Chapter XXVII: Evacuation
Silvermist immediately activated the big screen that showed an older, wizened and gray-haired Loroi, “I am Torrai Soshret Lightspear, Commander of this system’s defenses. Heartfelt greetings to you on behalf of the Loroi Union, esteemed Envoy, yet the situation does no longer permit for our scheduled meeting to take place.”
“I understand that the occasion was spoiled by a rude and uninvited guest,” commented the Human Captain, “What is the new plan?”
“Honored one,” The Soshret used a very formal way of addressing a high-ranking male, “I would ask of you to evacuate to the interior immediately, please use the Enedd jump link before the subsequent one is closed off.”
“Of course,” Alexander Jardin nodded, “It is not yet our fight since we prioritized technical assistance over the preliminary talks regarding an alliance.”
“I’ve been told that it revealed some interesting insights, and you have my gratitude. Unfortunately, there was not enough time for science nor diplomacy. The safe interior will provide secure accommodation and better facilities for both endeavors.” Lightspear smiled faintly, “A last request, would you be willing to take the liaison team and their experimental equipment with you, preferably together with some specialists as well?”
“Certainly, the team’s size can be doubled, then.” he reciprocated that smile, “I’m honored by the trust you’ve placed in me, Soshret Lightspear. We shall not disappoint. My ship’s cargo bays are empty right now, and despite its size, the Charon can be very fast.”
“You have my gratitude,” acknowledged Lightspear and focused her fiery eyes upon Emberwing next, “Soroin Torret Emberwing, you will be in charge of the operation. Represent the Union as a proud warrior and assure that the contact mission will succeed.”
“By my honor!” replied Emberwing in the traditional way.
“Facilitate the necessary cargo and personnel transfer as well.” The commander approved of her reply with a nod, and finally, addressed Silvermist, “Mizol Torimor Silvermist, I hereby invoke martial law and take command of the entire system as per Union emergency statute. First, send off the Human delegation. Then, take the Neridi Governor, as well as the other civilians, and evacuate them to the colony’s bunkers according to plan Skyfall 3. I've sent the full set of orders to Torrai Torret Vanguard, make sure to coordinate all efforts with her.”
“Her Excellency won’t like it, but it’s my task to convince her,” The Mizol accepted the mission, “Valor in battle, glory in death, Lightspear.”
“Don’t write me off so quickly, Silvermist,” despite her age, the Soshret radiated a powerful self-confidence that could be felt even without a telepathic link. “I have cheated death often enough to know when my time would come, and it is not there yet. Dismissed.”
The screen switched off, so the Torimor turned to the Humans, “Let us act with haste. Since the evacuation needs all the available shuttles, could your ship maneuver to receive the cargo bay-to-bay?”
The Humans exchanged a glance, and Ellen Jardin agreed, “It is underway, we also shall send two additional shuttles to pick up the liaison team and everything else that is required.”
“Was that a telepathic or technological communication?” Beryl immediately noticed this, and asked Emberwing, “Have you felt something?”
“Whatever it was, the analysis has to wait,” Silvermist, who was looking at her tablet, interrupted them, “Torret Emberwing, the orders state that you shall receive additional personnel, a Farseer and her caretaker, a medical specialist and an additional expert of your choosing. However, my recommendation would be to add Tiret Oasis, she reported about having discovered an interesting lead. I’ll negotiate it all with the Humans, please, get ready as soon as possible.”
“Of course, and I think that Disis Willpower would make a good addition to the group,” She was already working on the team, anyway, “Who is going to be the farseer, Eight Eye?”
“Yes, and Parat Midnight shall be the caretaker.” The Torimor stood up and approached the Humans, “Let us work out the details on our way.”
They departed, so Parat Midnight took over, “The Torimor has designated me and Bistima Eight Eye to be part of your team. It shall be an honor to work with you, Captain.”
“I already have enough Parats,” more Mizol, exactly what she needed right now, “Why the hurry, and what was that about the other jump link about to be closed off?”
“I’m not happy about it either, and I’d rather have Torimor Silvermist in charge of the entire operation, too. But Lightspear is far too traditionalist and would never approve of a Mizol being in command of anything.” replied Midnight with significant sarcasm, then showed her the tactical overview, “Apparently, the Humans had previously spotted a massive Shell force that jumped into Enedd. A courier confirmed this occurrence, which convinced the Soshret to trust the Humans somewhat, then they also warned us about the other gatecrasher force changing course shortly after. It is a pity that we didn’t manage to amplify their farsight, the forewarning might be useful, but the time is far too short.”
Emberwing was shocked as she looked through the information on the desk’s built-in console, a second Shell fleet numbering no less than 26 divisions arrived in Enedd a short while ago, and the combined fleet moved in to intercept them. As if reacting to this, the first armada that was approaching the Enedd jump point in Leido made a turn. Except for two divisions that split off previously and were approaching the Gora station, all the others, about 28 divisions in total, were now heading for the nearby Azimol link. No wonder that the husks could afford the luxury of a detour to stomp out the Loroi forces here, such firepower should ensure a quick and total victory with minimal losses. “But how could the Enemy coordinate their forces across multiple systems? A timetable would be impossible to follow up on, even for the monomaniacal vermin.”
“Although it still sounds ridiculous to me, your idea of farseeing Shells might have some veracity. Which could explain why Soshret Lightspear decided to put so much trust into the Humans all of a sudden, we need any and all help to counter this possible role reversal.” sent Midnight in an angry, steely tone, “Gora and the path to Seren can be considered as being cut off already. We have no idea how the battle in Enedd is progressing or for how long it is still possible to slip past, but we must hurry, or we’ll be trapped here.”
“Let me guess, all systems with Shells in them are also jammed against farsight?” asked Emberwing, and the Mizol confirmed it with a nod. “Then we must indeed make haste, Beryl, let’s go.”
The Listel woke up from her stupor, “I’ve already compiled an emergency list of scientific equipment that we might need. Do I have priority rights for our mission?”
Apparently, this was not a daze, merely a deep concentration not unlike her own, albeit a far more useful version of it, “The station won’t last long anyway, so yes, grab whatever you could possibly wish for.” Emberwing stood up, “Then we are done, order the equipment delivery, I’ll do same with common supplies, and Parat Midnight, can you coordinate the farsight part?”
“Already on my way,” answered the Mizol curtly, and they went their respective ways.
Emberwing rushed to her cabin to go through the orders in detail. The Soshret had indeed confirmed her to be in command of this liaison team, with four additional members. Probably because she had no other Torrets to spare, thought the ship-less Captain, while ordering clothing, consumables and other equipment for the group, then contacting the new team members and confirming the schedule. Finally, she began packing her things, including the gifts from the Humans, since leaving them behind could be interpreted as being rude.
A distinctive, fiery tingle announced the approach of Pallan Fireblade, “May I enter?”
“No need, I’m ready.” Emberwing shouldered both bags and exited the cabin, “We are to board the Human shuttle in bay 6, that is on deck 17, in about 900 solon.”
“I’d rather stay here and fight,” commented the Teidar impatiently, “Or join up with the 51st, they should be engaging the Shells in Enedd right about now.”
“The same goes for me, of course,” She headed for the nearby lift, “But how are we going to fight them without a ship, and what would staying here on the station even accomplish? No, this mission is far more important for the war effort than our individual sacrifices could ever be!”
Fireblade was not particularly convinced, but followed her nonetheless. “I was playing guard while trying to probe the Humans all this time, and it amounted to absolutely nothing. Don’t tell me that I have to continue doing that.”
“No, primarily, I need you to counterweight the overabundance of Mizol in the team,” joked Emberwing, “Also, there might be a number of tests where you can actually assist us.”
“What were you even up to?” inquired Fireblade as both entered the capsule.
“Shifting between being the lab miros, and a farseer apprentice.” Although both endeavors were cut short without providing definitive results, “This is a lengthy story that should be reserved for later when we get to the interior.”
“Farsight?” The Teidar was both amused and curious, “What’s next, summoning the spirits of vengeance to destroy the Shells?”
“I can’t do something so outrageous,” Emberwing shook her head, “No idea what kind of powers, or perhaps even a Soia artifact Tempest had used, but that story is probably highly embellished anyway.”
The elevator opened to reveal the long, incredibly busy deck, where civilians, support personnel and cargo containers were loaded onto numerous shuttles. Those left the docking bays rapidly, only to be replaced with the next ones immediately after. With mere heartbeats in between the exchanges, the streams of people and goods flowed almost without interruptions. Using her increased sensing range, Emberwing quickly located their section by spotting Tempo and Beryl. Weaving through the crowds, they approached the port where the Human shuttle was docked.
“Is the rest of the team underway?” asked Emberwing, “and who is in charge of this ramp?”
“The others are boarding a second shuttle on deck 20 as per schedule.” The Mizol was checking the cargo list on the ramp’s console, “I’m overseeing the operation here. It seems that you compiled a thorough list, but do we really need so much food?”
“This was just a standard assortment of supplies that I adapted for 8 people,” Emberwing looked over her shoulder, “Good, everything seems to be in order and on its way here. However, where are the Humans, or who is loading the shuttle?”
“That Operative is inside, I’ve told him to stay there, or half the deck would come to gawk.” answered Tempo in an annoyed tone, “The shuttle is being loaded with the help of those weird things.”
Emberwing looked into the open airlock chamber. The containers that the automated wagons delivered right into it were handled by the strange eight-legged robots that she first saw on the Human ship. The relatively small machines picked up the cargo pieces with ease and carried them to the gangway. She then peeked into the tunnel of the umbilical connection, and saw a chain of those robots quickly passing the containers to each other with precise movements, until they disappeared in the cargo hold. “Are those remote-controlled?”
“The Human said that the robots are fully autonomous,” Beryl was watching them with inquisitiveness, “Also, it seems that they are coordinating their efforts with each other, even the overall operation speed has increased slightly since they started.”
While this was certainly fascinating, Emberwing was more interested in the schedule, “The big containers will be passed ship-to-ship directly?”
“The Charon has maneuvered to receive them, yes.” nodded Tempo, and deactivated her console, “Good, all packages were delivered, we can board the shuttle now.”
The robots collected the rest of the cargo and retreated, so the Loroi could proceed through the tunnel as well. Inside, they were greeted by Zarjow, who led them into the cockpit segment. “Welcome, your seats are over here.”
This room was cramped and windowless, with two pilots sitting in the front, and two sets of three foldable seats each mounted to the walls, facing one another. Immediately after strapping themselves in, the shuttle shuddered slightly, denoting its departure.
“Judging from the layout, this is a troop transport reconfigured for cargo duty.” realized Fireblade, “Thick hull and minimal comfort, but still equipped with inertial dampening.”
“We do not know their design patterns, yet it might be true. Or this is the standard layout and their dampening generators are advanced enough to fit inside all shuttles.” replied the Mizol, then asked Zarjow “I hope that everything is progressing according to schedule?”
The Human pulled a tiny device out of his pocket, and it projected the image of the Charon into the space between them. The huge ship, floating sideways at an odd angle, almost snuggled up to the citadel’s lower ring. An open cargo bay faced the station’s pendant and several big containers were floating from one opening to another, “We are well ahead of the timetable. The Admiral was even forthcoming enough to provide us with fuel, so if we are forced into a sprint, the reserves should be plentiful.”
“Is that truly necessary now? What is the status of the battle in Enedd?” inquired Emberwing.
Perhaps because she was unable to suppress the worry in her voice completely, the Human smiled to assure her, “While we cannot sense your crews, the Umiak fleet hasn’t yet moved far enough to be noticeable, which means that the fight is still in progress.”
“We already asked them multiple times about the precision of their farsight, and all they do is to smile just like that.” sent Tempo with a carefully balanced measure of disapproval, “Even their body language patterns have an uncanny resemblance to ours.”
Before she could answer, the ship in the projection suddenly spun around while maintaining exact tilt and position. Then, it opened another cargo bay as if nothing happened, and the stream of containers resumed to float in. “Was this a normal mode of operation or were they showing off?”
“Both?” speculated Beryl, “The fine control seems to be on par with the Historian vessels. Perhaps they want to separate the cargo between two bays, those containers being loaded now are fuel cells.”
The shuttle shuddered again as it docked, so they could board the ship, where the Captain was already awaiting them, “Welcome back, we have prepared the same cabins again, although you’d have to share them in pairs now.”
“This is not a problem, thank you for accommodating us.” nodded Emberwing.
“I’m not bunking with Fireblade!” protested Beryl.
“Then you are assigned to my cabin, for a favor, of course,” This was a good time and occasion as any to learn more of the Listel memory techniques. “If Fireblade’s dreams shall become a problem, then we’ll find a workaround for the duration of the journey, and the interior has better healers anyway.”
“The nightmares are nothing that can be healed just like that, but I won’t say no to a session with a Nedathan.” The Teidar did not appear to be insulted.
Emberwing spread out her senses, and while the Humans were still invisible, she spotted four Loroi approaching their position, “I’m assuming that we are waiting for the other shuttle?”
“Yes, it is about to dock,” Alexander Jardin pointed to a nearby gateway. Soon enough, the others, led by Ellen Jardin, emerged from that airlock. The group consisted of Midnight and Eight Eye, Willpower as the medic, and also Tiret Oasis who was eyeing the Humans with apparent curiosity.
“Now that everyone is here, let me show you to the cabins.” The Captain led them into the elevator, “All cargo is also onboard, and the ship has already departed. That amplifier prototype is in the first cargo bay. If you wish to experiment with it, we can construct the appropriate super-structure.”
“Do we have any means to mount it that way?” Emberwing asked Parat Midnight, while trying to imitate a covert sending, “If possible, I’d like to continue.”
“It can be self-deployed right away, but some sort of additional scaffolding would make it more stable and easier to work with.” The Mizol answered with a properly shielded sending, “Although we should keep your abilities a secret for now.”
“Parat Tempo, your opinion?” Since the other Mizol agreed not to disclose it as well, she decided to follow their advice, “Please do, so we can continue the experiments to amplify your farsight, Parat Midnight shall provide the necessary instructions.”
The lift doors opened, and the Loroi dispersed to the four cabins. Alexander Jardin began to walk away, but then turned around and followed Emberwing through the still open door, “The Umiak fleet is about to jump in any time now, would you like to come to the bridge and observe it?”
Emberwing tossed her bags into a corner and approached him, “Absolutely, but can I bring someone else along as well?”
“I guess that an additional person would be permissible,” agreed the Human Captain.
“Beryl, join up with Disis Willpower and Tiret Oasis to continue working on the data that we have acquired.” The Loroi Captain issued the orders in a proper command tone, then she located the Mizol, “Tempo, please come along, the Shells are about to arrive, and the Humans allow us to observe it from the bridge of this ship.”
“I’ll be with you in a moment.” as expected, she was eager to collect intelligence. “Parat Tempo will join us, then.”
Together, they stepped into the lift. Alexander Jardin grinned, “While it is not strictly necessary this time around, we have prepared an interesting diversion in order to confuse the Umiak commander a bit more. Maybe it will delay them somewhat to give you more time for the evacuation.”
[Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Moderator: Outsider Moderators
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Last edited by Cthulhu on Sun Jun 26, 2022 5:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXVIII: The Theater
The announcement intrigued the Mizol, “A trick? What did they even do?”
“He used some sort of overlay for the comm channel to look like a fictional character in order to fool the Shell commander.” Emberwing sent the image of the Darlock puppet, “They also tried that with the scout ship, but it failed, so they had to destroy them.”
“I see, we Mizol call that a spoof, and it is sometimes employed to catch criminals,” Tempo recognized this technique, “However, the accuracy of the facsimile is usually the limiting factor, maybe the Shells recognized that it was a fake.”
“It worked when we overtook the gatecrasher fleet, perhaps due to the time that the light-speed lag provided, and here, there should be quite the distance between us and the jump point as well.” The planet that the Azimol citadel orbited was right now about 730 light-solon away from the edge of the inbound jump zone.
The lift capsule opened, and Alexander Jardin led them to the bridge, “It is better to see for yourself, please follow me.”
The bridge was the same as before, and there were exactly two empty seats beside the Operative, who activated their consoles to show a tactical overview. “We haven’t sensed the Hierarchy’s fleet moving from the edge of Leido for some time, which means that they should jump soon.”
The screen provided Emberwing with the necessary information, the Charon was accelerating with an impressive 41g towards the Enedd jump point. With that speed, they should be able to jump in about 12 hours, if the ship could stop immediately. There was also that Barsam courier that must've fled right away, still far ahead of them. She looked at the citadel next, the smaller stations as well as the entire fleet were forming a loose defensive formation around it. Meanwhile, the shuttles descended on the planet, and based on the numbers, they were using all of them to evacuate the support personnel from the ships, too. The forces were not numerous enough to resist the Shells for long, but the Soshret could certainly make her sacrifice count. Finally, she asked about that trick the Captain had announced.
“What are you planning to do?” the Shells’ goals appeared to be clear enough, destroy everything, then jump to Gora and block the sector against any relief forces coming in from Seren. She couldn’t think of anything that could force or convince them to deviate from this strategy, “Also, what is the status in Enedd?”
“I won’t spoil the Captain’s surprise,” Zarjow smiled, “As to the battle, it has not yet begun. Let me show you the information that Soshret Lightspear had shared with us. This is the sensor data that a scout has brought here two hours ago.”
The console switched to display the next system, and replayed the most recent events that she had already seen. First, the reserve fleet arrived from Noibes and advanced towards the main fleet that maintained a position between the jump links to Sala-128 and Noibes. Then, a huge Shell force invaded from Sala-128, but they jumped conservatively, staying well within the normal arrival zone, and moved towards the Union forces at a moderate pace. She checked the distance and time, the fleets should clash in about 13 hours. “Where are the Shells now?”
“Interestingly enough, the Umiak did not move very far from their starting point, as if waiting for your forces to come at them instead.” Explained the Human, “Maybe they want to stall until the other fleet is done here and can join up with them?”
“Unlikely, otherwise, they should’ve continued towards Enedd, and the timing wouldn't fit either,” The Enemy had 26 divisions, more than twice the number of Loroi forces, they did not need any reinforcements, “Still, I have a bad feeling about that.”
“Have you learned how to predict them?” Zarjow's eyes flashed with a subdued psionic light for a moment, and he uttered in a slightly different manner of speech, “The bulk of the Hierarchy fleet has jumped in right now, deeper into the system, very close to the planet.”
Images of her strike group’s battle with the Shell force flashed through her mind, followed by a pang of guilt for not being on the bridge when her sister died. This renewed the suppressed trauma, but before anyone could sense her distress, Emberwing restrained the unwelcome distraction, and focused on the implications of this new development. “How close? It is a deep jump, there was no need to risk that!”
“I cannot reveal any classified data about our farsight accuracy, but the Umiak are almost on top of the citadel.” The Operative now switched back to his normal tone, “The signal magnitude has not decreased significantly either, which means that the losses were negligible. Besides, a small part remained in Leido, most likely the supply ships. We’ll see what happened in a couple of minutes.”
Emberwing turned to Tempo, “This is the third time when the Shells tried to swarm a target by jumping in very close to it, first, my group, then, the Beio-Bainnen-7 outpost, and finally, here! But how can they pinpoint our position from a different system?”
“I’d like to know it as well,” the Mizol sounded worried, “Based on your reports, the Shells probably do have some sort of farsensing, or their movements couldn’t go unnoticed for so long, even with the farsight blocking. Our pickets might have been lacking, but there were too many coincidences where the Enemy could evade or ambush and overwhelm them just in time. On the other hand, they had to send a ship back to provide the interdiction fleet with your course data, while the stations are fixed installations, therefore it might be something else as well.”
Indeed, so was the initial attack on her group simple coincidence? What an unreasonable way to die, “We can only count on the fact that the Shells will be too prone after a jump.”
The sensor view updated, disproving her hope. The gatecrasher fleet arrived with minimal intervals and still at full strength of about 24 divisions, merely 8 light-solon and a digel (1.25 hours) flight-time away from the station. They weren’t spread out as significantly as before either, and quickly assembled into their usual formations while the fleet rapidly accelerated towards the citadel, “How can they arrive without any losses?”
“The other ships have jumped in as well, outer edge of the system, none left in Leido.” The Captain jerked his head to the left, then turned back to Emberwing, “We should be able to count their total jump losses soon enough.”
“This accuracy is worrying,” commented Tempo, “Both that of the Shells and the Humans.”
“I had hoped that the defense fleet would have enough time to flank and harass the Shells,” but now, there was just enough time to finish the evacuation. “The jump losses should amount to at least an eight-part, let’s see if this estimate proves to be true. It can also help us gauge the accuracy of Human farsight.”
“Since the Umiak are strongly affected by jump sickness, we can’t expect them to contact us before the engagement with your forces.” Alexander Jardin crossed his arms, “I guess that a distraction is no longer of any use.”
“Yes, they need about an hour to be somewhat lucid, slightly less if they use drugs,” Did the Shells timed this as well? “Then we can only wait.”
After a while, images of the arrival of the other Shell ships were transmitted through the buoy network. Unfortunately, the total losses appeared to be negligible, and Tempo summarized, “Their jump accuracy is far too high, but this could explain how they were able to silence so many checkpoints. The only question is, what enables them to do that?”
“We need to report this as well, although I have no idea either.” The next hour was spent in anxious anticipation, and Emberwing started to go through various combat simulations on the console just to distract herself. Meanwhile, the Union fleet choose to stay and fight. It assumed a two-pronged formation with the citadel in the middle, preparing to pierce through the Shell lines. The calculations showed that this was indeed the most reasonable strategy, although the survival chances were nonexistent.
Coming into range, the gatecrasher fleet, that was assembled into a huge hexagon, started to deploy their small craft. The formation was largerly a common one, with a screen of gunboats in front, but most torpedoes were forming sickles that protruded from the sides of the main force. On the contrary, Soshret Lightspear’s division was shielded by a massive torpedo salvo, since the citadel had fired all of its reserves. The Loroi ships accelerated with abandon and tried to engage the Enemy. This tactic managed to distract the Shells somewhat, as they had to counter the torpedo spearhead with a two-layered screen of gunboats and light ships. The Loroi fighters that followed the missiles exploited that window of opportunity to engage the van forces in turn.
The two wedges could now approach the main battle line, and their long-range weaponry even managed to inflict some damage on the opposite forces. However, the Shell ships in the targeted sections throttled their acceleration and the other ships sped up, thus enveloping the Loroi formation. Meanwhile, the torpedo wings closed in from the sides, and the gunboats fired a salvo as well. This caused the lone division to be drowned in a torpedo barrage from all sides, wiping them out despite the accurate point-defense fire. The surviving fighters, having exhausted their munitions, rammed any Enemy vessels nearby and scored some more kills. With the fleet gone, all leftover ordnance was then rerouted towards the citadel, and she watched in horror as it detonated in a gigantic flash of light shortly after, announcing the end of the battle.
The Human Captain broke the silence, “72 kills. A valiant defense and a noble sacrifice.”
“Thank you,” nodded Emberwing, “They did their duty to the last.”
“Now, we have to do our part as well,” He looked at his console, “The Umiak are preparing to swing around the planet, this is probably a gravity-assist maneuver to propel them towards the Enedd jump point.”
“It will still take them too long to join up with the other fleet,” Emberwing was impressed by the meticulousness of the Shell’s level of preparation, since they even bothered to calculate that ancient maneuver in advance. But she couldn’t see the reason for this, unless, “Wait, what if they can not only perform a safer deep jump, but also spot their own fleets from a distance?”
“I see, they needed to provide more accurate data for the interception of your strike group, and it might not apply to them,” Tempo pondered for a second, “Can you calculate an estimate?”
“Yes!” Emberwing quickly simulated that theory on her console. If the Shells performed a second deep jump from the nearest edge of the outbound jump zone, then they might still arrive in time to intervene in the decisive battle. Such a huge clash, especially if both sides fought rather defensively, could last for a while. She turned to Zarjow, “We should be wary of a second deep jump to Enedd, it could threaten the main fleet and cut us off from the interior. What is the status there?”
The Operative transferred her data to his console, then provided the requested overview, “The Umiak fleet is in this area here, they do not appear to be accelerating so fast.”
While she was still not sure how accurate the Human farsight was, the Shell’s clash with the Union forces should happen a bit later than expected. On the one hand, this was certainly a beneficial development, since the defenders needed to hold out until reinforcements arrived. But if the fleet here could perform an accurate deep jump, then the situation would become dire. “Our forces in Enedd must receive this information as soon as possible!”
“We are already well ahead of the Umiak armada, deep jump or not. They are just finishing the slingshot maneuver right about now.” The holoprojector displayed the Shell fleet as it emerged from behind the planet, and accelerated towards the Enedd jump point. Zarjow looked at his console, then back at the central projector, “We are receiving a transmission.”
The image was replaced with the ugly head of the Shell commander, “Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16, supreme commander of The Hierarchy forces finds it urgent to know all reasons for presence of [unknown ship] being in this system. The [trespasser] must declare its connection with the Darlock. The [trespasser] must answer about its possible collaboration with the [Enemy]. We issue a warning that all interference will not be tolerated. All allies of the [Enemy] will be held responsible.”
“While the distraction is no longer of any use, the Umiak Admiral is at least slightly confused. It also seems that it bought our previous trick.” Alexander Jardin stroked his beard, “Let’s trump my previous acting with something overly grandiose, perhaps I can elicit some information.”
The projection now displayed a spacious, intricately decorated and brightly lit room. A great number of hooded beings knelt in a circle around a massive throne standing in the middle of the hall. Upon it sat a majestic humanoid creature that seemed to radiate a faint golden sheen. Dressed in lavishly adorned, loose clothing and wearing intricate jewelry, the most eye-catching detail about the figure was the face-covering golden mask that shifted to show a new visage, every time it looked at a different huddled person. Finally, the alien turned to the camera and lazily waved one of its six-fingered, opulently bejeweled arms in front of the mask. It transformed with a gentle ripple, now resembling the stylized head of an Umiak. The creature then spoke in a powerful, melodic voice, accentuating some words by chanting them in a slightly lower tone:
"Salutations, servant of the Hierarchy, I am Utwig the Resplendent, (Light of Eternity), (Father of Lies), and also the puppeteer of this quaint little spectacle. We are the (Harvesters of Sorrow), who collect the most delicate treasures of this Universe for reasons incomprehensible to all lesser and leftover species, ever since the dawn of this, (our), Age. It seems that you have already met our un-brothers, the (dull and self-deprecating) Darlock.”
The alien pointed with a clawed finger, “Tell me, Hal-Tik, has the cryptic nonsense that they usually spout confused your puny brains? (Ask your questions), and I may enrich you with my (Knowledge), but only if your inquiries are deemed to be amusing enough."
“That goes far beyond any spoofs that I’ve ever seen,” Tempo, who was carefully studying the imagery, commented on that, “It is ridiculously, but also unnecessarily detailed, and what is that thing even supposed to be?”
Indeed, this creature seemed off, but not in the sense that it felt to be fake, yet Emberwing was unable to pinpoint or even express that notion, “The Humans are fond of creating virtual worlds, so this might be from such a work of fiction?”
“I hope that it was good enough to pique its curiosity.” Alexander Jardin shook his head. “This is an improvisation, anyway.”
“It was pretty obvious, and you overdid it with all that flamboyance,” Ellen Jardin chuckled, “Also, it was probably in vain, since it’ll get lost in translation, anyway.”
“Oh whatever, I’m a Captain, not an actor,” he shrugged, “You could’ve complimented me for a chance, I think that I’ve portrayed the arrogance quite well.”
“That was a compliment, all factors considered,” she smiled, “Just try your best next time.”
“How can they not recognize this vessel?” Emberwing had to butt in, the Charon had after all a very distinctive hull form and color.
The projector switched to show the ship, but it was now brilliantly white instead of black, with a diffuse golden sheen as well. Zarjow pointed at that, “We activated the plating and reconfigured it for maximal reflective capability. On top of it, some plasma was trapped between the shield layers to simulate the fancy lightning effect.”
Adaptive armor? That concept was abandoned some time ago, since it only affected laser weaponry. It never reached this level of sophistication, though. “What is that armor based on?”
“Another transmission, and with some unwanted ballast as well,” Zarjow interrupted her, as he quickly pressed some buttons on his console, “Done, here it goes.”
The Shell Commander talked, and the auto-translator seemed to struggle with the more elaborate speech, “[We are of] titik-kititikik-hal-tik-ikkukhak, most-hard-working [foundation] of the Hierarchy. Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16, [The one who brings order], Supreme commander of the Khalkha Divisions, extends [elated] greetings to the new/unknown species. We ask to be [treated fairly], as we [treat] all others. No [games] can be permitted as (so much)/future/order is at stake and [needs/requires utmost efforts]. We must/are urged to know about any influence/interference that the alien had/could cause. No subversion shall be allowed, all variables [must be made known] to establish [harmony].”
“Did it understood my insult? Good, all this chittering is making my teeth itch,” The Captain frowned, “Let’s try to fish for more information.”
“Teeth cannot itch, though?” wondered Emberwing.
“Most likely a figure of speech, meaning subconscious revulsion,” answered Tempo, “It’s also quite accurate, at least for the spoken word. Their clicks are truly disgusting.”
The puppet that appeared in the projection wore a laughing mask, "(Fairness?) (Equality?) Compared to us, everyone else is but a few insignificant variations of puny, this is not really an insult, merely a fact. The lesser races do not have any other choice but to accept our (rules), play along and pay (tribute).”
The mask's surface changed yet again, this time, into a grin, “Especially since you already know of (the game)! Did the Darlock warn you about it? It was awfully forthcoming of them, but ultimately, still futile, since you are already a part of it. Yes, (Orderly One), that is one of our goals, and it always was.”
The mask now transformed to show the stylized face of a Loroi, “Don't you think that the (device) which enables you to hide your presence from your Enemy's (abilities) seems to be overly convenient? Especially considering the moment when it became available? Do you like the feeling of superiority that its might provides? Don't try to thank me, all our (gifts) are also a most devious (curse) at the same time. But do try to use its full (potential), you haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. Although, going too deep might awake (something) that you cannot possibly be prepared for!"
This was an interesting point of view, thought Emberwing, “Do you really think that the device which is blocking our farsight might be based on an artifact?”
“Quite possible, or there could be a number of them, actually.” The Captain tapped his chin, “Their jumps are far too precise, even suspiciously so. Remember what we have told you about that ancient wreck this ship’s advanced technologies are based on? One of the theories about the function of the mysterious device which we couldn’t fully copy was that of a hyperspace manipulator. What if they can adjust their ship’s trajectories mid-transit?”
“That could be theoretically possible, but such a capability is too far ahead of anything currently feasible.” Or was this the reason the Human had invented an advanced alien race, “Except if this technology was given to them?”
“From what we understood, the Umiak do not appear to be very creative,” The Operative pointed to his console that displayed the amplifier shard, “Then, how could they have found a previously unknown way to use the amplifiers?”
Emberwing rubbed her temples, this was too much guess-work, “We need to keep the theories within a reasonable range of possibilities.”
“I concur, but in order to narrow them down, we’ll need more information.” Zarjow switched to a different menu on his console, then addressed his Captain, “There’s a lengthy answer from the Hierarchy. How about using that bit from the Barsam cultural package which I’ve told you about?”
“Why not, it should give my reply an interesting twist,” Alexander Jardin agreed with a smirk.
The announcement intrigued the Mizol, “A trick? What did they even do?”
“He used some sort of overlay for the comm channel to look like a fictional character in order to fool the Shell commander.” Emberwing sent the image of the Darlock puppet, “They also tried that with the scout ship, but it failed, so they had to destroy them.”
“I see, we Mizol call that a spoof, and it is sometimes employed to catch criminals,” Tempo recognized this technique, “However, the accuracy of the facsimile is usually the limiting factor, maybe the Shells recognized that it was a fake.”
“It worked when we overtook the gatecrasher fleet, perhaps due to the time that the light-speed lag provided, and here, there should be quite the distance between us and the jump point as well.” The planet that the Azimol citadel orbited was right now about 730 light-solon away from the edge of the inbound jump zone.
The lift capsule opened, and Alexander Jardin led them to the bridge, “It is better to see for yourself, please follow me.”
The bridge was the same as before, and there were exactly two empty seats beside the Operative, who activated their consoles to show a tactical overview. “We haven’t sensed the Hierarchy’s fleet moving from the edge of Leido for some time, which means that they should jump soon.”
The screen provided Emberwing with the necessary information, the Charon was accelerating with an impressive 41g towards the Enedd jump point. With that speed, they should be able to jump in about 12 hours, if the ship could stop immediately. There was also that Barsam courier that must've fled right away, still far ahead of them. She looked at the citadel next, the smaller stations as well as the entire fleet were forming a loose defensive formation around it. Meanwhile, the shuttles descended on the planet, and based on the numbers, they were using all of them to evacuate the support personnel from the ships, too. The forces were not numerous enough to resist the Shells for long, but the Soshret could certainly make her sacrifice count. Finally, she asked about that trick the Captain had announced.
“What are you planning to do?” the Shells’ goals appeared to be clear enough, destroy everything, then jump to Gora and block the sector against any relief forces coming in from Seren. She couldn’t think of anything that could force or convince them to deviate from this strategy, “Also, what is the status in Enedd?”
“I won’t spoil the Captain’s surprise,” Zarjow smiled, “As to the battle, it has not yet begun. Let me show you the information that Soshret Lightspear had shared with us. This is the sensor data that a scout has brought here two hours ago.”
The console switched to display the next system, and replayed the most recent events that she had already seen. First, the reserve fleet arrived from Noibes and advanced towards the main fleet that maintained a position between the jump links to Sala-128 and Noibes. Then, a huge Shell force invaded from Sala-128, but they jumped conservatively, staying well within the normal arrival zone, and moved towards the Union forces at a moderate pace. She checked the distance and time, the fleets should clash in about 13 hours. “Where are the Shells now?”
“Interestingly enough, the Umiak did not move very far from their starting point, as if waiting for your forces to come at them instead.” Explained the Human, “Maybe they want to stall until the other fleet is done here and can join up with them?”
“Unlikely, otherwise, they should’ve continued towards Enedd, and the timing wouldn't fit either,” The Enemy had 26 divisions, more than twice the number of Loroi forces, they did not need any reinforcements, “Still, I have a bad feeling about that.”
“Have you learned how to predict them?” Zarjow's eyes flashed with a subdued psionic light for a moment, and he uttered in a slightly different manner of speech, “The bulk of the Hierarchy fleet has jumped in right now, deeper into the system, very close to the planet.”
Images of her strike group’s battle with the Shell force flashed through her mind, followed by a pang of guilt for not being on the bridge when her sister died. This renewed the suppressed trauma, but before anyone could sense her distress, Emberwing restrained the unwelcome distraction, and focused on the implications of this new development. “How close? It is a deep jump, there was no need to risk that!”
“I cannot reveal any classified data about our farsight accuracy, but the Umiak are almost on top of the citadel.” The Operative now switched back to his normal tone, “The signal magnitude has not decreased significantly either, which means that the losses were negligible. Besides, a small part remained in Leido, most likely the supply ships. We’ll see what happened in a couple of minutes.”
Emberwing turned to Tempo, “This is the third time when the Shells tried to swarm a target by jumping in very close to it, first, my group, then, the Beio-Bainnen-7 outpost, and finally, here! But how can they pinpoint our position from a different system?”
“I’d like to know it as well,” the Mizol sounded worried, “Based on your reports, the Shells probably do have some sort of farsensing, or their movements couldn’t go unnoticed for so long, even with the farsight blocking. Our pickets might have been lacking, but there were too many coincidences where the Enemy could evade or ambush and overwhelm them just in time. On the other hand, they had to send a ship back to provide the interdiction fleet with your course data, while the stations are fixed installations, therefore it might be something else as well.”
Indeed, so was the initial attack on her group simple coincidence? What an unreasonable way to die, “We can only count on the fact that the Shells will be too prone after a jump.”
The sensor view updated, disproving her hope. The gatecrasher fleet arrived with minimal intervals and still at full strength of about 24 divisions, merely 8 light-solon and a digel (1.25 hours) flight-time away from the station. They weren’t spread out as significantly as before either, and quickly assembled into their usual formations while the fleet rapidly accelerated towards the citadel, “How can they arrive without any losses?”
“The other ships have jumped in as well, outer edge of the system, none left in Leido.” The Captain jerked his head to the left, then turned back to Emberwing, “We should be able to count their total jump losses soon enough.”
“This accuracy is worrying,” commented Tempo, “Both that of the Shells and the Humans.”
“I had hoped that the defense fleet would have enough time to flank and harass the Shells,” but now, there was just enough time to finish the evacuation. “The jump losses should amount to at least an eight-part, let’s see if this estimate proves to be true. It can also help us gauge the accuracy of Human farsight.”
“Since the Umiak are strongly affected by jump sickness, we can’t expect them to contact us before the engagement with your forces.” Alexander Jardin crossed his arms, “I guess that a distraction is no longer of any use.”
“Yes, they need about an hour to be somewhat lucid, slightly less if they use drugs,” Did the Shells timed this as well? “Then we can only wait.”
After a while, images of the arrival of the other Shell ships were transmitted through the buoy network. Unfortunately, the total losses appeared to be negligible, and Tempo summarized, “Their jump accuracy is far too high, but this could explain how they were able to silence so many checkpoints. The only question is, what enables them to do that?”
“We need to report this as well, although I have no idea either.” The next hour was spent in anxious anticipation, and Emberwing started to go through various combat simulations on the console just to distract herself. Meanwhile, the Union fleet choose to stay and fight. It assumed a two-pronged formation with the citadel in the middle, preparing to pierce through the Shell lines. The calculations showed that this was indeed the most reasonable strategy, although the survival chances were nonexistent.
Coming into range, the gatecrasher fleet, that was assembled into a huge hexagon, started to deploy their small craft. The formation was largerly a common one, with a screen of gunboats in front, but most torpedoes were forming sickles that protruded from the sides of the main force. On the contrary, Soshret Lightspear’s division was shielded by a massive torpedo salvo, since the citadel had fired all of its reserves. The Loroi ships accelerated with abandon and tried to engage the Enemy. This tactic managed to distract the Shells somewhat, as they had to counter the torpedo spearhead with a two-layered screen of gunboats and light ships. The Loroi fighters that followed the missiles exploited that window of opportunity to engage the van forces in turn.
The two wedges could now approach the main battle line, and their long-range weaponry even managed to inflict some damage on the opposite forces. However, the Shell ships in the targeted sections throttled their acceleration and the other ships sped up, thus enveloping the Loroi formation. Meanwhile, the torpedo wings closed in from the sides, and the gunboats fired a salvo as well. This caused the lone division to be drowned in a torpedo barrage from all sides, wiping them out despite the accurate point-defense fire. The surviving fighters, having exhausted their munitions, rammed any Enemy vessels nearby and scored some more kills. With the fleet gone, all leftover ordnance was then rerouted towards the citadel, and she watched in horror as it detonated in a gigantic flash of light shortly after, announcing the end of the battle.
The Human Captain broke the silence, “72 kills. A valiant defense and a noble sacrifice.”
“Thank you,” nodded Emberwing, “They did their duty to the last.”
“Now, we have to do our part as well,” He looked at his console, “The Umiak are preparing to swing around the planet, this is probably a gravity-assist maneuver to propel them towards the Enedd jump point.”
“It will still take them too long to join up with the other fleet,” Emberwing was impressed by the meticulousness of the Shell’s level of preparation, since they even bothered to calculate that ancient maneuver in advance. But she couldn’t see the reason for this, unless, “Wait, what if they can not only perform a safer deep jump, but also spot their own fleets from a distance?”
“I see, they needed to provide more accurate data for the interception of your strike group, and it might not apply to them,” Tempo pondered for a second, “Can you calculate an estimate?”
“Yes!” Emberwing quickly simulated that theory on her console. If the Shells performed a second deep jump from the nearest edge of the outbound jump zone, then they might still arrive in time to intervene in the decisive battle. Such a huge clash, especially if both sides fought rather defensively, could last for a while. She turned to Zarjow, “We should be wary of a second deep jump to Enedd, it could threaten the main fleet and cut us off from the interior. What is the status there?”
The Operative transferred her data to his console, then provided the requested overview, “The Umiak fleet is in this area here, they do not appear to be accelerating so fast.”
While she was still not sure how accurate the Human farsight was, the Shell’s clash with the Union forces should happen a bit later than expected. On the one hand, this was certainly a beneficial development, since the defenders needed to hold out until reinforcements arrived. But if the fleet here could perform an accurate deep jump, then the situation would become dire. “Our forces in Enedd must receive this information as soon as possible!”
“We are already well ahead of the Umiak armada, deep jump or not. They are just finishing the slingshot maneuver right about now.” The holoprojector displayed the Shell fleet as it emerged from behind the planet, and accelerated towards the Enedd jump point. Zarjow looked at his console, then back at the central projector, “We are receiving a transmission.”
The image was replaced with the ugly head of the Shell commander, “Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16, supreme commander of The Hierarchy forces finds it urgent to know all reasons for presence of [unknown ship] being in this system. The [trespasser] must declare its connection with the Darlock. The [trespasser] must answer about its possible collaboration with the [Enemy]. We issue a warning that all interference will not be tolerated. All allies of the [Enemy] will be held responsible.”
“While the distraction is no longer of any use, the Umiak Admiral is at least slightly confused. It also seems that it bought our previous trick.” Alexander Jardin stroked his beard, “Let’s trump my previous acting with something overly grandiose, perhaps I can elicit some information.”
The projection now displayed a spacious, intricately decorated and brightly lit room. A great number of hooded beings knelt in a circle around a massive throne standing in the middle of the hall. Upon it sat a majestic humanoid creature that seemed to radiate a faint golden sheen. Dressed in lavishly adorned, loose clothing and wearing intricate jewelry, the most eye-catching detail about the figure was the face-covering golden mask that shifted to show a new visage, every time it looked at a different huddled person. Finally, the alien turned to the camera and lazily waved one of its six-fingered, opulently bejeweled arms in front of the mask. It transformed with a gentle ripple, now resembling the stylized head of an Umiak. The creature then spoke in a powerful, melodic voice, accentuating some words by chanting them in a slightly lower tone:
"Salutations, servant of the Hierarchy, I am Utwig the Resplendent, (Light of Eternity), (Father of Lies), and also the puppeteer of this quaint little spectacle. We are the (Harvesters of Sorrow), who collect the most delicate treasures of this Universe for reasons incomprehensible to all lesser and leftover species, ever since the dawn of this, (our), Age. It seems that you have already met our un-brothers, the (dull and self-deprecating) Darlock.”
The alien pointed with a clawed finger, “Tell me, Hal-Tik, has the cryptic nonsense that they usually spout confused your puny brains? (Ask your questions), and I may enrich you with my (Knowledge), but only if your inquiries are deemed to be amusing enough."
“That goes far beyond any spoofs that I’ve ever seen,” Tempo, who was carefully studying the imagery, commented on that, “It is ridiculously, but also unnecessarily detailed, and what is that thing even supposed to be?”
Indeed, this creature seemed off, but not in the sense that it felt to be fake, yet Emberwing was unable to pinpoint or even express that notion, “The Humans are fond of creating virtual worlds, so this might be from such a work of fiction?”
“I hope that it was good enough to pique its curiosity.” Alexander Jardin shook his head. “This is an improvisation, anyway.”
“It was pretty obvious, and you overdid it with all that flamboyance,” Ellen Jardin chuckled, “Also, it was probably in vain, since it’ll get lost in translation, anyway.”
“Oh whatever, I’m a Captain, not an actor,” he shrugged, “You could’ve complimented me for a chance, I think that I’ve portrayed the arrogance quite well.”
“That was a compliment, all factors considered,” she smiled, “Just try your best next time.”
“How can they not recognize this vessel?” Emberwing had to butt in, the Charon had after all a very distinctive hull form and color.
The projector switched to show the ship, but it was now brilliantly white instead of black, with a diffuse golden sheen as well. Zarjow pointed at that, “We activated the plating and reconfigured it for maximal reflective capability. On top of it, some plasma was trapped between the shield layers to simulate the fancy lightning effect.”
Adaptive armor? That concept was abandoned some time ago, since it only affected laser weaponry. It never reached this level of sophistication, though. “What is that armor based on?”
“Another transmission, and with some unwanted ballast as well,” Zarjow interrupted her, as he quickly pressed some buttons on his console, “Done, here it goes.”
The Shell Commander talked, and the auto-translator seemed to struggle with the more elaborate speech, “[We are of] titik-kititikik-hal-tik-ikkukhak, most-hard-working [foundation] of the Hierarchy. Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16, [The one who brings order], Supreme commander of the Khalkha Divisions, extends [elated] greetings to the new/unknown species. We ask to be [treated fairly], as we [treat] all others. No [games] can be permitted as (so much)/future/order is at stake and [needs/requires utmost efforts]. We must/are urged to know about any influence/interference that the alien had/could cause. No subversion shall be allowed, all variables [must be made known] to establish [harmony].”
“Did it understood my insult? Good, all this chittering is making my teeth itch,” The Captain frowned, “Let’s try to fish for more information.”
“Teeth cannot itch, though?” wondered Emberwing.
“Most likely a figure of speech, meaning subconscious revulsion,” answered Tempo, “It’s also quite accurate, at least for the spoken word. Their clicks are truly disgusting.”
The puppet that appeared in the projection wore a laughing mask, "(Fairness?) (Equality?) Compared to us, everyone else is but a few insignificant variations of puny, this is not really an insult, merely a fact. The lesser races do not have any other choice but to accept our (rules), play along and pay (tribute).”
The mask's surface changed yet again, this time, into a grin, “Especially since you already know of (the game)! Did the Darlock warn you about it? It was awfully forthcoming of them, but ultimately, still futile, since you are already a part of it. Yes, (Orderly One), that is one of our goals, and it always was.”
The mask now transformed to show the stylized face of a Loroi, “Don't you think that the (device) which enables you to hide your presence from your Enemy's (abilities) seems to be overly convenient? Especially considering the moment when it became available? Do you like the feeling of superiority that its might provides? Don't try to thank me, all our (gifts) are also a most devious (curse) at the same time. But do try to use its full (potential), you haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. Although, going too deep might awake (something) that you cannot possibly be prepared for!"
This was an interesting point of view, thought Emberwing, “Do you really think that the device which is blocking our farsight might be based on an artifact?”
“Quite possible, or there could be a number of them, actually.” The Captain tapped his chin, “Their jumps are far too precise, even suspiciously so. Remember what we have told you about that ancient wreck this ship’s advanced technologies are based on? One of the theories about the function of the mysterious device which we couldn’t fully copy was that of a hyperspace manipulator. What if they can adjust their ship’s trajectories mid-transit?”
“That could be theoretically possible, but such a capability is too far ahead of anything currently feasible.” Or was this the reason the Human had invented an advanced alien race, “Except if this technology was given to them?”
“From what we understood, the Umiak do not appear to be very creative,” The Operative pointed to his console that displayed the amplifier shard, “Then, how could they have found a previously unknown way to use the amplifiers?”
Emberwing rubbed her temples, this was too much guess-work, “We need to keep the theories within a reasonable range of possibilities.”
“I concur, but in order to narrow them down, we’ll need more information.” Zarjow switched to a different menu on his console, then addressed his Captain, “There’s a lengthy answer from the Hierarchy. How about using that bit from the Barsam cultural package which I’ve told you about?”
“Why not, it should give my reply an interesting twist,” Alexander Jardin agreed with a smirk.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission N: Paranoia
Still reeling from the jump sickness and the drugs, Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 had to face a new challenge, since yet another mysterious elder race made their appearance known. [No matter the task’s difficulty, there was strength in numbers, and every true member of the Hierarchy should always rely on their peer’s best efforts to aid the common cause]. With enough time, this superior system would be adopted by all members, just as all of his subordinates here could be trusted to enact this principle. He brought up the crew status charts on the console and started issuing orders with precise, detailed commands.
“The available data must be (analyzed as thoroughly as possible; in 20 clicks, but making full use of the time; in parallel efforts; 2nd priority; clearance level 4; output as per guideline 28), make a preliminary report as soon as it is reasonable to do so. Delegate to (volunteers above [readiness level 3]; clearance level 4; priority level 3, prioritized and assigned as per [internal evaluation rating] according to [protocol 8]): 216 to (analyze) the [ship signature], 329 to (analyze) technology level, 290 to (analyze) the [speech patterns], 305 to (analyze) history references, 201 to (analyze) [device] references, 129 to compare with the [Darlock], 104 as reserve.”
This alien claimed to be related to, but of an opposing faction to, the [Darlock]. While it was of course not verifiable, there were a number of points that needed to be examined in detail. The commander began to make a list of questions that could elicit more information. Then, the first results from the (volunteers) came in, the ship appeared to be identical in shape, although it had a different drive system and heat distribution signature. The [speech patterns] had passed a standard verification procedure, but since no crew-members were xeno-specialists, a full plausibility check was yet impossible. At least the technology level was unmistakably high, the reaction-less drive generated no visible signature and the ship itself had a low emission profile.
The most crucial element was the alien’s admission of a grand manipulation, which also somehow included the [device]. Even though the creature seemed to gloat about its scheme, this was in vain since most background information about [the device] origins were classified as per [psi-defense protocol 3]. Despite being the Supreme Commander, and against all logic, the [Pillar] made sure to extend this protocol to include him as well. Clicking his mandibles in annoyance, Ixitixil entered a long code line to access a private data storage and went over the data compilation yet again. Apparently, an unspecified prototype was developed by an unnamed third party and then handed over to the Hierarchy. Together with the repeated observations and all the information that his subordinates had acquired, the alien nature of the [device] was proven to a [sufficient level of certainty]. It appeared to be psionic, but there were far stranger aspects to it as well, including a possible hyper-dimensional component.
None of the known races were even remotely able to understand such concepts, therefore his previous hypothesis was that of a [Soia] artifact origin, with the [Historians] being the most probable source. But what if this unknown alien was the actual driving force behind that discovery? This would fit into his theory even better, perhaps too good to be true. He lamented the lack of information yet again, the clear and logical goals that the Hierarchy had set for everyone were, unfortunately, not followed by all prime members as it should be. Hubris, vain, and the most devious enemy of every Hal-tik, [glory-seeking], created unnecessary impediments, thus forcing even the most staunch [adherents] to waste efforts and follow grossly inefficient methods that bordered on paranoia. This time would be better spent fighting the outside [Enemy], yet the internal enemies needed to be dealt with as well, and the victory here should empower him with the authority to set things right. Since so much was at stake here, failure could not be an option, so he began to formulate the appropriate answer to elicit more information with utmost care.
Still reeling from the jump sickness and the drugs, Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 had to face a new challenge, since yet another mysterious elder race made their appearance known. [No matter the task’s difficulty, there was strength in numbers, and every true member of the Hierarchy should always rely on their peer’s best efforts to aid the common cause]. With enough time, this superior system would be adopted by all members, just as all of his subordinates here could be trusted to enact this principle. He brought up the crew status charts on the console and started issuing orders with precise, detailed commands.
“The available data must be (analyzed as thoroughly as possible; in 20 clicks, but making full use of the time; in parallel efforts; 2nd priority; clearance level 4; output as per guideline 28), make a preliminary report as soon as it is reasonable to do so. Delegate to (volunteers above [readiness level 3]; clearance level 4; priority level 3, prioritized and assigned as per [internal evaluation rating] according to [protocol 8]): 216 to (analyze) the [ship signature], 329 to (analyze) technology level, 290 to (analyze) the [speech patterns], 305 to (analyze) history references, 201 to (analyze) [device] references, 129 to compare with the [Darlock], 104 as reserve.”
This alien claimed to be related to, but of an opposing faction to, the [Darlock]. While it was of course not verifiable, there were a number of points that needed to be examined in detail. The commander began to make a list of questions that could elicit more information. Then, the first results from the (volunteers) came in, the ship appeared to be identical in shape, although it had a different drive system and heat distribution signature. The [speech patterns] had passed a standard verification procedure, but since no crew-members were xeno-specialists, a full plausibility check was yet impossible. At least the technology level was unmistakably high, the reaction-less drive generated no visible signature and the ship itself had a low emission profile.
The most crucial element was the alien’s admission of a grand manipulation, which also somehow included the [device]. Even though the creature seemed to gloat about its scheme, this was in vain since most background information about [the device] origins were classified as per [psi-defense protocol 3]. Despite being the Supreme Commander, and against all logic, the [Pillar] made sure to extend this protocol to include him as well. Clicking his mandibles in annoyance, Ixitixil entered a long code line to access a private data storage and went over the data compilation yet again. Apparently, an unspecified prototype was developed by an unnamed third party and then handed over to the Hierarchy. Together with the repeated observations and all the information that his subordinates had acquired, the alien nature of the [device] was proven to a [sufficient level of certainty]. It appeared to be psionic, but there were far stranger aspects to it as well, including a possible hyper-dimensional component.
None of the known races were even remotely able to understand such concepts, therefore his previous hypothesis was that of a [Soia] artifact origin, with the [Historians] being the most probable source. But what if this unknown alien was the actual driving force behind that discovery? This would fit into his theory even better, perhaps too good to be true. He lamented the lack of information yet again, the clear and logical goals that the Hierarchy had set for everyone were, unfortunately, not followed by all prime members as it should be. Hubris, vain, and the most devious enemy of every Hal-tik, [glory-seeking], created unnecessary impediments, thus forcing even the most staunch [adherents] to waste efforts and follow grossly inefficient methods that bordered on paranoia. This time would be better spent fighting the outside [Enemy], yet the internal enemies needed to be dealt with as well, and the victory here should empower him with the authority to set things right. Since so much was at stake here, failure could not be an option, so he began to formulate the appropriate answer to elicit more information with utmost care.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXIX: The Adversary
The Shell commander had sent a lengthier and also a more cryptic message.
“Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 finds it necessary/reasonable to know/inquire/assess the goals of the [unknown alien] to establish proper base of communications/code of conduct. The Hierarchy has no knowledge of [unknown alien], its role in any [plans] or [interference]. The Hierarchy must [struggle] to [provide] and [ensure] freedom from [mind-terror]. The [ultimate goal] must not be interrupted, must lead to [equality], cannot be longer postponed, shall not be interfered with.”
“Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 cannot see any manipulation regarding the [device]. It is a result of utmost [collective efforts], a means to trump the [accursed Enemy], the shield against [mind-terror], a weapon to blind the [murdering Witches]. We cannot [provide] any gratitude for what that must ensure which [must be done], all that is required must be made [subordinate] to the [ultimate goal].”
Alexander Jardin scratched his head, “Interesting, the Umiak seems to be intrigued by my little act, but I have no idea what those expressions even mean. There are just too many references to things which are most probably lost in translation. Take this particular word, mind-terror, is that supposed to be an anti-Loroi insult, war propaganda or does it have some special background that I’m not aware of?”
“Perhaps I can help to clarify that. There are or were certainly no instances of us using psionic powers to terrorize anyone.” Answered Tempo, “While the Enemy has never issued a formal declaration of war or provided any reason for their aggression, they must have one, as well as some internal justification. This particular expression could be a part of their propaganda campaign against us.”
“That much is clear, anyway, it is the broader context behind it which currently eludes us. All lies do have some figment of truth at their core,” He raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t seem to be particularly interested in what your vassals had to say, for example, back during our first official meeting.”
“They freely recognized our right and responsibility to rule!” Emberwing had to object, “We represent the Union in all outside matters, according to the laws that the Assembly agreed on.”
