ship. The artificial gravity disengaged, signaling several of the power reactors had overloaded or leaked, but the vessel continued through space without pause.
"Divert power from thrusters to weapons and fire at will!" shouted the Captain, buckling himself into his seat. Blue orbs surged forth from the front of the vessel at an unbelievable rate, slamming into the Xilonog vessels shields. They seemed to flicker under the intense barrage, and the Shield was on a course to ram her.
Several Xilonog shots slammed into to ventral tower, instantly killing Matthias and his fellows. The transmission signal from the Shield was severed, and eight smaller, nearly concealed plasma turrets opened up on the Xilonog craft. A flash of light in the distance, some 40,000 kilometers off, heralded the entrance of another Auroran vessel as the Shield slammed into the failing Xilonog shield. An explosion ripped through the smaller vessel, disabling the Xilonog's shields, and the distant cruiser quickly powered her weapons.
A beam of light, fired from well over thirty thousand kilometers away, ripped through a section of the Xilonog craft. The Xilonog seemed to pause, a scan sweeping through space detecting it's next target, the Mozaran vessel.
-
Auroran vessel destroyed, Protector, alien vessel scanning us.
Iskar narrowed his eyes. Excitement was replaced with fury. Eliminate them. A short pause was followed by a long vibration as the charge was launched. Time slowed down as the astroparticle shields raised immediately after the projectile launched and Iskar heightened his reflexes with the assistance of the ship's computer to see exactly the devastation that would ensue.
Four seconds to impact.
The scanning fixed in and the Xilonogs opened fire.
Two seconds to impact.
The first projectiles reflected of the cone-shaped entry shield and Iskar felt vicious. Like using a high intensity laser to cut a thread.
Impact.
The shield dimmed immediately in front of the cameras but even through that shone the effect of 170 grams of antimatter contacting matter. It was an amazing explosion, but Iskar felt a slight tinge as he realised he had just issued the deaths of the ship's crew. Enemies, he thought and the regret subsided.
Detonation radius maximised at two-point-seven-three kilometers, the primary specialist reported.
Hail the Aurorans, Iskar commanded, surprising himself and the others with his tone. We wouldn't want them to think we wish them harm, would we now, comrades?
-
Commodore Tiberius was rather impressed with the explosion that had consumed everything within the vicinity of the Xilonog craft. He frowned, however. So many good men dead, he thought.
The communications officer turned to him, also rather upset. "Sir, the alien craft is hailing us."
"Was that their weapon that destroyed the Xilonog craft?"
"I believe so, Commodore."
"Aye, patch them through," he shifted in his chair, clearing his throat.
"Broadcasting."
Tiberius merely nodded, unphased as the visual of the Mozarans appeared before him. At least they aren't green.
"I believe you avenged my comrades, alien. They'll rest with the stars, but I've come here to finish what they started." He paused, thinking of what to say. "I am authorized to give you access to all civilian level space, and I would like to extend a hand of friendship. So long as you stay in Auroran space, you will be protected by the Armada."
"In exchange, we're interested in any technology, information, or assistance you can give us." He finished his sentence and watched the Mozaran intently.
-
"Greetings, Auroran. We would have intervened sooner and avoided the unnecessary casualties of your people had they withdrawn from the blast radius. However, your hate for the Xilonog runs very deep." Iskar smiled, connecting his cybernetic fingertips in front of him.
"I apologise for the fact that it is a risk to your people for our ship to approach the vicinity of your star, but I will arrive on a shuttle to... shake hands. And thank you for your offer of protection, the use of that charge depleted most of our antimatter reserves."
"As for technology, information or assistance, I am not sure of my liberties in this matter. By the time I reach the hangar bay we will have received word from our Conflux and I can share what I am allowed to. Our Secondary Pilot will keep you informed."
"If you have no further questions immediately, I shall depart at once for my transport."
Specialist, request authority clearance from the Conflux.
Acknowledged and underway, was the primary specialist's reply and the probe accelerated once again toward the edge of the system.
-
"Affirmative," replied Tiberius, accidentally responding as though the alien were a human. His Auroran is perfect...
He turned to the Captain with a grin, "Ready the fighters. I want him given a proper escort."
"Aye aye, Commodore!" he snapped a salute, reaching for the com. "Pilots, to your stations. Rendezvous with alien craft and escort."