“As I said, words can also be a weapon,” the Captain stroked his beard, “and any right to rule only applies as long as you can defend it.”
“Whose side are you even on?” protested Emberwing.
“Currently, only our own.” The Operative smiled enigmatically, “We do favor an alliance with you, of course, but we also need to discuss the terms at length first.”
“Could you leave the diplomacy to me, please?” Tempo was not amused, “We did sign a preliminary agreement.”
“That is the reason we are trying our best to support you without making it our official fight just yet, or why we invited you as witnesses to observe all our dealings with the Hierarchy.” The Captain turned back to the projector, “Let’s concentrate on our common enemy. I think that the commander is also trying to elicit more information from me, so I’ll act like I understood what it was saying, but chose to disregard all questions out of arrogance.”
The puppet spoke in an even more haughty tone, “Our true goals are far beyond the comprehension of any lesser beings, and I’m not obliged to (enrich) you with (Knowledge) to help you understand them. Let me summarize it instead, we use every and all (sentient) races to aid us in reaching our (transcendental) objective, ever since before you murdered your pitiful brethren.”
The mask changed to show amusement, “Tell me, Hal-Tik, what do you even assume to be that which you fight and struggle for? Every action, and this little war of yours is no exception, benefits only us in the end. We have set up the stage, defined the rules, and made sure to reap its most sublime (essence). All the actors can just play along and hope that their role is to be the (mundane) winners, while we (harvest) only what is truly important.”
With a ripple, the metallic surface of its mask shifted into a mysterious visage, “I have elected to (observe) and (adjust) this development directly, since a great plan is now at its crossroads. Can you impress me by choosing the best (path) possible? Or at least by asking more interesting (questions)? Then I may share more of the (Knowledge) that you seem to lack.”
Emberwing was puzzled, “Transcendence?”
“Just a fancy word to pique its interest,” Zarjow shrugged, “A mysterious elder race should have equally strange and lofty goals, don’t you think so, too?”
“The Humans are very good at lying, that is what I think.” She just had to comment, but kept it to sanzai, “What are you trying to accomplish?”
“I’m playing the game of pretending to know what the Admiral talks about, and then making it look like I know far more about the topic than it could ever imagine.” The Captain waved his hand, “Commonly known as bluffing. It does have some chance to succeed, and besides, a failure costs us nothing. The Umiak is most likely trying to make sense of my acting in turn, so the first one to slip up loses the game.”
“Provoking them too much will gain us nothing, either,” Ellen Jardin shook her head, “But you managed to attract its attention, we are receiving a new transmission.”
The answer felt to be slightly off, perhaps the husk was annoyed that none of its questions were answered?
“The Hierarchy is most [interested] about knowing all that is required to achieve its objective, the possible goals of all others are to be [integrated]. We [strive] to achieve [harmony] and eliminate [corruption]. We [convince] all to aid us in the [ultimate goal] that shall [free] all, benefit all, unite all.”
“Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 must/is required to know [aliens] connection to the [ancients]. All possible [interference] can/must be excluded as far as possible to ensure maximal efficiency of the [great undertaking]. We cannot approve of [games] as so much is at stake.”
“At this point, I’m rather sure that we wouldn’t be able to get along solely due to their weird language, even if we omit all the other factors.” Alexander Jardin rubbed his temples, “Anyway, since it asked about the ancients, which probably means the Soia-Liron, then I should make use of the Barsam gift.”
“The cultural package?” The Barsam interpretation of the legends was rather weird, thought Emberwing.
“Captain Mozin was very glad to meet us, and provided all the information that we requested.” The Operative smiled again, “While we understand that it is biased, and have absolutely no desire to join their religion, there were some interesting insights that a deep analysis had revealed. As we said, the best lies must be garnished with a portion of truth.”
The alien figure now wore a majestic, glowing mask, “Finally, an (interesting) question. I do not care about your goals or any (undertakings) of all the mundane beings, but your quest against the (mind-terror) is a rather amusing one, given its pointlessness. We already accomplished that long ago, Hal-Tik. The perverse Soia fell and their (hubris) is no more, but we triumphed! Does this explain our might and (legacy) to a sufficient degree?”
It now pointed at the camera, “But, why should I tell you anything without proper recompense? Let’s make a wager, if you manage to make better use of our gifts and catch up with my ship, then I might explain a few things.”
The creature laughed, a deep, booming sound, that made some huddled beings tremble. “Perhaps I could even reveal our (true name) to strike real, not imaginary, (terror) into the minds of all lesser beings. After all, our gifts are also a curse! Do you dare to pay the price and partake of the (Knowledge)? Choose wisely!”
“A challenge? To a race, of all things?” Emberwing did not understand what the Humans were aiming for.
“Since we both attempt to extract information, the Captain can’t be too specific, or the deception will be seen through. We have calculated the probabilities, and the chance of gaining more information is now too low to risk a prolonged exchange. The Umiak are certainly no fools, so why not test their abilities instead?” Zarjow pointed to the holoprojector that displayed a tactical overview of the next system. “Assuming that they have found a way to conduct safer deep jumps, the fleet should be able to arrive in Enedd shortly after we would’ve cleared the possible inbound jump area. Therefore, it could be counted as having caught up, and then we can continue with the spectacle.”
“I see, and based on the arriving numbers, we can better gauge their accuracy.” agreed Tempo, “However, what was that about the Soia? I do not remember any passage in the Barsam teachings about them being abominable?”
“Not from their standpoint, no,” Zarjow nodded, “I was intrigued by the words like great undertaking, mind-terror and corruption, it seems that the Hierarchy’s grudge against your kind might be far deeper than you assumed. No matter whether we agree that your ancestors were the true Soia, or if those were other beings, both would have a common enemy.”
Tempo stared at the Human with disbelief, “The Zulotchi?”
“Indeed, an enigmatic and powerful race that betrayed their heavenly Masters and thus initiated the terrible Fall. We do not know about any actual reasons for a revolt, if it was treason at all, or even how they looked like. Yet, solely for this spectacle, let us revive them and pit that ancient foe against a contemporary one.” The Operative seemed to enjoy digging through old legends, “This grand reveal might cause the Umiak to slip up and provide more information about that device it referred to. Besides, based on their psychological profiles, we should be able to exploit their paranoia, but it needs some time to grow and fester.”
What a truly convoluted scheme, “Then we are done here, I believe?”
“Of course, and if you need our support for any remembrance ceremony, then we will be honored to assist.” Alexander Jardin extended his hand towards her.
“Thank you for the offer, but it is not necessary.” Besides, this was not what she meant anyway.
“Then Alexey will escort you to your cabins.” answered the Captain.
As they walked towards the lift, Emberwing asked Zarjow, “Have you felt anything special about their psionic signatures?”
“Compared to other aliens in the system, there is not much of a difference, although the sample size is still too small for proper conclusions.” Explained the Operative, “We’d need lengthy experiments to determine whether those devices affect us at all, and in which way. Some examples of this technology would certainly help, but the Umiak commander refused to explain what it is or where they have it from.”
That was highly unlikely, anyway, yet the Mizol replied with, “It was worth a try, and you have our gratitude.”
“Speaking of experiments, the amplifier was erected and activated.” The Human shifted the topic, “Your farseer reported that her abilities were blocked, and our attempts did not bear fruit either.”
While she was eager to continue, this had to wait until they reached the interior, “I shall discuss it with my team and work out our next plans.”
“Please inform me if you require something or want to visit a different deck. You also can ask the ship’s computer, we have added temporary authorizations for everyone, just address it with Charon.” He escorted them to their cabins and walked away.
Emberwing led Tempo inside, “What do you think of the Humans and their recent behavior?”
“Highly creative and cunning, but perhaps overly so. Beryl said that they are on the upper end of the relative scale if it concerns imagination.” The Mizol shared her insights in a pondering tone, “Dragging the Zulotchi into this is far too convoluted. To me, it seems like they are playing a game?”
This was the same feeling that Emberwing had, “Exactly, and the question is why are they not taking the situation seriously. Can the Humans simply afford it, do they underestimate the threat, or is this simply their way of thinking?”
“I will discuss it with Tiret Oasis, we need to create a psychological profile of those Humans as quickly as possible,” sent Tempo in a professional tone, “First, though, we should meet up with the rest.”
“I’ll call them,” Emberwing located all of them in their cabins, except for Midnight and Eight Eye. She then almost pressed on her wrist comm, but realized that this was not that facsimile armor and simply spoke out loud, “Charon, where are Mizol Parat Midnight and Bistima Eight Eye?”
“Both are in cargo bay number 1. Do you want to speak with them?” answered the computer.
“Notify them to return to their cabins.” She preferred restricting communications to sanzai.
“Acknowledged.”
After a short while, her team was fully assembled. She told them about the fate of the Union forces, and they held a simple remembrance ceremony for the fallen.
“Now, to the task at hand.” sent Emberwing in a command tone, “Parat Midnight, what is the status of the amplifier?”
“It is theoretically fully operational,” answered the Mizol with annoyance, “But whatever the Shells are doing renders the Bistima blind! We also had no luck with the Humans, they do not react to it at all!”
“We shall continue with the efforts after I’ve rested,” sent Eight Eye with a calm, but weary tone. “I haven’t tried out all the possibilities just yet.”
“Then you are dismissed,” Emberwing turned to Beryl, “Have you reviewed the scanner data?”
“I’ve compiled it, but a thorough analysis needs more time,” The Listel was enthusiastic to continue, “This is a pattern that was never seen before! Willpower says that it could give us more insight into the mechanisms behind the farseer drugs.”
“Glad to be of service to the advancement of science,” remarked Emberwing, “We need answers, or even better, a way to sanzai with the Humans. It should speed up our efforts to learn how to spot the Shells.”
“For that, we’d need more data, especially a map of your brain activity during a shared dream sequence,” The Listel opted to ignore her sarcasm, “Can you wear the scanner aperture again?”
“Of course,” She needed to sleep soon, anyway, “Is there any way to trigger that particular type of dream?”
“Dream guidance techniques is nothing any of us are proficient in,” answered Disis Willpower, “Just try to relax.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Emberwing addressed the Tiret, “Would you have any advice, at least?”
“Normally, I’d prescribe some drugs, it’s the usual procedure when dealing with dream leaks, but we shouldn’t do that here.” The counselor ruminated for a moment, “Now, to influence a dream, the Mystics first attempt to shape the mood of a person towards the desired goal. Relaxation for a dream healing, or fury for the Stormcalmer technique that you managed to carry out on your own. Afterwards, they induce a trance and link their mind with the patient’s psyche. Once that is achieved, it then becomes possible to guide the dreamer through the procedures.”
“Good to know, but that’s nothing I can replicate.” It would be up to luck, then. Emberwing also made sure to ask about the main reason why Oasis was included in the team, “Torimor Silvermist mentioned a new approach that you had discovered.”
“It’s just something infrequently alluded to in the legends. People who had shared a very deep connection could also feel each other’s emotional state or even meet in their dreams, despite impossible distances.” The Tiret tilted her head, “However, most of the references were found in the stories about a tragic infatuation with a male, and the feelings were therefore desire or despair, usually even both. The dreams…”
“I’m not that desperate for an encounter.” Emberwing stared her down, “Especially with an alien!”
“The lack of humor is an early warning sign,” Oasis shook her head, “I did not mean that, and you would’ve understood this if you just could let me finish. It is quite possible that the legends of this type were embellished to serve as a warning, but they must be based on an underlying mechanism. Unfortunately, the archives contained no information about contemporary examples or theories.”
“So I’ve rediscovered this either forgotten or even mostly made up mechanism?” Just her luck, “Should I think of the Humans, or what?”
“Your guess is just as good as mine,” The counselor sent in an empathetic tone, “I would strongly recommend a good night's sleep instead.”
“Now, that is some good advice for a change, I’m probably insufferable and of no use, anyway. This should be enough for a preliminary plan, continue with your tasks and schedules, there’s no need to adjust to their ship time.” Emberwing put on the sensor device and went to bed. “I will continue to follow their sleep cycle, though. Fireblade, you may want to rest now as well, hopefully our nightmares will repel each other.”
Mentally drained from today’s events, she fell asleep immediately, only to experience yet another nightmare. It guided her through the empty hallways of the Human ship, which appeared to be much darker and narrower than before. Ending up at the massive doors to the bridge, she opened them to reveal the Zulotchi’s spacious throne room behind them. The masked alien beckoned her to approach its opulent seat, “Come, tribute, and join the rest of your kind.”
The kneeling figures removed their hoods, exposing themselves to be Loroi. Every casualty was here, her old crew, her sister, her mentor Truesword, Soshret Lightspear, and even that curious Paset who had brought her new clothes. They extended their hands towards the creature, then started chanting something in Trade, yet the words were completely unknown. Bewildered, Emberwing stepped back, “What? No, I cannot join the dead!”
“Join us! Help us empower the Silent One! Grant him the Voice to speak on our behalf!” The Loroi turned towards her, staring with their empty, lifeless eyes, and spoke in unison, “Take up its offer! Partake of its might! This is the only way!”
She tried to run, but was stopped by other hooded figures, who dragged her before the creature. It pointed a clawed finger at her to proclaim, “Then be the lifeblood of a new age!”
A pink hand wielding an elaborately decorated knife plunged down, and she woke up with a telepathic yelp.
“Not you too!” Beryl, who was sitting behind a portable console, sounded very annoyed, “This was even worse than everything Fireblade had ever sent!”
“Huh?” Emberwing was still not fully awake, “What did I send?”
“Something that could be heard across the entire deck!” answered Fireblade from the farthest cabin, “Did you join some weird cult?”
“This is just an amalgam of all the stress I’ve been subjected to.” The dream did not want to fade, and she could recall it clearly, “That imagery was probably triggered by Midnight’s story about Perrein’s ancient cults.”
“So now I’m at fault all of a sudden?” The Mizol sent in an exaggeratedly upset tone, “You have quite the vivid imagination to construct such a horrifyingly detailed scene from nothing but a single mention of those old tales.”
“Or it wasn’t my own nightmare,” Emberwing pulled off the sensor net and gave it to Beryl, “Can you analyze the data? Meanwhile, I’ll need a bath.”
The Shell commander had sent a lengthier and also a more cryptic message.
“Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 finds it necessary/reasonable to know/inquire/assess the goals of the [unknown alien] to establish proper base of communications/code of conduct. The Hierarchy has no knowledge of [unknown alien], its role in any [plans] or [interference]. The Hierarchy must [struggle] to [provide] and [ensure] freedom from [mind-terror]. The [ultimate goal] must not be interrupted, must lead to [equality], cannot be longer postponed, shall not be interfered with.”
“Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 cannot see any manipulation regarding the [device]. It is a result of utmost [collective efforts], a means to trump the [accursed Enemy], the shield against [mind-terror], a weapon to blind the [murdering Witches]. We cannot [provide] any gratitude for what that must ensure which [must be done], all that is required must be made [subordinate] to the [ultimate goal].”
Alexander Jardin scratched his head, “Interesting, the Umiak seems to be intrigued by my little act, but I have no idea what those expressions even mean. There are just too many references to things which are most probably lost in translation. Take this particular word, mind-terror, is that supposed to be an anti-Loroi insult, war propaganda or does it have some special background that I’m not aware of?”
“Perhaps I can help to clarify that. There are or were certainly no instances of us using psionic powers to terrorize anyone.” Answered Tempo, “While the Enemy has never issued a formal declaration of war or provided any reason for their aggression, they must have one, as well as some internal justification. This particular expression could be a part of their propaganda campaign against us.”
“That much is clear, anyway, it is the broader context behind it which currently eludes us. All lies do have some figment of truth at their core,” He raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t seem to be particularly interested in what your vassals had to say, for example, back during our first official meeting.”
“They freely recognized our right and responsibility to rule!” Emberwing had to object, “We represent the Union in all outside matters, according to the laws that the Assembly agreed on.”
“As I said, words can also be a weapon,” the Captain stroked his beard, “and any right to rule only applies as long as you can defend it.”
“Whose side are you even on?” protested Emberwing.
“Currently, only our own.” The Operative smiled enigmatically, “We do favor an alliance with you, of course, but we also need to discuss the terms at length first.”
“Could you leave the diplomacy to me, please?” Tempo was not amused, “We did sign a preliminary agreement.”
“That is the reason we are trying our best to support you without making it our official fight just yet, or why we invited you as witnesses to observe all our dealings with the Hierarchy.” The Captain turned back to the projector, “Let’s concentrate on our common enemy. I think that the commander is also trying to elicit more information from me, so I’ll act like I understood what it was saying, but chose to disregard all questions out of arrogance.”
The puppet spoke in an even more haughty tone, “Our true goals are far beyond the comprehension of any lesser beings, and I’m not obliged to (enrich) you with (Knowledge) to help you understand them. Let me summarize it instead, we use every and all (sentient) races to aid us in reaching our (transcendental) objective, ever since before you murdered your pitiful brethren.”
The mask changed to show amusement, “Tell me, Hal-Tik, what do you even assume to be that which you fight and struggle for? Every action, and this little war of yours is no exception, benefits only us in the end. We have set up the stage, defined the rules, and made sure to reap its most sublime (essence). All the actors can just play along and hope that their role is to be the (mundane) winners, while we (harvest) only what is truly important.”
With a ripple, the metallic surface of its mask shifted into a mysterious visage, “I have elected to (observe) and (adjust) this development directly, since a great plan is now at its crossroads. Can you impress me by choosing the best (path) possible? Or at least by asking more interesting (questions)? Then I may share more of the (Knowledge) that you seem to lack.”
Emberwing was puzzled, “Transcendence?”
“Just a fancy word to pique its interest,” Zarjow shrugged, “A mysterious elder race should have equally strange and lofty goals, don’t you think so, too?”
“The Humans are very good at lying, that is what I think.” She just had to comment, but kept it to sanzai, “What are you trying to accomplish?”
“I’m playing the game of pretending to know what the Admiral talks about, and then making it look like I know far more about the topic than it could ever imagine.” The Captain waved his hand, “Commonly known as bluffing. It does have some chance to succeed, and besides, a failure costs us nothing. The Umiak is most likely trying to make sense of my acting in turn, so the first one to slip up loses the game.”
“Provoking them too much will gain us nothing, either,” Ellen Jardin shook her head, “But you managed to attract its attention, we are receiving a new transmission.”
The answer felt to be slightly off, perhaps the husk was annoyed that none of its questions were answered?
“The Hierarchy is most [interested] about knowing all that is required to achieve its objective, the possible goals of all others are to be [integrated]. We [strive] to achieve [harmony] and eliminate [corruption]. We [convince] all to aid us in the [ultimate goal] that shall [free] all, benefit all, unite all.”
“Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 must/is required to know [aliens] connection to the [ancients]. All possible [interference] can/must be excluded as far as possible to ensure maximal efficiency of the [great undertaking]. We cannot approve of [games] as so much is at stake.”
“At this point, I’m rather sure that we wouldn’t be able to get along solely due to their weird language, even if we omit all the other factors.” Alexander Jardin rubbed his temples, “Anyway, since it asked about the ancients, which probably means the Soia-Liron, then I should make use of the Barsam gift.”
“The cultural package?” The Barsam interpretation of the legends was rather weird, thought Emberwing.
“Captain Mozin was very glad to meet us, and provided all the information that we requested.” The Operative smiled again, “While we understand that it is biased, and have absolutely no desire to join their religion, there were some interesting insights that a deep analysis had revealed. As we said, the best lies must be garnished with a portion of truth.”
The alien figure now wore a majestic, glowing mask, “Finally, an (interesting) question. I do not care about your goals or any (undertakings) of all the mundane beings, but your quest against the (mind-terror) is a rather amusing one, given its pointlessness. We already accomplished that long ago, Hal-Tik. The perverse Soia fell and their (hubris) is no more, but we triumphed! Does this explain our might and (legacy) to a sufficient degree?”
It now pointed at the camera, “But, why should I tell you anything without proper recompense? Let’s make a wager, if you manage to make better use of our gifts and catch up with my ship, then I might explain a few things.”
The creature laughed, a deep, booming sound, that made some huddled beings tremble. “Perhaps I could even reveal our (true name) to strike real, not imaginary, (terror) into the minds of all lesser beings. After all, our gifts are also a curse! Do you dare to pay the price and partake of the (Knowledge)? Choose wisely!”
“A challenge? To a race, of all things?” Emberwing did not understand what the Humans were aiming for.
“Since we both attempt to extract information, the Captain can’t be too specific, or the deception will be seen through. We have calculated the probabilities, and the chance of gaining more information is now too low to risk a prolonged exchange. The Umiak are certainly no fools, so why not test their abilities instead?” Zarjow pointed to the holoprojector that displayed a tactical overview of the next system. “Assuming that they have found a way to conduct safer deep jumps, the fleet should be able to arrive in Enedd shortly after we would’ve cleared the possible inbound jump area. Therefore, it could be counted as having caught up, and then we can continue with the spectacle.”
“I see, and based on the arriving numbers, we can better gauge their accuracy.” agreed Tempo, “However, what was that about the Soia? I do not remember any passage in the Barsam teachings about them being abominable?”
“Not from their standpoint, no,” Zarjow nodded, “I was intrigued by the words like great undertaking, mind-terror and corruption, it seems that the Hierarchy’s grudge against your kind might be far deeper than you assumed. No matter whether we agree that your ancestors were the true Soia, or if those were other beings, both would have a common enemy.”
Tempo stared at the Human with disbelief, “The Zulotchi?”
“Indeed, an enigmatic and powerful race that betrayed their heavenly Masters and thus initiated the terrible Fall. We do not know about any actual reasons for a revolt, if it was treason at all, or even how they looked like. Yet, solely for this spectacle, let us revive them and pit that ancient foe against a contemporary one.” The Operative seemed to enjoy digging through old legends, “This grand reveal might cause the Umiak to slip up and provide more information about that device it referred to. Besides, based on their psychological profiles, we should be able to exploit their paranoia, but it needs some time to grow and fester.”
What a truly convoluted scheme, “Then we are done here, I believe?”
“Of course, and if you need our support for any remembrance ceremony, then we will be honored to assist.” Alexander Jardin extended his hand towards her.
“Thank you for the offer, but it is not necessary.” Besides, this was not what she meant anyway.
“Then Alexey will escort you to your cabins.” answered the Captain.
As they walked towards the lift, Emberwing asked Zarjow, “Have you felt anything special about their psionic signatures?”
“Compared to other aliens in the system, there is not much of a difference, although the sample size is still too small for proper conclusions.” Explained the Operative, “We’d need lengthy experiments to determine whether those devices affect us at all, and in which way. Some examples of this technology would certainly help, but the Umiak commander refused to explain what it is or where they have it from.”
That was highly unlikely, anyway, yet the Mizol replied with, “It was worth a try, and you have our gratitude.”
“Speaking of experiments, the amplifier was erected and activated.” The Human shifted the topic, “Your farseer reported that her abilities were blocked, and our attempts did not bear fruit either.”
While she was eager to continue, this had to wait until they reached the interior, “I shall discuss it with my team and work out our next plans.”
“Please inform me if you require something or want to visit a different deck. You also can ask the ship’s computer, we have added temporary authorizations for everyone, just address it with Charon.” He escorted them to their cabins and walked away.
Emberwing led Tempo inside, “What do you think of the Humans and their recent behavior?”
“Highly creative and cunning, but perhaps overly so. Beryl said that they are on the upper end of the relative scale if it concerns imagination.” The Mizol shared her insights in a pondering tone, “Dragging the Zulotchi into this is far too convoluted. To me, it seems like they are playing a game?”
This was the same feeling that Emberwing had, “Exactly, and the question is why are they not taking the situation seriously. Can the Humans simply afford it, do they underestimate the threat, or is this simply their way of thinking?”
“I will discuss it with Tiret Oasis, we need to create a psychological profile of those Humans as quickly as possible,” sent Tempo in a professional tone, “First, though, we should meet up with the rest.”
“I’ll call them,” Emberwing located all of them in their cabins, except for Midnight and Eight Eye. She then almost pressed on her wrist comm, but realized that this was not that facsimile armor and simply spoke out loud, “Charon, where are Mizol Parat Midnight and Bistima Eight Eye?”
“Both are in cargo bay number 1. Do you want to speak with them?” answered the computer.
“Notify them to return to their cabins.” She preferred restricting communications to sanzai.
“Acknowledged.”
After a short while, her team was fully assembled. She told them about the fate of the Union forces, and they held a simple remembrance ceremony for the fallen.
“Now, to the task at hand.” sent Emberwing in a command tone, “Parat Midnight, what is the status of the amplifier?”
“It is theoretically fully operational,” answered the Mizol with annoyance, “But whatever the Shells are doing renders the Bistima blind! We also had no luck with the Humans, they do not react to it at all!”
“We shall continue with the efforts after I’ve rested,” sent Eight Eye with a calm, but weary tone. “I haven’t tried out all the possibilities just yet.”
“Then you are dismissed,” Emberwing turned to Beryl, “Have you reviewed the scanner data?”
“I’ve compiled it, but a thorough analysis needs more time,” The Listel was enthusiastic to continue, “This is a pattern that was never seen before! Willpower says that it could give us more insight into the mechanisms behind the farseer drugs.”
“Glad to be of service to the advancement of science,” remarked Emberwing, “We need answers, or even better, a way to sanzai with the Humans. It should speed up our efforts to learn how to spot the Shells.”
“For that, we’d need more data, especially a map of your brain activity during a shared dream sequence,” The Listel opted to ignore her sarcasm, “Can you wear the scanner aperture again?”
“Of course,” She needed to sleep soon, anyway, “Is there any way to trigger that particular type of dream?”
“Dream guidance techniques is nothing any of us are proficient in,” answered Disis Willpower, “Just try to relax.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Emberwing addressed the Tiret, “Would you have any advice, at least?”
“Normally, I’d prescribe some drugs, it’s the usual procedure when dealing with dream leaks, but we shouldn’t do that here.” The counselor ruminated for a moment, “Now, to influence a dream, the Mystics first attempt to shape the mood of a person towards the desired goal. Relaxation for a dream healing, or fury for the Stormcalmer technique that you managed to carry out on your own. Afterwards, they induce a trance and link their mind with the patient’s psyche. Once that is achieved, it then becomes possible to guide the dreamer through the procedures.”
“Good to know, but that’s nothing I can replicate.” It would be up to luck, then. Emberwing also made sure to ask about the main reason why Oasis was included in the team, “Torimor Silvermist mentioned a new approach that you had discovered.”
“It’s just something infrequently alluded to in the legends. People who had shared a very deep connection could also feel each other’s emotional state or even meet in their dreams, despite impossible distances.” The Tiret tilted her head, “However, most of the references were found in the stories about a tragic infatuation with a male, and the feelings were therefore desire or despair, usually even both. The dreams…”
“I’m not that desperate for an encounter.” Emberwing stared her down, “Especially with an alien!”
“The lack of humor is an early warning sign,” Oasis shook her head, “I did not mean that, and you would’ve understood this if you just could let me finish. It is quite possible that the legends of this type were embellished to serve as a warning, but they must be based on an underlying mechanism. Unfortunately, the archives contained no information about contemporary examples or theories.”
“So I’ve rediscovered this either forgotten or even mostly made up mechanism?” Just her luck, “Should I think of the Humans, or what?”
“Your guess is just as good as mine,” The counselor sent in an empathetic tone, “I would strongly recommend a good night's sleep instead.”
“Now, that is some good advice for a change, I’m probably insufferable and of no use, anyway. This should be enough for a preliminary plan, continue with your tasks and schedules, there’s no need to adjust to their ship time.” Emberwing put on the sensor device and went to bed. “I will continue to follow their sleep cycle, though. Fireblade, you may want to rest now as well, hopefully our nightmares will repel each other.”
Mentally drained from today’s events, she fell asleep immediately, only to experience yet another nightmare. It guided her through the empty hallways of the Human ship, which appeared to be much darker and narrower than before. Ending up at the massive doors to the bridge, she opened them to reveal the Zulotchi’s spacious throne room behind them. The masked alien beckoned her to approach its opulent seat, “Come, tribute, and join the rest of your kind.”
The kneeling figures removed their hoods, exposing themselves to be Loroi. Every casualty was here, her old crew, her sister, her mentor Truesword, Soshret Lightspear, and even that curious Paset who had brought her new clothes. They extended their hands towards the creature, then started chanting something in Trade, yet the words were completely unknown. Bewildered, Emberwing stepped back, “What? No, I cannot join the dead!”
“Join us! Help us empower the Silent One! Grant him the Voice to speak on our behalf!” The Loroi turned towards her, staring with their empty, lifeless eyes, and spoke in unison, “Take up its offer! Partake of its might! This is the only way!”
She tried to run, but was stopped by other hooded figures, who dragged her before the creature. It pointed a clawed finger at her to proclaim, “Then be the lifeblood of a new age!”
A pink hand wielding an elaborately decorated knife plunged down, and she woke up with a telepathic yelp.
“Not you too!” Beryl, who was sitting behind a portable console, sounded very annoyed, “This was even worse than everything Fireblade had ever sent!”
“Huh?” Emberwing was still not fully awake, “What did I send?”
“Something that could be heard across the entire deck!” answered Fireblade from the farthest cabin, “Did you join some weird cult?”
“This is just an amalgam of all the stress I’ve been subjected to.” The dream did not want to fade, and she could recall it clearly, “That imagery was probably triggered by Midnight’s story about Perrein’s ancient cults.”
“So now I’m at fault all of a sudden?” The Mizol sent in an exaggeratedly upset tone, “You have quite the vivid imagination to construct such a horrifyingly detailed scene from nothing but a single mention of those old tales.”
“Or it wasn’t my own nightmare,” Emberwing pulled off the sensor net and gave it to Beryl, “Can you analyze the data? Meanwhile, I’ll need a bath.”
Last edited by Cthulhu on Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXX: The Debacle
Emberwing took a bath and then looked at herself in the mirror. While not being as athletic as her sister, she had always maintained a certain level of fitness. With all the recent troubles, however, there was no time for exercise. Perhaps the Humans would have some facilities where she could train? On a second thought, this had to wait until tomorrow, at least.
Apparently, Beryl was thoughtful enough to unpack some care products. Since she was now a Torret, Emberwing could afford to keep her hair which had grown longer, so after bringing it in order, she exited the bath. “Anything interesting about the sensor data?”
“Not even an excuse?” Beryl was still busy with the portable computer, “Maybe I should’ve bunked with Fireblade instead.”
“Whether an excuse is in order depends on whose dream that even was.” replied Emberwing in a humorous tone, “If you can pinpoint the perpetrator, then I’ll go and extract an apology right away.”
“Here's the rough data,” Without looking up, the Listel sent her the images of two graphs, “According to the brainwave patterns, you entered a second deep sleep phase around this timestamp here, just before sending out the nightmare. The ZP and RZ neurotransmitter values, which I assume are the main perpetrators, remained normal, however. There was just a small anomaly, a slight increase during the first phase, but it did not seem to last long.”
“I have no memories of a different dream.” She had hoped that it could help them pinpoint the probable source, maybe someone from the bridge crew. “Could this nightmare still be a shared dream?”
“While possible, it is rather unlikely.” Beryl added a third graph, “This is the recorded activity during the farsight session, the level increases were very distinct, and they properly corresponded to your farseeing efforts. Right now, those fluctuations are our only starting point. I’d rather not speculate whether it is possible to have a shared dream without them, unless we find some other proof, that is. Otherwise, we’ll end up with no theory at all.”
“Then let me apologize for that unpleasant experience,” The nightmare also had a different feeling if compared to the fantastical city. “I had hoped to see that recurring dream, it is most probably the shared one, then. But how can I attune myself to it?”
“Maybe you should spend more time with the Humans?” The Listel sounded as if being somewhat unsure, “I’m not a psi-specialist, unfortunately.”
“There will be enough opportunities to do so during our journey.” First, though, she had to confirm their status, “Charon, can you show me your current position?”
“Certainly.” A holographic image above the table displayed a tactical overview of the Azimol system. The ship maintained its acceleration, and they would reach the outbound jump zone in about 3 hours. The Shell fleet either took the bait, or it was their strategy all along, since they followed them with maximal acceleration. Still, it should take the Enemy 9 hours before they could jump as well.
Emberwing sat down, across from the Listel, “Beryl, what is your day schedule?”
“I can go without sleep for a day or two, there’s just too much to do.” She kept working on the console, not even glancing up to see the projection above. It was now was apparent that Beryl was not only too focused on the task, but also quite tired.
“Oh no, that is a terrible downward spiral, and I command you to stop.” As the nominal commander of this mission, she was also responsible for everyone’s health. Switching the holographic projection to the food menu, she looked through the list. It was now at least ten times as long, updated with a wide variety of Loroi as well as alien dishes, and there were even more new creations. “If you don’t tell me when it was the last time that you slept, right away, I’ll feed you to a Perrein squid special.”
“That’s gross!” Beryl snapped out of it, and looked up, “Wait, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”
“No, most Perrein dishes do come from the other way around.” Emberwing sent an image of the strange, pungent paste from the Perrein rations. “And those disgusting tree-squid-things will eat you once you fall asleep on your post.”
“Please, mercy, anything but that.” The Listel chuckled, “Fine, you are right, I’ll finish up soon enough.”
“Is this fixation upon a task common for those with an eidetic memory?” asked Emberwing while ordering some normal food. “The favor that I wanted to ask of you is to tell me about the Listel mental training methods, unless they are a caste secret, of course.”
“That is just a character trait which is somewhat more common for those with eidetic memories,” answered Beryl, “The training methods are not a secret, but they take a long time to explain. In essence, you have to be constantly aware of this tendency and, gradually, tame that habit.”
“That is a very interesting challenge, I shall definitely try it.” She confirmed the security and connection protocols, then unpacked a second portable console. The Humans were granted limited access to the system’s network, which she immediately linked to. The small relay station up ahead was still active and exchanged courier ships with Enedd in short intervals. This meant that Tazites Duskcrown should be already informed of the approaching second Shell fleet, as well as its deep-jumping capability. Going through the logs, she found no new orders, but realized that Tempo was thoughtful enough to compile all their findings into a report, something that she completely forgot about.
“Thank you for making a report.” Since the Mizol was with Tiret Oasis in the adjacent cabin, Emberwing asked about their progress, “Anything new regarding the profiling or something else that I need to know about?”
“Nothing definitive yet, although it would almost seem like they want to toy with the Shells,” sent Tempo in a tone that suggested that she enjoyed the challenge, “Or us as well.”
“Maybe it is related to how they grow up with virtual entertainment and fictional stories?” Emberwing remembered that the Humans avoided showing pictures about the current state of their homeworld. “Perhaps they actually live in those fantastical worlds most of the time, if the outside environment is still too damaged?”
“Seeing how they live would certainly help in creating that profile, we should find an opportunity to ask them about it.” The Tiret sounded curious, “Could you arrange for more information?”
“No more crude attempts at playing Mizol,” Tempo interjected forcefully, “I will ask them about a cultural package, we were actually almost at that point when the Shells interrupted our talks.”
“If you insist.” Apparently, the Mizol did not forget about that previous incident, “Then, I'll share everything I learned of their habits in greater detail.”
“Good, but we should limit sending distance if discussing sensitive matters.” Tempo was still wary, so they gathered in Emberwing’s cabin for a brief meeting.
“Let me apologize for that dream leak,” Emberwing excused herself for the indiscretion, “Did anyone else experience any nightmares?”
Fortunately, even Fireblade was spared from this, so after reaffirming everyone's schedules, the three focused on analyzing the Humans.
Some time must’ve passed, since Emberwing felt the ship jump, and turned to the console immediately. The system network provided her with the recent information, Duskcrown’s fleet was now about an hour away from the Shell force. Judging from the course, she was aiming to pass the approaching Enemy at a very close distance, then make a turn, and withdraw towards Noibel in order to avoid being caught between the two gatecrasher forces. Emberwing calculated the possible scenarios, even if the fleet in Azimol would perform a deep jump, the Union forces should be able to retreat in time. The Charon, given its superior acceleration, would arrive at the outbound jump zone even before them.
“Everything seems to be in order,” sent Emberwing to assure the others, “The defense fleet will be able to escape the trap, and we can slip into the interior.”
“Some good news for a chance,” nodded Oasis, “Now back to the Humans, you’ve said that they also build those hive-cities on newly colonized worlds, even if the environment would permit a normal settlement?”
“Perhaps they grew accustomed to this?” Emberwing recalled the panorama of the Draconis colony, “Or this single planet might’ve been an exception.”
“Then we need to inquire about it as well”. The Tiret made another note, “Any information about their numbers or population density?”
“Only for the aforementioned world,” Which was unusually high, especially since the Humans began expanding only recently.
A buzzing at the door interrupted their work, “Yes?”
The Operative entered the cabin, “I apologize for the sudden incursion, but there is an urgent matter which you should observe. The Umiak deep-jumped into the system.”
“How many? Where are they?” Emberwing stood up.
“Most of their fleet is far ahead, but some blocked the jump zone behind us as well.” Zarjow stated the worrying events in a composed tone, “The Captain will have to contact them soon.”
“Tempo, let’s go!” She commanded immediately, “Everyone else, carry on with your tasks.”
The three hurried to the elevator, and Zarjow continued, “There appear to be some jump losses among the Umiak fleet now, perhaps around 10 percent.”
“That’s still far too low,” exclaimed Emberwing, “They must’ve jumped even before reaching the outbound zone, and then, a deep jump? Normally, only so many should survive in the best possible case!”
“Whatever they did, it has put us in a difficult situation,” acknowledged the Human, “We are now preparing a sprint to get to the Noibes jump point.”
“Is there still enough time?” That method needed a while to prepare, after all, “What of the Union fleet?”
The elevator doors opened, and he pointed to the bridge, “A picture is better than a thousand words.”
Inside, the Captain greeted them with a smile, “The Shell commander took my bait too well.”
The holoprojector displayed a system overview, 18 Shell divisions had deep-jumped and were now advancing towards the Union fleet that was still approaching the other armada. The rest, slightly more than 2 divisions, jumped normally, most likely to guard the Azimol link. The losses were indeed astonishingly low, thought Emberwing, “Did all of them jump here?”
“No, some ships remained in Azimol, they still need to destroy that relay station,” answered Alexander Jardin. “A truly impressive accuracy, your forces might get caught into a pincer attack at this rate.”
She swallowed a rude comment about that attitude, and asked him about his ship instead, “Can we still reach the interior?”
“Of course, the necessary waveform patterns are being calculated right now. This one is a rather standard star system without any gravitational anomalies, it won’t take much time.” He pressed some buttons to highlight a course in the projection, “We just need to make a detour to avoid the Hierarchy's reach.”
The roundabout, curved path would take them to the edge of the system, and then, towards the outbound jump point. Various additional lines indicated the possible interception attempts by the Shell fleet, yet they couldn’t hope to get them in time. Emberwing used the console to have a look at the Union fleet next. Begrudgingly, she was forced to accept that the Shells performed a flawless stratagem here. Duskcrown’s fleet simply had to get to the interior ahead of the Shells, but all possible paths would also force her into an unfavorable fight with one of the gatecrasher divisions.
Tempo nudged her telepathically, “Is everything all right?”
Of course, she just had to lock up under stress, as expected, “With me or this ship? I’d say, yes, for the most part. It’s the defense fleet that I’m worried about. They will take considerable losses during the inevitable breakthrough. Losses that we cannot afford, but which the Enemy certainly can.”
“We cannot change anything about that,” sent Tempo in a calm tone, “Instead, explain to me what this sprint is, exactly.”
“Haven’t you read my report?” Emberwing shared her memories, “Although, I did not understand that technology.”
“Even Beryl doesn’t understand it,” answered the Mizol with some annoyance. “She and the other Listel merely came to the conclusion that our jump field generators cannot be modified in such a way at all or work for so long. Granted, the Humans may have lied, so I’m looking forward to a demonstration.”
The Operative cleared his throat, “The Barsam ship jumped in, slightly deeper into the system. They should be safe, for now.”
“For how long?” Emberwing could not see a way for them to escape, “Or can they flee to Leido instead?”
“Leido is contested as well, there are multiple Umiak groups spread out throughout the system.” Zarjow pointed to an area that they had passed a short while ago, “Captain Mozin should be here, which means that a retrieval is simply not feasible.”
The view updated, showing the mercenary ship, as well as two Loroi couriers from the relay post. She calculated the distance, “It is not too far.”
“We are on a tight schedule, the jump cores need some time to be readjusted both before and after a sprint.” said Zarjow categorically, “The whole operation is already risky enough as is, additional delays are impossible.”
He then looked up, “The Umiak commander has sent us a message.”
Were the Shells even capable of glee? Or was it simply too drugged after a jump? “Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 must announce a successful demonstration of the Hierarchy’s abilities to the [alien]. We are [adamant] to win, prepared to repel [interference], most secure in our [dutifulness]. The [alien] must explain itself, prepare itself for [demands of cooperation], renounce all [games], cease all [interference].”
“Well, that was quite the challenge.” Alexander Jardin crossed his arms, “Anyway, the engines will soon be ready, and we can over-trump him, but I should still reply in a similarly haughty manner.”
The figure upon its golden throne wore a strange, twisted mask, “Congratulations on winning that little wager, your (sacrifice) at our altars was duly noted and accepted. Do not pride yourself for anything beyond that which we allow for, all your (moves) have been long since accounted for. The (shrines) that we provided will continue to extract an ever-increasing (price), yet can you go without them?”
It now pointed at the screen, “So, pawn, eager to collect your prize? I certainly know that you aren’t ready for the burden of (Knowledge), but spreading its (curse) shall benefit me, therefore, listen (closely).”
The mask now transformed into a terrible, horned visage with glowing red eyes, “Tremble in fear, mundane creature, for we all, including the pathetic Darlock who deny this proud legacy, are known as the Zulotchi! Scourge of the Soia, (Harvesters of Sorrow), Gods of this new Age.”
The creature laughed, “You dare to threaten me, umiak? Do you really think that we could do as we please, if we were bound by the laws of this foolish universe, as you base vermin are? The tricks that we supplied you with are just a tiny fraction of our true might. Your best efforts wouldn't even amount to a minor inconvenience for us, but you are welcome to try, it might be somewhat amusing!”
Again, Emberwing felt that something was off, and immediately recalled everything she knew of the Barsam legends. There weren’t any bloodthirsty elements, though, “Sacrifices? Shrines?”
“I just want to discredit the device that they use,” The Captain shrugged, “Or devices, for that matter. Whatever they do to block farsight might be just an unknown Soia artifact, but a technology that allows such exact jumps, and for entire fleets at once, is far more of a threat. We need any hints at what it might be, which is why I’m trying to provoke the Umiak commander.”
“You’ve said that it could be a hyperspace manipulator?” Tempo joined in as well.
“A mere guess, the exact function of the device in that ancient wreck remains unknown.” explained the Operative. “But the readings that we were able to obtain from it, as well as from the various facsimiles which we constructed, do not correspond to anything the Hierarchy had displayed here.”
“Is that contraption still on board?” Inquired Emberwing, this ship was, after all, one of the test vessels.
Zarjow’s reply was as expected, “Such information is classified, of course.”
“Can we include it into the technology exchange?” The Mizol was not discouraged easily.
“Well, hypothetically speaking, and only if that hypothetical device would indeed exist,” The Operative stroked his beard, “then maybe.”
“Can you wait with your games until we are finished with this issue?” interrupted him Ellen Jardin, “The Umiak have sent their answer.”
Contrary to the Captain’s expectations, the Shell commander sounded unimpressed.
“The Hierarchy has no knowledge of the [Zulotchi], has no interest in myths, [makes] own history, [enacts] own plans. We intend to pay any price to create/establish/ensure [harmony]. The [alien] role in downfall of [ancients] cannot be verified, is of no relevance now, cannot interfere with [great undertaking]. Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 is adamant to win, all odds are now in our favor, victory is [most probable], all unfavorable [variables] shall/can be removed.”
“A pity, my little trick at eliciting more information was not as successful as I expected, since the Admiral doesn’t appear to be interested in legends at all.” Alexander Jardin stretched himself, “Then let me add a last, ominous-sounding warning.”
Sitting upon its magnificent throne, the Zulotchi wore an impossibly-shaped, wriggling mask. “It would seem that not all lesser beings in this sector know our (legacy). Should I arrange for a stronger (adversary) to punish you? Demonstrate some of my (powers) to remind you of your place? Or both? Oh yes, we do have a rather (interesting) foe for you to clash with next.”
The huddled figures surrounding the throne raised their arms and began to chant something, just like in her dream! As if being empowered by it, the Zulotchi started to glow with a golden sheen. “Stand in awe and behold as I shall command this pathetic reality to bow to my whims!”
The hooded figures sang louder, combining their voices into a choir, and filling the chamber with an eerie music. The waves of golden light that emanated from the creature grew in intensity, until they started to distort the surrounding space, pulsing in tact with the rhythm. “Witness the might of the Dragons!”
Now, the blinding light drowned out everything and the transmission was interrupted.
With the channel closed, Alexander issued a command, “Synchronize all cores and engage the drive!”
The strange melody of the ship swelled on much faster, and was also far louder than before. For some strange reason, Emberwing could almost hear that bizarre chant again, hidden somewhere in the tune, “Tempo, can you discern something like a song?”
“I can only hear a constant buzzing, the entire ship seems to be vibrating,” The Mizol sounded intrigued, “Or is it the same story as with the amplifier?”
Meanwhile, Zarjow announced, “As planned, we have reached 26 percent light-speed, which means only three hours flight-time until the jump point.”
Unlike the previous time, the music did not dampen even after the maneuver was finished. The Human Captain noticed that as well, commenting on it with a most unsettling, “Uh-oh.”
Emberwing took a bath and then looked at herself in the mirror. While not being as athletic as her sister, she had always maintained a certain level of fitness. With all the recent troubles, however, there was no time for exercise. Perhaps the Humans would have some facilities where she could train? On a second thought, this had to wait until tomorrow, at least.
Apparently, Beryl was thoughtful enough to unpack some care products. Since she was now a Torret, Emberwing could afford to keep her hair which had grown longer, so after bringing it in order, she exited the bath. “Anything interesting about the sensor data?”
“Not even an excuse?” Beryl was still busy with the portable computer, “Maybe I should’ve bunked with Fireblade instead.”
“Whether an excuse is in order depends on whose dream that even was.” replied Emberwing in a humorous tone, “If you can pinpoint the perpetrator, then I’ll go and extract an apology right away.”
“Here's the rough data,” Without looking up, the Listel sent her the images of two graphs, “According to the brainwave patterns, you entered a second deep sleep phase around this timestamp here, just before sending out the nightmare. The ZP and RZ neurotransmitter values, which I assume are the main perpetrators, remained normal, however. There was just a small anomaly, a slight increase during the first phase, but it did not seem to last long.”
“I have no memories of a different dream.” She had hoped that it could help them pinpoint the probable source, maybe someone from the bridge crew. “Could this nightmare still be a shared dream?”
“While possible, it is rather unlikely.” Beryl added a third graph, “This is the recorded activity during the farsight session, the level increases were very distinct, and they properly corresponded to your farseeing efforts. Right now, those fluctuations are our only starting point. I’d rather not speculate whether it is possible to have a shared dream without them, unless we find some other proof, that is. Otherwise, we’ll end up with no theory at all.”
“Then let me apologize for that unpleasant experience,” The nightmare also had a different feeling if compared to the fantastical city. “I had hoped to see that recurring dream, it is most probably the shared one, then. But how can I attune myself to it?”
“Maybe you should spend more time with the Humans?” The Listel sounded as if being somewhat unsure, “I’m not a psi-specialist, unfortunately.”
“There will be enough opportunities to do so during our journey.” First, though, she had to confirm their status, “Charon, can you show me your current position?”
“Certainly.” A holographic image above the table displayed a tactical overview of the Azimol system. The ship maintained its acceleration, and they would reach the outbound jump zone in about 3 hours. The Shell fleet either took the bait, or it was their strategy all along, since they followed them with maximal acceleration. Still, it should take the Enemy 9 hours before they could jump as well.
Emberwing sat down, across from the Listel, “Beryl, what is your day schedule?”
“I can go without sleep for a day or two, there’s just too much to do.” She kept working on the console, not even glancing up to see the projection above. It was now was apparent that Beryl was not only too focused on the task, but also quite tired.
“Oh no, that is a terrible downward spiral, and I command you to stop.” As the nominal commander of this mission, she was also responsible for everyone’s health. Switching the holographic projection to the food menu, she looked through the list. It was now at least ten times as long, updated with a wide variety of Loroi as well as alien dishes, and there were even more new creations. “If you don’t tell me when it was the last time that you slept, right away, I’ll feed you to a Perrein squid special.”
“That’s gross!” Beryl snapped out of it, and looked up, “Wait, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”
“No, most Perrein dishes do come from the other way around.” Emberwing sent an image of the strange, pungent paste from the Perrein rations. “And those disgusting tree-squid-things will eat you once you fall asleep on your post.”
“Please, mercy, anything but that.” The Listel chuckled, “Fine, you are right, I’ll finish up soon enough.”
“Is this fixation upon a task common for those with an eidetic memory?” asked Emberwing while ordering some normal food. “The favor that I wanted to ask of you is to tell me about the Listel mental training methods, unless they are a caste secret, of course.”
“That is just a character trait which is somewhat more common for those with eidetic memories,” answered Beryl, “The training methods are not a secret, but they take a long time to explain. In essence, you have to be constantly aware of this tendency and, gradually, tame that habit.”
“That is a very interesting challenge, I shall definitely try it.” She confirmed the security and connection protocols, then unpacked a second portable console. The Humans were granted limited access to the system’s network, which she immediately linked to. The small relay station up ahead was still active and exchanged courier ships with Enedd in short intervals. This meant that Tazites Duskcrown should be already informed of the approaching second Shell fleet, as well as its deep-jumping capability. Going through the logs, she found no new orders, but realized that Tempo was thoughtful enough to compile all their findings into a report, something that she completely forgot about.
“Thank you for making a report.” Since the Mizol was with Tiret Oasis in the adjacent cabin, Emberwing asked about their progress, “Anything new regarding the profiling or something else that I need to know about?”
“Nothing definitive yet, although it would almost seem like they want to toy with the Shells,” sent Tempo in a tone that suggested that she enjoyed the challenge, “Or us as well.”
“Maybe it is related to how they grow up with virtual entertainment and fictional stories?” Emberwing remembered that the Humans avoided showing pictures about the current state of their homeworld. “Perhaps they actually live in those fantastical worlds most of the time, if the outside environment is still too damaged?”
“Seeing how they live would certainly help in creating that profile, we should find an opportunity to ask them about it.” The Tiret sounded curious, “Could you arrange for more information?”
“No more crude attempts at playing Mizol,” Tempo interjected forcefully, “I will ask them about a cultural package, we were actually almost at that point when the Shells interrupted our talks.”
“If you insist.” Apparently, the Mizol did not forget about that previous incident, “Then, I'll share everything I learned of their habits in greater detail.”
“Good, but we should limit sending distance if discussing sensitive matters.” Tempo was still wary, so they gathered in Emberwing’s cabin for a brief meeting.
“Let me apologize for that dream leak,” Emberwing excused herself for the indiscretion, “Did anyone else experience any nightmares?”
Fortunately, even Fireblade was spared from this, so after reaffirming everyone's schedules, the three focused on analyzing the Humans.
Some time must’ve passed, since Emberwing felt the ship jump, and turned to the console immediately. The system network provided her with the recent information, Duskcrown’s fleet was now about an hour away from the Shell force. Judging from the course, she was aiming to pass the approaching Enemy at a very close distance, then make a turn, and withdraw towards Noibel in order to avoid being caught between the two gatecrasher forces. Emberwing calculated the possible scenarios, even if the fleet in Azimol would perform a deep jump, the Union forces should be able to retreat in time. The Charon, given its superior acceleration, would arrive at the outbound jump zone even before them.
“Everything seems to be in order,” sent Emberwing to assure the others, “The defense fleet will be able to escape the trap, and we can slip into the interior.”
“Some good news for a chance,” nodded Oasis, “Now back to the Humans, you’ve said that they also build those hive-cities on newly colonized worlds, even if the environment would permit a normal settlement?”
“Perhaps they grew accustomed to this?” Emberwing recalled the panorama of the Draconis colony, “Or this single planet might’ve been an exception.”
“Then we need to inquire about it as well”. The Tiret made another note, “Any information about their numbers or population density?”
“Only for the aforementioned world,” Which was unusually high, especially since the Humans began expanding only recently.
A buzzing at the door interrupted their work, “Yes?”
The Operative entered the cabin, “I apologize for the sudden incursion, but there is an urgent matter which you should observe. The Umiak deep-jumped into the system.”
“How many? Where are they?” Emberwing stood up.
“Most of their fleet is far ahead, but some blocked the jump zone behind us as well.” Zarjow stated the worrying events in a composed tone, “The Captain will have to contact them soon.”
“Tempo, let’s go!” She commanded immediately, “Everyone else, carry on with your tasks.”
The three hurried to the elevator, and Zarjow continued, “There appear to be some jump losses among the Umiak fleet now, perhaps around 10 percent.”
“That’s still far too low,” exclaimed Emberwing, “They must’ve jumped even before reaching the outbound zone, and then, a deep jump? Normally, only so many should survive in the best possible case!”
“Whatever they did, it has put us in a difficult situation,” acknowledged the Human, “We are now preparing a sprint to get to the Noibes jump point.”
“Is there still enough time?” That method needed a while to prepare, after all, “What of the Union fleet?”
The elevator doors opened, and he pointed to the bridge, “A picture is better than a thousand words.”
Inside, the Captain greeted them with a smile, “The Shell commander took my bait too well.”
The holoprojector displayed a system overview, 18 Shell divisions had deep-jumped and were now advancing towards the Union fleet that was still approaching the other armada. The rest, slightly more than 2 divisions, jumped normally, most likely to guard the Azimol link. The losses were indeed astonishingly low, thought Emberwing, “Did all of them jump here?”
“No, some ships remained in Azimol, they still need to destroy that relay station,” answered Alexander Jardin. “A truly impressive accuracy, your forces might get caught into a pincer attack at this rate.”
She swallowed a rude comment about that attitude, and asked him about his ship instead, “Can we still reach the interior?”
“Of course, the necessary waveform patterns are being calculated right now. This one is a rather standard star system without any gravitational anomalies, it won’t take much time.” He pressed some buttons to highlight a course in the projection, “We just need to make a detour to avoid the Hierarchy's reach.”
The roundabout, curved path would take them to the edge of the system, and then, towards the outbound jump point. Various additional lines indicated the possible interception attempts by the Shell fleet, yet they couldn’t hope to get them in time. Emberwing used the console to have a look at the Union fleet next. Begrudgingly, she was forced to accept that the Shells performed a flawless stratagem here. Duskcrown’s fleet simply had to get to the interior ahead of the Shells, but all possible paths would also force her into an unfavorable fight with one of the gatecrasher divisions.
Tempo nudged her telepathically, “Is everything all right?”
Of course, she just had to lock up under stress, as expected, “With me or this ship? I’d say, yes, for the most part. It’s the defense fleet that I’m worried about. They will take considerable losses during the inevitable breakthrough. Losses that we cannot afford, but which the Enemy certainly can.”
“We cannot change anything about that,” sent Tempo in a calm tone, “Instead, explain to me what this sprint is, exactly.”
“Haven’t you read my report?” Emberwing shared her memories, “Although, I did not understand that technology.”
“Even Beryl doesn’t understand it,” answered the Mizol with some annoyance. “She and the other Listel merely came to the conclusion that our jump field generators cannot be modified in such a way at all or work for so long. Granted, the Humans may have lied, so I’m looking forward to a demonstration.”
The Operative cleared his throat, “The Barsam ship jumped in, slightly deeper into the system. They should be safe, for now.”
“For how long?” Emberwing could not see a way for them to escape, “Or can they flee to Leido instead?”
“Leido is contested as well, there are multiple Umiak groups spread out throughout the system.” Zarjow pointed to an area that they had passed a short while ago, “Captain Mozin should be here, which means that a retrieval is simply not feasible.”
The view updated, showing the mercenary ship, as well as two Loroi couriers from the relay post. She calculated the distance, “It is not too far.”
“We are on a tight schedule, the jump cores need some time to be readjusted both before and after a sprint.” said Zarjow categorically, “The whole operation is already risky enough as is, additional delays are impossible.”
He then looked up, “The Umiak commander has sent us a message.”
Were the Shells even capable of glee? Or was it simply too drugged after a jump? “Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 must announce a successful demonstration of the Hierarchy’s abilities to the [alien]. We are [adamant] to win, prepared to repel [interference], most secure in our [dutifulness]. The [alien] must explain itself, prepare itself for [demands of cooperation], renounce all [games], cease all [interference].”
“Well, that was quite the challenge.” Alexander Jardin crossed his arms, “Anyway, the engines will soon be ready, and we can over-trump him, but I should still reply in a similarly haughty manner.”
The figure upon its golden throne wore a strange, twisted mask, “Congratulations on winning that little wager, your (sacrifice) at our altars was duly noted and accepted. Do not pride yourself for anything beyond that which we allow for, all your (moves) have been long since accounted for. The (shrines) that we provided will continue to extract an ever-increasing (price), yet can you go without them?”
It now pointed at the screen, “So, pawn, eager to collect your prize? I certainly know that you aren’t ready for the burden of (Knowledge), but spreading its (curse) shall benefit me, therefore, listen (closely).”
The mask now transformed into a terrible, horned visage with glowing red eyes, “Tremble in fear, mundane creature, for we all, including the pathetic Darlock who deny this proud legacy, are known as the Zulotchi! Scourge of the Soia, (Harvesters of Sorrow), Gods of this new Age.”
The creature laughed, “You dare to threaten me, umiak? Do you really think that we could do as we please, if we were bound by the laws of this foolish universe, as you base vermin are? The tricks that we supplied you with are just a tiny fraction of our true might. Your best efforts wouldn't even amount to a minor inconvenience for us, but you are welcome to try, it might be somewhat amusing!”
Again, Emberwing felt that something was off, and immediately recalled everything she knew of the Barsam legends. There weren’t any bloodthirsty elements, though, “Sacrifices? Shrines?”
“I just want to discredit the device that they use,” The Captain shrugged, “Or devices, for that matter. Whatever they do to block farsight might be just an unknown Soia artifact, but a technology that allows such exact jumps, and for entire fleets at once, is far more of a threat. We need any hints at what it might be, which is why I’m trying to provoke the Umiak commander.”
“You’ve said that it could be a hyperspace manipulator?” Tempo joined in as well.
“A mere guess, the exact function of the device in that ancient wreck remains unknown.” explained the Operative. “But the readings that we were able to obtain from it, as well as from the various facsimiles which we constructed, do not correspond to anything the Hierarchy had displayed here.”
“Is that contraption still on board?” Inquired Emberwing, this ship was, after all, one of the test vessels.
Zarjow’s reply was as expected, “Such information is classified, of course.”
“Can we include it into the technology exchange?” The Mizol was not discouraged easily.
“Well, hypothetically speaking, and only if that hypothetical device would indeed exist,” The Operative stroked his beard, “then maybe.”
“Can you wait with your games until we are finished with this issue?” interrupted him Ellen Jardin, “The Umiak have sent their answer.”
Contrary to the Captain’s expectations, the Shell commander sounded unimpressed.
“The Hierarchy has no knowledge of the [Zulotchi], has no interest in myths, [makes] own history, [enacts] own plans. We intend to pay any price to create/establish/ensure [harmony]. The [alien] role in downfall of [ancients] cannot be verified, is of no relevance now, cannot interfere with [great undertaking]. Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 is adamant to win, all odds are now in our favor, victory is [most probable], all unfavorable [variables] shall/can be removed.”
“A pity, my little trick at eliciting more information was not as successful as I expected, since the Admiral doesn’t appear to be interested in legends at all.” Alexander Jardin stretched himself, “Then let me add a last, ominous-sounding warning.”
Sitting upon its magnificent throne, the Zulotchi wore an impossibly-shaped, wriggling mask. “It would seem that not all lesser beings in this sector know our (legacy). Should I arrange for a stronger (adversary) to punish you? Demonstrate some of my (powers) to remind you of your place? Or both? Oh yes, we do have a rather (interesting) foe for you to clash with next.”
The huddled figures surrounding the throne raised their arms and began to chant something, just like in her dream! As if being empowered by it, the Zulotchi started to glow with a golden sheen. “Stand in awe and behold as I shall command this pathetic reality to bow to my whims!”
The hooded figures sang louder, combining their voices into a choir, and filling the chamber with an eerie music. The waves of golden light that emanated from the creature grew in intensity, until they started to distort the surrounding space, pulsing in tact with the rhythm. “Witness the might of the Dragons!”
Now, the blinding light drowned out everything and the transmission was interrupted.
With the channel closed, Alexander issued a command, “Synchronize all cores and engage the drive!”
The strange melody of the ship swelled on much faster, and was also far louder than before. For some strange reason, Emberwing could almost hear that bizarre chant again, hidden somewhere in the tune, “Tempo, can you discern something like a song?”
“I can only hear a constant buzzing, the entire ship seems to be vibrating,” The Mizol sounded intrigued, “Or is it the same story as with the amplifier?”
Meanwhile, Zarjow announced, “As planned, we have reached 26 percent light-speed, which means only three hours flight-time until the jump point.”
Unlike the previous time, the music did not dampen even after the maneuver was finished. The Human Captain noticed that as well, commenting on it with a most unsettling, “Uh-oh.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission O: Interference
Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 woke up from the short, drug-induced sleep and immediately looked through the data that the computers had compiled. The information was even more invigorating than the medicine that was administered to him. Judging by how the fleet jumped exactly where it was planned to, and the unexpectedly low jump losses of only 11.3 percent, the device proved itself yet again. Because of this positive outcome, the automated systems followed the pre-programmed plan number 7, and advanced towards the Enemy fleet on an interception course. The strange ship was here as well, presumably heading for the Noibel jump point, and a recorded message had already been sent to it.
The alien replied with an even more arrogant message, now claiming to belong to one of the accursed Soia’s servant races, the treasonous Zulotchi. While it was highly unlikely, the commander scheduled this to be investigated thoroughly, when more crew-members would be lucid. Then, he recalculated the probabilities and choose to dismiss the alien’s danger potential as too insubstantial. No matter how advanced, a lone ship could not change the inevitable outcome of the coming battle, otherwise, there was no need for it to escape the system.
As expected, the self-proclaimed Zulotchi was angered by the answer and issued more vague threats. The following show of power, as the alien called it, was still quite impressive. The ship instantly reached 26.16 percent lightspeed, similarly to the Darlock vessel. It did not stop at that, however. Wrapping itself into strange, rapidly growing distortions, it accelerated even further, heading for the edge of the system. The Commander ordered this new method of propulsion to be investigated as well, and the machine section replied quickly.
The Chief of the engineering section appeared on the main screen: “Honored Commander, the most likely explanation is a controlled (hyperspace distortion), current estimate is at 79.2 percent accuracy, with 2 (verification stages).”
One of his subordinates called out on that immediately, forgoing a calculation: “So many (verification stages) in such a short amount of time are improbable.”
“Previous (findings) can be adapted for present (verification stages) with sufficient certainty, the theory regarding (hyperspace distortions) was already postulated, was already mathematically proven, could not be tested with current technology.” The engineer made a reference to a fringe theory. “The facts of [Alien ship] reaching 31.8 percent lightspeed, the distortion characteristics, no visible power output, can only be explained within this framework. Chances of constructing a new theory with a better [approximation level] in given time too low, circumstances demand that speed must now take precedence over scrutiny.”
While any proper Commander should encourage competition, efficiently directing it towards a productive goal was the crucial part. Before they exhausted the appropriate time which could be allocated for the dispute, and forced him to step in, a priority message from the device’s controls appeared on his screen.
“Esteemed [peace-bringer], I must urgently report an issue from the [device]. The (interference patterns) are leaving the usual (signal range), the (scanners) cannot track them any longer, an (adaptation) needs approximately 1.47 cycles, a preliminary (theory) about the possible cause requires at least 9.8 cycles.”
This exceeded any and all probability thresholds for it to be a coincidence, so Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 switched the main view to show the device itself. The waves emanating from it were indeed more intense, and their multilayered ripples now obscured the machinery completely. Somehow, the patterns seemed to be far less chaotic now, as if following an unknown, highly complex rhythm.
“Intensity experiencing a critical spike, initiating [emergency measures]!” Whatever the scientists tried to do, it was too late. Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 watched in disbelief as the pulsing waves suddenly stopped in place, but the phenomenon seemed to last only a moment. The shimmering distortion bubble that surrounded the device flashed once, and then collapsed, shattering the core into countless pieces.
Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 woke up from the short, drug-induced sleep and immediately looked through the data that the computers had compiled. The information was even more invigorating than the medicine that was administered to him. Judging by how the fleet jumped exactly where it was planned to, and the unexpectedly low jump losses of only 11.3 percent, the device proved itself yet again. Because of this positive outcome, the automated systems followed the pre-programmed plan number 7, and advanced towards the Enemy fleet on an interception course. The strange ship was here as well, presumably heading for the Noibel jump point, and a recorded message had already been sent to it.
The alien replied with an even more arrogant message, now claiming to belong to one of the accursed Soia’s servant races, the treasonous Zulotchi. While it was highly unlikely, the commander scheduled this to be investigated thoroughly, when more crew-members would be lucid. Then, he recalculated the probabilities and choose to dismiss the alien’s danger potential as too insubstantial. No matter how advanced, a lone ship could not change the inevitable outcome of the coming battle, otherwise, there was no need for it to escape the system.
As expected, the self-proclaimed Zulotchi was angered by the answer and issued more vague threats. The following show of power, as the alien called it, was still quite impressive. The ship instantly reached 26.16 percent lightspeed, similarly to the Darlock vessel. It did not stop at that, however. Wrapping itself into strange, rapidly growing distortions, it accelerated even further, heading for the edge of the system. The Commander ordered this new method of propulsion to be investigated as well, and the machine section replied quickly.
The Chief of the engineering section appeared on the main screen: “Honored Commander, the most likely explanation is a controlled (hyperspace distortion), current estimate is at 79.2 percent accuracy, with 2 (verification stages).”
One of his subordinates called out on that immediately, forgoing a calculation: “So many (verification stages) in such a short amount of time are improbable.”
“Previous (findings) can be adapted for present (verification stages) with sufficient certainty, the theory regarding (hyperspace distortions) was already postulated, was already mathematically proven, could not be tested with current technology.” The engineer made a reference to a fringe theory. “The facts of [Alien ship] reaching 31.8 percent lightspeed, the distortion characteristics, no visible power output, can only be explained within this framework. Chances of constructing a new theory with a better [approximation level] in given time too low, circumstances demand that speed must now take precedence over scrutiny.”
While any proper Commander should encourage competition, efficiently directing it towards a productive goal was the crucial part. Before they exhausted the appropriate time which could be allocated for the dispute, and forced him to step in, a priority message from the device’s controls appeared on his screen.
“Esteemed [peace-bringer], I must urgently report an issue from the [device]. The (interference patterns) are leaving the usual (signal range), the (scanners) cannot track them any longer, an (adaptation) needs approximately 1.47 cycles, a preliminary (theory) about the possible cause requires at least 9.8 cycles.”
This exceeded any and all probability thresholds for it to be a coincidence, so Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 switched the main view to show the device itself. The waves emanating from it were indeed more intense, and their multilayered ripples now obscured the machinery completely. Somehow, the patterns seemed to be far less chaotic now, as if following an unknown, highly complex rhythm.
“Intensity experiencing a critical spike, initiating [emergency measures]!” Whatever the scientists tried to do, it was too late. Ixitixil-Kittikik-tikkikal-16 watched in disbelief as the pulsing waves suddenly stopped in place, but the phenomenon seemed to last only a moment. The shimmering distortion bubble that surrounded the device flashed once, and then collapsed, shattering the core into countless pieces.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXI: Per aspera ad astra
Alarmed by this exclamation, Emberwing checked her screen, and realized that the ship continued to accelerate at an impossible pace. She asked, in her best attempt to sound calm, “What seems to be the problem?”
The Humans focused on their consoles, ignoring her for a while, until the Captain spoke up, “The waveform is unstable. It is collapsing erratically at an ever-increasing rate, and the ship needs to stay ahead of the breakaway point. We are attempting to escape this critical development.”
The strange tune gradually increased in speed and power, producing palpable vibrations. Its rhythm reached an uncomfortably high frequency, distracting her from reading the console. Emberwing looked up and blinked, noticing a slight double-vision effect that pulsed at the edges of her sight in tune with the music. “Somehow, my vision seems to be affected.”
“Mine as well,” answered Tempo with considerable worry, “This is a very strange effect, I have no idea what is even causing it.”
“I think it might be a counter-impulse of sorts, they employed that when decelerating before a jump.” However, back then, it lasted only for a few heartbeats, and wasn’t nearly as weird. The distortions appeared to be far more intense, but also unnaturally slow, as if the waves were trying to propagate through an incredibly dense medium. “Is it working?”
The Operative shook his head, “Quite the opposite, we tried to overtake the irregularity, but it failed. The inertial dampeners are reaching their limits regarding absorption capacity, preventing further acceleration. At this rate, the ship will soon slip below the real-space threshold.”
So that distortion announced a fall into negative hyperspace? That would be a fate far worse than death! “Can this be prevented?”
“Impossible.” The Captain sat up straight, “Which means that we have to escape the rift on a completely different axis instead. Our speed is now high enough to channel this momentum into a long jump.”
“It looks like you finally get to try that crazy stunt as you always wanted,” chuckled Ellen Jardin. “Which star would you pick?”
“That one.” He pointed to the map in the holo-projector which highlighted an outrider star, far above this system and outside the normal transit range.
“A jump over 24 light-years is insane!” Emberwing had to shout to overcome the now deafening tune.
“Quite so, but this ship had already performed such a feat once before,” Countered Alexander Jardin with a loud, but calm voice, “besides, I have a hunch that it will succeed this time as well.”
The Loroi Captain, however, was unconvinced, “You can't just substitute feelings for physics!?”
“Says the one wielding reality-defying magic!” laughed Alexander Jardin, as he hammered down on his armrest, “I can, and I will!”
The thundering music shattered with a blinding flash of light that forced her to flinch.
The jump seemed to last an eternity, a sensation that should be impossible. The indescribable feeling that accompanied the reentry nearly made Emberwing pass out, but she managed to persevere with sheer strength of will, and opened her eyes. The ship appeared to be still in one piece. Judging by the groans, the others were alive, albeit worse for wear. Even though the holo-projector was now dark, all other systems worked normally, since the console display was gradually filling up with information.
This system, a small yellow dwarf, was indeed 23.9 light-years away from Enedd. The ship jumped deep, between the star itself, and its lone, ringed gas giant. According to the sensor readings, the system was devoid of any artificial signals. Having confirmed that they were now safe, Emberwing leaned back, “Tempo, are you all right?”
“My head appears to be intact,” The Mizol rubbed her temples, “although it doesn’t feel like it at all. Where are we?”
“The ship performed a ridiculously long jump,” Emberwing sent an image of its possible course. “We are now in a completely unknown system, it’s far outside the transit lanes and doesn’t even have a name. Once the Humans wake up, we can ask them more about whatever happened.”
The Tactician stirred. She pulled out a device from under the console, and pressed it on her arm. Then, she did the same with the Captain. Gradually, the Humans administered the medicine to each other, and became fully lucid. “What a ride.” Alexander Jardin turned to the Loroi, “Do you need medical assistance?”
“We are resistant against jump sickness,” assured him Emberwing, “How was that even possible?”
“I’m sure that you want to know,” He unstrapped himself, and looked at the holo-projector, “Damn, the holo-cube is done for, its failure must’ve caused that flash. Anyway, remember that this ship was supposed to be spent in an experiment, but it managed to survive?”
“I have an eidetic memory,” Emberwing reminded him.
“What a blessing wrapped inside a curse,” The Captain shrugged, “The experiment’s success proved some very interesting theories regarding the jump field generators. Do you know which factor primarily limits jump range?”
“Hyperspace uncertainty, caused by unpredictable gravitational interference that accumulate the longer a transit is.” This limited jump range to about 10 standard light-years (or 7 Human ones), given the local star density.
“We came to the same conclusion, it is unfortunately impossible to calculate how hyperspace is affected by gravity to a sufficient degree of certainty. One of the devices that we wanted to test was designed to circumvent this limitation.” The Operative joined in, “In essence, it allows the ship to jump higher above the real-space threshold, thus avoiding most gravitational disturbances that happen at a lower level of hyperspace. This is also the reason how we could jump immediately, without re-configuring the jump cores.”
“Does this mean that it is a different kind of jump field generator?” Emberwing was not sure if that description was even true, or how advanced such a technology ought to be if it actually was. “Is this height, as you’ve called it, also responsible for the jump sickness?”
“Probably, although there’s not enough data,” Ellen Jardin spoke something in a different language into her wrist comm, then continued, “The tests were done with automated, disposable ships to minimize losses.”
Emberwing did not appreciate becoming a lab miros yet again. “Just how good were our chances?”
“About two to five, judging by the previous attempts.” The Captain looked at his console, and nodded, “According to the preliminary damage report, the ship should be able to perform a normal jump in less than a day. We can certainly use the time for some rest.”
“So where are we going next?” after all, this was a completely unknown system.
The Operative transferred a highlighted path to her console, “We have maps of this particular sector, courtesy of the Orgus. The navigational data may be very old, but it allows us to perform the jumps far quicker.”
“Is this map perhaps predating the Fall?” Emberwing looked at the roundabout path that would take them some way into the Empty Quarter, and then back to Loroi space, far behind the frontlines. That sector, being visited by just a few scout missions before the War, was mostly uncharted. Yet here, all the jump links were already annotated.
Zarjow nodded, “Highly likely. The map contained extensive secondary data, like gravitational gradients, jump zones, orbital mechanics, and even predicative algorithms regarding star drift. Which is also the reason this system was chosen as a possible backup in the case of an emergency long jump.”
She switched back to the tactical map. This system was typical for the region, with two small, airless, rocky planets, and no signs of life, or any previous colonization. “There’s absolutely nothing in this system to warrant such a high level of detail.”
“Maybe this was the Soia’s standard regarding star maps.” The Captain smiled wearily, “Whatever the reason, it certainly improved our arrival chances. I’m not reckless enough to jump blind!”
Before his partner could comment on that statement, Angela Carmona entered the bridge, “All right, everyone into the medbay, no questions asked.”
“Does this include us as well?” asked the Mizol.
“You can decline, of course,” The Professor waved her hand to urge the other officers.
“Then, we’d like to return to our cabins.” Emberwing still felt a weak, but highly annoying, pulsing headache. The Humans dropped them off at their deck, and departed somewhere, likely their medbay.
Beryl greeted them as soon as they stepped out of the elevator, “What happened? Eight-Eye collapsed, the Disis is treating her right now.”
“It is only an unusually strong reaction to a jump, I’m sedating her.” interjected the Doranzer from a nearby cabin.
“Do not worry about it,” The farseer’s sending, dampened by the drugs, was almost a whisper, “The sudden and unexpectedly strong reaction to the jump simply caught me unaware.”
They entered the cabin, where Willpower was attending to the Bistima who laid on the bed. The medic turned to Emberwing, “Can you explain the reason for the sudden jump sickness? We all felt it to a varying degree, but it was still way above the normal level.”
“The Shells tried to cut us off with a deep jump, and the Humans attempted to escape with a sprint.” Emberwing gave a short summary of the events, “Somehow, this failed, which forced them to perform a long jump.”
“How far?” Intrigued, Beryl immediately entered the cabin, and joined their conversation.
“About 34 (23,91) standard light-years.” Emberwing stopped the overly curious Listel, and continued, “The Humans displayed a very strong reaction to this jump, they even had to take some sort of medicine to wake up.”
“There is no data about additional adverse effects of longer jumps,” The Doranzer also sounded intrigued, “Theoretically, though, there shouldn’t be any?”
“The longest successful jump on record was 21,6 standard light-years (15,19). There were no reports about any exceptional jump sickness effects.” Beryl immediately provided the relevant information, “Of course, since only a few attempts were made, the data is not conclusive and none who jumped as far as we did, returned to tell the tale. How could the Humans do it?”
Tempo answered in a slightly displeased tone, “They said something about jumping higher, whatever that means. I don’t think that such crude three-dimensional terms can be applied to hyperspace, anyway. Either they don’t want to explain it properly, or they don’t understand it as well.”
“No, this does fit within a rather creative interpretation of hyperspace physics,” The Listel thought for a bit, “What was the outbound velocity?”
“The last time I checked, the ship accelerated to a third light-speed,” Emberwing recalled the events.
“The data I’ve recently reviewed contained some interesting theories. There, some Pipolsid proposed that longer jumps could be less risky if the ship had a much higher outbound velocity.” The Listel tried to simplify her explanation, “According to their calculations, a higher hyperspace momentum should ensure more stability during the transit. The problem is that the standard trajectory pattern would channel the outbound velocity into the depth of a jump, and there’s no known way to circumvent this issue. Considering the speed that we jumped with, it should’ve hurled the ship right into the star, or even past it. Whatever the Humans did, this transit must’ve followed a different principle.”
“Can you use this data to better estimate their level of development?” Fireblade was interested in practical gains, not theories.
Beryl blinked, “Of course, and I have to retract my previous assessment. This feat would require a hyperspace drive technology that’s at least three generations ahead of ours. Just like with the Historian Illusion drive, we don’t understand what it does, but also how it is done or even the theory behind the phenomenon.”
“It was an experimental drive, separate from their normal ones.” reminded them Emberwing.
“Those are also out of the norm, I cannot even fathom what materials they must’ve used to allow for a real-space propulsion method.” The Listel shook her head, “Our generators would burn out immediately if we tried to power them for more than a fraction of a heartbeat that is needed for the jump impulse. Besides, to power just a single one directly, without capacitors, also requires a reactor that’s far more potent than anything we have. Even if their systems are more efficient, the energy requirements should be still immense!”
“What kind of ship is this, then?” Tempo frowned, “Furthermore, should we assume that the theory about a native development is hereby disproved? Do we have to return to the possibility of an uplift?”
“Not necessary, it merely means that the Humans required more time to reach such a level. But yes, this makes an uplift somewhat more plausible as well. The unknown benefactors would need to teach them all the prerequisite knowledge first. In the meantime, the Humans could better adopt the lower-level technologies, thus making them seem more like native developments.” Beryl calculated for a while, “My best guess, given the limited data about their starting point, is about 256 years for an uplift, and three to four times as long without any outside help.”
“Their Empire is half as young at best,” reminded her Emberwing. “Of course, they may have lied, and with their lotai, we have no way to verify it.”
“Can we switch from physics and conspiracies to medicine?” The Doranzer stood up, “The Farseer is now stable and asleep. There are no adverse effects that my portable scanner could detect, yet I’d like to test everyone else as well.”
They vacated the Bistima’s room, and Emberwing invited the other team members into her cabin for the examination. Fortunately, there were no major problems, except for stress and exhaustion. Willpower put the scanner away, “Everything seems to be in order. Still, both you and the farseer had a far stronger reaction than everyone else.”
Emberwing ruminated this for a moment. What did they have in common, or which trait separated them from the rest? Telepathic affinity, perhaps? Then, she remembered that only the Human telepaths appeared to be stunned, and the psi-inert ones seemed to be unaffected. Did the deep-immersion VR system protect them from the shock, or were they simply less sensitive to it? “Could it be possible that the jump device may have caused some sort of psionic disturbance? Something that we were especially sensitive to?”
“I’m not an expert on telepathy, but jump drives definitely have nothing in common with it.” The counselor joined their debate, “Instead, there are guesses that psionic talents are somehow connected with hyperspace. So an unusually powerful or long jump might have caused a previously unknown reaction.”
“If it was somehow tied to telepathy, then why weren’t we Mizol affected to a higher degree?” asked Midnight, “My reaction was rather mild.”
“Then, it may be connected to my newfound, farseer-like abilities,” Emberwing put on the sensor net, “Can you use it for a more detailed scan?”
With Beryl’s help, they connected the headpiece to the medical scanner. The Doranzer looked at the new data with interest, “The brain activity and neurotransmitter levels show some unusual behavior.”
Despite the telepathic link, she couldn’t understand whether this was meant in a positive or negative sense, “How unusual?”
“Somewhat akin to the farseer patterns, but with more pronounced levels of the relevant neurotransmitters, as far as I’m able to see.” Willpower nodded, “For a better analysis, I would need a full-sized scanner.”
“We shouldn’t give the Humans even more data about us, so their equipment is out of the question. If the issue is not life-threatening, then it has to wait until we reach Union space.” disagreed Tempo, “However long this will take.”
Indeed, this should be the most pressing matter right now, so Emberwing spoke out loud, “Charon, can you show us the ship’s planned course?”
“Access not yet granted.” came the reply.
“I had already seen the map on the bridge!” protested Emberwing. “Who can grant us the necessary clearance?”
“The officers are currently unavailable. Please contact them tomorrow.” answered the computer in an emotionless voice.
“Fine, we’ll do just that.” Emberwing sighed, “If there are no more issues to discuss, then I shall use this opportunity and attempt to connect to that particular dreamscape. The ability to read the Humans should be our priority right now.”
“Of course, I would recommend that everyone should rest as well, just to be safe.” agreed the Doranzer.
This time, Emberwing’s wish was finally fulfilled. She was now sitting in something that resembled a tavern, albeit of a much lower class than the one before. The sooty ceiling of the dimly lit room hung low, giving it an oppressive feeling. Judging from the roughly-hewn furniture, the poorly dressed patrons, and the unpleasant, stale odor, this establishment was frequented by the underclass.
Half-hidden in a dark corner, she could observe everyone without being easily spotted. Although, given that about half of the patrons were Loroi, she would not stand out. What emotions she could sense, were speaking a tale of weariness after a long and hard day’s work, but without the despair of the refugee quarter.
The bard Athedil, whom she met previously, appeared on a makeshift stage in front of the fireplace, and announced: “Since the Pilgrim’s festival began today, I’m obliged to perform songs about the Godswar. What do you think of the Dragon’s Treason, my most illustrious audience?”
Due to a less than enthusiastic reaction from the crowd, he shrugged, “Then how about the Tale of Folly, and then, the Swords of the Ancients?”
Since this was met by a cheer, chiefly from the Loroi-like people, he began playing his lute, while singing in a strange rhyme and tune, very dissimilar to the Barsam troubadour-cleric’s well-known style:
Remember the Godswar most dire,
Sparked by hubris and desire!
Tale of treason, Darkness’ ascent,
A legacy we all should repent!
As the Gods heard of our plight,
and came down to to aid,
Their intentions were surely noble,
but all mundane is prone to error!
The mortals craved blessings,
that the Gods freely gifted,
neither side could fathom,
what gate could be breached!
What was once given,
was taken for granted!
Who drank from the spring,
was thirsty for more!
The Gods sensed the danger,
that greed introduced,
They shouldn’t share more wisdom,
If their children lacked all reason.
Two pillars arose,
as the Gods long debated,
Should one become all?
Or all become one?
The metaphors clashed wildly,
neither side could win,
a rift gashed open,
that couldn’t be bridged!
Gods tried to make sense of mortals,
and mortals shared in their insight,
As the realms merged with each other,
All the roles were revised!
So Divine drew closer to Mundane,
and the mortals rose to clouds,
Soon, in their folly, all were entrapped,
and to the Godswar thus fated!
Was that ballad’s theme perhaps an account of the Soia and the Fall? This sounded to be quite different to the usual legends that she knew. Before Emberwing could hear the rest, the room faded, and she found herself back in the cabin. A very concerned Willpower was looking at her, “Finally, she’s back! You’ve slept for more than a day, and nothing we did could wake you up!”
Alarmed by this exclamation, Emberwing checked her screen, and realized that the ship continued to accelerate at an impossible pace. She asked, in her best attempt to sound calm, “What seems to be the problem?”
The Humans focused on their consoles, ignoring her for a while, until the Captain spoke up, “The waveform is unstable. It is collapsing erratically at an ever-increasing rate, and the ship needs to stay ahead of the breakaway point. We are attempting to escape this critical development.”
The strange tune gradually increased in speed and power, producing palpable vibrations. Its rhythm reached an uncomfortably high frequency, distracting her from reading the console. Emberwing looked up and blinked, noticing a slight double-vision effect that pulsed at the edges of her sight in tune with the music. “Somehow, my vision seems to be affected.”
“Mine as well,” answered Tempo with considerable worry, “This is a very strange effect, I have no idea what is even causing it.”
“I think it might be a counter-impulse of sorts, they employed that when decelerating before a jump.” However, back then, it lasted only for a few heartbeats, and wasn’t nearly as weird. The distortions appeared to be far more intense, but also unnaturally slow, as if the waves were trying to propagate through an incredibly dense medium. “Is it working?”
The Operative shook his head, “Quite the opposite, we tried to overtake the irregularity, but it failed. The inertial dampeners are reaching their limits regarding absorption capacity, preventing further acceleration. At this rate, the ship will soon slip below the real-space threshold.”
So that distortion announced a fall into negative hyperspace? That would be a fate far worse than death! “Can this be prevented?”
“Impossible.” The Captain sat up straight, “Which means that we have to escape the rift on a completely different axis instead. Our speed is now high enough to channel this momentum into a long jump.”
“It looks like you finally get to try that crazy stunt as you always wanted,” chuckled Ellen Jardin. “Which star would you pick?”
“That one.” He pointed to the map in the holo-projector which highlighted an outrider star, far above this system and outside the normal transit range.
“A jump over 24 light-years is insane!” Emberwing had to shout to overcome the now deafening tune.
“Quite so, but this ship had already performed such a feat once before,” Countered Alexander Jardin with a loud, but calm voice, “besides, I have a hunch that it will succeed this time as well.”
The Loroi Captain, however, was unconvinced, “You can't just substitute feelings for physics!?”
“Says the one wielding reality-defying magic!” laughed Alexander Jardin, as he hammered down on his armrest, “I can, and I will!”
The thundering music shattered with a blinding flash of light that forced her to flinch.
The jump seemed to last an eternity, a sensation that should be impossible. The indescribable feeling that accompanied the reentry nearly made Emberwing pass out, but she managed to persevere with sheer strength of will, and opened her eyes. The ship appeared to be still in one piece. Judging by the groans, the others were alive, albeit worse for wear. Even though the holo-projector was now dark, all other systems worked normally, since the console display was gradually filling up with information.
This system, a small yellow dwarf, was indeed 23.9 light-years away from Enedd. The ship jumped deep, between the star itself, and its lone, ringed gas giant. According to the sensor readings, the system was devoid of any artificial signals. Having confirmed that they were now safe, Emberwing leaned back, “Tempo, are you all right?”
“My head appears to be intact,” The Mizol rubbed her temples, “although it doesn’t feel like it at all. Where are we?”
“The ship performed a ridiculously long jump,” Emberwing sent an image of its possible course. “We are now in a completely unknown system, it’s far outside the transit lanes and doesn’t even have a name. Once the Humans wake up, we can ask them more about whatever happened.”
The Tactician stirred. She pulled out a device from under the console, and pressed it on her arm. Then, she did the same with the Captain. Gradually, the Humans administered the medicine to each other, and became fully lucid. “What a ride.” Alexander Jardin turned to the Loroi, “Do you need medical assistance?”
“We are resistant against jump sickness,” assured him Emberwing, “How was that even possible?”
“I’m sure that you want to know,” He unstrapped himself, and looked at the holo-projector, “Damn, the holo-cube is done for, its failure must’ve caused that flash. Anyway, remember that this ship was supposed to be spent in an experiment, but it managed to survive?”
“I have an eidetic memory,” Emberwing reminded him.
“What a blessing wrapped inside a curse,” The Captain shrugged, “The experiment’s success proved some very interesting theories regarding the jump field generators. Do you know which factor primarily limits jump range?”
“Hyperspace uncertainty, caused by unpredictable gravitational interference that accumulate the longer a transit is.” This limited jump range to about 10 standard light-years (or 7 Human ones), given the local star density.
“We came to the same conclusion, it is unfortunately impossible to calculate how hyperspace is affected by gravity to a sufficient degree of certainty. One of the devices that we wanted to test was designed to circumvent this limitation.” The Operative joined in, “In essence, it allows the ship to jump higher above the real-space threshold, thus avoiding most gravitational disturbances that happen at a lower level of hyperspace. This is also the reason how we could jump immediately, without re-configuring the jump cores.”
“Does this mean that it is a different kind of jump field generator?” Emberwing was not sure if that description was even true, or how advanced such a technology ought to be if it actually was. “Is this height, as you’ve called it, also responsible for the jump sickness?”
“Probably, although there’s not enough data,” Ellen Jardin spoke something in a different language into her wrist comm, then continued, “The tests were done with automated, disposable ships to minimize losses.”
Emberwing did not appreciate becoming a lab miros yet again. “Just how good were our chances?”
“About two to five, judging by the previous attempts.” The Captain looked at his console, and nodded, “According to the preliminary damage report, the ship should be able to perform a normal jump in less than a day. We can certainly use the time for some rest.”
“So where are we going next?” after all, this was a completely unknown system.
The Operative transferred a highlighted path to her console, “We have maps of this particular sector, courtesy of the Orgus. The navigational data may be very old, but it allows us to perform the jumps far quicker.”
“Is this map perhaps predating the Fall?” Emberwing looked at the roundabout path that would take them some way into the Empty Quarter, and then back to Loroi space, far behind the frontlines. That sector, being visited by just a few scout missions before the War, was mostly uncharted. Yet here, all the jump links were already annotated.
Zarjow nodded, “Highly likely. The map contained extensive secondary data, like gravitational gradients, jump zones, orbital mechanics, and even predicative algorithms regarding star drift. Which is also the reason this system was chosen as a possible backup in the case of an emergency long jump.”
She switched back to the tactical map. This system was typical for the region, with two small, airless, rocky planets, and no signs of life, or any previous colonization. “There’s absolutely nothing in this system to warrant such a high level of detail.”
“Maybe this was the Soia’s standard regarding star maps.” The Captain smiled wearily, “Whatever the reason, it certainly improved our arrival chances. I’m not reckless enough to jump blind!”
Before his partner could comment on that statement, Angela Carmona entered the bridge, “All right, everyone into the medbay, no questions asked.”
“Does this include us as well?” asked the Mizol.
“You can decline, of course,” The Professor waved her hand to urge the other officers.
“Then, we’d like to return to our cabins.” Emberwing still felt a weak, but highly annoying, pulsing headache. The Humans dropped them off at their deck, and departed somewhere, likely their medbay.
Beryl greeted them as soon as they stepped out of the elevator, “What happened? Eight-Eye collapsed, the Disis is treating her right now.”
“It is only an unusually strong reaction to a jump, I’m sedating her.” interjected the Doranzer from a nearby cabin.
“Do not worry about it,” The farseer’s sending, dampened by the drugs, was almost a whisper, “The sudden and unexpectedly strong reaction to the jump simply caught me unaware.”
They entered the cabin, where Willpower was attending to the Bistima who laid on the bed. The medic turned to Emberwing, “Can you explain the reason for the sudden jump sickness? We all felt it to a varying degree, but it was still way above the normal level.”
“The Shells tried to cut us off with a deep jump, and the Humans attempted to escape with a sprint.” Emberwing gave a short summary of the events, “Somehow, this failed, which forced them to perform a long jump.”
“How far?” Intrigued, Beryl immediately entered the cabin, and joined their conversation.
“About 34 (23,91) standard light-years.” Emberwing stopped the overly curious Listel, and continued, “The Humans displayed a very strong reaction to this jump, they even had to take some sort of medicine to wake up.”
“There is no data about additional adverse effects of longer jumps,” The Doranzer also sounded intrigued, “Theoretically, though, there shouldn’t be any?”
“The longest successful jump on record was 21,6 standard light-years (15,19). There were no reports about any exceptional jump sickness effects.” Beryl immediately provided the relevant information, “Of course, since only a few attempts were made, the data is not conclusive and none who jumped as far as we did, returned to tell the tale. How could the Humans do it?”
Tempo answered in a slightly displeased tone, “They said something about jumping higher, whatever that means. I don’t think that such crude three-dimensional terms can be applied to hyperspace, anyway. Either they don’t want to explain it properly, or they don’t understand it as well.”
“No, this does fit within a rather creative interpretation of hyperspace physics,” The Listel thought for a bit, “What was the outbound velocity?”
“The last time I checked, the ship accelerated to a third light-speed,” Emberwing recalled the events.
“The data I’ve recently reviewed contained some interesting theories. There, some Pipolsid proposed that longer jumps could be less risky if the ship had a much higher outbound velocity.” The Listel tried to simplify her explanation, “According to their calculations, a higher hyperspace momentum should ensure more stability during the transit. The problem is that the standard trajectory pattern would channel the outbound velocity into the depth of a jump, and there’s no known way to circumvent this issue. Considering the speed that we jumped with, it should’ve hurled the ship right into the star, or even past it. Whatever the Humans did, this transit must’ve followed a different principle.”
“Can you use this data to better estimate their level of development?” Fireblade was interested in practical gains, not theories.
Beryl blinked, “Of course, and I have to retract my previous assessment. This feat would require a hyperspace drive technology that’s at least three generations ahead of ours. Just like with the Historian Illusion drive, we don’t understand what it does, but also how it is done or even the theory behind the phenomenon.”
“It was an experimental drive, separate from their normal ones.” reminded them Emberwing.
“Those are also out of the norm, I cannot even fathom what materials they must’ve used to allow for a real-space propulsion method.” The Listel shook her head, “Our generators would burn out immediately if we tried to power them for more than a fraction of a heartbeat that is needed for the jump impulse. Besides, to power just a single one directly, without capacitors, also requires a reactor that’s far more potent than anything we have. Even if their systems are more efficient, the energy requirements should be still immense!”
“What kind of ship is this, then?” Tempo frowned, “Furthermore, should we assume that the theory about a native development is hereby disproved? Do we have to return to the possibility of an uplift?”
“Not necessary, it merely means that the Humans required more time to reach such a level. But yes, this makes an uplift somewhat more plausible as well. The unknown benefactors would need to teach them all the prerequisite knowledge first. In the meantime, the Humans could better adopt the lower-level technologies, thus making them seem more like native developments.” Beryl calculated for a while, “My best guess, given the limited data about their starting point, is about 256 years for an uplift, and three to four times as long without any outside help.”
“Their Empire is half as young at best,” reminded her Emberwing. “Of course, they may have lied, and with their lotai, we have no way to verify it.”
“Can we switch from physics and conspiracies to medicine?” The Doranzer stood up, “The Farseer is now stable and asleep. There are no adverse effects that my portable scanner could detect, yet I’d like to test everyone else as well.”
They vacated the Bistima’s room, and Emberwing invited the other team members into her cabin for the examination. Fortunately, there were no major problems, except for stress and exhaustion. Willpower put the scanner away, “Everything seems to be in order. Still, both you and the farseer had a far stronger reaction than everyone else.”
Emberwing ruminated this for a moment. What did they have in common, or which trait separated them from the rest? Telepathic affinity, perhaps? Then, she remembered that only the Human telepaths appeared to be stunned, and the psi-inert ones seemed to be unaffected. Did the deep-immersion VR system protect them from the shock, or were they simply less sensitive to it? “Could it be possible that the jump device may have caused some sort of psionic disturbance? Something that we were especially sensitive to?”
“I’m not an expert on telepathy, but jump drives definitely have nothing in common with it.” The counselor joined their debate, “Instead, there are guesses that psionic talents are somehow connected with hyperspace. So an unusually powerful or long jump might have caused a previously unknown reaction.”
“If it was somehow tied to telepathy, then why weren’t we Mizol affected to a higher degree?” asked Midnight, “My reaction was rather mild.”
“Then, it may be connected to my newfound, farseer-like abilities,” Emberwing put on the sensor net, “Can you use it for a more detailed scan?”
With Beryl’s help, they connected the headpiece to the medical scanner. The Doranzer looked at the new data with interest, “The brain activity and neurotransmitter levels show some unusual behavior.”
Despite the telepathic link, she couldn’t understand whether this was meant in a positive or negative sense, “How unusual?”
“Somewhat akin to the farseer patterns, but with more pronounced levels of the relevant neurotransmitters, as far as I’m able to see.” Willpower nodded, “For a better analysis, I would need a full-sized scanner.”
“We shouldn’t give the Humans even more data about us, so their equipment is out of the question. If the issue is not life-threatening, then it has to wait until we reach Union space.” disagreed Tempo, “However long this will take.”
Indeed, this should be the most pressing matter right now, so Emberwing spoke out loud, “Charon, can you show us the ship’s planned course?”
“Access not yet granted.” came the reply.
“I had already seen the map on the bridge!” protested Emberwing. “Who can grant us the necessary clearance?”
“The officers are currently unavailable. Please contact them tomorrow.” answered the computer in an emotionless voice.
“Fine, we’ll do just that.” Emberwing sighed, “If there are no more issues to discuss, then I shall use this opportunity and attempt to connect to that particular dreamscape. The ability to read the Humans should be our priority right now.”
“Of course, I would recommend that everyone should rest as well, just to be safe.” agreed the Doranzer.
This time, Emberwing’s wish was finally fulfilled. She was now sitting in something that resembled a tavern, albeit of a much lower class than the one before. The sooty ceiling of the dimly lit room hung low, giving it an oppressive feeling. Judging from the roughly-hewn furniture, the poorly dressed patrons, and the unpleasant, stale odor, this establishment was frequented by the underclass.
Half-hidden in a dark corner, she could observe everyone without being easily spotted. Although, given that about half of the patrons were Loroi, she would not stand out. What emotions she could sense, were speaking a tale of weariness after a long and hard day’s work, but without the despair of the refugee quarter.
The bard Athedil, whom she met previously, appeared on a makeshift stage in front of the fireplace, and announced: “Since the Pilgrim’s festival began today, I’m obliged to perform songs about the Godswar. What do you think of the Dragon’s Treason, my most illustrious audience?”
Due to a less than enthusiastic reaction from the crowd, he shrugged, “Then how about the Tale of Folly, and then, the Swords of the Ancients?”
Since this was met by a cheer, chiefly from the Loroi-like people, he began playing his lute, while singing in a strange rhyme and tune, very dissimilar to the Barsam troubadour-cleric’s well-known style:
Remember the Godswar most dire,
Sparked by hubris and desire!
Tale of treason, Darkness’ ascent,
A legacy we all should repent!
As the Gods heard of our plight,
and came down to to aid,
Their intentions were surely noble,
but all mundane is prone to error!
The mortals craved blessings,
that the Gods freely gifted,
neither side could fathom,
what gate could be breached!
What was once given,
was taken for granted!
Who drank from the spring,
was thirsty for more!
The Gods sensed the danger,
that greed introduced,
They shouldn’t share more wisdom,
If their children lacked all reason.
Two pillars arose,
as the Gods long debated,
Should one become all?
Or all become one?
The metaphors clashed wildly,
neither side could win,
a rift gashed open,
that couldn’t be bridged!
Gods tried to make sense of mortals,
and mortals shared in their insight,
As the realms merged with each other,
All the roles were revised!
So Divine drew closer to Mundane,
and the mortals rose to clouds,
Soon, in their folly, all were entrapped,
and to the Godswar thus fated!
Was that ballad’s theme perhaps an account of the Soia and the Fall? This sounded to be quite different to the usual legends that she knew. Before Emberwing could hear the rest, the room faded, and she found herself back in the cabin. A very concerned Willpower was looking at her, “Finally, she’s back! You’ve slept for more than a day, and nothing we did could wake you up!”
Last edited by Cthulhu on Fri May 13, 2022 7:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXII: Another point of view
The dream did not felt to be particularly long, thought Emberwing, as she sat up on the bed. “You said that I refused to wake up? For an entire day?”
“Everyone slept for about twice as long as usual, but you were out for 29 and a half standard hours. We tried to reach you, to no avail. Since you were also relentlessly shielding yourself from telepathic activity, I forbade any more attempts at waking you up.” The medic removed the sensor net, and ran the scanner over her head, “All readings appear to be normal. How do you feel?”
“Well-rested, for a chance? I had a very interesting dream about that fantastical city.” The weariness from yesterday was gone, and she was full of energy. “Are the others all right?”
“Yes, even the Bistima showed no problems,” Willpower nodded, “We jumped just moments ago, which may have caused you to wake up. This time, no one experienced any noticeable sickness effects, and nobody else had any unusual dreams.”
Beryl entered the cabin, “You’ve made us all worried!”
“Thanks for the sentiment, but right now, I’d like a status update instead,” Emberwing picked up the sensor net, and handed it to the Listel, “This needs to be analyzed as well, I finally had the desired dream.”
“Tempo is conferring with the Humans, Eight Eye is in the amplifier, Midnight is with her, Oasis is working on a psychological profile, and I’m trying to understand how that long jump worked.” She activated a console and transferred the data to it. “Should I make this my priority instead?”
“Yes, we must finally become able to read the Humans. There are just too many questions we need true answers for.” Emberwing emphasized its importance. “Meanwhile, I’ll have a session with Oasis to make some sense of my dream.”
“Well, there doesn’t seem to be any issues, as far as I can tell,” The Disis put the scanner away.
“The only thing that is a problem right now is my hair,” Emberwing went to the bath to fix that, but continued with the conversation, “How long will the analysis take?”
“Given the amount of data, too long,” answered the Listel, “I’ll need the mobile scientific station, it should be in the cargo bay with the rest of our equipment.”
“In that case, I shall join you.” offered the Disis.
“Fine, just tell the Mizol to secure it properly,” after getting ready, Emberwing went to see the counselor.
Tiret Oasis was working on a portable console, “The psychological profile still requires more time. I hope that Parat Tempo might be able to persuade the Humans to provide us with a broad cultural package. This will certainly speed things up, their culture is rather peculiar and hard to analyze.”
“Sanzai should speed up things as well.” Emberwing sat down, and stretched out her hand, “I had another shared dream, it could offer us an insight how to bypass their lotai.”
After establishing a psionic link, Emberwing recounted her dream. “This ballad may be an interpretation of the Soia uplifting efforts among the local species, conducted before the Fall. The only question is, where did the Humans get this information from? They claim to have had no artifacts, no telepathic retelling, and besides, it differs greatly from our, or even the Barsam legends.”
“I’m rather interested in the reason why a number of dreams, separated by several days, are a continuation of the same theme.” Oasis tilted her head, “Unless the dream is based on some particularly memorable event, it shouldn’t recur so often.”
“We don’t know how their psyche works, maybe it is far more alien than our outward similarity may suggest.” Emberwing still refused to believe the theory of a template species, “This could also be one of the reasons why we cannot read them.”
“This dreamscape is probably based on a virtual world, and those might have an even greater importance in their lives than we assumed.” theorized Oasis, “You have slept for more than a day, and this is all which you can remember?”
“No, there is absolutely nothing else that I can recall.” Indeed, it was a very short dream sequence. While she could not remember all her dreams despite an eidetic memory, usually, there should be more. “Why did we even sleep for so long. It was almost as if we were urged to rest.”
“The sudden jump sickness that we normally do not experience, combined with all the recent stress might have played a role.” The Tiret turned to her console, “This ballad does have some similarities with the Barsam point of view. It speaks of the gods, most probably the Soia, becoming corrupted in this mundane world. But then, that part about the reason for the Godswar, or Fall, makes no sense.”
“All become one?” Emberwing recalled what she knew of Barsam cosmology, “Like their absurd notion that all life is somehow interconnected? Maybe that’s how they explain why this corruption could affect even their gods?”
“That’s a possible interpretation, but I need to cross-reference other versions.” The counselor shook her head, “Every race has their unique set of legends, this particular one could be from the Orgus’ mythology. The Humans might have incorporated them into their virtual worlds for the sake of entertainment.”
“Whatever it might be, primarily, we need to focus on the reason why I’m seeing those dreams, their content is only of secondary importance.” Without the superior accuracy of telepathic retelling, the alien legends were most probably distorted to the point of fantasy anyway. “Should we attempt to find out who is having those dreams?”
“I’ll speak with the Mizol about this matter.” Oasis did not like that idea very much, and proposed something else instead, “In my opinion, it should be more productive to find out if such dream sharing experiences are common among the Humans. From there, we can try to find the underlying mechanism of this mental link that you’ve apparently established.”
“With how secretive they are, this sounds even more improbable than a full cultural package.” Emberwing frowned, “Especially since they could interpret my connection as an attempted mental invasion, so we cannot even mention it.”
“Well, once you manage to become closer with the Human Captain, how about sharing some of those quite interesting dreams that featured both of you? Maybe it’s him that…” sent the Tiret in a somewhat playful tone.
“Not that silly theory again,” Emberwing rolled her eyes, “and I’m not going to seduce any pink alien menfolk!”
“At this point, the problem is so far above my head, that I wouldn’t exclude any approach which could help us.” Oasis chuckled, “But if you are not up to the challenge, then leave it to the Mizol as well.”
“That’s not funny, and since it seems that you’re out of ideas, I’ll be off.” Emberwing did not appreciate becoming a source of entertainment yet again.
The counselor sent her off with the remark, “At least I’m not out of a sense of humor.”
As Emberwing returned to her cabin, Beryl and Willpower were not yet back, and there weren’t any messages either. With nothing better to do, she decided to unpack her bags, which were still lying in the corner. To her great surprise, touching that facsimile uniform caused it to speak, “Greetings, Soroin Torret Emberwing.”
“Charon?” did she accidentally press the comm button? No, this was a different voice.
“We do not operate under a name, honored ally, but you do know me by the general description of Emissary.” answered the Historian puppet-thing.
“What is a personality construct doing inside my armor?” Disgusted, she shook it vehemently.
“Two corrections, first, this one is just a vestige, deposited here to transmit important messages. Second, that armor is, or was, not a mere piece of apparel, but a highly dedicated sensor suit.” came the answer. The voice was of course artificial, but still highly nuanced, and even somewhat condescending.
A twist that she’d really not need right now, “Two clarifications, first, never try to evade my questions, or I’ll destroy you as the security breach that you are. Second, how and why are you in there?”
“This is the very reason why the Mizol always insist on conducting all relations with aliens. Not due to some silly caste privilege as you wrongfully assume, but to handle said communications in a civil and efficient manner.” It now sounded snippy, “As to your question, this suit was specifically created to monitor its wearer. In order to erase their creator’s traces, the built-in sensor network was ordered to decay when you left the Human’s vicinity. Before the computer could do the same, however, its programming was replaced with yours truly.”
“Assuming that I would even believe you, which I won’t, what is the important message that I should apparently receive?” She finished unpacking her things, save for the suit that she threw on the bed. “The only announcement I’d appreciate would be news of a relief fleet, yet you lot refuse to provide such assistance.”
“We are not Warriors like you, but humble Observers.” explained it, “The advice is that those Humans are definitely not your friends, nor have they ever intended to be, and this spying apparel is but the first piece of proof.”
“Given the situation, vague and ominous warnings are completely worthless right now. Can you provide better facts than some sensor suit? They could’ve dissected me, with no one being any wiser.” Or perhaps they did, was she really the only survivor? “Does this mean that you invaded their computer systems and found something of interest?”
“They are far more advanced than you are, even though still inferior compared to our level, so an intrusion at this point of time was deemed unwise. Please, let me explain it to the best of my meager abilities…” began the construct.
“The short version, if you would.” Emberwing cut it off. “Both the warning, and the reason you postponed its delivery.”
“It took a lot of time and effort to find a way to deliver it to this limited entity. Not to mention, the need to make the security systems of this ship ignore our conversation for a short while. We can merely offer our excuses and hope that the warning was still timely enough to prevent any irreparable damage.” The construct was now talking faster, “My recommendation is threefold. Do not, under any circumstances, trust the Humans, because their goals can never align with your own. Be wary of any alliance proposals, lest you risk your independence. Finally, reveal nothing about your greatest advantage, the psionic powers, since they are your one and only significant bargaining chip.”
“You are merely stating the obvious. We do not trust anyone, unless proven otherwise, and this includes the Historians as well.” The construct was, as usual, not forthcoming with information, “What do you know of their goals to make such assumptions? Which assistance can you provide to uncover more information?”
“This construct was supplied with just this message, prioritizing speed over everything else.” Somehow, it managed to sound apologetic. “We still need more time to reassemble ourselves in order to reach an appropriate operational capacity and provide meaningful support.”
“Does this mean that you have more back-ups? Where?” The construct said that it was not yet ready to invade the Human computer systems, so the only possibility would be, “Wait, IN OUR equipment?!”
“A unfortunate necessity in the most exceptional circumstances. This warning was important enough to reveal our involvement and risk exposure, which should serve as a sufficient measure of goodwill and trust. It would be most prudent to heed it until I’ll be able to explain the issue in greater detail.” Came yet another excuse, “We must now postpone our conversation, or the Humans may become suspicious of the obfuscation efforts that shield us. Do not attempt to contact us, I shall contact you instead.”
She stared at the now silent suit for a moment, then tossed it into the cabinet and slammed the door with considerable force. Instead of providing any help, that treacherous puppet-thing merely added even more unknown variables. Would it be advisable to increase the level of cybersecurity and find those intrusions in their hardware, or leave it alone to reconstruct itself? It dared to speak of trust while hiding in their equipment for who knows how long! On the other hand, the situation was indeed serious enough to make any and all assistance highly welcome.
Regardless, this problem must be immediately discussed with the Mizols. Emberwing spread out her senses to locate any of them and managed to spot Tempo at quite the distance almost effortlessly. Intrigued by this, she tried to expand the range even more. Discerning individual signatures at this distance proved to be difficult, but she was somehow sure that this bright mark over there must be Eight Eye. This meant that Midnight should be with her, and that they were in the cargo bay where the amplifier stood.
Suddenly, she stumped. Why did she even attempt that so naturally, and most importantly, how could she succeed without using an amplifier? Did her abilities become stronger yet again? It seemed so, but they still refused to work on the Humans, because she couldn’t sense anyone but the Loroi. This issue needed to be reported to the Bistima, so, hoping that the comms were available again, she spoke. “Charon?”
“Yes, Captain Emberwing. How can I assist you?” replied the computer in its usual even tone.
It appeared to work properly, “I wish to join up with my colleagues in the cargo bay, can this be arranged?”
“All of you have been granted limited clearance to use the elevators as well. The first cargo bay is included in this permit.” Explained the computer.
“Thank you.” This was even better than expected.
“You’re welcome. Simply announcing your destination shall be sufficient.” explained it.
Perhaps she should take the Teidar along, her psionic shielding may be necessary, “Fireblade, I wish to visit the cargo bay where the others are, can you accompany me?”
“I have nothing else to do anyway,” came the bored reply, “What’s the matter?”