A flight of small, x-winged fighters, totaling twelve, shot from the small hanger in the two kilometer long cruiser, racing towards the idle Mozaran craft.
-
As Iskar ran a status check on the shuttle, he received disturbing news. The Conflux had decided that in order to increase probabilities of discovering their holy grail, they would spread out to separate parts of the galaxy. The details stored themselves without further analysation as the main point became clear.
Take care of these civilisations as you best see fit for possible connection to the Collective. You're on your own, Protector of Sector Alpha.
The ship's own channels lay silent, static resonating from the furious contemplation going on. Iskar disconnected and took off in his shuttle, passing smoothly through the containment field and turning his little spherical pod toward the Auroran cruiser.
He absorbed the whole mainframe of the pod into his mind and programmed it quickly to wake him up when they were hailed. Then, he redirected the computer processes to accelerate his thinking immensely and he fell asleep, the space around him seemingly frozen in time.
-
It didn't take long for the fighters to travel the distance between the Auroran and Mozaran craft. They quickly swarmed around the fast craft, ensuring it made it safely back to the Anathema.
The journey through the void was a calm one, however short it was. In the distance the blue star of Aurora burned in the night, and one could barely notice two small light, two of the four worlds that orbited the star. Aurora, the closest world to the star, was orbited by three moons, all of which had been strip mined over the centuries and functioned as massive shipyards. The second world in the system shared a similar orbit and speed with Aurora. It was believed by ancient Aurorans that the world, known as Aurora Secundus, was the guiding star that never left the Auroran night. Now it served as an agricultural world, growing the food necessary to feed the billions that lived on Aurora.
It all seemed so distance, yet in the vastness of space it seemed so close. Tiberius wondered if he were to reach out for Aurora, would it fit in his palm?
The observation deck reported in, interrupting his thoughts. "Mozaran craft approaching."
"Aye. Communications officer, inform the ...'Mozaran'... that he's granted clearance to land. Lieutenant Thule, assemble a detail to escort the emissary to the bridge," he announced his orders directly over the com. The Anathema was his flagship, and he had hand picked every crew member to be completely loyal. The Marine detachment, hand picked by the near fanatical Thule, was unquestionably loyal. They would kill Emperor Valerius himself, should Tiberius issue the order. But Tiberius' loyalties were not one to be questioned either.
He watched the swarm of vessels approach, mere specks on the canvas of space. A smile crossed his face, if the alien thought today was interesting, it would soon be surprised further by the welcome the Armada had authorized.
-
A bleep and Iskar woke up from nine hours of subjective sleep. He scanned the message granting him clearance to land and took over the ship's controls. Looking through the shielded window, he directed the shuttle to the Auroran cruiser's docking bay and checked all systems' functionability.
Once he confirmed that everything was in order, he rearranged the structure of his clothing to form the white and red metallic uniform (http://xcom.strategyplanet.gamespy.com/images/x1u17.gif) of the Protectors and attached the breathing mask to it. Smiling at his new rank, he confirmed that the suit was functional and opened the door of the shuttle, stepping out into the hangar bay.
-
A detachment of twelve marines awaited Iskar. Their armor was exactly the same as Faust's had been, they're rifles held at ease. They quickly snapped a salute and asked the Mozaran to follow. A long, silent walk through the cramped, windowless corridors of the craft led them to the core of the ship, the bridge. Well lit, over a dozen men bustled around controls, switches, keyboards, and a large, holographic display of space. The display read the detection range was at 120 thousand kilometers, the massive antennae on front of the vessel augmenting the range significantly.
Commodore Tiberius, dressed in a uniform befitting a man of such a high rank, strode to Iskar, who had drawn the attention of everyone in the room. "At ease, men, back to your stations."
"Aye aye, Commodore," they responded uniformly. All but one, Lieutenant Thule, left the bridge. Tiberius nodded, and looked to the alien.
"Welcome aboard the Anathema..." he realized he didn't know the creatures name, but shrugged. "My name is Commodore Tiberius, and I'm here to officially welcome you to Auroran space. Have you thought about what you're people will allow you to do?"
-
"My name is Iskar and I am happy to accept your welcome," the red-skinned Mozaran replied and smiled, showing his teeth through the breathmask.