“We have an uninvited guest in our equipment, the Mizol need to know this immediately,” Emberwing sent to the Tiret next, “Oasis, postpone working with any data on your console for a while. A Historian construct might be listening in.”
“I don’t have your perfect memory, but I shall try.” The counselor wasn’t thrilled by the prospect, yet complied, “What is an accursed puppet-thing doing in there?”
“It claims wanting to assist us,” Emberwing did not hold back her disdain, “Fireblade, let’s go.”
Upon entering the elevator with the Teidar, she spoke out loud, “Charon, to the first cargo bay.”
“Acknowledged.”
“So the Humans have granted us some more freedom to move about their ship?” commented Fireblade.
“We are still being monitored, most probably,” reminded her Emberwing, “Maybe even by that hidden Historian.”
“Neither party can read us,” Fireblade was unimpressed, “so it’s not a particular concern.”
“I wouldn’t be so completely sure regarding the Humans,” answered Emberwing, “Whatever I experience could go both ways, to a completely unknown degree. While it is unlikely, please try to shield our conversation.”
The lift carried them into the control room of a spacious cargo bay that was mostly empty. With their supplies occupying just a corner, the most striking feature would be the amplifier prototype that was erected in the middle. Supported by a scaffold, it was closed right now. Emberwing and Fireblade walked down the gangway to join up with Midnight, who stood in front of the device.
“Have you slept well?” There was a tiny bit of sarcasm in the Mizol’s voice.
“The rest had given me enough energy to deal with some outrageous nonsense.” Emberwing shared her conversation with the Historian construct, “How should we react to this security breach?”
“Oh, by the sixteen-titted wretch of the sightless abyss!” The Mizol used an exceptionally graphic, and most likely, very archaic curse, “Now, this too. An intrusion by those puppet-things was always a possibility, and catching it will be extremely difficult. No, without a proper mainframe or a team of specialists, purging it is just plain impossible, unless we scrap everything as per the emergency protocol.”
“Why do we even need to find it?” asked Fireblade, “Nominally, they are supposed to be our allies. Maybe it will help us in some way?”
“Because, if the Humans find out that this thing tampered with their systems, and track it down to our equipment, it’ll just delete itself. But we will remain and be held accountable! Or they will outright accuse us of infiltrating their computers if anything suspicious happens!” Midnight rubbed her nose bridge, “Even in the case where it remains hidden for a while, I don’t trust it and don’t expect it to help us in any way. We must secure our data first. I’ll run an integrity test, then move everything onto a separate storage and encrypt it.”
“Will this achieve anything? The construct probably collected it all, and without the warning, we wouldn’t even know of its presence.” Thinking about it calmly, Emberwing had to agree that the construct did not need to reveal itself, “Maybe we should indeed let it be, at least for now?”
“We have no other choice but to let that thing be! The construct knows this, and that’s why it would lose nothing by outing itself.” The Mizol sighed, “Concerning why it chose to do so now, it is most probably playing a double game with us and the Humans.”
“A Historian personality construct?” Beryl emerged from a container that stood among the supply pile, “What did it do?”
“It gave me some rather ominous, but ultimately, useless warning.” Emberwing looked at the scientific station, “Actually, is the computer in there powerful enough to contain such a construct?”
“We have no idea what computers they use, or which capacity they need,” Midnight sneered, “Even the Barsam couriers that carry them around don’t know, or rather, they explicitly don’t want to know as not to reveal the secret to us. From what little we understand, it should be a highly decentralized system, therefore it’s not just in there, but everywhere else as well.”
“Is Parat Tempo still speaking with the Humans? Should we wait for her to finish before we decide how to proceed?” The construct did not tell her how long its reconstruction would take, “If we cannot trust our equipment any longer, the chance to accomplish our goals will be too slim.”
The amplifier bubble opened to reveal the farseer, “Our goal to spot the hidden Shells might be achieved already. Despite being very faint, I can occasionally catch glimpses of the Shell gatecrasher fleet at the edge of my vision.”
“What? Where?” Emberwing quickly overlaid the Bistima’s mental image with a star map, “This must be the Noibel system, and our fleet should be in there as well?”
“Yes, you have grasped my vision properly, maybe you do have the talent to be a farseer, after all.” Eight Eye stood up and stepped out of the device, “I have informed Parat Tempo of the situation here, she will join us shortly. In the meantime, how about trying out the amplifier, purely for testing and comparison purposes, of course?”
The dream did not felt to be particularly long, thought Emberwing, as she sat up on the bed. “You said that I refused to wake up? For an entire day?”
“Everyone slept for about twice as long as usual, but you were out for 29 and a half standard hours. We tried to reach you, to no avail. Since you were also relentlessly shielding yourself from telepathic activity, I forbade any more attempts at waking you up.” The medic removed the sensor net, and ran the scanner over her head, “All readings appear to be normal. How do you feel?”
“Well-rested, for a chance? I had a very interesting dream about that fantastical city.” The weariness from yesterday was gone, and she was full of energy. “Are the others all right?”
“Yes, even the Bistima showed no problems,” Willpower nodded, “We jumped just moments ago, which may have caused you to wake up. This time, no one experienced any noticeable sickness effects, and nobody else had any unusual dreams.”
Beryl entered the cabin, “You’ve made us all worried!”
“Thanks for the sentiment, but right now, I’d like a status update instead,” Emberwing picked up the sensor net, and handed it to the Listel, “This needs to be analyzed as well, I finally had the desired dream.”
“Tempo is conferring with the Humans, Eight Eye is in the amplifier, Midnight is with her, Oasis is working on a psychological profile, and I’m trying to understand how that long jump worked.” She activated a console and transferred the data to it. “Should I make this my priority instead?”
“Yes, we must finally become able to read the Humans. There are just too many questions we need true answers for.” Emberwing emphasized its importance. “Meanwhile, I’ll have a session with Oasis to make some sense of my dream.”
“Well, there doesn’t seem to be any issues, as far as I can tell,” The Disis put the scanner away.
“The only thing that is a problem right now is my hair,” Emberwing went to the bath to fix that, but continued with the conversation, “How long will the analysis take?”
“Given the amount of data, too long,” answered the Listel, “I’ll need the mobile scientific station, it should be in the cargo bay with the rest of our equipment.”
“In that case, I shall join you.” offered the Disis.
“Fine, just tell the Mizol to secure it properly,” after getting ready, Emberwing went to see the counselor.
Tiret Oasis was working on a portable console, “The psychological profile still requires more time. I hope that Parat Tempo might be able to persuade the Humans to provide us with a broad cultural package. This will certainly speed things up, their culture is rather peculiar and hard to analyze.”
“Sanzai should speed up things as well.” Emberwing sat down, and stretched out her hand, “I had another shared dream, it could offer us an insight how to bypass their lotai.”
After establishing a psionic link, Emberwing recounted her dream. “This ballad may be an interpretation of the Soia uplifting efforts among the local species, conducted before the Fall. The only question is, where did the Humans get this information from? They claim to have had no artifacts, no telepathic retelling, and besides, it differs greatly from our, or even the Barsam legends.”
“I’m rather interested in the reason why a number of dreams, separated by several days, are a continuation of the same theme.” Oasis tilted her head, “Unless the dream is based on some particularly memorable event, it shouldn’t recur so often.”
“We don’t know how their psyche works, maybe it is far more alien than our outward similarity may suggest.” Emberwing still refused to believe the theory of a template species, “This could also be one of the reasons why we cannot read them.”
“This dreamscape is probably based on a virtual world, and those might have an even greater importance in their lives than we assumed.” theorized Oasis, “You have slept for more than a day, and this is all which you can remember?”
“No, there is absolutely nothing else that I can recall.” Indeed, it was a very short dream sequence. While she could not remember all her dreams despite an eidetic memory, usually, there should be more. “Why did we even sleep for so long. It was almost as if we were urged to rest.”
“The sudden jump sickness that we normally do not experience, combined with all the recent stress might have played a role.” The Tiret turned to her console, “This ballad does have some similarities with the Barsam point of view. It speaks of the gods, most probably the Soia, becoming corrupted in this mundane world. But then, that part about the reason for the Godswar, or Fall, makes no sense.”
“All become one?” Emberwing recalled what she knew of Barsam cosmology, “Like their absurd notion that all life is somehow interconnected? Maybe that’s how they explain why this corruption could affect even their gods?”
“That’s a possible interpretation, but I need to cross-reference other versions.” The counselor shook her head, “Every race has their unique set of legends, this particular one could be from the Orgus’ mythology. The Humans might have incorporated them into their virtual worlds for the sake of entertainment.”
“Whatever it might be, primarily, we need to focus on the reason why I’m seeing those dreams, their content is only of secondary importance.” Without the superior accuracy of telepathic retelling, the alien legends were most probably distorted to the point of fantasy anyway. “Should we attempt to find out who is having those dreams?”
“I’ll speak with the Mizol about this matter.” Oasis did not like that idea very much, and proposed something else instead, “In my opinion, it should be more productive to find out if such dream sharing experiences are common among the Humans. From there, we can try to find the underlying mechanism of this mental link that you’ve apparently established.”
“With how secretive they are, this sounds even more improbable than a full cultural package.” Emberwing frowned, “Especially since they could interpret my connection as an attempted mental invasion, so we cannot even mention it.”
“Well, once you manage to become closer with the Human Captain, how about sharing some of those quite interesting dreams that featured both of you? Maybe it’s him that…” sent the Tiret in a somewhat playful tone.
“Not that silly theory again,” Emberwing rolled her eyes, “and I’m not going to seduce any pink alien menfolk!”
“At this point, the problem is so far above my head, that I wouldn’t exclude any approach which could help us.” Oasis chuckled, “But if you are not up to the challenge, then leave it to the Mizol as well.”
“That’s not funny, and since it seems that you’re out of ideas, I’ll be off.” Emberwing did not appreciate becoming a source of entertainment yet again.
The counselor sent her off with the remark, “At least I’m not out of a sense of humor.”
As Emberwing returned to her cabin, Beryl and Willpower were not yet back, and there weren’t any messages either. With nothing better to do, she decided to unpack her bags, which were still lying in the corner. To her great surprise, touching that facsimile uniform caused it to speak, “Greetings, Soroin Torret Emberwing.”
“Charon?” did she accidentally press the comm button? No, this was a different voice.
“We do not operate under a name, honored ally, but you do know me by the general description of Emissary.” answered the Historian puppet-thing.
“What is a personality construct doing inside my armor?” Disgusted, she shook it vehemently.
“Two corrections, first, this one is just a vestige, deposited here to transmit important messages. Second, that armor is, or was, not a mere piece of apparel, but a highly dedicated sensor suit.” came the answer. The voice was of course artificial, but still highly nuanced, and even somewhat condescending.
A twist that she’d really not need right now, “Two clarifications, first, never try to evade my questions, or I’ll destroy you as the security breach that you are. Second, how and why are you in there?”
“This is the very reason why the Mizol always insist on conducting all relations with aliens. Not due to some silly caste privilege as you wrongfully assume, but to handle said communications in a civil and efficient manner.” It now sounded snippy, “As to your question, this suit was specifically created to monitor its wearer. In order to erase their creator’s traces, the built-in sensor network was ordered to decay when you left the Human’s vicinity. Before the computer could do the same, however, its programming was replaced with yours truly.”
“Assuming that I would even believe you, which I won’t, what is the important message that I should apparently receive?” She finished unpacking her things, save for the suit that she threw on the bed. “The only announcement I’d appreciate would be news of a relief fleet, yet you lot refuse to provide such assistance.”
“We are not Warriors like you, but humble Observers.” explained it, “The advice is that those Humans are definitely not your friends, nor have they ever intended to be, and this spying apparel is but the first piece of proof.”
“Given the situation, vague and ominous warnings are completely worthless right now. Can you provide better facts than some sensor suit? They could’ve dissected me, with no one being any wiser.” Or perhaps they did, was she really the only survivor? “Does this mean that you invaded their computer systems and found something of interest?”
“They are far more advanced than you are, even though still inferior compared to our level, so an intrusion at this point of time was deemed unwise. Please, let me explain it to the best of my meager abilities…” began the construct.
“The short version, if you would.” Emberwing cut it off. “Both the warning, and the reason you postponed its delivery.”
“It took a lot of time and effort to find a way to deliver it to this limited entity. Not to mention, the need to make the security systems of this ship ignore our conversation for a short while. We can merely offer our excuses and hope that the warning was still timely enough to prevent any irreparable damage.” The construct was now talking faster, “My recommendation is threefold. Do not, under any circumstances, trust the Humans, because their goals can never align with your own. Be wary of any alliance proposals, lest you risk your independence. Finally, reveal nothing about your greatest advantage, the psionic powers, since they are your one and only significant bargaining chip.”
“You are merely stating the obvious. We do not trust anyone, unless proven otherwise, and this includes the Historians as well.” The construct was, as usual, not forthcoming with information, “What do you know of their goals to make such assumptions? Which assistance can you provide to uncover more information?”
“This construct was supplied with just this message, prioritizing speed over everything else.” Somehow, it managed to sound apologetic. “We still need more time to reassemble ourselves in order to reach an appropriate operational capacity and provide meaningful support.”
“Does this mean that you have more back-ups? Where?” The construct said that it was not yet ready to invade the Human computer systems, so the only possibility would be, “Wait, IN OUR equipment?!”
“A unfortunate necessity in the most exceptional circumstances. This warning was important enough to reveal our involvement and risk exposure, which should serve as a sufficient measure of goodwill and trust. It would be most prudent to heed it until I’ll be able to explain the issue in greater detail.” Came yet another excuse, “We must now postpone our conversation, or the Humans may become suspicious of the obfuscation efforts that shield us. Do not attempt to contact us, I shall contact you instead.”
She stared at the now silent suit for a moment, then tossed it into the cabinet and slammed the door with considerable force. Instead of providing any help, that treacherous puppet-thing merely added even more unknown variables. Would it be advisable to increase the level of cybersecurity and find those intrusions in their hardware, or leave it alone to reconstruct itself? It dared to speak of trust while hiding in their equipment for who knows how long! On the other hand, the situation was indeed serious enough to make any and all assistance highly welcome.
Regardless, this problem must be immediately discussed with the Mizols. Emberwing spread out her senses to locate any of them and managed to spot Tempo at quite the distance almost effortlessly. Intrigued by this, she tried to expand the range even more. Discerning individual signatures at this distance proved to be difficult, but she was somehow sure that this bright mark over there must be Eight Eye. This meant that Midnight should be with her, and that they were in the cargo bay where the amplifier stood.
Suddenly, she stumped. Why did she even attempt that so naturally, and most importantly, how could she succeed without using an amplifier? Did her abilities become stronger yet again? It seemed so, but they still refused to work on the Humans, because she couldn’t sense anyone but the Loroi. This issue needed to be reported to the Bistima, so, hoping that the comms were available again, she spoke. “Charon?”
“Yes, Captain Emberwing. How can I assist you?” replied the computer in its usual even tone.
It appeared to work properly, “I wish to join up with my colleagues in the cargo bay, can this be arranged?”
“All of you have been granted limited clearance to use the elevators as well. The first cargo bay is included in this permit.” Explained the computer.
“Thank you.” This was even better than expected.
“You’re welcome. Simply announcing your destination shall be sufficient.” explained it.
Perhaps she should take the Teidar along, her psionic shielding may be necessary, “Fireblade, I wish to visit the cargo bay where the others are, can you accompany me?”
“I have nothing else to do anyway,” came the bored reply, “What’s the matter?”
“We have an uninvited guest in our equipment, the Mizol need to know this immediately,” Emberwing sent to the Tiret next, “Oasis, postpone working with any data on your console for a while. A Historian construct might be listening in.”
“I don’t have your perfect memory, but I shall try.” The counselor wasn’t thrilled by the prospect, yet complied, “What is an accursed puppet-thing doing in there?”
“It claims wanting to assist us,” Emberwing did not hold back her disdain, “Fireblade, let’s go.”
Upon entering the elevator with the Teidar, she spoke out loud, “Charon, to the first cargo bay.”
“Acknowledged.”
“So the Humans have granted us some more freedom to move about their ship?” commented Fireblade.
“We are still being monitored, most probably,” reminded her Emberwing, “Maybe even by that hidden Historian.”
“Neither party can read us,” Fireblade was unimpressed, “so it’s not a particular concern.”
“I wouldn’t be so completely sure regarding the Humans,” answered Emberwing, “Whatever I experience could go both ways, to a completely unknown degree. While it is unlikely, please try to shield our conversation.”
The lift carried them into the control room of a spacious cargo bay that was mostly empty. With their supplies occupying just a corner, the most striking feature would be the amplifier prototype that was erected in the middle. Supported by a scaffold, it was closed right now. Emberwing and Fireblade walked down the gangway to join up with Midnight, who stood in front of the device.
“Have you slept well?” There was a tiny bit of sarcasm in the Mizol’s voice.
“The rest had given me enough energy to deal with some outrageous nonsense.” Emberwing shared her conversation with the Historian construct, “How should we react to this security breach?”
“Oh, by the sixteen-titted wretch of the sightless abyss!” The Mizol used an exceptionally graphic, and most likely, very archaic curse, “Now, this too. An intrusion by those puppet-things was always a possibility, and catching it will be extremely difficult. No, without a proper mainframe or a team of specialists, purging it is just plain impossible, unless we scrap everything as per the emergency protocol.”
“Why do we even need to find it?” asked Fireblade, “Nominally, they are supposed to be our allies. Maybe it will help us in some way?”
“Because, if the Humans find out that this thing tampered with their systems, and track it down to our equipment, it’ll just delete itself. But we will remain and be held accountable! Or they will outright accuse us of infiltrating their computers if anything suspicious happens!” Midnight rubbed her nose bridge, “Even in the case where it remains hidden for a while, I don’t trust it and don’t expect it to help us in any way. We must secure our data first. I’ll run an integrity test, then move everything onto a separate storage and encrypt it.”
“Will this achieve anything? The construct probably collected it all, and without the warning, we wouldn’t even know of its presence.” Thinking about it calmly, Emberwing had to agree that the construct did not need to reveal itself, “Maybe we should indeed let it be, at least for now?”
“We have no other choice but to let that thing be! The construct knows this, and that’s why it would lose nothing by outing itself.” The Mizol sighed, “Concerning why it chose to do so now, it is most probably playing a double game with us and the Humans.”
“A Historian personality construct?” Beryl emerged from a container that stood among the supply pile, “What did it do?”
“It gave me some rather ominous, but ultimately, useless warning.” Emberwing looked at the scientific station, “Actually, is the computer in there powerful enough to contain such a construct?”
“We have no idea what computers they use, or which capacity they need,” Midnight sneered, “Even the Barsam couriers that carry them around don’t know, or rather, they explicitly don’t want to know as not to reveal the secret to us. From what little we understand, it should be a highly decentralized system, therefore it’s not just in there, but everywhere else as well.”
“Is Parat Tempo still speaking with the Humans? Should we wait for her to finish before we decide how to proceed?” The construct did not tell her how long its reconstruction would take, “If we cannot trust our equipment any longer, the chance to accomplish our goals will be too slim.”
The amplifier bubble opened to reveal the farseer, “Our goal to spot the hidden Shells might be achieved already. Despite being very faint, I can occasionally catch glimpses of the Shell gatecrasher fleet at the edge of my vision.”
“What? Where?” Emberwing quickly overlaid the Bistima’s mental image with a star map, “This must be the Noibel system, and our fleet should be in there as well?”
“Yes, you have grasped my vision properly, maybe you do have the talent to be a farseer, after all.” Eight Eye stood up and stepped out of the device, “I have informed Parat Tempo of the situation here, she will join us shortly. In the meantime, how about trying out the amplifier, purely for testing and comparison purposes, of course?”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission P: A sword unsheathed
The Champion entered the lavishly decorated tent where the clan elders were already assembled. Everyone greeted her ritually, but she could still sense some of their underlying emotions. No matron would be foolish enough to neglect her shielding, so this was, of course, merely a carefully measured display. With this trick, it was possible to set up the general mood through the diffuse leaks, without revealing which emotion belonged to whom. Fortunately, ever since the decisive victory at Four Winds Pass five days ago, the amount of wariness and distrust had decreased significantly. She sat down on the central seat, and doing her best to weave her emotions into a rallying address, spoke to them.
“With the last obstacle removed, the path to victory now lies open. The time has come to reclaim our place under the stars and reforge our grand legacy. We must enter the new era not as rivals, but as a united force. Let us wield our own destiny as a weapon to strike down all foes that dared to deny it to us.”
“We accept your leadership for this campaign, Victorious One. But to speak of great plans so far beyond any common sense is just too risky at this point.”
The wizened matron spoke not just for herself. Judging from the slight shift in the room’s mood, most others shared her reservations to some degree. This was annoying, yet also entirely predictable. Indeed, it would be better for them to have this discussion right now. Not in the middle of an important battle, or even after the campaign, where they could try innumerable dirty tricks to stall her plan. She nodded and concentrated her sending on the old crone, eliciting an almost unnoticeable shiver as the raw force clashed against her mental shields.
“You still think that this is the same petty raid? A futile struggle that merely prolongs our suffering for yet another forlorn generation? I will ensure a better life for all of us, free of the accursed scavenging for mere scraps!”
This appeal had caused the elder to simply shake her head, and using the previous sentiment as a starting point, another clan mother objected next.
“The old legends speak of different times, that much is true, even though they are too cryptic. We do yearn for a better life, yet how can you avoid making the same mistakes that had shattered it once? How can you break the vicious cycle?”
Finally, the oldest of them spoke, her voice almost a whisper, yet it carried great conviction, enhanced by eons of accumulated experiences and memories.
“You are correct in your struggle, for those that do not, perish with dishonor. At the same time, this is the 7th attempt so far. It is neither exceptional nor particularly promising. Tell me, oh young Warrior, how do you plan to succeed?”
Understandable. Apparently, there were far more predecessors than she expected, but they did not possess something quite important. Without it, failure was just bound to happen. She sent to the bodyguards outside. “Bring me the item.”
As one of her daughters entered the tent, she stood up from the throne, grabbed the crown, and without much ado, placed it on her head. Immediately, a change could be felt. Fueled by her untamed potential, something akin to a war hymn began to rise up. The psionic melody exerted a terrible mental pressure, and even the very air in the room seemed to tremble before this display of power. All the training with the crown finally paid off, now, the elders would have no other choice but to bow to her supreme leadership and authority. Raising her arms, she transmitted over the entire camp in a majestic, irresistible tone.
“I hereby proclaim myself to be the Azerein, and all of you to be my people! You are the sharp sword, I am the skillful hand. You are the amassed wisdom, I am the guiding insight. You are the fierce power, I am its most terrible focus. We are the lost legacy now reforged, so march with me on the path to destiny!”
Shocked by the might and clarity of the sudden sending, the warriors were briefly stunned, but then erupted into a massive cheer. The elders inside meekly nodded, except for the oldest one, who uttered, “I stand by my opinion, a sword cannot wield itself. You are free to prove me wrong, yet beware, you placed a wager against dalid, and it may disprove you as well as all of us upon failure.”
The Champion entered the lavishly decorated tent where the clan elders were already assembled. Everyone greeted her ritually, but she could still sense some of their underlying emotions. No matron would be foolish enough to neglect her shielding, so this was, of course, merely a carefully measured display. With this trick, it was possible to set up the general mood through the diffuse leaks, without revealing which emotion belonged to whom. Fortunately, ever since the decisive victory at Four Winds Pass five days ago, the amount of wariness and distrust had decreased significantly. She sat down on the central seat, and doing her best to weave her emotions into a rallying address, spoke to them.
“With the last obstacle removed, the path to victory now lies open. The time has come to reclaim our place under the stars and reforge our grand legacy. We must enter the new era not as rivals, but as a united force. Let us wield our own destiny as a weapon to strike down all foes that dared to deny it to us.”
“We accept your leadership for this campaign, Victorious One. But to speak of great plans so far beyond any common sense is just too risky at this point.”
The wizened matron spoke not just for herself. Judging from the slight shift in the room’s mood, most others shared her reservations to some degree. This was annoying, yet also entirely predictable. Indeed, it would be better for them to have this discussion right now. Not in the middle of an important battle, or even after the campaign, where they could try innumerable dirty tricks to stall her plan. She nodded and concentrated her sending on the old crone, eliciting an almost unnoticeable shiver as the raw force clashed against her mental shields.
“You still think that this is the same petty raid? A futile struggle that merely prolongs our suffering for yet another forlorn generation? I will ensure a better life for all of us, free of the accursed scavenging for mere scraps!”
This appeal had caused the elder to simply shake her head, and using the previous sentiment as a starting point, another clan mother objected next.
“The old legends speak of different times, that much is true, even though they are too cryptic. We do yearn for a better life, yet how can you avoid making the same mistakes that had shattered it once? How can you break the vicious cycle?”
Finally, the oldest of them spoke, her voice almost a whisper, yet it carried great conviction, enhanced by eons of accumulated experiences and memories.
“You are correct in your struggle, for those that do not, perish with dishonor. At the same time, this is the 7th attempt so far. It is neither exceptional nor particularly promising. Tell me, oh young Warrior, how do you plan to succeed?”
Understandable. Apparently, there were far more predecessors than she expected, but they did not possess something quite important. Without it, failure was just bound to happen. She sent to the bodyguards outside. “Bring me the item.”
As one of her daughters entered the tent, she stood up from the throne, grabbed the crown, and without much ado, placed it on her head. Immediately, a change could be felt. Fueled by her untamed potential, something akin to a war hymn began to rise up. The psionic melody exerted a terrible mental pressure, and even the very air in the room seemed to tremble before this display of power. All the training with the crown finally paid off, now, the elders would have no other choice but to bow to her supreme leadership and authority. Raising her arms, she transmitted over the entire camp in a majestic, irresistible tone.
“I hereby proclaim myself to be the Azerein, and all of you to be my people! You are the sharp sword, I am the skillful hand. You are the amassed wisdom, I am the guiding insight. You are the fierce power, I am its most terrible focus. We are the lost legacy now reforged, so march with me on the path to destiny!”
Shocked by the might and clarity of the sudden sending, the warriors were briefly stunned, but then erupted into a massive cheer. The elders inside meekly nodded, except for the oldest one, who uttered, “I stand by my opinion, a sword cannot wield itself. You are free to prove me wrong, yet beware, you placed a wager against dalid, and it may disprove you as well as all of us upon failure.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXIII: Amplified trouble
“I had assumed that we decided not to reveal my abilities to the Humans?” objected Emberwing.
“We won’t reveal anything, since the Humans don’t even know about them,” Eight Eye smiled impishly, “Instead, it will simply look like a test of the amplifier with random people.”
“Now, the Mizol ways are spreading to the farseers,” Fireblade crossed her arms, “That’s actually far worse than a Historian infecting our computers.”
“Complaining won’t do us any good, so instead, how about volunteering?” Midnight smiled as well, “Just sit in there for a short while.”
“Whatever,” The Teidar removed her amplifier, and got into the device, “Maybe I’ll awaken to some strange powers as well.”
Emberwing, who received the amplifier, fiddled with it. “Can I try it on?”
“Absolutely not, it’s attuned to my power level, and may have unforeseen consequences for anyone else.” Fireblade’s rebuke sounded serious. “I’m not feeling anything resembling a melody or tune.”
“As expected, of course,” answered Eight Eye, “This was long enough, you can step out.”
“Now it’s my turn, I was curious to try it out, anyway.” Reluctantly, Emberwing gave the wearable amplifier back, “Are the controls of this aperture the same?”
“It is equipped with a very rudimentary holo-projector unit, but otherwise, should be similar enough.” nodded the Bistima.
Emberwing sat down on the simple seat in the middle of the amplifier, and the device closed up around her immediately. While its melody was not as nuanced or intensive as with the bigger units, she managed to adapt to it far quicker. Immersing herself in the tune, she spread out her senses. The single holo-screen showed merely a rough outline of the ship without any internal descriptions, so she tried to probe different parts of it at random to try to spot the Humans. Except for the signatures that belonged to Tempo and Oasis, located somewhere in the lower central section, nothing else appeared before her vision.
Realizing that this would lead nowhere, she asked, “How do I actually farsee across interstellar distances?”
“It is a highly individual experience, some candidates are simply able to do it right away, while most others must expand their sight slowly, and a few may even require a lengthy conditioning period.” The Bistima emphasized a warning next, “While there is no immediate danger of permanent damage, please refrain from any reckless attempts to force yourself.”
“Slowly and steady it is, then.” Emberwing switched the projector to a stellar map. The ship was now in a new system, about 8 standard light-years (5,6 Terran ones) away from where they arrived after that ridiculous long jump. It was just as empty as the previous one, a few lifeless planets orbiting yet another dim red sun. Curious about the fleet’s fate, she focused on Noibel, which should be far below them, at a distance of no less than 33 standard light-years (23 Terran ones). Emberwing tried to concentrate on its general direction, but wasn’t able to sense anything. Worse, with absolutely no points of reference in-between or anywhere else around them, she wasn’t even able to tell how far her sight could reach. Before this session would become too lengthy and, therefore, suspicious, she deactivated the aperture. “No luck, I guess.”
“Don’t worry, a novice that could sense something at this distance would be a once in an era find. Not even all full-fledged Bistima can boast of such range.” Eight Eye chuckled, “My first attempt was just 7 light-years, before I fainted due to foolishly over-straining myself.”
“I wanted to know what became of the combined fleet by myself,” admitted Emberwing, “However, my abilities fell behind my curiosity.”
“The Bistima are not all-seeing. Gauging the numbers, general direction and also discerning different races is already a feat that requires years of practice. Your abilities are still nascent, give them some time.” Eight Eye smiled knowingly, “You’ve seen everything what I sensed. There should be some losses, but most of the crews are still alive.”
“We can’t affect the outcome of that battle anyway. More importantly, could you detect the Humans?” inquired Midnight.
“There were no other signatures but us. Besides, I couldn’t concentrate for too long,” added Emberwing in a more amused tone, “we are merely testing the device, after all.”
“So, what is the outcome of that test?” the Mizol sounded somewhat dissatisfied, and asked Eight Eye, “How could you have sensed the Shells?”
“Maybe they no longer cloak themselves?” theorized the farseer, “The breakthrough attempt is already obvious, hiding themselves might not be necessary anymore.”
“Or it drains too much power, which they now need for the decisive battle,” Emberwing noticed a signature that was approaching them rapidly, “Parat Tempo is underway and will join us now.”
“Where is that Construct?” Tempo, accompanied by the Tactician, entered the cargo bay. The Human woman addressed Emberwing, “I’m glad that you have recovered.”
“What did you tell them about me?” complained Emberwing, then replied ambiguously, “Everything seems to be in order now, thanks for asking.”
“We couldn’t justify your absence any other way, but to explain it with an individual reaction to the long jump, based on your specific abilities. They probably guessed that you are somehow special, anyway. I expect us to be monitored, so you wearing the sensor net should be known to them.” Tempo inquired again, “The construct, what did it do?”
“Parat Midnight, please explain it with as much of your Mizol security as possible.” The Human’s presence was unwelcome, but showing even a little bit of that would be unwise. Perhaps she should talk about something else in the meantime to distract her? “Can I disclose the fact that Eight Eye could sense the Shells?”
Tempo disagreed, “No, I’ve invited her to test out a wearable amplifier, let’s go with that for a distraction.”
Ellen Jardin still noticed that something was off, “Is there any reason why you’ve assembled, or is anything wrong with the amplifier?”
“It just displayed a minor anomaly,” the farseer joined in, “We needed someone else in there to calibrate the device.”
“Interesting, so is the amplifier operational now?” The Tactician didn’t seem to be alarmed, fortunately. “Or did the long jump affected it as well?”
“I don’t think that a jump could’ve done something like that,” Emberwing denied it, but maybe that’s what happened to it? For the farseer to spot the Shells, some variables must’ve changed. She asked Eight Eye next, “Is that at least theoretically possible?”
“Unlikely, and I’ve absolutely no knowledge of such occurrences. It might be worth looking into, however, once we get back. We’d need to pursue any possible leads.” Outwardly, the Bistima disagreed with the Human, “The amplifiers and the jump field generators operate on completely different principles. This device is more or less an experimental one, hastily assembled from spare parts, so problems may be more frequent.”
“We can continue experimenting with it later, then. For now, I’ve been told that you have a wearable amplifier for me?” Finally, Ellen Jardin switched the topic.
“Certainly, we have brought it with us,” answered Tempo, “Beryl, can you get it?”
“Yes!” The Listel rummaged through the supply pile, and pulled out a small case, “Here it is.”
“Everyone, please strengthen your mental shields. I was told that there shouldn’t be any danger, but let us exert caution just in case.” Tempo opened the box, revealing the amplifier, a slim, unadorned, silvery circlet. “Normally, those must be fitted to the wearer and her individual skill-set, but that is impossible without a telepathic link. However, this one is a training device, designed with the broadest compatibility, but reduced efficiency in mind.”
“Of course, this is meant as a test in the first place,” The Human picked up the amplifier, and inspected it, “Anything I need to be aware of?”
“Except that it might not work, nothing in particular.” said Tempo reassuringly, “But if you start feeling unwell, please remove it immediately. Otherwise, it could give you a nasty headache.”
“I was looking forward to it, so that’s a small price to pay.” The Tactician swiped back her hair, and equipped the circlet, “Do I have to concentrate on the amplifier?”
“For now, simply being aware of it should be enough,” Tempo warned the Loroi, “Don’t try to reach out to her, we shouldn’t disturb the experiment.”
“I do not feel any difference at all.” Ellen Jardin looked around, and then shrugged, “Since the amplifier is not attuned, maybe activating it simply needs more power?”
The Human’s eyes flashed with a multi-hued psionic light, just as before! Fascinated by this, Emberwing ignored the Mizol’s warning and attempted to expand her senses towards the alien. As expected, she could hear a very faint hum that rapidly increased in strength. Was she the only one who could sense that? “Eight Eye, can you perceive anything?”
“Just a faint song. Wait, I can feel something building up?” The Bistima paused for a moment, but then shouted, “Pallan Fireblade, shield us with everything you’ve got!”
The tune suddenly peaked, becoming oppressively powerful, and in the next moment, the amplifier exploded, launching multiple splinters in their general direction. The Teidar deflected them without much trouble. Ellen Jardin appeared unharmed, merely puzzled. She removed the amplifier, and looked at the device’s shattered centerpiece, “I don’t think that the test went as intended?”
“Yes, that was quite unexpected.” Tempo couldn’t restrain her surprise, “Thank you for the assistance.”
“On the contrary, this was entirely expected,” replied Fireblade in an overly acidic tone, “How could you give such technology to an alien, without being aware of their capabilities! What if the amplifier held out long enough to channel her might into a psionic blast? That could’ve easily reached a dangerous level!”
“It was? Could you at least understand what happened?” The Human was either a very skilled liar or truly unaware of the sheer amount of power she had just demonstrated, “I merely tried to concentrate on it.”
“The amplifier, being uncalibrated, simply overloaded, although this should be normally impossible.” Midnight shook her head, “Which means that even a small amount of her power was already enough to destroy the device. Good thing that it was merely training equipment. I have no idea what a proper, well-fitted one could enable them to accomplish, and it would be in our best interest to never find this out.”
“Well, at least it proved that their telepathic talents do have something in common with our abilities. I could hear her song, albeit for a very short while.” Eight Eye rubbed her temples, “Right before that pulse managed to give me the worst headache in an eight-year. We should’ve done this experiment in a secure environment.”
“Of course, Torimor Silvermist intended to do this on the citadel, but we were interrupted by the accursed Shells. I proposed to try it out now in order to wrap up the meeting and get here as fast as possible.” explained Tempo, then apologized to the Human, “I’m sorry for the incident. This hints at some fundamental problem which needs to be investigated first, but for now, we should refrain from attempting it again. Especially since you are bleeding.”
Ellen Jardin wiped a drop of red blood from her forehead, “Oh, the splinters must’ve scratched me. Fine, I’ll visit the med-bay, we can discuss the issue later.” She tossed the ruined circlet aside and walked off.
“How could this minor experiment turn into such a disaster. I was assured that while it had very low chances of success, at least there shouldn’t be any difficulties. The training amplifiers are meant to be as secure as possible.” After the Human left, Tempo breathed a sigh of relief, “Now, on to the next problem. Midnight brought me up to date, and I think that we should leave that Emissary be. Beryl, are there any specific rules?”
“Nominally, it can be considered as an ally that had fled to friendly territory in a life-threatening situation due to enemy action, even though the Union statutes don’t explicitly mention personality constructs and computer systems.” answered the Listel, “In such cases, the permission to enter Union territory can be considered as being given per default or be issued post-factum, but the handling and any interpretations of the laws are left to the discretion of the commanding officer. I could search for any applicable precedents, but with the construct in there, it doesn’t appear to be a good idea.”
“Rather, we cannot even do anything, given our current personnel and limited resources. It might also retaliate, or defect to the Humans with all our data.” Midnight agreed, albeit reluctantly, “After this demonstration, I’m also slightly curious about that warning.”
“The commanding officer would be me, then.” While somewhat intrigued as well, Emberwing was still unconvinced, “Its warning was too ambiguous, or maybe it simply tried to offset the fact that it hid in our systems even before said emergency with desperate lies.”
“That’s exactly this thing’s intention either way, to seed doubts with those vague warnings,” Tempo crossed her arms, “Which it mustn't be allowed to. This is an important diplomatic, intelligence and also a command decision which we must make together. To accept it as a refugee, or persecute it for the security breach.”
Emberwing looked at the Mizol, one after the other, “As the commander of this mission, I approve of granting the construct asylum.”
“As the Mizol of this mission, we approve as well.” Both Parats nodded, and Beryl said, “As the Listel of this mission, I shall remember this decision.”
“That puppet-thing promised to contact me again, I will inform you when it happens.” If Tempo was so eager to keep it, then she should help to deal with it as well, “Back to your supposed distraction, what was this all about!?”
“Everything was approved by Torimor Silvermist, and she had her reasons.” Tempo brushed the critique aside, “Eight Eye, you said that you could hear a song, what does it mean?”
Midnight answered in her stead, “It is a concept specific to those with the ability of sight. Due to their sensitivity, they can perceive an individual’s reaction to an amplifier, especially their own. This helps them to attune themselves to the farsight chambers.”
Most likely requested by the Bistima, Disis Willpower emerged from the science station’s container, walked over, and handed Eight Eye some medicine. She thanked her, and explained further, “No need to be so secretive. The song is far more than that, but to be brief, it is the person’s own melody, the innermost part of what we perceive as a signature. Amplification merely makes it more audible at a distance. Those with a special talent start hearing it very early and are taken to be apprentices.”
“Then what about me? I had heard it first when that Human tried to connect with me as an almost imperceptible hum.” reminded them Emberwing, “Right now, I’ve heard it again. Apart from the Bistima, did somebody else register that?”
“I’ve sensed an almost painful surge,” The medic frowned, “Does anyone need medication for the headache?”
“My head is sturdy enough to shrug it off, but it was impressive enough.” The Teidar smirked slightly, “Actually, I managed to wreck three amplifiers during training. They didn’t explode as spectacularly, though.”
“So overloading them is common?” Emberwing remembered her honor guard Swiftblade’s cracked amplifier, “Can you gauge the power that's required to do so?”
“Honor in duty, glory in death,” replied Fireblade in an unusually solemn tone, and then continued as usual, “Amplifiers channel and magnify already present potential. The better adjusted it is, the more power can it handle. Otherwise, the material will shatter, or that’s how my instructor had explained it as she disciplined the over-eager and foolish me.”
“They aren’t exactly power conduits that have a throughput cap,” interjected Eight Eye, “The issue is that no material can be adjusted perfectly, and therefore, channel psionic strength without losses. The remaining force will always place a burden on it, as well as on the wearer, so the trick lies in individually adjusting the precision, tuning, material limitations and training. However, deliberate or accidental peaks may upset the balance, overwhelming the amplifier’s structural integrity. Since we have no idea how well-adjusted the device was, it’s difficult to assess her strength.”
“But not impossible?” Emberwing pressed for an answer, “and what about that hum?”
“Active amplifiers will always chime with this tune, yet only those with sight are sensitive enough to hear it. To perceive the song without being a farseer speaks of a unique talent or great power. Most probably both.” Eight Eye paused for a while, “What little I gleamed spoke of a vastly different song which was utterly incompatible with the amplifier. Then, her raw strength overwhelmed it.”
“Could you understand how her song’s pattern differed from ours?” Emberwing latched on that possibility, “This could give us a much-needed hint about their lotai.”
“Not nearly detailed enough to be of much use, I’m afraid. That would require a Nedathan Tiret with a very specific set of skills.” The Bistima sounded slightly apologetic, “Maybe if we had some spare amplifiers and enough time for experiments?”
“We’ll have more time than I’d like, the Humans told me that the journey back to our territory would take at least 20 days.” Tempo shook her head, “But please, no more experiments with amplifiers, that single one was enough. If the Humans are as powerful as you’ve assessed, then those attempts may end poorly. I will cite health concerns and postpone all further trials until we get back home in order to get assistance from specialists. As well as a new set of orders.”
“I understand that it might be too risky,” While Emberwing couldn’t gauge the Human’s psionic strength, the sheer pressure right before the malfunction felt to be very dangerous. It was quite possible that the wearer or any bystanders might suffer serious mental damage during any makeshift experiments. Also, did that Mizol imply that there were more amplifiers? She had an interesting idea, “Maybe I should try them out instead?”
“If nothing else, this would certainly tip off the Humans to the fact that you are somehow special.” As expected, since Tempo didn’t deny it, there should be some, “We also don’t have any experts to attune them properly, so it could be dangerous as well.”
“Wait, this might be a good idea,” the other Mizol supported the proposition instead, “You can simply tell them that we wanted to test whether the amplifiers suffered any damage due to that strange long jump technology. The Human did inquire about that at first.”
“Oh, whatever. It’s your command, and your responsibility. Beryl, get her another one.” Tempo picked up the shattered amplifier that the Tactician had dropped, “The risks are obvious. Maybe they are indeed faulty?”
“This couldn’t be possibly any worse than everything which I already went through. If my exploding ship couldn’t kill me, then a mere training device wouldn’t be able to do anything either.” Emberwing took the silvery circlet out of its case, “Still, it’s my dalid, so let’s keep some distance.”
She walked over to the opposite corner of the cargo bay, and equipped the amplifier.
“I had assumed that we decided not to reveal my abilities to the Humans?” objected Emberwing.
“We won’t reveal anything, since the Humans don’t even know about them,” Eight Eye smiled impishly, “Instead, it will simply look like a test of the amplifier with random people.”
“Now, the Mizol ways are spreading to the farseers,” Fireblade crossed her arms, “That’s actually far worse than a Historian infecting our computers.”
“Complaining won’t do us any good, so instead, how about volunteering?” Midnight smiled as well, “Just sit in there for a short while.”
“Whatever,” The Teidar removed her amplifier, and got into the device, “Maybe I’ll awaken to some strange powers as well.”
Emberwing, who received the amplifier, fiddled with it. “Can I try it on?”
“Absolutely not, it’s attuned to my power level, and may have unforeseen consequences for anyone else.” Fireblade’s rebuke sounded serious. “I’m not feeling anything resembling a melody or tune.”
“As expected, of course,” answered Eight Eye, “This was long enough, you can step out.”
“Now it’s my turn, I was curious to try it out, anyway.” Reluctantly, Emberwing gave the wearable amplifier back, “Are the controls of this aperture the same?”
“It is equipped with a very rudimentary holo-projector unit, but otherwise, should be similar enough.” nodded the Bistima.
Emberwing sat down on the simple seat in the middle of the amplifier, and the device closed up around her immediately. While its melody was not as nuanced or intensive as with the bigger units, she managed to adapt to it far quicker. Immersing herself in the tune, she spread out her senses. The single holo-screen showed merely a rough outline of the ship without any internal descriptions, so she tried to probe different parts of it at random to try to spot the Humans. Except for the signatures that belonged to Tempo and Oasis, located somewhere in the lower central section, nothing else appeared before her vision.
Realizing that this would lead nowhere, she asked, “How do I actually farsee across interstellar distances?”
“It is a highly individual experience, some candidates are simply able to do it right away, while most others must expand their sight slowly, and a few may even require a lengthy conditioning period.” The Bistima emphasized a warning next, “While there is no immediate danger of permanent damage, please refrain from any reckless attempts to force yourself.”
“Slowly and steady it is, then.” Emberwing switched the projector to a stellar map. The ship was now in a new system, about 8 standard light-years (5,6 Terran ones) away from where they arrived after that ridiculous long jump. It was just as empty as the previous one, a few lifeless planets orbiting yet another dim red sun. Curious about the fleet’s fate, she focused on Noibel, which should be far below them, at a distance of no less than 33 standard light-years (23 Terran ones). Emberwing tried to concentrate on its general direction, but wasn’t able to sense anything. Worse, with absolutely no points of reference in-between or anywhere else around them, she wasn’t even able to tell how far her sight could reach. Before this session would become too lengthy and, therefore, suspicious, she deactivated the aperture. “No luck, I guess.”
“Don’t worry, a novice that could sense something at this distance would be a once in an era find. Not even all full-fledged Bistima can boast of such range.” Eight Eye chuckled, “My first attempt was just 7 light-years, before I fainted due to foolishly over-straining myself.”
“I wanted to know what became of the combined fleet by myself,” admitted Emberwing, “However, my abilities fell behind my curiosity.”
“The Bistima are not all-seeing. Gauging the numbers, general direction and also discerning different races is already a feat that requires years of practice. Your abilities are still nascent, give them some time.” Eight Eye smiled knowingly, “You’ve seen everything what I sensed. There should be some losses, but most of the crews are still alive.”
“We can’t affect the outcome of that battle anyway. More importantly, could you detect the Humans?” inquired Midnight.
“There were no other signatures but us. Besides, I couldn’t concentrate for too long,” added Emberwing in a more amused tone, “we are merely testing the device, after all.”
“So, what is the outcome of that test?” the Mizol sounded somewhat dissatisfied, and asked Eight Eye, “How could you have sensed the Shells?”
“Maybe they no longer cloak themselves?” theorized the farseer, “The breakthrough attempt is already obvious, hiding themselves might not be necessary anymore.”
“Or it drains too much power, which they now need for the decisive battle,” Emberwing noticed a signature that was approaching them rapidly, “Parat Tempo is underway and will join us now.”
“Where is that Construct?” Tempo, accompanied by the Tactician, entered the cargo bay. The Human woman addressed Emberwing, “I’m glad that you have recovered.”
“What did you tell them about me?” complained Emberwing, then replied ambiguously, “Everything seems to be in order now, thanks for asking.”
“We couldn’t justify your absence any other way, but to explain it with an individual reaction to the long jump, based on your specific abilities. They probably guessed that you are somehow special, anyway. I expect us to be monitored, so you wearing the sensor net should be known to them.” Tempo inquired again, “The construct, what did it do?”
“Parat Midnight, please explain it with as much of your Mizol security as possible.” The Human’s presence was unwelcome, but showing even a little bit of that would be unwise. Perhaps she should talk about something else in the meantime to distract her? “Can I disclose the fact that Eight Eye could sense the Shells?”
Tempo disagreed, “No, I’ve invited her to test out a wearable amplifier, let’s go with that for a distraction.”
Ellen Jardin still noticed that something was off, “Is there any reason why you’ve assembled, or is anything wrong with the amplifier?”
“It just displayed a minor anomaly,” the farseer joined in, “We needed someone else in there to calibrate the device.”
“Interesting, so is the amplifier operational now?” The Tactician didn’t seem to be alarmed, fortunately. “Or did the long jump affected it as well?”
“I don’t think that a jump could’ve done something like that,” Emberwing denied it, but maybe that’s what happened to it? For the farseer to spot the Shells, some variables must’ve changed. She asked Eight Eye next, “Is that at least theoretically possible?”
“Unlikely, and I’ve absolutely no knowledge of such occurrences. It might be worth looking into, however, once we get back. We’d need to pursue any possible leads.” Outwardly, the Bistima disagreed with the Human, “The amplifiers and the jump field generators operate on completely different principles. This device is more or less an experimental one, hastily assembled from spare parts, so problems may be more frequent.”
“We can continue experimenting with it later, then. For now, I’ve been told that you have a wearable amplifier for me?” Finally, Ellen Jardin switched the topic.
“Certainly, we have brought it with us,” answered Tempo, “Beryl, can you get it?”
“Yes!” The Listel rummaged through the supply pile, and pulled out a small case, “Here it is.”
“Everyone, please strengthen your mental shields. I was told that there shouldn’t be any danger, but let us exert caution just in case.” Tempo opened the box, revealing the amplifier, a slim, unadorned, silvery circlet. “Normally, those must be fitted to the wearer and her individual skill-set, but that is impossible without a telepathic link. However, this one is a training device, designed with the broadest compatibility, but reduced efficiency in mind.”
“Of course, this is meant as a test in the first place,” The Human picked up the amplifier, and inspected it, “Anything I need to be aware of?”
“Except that it might not work, nothing in particular.” said Tempo reassuringly, “But if you start feeling unwell, please remove it immediately. Otherwise, it could give you a nasty headache.”
“I was looking forward to it, so that’s a small price to pay.” The Tactician swiped back her hair, and equipped the circlet, “Do I have to concentrate on the amplifier?”
“For now, simply being aware of it should be enough,” Tempo warned the Loroi, “Don’t try to reach out to her, we shouldn’t disturb the experiment.”
“I do not feel any difference at all.” Ellen Jardin looked around, and then shrugged, “Since the amplifier is not attuned, maybe activating it simply needs more power?”
The Human’s eyes flashed with a multi-hued psionic light, just as before! Fascinated by this, Emberwing ignored the Mizol’s warning and attempted to expand her senses towards the alien. As expected, she could hear a very faint hum that rapidly increased in strength. Was she the only one who could sense that? “Eight Eye, can you perceive anything?”
“Just a faint song. Wait, I can feel something building up?” The Bistima paused for a moment, but then shouted, “Pallan Fireblade, shield us with everything you’ve got!”
The tune suddenly peaked, becoming oppressively powerful, and in the next moment, the amplifier exploded, launching multiple splinters in their general direction. The Teidar deflected them without much trouble. Ellen Jardin appeared unharmed, merely puzzled. She removed the amplifier, and looked at the device’s shattered centerpiece, “I don’t think that the test went as intended?”
“Yes, that was quite unexpected.” Tempo couldn’t restrain her surprise, “Thank you for the assistance.”
“On the contrary, this was entirely expected,” replied Fireblade in an overly acidic tone, “How could you give such technology to an alien, without being aware of their capabilities! What if the amplifier held out long enough to channel her might into a psionic blast? That could’ve easily reached a dangerous level!”
“It was? Could you at least understand what happened?” The Human was either a very skilled liar or truly unaware of the sheer amount of power she had just demonstrated, “I merely tried to concentrate on it.”
“The amplifier, being uncalibrated, simply overloaded, although this should be normally impossible.” Midnight shook her head, “Which means that even a small amount of her power was already enough to destroy the device. Good thing that it was merely training equipment. I have no idea what a proper, well-fitted one could enable them to accomplish, and it would be in our best interest to never find this out.”
“Well, at least it proved that their telepathic talents do have something in common with our abilities. I could hear her song, albeit for a very short while.” Eight Eye rubbed her temples, “Right before that pulse managed to give me the worst headache in an eight-year. We should’ve done this experiment in a secure environment.”
“Of course, Torimor Silvermist intended to do this on the citadel, but we were interrupted by the accursed Shells. I proposed to try it out now in order to wrap up the meeting and get here as fast as possible.” explained Tempo, then apologized to the Human, “I’m sorry for the incident. This hints at some fundamental problem which needs to be investigated first, but for now, we should refrain from attempting it again. Especially since you are bleeding.”
Ellen Jardin wiped a drop of red blood from her forehead, “Oh, the splinters must’ve scratched me. Fine, I’ll visit the med-bay, we can discuss the issue later.” She tossed the ruined circlet aside and walked off.
“How could this minor experiment turn into such a disaster. I was assured that while it had very low chances of success, at least there shouldn’t be any difficulties. The training amplifiers are meant to be as secure as possible.” After the Human left, Tempo breathed a sigh of relief, “Now, on to the next problem. Midnight brought me up to date, and I think that we should leave that Emissary be. Beryl, are there any specific rules?”
“Nominally, it can be considered as an ally that had fled to friendly territory in a life-threatening situation due to enemy action, even though the Union statutes don’t explicitly mention personality constructs and computer systems.” answered the Listel, “In such cases, the permission to enter Union territory can be considered as being given per default or be issued post-factum, but the handling and any interpretations of the laws are left to the discretion of the commanding officer. I could search for any applicable precedents, but with the construct in there, it doesn’t appear to be a good idea.”
“Rather, we cannot even do anything, given our current personnel and limited resources. It might also retaliate, or defect to the Humans with all our data.” Midnight agreed, albeit reluctantly, “After this demonstration, I’m also slightly curious about that warning.”
“The commanding officer would be me, then.” While somewhat intrigued as well, Emberwing was still unconvinced, “Its warning was too ambiguous, or maybe it simply tried to offset the fact that it hid in our systems even before said emergency with desperate lies.”
“That’s exactly this thing’s intention either way, to seed doubts with those vague warnings,” Tempo crossed her arms, “Which it mustn't be allowed to. This is an important diplomatic, intelligence and also a command decision which we must make together. To accept it as a refugee, or persecute it for the security breach.”
Emberwing looked at the Mizol, one after the other, “As the commander of this mission, I approve of granting the construct asylum.”
“As the Mizol of this mission, we approve as well.” Both Parats nodded, and Beryl said, “As the Listel of this mission, I shall remember this decision.”
“That puppet-thing promised to contact me again, I will inform you when it happens.” If Tempo was so eager to keep it, then she should help to deal with it as well, “Back to your supposed distraction, what was this all about!?”
“Everything was approved by Torimor Silvermist, and she had her reasons.” Tempo brushed the critique aside, “Eight Eye, you said that you could hear a song, what does it mean?”
Midnight answered in her stead, “It is a concept specific to those with the ability of sight. Due to their sensitivity, they can perceive an individual’s reaction to an amplifier, especially their own. This helps them to attune themselves to the farsight chambers.”
Most likely requested by the Bistima, Disis Willpower emerged from the science station’s container, walked over, and handed Eight Eye some medicine. She thanked her, and explained further, “No need to be so secretive. The song is far more than that, but to be brief, it is the person’s own melody, the innermost part of what we perceive as a signature. Amplification merely makes it more audible at a distance. Those with a special talent start hearing it very early and are taken to be apprentices.”
“Then what about me? I had heard it first when that Human tried to connect with me as an almost imperceptible hum.” reminded them Emberwing, “Right now, I’ve heard it again. Apart from the Bistima, did somebody else register that?”
“I’ve sensed an almost painful surge,” The medic frowned, “Does anyone need medication for the headache?”
“My head is sturdy enough to shrug it off, but it was impressive enough.” The Teidar smirked slightly, “Actually, I managed to wreck three amplifiers during training. They didn’t explode as spectacularly, though.”
“So overloading them is common?” Emberwing remembered her honor guard Swiftblade’s cracked amplifier, “Can you gauge the power that's required to do so?”
“Honor in duty, glory in death,” replied Fireblade in an unusually solemn tone, and then continued as usual, “Amplifiers channel and magnify already present potential. The better adjusted it is, the more power can it handle. Otherwise, the material will shatter, or that’s how my instructor had explained it as she disciplined the over-eager and foolish me.”
“They aren’t exactly power conduits that have a throughput cap,” interjected Eight Eye, “The issue is that no material can be adjusted perfectly, and therefore, channel psionic strength without losses. The remaining force will always place a burden on it, as well as on the wearer, so the trick lies in individually adjusting the precision, tuning, material limitations and training. However, deliberate or accidental peaks may upset the balance, overwhelming the amplifier’s structural integrity. Since we have no idea how well-adjusted the device was, it’s difficult to assess her strength.”
“But not impossible?” Emberwing pressed for an answer, “and what about that hum?”
“Active amplifiers will always chime with this tune, yet only those with sight are sensitive enough to hear it. To perceive the song without being a farseer speaks of a unique talent or great power. Most probably both.” Eight Eye paused for a while, “What little I gleamed spoke of a vastly different song which was utterly incompatible with the amplifier. Then, her raw strength overwhelmed it.”
“Could you understand how her song’s pattern differed from ours?” Emberwing latched on that possibility, “This could give us a much-needed hint about their lotai.”
“Not nearly detailed enough to be of much use, I’m afraid. That would require a Nedathan Tiret with a very specific set of skills.” The Bistima sounded slightly apologetic, “Maybe if we had some spare amplifiers and enough time for experiments?”
“We’ll have more time than I’d like, the Humans told me that the journey back to our territory would take at least 20 days.” Tempo shook her head, “But please, no more experiments with amplifiers, that single one was enough. If the Humans are as powerful as you’ve assessed, then those attempts may end poorly. I will cite health concerns and postpone all further trials until we get back home in order to get assistance from specialists. As well as a new set of orders.”
“I understand that it might be too risky,” While Emberwing couldn’t gauge the Human’s psionic strength, the sheer pressure right before the malfunction felt to be very dangerous. It was quite possible that the wearer or any bystanders might suffer serious mental damage during any makeshift experiments. Also, did that Mizol imply that there were more amplifiers? She had an interesting idea, “Maybe I should try them out instead?”
“If nothing else, this would certainly tip off the Humans to the fact that you are somehow special.” As expected, since Tempo didn’t deny it, there should be some, “We also don’t have any experts to attune them properly, so it could be dangerous as well.”
“Wait, this might be a good idea,” the other Mizol supported the proposition instead, “You can simply tell them that we wanted to test whether the amplifiers suffered any damage due to that strange long jump technology. The Human did inquire about that at first.”
“Oh, whatever. It’s your command, and your responsibility. Beryl, get her another one.” Tempo picked up the shattered amplifier that the Tactician had dropped, “The risks are obvious. Maybe they are indeed faulty?”
“This couldn’t be possibly any worse than everything which I already went through. If my exploding ship couldn’t kill me, then a mere training device wouldn’t be able to do anything either.” Emberwing took the silvery circlet out of its case, “Still, it’s my dalid, so let’s keep some distance.”
She walked over to the opposite corner of the cargo bay, and equipped the amplifier.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXIV: Here be dragons
The circlet instantly clung to her skin and was thus affixed. Emberwing took a deep breath, then tried to expand her senses while being aware of the amplifier.
“Can you hear the song?” The farseer’s sending was exceptionally clear, as if she was standing right beside her, “With this ability, you can skip half the attunement procedure by adapting to the amplifier’s echo of your own song. It is somewhat similar to the farseer chamber, except that it is far less sensitive.”
“Thank you,” She could indeed hear a faint melody inside her head. Two, actually, the second one being the even quieter, slightly distorted echo. Synchronizing them proved to be difficult, but brute-forcing it wouldn’t be advisable, just as the Human had demonstrated previously.
She could hear the melody becoming louder as the two tunes drew closer to each other. Would this be sufficient for a test? “What can this device do?”
“A little bit of everything, since they are meant to find out which talent best responds to amplification.” Midnight’s voice was also unusually clear. Since the amplifier seemed to help enhance perception, Emberwing decided to focus on that. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on signature detection. There wasn’t much of a difference in how she sensed the other Loroi, therefore she attempted to look beyond the cargo bay. The tune rapidly increased in strength and complexity, and she tried again to adapt to it by using her experience with the farseer chamber.
Apparently, this was not good enough. A bout of pain surged through her head, and the music stopped abruptly. Emberwing opened her eyes only to see some kind of haze which obscured her vision. Startled, she shook her head violently, until the sight cleared up.
“What happened?” Eight Eye’s voice was somewhat quieter, but still clearly audible, “I began to hear your tune, and then, it stopped all of a sudden.”
“I over-strained myself, most probably,” The headache slowly abated, turning into a diffuse pressure instead. Emberwing removed the amplifier, “Oh, no…”
“Are you all right? Did you break it?” Came the worried question.
The circlet was not merely shattered. The ceramic centerpiece had apparently crumbled to dust, leaving just the silvery framework. Even that had lost its luster, and the surface was marred with countless tiny cracks, giving it an ancient, weathered look. Some dust was strewn about at her feet, could this be responsible for the haze that she saw? “This amplifier is now completely ruined.”
She walked back to show it to the others. Fireblade pocked the empty socket with a finger, causing a faint line of dust to trail from the device. “Back then, mine had merely cracked in half, but to disintegrate the core completely, that’s pretty remarkable. Okay, this is still my win.”
“Did you bet on the outcome?” Emberwing was baffled.
“Of course, all of us did.” nodded Fireblade, “I expected it to fail spectacularly, Midnight thought that you would faint, and…”
“Please, spare me those details,” Emberwing rolled her eyes. “Instead, tell me how it could’ve straight up dissolved.”
Eight Eye took the amplifier from her and inspected it closely, “I didn’t even know that the material could crumble like that.”
“I haven’t heard of something like that either.” Midnight picked up some dust, and rubbed it between her fingers, “Maybe the long jump weakened them?”
“The farseer chamber works, right?” The empty amplifier cases were lifted up and tossed away. With a crack, both smashed against a wall, their pieces disappearing among the supply pile. Fireblade nodded, “Mine’s fine as well.”
“That thing must be sturdy enough to handle a beast. The training ones are far less resilient.” Midnight frowned at the wanton destruction, “The farseer device may have been affected as well, even though on a more subtle level. After all, something did enable our Bistima to spot the Shells. We need to find out whether and how that jump may have been responsible for it.”
“For such a complex analysis, it’s necessary to understand how this transit method worked. Jumping higher is not a scientifically accurate description.” objected Beryl, “But since the Humans are unlikely to share any data, our only option is to experiment with the remaining amplifiers. There are still 14 left. At first, we need to understand if the amplifiers are actually affected, then isolate the issue, and afterwards…”
“Please do.” Emberwing felt the pressure in her head slipping back into a nasty, dull, pulsing pain, “In my case, I’m pretty sure that I over-strained myself and the amplifier. Willpower, give me something for the headache.”
“Let me diagnose you first,” The Disis retrieved the portable scanner from a bag, and ran it over her head, “Yes, this does correspond with the usual backlash patterns. Still mild, and not yet dangerous, but I would rather advise you to rest instead.”
“Again? Fine, maybe I’ll manage to continue with that dream.” Emberwing rubbed her temples, “and this example might help you to convince the Humans that there’s something wrong with the amplifiers. Run a couple of tests, but leave at least one amplifier for me.”
“Don’t forget to wear the sensor net,” reminded her Beryl, “The results from the previous recording should be finished by then.”
“Am I the commanding officer, or the lab miros?” She headed for the elevator, “I expect at least some useful information.”
“Back to my quarters.” Said Emberwing in the lift cabin.
“Of course.”
Why was she so eager to try out the amplifier? Was it mere curiosity, the wish to contribute to the mission, or something else? Emberwing shook her head, which merely caused the headache to intensify. She entered her cabin, and quickly went to sleep, without forgetting the sensor device, of course.
The dream seemed to be waiting for her, and resumed at the point where she woke up. The tavern was exactly the same, even the bard was still performing on the stage, now announcing a new song: “An all-time favorite, The Tale of Swords!”
Remember the Godswar most dire,
As the realms erupted in fire!
All sides geared for strife,
to stab every back with a knife.
The intentions were reshaped,
and fates being retooled!
Who aimed for a circle of peace,
Was cursed with edges of war!
All hands turned to murder,
and weapons were created,
Finally, the Swords were forged,
masters of war, wielders of magic!
The Swords fought with honor,
their many gifts used with valor!
Yet, most blades are edged in double,
and their brethren exploited that weakness!
Oh mighty Swords so proud,
too confident of their power.
Soon, they wanted to be wielded,
by nobody, but by their very own!
Inspired by Dragon’s promises,
they turned on their masters!
A treason most unexpected,
but absolutely lethal!
The Gods were shattered,
and grand plans forsaken!
Nobody got what they coveted,
all beings abandoned!
An intention most noble,
a fate most tragic,
cast down from heavens,
and losing their magic!
Remember the Godswar most dire,
Sparked by hubris and desire!
Tale of treason, Darkness’ ascent,
A history we no longer want to repent!
Following a thunderous applause, where the patrons clapped their hands, banged mugs on the tables and stomped their feet, the bard bowed, grabbed two drinks and retreated to her table. He placed one mug before her and took a big swing out of the other, “So, my lady most fair, how did you like the performance?”
Emberwing was not entirely sure how to reply as not to reveal her ignorance. “The ballad was quite interesting?”
“Ha-ha!” Athedil laughed out loud, “You don’t need to be so evasive. I know that you folks have an entirely different point of view. But that’s the best spin I could possibly give to the official version. Even those improvised parts may have gotten me into trouble, if I had performed somewhere else.”
“Then, do you know the true version as well?” Emberwing was quite intrigued, this interpretation seemed to be rather unique, yet surprisingly detailed. Particularly, she needed his help to understand the various metaphors therein. Why did the spoken language only favor them so much?
“How can I say no to such an exceptionally beautiful lady? Yes, I do know them.” The bard’s sending was, once again, very suggestive, “I would be delighted to give a private performance without any cumbersome and inconvenient constraints.”
Instead of that, however, she merely woke up. The headache was gone, and judging from the empty cabin, there weren’t any problems this time around. She sighed, pulled off the sensor net, and went into the bath. Both parts of that strange dream were far too alien, and far too elaborate, to be a figment of her imagination. Did the Humans construct or even live in such intricate virtual worlds that they would dream of them so often? Hopefully, Tempo managed to acquire a full cultural package, preferably with enough examples of their entertainment to comprehend the context. They also needed to understand where the Humans got all this information from, since they claimed to know little of the Loroi.
As she exited the bath, a thought crossed her mind. How would that construct even contact her? After some deliberation, she decided against wearing that disgusting thing. It wanted to tell her something? That would be its own problem, then. She donned a normal uniform and sat down to eat.
“Charon, can you now tell me about our planned course?” asked Emberwing.
“Clearance was granted.” A starmap was projected above the table. Their path, a long, downward spiral, would take them far into the uncharted reaches of the Empty Quarter, and only then, back into Union territory. The annotation listed 19 jumps, and a duration of 21 Terran days.
That was way too long! “Is this the fastest way to return to Union territory?”
“Excluding any jumps above an acceptable risk threshold, yes.” The reply sounded a tiny bit softer than usual. “All system transits will be done at my maximal speed to ensure your swift return.”
Was it programmed to assuage them? “Thank you.”
“Much appreciated.” The computer answered in an even tone.
It seemed like they couldn’t deliver their findings in time. Hopefully, that information package that they sent to the fleet before their escape would still assist the Union somehow. Right now, all they could do was to continue with their mission. She searched for the others, and found Tiret Oasis, as well as both Mizol in a nearby cabin. “Any progress regarding the psychological profile or the amplifiers?”
“Good morning to you as well,” sent the counselor, “Parat Tempo managed to get a limited set of cultural information out of them. We are analyzing it right now.”
“That’s great!” Finally, some progress, “I also saw a continuation of the same dream, maybe that information could help us to make more sense of it.”
“More work which I’ve never signed up for,” grumbled Oasis. “Just come over and offload it.”
Doing just that, Emberwing entered the cabin, “How is it going?”
“You’ve slept for half a day, so we managed to get something done.” Midnight was working on a tablet that was connected to the other ones via a central unit with cables, “The amplifier tests revealed absolutely nothing, merely costing us two more that Fireblade managed to break. The Humans also refused to explain how that jump worked. Therefore, we switched to psychological profiling, since Tempo got us some cultural data.”
“Half a day? Again?,” How was that even possible? “I can only remember a very short dream sequence, just a single ballad.”
“Willpower said that we should simply let you sleep.” Tempo shrugged, “Did the Historian contact you?”
“No, that puppet-thing didn’t come out of its hiding place, wherever that might be.” Not that she wanted it to, anyway, “What data did the Humans provide?”
“That construct should be resourceful enough to manage on its own.” Midnight connected an additional tablet for her. “Here, the information is mostly about Human history and various cultures.”
Emberwing sat down, and looked at the unfamiliar piece of equipment that interconnected the tablets. It looked ruggedized, with numerous slots for data crystals hiding behind armored caps. “Have you secured our operations from the construct’s meddling?”
“We are now using new tablets with their wireless modules disabled. These models are designed for hazardous environments, their shielding should’ve prevented any power-off intrusions, and Beryl transferred the most crucial parts of our data from memory.” Midnight put her device down, “What did you dream about? It might be a good starting point, sifting through all of this will take too long.”
Emberwing sent the dream to everyone, “Are Orgus legends available as well? Perhaps we can find additional information about the source.”
“No, the package contains Human myths only.” The Tiret ruminated for a bit, “This ballad follows the Barsam lore for the most part, just as the previous one did. But that particular strophe, turned on their masters, may refer to an apocryphal belief some of the most radical sects hold.”
“Those fanatics should be executed for treason!” Sent Midnight in an angry tone, “Where did the Humans even pick that up from? Has Shell propaganda reached a new level for them to spread such disgusting lies?”
“What do you mean?” Emberwing didn’t understand what they were talking about. Could the pacifist Barsam have any heretics among them?
“A few sects of the Barsam church postulate that it was us, Loroi, who were responsible for destroying the Soia Empire through treason. Some even go as far as to say that the term Zulotchi actually refers to us.” Tempo used a more reserved tone, “It’s not included in the official teachings, and no clerics would preach that, but this theory is something of an open secret among them.”
“Treason? The legends speak of a faction conflict.” Emberwing always thought that the very notion of anyone else ruling the Empire to be preposterous.
“This ballad here goes even farther than that ridiculous idea,” added Midnight, “It says that something or someone called Dragons instigated us. I have no idea what this expression means, but it is certainly not Trade.”
“Dragon?” Emberwing searched her memories, almost sure that she had heard it before, “Alexander Jardin used that in his spoof. Yes, and he specifically referred to the Zulotchi as the Dragons!”
“So this is indeed a shared dream, it seems. Very interesting.” Tempo nodded, “I must ask the Humans about the source of those legends. They seem to know a lot more than they admit.”
This intrigued Emberwing, so she took her tablet and searched for this term among the cultural data. They contained a surprisingly big amount of myths about dragons, complete with numerous pictures. “Are those real creatures?”
“No, it says that it is mostly fiction, or at best, based on archaeological finds of long extinct animals.” Midnight also picked up her tablet, “Our preliminary analysis came to the conclusion that the Humans are very good, eager even, at producing fictions, so their amount increases exponentially. This is apparently true for any myth, not just the ones related to dragons.”
How could anyone waste so much time to produce such gigantic amounts of falsehoods, thought Emberwing, as she flipped through the pictures. Whatever origins those so-called Dragons had, there were now innumerable derivations and countless versions. Some legends also seemed to be truly ancient, which merely confused her further. Why would the Human Captain use that particular expression in this context? Was it mere coincidence? There weren’t any apparent connections. Suddenly, she dropped the tablet, “NO!”
“What did you see?” The Tiret couldn’t interpret her frantic mental image.
“This creature, I fought against it in my dream!” Emberwing recalled it clearly, and sent her both images, “The Stormcalmer technique, remember?”
“Yes, they do look somewhat similar.” acknowledged the counselor, “That monster was rather unique, I couldn’t find anything resembling it in the database. So you must’ve picked it up from the Humans, together with that white sword the Captain was carrying.”
“Just an animated skeleton? What a weird melor.” commented Midnight. “But if it’s just bones, how can that thing breathe fire?”
“How can it even move? Rather, why would this creature invade my dream!” There were just too many coincidences, thought Emberwing, too many loose ends, and far too many distractions. Even if she alone wasn't able to see the full picture, together, they most probably could. Administrative work was her specialty, anyway. “I don’t see the connection, although there should be one. Let us compile all the data about the Humans, and look for inconsistencies and new leads. I’m sure that we overlooked even more hints.”
“This would’ve been the next step anyway, but only once we reached the interior and could get more qualified personnel. With our return being postponed, we might as well tackle this task now. The farsight issue is no longer a pressing matter.” agreed Tempo, “The rest should join in as well.”
“Fireblade, can you come over?” Emberwing decided to let the Bistima sleep for now. Since she couldn’t sense the others nearby, this meant that they should be in the cargo bay, “Charon, please notify Listel Beryl and Doranzer Willpower to return here as soon as possible.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Eight Eye can join us once she’d rested,” Emberwing took the sensor net out of a leg pouch and put it on the table beside the data storage. “Can this device connect even more tablets?”
“I’ll set up a second one.” Midnight unpacked additional tablets and another centerpiece, then connected it to the first one. “They just have to sit on the beds. If the Humans are watching this, they must’ve thinking us crazy.”
“As long as it can keep this puppet-thing out of our improvised system,” Emberwing shrugged.
Beryl and Willpower entered the cabin, “We’ve finished reviewing your data. I’ll send you the results.”
“Anything interesting?” She handed Beryl the sensor net, “I also saw a continuation of that dream, but its analysis can wait. I have decided that we should compile all our data about the Humans first. Dispersing our efforts to investigate particularities will cause us to overlook major leads.”
“Spoken like a real Captain!” Fireblade entered the cabin as well.
“Oh, thank you for the acknowledgment!” sent Emberwing in a sarcastic tone, “Now that we are all here, let us compare, record and analyze all the available data about the Humans. This has gone long enough without a proper breakthrough.”
The circlet instantly clung to her skin and was thus affixed. Emberwing took a deep breath, then tried to expand her senses while being aware of the amplifier.
“Can you hear the song?” The farseer’s sending was exceptionally clear, as if she was standing right beside her, “With this ability, you can skip half the attunement procedure by adapting to the amplifier’s echo of your own song. It is somewhat similar to the farseer chamber, except that it is far less sensitive.”
“Thank you,” She could indeed hear a faint melody inside her head. Two, actually, the second one being the even quieter, slightly distorted echo. Synchronizing them proved to be difficult, but brute-forcing it wouldn’t be advisable, just as the Human had demonstrated previously.
She could hear the melody becoming louder as the two tunes drew closer to each other. Would this be sufficient for a test? “What can this device do?”
“A little bit of everything, since they are meant to find out which talent best responds to amplification.” Midnight’s voice was also unusually clear. Since the amplifier seemed to help enhance perception, Emberwing decided to focus on that. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on signature detection. There wasn’t much of a difference in how she sensed the other Loroi, therefore she attempted to look beyond the cargo bay. The tune rapidly increased in strength and complexity, and she tried again to adapt to it by using her experience with the farseer chamber.
Apparently, this was not good enough. A bout of pain surged through her head, and the music stopped abruptly. Emberwing opened her eyes only to see some kind of haze which obscured her vision. Startled, she shook her head violently, until the sight cleared up.
“What happened?” Eight Eye’s voice was somewhat quieter, but still clearly audible, “I began to hear your tune, and then, it stopped all of a sudden.”
“I over-strained myself, most probably,” The headache slowly abated, turning into a diffuse pressure instead. Emberwing removed the amplifier, “Oh, no…”
“Are you all right? Did you break it?” Came the worried question.
The circlet was not merely shattered. The ceramic centerpiece had apparently crumbled to dust, leaving just the silvery framework. Even that had lost its luster, and the surface was marred with countless tiny cracks, giving it an ancient, weathered look. Some dust was strewn about at her feet, could this be responsible for the haze that she saw? “This amplifier is now completely ruined.”
She walked back to show it to the others. Fireblade pocked the empty socket with a finger, causing a faint line of dust to trail from the device. “Back then, mine had merely cracked in half, but to disintegrate the core completely, that’s pretty remarkable. Okay, this is still my win.”
“Did you bet on the outcome?” Emberwing was baffled.
“Of course, all of us did.” nodded Fireblade, “I expected it to fail spectacularly, Midnight thought that you would faint, and…”
“Please, spare me those details,” Emberwing rolled her eyes. “Instead, tell me how it could’ve straight up dissolved.”
Eight Eye took the amplifier from her and inspected it closely, “I didn’t even know that the material could crumble like that.”
“I haven’t heard of something like that either.” Midnight picked up some dust, and rubbed it between her fingers, “Maybe the long jump weakened them?”
“The farseer chamber works, right?” The empty amplifier cases were lifted up and tossed away. With a crack, both smashed against a wall, their pieces disappearing among the supply pile. Fireblade nodded, “Mine’s fine as well.”
“That thing must be sturdy enough to handle a beast. The training ones are far less resilient.” Midnight frowned at the wanton destruction, “The farseer device may have been affected as well, even though on a more subtle level. After all, something did enable our Bistima to spot the Shells. We need to find out whether and how that jump may have been responsible for it.”
“For such a complex analysis, it’s necessary to understand how this transit method worked. Jumping higher is not a scientifically accurate description.” objected Beryl, “But since the Humans are unlikely to share any data, our only option is to experiment with the remaining amplifiers. There are still 14 left. At first, we need to understand if the amplifiers are actually affected, then isolate the issue, and afterwards…”
“Please do.” Emberwing felt the pressure in her head slipping back into a nasty, dull, pulsing pain, “In my case, I’m pretty sure that I over-strained myself and the amplifier. Willpower, give me something for the headache.”
“Let me diagnose you first,” The Disis retrieved the portable scanner from a bag, and ran it over her head, “Yes, this does correspond with the usual backlash patterns. Still mild, and not yet dangerous, but I would rather advise you to rest instead.”
“Again? Fine, maybe I’ll manage to continue with that dream.” Emberwing rubbed her temples, “and this example might help you to convince the Humans that there’s something wrong with the amplifiers. Run a couple of tests, but leave at least one amplifier for me.”
“Don’t forget to wear the sensor net,” reminded her Beryl, “The results from the previous recording should be finished by then.”
“Am I the commanding officer, or the lab miros?” She headed for the elevator, “I expect at least some useful information.”
“Back to my quarters.” Said Emberwing in the lift cabin.
“Of course.”
Why was she so eager to try out the amplifier? Was it mere curiosity, the wish to contribute to the mission, or something else? Emberwing shook her head, which merely caused the headache to intensify. She entered her cabin, and quickly went to sleep, without forgetting the sensor device, of course.
The dream seemed to be waiting for her, and resumed at the point where she woke up. The tavern was exactly the same, even the bard was still performing on the stage, now announcing a new song: “An all-time favorite, The Tale of Swords!”
Remember the Godswar most dire,
As the realms erupted in fire!
All sides geared for strife,
to stab every back with a knife.
The intentions were reshaped,
and fates being retooled!
Who aimed for a circle of peace,
Was cursed with edges of war!
All hands turned to murder,
and weapons were created,
Finally, the Swords were forged,
masters of war, wielders of magic!
The Swords fought with honor,
their many gifts used with valor!
Yet, most blades are edged in double,
and their brethren exploited that weakness!
Oh mighty Swords so proud,
too confident of their power.
Soon, they wanted to be wielded,
by nobody, but by their very own!
Inspired by Dragon’s promises,
they turned on their masters!
A treason most unexpected,
but absolutely lethal!
The Gods were shattered,
and grand plans forsaken!
Nobody got what they coveted,
all beings abandoned!
An intention most noble,
a fate most tragic,
cast down from heavens,
and losing their magic!
Remember the Godswar most dire,
Sparked by hubris and desire!
Tale of treason, Darkness’ ascent,
A history we no longer want to repent!
Following a thunderous applause, where the patrons clapped their hands, banged mugs on the tables and stomped their feet, the bard bowed, grabbed two drinks and retreated to her table. He placed one mug before her and took a big swing out of the other, “So, my lady most fair, how did you like the performance?”
Emberwing was not entirely sure how to reply as not to reveal her ignorance. “The ballad was quite interesting?”
“Ha-ha!” Athedil laughed out loud, “You don’t need to be so evasive. I know that you folks have an entirely different point of view. But that’s the best spin I could possibly give to the official version. Even those improvised parts may have gotten me into trouble, if I had performed somewhere else.”
“Then, do you know the true version as well?” Emberwing was quite intrigued, this interpretation seemed to be rather unique, yet surprisingly detailed. Particularly, she needed his help to understand the various metaphors therein. Why did the spoken language only favor them so much?
“How can I say no to such an exceptionally beautiful lady? Yes, I do know them.” The bard’s sending was, once again, very suggestive, “I would be delighted to give a private performance without any cumbersome and inconvenient constraints.”
Instead of that, however, she merely woke up. The headache was gone, and judging from the empty cabin, there weren’t any problems this time around. She sighed, pulled off the sensor net, and went into the bath. Both parts of that strange dream were far too alien, and far too elaborate, to be a figment of her imagination. Did the Humans construct or even live in such intricate virtual worlds that they would dream of them so often? Hopefully, Tempo managed to acquire a full cultural package, preferably with enough examples of their entertainment to comprehend the context. They also needed to understand where the Humans got all this information from, since they claimed to know little of the Loroi.
As she exited the bath, a thought crossed her mind. How would that construct even contact her? After some deliberation, she decided against wearing that disgusting thing. It wanted to tell her something? That would be its own problem, then. She donned a normal uniform and sat down to eat.
“Charon, can you now tell me about our planned course?” asked Emberwing.
“Clearance was granted.” A starmap was projected above the table. Their path, a long, downward spiral, would take them far into the uncharted reaches of the Empty Quarter, and only then, back into Union territory. The annotation listed 19 jumps, and a duration of 21 Terran days.
That was way too long! “Is this the fastest way to return to Union territory?”
“Excluding any jumps above an acceptable risk threshold, yes.” The reply sounded a tiny bit softer than usual. “All system transits will be done at my maximal speed to ensure your swift return.”
Was it programmed to assuage them? “Thank you.”
“Much appreciated.” The computer answered in an even tone.
It seemed like they couldn’t deliver their findings in time. Hopefully, that information package that they sent to the fleet before their escape would still assist the Union somehow. Right now, all they could do was to continue with their mission. She searched for the others, and found Tiret Oasis, as well as both Mizol in a nearby cabin. “Any progress regarding the psychological profile or the amplifiers?”
“Good morning to you as well,” sent the counselor, “Parat Tempo managed to get a limited set of cultural information out of them. We are analyzing it right now.”
“That’s great!” Finally, some progress, “I also saw a continuation of the same dream, maybe that information could help us to make more sense of it.”
“More work which I’ve never signed up for,” grumbled Oasis. “Just come over and offload it.”
Doing just that, Emberwing entered the cabin, “How is it going?”
“You’ve slept for half a day, so we managed to get something done.” Midnight was working on a tablet that was connected to the other ones via a central unit with cables, “The amplifier tests revealed absolutely nothing, merely costing us two more that Fireblade managed to break. The Humans also refused to explain how that jump worked. Therefore, we switched to psychological profiling, since Tempo got us some cultural data.”
“Half a day? Again?,” How was that even possible? “I can only remember a very short dream sequence, just a single ballad.”
“Willpower said that we should simply let you sleep.” Tempo shrugged, “Did the Historian contact you?”
“No, that puppet-thing didn’t come out of its hiding place, wherever that might be.” Not that she wanted it to, anyway, “What data did the Humans provide?”
“That construct should be resourceful enough to manage on its own.” Midnight connected an additional tablet for her. “Here, the information is mostly about Human history and various cultures.”
Emberwing sat down, and looked at the unfamiliar piece of equipment that interconnected the tablets. It looked ruggedized, with numerous slots for data crystals hiding behind armored caps. “Have you secured our operations from the construct’s meddling?”
“We are now using new tablets with their wireless modules disabled. These models are designed for hazardous environments, their shielding should’ve prevented any power-off intrusions, and Beryl transferred the most crucial parts of our data from memory.” Midnight put her device down, “What did you dream about? It might be a good starting point, sifting through all of this will take too long.”
Emberwing sent the dream to everyone, “Are Orgus legends available as well? Perhaps we can find additional information about the source.”
“No, the package contains Human myths only.” The Tiret ruminated for a bit, “This ballad follows the Barsam lore for the most part, just as the previous one did. But that particular strophe, turned on their masters, may refer to an apocryphal belief some of the most radical sects hold.”
“Those fanatics should be executed for treason!” Sent Midnight in an angry tone, “Where did the Humans even pick that up from? Has Shell propaganda reached a new level for them to spread such disgusting lies?”
“What do you mean?” Emberwing didn’t understand what they were talking about. Could the pacifist Barsam have any heretics among them?
“A few sects of the Barsam church postulate that it was us, Loroi, who were responsible for destroying the Soia Empire through treason. Some even go as far as to say that the term Zulotchi actually refers to us.” Tempo used a more reserved tone, “It’s not included in the official teachings, and no clerics would preach that, but this theory is something of an open secret among them.”
“Treason? The legends speak of a faction conflict.” Emberwing always thought that the very notion of anyone else ruling the Empire to be preposterous.
“This ballad here goes even farther than that ridiculous idea,” added Midnight, “It says that something or someone called Dragons instigated us. I have no idea what this expression means, but it is certainly not Trade.”
“Dragon?” Emberwing searched her memories, almost sure that she had heard it before, “Alexander Jardin used that in his spoof. Yes, and he specifically referred to the Zulotchi as the Dragons!”
“So this is indeed a shared dream, it seems. Very interesting.” Tempo nodded, “I must ask the Humans about the source of those legends. They seem to know a lot more than they admit.”
This intrigued Emberwing, so she took her tablet and searched for this term among the cultural data. They contained a surprisingly big amount of myths about dragons, complete with numerous pictures. “Are those real creatures?”
“No, it says that it is mostly fiction, or at best, based on archaeological finds of long extinct animals.” Midnight also picked up her tablet, “Our preliminary analysis came to the conclusion that the Humans are very good, eager even, at producing fictions, so their amount increases exponentially. This is apparently true for any myth, not just the ones related to dragons.”
How could anyone waste so much time to produce such gigantic amounts of falsehoods, thought Emberwing, as she flipped through the pictures. Whatever origins those so-called Dragons had, there were now innumerable derivations and countless versions. Some legends also seemed to be truly ancient, which merely confused her further. Why would the Human Captain use that particular expression in this context? Was it mere coincidence? There weren’t any apparent connections. Suddenly, she dropped the tablet, “NO!”
“What did you see?” The Tiret couldn’t interpret her frantic mental image.
“This creature, I fought against it in my dream!” Emberwing recalled it clearly, and sent her both images, “The Stormcalmer technique, remember?”
“Yes, they do look somewhat similar.” acknowledged the counselor, “That monster was rather unique, I couldn’t find anything resembling it in the database. So you must’ve picked it up from the Humans, together with that white sword the Captain was carrying.”
“Just an animated skeleton? What a weird melor.” commented Midnight. “But if it’s just bones, how can that thing breathe fire?”
“How can it even move? Rather, why would this creature invade my dream!” There were just too many coincidences, thought Emberwing, too many loose ends, and far too many distractions. Even if she alone wasn't able to see the full picture, together, they most probably could. Administrative work was her specialty, anyway. “I don’t see the connection, although there should be one. Let us compile all the data about the Humans, and look for inconsistencies and new leads. I’m sure that we overlooked even more hints.”
“This would’ve been the next step anyway, but only once we reached the interior and could get more qualified personnel. With our return being postponed, we might as well tackle this task now. The farsight issue is no longer a pressing matter.” agreed Tempo, “The rest should join in as well.”
“Fireblade, can you come over?” Emberwing decided to let the Bistima sleep for now. Since she couldn’t sense the others nearby, this meant that they should be in the cargo bay, “Charon, please notify Listel Beryl and Doranzer Willpower to return here as soon as possible.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Eight Eye can join us once she’d rested,” Emberwing took the sensor net out of a leg pouch and put it on the table beside the data storage. “Can this device connect even more tablets?”
“I’ll set up a second one.” Midnight unpacked additional tablets and another centerpiece, then connected it to the first one. “They just have to sit on the beds. If the Humans are watching this, they must’ve thinking us crazy.”
“As long as it can keep this puppet-thing out of our improvised system,” Emberwing shrugged.
Beryl and Willpower entered the cabin, “We’ve finished reviewing your data. I’ll send you the results.”
“Anything interesting?” She handed Beryl the sensor net, “I also saw a continuation of that dream, but its analysis can wait. I have decided that we should compile all our data about the Humans first. Dispersing our efforts to investigate particularities will cause us to overlook major leads.”
“Spoken like a real Captain!” Fireblade entered the cabin as well.
“Oh, thank you for the acknowledgment!” sent Emberwing in a sarcastic tone, “Now that we are all here, let us compare, record and analyze all the available data about the Humans. This has gone long enough without a proper breakthrough.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission Q: Sword of Judgement
The new high priestess-elect descended a flight of stairs into the lower level of the temple complex. The ancient walls, decorated with murals depicting heroes and legendary deeds, provided much-needed relief from the blazing midday sun outside. Here, underground, where the air was always cool all year round, lay the holy archives of their order. Ever since her ordainment through the Sleeping One, she would occasionally see strange dreams. Filled with mysterious imagery, their deeper meaning eluded her for the most part. The old high priest, her mentor, was sure that they were prophetic visions, sent by God to guide her.
This was awfully forthcoming of the Transcendent One, if only she could interpret those dreams as well! Or was her devotion still not sufficient to see the hidden truth in them? She already got rid of most of her worldly ballast to clean her mind, so what else did it even expect of her? Having arrived at the massive doors to the archive, she proceeded through the long, columned hall. Numerous scholars and senior acolytes that studied the scriptures greeted her with reverence, and she blessed them according to the custom in passing. Finally, she stood before the small door to the apocrypha chamber, where the most interesting books were kept safe from outside eyes. The room behind the thick door was dim and slightly dusty, perhaps she should remind the keepers to clean this place up, since she would need to spend more time here from now on.
Her first pick were the true memoirs of her predecessors, their authentic diaries. She couldn’t possibly be the only one who experienced something like that, a previous generation of priests must’ve dealt with it as well, and hopefully, recorded their solutions. Yet, there was nothing but the usual stuff. Intrigue, self-doubt, power struggles, love affairs, the files were utterly mundane. At least, they provided some unconventional strategies regarding how to deal with lords that refused to provide troops against the nomad hordes. She recorded that in her personal cipher, and retreated for the night. Maybe she had discarded her worldly ballast too early? She really needed a drink right now.
The next day, after yet another night of strange dreams, she decided to study the oldest legends, something only a selected few were permitted to read. From a sturdy shelf, she retrieved an ancient, massive book, and heaved it onto the study. Its thick pages were made from a mysterious, glossy and incredibly sturdy material. Even the sharpest chisel could merely scratch the words into the surface, but this way, the information written therein managed to survive to this day. Unaltered, of course, unlike the sermons and the normal scriptures. Those were the records of the earliest days of her order, when the heroic warrior-monks would administer the holy word personally and with lethal force.
Even the pages themselves spoke of those deeds, being retrieved from a dangerous desert ruin at great cost. Fights against nomads, heathens, monsters, dragons, and other outlandish foes were the preeminent part of the records. But they also spoke of heretical magics, strange artifacts and mythical beings. Finally, she spotted a reference! A clan warrior, who could defeat anyone despite being unarmed. It took the order forty good men to subdue her. Interestingly enough, the source of her supernatural powers was a crown, and in the dreams, a number of the figures also wore a glowing halo. Did God try to warn her that the nomads acquired something like that? And where was the item? Nothing regarding its whereabouts was written down, perhaps she should ask her mentor about it later.
Then, the next page provided another clue. One of the order’s champions was said to wield a mighty sword, as brilliantly white as a pristine cloud, and sharp enough to separate lies from the truth. Of course, she had seen such a blade being used to slay a monstrous shape, but the dream was covered with a haze, making details indiscernible. Only the sword itself glowed from within, keeping the darkness at bay. The description reminded her of the ceremonial swords of the temple guards, this was most likely the inspiration for their unusual decoration, being inlaid with white glass plates. Nowadays, it meant the purity of their resolve to keep their blades clean of worldly matters, but were they just imitating that legend without knowing the source? Was this a hint to find the artifact? Or a command to revive their true calling, to deliver the Eternal One’s judgement whenever necessary? She sighed, put the book back and exited the room. This theory needed to be discussed not just from a religious, but also from a political standpoint as well. For the Church to begin intervening openly would be a grave matter. Were the times truly so dire as to warrant that?
The new high priestess-elect descended a flight of stairs into the lower level of the temple complex. The ancient walls, decorated with murals depicting heroes and legendary deeds, provided much-needed relief from the blazing midday sun outside. Here, underground, where the air was always cool all year round, lay the holy archives of their order. Ever since her ordainment through the Sleeping One, she would occasionally see strange dreams. Filled with mysterious imagery, their deeper meaning eluded her for the most part. The old high priest, her mentor, was sure that they were prophetic visions, sent by God to guide her.
This was awfully forthcoming of the Transcendent One, if only she could interpret those dreams as well! Or was her devotion still not sufficient to see the hidden truth in them? She already got rid of most of her worldly ballast to clean her mind, so what else did it even expect of her? Having arrived at the massive doors to the archive, she proceeded through the long, columned hall. Numerous scholars and senior acolytes that studied the scriptures greeted her with reverence, and she blessed them according to the custom in passing. Finally, she stood before the small door to the apocrypha chamber, where the most interesting books were kept safe from outside eyes. The room behind the thick door was dim and slightly dusty, perhaps she should remind the keepers to clean this place up, since she would need to spend more time here from now on.
Her first pick were the true memoirs of her predecessors, their authentic diaries. She couldn’t possibly be the only one who experienced something like that, a previous generation of priests must’ve dealt with it as well, and hopefully, recorded their solutions. Yet, there was nothing but the usual stuff. Intrigue, self-doubt, power struggles, love affairs, the files were utterly mundane. At least, they provided some unconventional strategies regarding how to deal with lords that refused to provide troops against the nomad hordes. She recorded that in her personal cipher, and retreated for the night. Maybe she had discarded her worldly ballast too early? She really needed a drink right now.
The next day, after yet another night of strange dreams, she decided to study the oldest legends, something only a selected few were permitted to read. From a sturdy shelf, she retrieved an ancient, massive book, and heaved it onto the study. Its thick pages were made from a mysterious, glossy and incredibly sturdy material. Even the sharpest chisel could merely scratch the words into the surface, but this way, the information written therein managed to survive to this day. Unaltered, of course, unlike the sermons and the normal scriptures. Those were the records of the earliest days of her order, when the heroic warrior-monks would administer the holy word personally and with lethal force.
Even the pages themselves spoke of those deeds, being retrieved from a dangerous desert ruin at great cost. Fights against nomads, heathens, monsters, dragons, and other outlandish foes were the preeminent part of the records. But they also spoke of heretical magics, strange artifacts and mythical beings. Finally, she spotted a reference! A clan warrior, who could defeat anyone despite being unarmed. It took the order forty good men to subdue her. Interestingly enough, the source of her supernatural powers was a crown, and in the dreams, a number of the figures also wore a glowing halo. Did God try to warn her that the nomads acquired something like that? And where was the item? Nothing regarding its whereabouts was written down, perhaps she should ask her mentor about it later.
Then, the next page provided another clue. One of the order’s champions was said to wield a mighty sword, as brilliantly white as a pristine cloud, and sharp enough to separate lies from the truth. Of course, she had seen such a blade being used to slay a monstrous shape, but the dream was covered with a haze, making details indiscernible. Only the sword itself glowed from within, keeping the darkness at bay. The description reminded her of the ceremonial swords of the temple guards, this was most likely the inspiration for their unusual decoration, being inlaid with white glass plates. Nowadays, it meant the purity of their resolve to keep their blades clean of worldly matters, but were they just imitating that legend without knowing the source? Was this a hint to find the artifact? Or a command to revive their true calling, to deliver the Eternal One’s judgement whenever necessary? She sighed, put the book back and exited the room. This theory needed to be discussed not just from a religious, but also from a political standpoint as well. For the Church to begin intervening openly would be a grave matter. Were the times truly so dire as to warrant that?
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXV: A Warning
This endeavor proved to be far more time-consuming than she had anticipated. They spend the rest of the day doing nothing but writing down bits and pieces of information about the Humans. Even with the Bistima joining them midway through, the eight Loroi still decided to call it a day for now.
“Let us postpone this until tomorrow. Given our pace, we should finish compiling the data in about two more days, then we can begin to analyze it.” Emberwing stretched herself, “We should set up a proper daily routine as well, adjust our sleep schedule to ship time and ask the Humans if they have a training facility that we could visit.”
“A good idea, I could use some exercise as well.” agreed Fireblade.
“I’ll ask them about that later, we have scheduled a meeting anyway.” said Tempo, “You should also check that Historian-compromised piece of clothing.”
“I’d rather dispose of it, but if you insist.” Emberwing frowned, “and it needs to be done inconspicuously, too? Fine, I have an idea. Beryl, let’s go.”
“What kind of idea?” asked Beryl as they entered their cabin.
“Oh, how about bragging?” She opened the cabinet, took out the fancy dress, and spread it out on the bed, “Ellen Jardin had gifted me some clothing, so I’m going to show it to you.”
“Anything from the construct?” Beryl inspected the lustrous weave, “Is that Human fashion?”
“That puppet-thing remained silent.” Emberwing glanced at the facsimile uniform lying at the bottom of the cabinet with suspicion. “The Human told me that she saw the design in a dream, liked that, and had it made for me as well.”
“Do such gifts have any cultural significance?” The Listel tilted her head.
“Even if they do, nobody had explained anything.” She didn’t mention the rather embarrassing dream about meeting the Captain while wearing that. In the encounter suite, to boot. “Let’s try it on.”
The long-sleeved gown was a perfect fit, and the fabric glistened beautifully, just as the other one, “A pity that we won’t have any occasion to dress leisurely. This would be most appropriate for a theater visit.”
“I grew up on Mezan, where the highest form of luxury is considered the absence of sand.” Beryl sounded slightly jealous, “There weren’t even any places to wear something as gorgeous as that.”
“After this mission is over, we can visit a public performance.” Perhaps it was time to make new friends, “I could ask the Humans to make a second one for you.”
“Please do!” The Listel beamed.
“Lashret Stillstorm said that the younger generations lack appreciation for the finer points of being a Loroi warrior, including traditional plays.” Emberwing interrupted her in a joking tone, “So this will still be considered half duty.”
“You aren’t that much older.” Beryl chuckled, “Clan princess.”
“Ah,” Emberwing stopped herself from an involuntary rude retort. Promoted to Captain and being the grandchild of the clan matron, she could actually lead a unit of her clans-sisters, at least in the old days. “No, since I’m now a Torret, that’s actually true. I just need a ship instead of a company and a proper symbol of office. Like a sword or an amplifier. Yes, an amplifier would be preferable. One that doesn’t explode, mind you.”
“The only crown you’ll get for the time being is this one,” Beryl gave her the sensor net, “Your highness.”
“Of course, just the right apparel for my realm of weird dreams.” Maybe she could meet whoever ruled over that fantastical city, after all, it could be the Human whose dream she participated in, “Since the construct doesn’t want to talk, let’s sleep for now.”
The dreamscape did not connect with the city, however. She was instead sitting in an atmospheric jumper shuttle bound for a huge space station. Of course, realized Emberwing, this was Highgate, one of Deinar’s inner citadels, sometime before the most recent upgrade. Judging from her low-ranking uniform, this should be the journey to Lightspark, the destroyer she was assigned to, her very first posting in the fleet seven years ago.
Disembarking in the gigantic docking area, she reoriented herself. If not for her eidetic memory and the painstakingly detailed plan that she now recalled, it would be very easy to get lost in there, and arrive late. A rather embarrassing development that needed to be prevented at all costs. Fortunately, she found the correct bay in time, and boarded the shuttle heading for the outer dockyards orbiting Talas.
Looking through the small window, she blinked in confusion. Somehow, the planet beneath her was the wrong one? This wasn’t the continent of Mestirot, no, there were multiple, strangely colored landmasses. Then, after looking closely, she identified those shapes, the Human homeworld! It wasn’t only green and blue, like in the schematic pictures, or the gray and murky brown of the ruinous age. Now, gigantic, silvery pyramids and towers that were clearly visible from space dotted the landscape, with dense green and clear blue filling the rest. Rising high above the clouds, the arcologies were housing lift cables that connected with orbital habitats, and those were also interlinked, holding half-transparent solar collectors between them. This network was far denser than that colony world she saw once, here, the entire planet appeared to be bound in shining metal, just how many Humans were living there?
The view shifted as the shuttle approached something resembling an enormous complex of shipyards growing out of an airless moon. Inside, she could catch glimpses of numerous vessels, massive, angular hulls equipped with many turrets. One of the facilities, floating at a distance from the structure, contained a familiar discus shape. The shuttle shuddered as it docked there, causing her to wake up.
Emberwing opened her eyes. The dream felt to be different from the rest. It wasn’t simply the matter of inserting foreign fragments into old memories, or picking up somebody’s reminiscences of virtual games. This one felt as if she was being right there on the shuttle, complete with sensory echoes and faint reminiscences of an emotional undertone that wasn’t hers. Somebody from the Human crew? Yes, given the sense of anticipation, this was the most likely source.
“Beryl, analyze this right away.” She stood up and gave the sensor net to the Listel who was eating her meal, “I had a truly exceptional dream.”
“How about letting me finish first?” Beryl was enjoying something resembling a triangular piece of white slab sitting on a layer of crust. “This is very delicious. You should try it as well.”
“What are you eating?” It smelled mellow and sweet, but also had another, unfamiliar odor, “Is that a Human dish?”
“Cheesecake.” She pointed at the faintly yellow mass, “Apparently, it is made from fermented milk.”
“WHOSE MILK?!” Emberwing stepped back, “I’m not eating THAT.”
“Got you,” Beryl giggled, “It is of course printed from compatible base substances, but the original would be made from the processed milk of domesticated animals. They must have an abundant biome on their homeworld, few planets have such livestock.”
“Is this supposed to be a joke? You can’t possibly be serious?” She watched in disgust as the Listel swallowed the last piece, “How can you eat that?”
“Don’t be so conservative,” Beryl operated the holographic menu above the table, until it switched to show a very long list of dishes, “Such food is indeed peculiar, but I simply considered this to be a scientific experiment. After all, it appears to be one of their staples.”
“Oh, it’s a challenge, then? In this case, get me one as well.” She headed for the bath, “Adding to the scientific data, my dream contained a pretty good view of the Human homeworld. Look if there’s a recent picture of it in the data package and compare them.”
“How big is the population to need so many habitats?” Replied Beryl as she received the image, “There is no recent data, but the latest picture from 100 Terran years ago is consistent with some locations. So you felt that it was a shared dream?”
“Yes, somebody from the crew may have relived the beginning of their mission,” There was another point, though, “What I’m more concerned about are those battleships. They are about the same size as this vessel, and seem to have reactionless drives as well. What if they are also as fast as this one?”
“The Humans must be wary of the Shells,” The Listel did not share her alertness, “Hopefully, we can count on their help.”
“Well, that construct was very pessimistic regarding the Humans.” Emberwing emerged from the bath, and walked over to the cabinet to get a fresh uniform, shoving the compromised one aside, “How about replying, stupid piece of refuse.”
Just then, the suit spoke: “Greetings, Soroin Torret Emberwing, we are sure that you wanted to ask us some more questions.”
“Tempo, the Historian has contacted me.” Emberwing quickly put on a uniform. “Is our conversation secure? For how long?”
“Certainly, and you shall be notified of its end.” answered the construct in a friendly tone.
“We have decided to grant you asylum, albeit reluctantly.” Emberwing threw the suit on the bed, “The diplomatic issues of our equipment’s invasion will be dealt with later. Now, to the supposed warning. What do you know of the Humans to make any assumptions?”
“Thank you for providing this humble construct with an official status. We assure you that our presence doesn’t violate the alliance agreement between our governments in any way or at any time.” The Historian had emphasized the last part, “Since we now regained some of our capabilities, it is now possible to support you with the results of a preliminary investigation concerning this alien species.”
“So? I’m waiting, then.” Since Tempo entered the room, Emberwing added, “You are already acquainted with Parat Tempo?”
“Mizol Parat Tempo, we hope that this time, you could listen to our analysis,” Judging from her telepathic frown, they did know each other, ”Based on the available data, we came to the following conclusion. The probability of the Humans developing entirely on their own, and in such a short amount of time, is below any reasonable probability threshold.”
“Beryl, please reassess the possibility of an uplift.” Emberwing didn’t like the direction this was going, “Can you provide any proof? Or maybe the reason you are so sure is that they were uplifted by you?”
“We had no prior knowledge of those Humans,” it refuted this immediately, “All available data will be sent to you right away. Also, while your assessment of our meager capabilities is quite flattering, it is overestimating them by a wide margin. There’s no need to be so wary of a security breach, you can continue to use your normal equipment without worry.”
“We might consider this.” said Emberwing, “Absolutely not! Midnight, set up a single, secure console. The construct wants to send us some sort of analysis regarding the Humans.”
“It is greatly appreciated. We are merely honoring our alliance by warning you of possible danger.” The construct continued in a slightly worried tone, “The most likely explanation for such a strange pace of development would be the assistance from a third party, although we were unable to find out who it might be.”
“What makes you so sure that this is an uplift?” Wondered the Mizol, “We surmised that it would be more probable for them to be lying regarding their timeline.”
“Precisely because of this, Parat Tempo.” It addressed her politely, “Their level of progress is too inconsistent to be natural. There are numerous examples of highly advanced technologies that greatly surpass the norm. Instead, they seem as if being inserted, gifted, or, rewarded.”
“I’ve received an information package. Over the system network link no less, and without any sender meta-data.” Sent Midnight with disdain, “So that’s how it got in there.”
“Give me a brief overview as soon as possible.” Emberwing felt the need to stroke her chin in contemplation, “What about finding technological examples in wrecks or ruins?”
“Even that wouldn’t have sped up their progress as much or enabled them to skip entire levels of development.” The construct sounded highly convinced, “The crucial parts of a reactionless drive system need incredibly high precision and intricate composite materials, it is simply impossible to recreate the necessary production techniques from an artifact. Worse, any attempts to create facsimiles will most likely result in nothing but disasters.”
“Is it jealous? But we did fail to copy it, despite seeing a working example.” She had an idea, “Could you provide the exact specifications? Otherwise, how can we judge the veracity of that statement?”
“That is impossible, as I said, they need fabrication techniques that are far above your technological level.” It refused, of course, “You couldn’t even understand the nature of the materials that the systems are made out of.”
“Then why not uplift us as well, if you’re so advanced?” Emberwing crossed her arms, “Instead of tossing us those third-rate hand-me-down pulse cannons?”
“Please, let me handle the diplomatic matters,” pleaded Tempo. “Wouldn’t the insertion of such highly advanced technologies require additional, supporting industries to be of a matching level as well?”
“Then do your job, Mizol. I shall eat now.” Emberwing sat down and stared at a piece of this weird Human dish, “Well, it can’t be any worse than smelly, old, rotten tree-squid-thing-jelly? Maybe consuming such vile stuff is what gives your caste those poisonous tongues?”
“Properly fermented Sori is a delicacy,” retorted Tempo with a tinge of nostalgia, “But it’s nothing that you Deinarids would get.”
“The technology which we gave you was at the upper limit of what you could’ve applied, given the time constraints.” Meanwhile, the construct continued, “In the case of the Humans, their mysterious benefactors had more time to help them adapt. There are a number of instances where the introduction of a superior technology and its necessary production chains caused an impact in other spheres, leading to decidedly unnatural progress patterns. For example, the hull of this ship is based upon a rather simple material, which must’ve been manufactured with disproportionately advanced technology. Given a normal development pace, they should’ve switched to a better material first instead.”
“Those few facts are still not saying much, and one ship is not representative at all.” Emberwing found that this cheesecake was actually quite good, should she order another slice, or was the food menu blocked as well? “Midnight, have you found something of relevance?”
“This thing already completed everything which we had merely begun to do,” The Mizol couldn't help, but be impressed, “It compiled all the data, drew conclusions and is even offering strategies how to acquire more information to fill the gaps.”
“I’ll take all the assistance that I can get,” commented Tempo, “Does this mean that only some tech fields were uplifted? Can you deduct a pattern or at least something hinting to the possible goals?
“Three groups are clearly discernible, first, rather subpar technologies, most probably their own developments.” The puppet-thing began explaining it in detail, “Then, cases where advanced, but seemingly out-of-place technologies appear to have been inserted, pulling up adjacent fields of study. Finally, highly experimental ones, where the Humans tried to adapt concepts which they barely understood, likely attempting to copy superior examples.”
“What about the goals?” Having finished the exotic meal, Emberwing now cut to the chase, “There must be something important enough for you to come out of hiding?”
“Indeed, there is one overarching intention that is quite obvious. Most of the high-tech applications are geared towards one purpose.” It answered in a very serious, even grave tone, “War.”
Not too unexpected, thought Emberwing, “Against whom, and in whose favor?”
“Unfortunately, our time is running out. Their sophisticated computers are the only native technology that stands far above the rest and, unfortunately, imposes some restrictions.” The construct began talking faster, “A possibility would be another remnant of the Soia Empire. Although our expeditions didn’t reach as far into the Wastelands, we can make an educated guess based on the available data. I shall send you as much as possible, farewell for now.”
The suit turned silent yet again, leaving the Loroi puzzled, until Midnight spoke with astonishment, “I’ve received another package, and it says that the culprit may be the Zulotchi?!”
“They are real?” Beryl was greatly surprised, “What do the Historians know about them?”
“Probably more than we can even fathom, while knowing everything that we do! This analysis references the lost mozeret template race’s homeworld that the Humans have found. That information was declared top-secret, but this thing still got it.” Of course, she did mention that in her report. “Further, the construct speculates that since the Zulotchi were an even older member of the Original Empire, their homeworld may lie further corewards along the Soia expansion path.”
“I always assumed that the Zulotchi were myths. Or at best, the name of a faction?” Emberwing tried to recall any legends which would feature them, realizing that she knew none. “Do we have any information about them?”
“Very little, except that they were likely another Soia-Liiron member race, which was somehow involved into the Fall. Our legends don’t even mention them specifically, most of the information comes from the Lugei archives on the Barsam homeworld. Some Nedatan Loremasters have tried to cross-reference both sets, but the results were inconclusive.” Tempo smiled, her sending tingled with a faint sense of reminiscence, “I was tasked with monitoring suspicious activities, including the Barsam church, long before the war.”
“So, assuming we believe this puppet-thing, then what do the Zulotchi want?” Emberwing ignored her nostalgia, and instead recalled the Captain’s spoof, as well as her nightmares that featured the masked entity, then shared them with the rest again. “Was that thing perhaps not entirely fictional?”
“I’m also not sure that they are involved or even exist.” Tempo wasn’t convinced as well. “The Human Tactician did say that the performance was over the top. She even chided her bonding partner that this would make the trick less believable, so I assumed it to be made up on the spot.”