"Ever since certain... events not too long ago, I am the Protector of Sector Alpha as defined by the Mozaran Conflux. I have been given full authority over my actions concerning the recently defined Sector Alpha in which this system as well as thirty-three point fifty-nine billion other stars are included. As such, here, my will is my people's will. And, as such, I wish to ask you:" Iskar's grin turned vicious.
"What do you need, Commodore Tiberius?"
-
Suddenly Tiberius felt as though he wasn't a high enough rank to speak with this Iskar fellow. "Well, you're all the more welcome here. I assure that whilst aboard this vessel your life is safe. Safer than anywhere else in space." He looked to the display, as if waiting for something, then turned back to Iskar.
"So, do you have any technology that would help us in our fight against the Xilonog? Also, it was mentioned in a report that you had a mission. Can you care to detail it for me, maybe the Imperium could be of assistance."
-
Iskar studied Tiberius for a while with his shiny black eyes before answering in a serious manner: "The mission of the Conflux, in its main points, is fairly simple. We were sent to this galaxy by the Collective, a composition of sentient races that spans the whole of our own galaxy, to seek a... key that would allow the Collective to access another way of existance that we call zerospace. This key was left behind an ancient race of now transcendant beings who apparently wished that anyone worthy of using it could join them wherever they disappeared to."
He considered his words before continuing: "The Collective believes that if it indeed was possible to find and use the key, it would grant the ability to access zerospace and normal spaces simultaneously. What such control would grant is only guessable to us as the Collective merely issued us to find and bring back the key. The Collective is sure to know how it could and should be used."
"Zerospace itself... well, the closest explanation for it in your language would be to compare it to 'normal' space through mathematics. If this reality consists of numbers, one, two, nine, minus twelve and so forth, then zerospace is the axis of i, 2i and minus i."
"As for technology that might help you in your war?" Iskar smiled again. "I am not sure how your species has developed. Use of zerospace requires a certain attunement to reality and," he raised his cybernetic hands in front of his chest. "Certain tools. We have been given control of our machines by the Collective, but we do not know how it was done. Those few children that are born to the Conflux have the ability immediately, making them quite... frighteningly intelligent for their age, which is why we apply accelerated growth to them."
He let out a deep sound that might have been a chuckle had it come from someone less alien. "I enjoy this conversation with you, Commodore Tiberius of the Auroran Imperium. Have you perchance discovered antimatter creation or cold fusion?"
-
Commodore Tiberius merely grinned. "No, antimatter... is difficult to procure, as you can imagine. We've managed to harness small amounts in magnetics fields within vacuums, but as far as I know we chose to utilize plasma instead. Get us close enough," he raised his fist into the air, "and you will feel pain." He slammed his fist into a console which barely withstood the blow of his fisted glove. "Anti-matter is more of a double edged sword, our foes lack sophisticated long range weaponry, and from our understanding of anti-matter, that could be more devastating to us than the Xilonog. We rely on high powered lasers for range. And cold fusion... now that's interesting..."
Tiberius paused, looking at the alien. "You would happen to know how to rip space-time... would you? I've had this idea I've been trying to push through R&D, but they... are stubborn. They can adapt alien technology, but be damned should they invent something Auroran!" he paused, looking at Iskar with a frown. "No offense intended, just everything we use short of disruption fields are alien technologies."
Tiberius paused for along time, watching the holographic image flicker slightly. "If you can assist us with a more efficient travel, such as my wormhole idea, something where we don't need... robots, I can't see why the Imperium would not assist with your endeavor."
-
"We are used to circumventing space-time through zerospace, ignoring it rather than manipulating it, but I know the theory you are talking about. A different approach to accessing zerospace can create these wormholes you speak of, so we may be of some assistance in that field. However, unless you have massive amounts of energy at your disposal, the wormhole would not stay stable for very long. Unless..." Iskar turned his gaze to the horizon behind the Commodore.
"Unless you were to establish another reversed wormhole from the destination at the same time, which would drop the energy drain by..." numbers ran through his vision. "Approximately 99.99853 per cent. Make that 99.998, just in case. How large would this interstellar gate have to be?"
-
Tiberius pondered, closing his eyelids while trying to imagine the width of a carrier. "I was considering more a wormhole generator, one that could be powered on or off, but anything is great. And I'd say, slightly over a kilometer wide, closer to two kilometers, just to be safe. If this is possible..." his sentence trailed off as he grinned. "If this is possible, I can assure you if the Imperium will not aid you, I will."