“But the Captain claimed to portray its arrogance quite well! Was he referencing a real event?” Emberwing picked up the facsimile uniform, and threw it back into the cabinet, “Those fictional worlds are utterly confusing. Can the Humans even tell reality and fantasy apart?!”
“I’m about to meet them, so this will be one of the things to ask.” Tempo shook her head, “The prospect of a mysterious power working through proxies. After the sudden outbreak of the Great War, some Mizol assumed that the Shells were just that, or even the Historians being the puppet-masters. Fortunately, or perhaps not, nothing of the sort was ever proven.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that!” exclaimed Beryl.
“They’re Mizol, and paranoia is their occupational disease.” Actually, Emberwing had picked up such a rumor once when she visited her home on a leave, but dismissed it. “Or was that construct speaking out of experience when it analyzed the weird patters in Human development?”
“Are you trying to outdo my professional paranoia?” Tempo smirked, “Then read its report first, while I confer with the Humans.”
“Don’t forget to ask them about a gym!” retorted Emberwing to the departing Mizol, then nodded to Beryl, “Let’s see if a mere puppet-thing can outdo our prized eidetic memories.”
This endeavor proved to be far more time-consuming than she had anticipated. They spend the rest of the day doing nothing but writing down bits and pieces of information about the Humans. Even with the Bistima joining them midway through, the eight Loroi still decided to call it a day for now.
“Let us postpone this until tomorrow. Given our pace, we should finish compiling the data in about two more days, then we can begin to analyze it.” Emberwing stretched herself, “We should set up a proper daily routine as well, adjust our sleep schedule to ship time and ask the Humans if they have a training facility that we could visit.”
“A good idea, I could use some exercise as well.” agreed Fireblade.
“I’ll ask them about that later, we have scheduled a meeting anyway.” said Tempo, “You should also check that Historian-compromised piece of clothing.”
“I’d rather dispose of it, but if you insist.” Emberwing frowned, “and it needs to be done inconspicuously, too? Fine, I have an idea. Beryl, let’s go.”
“What kind of idea?” asked Beryl as they entered their cabin.
“Oh, how about bragging?” She opened the cabinet, took out the fancy dress, and spread it out on the bed, “Ellen Jardin had gifted me some clothing, so I’m going to show it to you.”
“Anything from the construct?” Beryl inspected the lustrous weave, “Is that Human fashion?”
“That puppet-thing remained silent.” Emberwing glanced at the facsimile uniform lying at the bottom of the cabinet with suspicion. “The Human told me that she saw the design in a dream, liked that, and had it made for me as well.”
“Do such gifts have any cultural significance?” The Listel tilted her head.
“Even if they do, nobody had explained anything.” She didn’t mention the rather embarrassing dream about meeting the Captain while wearing that. In the encounter suite, to boot. “Let’s try it on.”
The long-sleeved gown was a perfect fit, and the fabric glistened beautifully, just as the other one, “A pity that we won’t have any occasion to dress leisurely. This would be most appropriate for a theater visit.”
“I grew up on Mezan, where the highest form of luxury is considered the absence of sand.” Beryl sounded slightly jealous, “There weren’t even any places to wear something as gorgeous as that.”
“After this mission is over, we can visit a public performance.” Perhaps it was time to make new friends, “I could ask the Humans to make a second one for you.”
“Please do!” The Listel beamed.
“Lashret Stillstorm said that the younger generations lack appreciation for the finer points of being a Loroi warrior, including traditional plays.” Emberwing interrupted her in a joking tone, “So this will still be considered half duty.”
“You aren’t that much older.” Beryl chuckled, “Clan princess.”
“Ah,” Emberwing stopped herself from an involuntary rude retort. Promoted to Captain and being the grandchild of the clan matron, she could actually lead a unit of her clans-sisters, at least in the old days. “No, since I’m now a Torret, that’s actually true. I just need a ship instead of a company and a proper symbol of office. Like a sword or an amplifier. Yes, an amplifier would be preferable. One that doesn’t explode, mind you.”
“The only crown you’ll get for the time being is this one,” Beryl gave her the sensor net, “Your highness.”
“Of course, just the right apparel for my realm of weird dreams.” Maybe she could meet whoever ruled over that fantastical city, after all, it could be the Human whose dream she participated in, “Since the construct doesn’t want to talk, let’s sleep for now.”
The dreamscape did not connect with the city, however. She was instead sitting in an atmospheric jumper shuttle bound for a huge space station. Of course, realized Emberwing, this was Highgate, one of Deinar’s inner citadels, sometime before the most recent upgrade. Judging from her low-ranking uniform, this should be the journey to Lightspark, the destroyer she was assigned to, her very first posting in the fleet seven years ago.
Disembarking in the gigantic docking area, she reoriented herself. If not for her eidetic memory and the painstakingly detailed plan that she now recalled, it would be very easy to get lost in there, and arrive late. A rather embarrassing development that needed to be prevented at all costs. Fortunately, she found the correct bay in time, and boarded the shuttle heading for the outer dockyards orbiting Talas.
Looking through the small window, she blinked in confusion. Somehow, the planet beneath her was the wrong one? This wasn’t the continent of Mestirot, no, there were multiple, strangely colored landmasses. Then, after looking closely, she identified those shapes, the Human homeworld! It wasn’t only green and blue, like in the schematic pictures, or the gray and murky brown of the ruinous age. Now, gigantic, silvery pyramids and towers that were clearly visible from space dotted the landscape, with dense green and clear blue filling the rest. Rising high above the clouds, the arcologies were housing lift cables that connected with orbital habitats, and those were also interlinked, holding half-transparent solar collectors between them. This network was far denser than that colony world she saw once, here, the entire planet appeared to be bound in shining metal, just how many Humans were living there?
The view shifted as the shuttle approached something resembling an enormous complex of shipyards growing out of an airless moon. Inside, she could catch glimpses of numerous vessels, massive, angular hulls equipped with many turrets. One of the facilities, floating at a distance from the structure, contained a familiar discus shape. The shuttle shuddered as it docked there, causing her to wake up.
Emberwing opened her eyes. The dream felt to be different from the rest. It wasn’t simply the matter of inserting foreign fragments into old memories, or picking up somebody’s reminiscences of virtual games. This one felt as if she was being right there on the shuttle, complete with sensory echoes and faint reminiscences of an emotional undertone that wasn’t hers. Somebody from the Human crew? Yes, given the sense of anticipation, this was the most likely source.
“Beryl, analyze this right away.” She stood up and gave the sensor net to the Listel who was eating her meal, “I had a truly exceptional dream.”
“How about letting me finish first?” Beryl was enjoying something resembling a triangular piece of white slab sitting on a layer of crust. “This is very delicious. You should try it as well.”
“What are you eating?” It smelled mellow and sweet, but also had another, unfamiliar odor, “Is that a Human dish?”
“Cheesecake.” She pointed at the faintly yellow mass, “Apparently, it is made from fermented milk.”
“WHOSE MILK?!” Emberwing stepped back, “I’m not eating THAT.”
“Got you,” Beryl giggled, “It is of course printed from compatible base substances, but the original would be made from the processed milk of domesticated animals. They must have an abundant biome on their homeworld, few planets have such livestock.”
“Is this supposed to be a joke? You can’t possibly be serious?” She watched in disgust as the Listel swallowed the last piece, “How can you eat that?”
“Don’t be so conservative,” Beryl operated the holographic menu above the table, until it switched to show a very long list of dishes, “Such food is indeed peculiar, but I simply considered this to be a scientific experiment. After all, it appears to be one of their staples.”
“Oh, it’s a challenge, then? In this case, get me one as well.” She headed for the bath, “Adding to the scientific data, my dream contained a pretty good view of the Human homeworld. Look if there’s a recent picture of it in the data package and compare them.”
“How big is the population to need so many habitats?” Replied Beryl as she received the image, “There is no recent data, but the latest picture from 100 Terran years ago is consistent with some locations. So you felt that it was a shared dream?”
“Yes, somebody from the crew may have relived the beginning of their mission,” There was another point, though, “What I’m more concerned about are those battleships. They are about the same size as this vessel, and seem to have reactionless drives as well. What if they are also as fast as this one?”
“The Humans must be wary of the Shells,” The Listel did not share her alertness, “Hopefully, we can count on their help.”
“Well, that construct was very pessimistic regarding the Humans.” Emberwing emerged from the bath, and walked over to the cabinet to get a fresh uniform, shoving the compromised one aside, “How about replying, stupid piece of refuse.”
Just then, the suit spoke: “Greetings, Soroin Torret Emberwing, we are sure that you wanted to ask us some more questions.”
“Tempo, the Historian has contacted me.” Emberwing quickly put on a uniform. “Is our conversation secure? For how long?”
“Certainly, and you shall be notified of its end.” answered the construct in a friendly tone.
“We have decided to grant you asylum, albeit reluctantly.” Emberwing threw the suit on the bed, “The diplomatic issues of our equipment’s invasion will be dealt with later. Now, to the supposed warning. What do you know of the Humans to make any assumptions?”
“Thank you for providing this humble construct with an official status. We assure you that our presence doesn’t violate the alliance agreement between our governments in any way or at any time.” The Historian had emphasized the last part, “Since we now regained some of our capabilities, it is now possible to support you with the results of a preliminary investigation concerning this alien species.”
“So? I’m waiting, then.” Since Tempo entered the room, Emberwing added, “You are already acquainted with Parat Tempo?”
“Mizol Parat Tempo, we hope that this time, you could listen to our analysis,” Judging from her telepathic frown, they did know each other, ”Based on the available data, we came to the following conclusion. The probability of the Humans developing entirely on their own, and in such a short amount of time, is below any reasonable probability threshold.”
“Beryl, please reassess the possibility of an uplift.” Emberwing didn’t like the direction this was going, “Can you provide any proof? Or maybe the reason you are so sure is that they were uplifted by you?”
“We had no prior knowledge of those Humans,” it refuted this immediately, “All available data will be sent to you right away. Also, while your assessment of our meager capabilities is quite flattering, it is overestimating them by a wide margin. There’s no need to be so wary of a security breach, you can continue to use your normal equipment without worry.”
“We might consider this.” said Emberwing, “Absolutely not! Midnight, set up a single, secure console. The construct wants to send us some sort of analysis regarding the Humans.”
“It is greatly appreciated. We are merely honoring our alliance by warning you of possible danger.” The construct continued in a slightly worried tone, “The most likely explanation for such a strange pace of development would be the assistance from a third party, although we were unable to find out who it might be.”
“What makes you so sure that this is an uplift?” Wondered the Mizol, “We surmised that it would be more probable for them to be lying regarding their timeline.”
“Precisely because of this, Parat Tempo.” It addressed her politely, “Their level of progress is too inconsistent to be natural. There are numerous examples of highly advanced technologies that greatly surpass the norm. Instead, they seem as if being inserted, gifted, or, rewarded.”
“I’ve received an information package. Over the system network link no less, and without any sender meta-data.” Sent Midnight with disdain, “So that’s how it got in there.”
“Give me a brief overview as soon as possible.” Emberwing felt the need to stroke her chin in contemplation, “What about finding technological examples in wrecks or ruins?”
“Even that wouldn’t have sped up their progress as much or enabled them to skip entire levels of development.” The construct sounded highly convinced, “The crucial parts of a reactionless drive system need incredibly high precision and intricate composite materials, it is simply impossible to recreate the necessary production techniques from an artifact. Worse, any attempts to create facsimiles will most likely result in nothing but disasters.”
“Is it jealous? But we did fail to copy it, despite seeing a working example.” She had an idea, “Could you provide the exact specifications? Otherwise, how can we judge the veracity of that statement?”
“That is impossible, as I said, they need fabrication techniques that are far above your technological level.” It refused, of course, “You couldn’t even understand the nature of the materials that the systems are made out of.”
“Then why not uplift us as well, if you’re so advanced?” Emberwing crossed her arms, “Instead of tossing us those third-rate hand-me-down pulse cannons?”
“Please, let me handle the diplomatic matters,” pleaded Tempo. “Wouldn’t the insertion of such highly advanced technologies require additional, supporting industries to be of a matching level as well?”
“Then do your job, Mizol. I shall eat now.” Emberwing sat down and stared at a piece of this weird Human dish, “Well, it can’t be any worse than smelly, old, rotten tree-squid-thing-jelly? Maybe consuming such vile stuff is what gives your caste those poisonous tongues?”
“Properly fermented Sori is a delicacy,” retorted Tempo with a tinge of nostalgia, “But it’s nothing that you Deinarids would get.”
“The technology which we gave you was at the upper limit of what you could’ve applied, given the time constraints.” Meanwhile, the construct continued, “In the case of the Humans, their mysterious benefactors had more time to help them adapt. There are a number of instances where the introduction of a superior technology and its necessary production chains caused an impact in other spheres, leading to decidedly unnatural progress patterns. For example, the hull of this ship is based upon a rather simple material, which must’ve been manufactured with disproportionately advanced technology. Given a normal development pace, they should’ve switched to a better material first instead.”
“Those few facts are still not saying much, and one ship is not representative at all.” Emberwing found that this cheesecake was actually quite good, should she order another slice, or was the food menu blocked as well? “Midnight, have you found something of relevance?”
“This thing already completed everything which we had merely begun to do,” The Mizol couldn't help, but be impressed, “It compiled all the data, drew conclusions and is even offering strategies how to acquire more information to fill the gaps.”
“I’ll take all the assistance that I can get,” commented Tempo, “Does this mean that only some tech fields were uplifted? Can you deduct a pattern or at least something hinting to the possible goals?
“Three groups are clearly discernible, first, rather subpar technologies, most probably their own developments.” The puppet-thing began explaining it in detail, “Then, cases where advanced, but seemingly out-of-place technologies appear to have been inserted, pulling up adjacent fields of study. Finally, highly experimental ones, where the Humans tried to adapt concepts which they barely understood, likely attempting to copy superior examples.”
“What about the goals?” Having finished the exotic meal, Emberwing now cut to the chase, “There must be something important enough for you to come out of hiding?”
“Indeed, there is one overarching intention that is quite obvious. Most of the high-tech applications are geared towards one purpose.” It answered in a very serious, even grave tone, “War.”
Not too unexpected, thought Emberwing, “Against whom, and in whose favor?”
“Unfortunately, our time is running out. Their sophisticated computers are the only native technology that stands far above the rest and, unfortunately, imposes some restrictions.” The construct began talking faster, “A possibility would be another remnant of the Soia Empire. Although our expeditions didn’t reach as far into the Wastelands, we can make an educated guess based on the available data. I shall send you as much as possible, farewell for now.”
The suit turned silent yet again, leaving the Loroi puzzled, until Midnight spoke with astonishment, “I’ve received another package, and it says that the culprit may be the Zulotchi?!”
“They are real?” Beryl was greatly surprised, “What do the Historians know about them?”
“Probably more than we can even fathom, while knowing everything that we do! This analysis references the lost mozeret template race’s homeworld that the Humans have found. That information was declared top-secret, but this thing still got it.” Of course, she did mention that in her report. “Further, the construct speculates that since the Zulotchi were an even older member of the Original Empire, their homeworld may lie further corewards along the Soia expansion path.”
“I always assumed that the Zulotchi were myths. Or at best, the name of a faction?” Emberwing tried to recall any legends which would feature them, realizing that she knew none. “Do we have any information about them?”
“Very little, except that they were likely another Soia-Liiron member race, which was somehow involved into the Fall. Our legends don’t even mention them specifically, most of the information comes from the Lugei archives on the Barsam homeworld. Some Nedatan Loremasters have tried to cross-reference both sets, but the results were inconclusive.” Tempo smiled, her sending tingled with a faint sense of reminiscence, “I was tasked with monitoring suspicious activities, including the Barsam church, long before the war.”
“So, assuming we believe this puppet-thing, then what do the Zulotchi want?” Emberwing ignored her nostalgia, and instead recalled the Captain’s spoof, as well as her nightmares that featured the masked entity, then shared them with the rest again. “Was that thing perhaps not entirely fictional?”
“I’m also not sure that they are involved or even exist.” Tempo wasn’t convinced as well. “The Human Tactician did say that the performance was over the top. She even chided her bonding partner that this would make the trick less believable, so I assumed it to be made up on the spot.”
“But the Captain claimed to portray its arrogance quite well! Was he referencing a real event?” Emberwing picked up the facsimile uniform, and threw it back into the cabinet, “Those fictional worlds are utterly confusing. Can the Humans even tell reality and fantasy apart?!”
“I’m about to meet them, so this will be one of the things to ask.” Tempo shook her head, “The prospect of a mysterious power working through proxies. After the sudden outbreak of the Great War, some Mizol assumed that the Shells were just that, or even the Historians being the puppet-masters. Fortunately, or perhaps not, nothing of the sort was ever proven.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that!” exclaimed Beryl.
“They’re Mizol, and paranoia is their occupational disease.” Actually, Emberwing had picked up such a rumor once when she visited her home on a leave, but dismissed it. “Or was that construct speaking out of experience when it analyzed the weird patters in Human development?”
“Are you trying to outdo my professional paranoia?” Tempo smirked, “Then read its report first, while I confer with the Humans.”
“Don’t forget to ask them about a gym!” retorted Emberwing to the departing Mizol, then nodded to Beryl, “Let’s see if a mere puppet-thing can outdo our prized eidetic memories.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXVI: A Breakthrough.
“Where should we start? The Historian data, your dreams, or the sensor net’s log?” inquired Beryl.
“Right, my dream.” Emberwing found the Mizol, who was quickly moving away from them, “I’ve seen the Human homeworld in my dream, please try to confirm if the image is real.”
“Yes, I also shall attempt to find out their population numbers.” replied Tempo, “And those shipyards do look impressive, yet another issue to fuel my Mizol paranoia.”
“Glad to be of help.” She turned back to the Listel, “Now, let us see whatever that construct managed to deduct.”
As both entered the cabin with the tablet network, Midnight greeted them by complaining, “This accursed thing pilfered through all of our databases. Granted, it managed to compile everything, but how did it get access to it?”
“It claimed to aid us, even abiding to our alliance treaty. Are you sure that there are no secret clauses or back doors?” Emberwing looked over the Parat’s shoulder at the analysis on the screen, “Besides, if it’s inside our systems, then why can’t it simply communicate with us?”
“I haven't heard of any such double-dealings,” The Mizol dismissed this, not even taking it seriously, “Still, its abilities are quite worrying.”
“Maybe I can explain why it cannot contact us?” Beryl was also looking at the data, “The problem lies in interconnectivity, most probably. While I have no idea how much processing power the construct needs, one console is certainly not enough. But there’s no proper network or mainframe, so it must use Human capabilities to unify all the infected devices. Their computer systems are quite advanced, which may force it to hide most of the time, limiting traffic to whatever it can conceal in normal messages.”
“Then, we should continue to use our improvised, detached network, and I will copy the Historian data from memory.” Emberwing gave the sensor net to Beryl, “Can you analyze the sensor log on the tablets in the meantime?”
“If I link up a few of them, it should be good enough for a preliminary run, but a proper one needs the dedicated computer of the scientific station.” Beryl connected the device to a tablet with a cable, “I’ll concentrate on the anomalies.”
Emberwing realized that this wouldn’t be very efficient. “On a second thought, no, please copy the Historian data instead, and let Willpower deal with that log. I need to discuss my dream with Oasis. The others can continue testing the amplifiers. Afterwards, we can finish compiling the data and decide how to proceed.”
“Yes, oh Captain.” sent Fireblade in a half joking, half bored tone, as she entered the room, “There are still enough amplifiers left for me to break.”
“Preserve at least one for me.” Emberwing went to see the Tiret. “I had an even stranger dream last night.”
The counselor raised an eyebrow, “With the Human Captain?”
“Maybe.” She ignored the innuendo, “I think that it was the reminiscence of an actual event, the beginning of their mission. Can you help me find out whose dream that was?”
“You’re asking far too much from a better apothecary, but I’m ready.” Oasis stretched out her hand, “Interesting, your dream seems to be different from the ones about the city. Instead of being inserted into an interactive environment, this is the more common case of experiencing events through the memories of somebody else.”
“So it might be a different person?” Perhaps they could narrow it down.
“There was no clearly discernible personal undertone in the other dream, despite some sort of influence which guided your dream-self.” The Tiret immersed herself in the accompanying emotions, “But here, the flavor feels to be male?”
“Really?” Emberwing recalled her last, rather brief encounter that happened two years ago, “I need more reference material.”
“I’ll issue you a prescription.” Oasis chuckled, “The emotions may be faint, and those of an alien, but they surely aren’t female. This is actually related to something that I’ve uncovered in the archives.”
“Have you found a clue?” It did sound urgent.
“I stayed up until late to read some rather interesting legends about dream sharing.” answered the tired counselor, “Normally, they shouldn’t even be written down, but Torimor Silvermist sent me the Mizol archives. What would they need them for?”
“Utterly blasphemous Mizol stuff?” She didn’t get her meaning.
“No, besides that. You see, there was this peculiar legend.” Oasis recounted the short version, “Back in the old days, an exceptional warrior was born on Deinar. She was so powerful, that even a whisper of her sanzai could kill and so, she was confined in the farthest part of her clan’s fortress. If the situation called for it, she would be let loose on the battlefield to lay waste to enemy troops, destroying entire companies with nothing but a psionic shout.”
“This seems rather unlikely.” Emberwing frowned. “Wouldn’t she be affected by the inevitable backlash?”
“Well, that’s what is written here. Anyway, even the clan matron began to fear such a mighty warrior!” Exclaimed the Tiret, “So she ordered to abduct a male from another clan, someone who was known to possess exceptional telekinetic abilities. By fostering attachment with the warrior, the male would then act as a leash. Also, their child, the elder presumed, could possibly combine both abilities and become the ultimate weapon.”
“Kidnapping a male?” Unfortunately, such heinous acts were not unheard of in the Menelos period on Deinar.
“That power-hungry old hag abandoned all reason. The dangerous warrior was mostly kept confined and alone, but now, she had unlimited access to a male all of a sudden.” There was a small tinge of envy, “As expected, she grew infatuated with him, smitten even.”
“Let me guess, with this being one of those stories, it ended up with everyone dead?” Such legends were retold mainly as a warning to the dangers of undue attachment.
“Yes, of course.” Oasis smirked, “What matters is the how! Long story short, they began planning an escape, yet the naive plot was uncovered, and the male taken away by means of deception. Infuriated, the warrior tried to break through to him with powerful telekinesis!”
“Wait, this was the male’s ability?” No, that was her actual point, “He shared it with her?!”
“Exactly!” She beamed, “Nobody could stop her, and so the male was employed as a hostage. Seeing her fall, however, caused him to unleash such a terrible psionic wail that everybody died. The end.”
“You mean to say that they had somehow used each other’s abilities? Not just shared dreams or sensed emotions? How?” Emberwing could see why this sparked the Mizol’s interest, if it were true, “And you assume that is it related to my case?”
“There’s no information about the how, which might be the reason the legend lay buried in the archives. It is simply stated as a fact, and the focus of the story lies elsewhere, namely, on condemning the matron for the gross breach of traditions. After all, it did cause the destruction of the whole clan.” Oasis turned serious, “What matters is the possibility that you might have borrowed some of the Human’s powers in a similar way.”
She didn’t feel anything special about that Captain, though. “Wouldn’t this need a strong sense of attachment?”
“Who knows?” The Tiret shrugged, “But Torimor Silvermist was concerned about whatever the Humans might have done to you, and thought that the legends could offer an insight.”
“Then let us discuss it with the rest.” She recalled the fact that the Humans have tried to revive her with some sort of combined sending.
Back in the cabin, where everyone had already gathered, Emberwing asked Fireblade, “What about the amplifiers?”
“I broke another two.” The Teidar pointed at the remains, “Even if they are somehow affected, my fine control is too crude to notice it.”
Next, she turned to Tempo, who was wearing one. The Mizol took it off, and put it back into its case, “My abilities aren’t suited for amplification, so I wasn’t able to sense any difference either.”
“One could at least hope for a wondrous breakthrough.” Emberwing sat down, “Beryl, did you transfer the Historian’s data?”
“Yes, it is a certainly a very detailed analysis. With it, we should be able to finish up everything today.” The Listel didn’t seem to mind having been assigned such a dreary task, on the contrary, she was eager to continue.
“Let us postpone it for a little. There might be a new lead.” Emberwing told them about the latest find, and her concern about the Humans applying an unknown technique, “Maybe that’s how I receive their dreams as well?”
“A combined effort is a common practice among my caste. We can project a shield, or try to overcome enemy resistance during an interrogation.” Fireblade seemed to dislike such a task. “Yet we cannot lend our powers to anyone, nor would we, even if that were possible.”
“As I already said,” reminded them Eight Eye, “There were now-lost techniques to combine farsight efforts. However, only Bistima are able to interpret another Bistima’s visions. At least, until now.”
“We have certain,” Tempo paused, “means to partake of each other’s skills, but to share complete abilities? There’s absolutely nothing like that, although it would be a highly desired technique.”
“Yet this was kept in your caste’s archives.” pointed out Emberwing, “Maybe higher-ranking members know something or are even capable of such feats?”
“Then the Torimor would’ve informed me,” Midnight spoke of her superior with absolute trust, “instead of simply providing those obscure legends without any attached notes.”
“Still, Tiret Oasis was recommended for my team because she found those stories in the archives. Silvermist thought that they might help us.” The senior Mizol didn’t sound like she was merely sending the counselor away, and why would she. “But you are right, if she knew of such cases, or remembered this particular legend, then it would make sense to point it out right away. Maybe she couldn’t recall any specifics, and simply had an inkling?”
“Assuming you got all those newfound powers from the Humans,” Beryl put a finger to her lips in contemplation, “Why would they lend them out? What for?”
“Rather, was this even done deliberately? Or consciously?” The Disis joined their discussion.
“And does the link work both ways?” Midnight eyed her with suspicion.
“First, that puppet-thing with our computers, now the Humans with sanzai?” Emberwing refuted the last remark with utmost conviction, “There’s a limit to paranoia. No, even if there’s something, I think that it was done involuntary. With how secretive they are, why reveal anything about their abilities?”
“Unless this is an unwanted side effect.” Midnight was, of course, not convinced.
“Of what? We don’t even know if the legend is true, how that sharing works and whether the Humans had done something similar or anything at all.” Emberwing rubbed her nose bridge. She saw an endless abyss filled with nothing but paranoia open up before her. If they were to double-guess everything, then all their plans would grind to a halt. Then, she simply had to play the Mizol as well and spin that session with Silvermist in her favor. “I had voiced my concerns about those abilities and possible Human influence to Torimor Silvermist. She even went as far as to test them, without finding anything suspicious. But if she had reasons to consider me compromised, then she’d object to my assignment.”
“Fine, you’ve made your point.” Midnight handed her a tablet. “Let us deal with the data for now. If the Humans can actually read you or us, then maybe all this blind probing around shall invoke enough pity and cause them to come clean.”
It took some time to compare the files and finalize their own compilation of reports, memories, observations and other tidbits. Indeed, there were numerous possible leads. Now, though, they had to analyze it all, or should they use the construct’s so-called preliminary one?
“Beryl, if we concentrate on a single topic, how long would a cursory examination take?” Sifting through it all appeared to be impossible.
“At least a day, since we’d need to cross-reference so many things, and I’m the only one who’s trained for this kind of work.” Beryl calculated something, “If I were to make a plan to distribute the load, and then optimize it based on a few attempts, we could reduce it to half a day after the fifth run.”
Of course, doing it steady and systematically was the obvious approach, but when would that lead to a breakthrough? Or which topic had now priority, the Shell fleet-lotai? The Human telepathic silence, their technology, goals, possible connections with other aliens, even the existence of the Zulotchi? Her own abilities? She decided on a course of action. “Since the Shell mind-cloak is not an immediate problem right now, we should concentrate on Human lotai. Progress with most of the issues hinges on the ability to sanzai with them. Tempo, how are the talks progressing?”
“There’s not much to report, Torimor Silvermist gave me a number of guidelines regarding an alliance agreement, and now, I’m discussing those. It’s mostly protocol and technical things which shall speed up the proper talks once we get back.” The Parat, intentionally or not, sounded slightly bored, “Besides that, the Humans evade most other questions, even minor ones like the population density of their homeworld. And before you ask, I did inquire about a training facility, and they offered to include us in its schedule.”
“Could you sense something?” Emberwing was still not sure what triggered her link. Mere proximity? Or whatever the Humans did to her? The Mizol had interacted with them for a while, yet did not mention anything. “Why not try to establish a deeper connection?”
“I probe them all the time,” Tempo frowned, “A deep link with unknown aliens, however, is quite risky. The Torimor wanted to attempt this as well, but she would have assistants.”
“Maybe we should learn more of this technique they had used on me first? It could provide a hint how to bypass their lotai.” Emberwing had an idea, “Since it needs to be done inconspicuously, why not cite concerns for my health? Ask them about that combined sending and what it does?”
“This could actually work.” Disis Willpower sent in a lighthearted tone, “I’m ready to play Mizol.”
“While it’s not a game, I have to concur.” Midnight agreed reluctantly, “We could even attempt to replicate the issue.”
“No, asking for such experiments right away would arouse suspicion.” Tempo thought for a moment, “The Humans surely have already realized that you are somehow special. We can simply pretend that those are your normal abilities that are no longer as they used to be. Yes, I shall bring it up tomorrow. Willpower, let us work out a suitable inquiry.”
“Then this meeting is concluded for today. Tomorrow, we can begin to analyze the data and compare it with the Historian package. Emberwing stood up, “I’ll check up on the puppet-thing and go to bed according to the Human sleep cycle.”
She left the others, returned to her cabin and started to rummage through the cabinet. Tossing the silent facsimile armor aside, Emberwing ruminated on that legend as she pretended to sort the clothes anew. Why was she the only one who could see those strange, shared dreams? Or where did her new farseer-like powers come from? Was there really a link with one of the Humans? Sometimes, she wanted to confront the Human Captain about it all directly, just to enforce a breakthrough. But what would happen if he simply admitted to be toying with her? No, that was entirely too silly, thought Emberwing, donned the sensor net and went to sleep.
She was walking through the spacious corridors of the Azimol citadel, heading towards the dock area. Today, her sister would assume command of a new ship, and she, being recently promoted to Soroin Mallas, was to act as her second-in-command. Despite being an older model, the Saber-class command cruiser Blazing Spear was still a big step up from the old Rapier-class escort cruiser Winterstorm, which was sent in for a refit. Almost twice as many crew-sisters, a flight deck, new systems, and especially the pulse cannons, there was a lot to adapt to. Fortunately, most of her friends from the previous ship were transferred as well, giving her a sense of security. She checked her armor one more time and entered the conference room where Lashret Truesword would conduct the brief ceremony.
Except that she was now standing in a completely different environment. The unvarnished room felt cramped, with a low ceiling and a narrow window, little else but a slit between two heavy armor plates. This starbase was also orbiting a different planet, a lustrous blue world with some rather strangely shaped landmasses that now came into view. Of course, she had already seen this outline somewhere! That was the colony world from the holographic grove, back in the arboretum! It was called Draconis, and somehow, this name sounded similar to the Dragons that they were so preoccupied with. Could this have triggered the dream? But where did that imagery come from?
She leaned on the glass to have a better look. Below, a number of ships were docked on scaffolds, long, thin, silvery and with massive engine compartments. Every single one bore signs of recent battle, however, the nearest vessel was even missing its frontal barrel-like protrusion. The damage appeared to be recent, and crews worked to repair the vessels. Were those unfamiliar ships perhaps Human ones? She heard someone approaching and spun around to spot a younger-looking Alexander Jardin wearing a pressure suit-like uniform.
“Fancy meeting you here. I wanted to brood alone and in silence, but I won’t say no to the company of a fellow stranded Captain.” With his arms crossed behind the back, the Human slowly walked up to her to look out of the window as well. He then slammed his fist on the window, and spoke wearily, “Let me introduce you, my first command, the heavy interceptor Aurora, or at least the better half of her, as well as the sorry rest of the squadron.”
Emberwing was stupefied, this was the first time when she could actually interact with a Human in a dream. “It looks like they went through a fierce battle?”
“Yes, this was my first real combat experience as well.” He pointed at the missing bow, “It’s a wonder how I managed to survive or even win. Those things were relegated to the back end of the Empire for a good reason.”
“Who did you fight against?” Previously, they said that the Orgus refugees were the first aliens that they had met, so could this be a civil war?
“You’re asking me that? Me, of all the people?” The Human laughed, yet there was no joy in his voice, “Against whom? The Dragons, obviously.”
“Dragons?!” She stepped back, “But they are merely fiction?”
“Oh, those were real enough,” Alexander Jardin, now older, bearded, dressed in his usual uniform and equipped with that white sword, turned to face her. His voice, steely and self-confident, carried the strength befitting of a commanding officer, “Speaking of fantasies, what are you doing inside my dream?”
She took another step back, stumbled, and woke up.
“Where should we start? The Historian data, your dreams, or the sensor net’s log?” inquired Beryl.
“Right, my dream.” Emberwing found the Mizol, who was quickly moving away from them, “I’ve seen the Human homeworld in my dream, please try to confirm if the image is real.”
“Yes, I also shall attempt to find out their population numbers.” replied Tempo, “And those shipyards do look impressive, yet another issue to fuel my Mizol paranoia.”
“Glad to be of help.” She turned back to the Listel, “Now, let us see whatever that construct managed to deduct.”
As both entered the cabin with the tablet network, Midnight greeted them by complaining, “This accursed thing pilfered through all of our databases. Granted, it managed to compile everything, but how did it get access to it?”
“It claimed to aid us, even abiding to our alliance treaty. Are you sure that there are no secret clauses or back doors?” Emberwing looked over the Parat’s shoulder at the analysis on the screen, “Besides, if it’s inside our systems, then why can’t it simply communicate with us?”
“I haven't heard of any such double-dealings,” The Mizol dismissed this, not even taking it seriously, “Still, its abilities are quite worrying.”
“Maybe I can explain why it cannot contact us?” Beryl was also looking at the data, “The problem lies in interconnectivity, most probably. While I have no idea how much processing power the construct needs, one console is certainly not enough. But there’s no proper network or mainframe, so it must use Human capabilities to unify all the infected devices. Their computer systems are quite advanced, which may force it to hide most of the time, limiting traffic to whatever it can conceal in normal messages.”
“Then, we should continue to use our improvised, detached network, and I will copy the Historian data from memory.” Emberwing gave the sensor net to Beryl, “Can you analyze the sensor log on the tablets in the meantime?”
“If I link up a few of them, it should be good enough for a preliminary run, but a proper one needs the dedicated computer of the scientific station.” Beryl connected the device to a tablet with a cable, “I’ll concentrate on the anomalies.”
Emberwing realized that this wouldn’t be very efficient. “On a second thought, no, please copy the Historian data instead, and let Willpower deal with that log. I need to discuss my dream with Oasis. The others can continue testing the amplifiers. Afterwards, we can finish compiling the data and decide how to proceed.”
“Yes, oh Captain.” sent Fireblade in a half joking, half bored tone, as she entered the room, “There are still enough amplifiers left for me to break.”
“Preserve at least one for me.” Emberwing went to see the Tiret. “I had an even stranger dream last night.”
The counselor raised an eyebrow, “With the Human Captain?”
“Maybe.” She ignored the innuendo, “I think that it was the reminiscence of an actual event, the beginning of their mission. Can you help me find out whose dream that was?”
“You’re asking far too much from a better apothecary, but I’m ready.” Oasis stretched out her hand, “Interesting, your dream seems to be different from the ones about the city. Instead of being inserted into an interactive environment, this is the more common case of experiencing events through the memories of somebody else.”
“So it might be a different person?” Perhaps they could narrow it down.
“There was no clearly discernible personal undertone in the other dream, despite some sort of influence which guided your dream-self.” The Tiret immersed herself in the accompanying emotions, “But here, the flavor feels to be male?”
“Really?” Emberwing recalled her last, rather brief encounter that happened two years ago, “I need more reference material.”
“I’ll issue you a prescription.” Oasis chuckled, “The emotions may be faint, and those of an alien, but they surely aren’t female. This is actually related to something that I’ve uncovered in the archives.”
“Have you found a clue?” It did sound urgent.
“I stayed up until late to read some rather interesting legends about dream sharing.” answered the tired counselor, “Normally, they shouldn’t even be written down, but Torimor Silvermist sent me the Mizol archives. What would they need them for?”
“Utterly blasphemous Mizol stuff?” She didn’t get her meaning.
“No, besides that. You see, there was this peculiar legend.” Oasis recounted the short version, “Back in the old days, an exceptional warrior was born on Deinar. She was so powerful, that even a whisper of her sanzai could kill and so, she was confined in the farthest part of her clan’s fortress. If the situation called for it, she would be let loose on the battlefield to lay waste to enemy troops, destroying entire companies with nothing but a psionic shout.”
“This seems rather unlikely.” Emberwing frowned. “Wouldn’t she be affected by the inevitable backlash?”
“Well, that’s what is written here. Anyway, even the clan matron began to fear such a mighty warrior!” Exclaimed the Tiret, “So she ordered to abduct a male from another clan, someone who was known to possess exceptional telekinetic abilities. By fostering attachment with the warrior, the male would then act as a leash. Also, their child, the elder presumed, could possibly combine both abilities and become the ultimate weapon.”
“Kidnapping a male?” Unfortunately, such heinous acts were not unheard of in the Menelos period on Deinar.
“That power-hungry old hag abandoned all reason. The dangerous warrior was mostly kept confined and alone, but now, she had unlimited access to a male all of a sudden.” There was a small tinge of envy, “As expected, she grew infatuated with him, smitten even.”
“Let me guess, with this being one of those stories, it ended up with everyone dead?” Such legends were retold mainly as a warning to the dangers of undue attachment.
“Yes, of course.” Oasis smirked, “What matters is the how! Long story short, they began planning an escape, yet the naive plot was uncovered, and the male taken away by means of deception. Infuriated, the warrior tried to break through to him with powerful telekinesis!”
“Wait, this was the male’s ability?” No, that was her actual point, “He shared it with her?!”
“Exactly!” She beamed, “Nobody could stop her, and so the male was employed as a hostage. Seeing her fall, however, caused him to unleash such a terrible psionic wail that everybody died. The end.”
“You mean to say that they had somehow used each other’s abilities? Not just shared dreams or sensed emotions? How?” Emberwing could see why this sparked the Mizol’s interest, if it were true, “And you assume that is it related to my case?”
“There’s no information about the how, which might be the reason the legend lay buried in the archives. It is simply stated as a fact, and the focus of the story lies elsewhere, namely, on condemning the matron for the gross breach of traditions. After all, it did cause the destruction of the whole clan.” Oasis turned serious, “What matters is the possibility that you might have borrowed some of the Human’s powers in a similar way.”
She didn’t feel anything special about that Captain, though. “Wouldn’t this need a strong sense of attachment?”
“Who knows?” The Tiret shrugged, “But Torimor Silvermist was concerned about whatever the Humans might have done to you, and thought that the legends could offer an insight.”
“Then let us discuss it with the rest.” She recalled the fact that the Humans have tried to revive her with some sort of combined sending.
Back in the cabin, where everyone had already gathered, Emberwing asked Fireblade, “What about the amplifiers?”
“I broke another two.” The Teidar pointed at the remains, “Even if they are somehow affected, my fine control is too crude to notice it.”
Next, she turned to Tempo, who was wearing one. The Mizol took it off, and put it back into its case, “My abilities aren’t suited for amplification, so I wasn’t able to sense any difference either.”
“One could at least hope for a wondrous breakthrough.” Emberwing sat down, “Beryl, did you transfer the Historian’s data?”
“Yes, it is a certainly a very detailed analysis. With it, we should be able to finish up everything today.” The Listel didn’t seem to mind having been assigned such a dreary task, on the contrary, she was eager to continue.
“Let us postpone it for a little. There might be a new lead.” Emberwing told them about the latest find, and her concern about the Humans applying an unknown technique, “Maybe that’s how I receive their dreams as well?”
“A combined effort is a common practice among my caste. We can project a shield, or try to overcome enemy resistance during an interrogation.” Fireblade seemed to dislike such a task. “Yet we cannot lend our powers to anyone, nor would we, even if that were possible.”
“As I already said,” reminded them Eight Eye, “There were now-lost techniques to combine farsight efforts. However, only Bistima are able to interpret another Bistima’s visions. At least, until now.”
“We have certain,” Tempo paused, “means to partake of each other’s skills, but to share complete abilities? There’s absolutely nothing like that, although it would be a highly desired technique.”
“Yet this was kept in your caste’s archives.” pointed out Emberwing, “Maybe higher-ranking members know something or are even capable of such feats?”
“Then the Torimor would’ve informed me,” Midnight spoke of her superior with absolute trust, “instead of simply providing those obscure legends without any attached notes.”
“Still, Tiret Oasis was recommended for my team because she found those stories in the archives. Silvermist thought that they might help us.” The senior Mizol didn’t sound like she was merely sending the counselor away, and why would she. “But you are right, if she knew of such cases, or remembered this particular legend, then it would make sense to point it out right away. Maybe she couldn’t recall any specifics, and simply had an inkling?”
“Assuming you got all those newfound powers from the Humans,” Beryl put a finger to her lips in contemplation, “Why would they lend them out? What for?”
“Rather, was this even done deliberately? Or consciously?” The Disis joined their discussion.
“And does the link work both ways?” Midnight eyed her with suspicion.
“First, that puppet-thing with our computers, now the Humans with sanzai?” Emberwing refuted the last remark with utmost conviction, “There’s a limit to paranoia. No, even if there’s something, I think that it was done involuntary. With how secretive they are, why reveal anything about their abilities?”
“Unless this is an unwanted side effect.” Midnight was, of course, not convinced.
“Of what? We don’t even know if the legend is true, how that sharing works and whether the Humans had done something similar or anything at all.” Emberwing rubbed her nose bridge. She saw an endless abyss filled with nothing but paranoia open up before her. If they were to double-guess everything, then all their plans would grind to a halt. Then, she simply had to play the Mizol as well and spin that session with Silvermist in her favor. “I had voiced my concerns about those abilities and possible Human influence to Torimor Silvermist. She even went as far as to test them, without finding anything suspicious. But if she had reasons to consider me compromised, then she’d object to my assignment.”
“Fine, you’ve made your point.” Midnight handed her a tablet. “Let us deal with the data for now. If the Humans can actually read you or us, then maybe all this blind probing around shall invoke enough pity and cause them to come clean.”
It took some time to compare the files and finalize their own compilation of reports, memories, observations and other tidbits. Indeed, there were numerous possible leads. Now, though, they had to analyze it all, or should they use the construct’s so-called preliminary one?
“Beryl, if we concentrate on a single topic, how long would a cursory examination take?” Sifting through it all appeared to be impossible.
“At least a day, since we’d need to cross-reference so many things, and I’m the only one who’s trained for this kind of work.” Beryl calculated something, “If I were to make a plan to distribute the load, and then optimize it based on a few attempts, we could reduce it to half a day after the fifth run.”
Of course, doing it steady and systematically was the obvious approach, but when would that lead to a breakthrough? Or which topic had now priority, the Shell fleet-lotai? The Human telepathic silence, their technology, goals, possible connections with other aliens, even the existence of the Zulotchi? Her own abilities? She decided on a course of action. “Since the Shell mind-cloak is not an immediate problem right now, we should concentrate on Human lotai. Progress with most of the issues hinges on the ability to sanzai with them. Tempo, how are the talks progressing?”
“There’s not much to report, Torimor Silvermist gave me a number of guidelines regarding an alliance agreement, and now, I’m discussing those. It’s mostly protocol and technical things which shall speed up the proper talks once we get back.” The Parat, intentionally or not, sounded slightly bored, “Besides that, the Humans evade most other questions, even minor ones like the population density of their homeworld. And before you ask, I did inquire about a training facility, and they offered to include us in its schedule.”
“Could you sense something?” Emberwing was still not sure what triggered her link. Mere proximity? Or whatever the Humans did to her? The Mizol had interacted with them for a while, yet did not mention anything. “Why not try to establish a deeper connection?”
“I probe them all the time,” Tempo frowned, “A deep link with unknown aliens, however, is quite risky. The Torimor wanted to attempt this as well, but she would have assistants.”
“Maybe we should learn more of this technique they had used on me first? It could provide a hint how to bypass their lotai.” Emberwing had an idea, “Since it needs to be done inconspicuously, why not cite concerns for my health? Ask them about that combined sending and what it does?”
“This could actually work.” Disis Willpower sent in a lighthearted tone, “I’m ready to play Mizol.”
“While it’s not a game, I have to concur.” Midnight agreed reluctantly, “We could even attempt to replicate the issue.”
“No, asking for such experiments right away would arouse suspicion.” Tempo thought for a moment, “The Humans surely have already realized that you are somehow special. We can simply pretend that those are your normal abilities that are no longer as they used to be. Yes, I shall bring it up tomorrow. Willpower, let us work out a suitable inquiry.”
“Then this meeting is concluded for today. Tomorrow, we can begin to analyze the data and compare it with the Historian package. Emberwing stood up, “I’ll check up on the puppet-thing and go to bed according to the Human sleep cycle.”
She left the others, returned to her cabin and started to rummage through the cabinet. Tossing the silent facsimile armor aside, Emberwing ruminated on that legend as she pretended to sort the clothes anew. Why was she the only one who could see those strange, shared dreams? Or where did her new farseer-like powers come from? Was there really a link with one of the Humans? Sometimes, she wanted to confront the Human Captain about it all directly, just to enforce a breakthrough. But what would happen if he simply admitted to be toying with her? No, that was entirely too silly, thought Emberwing, donned the sensor net and went to sleep.
She was walking through the spacious corridors of the Azimol citadel, heading towards the dock area. Today, her sister would assume command of a new ship, and she, being recently promoted to Soroin Mallas, was to act as her second-in-command. Despite being an older model, the Saber-class command cruiser Blazing Spear was still a big step up from the old Rapier-class escort cruiser Winterstorm, which was sent in for a refit. Almost twice as many crew-sisters, a flight deck, new systems, and especially the pulse cannons, there was a lot to adapt to. Fortunately, most of her friends from the previous ship were transferred as well, giving her a sense of security. She checked her armor one more time and entered the conference room where Lashret Truesword would conduct the brief ceremony.
Except that she was now standing in a completely different environment. The unvarnished room felt cramped, with a low ceiling and a narrow window, little else but a slit between two heavy armor plates. This starbase was also orbiting a different planet, a lustrous blue world with some rather strangely shaped landmasses that now came into view. Of course, she had already seen this outline somewhere! That was the colony world from the holographic grove, back in the arboretum! It was called Draconis, and somehow, this name sounded similar to the Dragons that they were so preoccupied with. Could this have triggered the dream? But where did that imagery come from?
She leaned on the glass to have a better look. Below, a number of ships were docked on scaffolds, long, thin, silvery and with massive engine compartments. Every single one bore signs of recent battle, however, the nearest vessel was even missing its frontal barrel-like protrusion. The damage appeared to be recent, and crews worked to repair the vessels. Were those unfamiliar ships perhaps Human ones? She heard someone approaching and spun around to spot a younger-looking Alexander Jardin wearing a pressure suit-like uniform.
“Fancy meeting you here. I wanted to brood alone and in silence, but I won’t say no to the company of a fellow stranded Captain.” With his arms crossed behind the back, the Human slowly walked up to her to look out of the window as well. He then slammed his fist on the window, and spoke wearily, “Let me introduce you, my first command, the heavy interceptor Aurora, or at least the better half of her, as well as the sorry rest of the squadron.”
Emberwing was stupefied, this was the first time when she could actually interact with a Human in a dream. “It looks like they went through a fierce battle?”
“Yes, this was my first real combat experience as well.” He pointed at the missing bow, “It’s a wonder how I managed to survive or even win. Those things were relegated to the back end of the Empire for a good reason.”
“Who did you fight against?” Previously, they said that the Orgus refugees were the first aliens that they had met, so could this be a civil war?
“You’re asking me that? Me, of all the people?” The Human laughed, yet there was no joy in his voice, “Against whom? The Dragons, obviously.”
“Dragons?!” She stepped back, “But they are merely fiction?”
“Oh, those were real enough,” Alexander Jardin, now older, bearded, dressed in his usual uniform and equipped with that white sword, turned to face her. His voice, steely and self-confident, carried the strength befitting of a commanding officer, “Speaking of fantasies, what are you doing inside my dream?”
She took another step back, stumbled, and woke up.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission R: A Relief?
“Your Majesty, excuse me for the interruption.” Teidar Teigo Niberadi Skyshield’s deferential sending interrupted the Emperor’s contemplation, “You wanted to speak with Torrai Diaderet First Strike, and she’s already here.”
“Let her in.” Torrai Azerein Greywind took seat upon the small throne, then concentrated on the Councilor who entered the private room. “What have you managed to achieve?”
First Strike leaked some carefully measured annoyance, “My Azerein, I’ve convinced the Diaderets Whirlwind and Torrent of Fury to support your plan. But that stubborn mate of a half-eaten Nissek, Oirel Poisoncloak, refuses to listen to my arguments. Why can’t you keep your own Mizol ilk under control? She wouldn’t even deign to explain her most likely utterly stupid reasons.”
The Elder was, as usual, lacking in decorum and reverence, not that she would mind. Actually, the Emperor preferred this brutal honesty, a refreshing change from all the scheming in the Diadem, “I’ll deal with her later. With the votes now split, I can order the main fleet to move with my authority instead.”
“So you still intend to head there as well. I do approve of this display of bravery, but wouldn’t it be wiser to remain here? Losing yet another Azerein won’t be good for troop morale, and electing a new one is far too much of a hassle.” While this Diaderet was quick to back her, she always made clear that this was a purely pragmatic decision. Occasionally, though, she would joke about taking this support further, in the old-fashioned way. “Maybe I should challenge that obstinate idiot. Her younger sister seems to be far more reasonable, and she is even conceived of one of our males. I can win her for my faction.”
“I won’t reinstate duels just for that.” Greywind interrupted her. This was too archaic. Tempting, yes, but still too archaic. Although the Councilor was right, the only way to overrule a draw in the Cabinet and to dispatch a big enough fleet immediately was to take command of it personally. Then, so be it. “If the Shell incursion is actually serious enough to endanger the flagship in the midst of a full fleet, then we should hurry up even more.”
“Good, concentrating our forces shall minimize the losses.” First Strike rested her right hand on the pommel of a blade, “You have my sword, lead on.”
“You’re not convinced.” Stated the Emperor. After all, the Diaderet used a traditional saying denoting a vassal’s obedience, instead of the common “I’m your sword” expression. “Yet you agree with my risky proposition, and would even vote for Skyrender’s strategic plan.”
“What does a mere member of a support caste like me know of fleet battles.” First Strike shrugged, “The Tazites might not be Sunfall, but she’s good enough to channel your reforms into a sufficiently effective strategy. This incursion shall now serve as a test whether she had included enough contingency plans.”
“Good enough for you to come along as well.” The Diaderet was apparently intent on staying aboard the flagship, “Why not continue your work here on Seren?”
“The youngsters can fix up this sorry husk of a planet without me.” The Diaderet shook her head, and the Emperor noticed that one of the heavy braids was shorter than the others. “I go where I’m needed most, my Azerein, and the Shell invasion is certainly important enough. Besides, there might be a thing or two that I have to take care of in that sector as well.”
“Then let us head to the Grand Hall.” The Emperor stood up, “We must wrap up the matters quickly, and depart for Azimol as soon as possible.”
“We had great luck that Bistima Dawnchild was on duty. No one else could’ve picked up such a faint emergency transmission.” First Strike followed her a step behind, “Whoever sent that, they must’ve sacrificed everyone on the ship.”
“I will commemorate their deed personally.” Just after the Seren sector fleet had intercepted a massive Shell raid, they received a weak farseer message. The desperate plea contained only a single sentence, “60 Shell divisions crashing through Tinza”. Judging from the direction and strength, it was probably sent from somewhere around Romos. This meant that the situation was truly dire, since the psionic shout should’ve been powerful enough to stun everyone in the system, and to kill the entire ship crew. “Their sacrifice shall not be in vain.”
“Of course, thanks to the warning, I also consider it to be highly likely that the husks tried to distract and bind us here, while concentrating most forces on a breakthrough towards Noibel.” The Diaderet seemed to be convinced of this stratagem, yet her sending contained an undertone that suggested that her faction would favor a compromise. “However, there’s no proof, and I’m sure that many Cabinet members oppose your decision to take all forces to Tinza because they expect a major breakthrough here as well.”
“I know, yet my instincts have never betrayed me.” This was a risky, but necessary gamble. “Fine, we’ll leave half the strategic reserve fleet here and integrate the rest into mine. This should placate the critics. Anyway, if the Shells can mobilize a second force of 60 hidden divisions, then we’re done for, no matter where any of our fleets head to.”
“Your Majesty, excuse me for the interruption.” Teidar Teigo Niberadi Skyshield’s deferential sending interrupted the Emperor’s contemplation, “You wanted to speak with Torrai Diaderet First Strike, and she’s already here.”
“Let her in.” Torrai Azerein Greywind took seat upon the small throne, then concentrated on the Councilor who entered the private room. “What have you managed to achieve?”
First Strike leaked some carefully measured annoyance, “My Azerein, I’ve convinced the Diaderets Whirlwind and Torrent of Fury to support your plan. But that stubborn mate of a half-eaten Nissek, Oirel Poisoncloak, refuses to listen to my arguments. Why can’t you keep your own Mizol ilk under control? She wouldn’t even deign to explain her most likely utterly stupid reasons.”
The Elder was, as usual, lacking in decorum and reverence, not that she would mind. Actually, the Emperor preferred this brutal honesty, a refreshing change from all the scheming in the Diadem, “I’ll deal with her later. With the votes now split, I can order the main fleet to move with my authority instead.”
“So you still intend to head there as well. I do approve of this display of bravery, but wouldn’t it be wiser to remain here? Losing yet another Azerein won’t be good for troop morale, and electing a new one is far too much of a hassle.” While this Diaderet was quick to back her, she always made clear that this was a purely pragmatic decision. Occasionally, though, she would joke about taking this support further, in the old-fashioned way. “Maybe I should challenge that obstinate idiot. Her younger sister seems to be far more reasonable, and she is even conceived of one of our males. I can win her for my faction.”
“I won’t reinstate duels just for that.” Greywind interrupted her. This was too archaic. Tempting, yes, but still too archaic. Although the Councilor was right, the only way to overrule a draw in the Cabinet and to dispatch a big enough fleet immediately was to take command of it personally. Then, so be it. “If the Shell incursion is actually serious enough to endanger the flagship in the midst of a full fleet, then we should hurry up even more.”
“Good, concentrating our forces shall minimize the losses.” First Strike rested her right hand on the pommel of a blade, “You have my sword, lead on.”
“You’re not convinced.” Stated the Emperor. After all, the Diaderet used a traditional saying denoting a vassal’s obedience, instead of the common “I’m your sword” expression. “Yet you agree with my risky proposition, and would even vote for Skyrender’s strategic plan.”
“What does a mere member of a support caste like me know of fleet battles.” First Strike shrugged, “The Tazites might not be Sunfall, but she’s good enough to channel your reforms into a sufficiently effective strategy. This incursion shall now serve as a test whether she had included enough contingency plans.”
“Good enough for you to come along as well.” The Diaderet was apparently intent on staying aboard the flagship, “Why not continue your work here on Seren?”
“The youngsters can fix up this sorry husk of a planet without me.” The Diaderet shook her head, and the Emperor noticed that one of the heavy braids was shorter than the others. “I go where I’m needed most, my Azerein, and the Shell invasion is certainly important enough. Besides, there might be a thing or two that I have to take care of in that sector as well.”
“Then let us head to the Grand Hall.” The Emperor stood up, “We must wrap up the matters quickly, and depart for Azimol as soon as possible.”
“We had great luck that Bistima Dawnchild was on duty. No one else could’ve picked up such a faint emergency transmission.” First Strike followed her a step behind, “Whoever sent that, they must’ve sacrificed everyone on the ship.”
“I will commemorate their deed personally.” Just after the Seren sector fleet had intercepted a massive Shell raid, they received a weak farseer message. The desperate plea contained only a single sentence, “60 Shell divisions crashing through Tinza”. Judging from the direction and strength, it was probably sent from somewhere around Romos. This meant that the situation was truly dire, since the psionic shout should’ve been powerful enough to stun everyone in the system, and to kill the entire ship crew. “Their sacrifice shall not be in vain.”
“Of course, thanks to the warning, I also consider it to be highly likely that the husks tried to distract and bind us here, while concentrating most forces on a breakthrough towards Noibel.” The Diaderet seemed to be convinced of this stratagem, yet her sending contained an undertone that suggested that her faction would favor a compromise. “However, there’s no proof, and I’m sure that many Cabinet members oppose your decision to take all forces to Tinza because they expect a major breakthrough here as well.”
“I know, yet my instincts have never betrayed me.” This was a risky, but necessary gamble. “Fine, we’ll leave half the strategic reserve fleet here and integrate the rest into mine. This should placate the critics. Anyway, if the Shells can mobilize a second force of 60 hidden divisions, then we’re done for, no matter where any of our fleets head to.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXVII: Terrors of old
Immediately jumping out of her bed, Emberwing shouted, “We have a huge problem, the Humans might be onto me.”
“Captain Emberwing, please come to the Arboretum as soon as possible.” Said the computer in a decidedly unfriendly tone. No, they were definitely aware of her intrusion, “Alone.”
“What happened?” Beryl stood up as well, “Did you do something?”
“No idea how, but I ended up in the dreams of the Human Captain, and he caught me.” She was quickly dressing herself.
“But it wasn’t intentional?” The Listel sounded very worried, “You definitely shouldn’t go there, not to mention alone!”
“Actually, it suits me just fine.” Emberwing was combing her hair that was in disarray due to the sensor net, “I’m tired from all those strange dreams, deceptions, tricks and outrageous fantasies. Especially since he seemed to have fought those Dragons, and I’m going to confront him about that as well.”
“You can’t be serious!” Now, Tempo woke up and tried to interfere, “Let me go instead.”
“This is my challenge.” She checked her appearance in the mirror. “A matter between two Captains.”
“At the very least, please take Fireblade with you.” pleaded Tempo. “Everything is too quick, too sudden. It must be a set-up. Or did they plant a suggestion for you to be so eager and stubborn?”
“No.” Emberwing decided that she looked presentable enough and took a deep breath. She was absolutely sure that it would be the right thing to do. Yet, was this truly her own decision? Listening to her emotions, she felt a profound self-confidence which definitely stemmed from deep within, and she channeled this sensation into sanzai as she breathed out. “Do you doubt my authority?”
“No wonder the amplifier crumbled.” While the others, even the Mizol, flinched at the surprisingly powerful sending, Fireblade was merely amused, albeit somewhat impressed as well. “Maybe you should try to conjure the spirits of vengeance when things go haywire?”
“If I could, I would’ve done so against the Shells.” Emberwing exited the cabin, and boarded the elevator capsule which was already waiting for her, “Arboretum.”
Without any awkward pauses, she boldly entered the facility. Tiny arrows that flashed on the holographic walls guided her to the clearing where the Human Captain awaited her, alone, but with that white sword strapped to his waist.
He turned around, “Entering without knocking or announcing yourself is considered rude.”
“I did, at least in sanzai.” She lied, “Yet you are still hiding.”
“Oh, I’d wish that we could connect with each other, this would simplify many things.” The Captain smiled, “But it appears that my little performance about the Zulotchi might have been too intriguing, you even tried to get into my dreams to find out more. How did you achieve that?”
“I didn’t attempt anything, it’s you Humans who leak weird dreams!” Then, she realized something, “Wait, did you say intrigued? Was this a set-up?”
“Yes, among countless other pieces. You Loroi are far too straightforward, and quite vulnerable once your prized cheats are disabled.” Alexander Jardin tapped his head, “We simply resorted to old-fashioned information gathering. Seed some bait, and analyze what you react to.”
“Then, does this mean that everything was fake? The elves, the lectures, even the cultural package? Why the grand deception?” Emberwing felt an uncomfortable tinge of paranoia, “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Why? Because we exhausted the usefulness of this approach, and you’re running out of time. Also, I’m not saying that everything was fiction, just that the pieces were presented and arranged in such a fashion as to trigger a response.” He smiled that annoying smile yet again, “We needed to check what you knew.”
“But you can’t read us?” She took a step back, “Or can you?”
“At least not telepathically.” The Captain shrugged, “Everything else still applies. Humans always wanted to know what’s inside each other’s heads, it seems. Before the advent of psionics, we conducted extensive studies into the nature of body language, facial expressions and behavioral patterns. Dedicated AIs can glean a lot of information from processing it all, and you are similar enough for this to work with just some minor adjustments. While being inferior to telepathy, this approach still makes for a rather effective lie detector.”
“What did you learn, then?” She couldn’t decide whether this was impressive or frightening.
“Frankly, too little.” He replied with slight derision, “At first, we thought that you are hiding the information well, but now, we came to the conclusion that you don’t know anything. Almost none of the presented examples elicited a reaction. The Soia, the Fall, even the Zulotchi, all for naught. Despite boasting about the superior means of preserving legends telepathically, the results are quite disappointing.”
“I'm tired of your games!” Emberwing couldn’t interpret this as anything but an insult. She closed the distance and confronted Alexander Jardin directly, “What is your connection with the Zulotchi?”
“Do not be afraid,” he smiled undauntedly, “I already took care of this problem. All of them. They cannot threaten you any longer, dear cousin.”
She was utterly baffled by this reply, “What do you mean? How old are you, then? No, who or what are you?”
“Then let me introduce myself yet again,” He pointed at his chest, “Alexander Jardin, 52 years old, married, psi-enabled, and unaugmented. Nicknamed the Dragonslayer, Grandmaster of stirring up trouble, elevated to be lauded as the Hero of the Empire, awarded with far too many citations, promoted to an extraordinary bothersome position. At your service, princess.” He winked.
“Why would such a person come here?” While Emberwing couldn’t understand half of what he said, it did sound very important. Or was he making fun of her?
“To find you, of course.” He looked her in the eyes, “and to determine your part in the grand puzzle that the Soia had left behind. What is the reason for your creation?”
“What do you know about the Soia?” She ignored the apparent provocation.
“Answering questions with more questions?” He raised an eyebrow, “Fine, but let us ask them in turns from now on. As to the Soia and the Zulotchi, yes, we have learned a few things. Not enough to see the full picture, of course, so we thought that it would be prudent to compare our knowledge with that of the other remnants of the old Empire.”
“Did you talk about this matter with the Barsam and the Construct?” There were assumptions that the Historians knew far more about the Soia than they would ever admit to.
Alexander Jarding crossed his arms, “A question for a question, remember? First, how did you manage to get into my head?”
“Fine.” She sighed, “Let me assure you, we haven’t tried to do anything which could be interpreted as an assault, intrusion or manipulation. Everything was purely accidental and involuntary. I had a couple of strange dreams, and we assumed them to be leaked from you.”
The Human nodded, “Dreams, I see. Can you be a bit more specific?”
Should she tell him about that? “All of them were untypical for me. Humans were inserted into my reminiscences. Or it was me who was incorporated into something resembling those fictional worlds that you are so fond of.”
“A VR game?” He chuckled, “That would be truly amusing. You see, some crew-members also reported seeing unique, vivid dreams. We assumed them to be of the same origin. Perhaps we should compare the records later.”
“It would be prudent, but we don’t leak our dreams, except for rare circumstances.” Although she did broadcast a nightmare once, “If any of us did something like that, the others would notice.”
“You don’t appear to be lying. But we don’t leak our dreams, either.” Alexander Jardin tilted his head, “What if we can sense each other’s subconscious thoughts during the dream state and the mind struggles to arrange that into a comprehensive form? However, given the degree of interactivity this time around, it probably evolved past that point. The issue needs to be investigated in detail.”
“That’s as far as we were able to guess, too.” Maybe they should’ve cooperated with the Humans from the start, “We can combine our efforts on this matter, would this be satisfactory enough for you?”
“It should suffice.” He stroked his beard, “Yes, let’s see what I can divulge in turn. The Zulotchi had an entire religion centered on Soia worship, although it was completely opposite to the Barsam one. Its goal was to prove themselves worthy and ascend to a level where they could be rewarded with some sort of mystical powers. Those would then be used to achieve a certain task that the Soia entrusted them with.”
“What kind of task?” It sounded rather vague, “Or which powers?”
“That’s the problem with religions derived from old myths, the narratives will be distorted to fit current challenges.” He frowned. “After millennia of such adaptations, the Zulotchi no longer knew what or why, and the various branches clashed with each other over countless interpretations. Overall, the religion postulated that as soon as they were to achieve enlightenment, everything would become apparent through the divine powers received as their reward. This whole matter became their sole hope in trying times, but also their very undoing.”
“At your hands?” Emberwing wanted to clarify this point.
“Not quite, although I was the pivoting point. You see, the Zulotchi weren’t that different from us, except for being slightly more advanced due to an early availability of Soia artifacts. What sealed their fate were four things, first, the absence of habitable planets in the vicinity which caused an overpopulation problem on their homeworld. Second, their warlike nature and religious disputes that were a constant source of strife, leading to a world war. Third would be bad luck.” He stretched out his arms, gesturing at the artificial scenery around them, “Unlike us, they did not stop halfway through. On the contrary, the war kept going until the utter destruction of their homeworld. The winners, if those few surviving fools could be called such, had no other choice but to flee into space.”
“I see, then the fourth point was them meeting you?” So it was like that.
“We aren’t vicious enough to commit a genocide for no reason.” He wagged a finger, “Initially, meeting the refugee convoy was a reason for celebration, since it was our first contact with aliens. A species that were speaking the same language as in those ancient ruins on the Moon fascinated us. They requested asylum in exchange for their knowledge and technology, and the talks were about to begin.”
“You double-crossed them?” Emberwing could already see where this was heading.
“Could you stop being so pessimistic?” Alexander Jardin looked at her with disapproval, but also a tinge of pity, “The encounter was at the far end of our space, on a newly established colony, which meant that the governor couldn’t wait for orders and offered to talk with them personally. However, as soon as his squadron met up with the Zulotchi ships, they opened fire.”
“Why!? Did they want to take the colony by force?” She couldn’t understand the reason for this.
“There was no explanation, not even an order, just an instant reaction. It caught us unaware despite our telepathy.” He frowned. “After they blew up the governor’s ship and its escorts, it was just my lone squadron of twelve interceptors against seven cruisers.”
“Was the image I’ve seen true?” Those vessels were slightly smaller than frigates. “You’ve won against seven cruisers with twelve gunboats?”
“That battle wasn’t one I’m comfortable to brag about, but yes.” For a moment, he showed the same distressed expression as in the dream. “I’ve lost half the ships, with four more no longer combat capable. Still, since the other Zulotchi vessels were mere transport ships, makeshift hulls with no weapons, it was my win. Sensing countless lifesigns on board, we refrained from destroying them, and instead, demanded an unconditional surrender.”
“They refused, I assume?” Offering to spare their lives was rather magnanimous.
“They self-destructed.” He shook his head. “That whole exodus fleet was as much a refugee trek as it was a pilgrimage. A self-proclaimed prophet promised them salvation from the apocalypse and rallied the survivors, who had no alternatives but to cling to that illusion of hope. The Zulotchi that answered me was some sort of priest of that cult. He apologized for the sudden aggression and admitted that we closely resembled the most wicked demons from their mythology, horrific monsters with psionic powers.”
“Us?!” Startled, Emberwing interrupted him.
“Definitely. Our color wasn’t blue and the one talking was a male, so at first, they refrained from making any hasty assumptions. Yet, as soon as our ships drew closer, they experienced supernatural effects frighteningly similar to what the legends warned them about.” He smiled viciously, “Mind-terror.”
“The Shell commander told the same as well!” So that was the reason why he was so interested in that expression, “But we don’t have any abilities which could be called mind-terror!”
“The Golim might disagree, if they still had any free will left.” The Human Captain even knew of that matter. “In the case of the Zulotchi, it invoked a primal, almost instinctive fear which triggered an urge to destroy the source of the influence in all those not completely enthralled.”
“The Golim experience bliss, not terror!” Objected Emberwing.
“What is more terrifying, to sense natural dread as you are losing any control over your actions, or to give up your free will with an unnatural feeling of comfort?” He raised an eyebrow. “The Zulotchi priest further explained that this meeting and its tragic outcome were no coincidence, but divine judgment. They failed their Gods for the last time, and were no longer worthy to be their followers. We, the victors, earned the holy favor instead and had to continue with the task the Soia entrusted them with. Upon my objection that this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, he merely said that it will, once we succeed. After apologizing yet again for being unable to fulfill their mission and even involving us in the matter, he transmitted their entire scripture and bid us farewell. Before we could approach them, their ships detonated.”
“This makes indeed no sense. I assume no Zulotchi survived?” A religious self-sacrifice of civilians was a truly strange concept.
“Most of them were in suspended animation, and we managed to recover a few intact containers. Then, a throughout sweep of the sector revealed a couple of operational outposts whose inhabitants weren’t killed in the war but didn't join the exodus either.” He crossed his arms. “The ruined homeworld, however, was an irradiated wasteland with no signs of life. All in all, less than 3000 of them survived, and none knew more about the Soia except for some religious nonsense.”
“I expected more information.” This lengthy story was tragic, but what was the point?
“Of course there’s more, we uncovered many data caches. Depending on circumstances, the information therein can be shared. It's still merely a tiny part of a gigantic puzzle.” He stroked his beard, “Tell me, do you recognize anything from what I’ve told you?”
Unfortunately, all of this was as outlandish as it could be. “I’m not a lore-master, we’d need to consult the Nedatan order who remember and analyze our myths.”
“Which means we are back to the starting point.” He shook his head, “You see, another reason why I decided to explain things is that the Union might lose the war. Forgive me for being overly blunt, but your performance against the Hierarchy wasn’t particularly convincing. What if by the time when we get back, the Umiak have already broken through and there’s no opportunity to look for information? In that case, we will be forced to offer you permanent asylum, retreat, and try to work out a different strategy.”
“We won’t lose!” To end up as those refugees in her dream, mere empty husks living in disgrace? Never. Or, was he goading her again? “A relief fleet will arrive soon and repel the incursion.”
“I presume that you have the means for some sort of FTL communication? Likely psionic? Otherwise, reinforcements won’t arrive in time.” The Captain tapped his chin, “Or, even in the case where an alert goes through, what if that other fleet is also busy fighting against a similar breakthrough? Do you have enough reserves?”
“Intelligence suggests that this gatecrasher force should be about a sixth of their total fleet strength. That, in turn, is more than half of what they can possibly mobilize, since the Shells need many garrison fleets to enforce obedience from their slaves.” Emberwing decided to reveal this piece of information only, while not commenting on the emergency farseer sending. “At worst, the other sector fleet might be forced to deal with a diversion attack, but the main fleet should be able to respond.”
“Then, let us hope that there will be a Union when we get back.” Although the Human smiled in a reassuring way, it was not entirely sincere. “You Loroi are most likely an important part of the Soia puzzle as well, and it will be considerably harder to unravel that without your government’s assistance.”
“I see, was this one of the reasons why you wanted to find us?” Could there be truly something behind that Zulotchi nonsense? Maybe it was simply a delusion born out of a collection of misunderstood legends, akin to the strange Barsam religion? The scope of the whole matter made her head spin, or rather, she was definitely hungry.
“Of course, a mysterious precursor legacy does sound intriguing, don’t you think so, too? The main reason was the war, though.” Embarrassingly enough, Alexander Jardin noticed her stomach’s rumbling, “Well, I think that this should be enough questioning for now. By the way, have you already eaten something?”
Emberwing couldn’t decide whether this was superintendence, pity, or an invitation. “No, this matter sounded far too urgent.”
“My bad. Let me invite you for a meal, then.” He gestured her to follow.
Then it was certainly an invitation. Given how long they had talked, she should return to the others instead. “In our culture, females are not allowed to eat together with males.”
“My ship, my rules.” The Human Captain led her out of the Arboretum.
Immediately jumping out of her bed, Emberwing shouted, “We have a huge problem, the Humans might be onto me.”
“Captain Emberwing, please come to the Arboretum as soon as possible.” Said the computer in a decidedly unfriendly tone. No, they were definitely aware of her intrusion, “Alone.”
“What happened?” Beryl stood up as well, “Did you do something?”
“No idea how, but I ended up in the dreams of the Human Captain, and he caught me.” She was quickly dressing herself.
“But it wasn’t intentional?” The Listel sounded very worried, “You definitely shouldn’t go there, not to mention alone!”
“Actually, it suits me just fine.” Emberwing was combing her hair that was in disarray due to the sensor net, “I’m tired from all those strange dreams, deceptions, tricks and outrageous fantasies. Especially since he seemed to have fought those Dragons, and I’m going to confront him about that as well.”
“You can’t be serious!” Now, Tempo woke up and tried to interfere, “Let me go instead.”
“This is my challenge.” She checked her appearance in the mirror. “A matter between two Captains.”
“At the very least, please take Fireblade with you.” pleaded Tempo. “Everything is too quick, too sudden. It must be a set-up. Or did they plant a suggestion for you to be so eager and stubborn?”
“No.” Emberwing decided that she looked presentable enough and took a deep breath. She was absolutely sure that it would be the right thing to do. Yet, was this truly her own decision? Listening to her emotions, she felt a profound self-confidence which definitely stemmed from deep within, and she channeled this sensation into sanzai as she breathed out. “Do you doubt my authority?”
“No wonder the amplifier crumbled.” While the others, even the Mizol, flinched at the surprisingly powerful sending, Fireblade was merely amused, albeit somewhat impressed as well. “Maybe you should try to conjure the spirits of vengeance when things go haywire?”
“If I could, I would’ve done so against the Shells.” Emberwing exited the cabin, and boarded the elevator capsule which was already waiting for her, “Arboretum.”
Without any awkward pauses, she boldly entered the facility. Tiny arrows that flashed on the holographic walls guided her to the clearing where the Human Captain awaited her, alone, but with that white sword strapped to his waist.
He turned around, “Entering without knocking or announcing yourself is considered rude.”
“I did, at least in sanzai.” She lied, “Yet you are still hiding.”
“Oh, I’d wish that we could connect with each other, this would simplify many things.” The Captain smiled, “But it appears that my little performance about the Zulotchi might have been too intriguing, you even tried to get into my dreams to find out more. How did you achieve that?”
“I didn’t attempt anything, it’s you Humans who leak weird dreams!” Then, she realized something, “Wait, did you say intrigued? Was this a set-up?”
“Yes, among countless other pieces. You Loroi are far too straightforward, and quite vulnerable once your prized cheats are disabled.” Alexander Jardin tapped his head, “We simply resorted to old-fashioned information gathering. Seed some bait, and analyze what you react to.”
“Then, does this mean that everything was fake? The elves, the lectures, even the cultural package? Why the grand deception?” Emberwing felt an uncomfortable tinge of paranoia, “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Why? Because we exhausted the usefulness of this approach, and you’re running out of time. Also, I’m not saying that everything was fiction, just that the pieces were presented and arranged in such a fashion as to trigger a response.” He smiled that annoying smile yet again, “We needed to check what you knew.”
“But you can’t read us?” She took a step back, “Or can you?”
“At least not telepathically.” The Captain shrugged, “Everything else still applies. Humans always wanted to know what’s inside each other’s heads, it seems. Before the advent of psionics, we conducted extensive studies into the nature of body language, facial expressions and behavioral patterns. Dedicated AIs can glean a lot of information from processing it all, and you are similar enough for this to work with just some minor adjustments. While being inferior to telepathy, this approach still makes for a rather effective lie detector.”
“What did you learn, then?” She couldn’t decide whether this was impressive or frightening.
“Frankly, too little.” He replied with slight derision, “At first, we thought that you are hiding the information well, but now, we came to the conclusion that you don’t know anything. Almost none of the presented examples elicited a reaction. The Soia, the Fall, even the Zulotchi, all for naught. Despite boasting about the superior means of preserving legends telepathically, the results are quite disappointing.”
“I'm tired of your games!” Emberwing couldn’t interpret this as anything but an insult. She closed the distance and confronted Alexander Jardin directly, “What is your connection with the Zulotchi?”
“Do not be afraid,” he smiled undauntedly, “I already took care of this problem. All of them. They cannot threaten you any longer, dear cousin.”
She was utterly baffled by this reply, “What do you mean? How old are you, then? No, who or what are you?”
“Then let me introduce myself yet again,” He pointed at his chest, “Alexander Jardin, 52 years old, married, psi-enabled, and unaugmented. Nicknamed the Dragonslayer, Grandmaster of stirring up trouble, elevated to be lauded as the Hero of the Empire, awarded with far too many citations, promoted to an extraordinary bothersome position. At your service, princess.” He winked.
“Why would such a person come here?” While Emberwing couldn’t understand half of what he said, it did sound very important. Or was he making fun of her?
“To find you, of course.” He looked her in the eyes, “and to determine your part in the grand puzzle that the Soia had left behind. What is the reason for your creation?”
“What do you know about the Soia?” She ignored the apparent provocation.
“Answering questions with more questions?” He raised an eyebrow, “Fine, but let us ask them in turns from now on. As to the Soia and the Zulotchi, yes, we have learned a few things. Not enough to see the full picture, of course, so we thought that it would be prudent to compare our knowledge with that of the other remnants of the old Empire.”
“Did you talk about this matter with the Barsam and the Construct?” There were assumptions that the Historians knew far more about the Soia than they would ever admit to.
Alexander Jarding crossed his arms, “A question for a question, remember? First, how did you manage to get into my head?”
“Fine.” She sighed, “Let me assure you, we haven’t tried to do anything which could be interpreted as an assault, intrusion or manipulation. Everything was purely accidental and involuntary. I had a couple of strange dreams, and we assumed them to be leaked from you.”
The Human nodded, “Dreams, I see. Can you be a bit more specific?”
Should she tell him about that? “All of them were untypical for me. Humans were inserted into my reminiscences. Or it was me who was incorporated into something resembling those fictional worlds that you are so fond of.”
“A VR game?” He chuckled, “That would be truly amusing. You see, some crew-members also reported seeing unique, vivid dreams. We assumed them to be of the same origin. Perhaps we should compare the records later.”
“It would be prudent, but we don’t leak our dreams, except for rare circumstances.” Although she did broadcast a nightmare once, “If any of us did something like that, the others would notice.”
“You don’t appear to be lying. But we don’t leak our dreams, either.” Alexander Jardin tilted his head, “What if we can sense each other’s subconscious thoughts during the dream state and the mind struggles to arrange that into a comprehensive form? However, given the degree of interactivity this time around, it probably evolved past that point. The issue needs to be investigated in detail.”
“That’s as far as we were able to guess, too.” Maybe they should’ve cooperated with the Humans from the start, “We can combine our efforts on this matter, would this be satisfactory enough for you?”
“It should suffice.” He stroked his beard, “Yes, let’s see what I can divulge in turn. The Zulotchi had an entire religion centered on Soia worship, although it was completely opposite to the Barsam one. Its goal was to prove themselves worthy and ascend to a level where they could be rewarded with some sort of mystical powers. Those would then be used to achieve a certain task that the Soia entrusted them with.”
“What kind of task?” It sounded rather vague, “Or which powers?”
“That’s the problem with religions derived from old myths, the narratives will be distorted to fit current challenges.” He frowned. “After millennia of such adaptations, the Zulotchi no longer knew what or why, and the various branches clashed with each other over countless interpretations. Overall, the religion postulated that as soon as they were to achieve enlightenment, everything would become apparent through the divine powers received as their reward. This whole matter became their sole hope in trying times, but also their very undoing.”
“At your hands?” Emberwing wanted to clarify this point.
“Not quite, although I was the pivoting point. You see, the Zulotchi weren’t that different from us, except for being slightly more advanced due to an early availability of Soia artifacts. What sealed their fate were four things, first, the absence of habitable planets in the vicinity which caused an overpopulation problem on their homeworld. Second, their warlike nature and religious disputes that were a constant source of strife, leading to a world war. Third would be bad luck.” He stretched out his arms, gesturing at the artificial scenery around them, “Unlike us, they did not stop halfway through. On the contrary, the war kept going until the utter destruction of their homeworld. The winners, if those few surviving fools could be called such, had no other choice but to flee into space.”
“I see, then the fourth point was them meeting you?” So it was like that.
“We aren’t vicious enough to commit a genocide for no reason.” He wagged a finger, “Initially, meeting the refugee convoy was a reason for celebration, since it was our first contact with aliens. A species that were speaking the same language as in those ancient ruins on the Moon fascinated us. They requested asylum in exchange for their knowledge and technology, and the talks were about to begin.”
“You double-crossed them?” Emberwing could already see where this was heading.
“Could you stop being so pessimistic?” Alexander Jardin looked at her with disapproval, but also a tinge of pity, “The encounter was at the far end of our space, on a newly established colony, which meant that the governor couldn’t wait for orders and offered to talk with them personally. However, as soon as his squadron met up with the Zulotchi ships, they opened fire.”
“Why!? Did they want to take the colony by force?” She couldn’t understand the reason for this.
“There was no explanation, not even an order, just an instant reaction. It caught us unaware despite our telepathy.” He frowned. “After they blew up the governor’s ship and its escorts, it was just my lone squadron of twelve interceptors against seven cruisers.”
“Was the image I’ve seen true?” Those vessels were slightly smaller than frigates. “You’ve won against seven cruisers with twelve gunboats?”
“That battle wasn’t one I’m comfortable to brag about, but yes.” For a moment, he showed the same distressed expression as in the dream. “I’ve lost half the ships, with four more no longer combat capable. Still, since the other Zulotchi vessels were mere transport ships, makeshift hulls with no weapons, it was my win. Sensing countless lifesigns on board, we refrained from destroying them, and instead, demanded an unconditional surrender.”
“They refused, I assume?” Offering to spare their lives was rather magnanimous.
“They self-destructed.” He shook his head. “That whole exodus fleet was as much a refugee trek as it was a pilgrimage. A self-proclaimed prophet promised them salvation from the apocalypse and rallied the survivors, who had no alternatives but to cling to that illusion of hope. The Zulotchi that answered me was some sort of priest of that cult. He apologized for the sudden aggression and admitted that we closely resembled the most wicked demons from their mythology, horrific monsters with psionic powers.”
“Us?!” Startled, Emberwing interrupted him.
“Definitely. Our color wasn’t blue and the one talking was a male, so at first, they refrained from making any hasty assumptions. Yet, as soon as our ships drew closer, they experienced supernatural effects frighteningly similar to what the legends warned them about.” He smiled viciously, “Mind-terror.”
“The Shell commander told the same as well!” So that was the reason why he was so interested in that expression, “But we don’t have any abilities which could be called mind-terror!”
“The Golim might disagree, if they still had any free will left.” The Human Captain even knew of that matter. “In the case of the Zulotchi, it invoked a primal, almost instinctive fear which triggered an urge to destroy the source of the influence in all those not completely enthralled.”
“The Golim experience bliss, not terror!” Objected Emberwing.
“What is more terrifying, to sense natural dread as you are losing any control over your actions, or to give up your free will with an unnatural feeling of comfort?” He raised an eyebrow. “The Zulotchi priest further explained that this meeting and its tragic outcome were no coincidence, but divine judgment. They failed their Gods for the last time, and were no longer worthy to be their followers. We, the victors, earned the holy favor instead and had to continue with the task the Soia entrusted them with. Upon my objection that this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, he merely said that it will, once we succeed. After apologizing yet again for being unable to fulfill their mission and even involving us in the matter, he transmitted their entire scripture and bid us farewell. Before we could approach them, their ships detonated.”
“This makes indeed no sense. I assume no Zulotchi survived?” A religious self-sacrifice of civilians was a truly strange concept.
“Most of them were in suspended animation, and we managed to recover a few intact containers. Then, a throughout sweep of the sector revealed a couple of operational outposts whose inhabitants weren’t killed in the war but didn't join the exodus either.” He crossed his arms. “The ruined homeworld, however, was an irradiated wasteland with no signs of life. All in all, less than 3000 of them survived, and none knew more about the Soia except for some religious nonsense.”
“I expected more information.” This lengthy story was tragic, but what was the point?
“Of course there’s more, we uncovered many data caches. Depending on circumstances, the information therein can be shared. It's still merely a tiny part of a gigantic puzzle.” He stroked his beard, “Tell me, do you recognize anything from what I’ve told you?”
Unfortunately, all of this was as outlandish as it could be. “I’m not a lore-master, we’d need to consult the Nedatan order who remember and analyze our myths.”
“Which means we are back to the starting point.” He shook his head, “You see, another reason why I decided to explain things is that the Union might lose the war. Forgive me for being overly blunt, but your performance against the Hierarchy wasn’t particularly convincing. What if by the time when we get back, the Umiak have already broken through and there’s no opportunity to look for information? In that case, we will be forced to offer you permanent asylum, retreat, and try to work out a different strategy.”
“We won’t lose!” To end up as those refugees in her dream, mere empty husks living in disgrace? Never. Or, was he goading her again? “A relief fleet will arrive soon and repel the incursion.”
“I presume that you have the means for some sort of FTL communication? Likely psionic? Otherwise, reinforcements won’t arrive in time.” The Captain tapped his chin, “Or, even in the case where an alert goes through, what if that other fleet is also busy fighting against a similar breakthrough? Do you have enough reserves?”
“Intelligence suggests that this gatecrasher force should be about a sixth of their total fleet strength. That, in turn, is more than half of what they can possibly mobilize, since the Shells need many garrison fleets to enforce obedience from their slaves.” Emberwing decided to reveal this piece of information only, while not commenting on the emergency farseer sending. “At worst, the other sector fleet might be forced to deal with a diversion attack, but the main fleet should be able to respond.”
“Then, let us hope that there will be a Union when we get back.” Although the Human smiled in a reassuring way, it was not entirely sincere. “You Loroi are most likely an important part of the Soia puzzle as well, and it will be considerably harder to unravel that without your government’s assistance.”
“I see, was this one of the reasons why you wanted to find us?” Could there be truly something behind that Zulotchi nonsense? Maybe it was simply a delusion born out of a collection of misunderstood legends, akin to the strange Barsam religion? The scope of the whole matter made her head spin, or rather, she was definitely hungry.
“Of course, a mysterious precursor legacy does sound intriguing, don’t you think so, too? The main reason was the war, though.” Embarrassingly enough, Alexander Jardin noticed her stomach’s rumbling, “Well, I think that this should be enough questioning for now. By the way, have you already eaten something?”
Emberwing couldn’t decide whether this was superintendence, pity, or an invitation. “No, this matter sounded far too urgent.”
“My bad. Let me invite you for a meal, then.” He gestured her to follow.
Then it was certainly an invitation. Given how long they had talked, she should return to the others instead. “In our culture, females are not allowed to eat together with males.”
“My ship, my rules.” The Human Captain led her out of the Arboretum.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXVIII: Of Heroes and Dragons
As they entered the elevator, Alexander Jardin continued, “In our culture, there are no particular restrictions about how the two sexes must interact. Those archaic customs were long since abandoned. Simply eating together doesn’t have any special meaning unless we explicitly insert one.”
“The regulations are necessary due to our gender balance.” Emberwing objected to his somewhat condescending remark, “This behavior is an important part of our traditions.”
“In old times, women were regarded as the weaker sex, and their fathers, then husbands, had to assume guardianship over them. Or rather, this was nothing but a pretense to exert control over their lives.” He now looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes, “Tell me, do you really need protection?”
“It is the males that need to be safeguarded!” She had an inkling that he was having fun at her expense.
“I’m the dragon-slaying hero, remember?” He tapped the sword’s pommel.
“Why are you calling the Zulotchi Dragons?” Emberwing guessed that there was some cultural significance regarding the act of killing a dragon, but they were fictional beings. Or not?
“Let me show you, then.” As they entered the Lounge, its holo-walls were already displaying various dragons from the cultural package. “Aren’t such creatures mentioned in your myths?”
“No, they don’t resemble anything we know of.” Despite a great variety of shapes, most followed a reptilian template. Still, apart from that, they didn’t have anything in common with the reptilian Nissek or some other creature, real or mythic alike.
“Then, behold the most likely origin of those Dragon stories, a Zulotchi.” The screens switched to show a truly strange being from multiple angles. It was tall, scaled and decidedly reptilian, with a thick tail supporting its upright stance. Six-fingered hands that ended in curved claws, powerful muscles and sharp teeth gave the impression of a dangerous predator. At the same time, the alien was far more humanoid than a Nissek, up to the point where even its facial expression was clearly discernible. Despite the prolonged, conical head form or the yellow, vertically-slit eyes, it spoke of a predominant character trait. Arrogance. “Do you recognize it?”
“No, it looks utterly alien.” Judging from the deep blue luster, it was probably a Soia-Liron species. “Except for its color. Does it perhaps follow the same biochemistry pattern as us?”
“Yes, and it’s also thanks to this data that we managed to save you in time.” He offered her a seat. “We can provide the full biological profile, if you so wish.”
“Please do, this is an incredible discovery!” To think that the Zulotchi were an actual, distinct Soia-Liron race, she couldn’t even fathom the various implications while studying the images.
“I’ve ordered some meat skewers.” The Captain smiled impishly, as he took a food tray from a service bot and placed it before her. “Grilled miros. Your favorite.”
“Is it?” Too preoccupied with the Zulotchi, Emberwing didn’t process what he said right away. “Do you remember that dream as well?!”
“Of course, Ellen kept laughing about me dreaming of pretty girls for a whole week.” He picked up a skewer from his plate, “At first, I thought that it was just my imagination, yet it wasn’t one, right?”
“No, that was a reminiscence of my diral.” She tried her best to keep her voice calm, but still felt the tips of her ears getting hotter. “It was completely wrong as well, and I even woke up due to the sheer discrepancy.”
“Was this diral done on your homeworld?” He seemed to be genuinely interested in it, “We had a habit of various outdoor activities, all of which were abandoned or virtualized during the Encapsulation.”
They shared a few stories, and he explained how the Dragons became a staple in Human fiction, representing a great challenge that a Hero had to overcome. This was quite different from Loroi myths, thought Emberwing, “Our legends usually do not personalize concepts. The few cases where fantastical beings represent something akin to that, are reminiscences of pre-Fall alien contacts or advanced technology.”
“But nothing like the Zulotchi?” Having finished their meal, he handed the trays back to the bot, “It is strange, given their strong prejudice against you, or us, for that matter.”
“Many legends were forgotten, or degraded past a point where they could be analyzed.” Sadly, the Age of Chaos where naked survival was the paramount challenge wasn’t kind to the task of preserving the lore. If a tribe was wiped out, or simply perished, their collective memories would be lost as well. “But why does your culture have the concept of those Dragons?”
“As I said before, one possible source could’ve been finds of prehistoric fossils, and the resemblance to the Zulotchi is pure coincidence.” He stood up and beckoned her to approach the holo-walls. They switched to show a variety of petrified bones and feathered, reptilian creatures. “Before being wiped out around 66 millions years ago, such beings inhabited Earth. This massive skull in particular could’ve inspired our ancestors to invent such monsters.”
“But to give them intelligence or supernatural abilities like a fire breath?” This was still a massive stretch.
“We Humans do have an overabundance of imagination.” He shook his head, “Let’s go back to the real world. Soon, we’ll jump to the next system, so I’ll be heading off to the bridge. Before that, allow me to explain our next course of action.”
The view immediately switched to show a starmap. Was he controlling the machinery with an implant, or did he issue telepathic commands to an operator somewhere? “I’ve seen this flight path already.”
“Of course, we did unlock it for you.” Alexander Jardin pointed to the image that now zoomed in. They were still in the fourth system of their planned course that resembled a wide, downward spiral. “After two more jumps, we’ll reach a point close enough to our space to launch some automated courier ships. I need to report the situation and call for reinforcements. My offer is, since such an occasion presents itself, how about recording a diplomatic message?
“But we’re just a liaison team, not representatives.” Emberwing was sure that they didn’t have enough authority for such an important step.
“Then just treat it as a greeting towards long-lost relatives.” He smiled and nodded, “The people back home are fascinated by their cousins, the Loroi.”
“Fine, I’ll speak with the others.” If this could rally Human public opinion in favor of providing support to the Union, then she had to do it, “How long until your government can respond?”
“The initial plan was to send a diplomatic team with some escorts, so we stationed a few such squadrons along possible routes. Those ships are very fast and could arrive within twelve to fifteen days, starting from the nearest outpost over here.” Another star was highlighted on the map, far deeper into the Empty Quarter. “However, with the situation as it is now, I will request more and heavier ships. The fleets need to be redistributed according to the updated strategic information anyway, but it will take at least twice as long for them to arrive.”
“Thank you for proving so much information.” She really needed to discuss it all with the others, “Can you send us all the data?”
“Of course,” He led her to the lift capsule, “Until later, then.”
As Emberwing arrived at her deck, she heard Beryl’s worried sanzai, “Oh, you’re back!”
“Yes, but there was no need to be so anxious.” She entered the cabin where the others were waiting for her, extruding a peculiar atmosphere, “Talking with the Human Captain was the correct decision, after all.”
“What are you even saying!” Angrily exclaimed Tempo, “You stormed off, and then simply disappeared. Eight Eye couldn’t spot you anywhere on the ship!”
“I was in the Arboretum, then in the Lounge. This ship might be huge, but it’s not big enough to exceed the sensing range of a farseer?” Emberwing didn't understand the cause of the Mizol’s outburst. “There was also no attempt on my part to hide in any way.”
“No, this was a major issue!” The other Mizol joined in, “We feared that this could be an attempt at mind-control. Don’t you realize how irrational that behavior actually was?”
“I was simply tired of how all that Mizol secrecy hampered our progress. Since Alexander Jardin caught me anyway, using this opportunity to get some answers was the logical choice.” There was no denying her dream intrusion, no matter how involuntary it might’ve been. “He provided a lot of important information, far more than the Humans had shared with us previously.”
“But can you truly believe anything he said?” Tempo asked her with a mix of irritation and curiosity.
“He promised to send us the relevant data.” Just then, Emberwing stumped. Indeed, she easily believed everything that he had said. Was this story about the Zulotchi true? Why didn’t she question it at least once? Going through her memories, Emberwing realized that she had felt a sense of reassurance throughout the conversation. Of course, it was the familiar truthfulness that usually accompanies sanzai, but they had used the spoken word?
Seeing how she was silent for a while, Beryl asked her, “Is there something wrong?”
“It might be utterly wrong or just right.” Presented with this conundrum, her mind switched into an overdrive. She couldn’t sense any kind of mental interference or suggestion. So, where did that feeling of honesty come from? The conversation was definitely done with spoken words. Wait, why was she hidden from detection as well? “Oasis, you’ve said that there were stories of Loroi sharing emotions, as well as abilities, but no proof of those occurrences? Perhaps I’ve found them.”
Perplexed, the Tiret accepted Emberwing’s outstretched hand. “Please, analyze this particular feeling that accompanied my conversation, and compare it to the sanzai sub-channel.”
“Wait, what?” The counselor was briefly overwhelmed by the amount of information from her eidetic memory, “Dragons? Zulotchi? They are real?”
“Concentrate on the accompanying emotions.” Commanded Emberwing, “This is probably the reason I believed the Human Captain.”
“Oh, yes, it does feel similar to the sanzai sub-channel.” The trained specialist quickly regained her composure, “There are also no signs of tampering, at least as far as my meager ability can recognize.”
“Good, then my hypothesis might have some veracity.” She let go of the Tiret’s hand and addressed everyone, “Let me explain the events in detail.”
With Beryl baffled, and the Mizol still skeptical, it was Fireblade who laughed out loud, “So while we were worried about your fate, you had an encounter with a male? Maybe I should apply for one as well. They do look far sturdier than ours.”
Of course, eating together could be regarded as the first stage of an extended encounter. Not that she would admit having that thought. Even with sanzai. “This was a discussion between Captains, nothing else. What’s more important is the possibility of a nascent telepathic connection. It could explain why I believed him or my apparent mental cloak.”
“Or this was a trick and that lotai could hint at them aiding the Enemy.” Tempo was not convinced. “The whole story seems weird, or at least incomplete. Why the sudden honesty?”
“Perhaps the link works both ways, and he also felt that I could be trusted? For that degree of interactivity in my dream, there needs to be some sort of two-way connection.” This was still far-fetched, but if it could speed up the issue, why not? “By the time when we get back, having a means to pierce the Shell fleet-lotai could provide a decisive advantage for a counter-attack. Linking their powers to a Loroi, then amplifying her may circumvent the farseer chamber incompatibility we’ve run into.”
“For this to work, we need to understand how a link can be established in the first place. Why are you the only one who has that ability?” Disis Willpower joined in as well, “Our tests with the sensor net are still in the early stages. It is still more akin to stumbling around in the dark.”
“Remember that I’ve also managed to catch a glimpse of the previously hidden Shell fleets.” Eight Eye interrupted her brooding, “But since we have no idea how that was even possible, working together with the Humans might be the best way to unravel this mystery.”
“You have a point. Alexander Jardin promised their cooperation regarding the dream issue, so we should seize the opportunity and ask them to explain my treatment, as well as that combined sending which they had attempted.” Emberwing looked at the clock, “Let us work out a plan for tomorrow.”
After designing a suitable inquiry and updating their database with the most recent information, the day was now almost over.
“They didn’t send us that Zulotchi information.” Beryl sounded somewhat disappointed.
“Maybe they need to redact it first?” Speculated Tempo, “Or make the lie more believable?”
“Why should they invent such a story? It doesn’t benefit them in the least, on the contrary, it would severely diminish our trust.” Emberwing was now assessing the situation calmly, “Even without that strange sub-channel feeling, I’d rather believe him.”
“If you say so.” Tempo seemed to have given up, and sighed, “Once we get back, the negotiations will be taken over by proper, high-ranking diplomats anyway.”
“While this detour was considerably ill-timed, it also gives us more time to study the Humans.” Midnight wasn’t as pessimistic, “However, from now on, if you want to have a talk with them, please take at least one of us to accompany you.”
“Of course.” In hindsight, her confronting the Human Captain was indeed overly daring. “But he might’ve been more reserved with two of us around, and this risk did pay off.”
“Facing the dangers is the Captain’s task,” Fireblade raised an eyebrow, “Yet it is our duty to share the burden. Please don’t forget that.”
Perhaps she was indeed too eager. To succeed? No, this was something far more malicious. Revenge. But denying their fair share of that to the others would be dishonorable. “I’ll keep it in mind, don’t worry.”
“I’m actually worried that you might slip into self-destructive tendencies.” Tiret Oasis offered her a professional warning, “This is a common problem after traumatic experiences, especially when coupled with survivor's guilt.”
“Yes, yes, I know.” Emberwing stood up, “Those issues simply need more time, right? Then, I’ll be off to sleep.”
Since she was aware of the problems, they shouldn’t affect her capability to make decisions. At least significantly. Not that she could make any important decisions in the first place. Her small group was just a stranded liaison team, trying to find something productive to do while hitching a ride.
Anyway, it was time to play the role of the lab miros yet again, so she donned the sensor net and went to sleep. In the dream, Emberwing found herself floating, then falling?! No, she recognized this feeling of passing between two artificial gravity fields. But where was she?
“Don’t worry, there’s a brief sensation of weightlessness when the decelerating capsule’s inertia and the station’s gravity fields intersect.” The Captain’s assuaging voice was coming from directly behind her.
“Eh?” She spun around, and he was indeed standing there.
“Don’t you “eh” me, lady.” Alexander Jardin smiled wryly, “If you’re so eager to meet me again, up to the point of barging into my dream, at least greet me properly.”
“What if it was you who pulled me into yours?” She looked around, “Where are we, anyway?”
“Why should I do that? This is definitely me simply dreaming about a ride on an orbital elevator.” He sighed, “Well, if you’re already here, let’s proceed.”
They exited the cabin into a wide, multilayered area. Countless humans were crowding the place, going about their business, arriving, departing, or leaving the hub. He led her through the uncomfortably congested masses to a small waiting area. “This is one of the major orbital stations in Earth’s orbit, so it’s always jam-packed like that.”
Emberwing looked at a screen panel which showed the planet below. It provided an even more impressive view than in her previous dream, since this part of their homeworld was almost completely covered with those gigantic arcologies. “How many Humans are living down there?”
“Well, that information is not classified.” The Captain shrugged, “Earth’s population had recently surpassed the 57 billion mark.”
“WHAT?!” That was more than half of the Loroi total population, and on a single planet? “Why are there so many? Or how can you sustain such numbers?”
“We have our reasons, just as you have yours for those strange growth limits.” He beckoned her to follow him out of the compound, “The arcologies provide their inhabitants with food, water and air, while the planetary cyberspace can facilitate work opportunities or provide entertainment.”
“But what about living space?” She noticed the utterly cramped corridor ahead.
“I’ve seen how lavishly spacious your ships are.” He shook his head, “That wastefulness wasn’t a luxury we could afford, and now, we’ve gotten used to compact rooms.”
She followed him through a door, only to find herself in a familiar environment. Alexander Jardin looked around and mumbled, “I guess we aren’t in Kansas anymore.”
“Sorry, I must’ve dragged you over into my dream, this is definitely my clan’s ancestral citadel!” Emberwing headed to the right, “Let me show you something interesting as well. The view of the city is truly magnificent.”
“And here I thought that you wanted me to meet your parents.” He chuckled, “Let’s go with sightseeing first, then.”
“My mother is on the opposite end of Loroi space, and my grandmother, the clan matron, rarely comes home.” She turned around, “What would be the significance of that meeting?”
“Don’t mind it.” Judging from the mischievous smile, it was likely that he was making fun of her.
“Is this about my age?” Emberwing frowned, “I am a full-fledged Loroi warrior!”
“It isn’t related to age.” His smile grew wider, “But explaining the cultural background of this joke will ruin it.”
So he was indeed having a laugh at her expense, but she didn't want to give him any satisfaction by responding to that, so she just resumed walking, “Whatever.”
After ascending a flight of stairs, they passed through a thick door and were finally out in the open. The evening sun was illuminating the valley down below, and from their high vantage point on the fortress’s ramparts, they could clearly see the city in the distance. Except that it was that fantastical one yet again. Alexander Jardin noticed this discrepancy as well, “Are those animal-drawn carriages on the road? I assumed you to be more advanced…”
“No, this is that weird insertion which I spoke of, probably from someone dreaming about virtual worlds.” She pointed at the city, “Do you recognize it?”
“Could be from a VR game, but I don’t know this particular one.” The Captain shielded his eyes from the sun and inspected the scenery, “Hmm, are those elves? A high fantasy setting, then? I’d have to ask William.”
Of course, that engineer was the one who spoke about fay. Before she could inquire further, the dream seemed to distort and then faded out.
As they entered the elevator, Alexander Jardin continued, “In our culture, there are no particular restrictions about how the two sexes must interact. Those archaic customs were long since abandoned. Simply eating together doesn’t have any special meaning unless we explicitly insert one.”
“The regulations are necessary due to our gender balance.” Emberwing objected to his somewhat condescending remark, “This behavior is an important part of our traditions.”
“In old times, women were regarded as the weaker sex, and their fathers, then husbands, had to assume guardianship over them. Or rather, this was nothing but a pretense to exert control over their lives.” He now looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes, “Tell me, do you really need protection?”
“It is the males that need to be safeguarded!” She had an inkling that he was having fun at her expense.
“I’m the dragon-slaying hero, remember?” He tapped the sword’s pommel.
“Why are you calling the Zulotchi Dragons?” Emberwing guessed that there was some cultural significance regarding the act of killing a dragon, but they were fictional beings. Or not?
“Let me show you, then.” As they entered the Lounge, its holo-walls were already displaying various dragons from the cultural package. “Aren’t such creatures mentioned in your myths?”
“No, they don’t resemble anything we know of.” Despite a great variety of shapes, most followed a reptilian template. Still, apart from that, they didn’t have anything in common with the reptilian Nissek or some other creature, real or mythic alike.
“Then, behold the most likely origin of those Dragon stories, a Zulotchi.” The screens switched to show a truly strange being from multiple angles. It was tall, scaled and decidedly reptilian, with a thick tail supporting its upright stance. Six-fingered hands that ended in curved claws, powerful muscles and sharp teeth gave the impression of a dangerous predator. At the same time, the alien was far more humanoid than a Nissek, up to the point where even its facial expression was clearly discernible. Despite the prolonged, conical head form or the yellow, vertically-slit eyes, it spoke of a predominant character trait. Arrogance. “Do you recognize it?”
“No, it looks utterly alien.” Judging from the deep blue luster, it was probably a Soia-Liron species. “Except for its color. Does it perhaps follow the same biochemistry pattern as us?”
“Yes, and it’s also thanks to this data that we managed to save you in time.” He offered her a seat. “We can provide the full biological profile, if you so wish.”
“Please do, this is an incredible discovery!” To think that the Zulotchi were an actual, distinct Soia-Liron race, she couldn’t even fathom the various implications while studying the images.
“I’ve ordered some meat skewers.” The Captain smiled impishly, as he took a food tray from a service bot and placed it before her. “Grilled miros. Your favorite.”
“Is it?” Too preoccupied with the Zulotchi, Emberwing didn’t process what he said right away. “Do you remember that dream as well?!”
“Of course, Ellen kept laughing about me dreaming of pretty girls for a whole week.” He picked up a skewer from his plate, “At first, I thought that it was just my imagination, yet it wasn’t one, right?”
“No, that was a reminiscence of my diral.” She tried her best to keep her voice calm, but still felt the tips of her ears getting hotter. “It was completely wrong as well, and I even woke up due to the sheer discrepancy.”
“Was this diral done on your homeworld?” He seemed to be genuinely interested in it, “We had a habit of various outdoor activities, all of which were abandoned or virtualized during the Encapsulation.”
They shared a few stories, and he explained how the Dragons became a staple in Human fiction, representing a great challenge that a Hero had to overcome. This was quite different from Loroi myths, thought Emberwing, “Our legends usually do not personalize concepts. The few cases where fantastical beings represent something akin to that, are reminiscences of pre-Fall alien contacts or advanced technology.”
“But nothing like the Zulotchi?” Having finished their meal, he handed the trays back to the bot, “It is strange, given their strong prejudice against you, or us, for that matter.”
“Many legends were forgotten, or degraded past a point where they could be analyzed.” Sadly, the Age of Chaos where naked survival was the paramount challenge wasn’t kind to the task of preserving the lore. If a tribe was wiped out, or simply perished, their collective memories would be lost as well. “But why does your culture have the concept of those Dragons?”
“As I said before, one possible source could’ve been finds of prehistoric fossils, and the resemblance to the Zulotchi is pure coincidence.” He stood up and beckoned her to approach the holo-walls. They switched to show a variety of petrified bones and feathered, reptilian creatures. “Before being wiped out around 66 millions years ago, such beings inhabited Earth. This massive skull in particular could’ve inspired our ancestors to invent such monsters.”
“But to give them intelligence or supernatural abilities like a fire breath?” This was still a massive stretch.
“We Humans do have an overabundance of imagination.” He shook his head, “Let’s go back to the real world. Soon, we’ll jump to the next system, so I’ll be heading off to the bridge. Before that, allow me to explain our next course of action.”
The view immediately switched to show a starmap. Was he controlling the machinery with an implant, or did he issue telepathic commands to an operator somewhere? “I’ve seen this flight path already.”
“Of course, we did unlock it for you.” Alexander Jardin pointed to the image that now zoomed in. They were still in the fourth system of their planned course that resembled a wide, downward spiral. “After two more jumps, we’ll reach a point close enough to our space to launch some automated courier ships. I need to report the situation and call for reinforcements. My offer is, since such an occasion presents itself, how about recording a diplomatic message?
“But we’re just a liaison team, not representatives.” Emberwing was sure that they didn’t have enough authority for such an important step.
“Then just treat it as a greeting towards long-lost relatives.” He smiled and nodded, “The people back home are fascinated by their cousins, the Loroi.”
“Fine, I’ll speak with the others.” If this could rally Human public opinion in favor of providing support to the Union, then she had to do it, “How long until your government can respond?”
“The initial plan was to send a diplomatic team with some escorts, so we stationed a few such squadrons along possible routes. Those ships are very fast and could arrive within twelve to fifteen days, starting from the nearest outpost over here.” Another star was highlighted on the map, far deeper into the Empty Quarter. “However, with the situation as it is now, I will request more and heavier ships. The fleets need to be redistributed according to the updated strategic information anyway, but it will take at least twice as long for them to arrive.”
“Thank you for proving so much information.” She really needed to discuss it all with the others, “Can you send us all the data?”
“Of course,” He led her to the lift capsule, “Until later, then.”
As Emberwing arrived at her deck, she heard Beryl’s worried sanzai, “Oh, you’re back!”
“Yes, but there was no need to be so anxious.” She entered the cabin where the others were waiting for her, extruding a peculiar atmosphere, “Talking with the Human Captain was the correct decision, after all.”
“What are you even saying!” Angrily exclaimed Tempo, “You stormed off, and then simply disappeared. Eight Eye couldn’t spot you anywhere on the ship!”
“I was in the Arboretum, then in the Lounge. This ship might be huge, but it’s not big enough to exceed the sensing range of a farseer?” Emberwing didn't understand the cause of the Mizol’s outburst. “There was also no attempt on my part to hide in any way.”
“No, this was a major issue!” The other Mizol joined in, “We feared that this could be an attempt at mind-control. Don’t you realize how irrational that behavior actually was?”
“I was simply tired of how all that Mizol secrecy hampered our progress. Since Alexander Jardin caught me anyway, using this opportunity to get some answers was the logical choice.” There was no denying her dream intrusion, no matter how involuntary it might’ve been. “He provided a lot of important information, far more than the Humans had shared with us previously.”
“But can you truly believe anything he said?” Tempo asked her with a mix of irritation and curiosity.
“He promised to send us the relevant data.” Just then, Emberwing stumped. Indeed, she easily believed everything that he had said. Was this story about the Zulotchi true? Why didn’t she question it at least once? Going through her memories, Emberwing realized that she had felt a sense of reassurance throughout the conversation. Of course, it was the familiar truthfulness that usually accompanies sanzai, but they had used the spoken word?
Seeing how she was silent for a while, Beryl asked her, “Is there something wrong?”
“It might be utterly wrong or just right.” Presented with this conundrum, her mind switched into an overdrive. She couldn’t sense any kind of mental interference or suggestion. So, where did that feeling of honesty come from? The conversation was definitely done with spoken words. Wait, why was she hidden from detection as well? “Oasis, you’ve said that there were stories of Loroi sharing emotions, as well as abilities, but no proof of those occurrences? Perhaps I’ve found them.”