"If you don't mind, might I ask what this key looks like, and why your vessel is apparently a mining craft?" he asked, his blue eyes watching the scan of the Mozaran craft.
-
"We do not know for certain. It might be an object, it might be an idea. We can only guess. As for why we have been mining, we need resources for our search and for Stage Five of our mission." Figures scrolled in his eyes and he smiled.
"Wormholes require too much energy. It would be easier to create a device that allows you to bypass the light speed barrier and then accelerate past it." He thought a while and confirmed his calculations. Iskar nodded and continued, "There wouldn't be too much time loss in that case either. I'll have to ask our specialists to detail the schematics. I believe you should be able to manufacture the devices."
-
Tiberius raised an eyebrow. Research and development had never imagined how to create such devices, and much money had been spent on the ideas. "I'm very intrigued about these ideas. Please, send them directly to me when you've drawn up the idea. I'll authorize multiple vehicles to test the device once we can construct it. We'd not only be able to help the Conflux with your mission, but we'd be able to take the front away from Aurora. That would be invaluable."
"What would you like in return for the propulsion? And, I'm also curious," Tiberius pondered, thinking of the stars he could not see. "Does the Conflux have any more militaristic aims in this galaxy?"
-
"Militaristic aims?" Iskar smiled. "We do not need to fight anyone. That is one of our gifts, we can avoid battles should we wish so. Meaning that the answer is no, for the time being, as we haven't met anyone we think of as a threat to anything we hold in value."
"In return?" Iskar smiled. "Try to get along with other species in this Sector. We would rather see peace than war. But this argument with the Xilonogs is inevitable, so we will not hold it against you in any way."
-
"I will not attack unless attacked, I promise. But these Xilonog, they are intent on enslaving us or killing us. We cannot stop until they submit." He paused for a moment, as if thinking of something, before looking at Iskars black eyes once more. "I think I'd like to name the propulsion system the Conflux Jump Drive," he grinned. "Since you seek to avoid battles, if one is inevitable, I assure you the Imperium would gladly repay you."
"I think that's all we have to discuss. If you need to contact us, then I hope we're the ones you find here," Tiberius smiled, "Lieutenant Thule, prepare a detail to escort Iskar to his shuttle."
-
Iskar made a short bow and replied: "I am most certain that we will be able to find you if the need arises. Until we meet again, Commodore Tiberius of the Auroran Imperium." Thus departing from the bridge, Iskar returned to his shuttle escorted and left the ship. Before he had returned to his own ship, the schematics were broadcast to the Anathema along with another blueprint, a map of the solar system and a note.
This device can be used to contact us through Zerospace. The reception is much better when away from gravity wells, but we will set a probe outside your system in the located place so you can contact us through it even if you are close to your star.
Signed,
Salaas,
Specialist.
When the shuttle had entered the landing bay, the Mozaran G-ship quickly accelerated towards the edge of the system before disappearing in a flash.
-
Captain Patricia was among the most promising captains the Auroran Imperium had to offer. She was one of the first chosen to command the newly refitted vessel, lovingly codenamed Zephyr. She had been hastily modified with a new drive, the Conflux Jump Drive. The Auroran scientists had heavily tweaked her, giving her two more engines to use which greatly increased her acceleration rate, but meant that she could not fire weapons while using the drives, nor could she slow down quickly. Captain Patricia sighed as her vessel approached the edge of the stars gravity well, and she watched the holographic projector flicker. Here goes nothing, she looked to the engineer monitoring the newly installed device.
"Ok, once I activate this, if all works well, we'll just be in another place and won't remember the journey. Time will essenti--"
"I don't need details, Ensign, I need results. What're the chances this will fail?"
"Well, if we constructed the engine right, there's no chance." He seemed to radiate arrogance, and Patricia had her doubts.
"Engage the jump drive," she relented.
With the push of a button, power seemed to surge through the craft, and the lights flickered for several seconds. Then, time seemed to stop. But time never resumed for Patricia, and the charred husk of the destroyed Zephyr travelled through the void faster than light, the price of arrogance. Within a week, another craft, the Swift, was exiting the shipyard for another attempt to succeed at FTL travel.