Perplexed, the Tiret accepted Emberwing’s outstretched hand. “Please, analyze this particular feeling that accompanied my conversation, and compare it to the sanzai sub-channel.”
“Wait, what?” The counselor was briefly overwhelmed by the amount of information from her eidetic memory, “Dragons? Zulotchi? They are real?”
“Concentrate on the accompanying emotions.” Commanded Emberwing, “This is probably the reason I believed the Human Captain.”
“Oh, yes, it does feel similar to the sanzai sub-channel.” The trained specialist quickly regained her composure, “There are also no signs of tampering, at least as far as my meager ability can recognize.”
“Good, then my hypothesis might have some veracity.” She let go of the Tiret’s hand and addressed everyone, “Let me explain the events in detail.”
With Beryl baffled, and the Mizol still skeptical, it was Fireblade who laughed out loud, “So while we were worried about your fate, you had an encounter with a male? Maybe I should apply for one as well. They do look far sturdier than ours.”
Of course, eating together could be regarded as the first stage of an extended encounter. Not that she would admit having that thought. Even with sanzai. “This was a discussion between Captains, nothing else. What’s more important is the possibility of a nascent telepathic connection. It could explain why I believed him or my apparent mental cloak.”
“Or this was a trick and that lotai could hint at them aiding the Enemy.” Tempo was not convinced. “The whole story seems weird, or at least incomplete. Why the sudden honesty?”
“Perhaps the link works both ways, and he also felt that I could be trusted? For that degree of interactivity in my dream, there needs to be some sort of two-way connection.” This was still far-fetched, but if it could speed up the issue, why not? “By the time when we get back, having a means to pierce the Shell fleet-lotai could provide a decisive advantage for a counter-attack. Linking their powers to a Loroi, then amplifying her may circumvent the farseer chamber incompatibility we’ve run into.”
“For this to work, we need to understand how a link can be established in the first place. Why are you the only one who has that ability?” Disis Willpower joined in as well, “Our tests with the sensor net are still in the early stages. It is still more akin to stumbling around in the dark.”
“Remember that I’ve also managed to catch a glimpse of the previously hidden Shell fleets.” Eight Eye interrupted her brooding, “But since we have no idea how that was even possible, working together with the Humans might be the best way to unravel this mystery.”
“You have a point. Alexander Jardin promised their cooperation regarding the dream issue, so we should seize the opportunity and ask them to explain my treatment, as well as that combined sending which they had attempted.” Emberwing looked at the clock, “Let us work out a plan for tomorrow.”
After designing a suitable inquiry and updating their database with the most recent information, the day was now almost over.
“They didn’t send us that Zulotchi information.” Beryl sounded somewhat disappointed.
“Maybe they need to redact it first?” Speculated Tempo, “Or make the lie more believable?”
“Why should they invent such a story? It doesn’t benefit them in the least, on the contrary, it would severely diminish our trust.” Emberwing was now assessing the situation calmly, “Even without that strange sub-channel feeling, I’d rather believe him.”
“If you say so.” Tempo seemed to have given up, and sighed, “Once we get back, the negotiations will be taken over by proper, high-ranking diplomats anyway.”
“While this detour was considerably ill-timed, it also gives us more time to study the Humans.” Midnight wasn’t as pessimistic, “However, from now on, if you want to have a talk with them, please take at least one of us to accompany you.”
“Of course.” In hindsight, her confronting the Human Captain was indeed overly daring. “But he might’ve been more reserved with two of us around, and this risk did pay off.”
“Facing the dangers is the Captain’s task,” Fireblade raised an eyebrow, “Yet it is our duty to share the burden. Please don’t forget that.”
Perhaps she was indeed too eager. To succeed? No, this was something far more malicious. Revenge. But denying their fair share of that to the others would be dishonorable. “I’ll keep it in mind, don’t worry.”
“I’m actually worried that you might slip into self-destructive tendencies.” Tiret Oasis offered her a professional warning, “This is a common problem after traumatic experiences, especially when coupled with survivor's guilt.”
“Yes, yes, I know.” Emberwing stood up, “Those issues simply need more time, right? Then, I’ll be off to sleep.”
Since she was aware of the problems, they shouldn’t affect her capability to make decisions. At least significantly. Not that she could make any important decisions in the first place. Her small group was just a stranded liaison team, trying to find something productive to do while hitching a ride.
Anyway, it was time to play the role of the lab miros yet again, so she donned the sensor net and went to sleep. In the dream, Emberwing found herself floating, then falling?! No, she recognized this feeling of passing between two artificial gravity fields. But where was she?
“Don’t worry, there’s a brief sensation of weightlessness when the decelerating capsule’s inertia and the station’s gravity fields intersect.” The Captain’s assuaging voice was coming from directly behind her.
“Eh?” She spun around, and he was indeed standing there.
“Don’t you “eh” me, lady.” Alexander Jardin smiled wryly, “If you’re so eager to meet me again, up to the point of barging into my dream, at least greet me properly.”
“What if it was you who pulled me into yours?” She looked around, “Where are we, anyway?”
“Why should I do that? This is definitely me simply dreaming about a ride on an orbital elevator.” He sighed, “Well, if you’re already here, let’s proceed.”
They exited the cabin into a wide, multilayered area. Countless humans were crowding the place, going about their business, arriving, departing, or leaving the hub. He led her through the uncomfortably congested masses to a small waiting area. “This is one of the major orbital stations in Earth’s orbit, so it’s always jam-packed like that.”
Emberwing looked at a screen panel which showed the planet below. It provided an even more impressive view than in her previous dream, since this part of their homeworld was almost completely covered with those gigantic arcologies. “How many Humans are living down there?”
“Well, that information is not classified.” The Captain shrugged, “Earth’s population had recently surpassed the 57 billion mark.”
“WHAT?!” That was more than half of the Loroi total population, and on a single planet? “Why are there so many? Or how can you sustain such numbers?”
“We have our reasons, just as you have yours for those strange growth limits.” He beckoned her to follow him out of the compound, “The arcologies provide their inhabitants with food, water and air, while the planetary cyberspace can facilitate work opportunities or provide entertainment.”
“But what about living space?” She noticed the utterly cramped corridor ahead.
“I’ve seen how lavishly spacious your ships are.” He shook his head, “That wastefulness wasn’t a luxury we could afford, and now, we’ve gotten used to compact rooms.”
She followed him through a door, only to find herself in a familiar environment. Alexander Jardin looked around and mumbled, “I guess we aren’t in Kansas anymore.”
“Sorry, I must’ve dragged you over into my dream, this is definitely my clan’s ancestral citadel!” Emberwing headed to the right, “Let me show you something interesting as well. The view of the city is truly magnificent.”
“And here I thought that you wanted me to meet your parents.” He chuckled, “Let’s go with sightseeing first, then.”
“My mother is on the opposite end of Loroi space, and my grandmother, the clan matron, rarely comes home.” She turned around, “What would be the significance of that meeting?”
“Don’t mind it.” Judging from the mischievous smile, it was likely that he was making fun of her.
“Is this about my age?” Emberwing frowned, “I am a full-fledged Loroi warrior!”
“It isn’t related to age.” His smile grew wider, “But explaining the cultural background of this joke will ruin it.”
So he was indeed having a laugh at her expense, but she didn't want to give him any satisfaction by responding to that, so she just resumed walking, “Whatever.”
After ascending a flight of stairs, they passed through a thick door and were finally out in the open. The evening sun was illuminating the valley down below, and from their high vantage point on the fortress’s ramparts, they could clearly see the city in the distance. Except that it was that fantastical one yet again. Alexander Jardin noticed this discrepancy as well, “Are those animal-drawn carriages on the road? I assumed you to be more advanced…”
“No, this is that weird insertion which I spoke of, probably from someone dreaming about virtual worlds.” She pointed at the city, “Do you recognize it?”
“Could be from a VR game, but I don’t know this particular one.” The Captain shielded his eyes from the sun and inspected the scenery, “Hmm, are those elves? A high fantasy setting, then? I’d have to ask William.”
Of course, that engineer was the one who spoke about fay. Before she could inquire further, the dream seemed to distort and then faded out.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission S: To cast a Hero
“We are here, your Eminence.” The Captain of the Temple guard opened the heavy wooden door and led her onto the ramparts. Standing upon the mighty city wall allowed the High Priestess-elect to overlook the entire valley up to the steep cliffs in the far-off distance. She squinted her eyes, but of course, unlike in her last dream, there couldn’t be possibly a fortress up there. Was her vivid dream which showed a citadel atop the crag divine guidance to build one? Or a vision of a future where one would be constructed?
No, ever since the debacle with the dream about a white sword, she learned that the Transcendent One’s visions were most often not as straightforward as she’d liked. Interpreting that as a command to reinstate a temple army, she went as far as to propose this to her mentor. Which turned out to be a mistake, since he disagreed instantly, chiding her for youthful brashness and a lack of insight into the holy visions. What’s even more embarrassing, his counter-arguments were indeed sound. If the Church were to give up their status as a neutral party, then their role as a mediator between the various states would be in jeopardy. Furthermore, the task of assembling troops against the nomads was sure to be completely mired in political intrigue, something that the Church’s official stance on separating the mundane and divine so far managed to avoid.
She sighed, and walked up to the battlements to lean on the warm stone. Down below at the wall’s base, numerous workers were busy enlarging the ditch. “I see that the efforts to improve our defenses are progressing well.” While she could simply read the reports, seeing it in person was also quite important. At the same time, she could bolster the morale, but the main reason to come here was to simply get out of the Temple for a while in order to clear her head. She blessed the laborers who noticed her, which was met with cheers.
“What is your opinion on the reinforcements?” Without turning around, she asked the Captain.
“The detachments from the nearby cities have already been integrated into our forces without any major problems, but,” He did not bother to sugarcoat his disapproval, “the troops from the south insist on having their own commanders, and the western…”
“Still haven’t arrived yet. I know.” Far worse, that army wasn’t dispatched or even assembled yet. An exceptionally clear divine vision showed her that the lords of the western peninsula were still squabbling among themselves. Spy reports indicated that while the secret murder of a few particularly troublesome rulers had prevented an all-out war for dominance, the tensions did not abate completely. Therefore, locked into a tense standoff, they couldn’t spare any troops. But that information wasn’t anything she would spread among the soldiers. “I will have to sternly remind them of their holy duty.”
“By the will of the Divine One!” The Captain replied with vigor.
Indeed, but what was actually the Transcendent One’s will? She didn’t make much progress regarding her most mysterious, yet also most intense visions. The gigantic figure sitting upon a magnificent throne kept haunting her dreams. It didn’t speak or interact with her in any way, the only thing that she could feel was its colossal presence, dwarfing anything a mortal could ever produce. Maybe it deigned her too insignificant, or was she perhaps too puny to be noticed? What was that thing in the first place? The embodiment of God? Not quite, while powerful, it lacked the feeling of divinity which the Holy Vessel radiated.
The priestess looked into the plains, where the evening sun cast long shadows of the city’s walls and towers. Suddenly, it dawned on her. The figure on the throne, or the person wielding that white sword against a formless evil, weren’t to be taken literally! Just as these shadows, they were merely projections, concepts of what the Church needed right now. A hero, a legend, a larger-than-life symbol to rally the faithful. This champion would act as an icon to unite the people against the common threat and give their struggle a face that they could associate themselves with. The priestess sized up the Captain of the Temple guard next to her. While impressively built, he lacked that certain spark, or at least a sufficient amount of charisma. Well, maybe she should inspect the training grounds next, and look for a suitable hopeful to play this role. Preferably a handsome one, she could certainly benefit from this distraction.
“We are here, your Eminence.” The Captain of the Temple guard opened the heavy wooden door and led her onto the ramparts. Standing upon the mighty city wall allowed the High Priestess-elect to overlook the entire valley up to the steep cliffs in the far-off distance. She squinted her eyes, but of course, unlike in her last dream, there couldn’t be possibly a fortress up there. Was her vivid dream which showed a citadel atop the crag divine guidance to build one? Or a vision of a future where one would be constructed?
No, ever since the debacle with the dream about a white sword, she learned that the Transcendent One’s visions were most often not as straightforward as she’d liked. Interpreting that as a command to reinstate a temple army, she went as far as to propose this to her mentor. Which turned out to be a mistake, since he disagreed instantly, chiding her for youthful brashness and a lack of insight into the holy visions. What’s even more embarrassing, his counter-arguments were indeed sound. If the Church were to give up their status as a neutral party, then their role as a mediator between the various states would be in jeopardy. Furthermore, the task of assembling troops against the nomads was sure to be completely mired in political intrigue, something that the Church’s official stance on separating the mundane and divine so far managed to avoid.
She sighed, and walked up to the battlements to lean on the warm stone. Down below at the wall’s base, numerous workers were busy enlarging the ditch. “I see that the efforts to improve our defenses are progressing well.” While she could simply read the reports, seeing it in person was also quite important. At the same time, she could bolster the morale, but the main reason to come here was to simply get out of the Temple for a while in order to clear her head. She blessed the laborers who noticed her, which was met with cheers.
“What is your opinion on the reinforcements?” Without turning around, she asked the Captain.
“The detachments from the nearby cities have already been integrated into our forces without any major problems, but,” He did not bother to sugarcoat his disapproval, “the troops from the south insist on having their own commanders, and the western…”
“Still haven’t arrived yet. I know.” Far worse, that army wasn’t dispatched or even assembled yet. An exceptionally clear divine vision showed her that the lords of the western peninsula were still squabbling among themselves. Spy reports indicated that while the secret murder of a few particularly troublesome rulers had prevented an all-out war for dominance, the tensions did not abate completely. Therefore, locked into a tense standoff, they couldn’t spare any troops. But that information wasn’t anything she would spread among the soldiers. “I will have to sternly remind them of their holy duty.”
“By the will of the Divine One!” The Captain replied with vigor.
Indeed, but what was actually the Transcendent One’s will? She didn’t make much progress regarding her most mysterious, yet also most intense visions. The gigantic figure sitting upon a magnificent throne kept haunting her dreams. It didn’t speak or interact with her in any way, the only thing that she could feel was its colossal presence, dwarfing anything a mortal could ever produce. Maybe it deigned her too insignificant, or was she perhaps too puny to be noticed? What was that thing in the first place? The embodiment of God? Not quite, while powerful, it lacked the feeling of divinity which the Holy Vessel radiated.
The priestess looked into the plains, where the evening sun cast long shadows of the city’s walls and towers. Suddenly, it dawned on her. The figure on the throne, or the person wielding that white sword against a formless evil, weren’t to be taken literally! Just as these shadows, they were merely projections, concepts of what the Church needed right now. A hero, a legend, a larger-than-life symbol to rally the faithful. This champion would act as an icon to unite the people against the common threat and give their struggle a face that they could associate themselves with. The priestess sized up the Captain of the Temple guard next to her. While impressively built, he lacked that certain spark, or at least a sufficient amount of charisma. Well, maybe she should inspect the training grounds next, and look for a suitable hopeful to play this role. Preferably a handsome one, she could certainly benefit from this distraction.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXIX: A conspiracy
Emberwing woke up, but this time, she was no longer panicked about invading the Human Captain’s dreams. They had a rather nice conversation, and he wasn’t angry about her presence. Since there wasn’t a summon either, she decided to join Beryl and have a meal. Yet, as soon as she opened the cabinet to get a uniform, that accursed suit spoke to her. “We greet you, Soroin Torret Emberwing. Finally, we can announce to have restored our full capacity, and can thus offer you our utmost support.”
“Tempo, the construct contacted me again!” Somehow, today it was unusually friendly, “What kind of support?”
“There is now enough data to postulate a theory which could tie together the various, seemingly unrelated mysteries.” It explained in an eager tone. “Let us start with the analysis of the Human’s drive system. The sub-light sprint is theoretically within the realm of possibilities, although it is a very reckless application of this technology. The accident which nearly destroyed this ship is a good example of the inherent risks.”
“Does this mean that you know of this method, but do not apply it?” Indeed, the Historian ships, while significantly faster than Loroi ones, never accelerated to such ridiculous speeds as this vessel. “Beryl, have the Historians ever used something like that?”
“Yes, we deem such toying with the real-space boundary to be too dangerous. In order to safely use this principle, one would need scanners which can penetrate hyperspace in order to analyze its chaotic distortions in real-time.” The construct sounded condescending. “Yet at such a level of development, there would be better and safer propulsion methods available. This one is a dead end, no matter what.”
“The Human’s level of mastery over hyperspace seems to be slightly above that of the Historians. Is it perhaps jealous? This propulsion method is indeed truly novel.” interjected the Listel, “Although something like hyperspace scanners is so far out of our reach that we don’t even know how they are supposed to work.”
“A weird development pace, again?” Emberwing crossed her arms, “Could’ve their supposed backers provided them with the necessary equipment? Is this perhaps the reason you assumed that there must be someone behind them?”
“Yes, you are correct on all accounts. Furthermore, the overall pattern does point to a certain party. Previously, we merely suspected the Zulotchi, but with a more in-depth analysis, this is now highly probable.” Its tone turned serious, “The problem is that the Humans are not developed enough to build, operate or even understand a sufficiently advanced hyperspace scanner which is necessary to calculate the propulsion waveform patterns. It is of course possible that the device was provided as a black-box. However, there also exists a certain loophole which could allow them to substitute for such a capability even at their current technology level. A very specific subset of psionic talents may enable them to predict hyperspace fluctuations.”
“Were the Zulotchi telepathic, then? Can we use such abilities?” Emberwing bombarded it with questions. “And why do you know of this?”
“Such abilities are completely unheard-of.” Tempo entered the cabin, “Can you please elaborate on the source for this outrageous claim?”
“We are the Historians.” Emphasized the construct. “Considering all the circumstances, we have elected to break some regulations regarding the sharing of information. The Soia-Liron race known as the Zulotchi were not gifted with telepathy, but instead, uniquely susceptible to it. According to what little we know, they had studied this phenomenon extensively in order to counteract their weakness, leading to a number of appliances which could affect it.”
“So they invented amplifiers?” That didn’t make sense, “But the Humans claimed to have no knowledge of those!”
“They could’ve lied, or been ordered to mislead you.” The puppet-thing paused, “After all, the Zulotchi may have retained their mastery over psionic dampeners, the pinnacle of their research, as well.”
“The Enemy!” Did it mean that it was a double deception? “Could that technology be the source of the Shell mind-cloak?! Are they behind them, too?”
“It is one of the possibilities, and we have already warned your government of this, in secret. Unfortunately, it was far above your clearance grade, Mizol Parat Tempo, so we couldn’t inform you earlier.” It apologized in a slightly remorseful tone, “Back to the main topic. If the Zulotchi have access to dampening devices, any number of them could be on board right now, while being invisible to you.”
“I haven’t even heard a whisper of a rumor about any Zulotchi!” The Mizol did not accept this so easily, “Why are you insisting on bringing those mysterious aliens into this?”
“And what do the Zulotchi need the Humans for?” She remembered her dream of the alien on the throne, “Or why are they here?”
“Perhaps they assumed that the time is right to test their trump card?” The construct elaborated further, “A client race of telepaths would be of great help to the Zulotchi. With such forces, they could use their expertise on amplification to gain access to unique abilities, or counteract their natural enemy. Accounts speak of them being your ancestor’s rivals even before the Fall, and bitter enemies during it.”
“Us Loroi?” Emberwing was briefly stumped, but somehow, it did make sense, if the Zulotchi were as susceptible to telepathy as Alexander Jardin had told her. “The Shell commander spoke of a war against mind-terror, could this perhaps be related as well?”
“This possibility was also communicated to your government.” It began to talk faster, desperate even, “Now, do you understand why we warned you against providing the Humans with information? Before we can ascertain whether it is truly the Zulotchi they are in league with, please, be aware that anything you reveal might be used against your entire race or even the whole Union. We’ll send you some additional information regarding amplifier usage. Unfortunately, our time is running out much faster than we expected. Farewell, and be safe.”
Emberwing dropped the suit which she was apparently clutching without having realized it. This was truly too much to stomach at once, but her mind already tried to switch into an overdrive to process it all. However, without enough information, this wouldn’t lead anywhere, so she forcibly suppressed her bad habit. Doing that would merely lead her to abandon the other tasks midway. They haven’t even finished any of their objectives, since new problems kept popping up far too often. As a Torret, she really needed to learn how to get such a mess under control. “Everyone, please come to my cabin. We need to discuss something important immediately.”
As soon as her team assembled, she recounted what the construct had said. “Do you have any knowledge about those matters?”
“As I’ve told before, there were theories about a backer or instigator behind the Shell’s sudden aggression, early in the conflict. All of those were long since disproved.” While Tempo was deceptively calm, there was some unrest in her sending, “With the appearance of the fleet-cloak, those are being re-evaluated, yet I haven’t heard anything about such secret warnings or the Zulotchi.”
“I don’t know of this, either.” Midnight sounded doubtful, “Most importantly, an ability to sense hyperspace is just plain impossible.”
“You’ve experienced it already,” Eight Eye was also skeptical, but somewhat intrigued as well, “Farsight picks up lifesigns, it cannot see the inanimate.”
“What if it needs a different kind of amplification?” Emberwing recalled that strange tune this ship produced when it accelerated, and sent the mental image to everyone, “It was entirely dissimilar to our amplifiers. Did you notice it?”
Yet, nobody else did, even the Farseer, “I couldn’t sense it. The ship was simply vibrating, there wasn’t any psionic component to it.”
“So it’s either an issue of proximity, or my own attuning. And where’s the amplifier, if there’s one?” She remembered the shard from the scout ship, “Were there any results regarding that Shell vessel the Humans handed over, especially the amplifier remains?”
The Mizol looked at each other, and Midnight spoke, “Nothing conclusive, the material was largely identical to what we use, but not of our make. Of course, there was not enough time to replicate and test it.”
“Then,” She tried to think of another possibility, “Farsight can’t pick up the Humans either, although that’s probably due to a different cause. No, let’s see what the construct had sent us first.”
Midnight received a new tablet from Oasis, and used it to download the data, “The information here is about our long jump. It says that while the high outbound velocity would be crucial for ensuring the necessary stability during the transit, a re-entry with such speed should’ve been impossible. A hyperspace scanner couldn’t change that outcome either.”
“I already came to the same conclusion,” agreed Beryl, “The inertia was too high for a successful re-embedding.”
“Exactly, but the ship did not retain that velocity after the arrival, as it normally should, remember?” Continued Midnight with astonishment, “Judging from this fact, the construct postulates three theories. First, that transit was not a hyperspace jump, which is unlikely. Second, the trajectory was not ballistic, possibly due to an unknown steering method.”
“A hyperspace manipulator?” The Humans had theorized that the artifact from that wreck could’ve been such a wondrous device, “Then, why don’t they use it regularly?”
“That is the third theory. It could be yet another application of a psionic amplification technology instead.” The Mizol shook her head. “This sounds utterly ridiculous, but it may explain our unusual jump sickness, the issues with the amplifiers, or the fact that the Humans, and only the telepathic ones, fainted all of a sudden.”
“You mean a backlash?” Fireblade frowned, “From what? Don’t tell me that they simply willed themselves back into real-space?”
“Maybe the puppet-thing is at its wit’s end?” Interjected Oasis, “Anything it cannot explain, must be due to magic?”
“Or the construct made a fatal error while reassembling itself?” Beryl couldn’t believe it either.
“It indeed doesn’t make any sense, the Humans said that the test ships for the experiments with the device replicas were automated!” Exclaimed Emberwing, “Moreover, such feats of telekinesis, or whatever else it may have been, would make them into true monsters!”
“Then we’re in quite the predicament. Do we stop cooperating with the Humans, or should we devise a plan to deceive them?” Tempo rubbed her nose bridge, “Assuming they can’t read us, or that any of this information is actually true. While we can’t outright refute it, believing it is also a tall order.”
“Simply stopping working with them all of a sudden will be too suspicious, so we will continue doing so.” Decided Emberwing, “Perhaps we can find out more. I’m not entirely convinced that there’s a mysterious third party working in the background and this whole analysis relies on mere conjectures which we cannot prove. Regardless, the main problem still lies in trust! We need to establish a means of sanzai with the Humans in order to better gauge their intentions.”
“Good, because today, we had scheduled an information exchange about your treatment and the dream issue.” Explained Willpower with a smile, “You are well-acquainted with the Captain, so you may elicit more from him?”
“Of course, since I had a shared dream with him again.” She ignored the innuendo, “Let us proceed with the meeting, but we’ll concentrate on the dreams issue as not to give them too much information. My link is the best lead which we currently have. Who is going to come along?”
“You, of course, then me and Tempo,” answered Disis Willpower, “Perhaps we should include Fireblade as well?”
“No matter what kind of powers those Humans posses, I shall guard you, oh Captain.” The Teidar agreed with a smirk, “First, though, let us eat, or do you want to have a meal with him again?”
“No, now sounds good.” Emberwing resisted the temptation. “We also have to redistribute the tasks. While my group deals with the Humans, Midnight, Oasis, and Eight Eye should look for any clues to the Zulotchi or those abilities in the archives. If the Humans send their own data on them, cross-reference that as well. Beryl, please analyze the readings from my scanner, and compare it with the previous reading.”
“I doubt that there’s anything definitive.” Frowned Midnight while ordering something from the menu, “Such powers are outrageous even now, but for our savage ancestors, any descriptions would be completely incomprehensible.”
“Search for something that could refer to farsight working on inanimate objects or mythic figures resembling the Zulotchi.” She of course realized that this was far too unspecified, “We simply need at least one hint to verify the construct’s story.”
“What if it knows of such, and managed to incorporate it into its claims, so even if we do find anything, it will be still into its favor?” Midnight sniffed at the dish she received, then tasted it, “It’s quite good for a facsimile, actually. Anyway, I understood the task, but I cannot promise any results.”
“I’m not expecting much either.” Emberwing finished her meal. “Charon, we are ready, please inform someone to pick us up.”
“So, you couldn’t stop dreaming about me?” Alexander Jardin entered the cabin.
“Perhaps it is the other way round?” If the Humans were truly such powerful telepaths, then even a normally unnoticeable dream leak might’ve been enough.
“Let us find out the reason,” He led them to the elevator, “Angela has compiled a few things regarding those dreams.”
“You’ve said that other crew members experienced strange dreams as well?” She shifted the topic away from her.
“Do dreams have any special meaning in your culture?” He looked at her with interest, “You seem to be quite focused on them.”
“Not particularly, they are simply one of the few leads that we have.” Emberwing refuted it, “We Loroi do not place any special meaning on dreams either. There are, however, some telepathic healing techniques which require the patient to be asleep or in trance.”
“Interesting, we have merely begun developing our psionic talents, and there are yet no such advanced means of treatment.” Alexander Jardin led them down the corridor, “It’s a pity we can’t exchange those methods with telepathy.”
“But we already do have some sort of connection.” Said Emberwing as they entered the medbay.
“A very bold statement.” Angela Carmona greeted them inside with a wry smile.
“Not in such a way.” She became better at understanding their humor regarding relationships, “We are here to discuss this apparent link in earnest. Was there anybody else who experienced shared dreams?”
“Such complete and vivid, or even interactive ones? Just him.” She pointed at the Captain, “There are a few cases where other people had rather strange dreams. William Steele, for example, had a very detailed dream where he was forging his prized sword in an ancient smithy. And Ellen wore that fancy dress at a royal court.”
“Could it be related to those virtual worlds of yours?” Emberwing looked at Alexander Jardin, “Were you able to identify that particular one we stumbled into?”
“No, while it does follow a common trope, it is not known by anyone, so it was probably a figment of imagination.” He stroked his beard, “Also, the dreams that the others had were not necessary related to your dreamworld either, therefore it is almost impossible to pinpoint the source. But, am I right in assuming that you’re the only one who had such dreams?”
“Yes, it was only me who had them.” Emberwing nodded.
“Then, if we take into account Parat Tempo’s inquiry about that combined sending, you probably suspect that it was the starting point?” Alexander Jardin smiled, “Don’t worry, we had already anticipated this question, and prepared an answer.”
“A good deduction,” acknowledged Tempo, “I hope that it won’t be a demonstration. We should try this only with proper specialists.”
“Of course, that time, we merely attempted it as an emergency treatment, since you had absolutely no psionic signature.” Angela Carmona waved her hand, “I won’t force anyone to participate in such a dangerous experiment.”
“What is actually a combined sending?” Disis Willpower joined the conversation. “You said that it was a means of activating your telepathy, so how is it done?”
“A very good question, since we don’t know how exactly our powers are unlocked.” the scientist crossed her arms, “It is pretty difficult to express such concepts in words. To sum it up, a group of telepaths needs to concentrate on a target while projecting a common mental image which all of them are most in tune with. Sometimes, it is like trying to drag a mind upwards through a collective effort. Then, there are also techniques that synchronize the recipient with the others, or imbue them with spiritual energy. However, the image itself seems to be of little relevance, as all of them have roughly the same success rate.”
“How is it different from the other means of unlocking telepathy?” The lecture described a purely technological approach, “Like the implant method?”
“That one is now rarely used, since it was superseded by better and safer ones.” The scientist tapped her chin, “The problem is, all of them have very few things in common, except that they must exert a certain amount of stress on the brain. But then again, not just any kind of shock will do, so we need to carefully test out what helps, and what harms.”
“It is indeed prying the talents open with brute force.” So what exactly did they do to her? Could that have awakened some innate ability, or was she merely borrowing their power? “Wait, this gives me an idea, maybe they can share their abilities between themselves freely, and I merely joined in on that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. However, if they actually can, then we mustn't simply admit not having this skill as well.” Tempo’s sending was slightly jealous. “How are the mentors and initiates chosen, and what is their relationship after a successful attempt?”
The Humans looked at each other. The woman shrugged, and the man nodded, then answered them, “We prefer to keep our secrets, just as you probably want as well. Still, I can reveal a few things. We telepaths are a minority, but due to our superior abilities, naturally the ones in charge. Therefore, any major unit, like a ship, for example, is led by an appropriately-sized team of us. Telepathy is a very intimate experience, however, so those usually grow into tight-knit circles, which can then perform advanced techniques like the combined sending, together. The newly awakened ones usually join the group that initiated them.”
“Now I can understand why they described themselves as nobility.” Emberwing recalled one of the history lectures. “It doesn’t give us much to work with. What do they mean by advanced techniques?”
“Rather, this reminds me of ancient Teidar warbands. We still use a number of their practices, like the combined effort, for example.” Remarked Fireblade, then asked Tempo in a teasing tone, “Pray tell, which secret techniques do the Mizol possess?”
“We can partake of each other’s expertise, or even skills, to some extent.” The Parat was, obviously, not forthcoming with information, “Could Torret Emberwing have become part of that circle as well, at least in some way?”
“Theoretically, yes. But practically?” The Captain stroked his beard, “Hmm. How about confirming it? Our farsight is also a collective technique, so let’s try it out together, shall we?”
Emberwing woke up, but this time, she was no longer panicked about invading the Human Captain’s dreams. They had a rather nice conversation, and he wasn’t angry about her presence. Since there wasn’t a summon either, she decided to join Beryl and have a meal. Yet, as soon as she opened the cabinet to get a uniform, that accursed suit spoke to her. “We greet you, Soroin Torret Emberwing. Finally, we can announce to have restored our full capacity, and can thus offer you our utmost support.”
“Tempo, the construct contacted me again!” Somehow, today it was unusually friendly, “What kind of support?”
“There is now enough data to postulate a theory which could tie together the various, seemingly unrelated mysteries.” It explained in an eager tone. “Let us start with the analysis of the Human’s drive system. The sub-light sprint is theoretically within the realm of possibilities, although it is a very reckless application of this technology. The accident which nearly destroyed this ship is a good example of the inherent risks.”
“Does this mean that you know of this method, but do not apply it?” Indeed, the Historian ships, while significantly faster than Loroi ones, never accelerated to such ridiculous speeds as this vessel. “Beryl, have the Historians ever used something like that?”
“Yes, we deem such toying with the real-space boundary to be too dangerous. In order to safely use this principle, one would need scanners which can penetrate hyperspace in order to analyze its chaotic distortions in real-time.” The construct sounded condescending. “Yet at such a level of development, there would be better and safer propulsion methods available. This one is a dead end, no matter what.”
“The Human’s level of mastery over hyperspace seems to be slightly above that of the Historians. Is it perhaps jealous? This propulsion method is indeed truly novel.” interjected the Listel, “Although something like hyperspace scanners is so far out of our reach that we don’t even know how they are supposed to work.”
“A weird development pace, again?” Emberwing crossed her arms, “Could’ve their supposed backers provided them with the necessary equipment? Is this perhaps the reason you assumed that there must be someone behind them?”
“Yes, you are correct on all accounts. Furthermore, the overall pattern does point to a certain party. Previously, we merely suspected the Zulotchi, but with a more in-depth analysis, this is now highly probable.” Its tone turned serious, “The problem is that the Humans are not developed enough to build, operate or even understand a sufficiently advanced hyperspace scanner which is necessary to calculate the propulsion waveform patterns. It is of course possible that the device was provided as a black-box. However, there also exists a certain loophole which could allow them to substitute for such a capability even at their current technology level. A very specific subset of psionic talents may enable them to predict hyperspace fluctuations.”
“Were the Zulotchi telepathic, then? Can we use such abilities?” Emberwing bombarded it with questions. “And why do you know of this?”
“Such abilities are completely unheard-of.” Tempo entered the cabin, “Can you please elaborate on the source for this outrageous claim?”
“We are the Historians.” Emphasized the construct. “Considering all the circumstances, we have elected to break some regulations regarding the sharing of information. The Soia-Liron race known as the Zulotchi were not gifted with telepathy, but instead, uniquely susceptible to it. According to what little we know, they had studied this phenomenon extensively in order to counteract their weakness, leading to a number of appliances which could affect it.”
“So they invented amplifiers?” That didn’t make sense, “But the Humans claimed to have no knowledge of those!”
“They could’ve lied, or been ordered to mislead you.” The puppet-thing paused, “After all, the Zulotchi may have retained their mastery over psionic dampeners, the pinnacle of their research, as well.”
“The Enemy!” Did it mean that it was a double deception? “Could that technology be the source of the Shell mind-cloak?! Are they behind them, too?”
“It is one of the possibilities, and we have already warned your government of this, in secret. Unfortunately, it was far above your clearance grade, Mizol Parat Tempo, so we couldn’t inform you earlier.” It apologized in a slightly remorseful tone, “Back to the main topic. If the Zulotchi have access to dampening devices, any number of them could be on board right now, while being invisible to you.”
“I haven’t even heard a whisper of a rumor about any Zulotchi!” The Mizol did not accept this so easily, “Why are you insisting on bringing those mysterious aliens into this?”
“And what do the Zulotchi need the Humans for?” She remembered her dream of the alien on the throne, “Or why are they here?”
“Perhaps they assumed that the time is right to test their trump card?” The construct elaborated further, “A client race of telepaths would be of great help to the Zulotchi. With such forces, they could use their expertise on amplification to gain access to unique abilities, or counteract their natural enemy. Accounts speak of them being your ancestor’s rivals even before the Fall, and bitter enemies during it.”
“Us Loroi?” Emberwing was briefly stumped, but somehow, it did make sense, if the Zulotchi were as susceptible to telepathy as Alexander Jardin had told her. “The Shell commander spoke of a war against mind-terror, could this perhaps be related as well?”
“This possibility was also communicated to your government.” It began to talk faster, desperate even, “Now, do you understand why we warned you against providing the Humans with information? Before we can ascertain whether it is truly the Zulotchi they are in league with, please, be aware that anything you reveal might be used against your entire race or even the whole Union. We’ll send you some additional information regarding amplifier usage. Unfortunately, our time is running out much faster than we expected. Farewell, and be safe.”
Emberwing dropped the suit which she was apparently clutching without having realized it. This was truly too much to stomach at once, but her mind already tried to switch into an overdrive to process it all. However, without enough information, this wouldn’t lead anywhere, so she forcibly suppressed her bad habit. Doing that would merely lead her to abandon the other tasks midway. They haven’t even finished any of their objectives, since new problems kept popping up far too often. As a Torret, she really needed to learn how to get such a mess under control. “Everyone, please come to my cabin. We need to discuss something important immediately.”
As soon as her team assembled, she recounted what the construct had said. “Do you have any knowledge about those matters?”
“As I’ve told before, there were theories about a backer or instigator behind the Shell’s sudden aggression, early in the conflict. All of those were long since disproved.” While Tempo was deceptively calm, there was some unrest in her sending, “With the appearance of the fleet-cloak, those are being re-evaluated, yet I haven’t heard anything about such secret warnings or the Zulotchi.”
“I don’t know of this, either.” Midnight sounded doubtful, “Most importantly, an ability to sense hyperspace is just plain impossible.”
“You’ve experienced it already,” Eight Eye was also skeptical, but somewhat intrigued as well, “Farsight picks up lifesigns, it cannot see the inanimate.”
“What if it needs a different kind of amplification?” Emberwing recalled that strange tune this ship produced when it accelerated, and sent the mental image to everyone, “It was entirely dissimilar to our amplifiers. Did you notice it?”
Yet, nobody else did, even the Farseer, “I couldn’t sense it. The ship was simply vibrating, there wasn’t any psionic component to it.”
“So it’s either an issue of proximity, or my own attuning. And where’s the amplifier, if there’s one?” She remembered the shard from the scout ship, “Were there any results regarding that Shell vessel the Humans handed over, especially the amplifier remains?”
The Mizol looked at each other, and Midnight spoke, “Nothing conclusive, the material was largely identical to what we use, but not of our make. Of course, there was not enough time to replicate and test it.”
“Then,” She tried to think of another possibility, “Farsight can’t pick up the Humans either, although that’s probably due to a different cause. No, let’s see what the construct had sent us first.”
Midnight received a new tablet from Oasis, and used it to download the data, “The information here is about our long jump. It says that while the high outbound velocity would be crucial for ensuring the necessary stability during the transit, a re-entry with such speed should’ve been impossible. A hyperspace scanner couldn’t change that outcome either.”
“I already came to the same conclusion,” agreed Beryl, “The inertia was too high for a successful re-embedding.”
“Exactly, but the ship did not retain that velocity after the arrival, as it normally should, remember?” Continued Midnight with astonishment, “Judging from this fact, the construct postulates three theories. First, that transit was not a hyperspace jump, which is unlikely. Second, the trajectory was not ballistic, possibly due to an unknown steering method.”
“A hyperspace manipulator?” The Humans had theorized that the artifact from that wreck could’ve been such a wondrous device, “Then, why don’t they use it regularly?”
“That is the third theory. It could be yet another application of a psionic amplification technology instead.” The Mizol shook her head. “This sounds utterly ridiculous, but it may explain our unusual jump sickness, the issues with the amplifiers, or the fact that the Humans, and only the telepathic ones, fainted all of a sudden.”
“You mean a backlash?” Fireblade frowned, “From what? Don’t tell me that they simply willed themselves back into real-space?”
“Maybe the puppet-thing is at its wit’s end?” Interjected Oasis, “Anything it cannot explain, must be due to magic?”
“Or the construct made a fatal error while reassembling itself?” Beryl couldn’t believe it either.
“It indeed doesn’t make any sense, the Humans said that the test ships for the experiments with the device replicas were automated!” Exclaimed Emberwing, “Moreover, such feats of telekinesis, or whatever else it may have been, would make them into true monsters!”
“Then we’re in quite the predicament. Do we stop cooperating with the Humans, or should we devise a plan to deceive them?” Tempo rubbed her nose bridge, “Assuming they can’t read us, or that any of this information is actually true. While we can’t outright refute it, believing it is also a tall order.”
“Simply stopping working with them all of a sudden will be too suspicious, so we will continue doing so.” Decided Emberwing, “Perhaps we can find out more. I’m not entirely convinced that there’s a mysterious third party working in the background and this whole analysis relies on mere conjectures which we cannot prove. Regardless, the main problem still lies in trust! We need to establish a means of sanzai with the Humans in order to better gauge their intentions.”
“Good, because today, we had scheduled an information exchange about your treatment and the dream issue.” Explained Willpower with a smile, “You are well-acquainted with the Captain, so you may elicit more from him?”
“Of course, since I had a shared dream with him again.” She ignored the innuendo, “Let us proceed with the meeting, but we’ll concentrate on the dreams issue as not to give them too much information. My link is the best lead which we currently have. Who is going to come along?”
“You, of course, then me and Tempo,” answered Disis Willpower, “Perhaps we should include Fireblade as well?”
“No matter what kind of powers those Humans posses, I shall guard you, oh Captain.” The Teidar agreed with a smirk, “First, though, let us eat, or do you want to have a meal with him again?”
“No, now sounds good.” Emberwing resisted the temptation. “We also have to redistribute the tasks. While my group deals with the Humans, Midnight, Oasis, and Eight Eye should look for any clues to the Zulotchi or those abilities in the archives. If the Humans send their own data on them, cross-reference that as well. Beryl, please analyze the readings from my scanner, and compare it with the previous reading.”
“I doubt that there’s anything definitive.” Frowned Midnight while ordering something from the menu, “Such powers are outrageous even now, but for our savage ancestors, any descriptions would be completely incomprehensible.”
“Search for something that could refer to farsight working on inanimate objects or mythic figures resembling the Zulotchi.” She of course realized that this was far too unspecified, “We simply need at least one hint to verify the construct’s story.”
“What if it knows of such, and managed to incorporate it into its claims, so even if we do find anything, it will be still into its favor?” Midnight sniffed at the dish she received, then tasted it, “It’s quite good for a facsimile, actually. Anyway, I understood the task, but I cannot promise any results.”
“I’m not expecting much either.” Emberwing finished her meal. “Charon, we are ready, please inform someone to pick us up.”
“So, you couldn’t stop dreaming about me?” Alexander Jardin entered the cabin.
“Perhaps it is the other way round?” If the Humans were truly such powerful telepaths, then even a normally unnoticeable dream leak might’ve been enough.
“Let us find out the reason,” He led them to the elevator, “Angela has compiled a few things regarding those dreams.”
“You’ve said that other crew members experienced strange dreams as well?” She shifted the topic away from her.
“Do dreams have any special meaning in your culture?” He looked at her with interest, “You seem to be quite focused on them.”
“Not particularly, they are simply one of the few leads that we have.” Emberwing refuted it, “We Loroi do not place any special meaning on dreams either. There are, however, some telepathic healing techniques which require the patient to be asleep or in trance.”
“Interesting, we have merely begun developing our psionic talents, and there are yet no such advanced means of treatment.” Alexander Jardin led them down the corridor, “It’s a pity we can’t exchange those methods with telepathy.”
“But we already do have some sort of connection.” Said Emberwing as they entered the medbay.
“A very bold statement.” Angela Carmona greeted them inside with a wry smile.
“Not in such a way.” She became better at understanding their humor regarding relationships, “We are here to discuss this apparent link in earnest. Was there anybody else who experienced shared dreams?”
“Such complete and vivid, or even interactive ones? Just him.” She pointed at the Captain, “There are a few cases where other people had rather strange dreams. William Steele, for example, had a very detailed dream where he was forging his prized sword in an ancient smithy. And Ellen wore that fancy dress at a royal court.”
“Could it be related to those virtual worlds of yours?” Emberwing looked at Alexander Jardin, “Were you able to identify that particular one we stumbled into?”
“No, while it does follow a common trope, it is not known by anyone, so it was probably a figment of imagination.” He stroked his beard, “Also, the dreams that the others had were not necessary related to your dreamworld either, therefore it is almost impossible to pinpoint the source. But, am I right in assuming that you’re the only one who had such dreams?”
“Yes, it was only me who had them.” Emberwing nodded.
“Then, if we take into account Parat Tempo’s inquiry about that combined sending, you probably suspect that it was the starting point?” Alexander Jardin smiled, “Don’t worry, we had already anticipated this question, and prepared an answer.”
“A good deduction,” acknowledged Tempo, “I hope that it won’t be a demonstration. We should try this only with proper specialists.”
“Of course, that time, we merely attempted it as an emergency treatment, since you had absolutely no psionic signature.” Angela Carmona waved her hand, “I won’t force anyone to participate in such a dangerous experiment.”
“What is actually a combined sending?” Disis Willpower joined the conversation. “You said that it was a means of activating your telepathy, so how is it done?”
“A very good question, since we don’t know how exactly our powers are unlocked.” the scientist crossed her arms, “It is pretty difficult to express such concepts in words. To sum it up, a group of telepaths needs to concentrate on a target while projecting a common mental image which all of them are most in tune with. Sometimes, it is like trying to drag a mind upwards through a collective effort. Then, there are also techniques that synchronize the recipient with the others, or imbue them with spiritual energy. However, the image itself seems to be of little relevance, as all of them have roughly the same success rate.”
“How is it different from the other means of unlocking telepathy?” The lecture described a purely technological approach, “Like the implant method?”
“That one is now rarely used, since it was superseded by better and safer ones.” The scientist tapped her chin, “The problem is, all of them have very few things in common, except that they must exert a certain amount of stress on the brain. But then again, not just any kind of shock will do, so we need to carefully test out what helps, and what harms.”
“It is indeed prying the talents open with brute force.” So what exactly did they do to her? Could that have awakened some innate ability, or was she merely borrowing their power? “Wait, this gives me an idea, maybe they can share their abilities between themselves freely, and I merely joined in on that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. However, if they actually can, then we mustn't simply admit not having this skill as well.” Tempo’s sending was slightly jealous. “How are the mentors and initiates chosen, and what is their relationship after a successful attempt?”
The Humans looked at each other. The woman shrugged, and the man nodded, then answered them, “We prefer to keep our secrets, just as you probably want as well. Still, I can reveal a few things. We telepaths are a minority, but due to our superior abilities, naturally the ones in charge. Therefore, any major unit, like a ship, for example, is led by an appropriately-sized team of us. Telepathy is a very intimate experience, however, so those usually grow into tight-knit circles, which can then perform advanced techniques like the combined sending, together. The newly awakened ones usually join the group that initiated them.”
“Now I can understand why they described themselves as nobility.” Emberwing recalled one of the history lectures. “It doesn’t give us much to work with. What do they mean by advanced techniques?”
“Rather, this reminds me of ancient Teidar warbands. We still use a number of their practices, like the combined effort, for example.” Remarked Fireblade, then asked Tempo in a teasing tone, “Pray tell, which secret techniques do the Mizol possess?”
“We can partake of each other’s expertise, or even skills, to some extent.” The Parat was, obviously, not forthcoming with information, “Could Torret Emberwing have become part of that circle as well, at least in some way?”
“Theoretically, yes. But practically?” The Captain stroked his beard, “Hmm. How about confirming it? Our farsight is also a collective technique, so let’s try it out together, shall we?”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXX: To look near and far
A farsight session? Were they aware of her abilities? “But I am no farseer.”
“We don’t have such a strict distinction or castes.” Alexander Jardin tapped his head, “While some do possess certain strengths, the farsensing is done with the entire group, and its members supplement each other.”
“What are you hoping to achieve?” Emberwing felt that she should take up his offer, yet was still unconvinced, “We don't even know if there’s truly a link, whether it works in a conscious state or if I can contribute something to the group effort.”
“Other techniques will take longer to explain, or are classified for now.” He smiled, “Besides, it may be more fruitful than to simply exchange medical data.”
“What do you think? It’s risky, but I’m also interested in gauging their strength, as well as in establishing a sanzai link.” She asked Tempo for her opinion, “We could also test if anyone beside me can sense something. Finally, it’s a good excuse for me to use the amplifier, and try to spot any existences other than the Humans.”
“I’m not entirely sure about it. Is he trying to pull off something, or was that merely decided on the spur of the moment?” The Mizol ruminated for a heartbeat, “Fine, your arguments are sound enough. Let’s accept it, but try not to reveal the full extent of your abilities. Just have Eight Eye join us as well. She can better ascertain the possible dangers.”
“Then, I’ll be the lab miros, again.” In the case where they would establish a telepathic link, she was confident enough to safeguard important information. Not that she knew many secrets, except perhaps for the stowaway Historian. Or was that even a secret? “I agree, on the condition that our Farseer will attend as well.”
“Of course, it is meant as an experiment in the first place.” The Captain agreed immediately, “Alexey shall fetch her, and we can join up in the cargo bay.”
“Do you need the amplifier?” There weren’t any reports about them reacting to it.
“We thought of a slightly different way to use it.” He led them to the elevator, “Since it appears to be impossible to tune the amplifier to our specifics, why not use a centerpiece which it was designed for?”
Did he mean her? She remembered the first amplifier experiment, where the Humans said that they need to focus on a central point. “I see, we already thought of something similar, once the issue of our incompatibility would be solved.”
“It will make it easier to conduct, then.” They arrived in the cargo bay, and soon after, Eight Eye together with Midnight, accompanied by Zarjow, joined them.
“Now that we’ve assembled, I’ll explain what we’ll be doing.” The Operative urged them to head towards the amplifier. “Interestingly enough, I got the idea for this from a dream.”
“What was it about?” Emberwing was greatly interested.
“No, that one wasn’t related to your connection.” He smiled wryly, “I wouldn’t dare to infringe on the Captain’s privilege. It was just the usual case of a stroke of inspiration in a dream.”
“Usual?” The Humans said that they didn’t place any importance on dreams.
“Well, when we sleep, the brain will process the events of the day and may come up with new insights.” Angela Carmona, who accompanied them, explained it, “In rare cases, it could even provide an inspiration.”
“In old times, people believed that such dreams would connect us to an incorporeal realm of ideas, where all that was, is, or shall be is recorded.” Zarjow nodded to the scientist, “Perhaps, since we discovered one mythic power, that of telepathy, this one might be next?”
“That isn’t even such a great of an idea, merely a logical conclusion.” Angela Carmona shook her head. “And can you keep your weird hobby out of my science?”
“Says the co-founder of the Institute for Witchcraft.” He chuckled, “Pardon, the First Institute of Psionics. Anyway, to get back on topic, my idea is indeed quite simple. Our farsight needs a focal point, which is usually the person with the highest aptitude for this endeavor. So, we’ll just try it with Torret Emberwing, who will be inside the amplifier. Hopefully, this might allow us to access its capabilities indirectly.”
“We had already thought of trying that, once the problem of the apparent incompatibility would be solved.” Eight Eye looked at the amplifier device, “But if Warrior Emberwing does have a connection of sorts, it might work.”
“I thought you would be more against it, actually.” Ellen Jardin, together with three more Humans descended into the cargo bay as well. Emberwing recognized them as the farsight experts from their first experiment on the citadel, “This is primarily meant to test if there’s any link at all, yet, what if it succeeds too well?”
“It won’t be a problem. Sanzai is our primary means of communication, and we have far more experience with it than you. Rather, what if it turns out to be to your demerit instead?” Emberwing got into the amplifier seat. “I’m ready.”
“Then we’ll accept the challenge.” Five of the Humans assumed positions around the chamber, while Angela Carmona And Zarjow stood back to watch it. Emberwing took a deep breath and activated the aperture.
“I can let Eight Eye explain how to operate the amplifier, but what must we do in order to set up that link?” Somehow, the Humans acted very casual, as if expecting her to know both of their technique and how to control this device.
“Since we can’t feel each other yet, simply act naturally.” Ellen Jardin smiled reassuringly, “The group effort is a combination of each individual’s abilities, If it succeeds, then you’ll understand what to do, and if not, then it would be impossible to explain it in words, anyway.”
“Fine, let’s begin.” She closed the bubble and leaned back in the seat. The psionic melody began as an almost imperceptible whisper, hiding in the far-off corners of the cargo bay. It was slowly drawn to the amplifier bubble, gradually attuning the walls to its familiar rhythm. Finally, the song converged on the ceiling, but instead of continuing beyond, as in the citadel, it was reflected inwards, filling the small amplifier chamber with a powerful tune.
Her sight expanded in a rapid pulse, and she had to quickly reorient herself with the help of the holographic projector. While the two groups of Loroi served as points of reference, everything else on the ship was utterly dark. No minds besides them, Human or otherwise, could be sensed, and she didn’t feel any foreign influence, either. “I’m not experiencing any link?”
“We don’t feel any changes to our sight as well.” Said the Captain. “What can you perceive?”
“Only the Loroi right here. Maybe I should try to spot the other ones, if that’s even possible.” Emberwing lied about the extent of her abilities, and then, attempted to refine her sight, to gauge whether there was some kind of dampening or interference active, to no avail. Instead, fleeting, almost imperceptible wisps began popping in and out of existence at the edges of her perception. They were disappearing way too fast for her to analyze them, as if mocking her futile attempts. Was this a figment of her imagination, or an error in the amplifier’s alignment? “Eight Eye, I can see strange flickers in the corners of my vision!”
“This sometimes happens, every Farseer has such an experience now and then.” The Bistima’s sending was calm, “We don’t know the exact reasons for this. It may be due to residue static that the amplifier cannot filter out completely. Regardless of the source, it is not dangerous, so you may proceed.”
Thus assured, she directed her sight into space. This system, yet another lifeless one typical for the Wastelands, provided no responses either, so she decided to look for the next star. “I don’t think that this arrangement works, but shall we attempt an interstellar farsensing anyway?”
“There’s indeed no feedback.” Acknowledged Alexander Jardin, “On the other hand, this also means that it’s not dangerous either, so why not go a step further?”
“If that’s your wish, then I shall oblige.” The holo-projector provided her with the direction, and she channeled her efforts towards the faraway dim red dwarf. It did not even have any rocky planets, just a single gas giant and a few outlying planetoids. The only thing of note was a dense belt of ice particles, which occupied the inner orbits. Perhaps a failed attempt at forming a planet, or did the gas giant’s gravity trap and crush a number of comets there? As expected, there were no lifesigns either, so she deactivated the aperture.
“Without any points of reference, I can’t be sure whether my sensing range was any different. As I said, I’m no farseer, so I don’t have the expertise to provide a definitive answer, but there was no link.” Emberwing stood up, “How was the experience on your side?”
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t feel anything, either.” Alexander Jardin rubbed his temples, “No connection, or responses in the adjacent system, not that we expected to see any. Perhaps the farsensing should be attempted again in more controlled circumstances, when we know the location, size, and distance to the target. This could help us gauge if there’s any improvement in range or resolution.”
“Were you able to notice something?” She joined with the others, “It also needs to be confirmed how the connection works in the first place. Merely sharing dreams now and then might not be enough for the application of this technique.”
“Failure is the most common outcome in such experiments, there’s no need to worry.” Zarjow was not discouraged, “We simply need to come up with a better idea.”
“Can we consider this session to be concluded, for now?” Tempo decided to wrap it up, “Let us discuss the matter without them.”
“Of course, but if you do notice any changes, or think of other means to verify our connection, please contact us.” Alexander Jardin escorted them to the elevator. “We will send you some medical data regarding the dream issue. Also, we can try it again tomorrow, once we’d rested.”
Bidding farewell, the Loroi returned to their cabins. “The Humans behaved somewhat strange, although I don’t get the reason. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.” remarked Tempo.
“Yes, first, they acted as if already knowing of my abilities, especially farsight, then assumed that I would immediately pick up on their technique.” Emberwing felt weird about this, “Can they read me? Or was that one of those mind games?”
“Them being able to read us is highly unlikely.” Tempo nodded to Midnight, “We Mizol have certain protocols to ascertain such cases by comparing and analyzing our observations.”
“I regarded those exercises to be nothing except measures to keep unruly apprentices busy.” Midnight chuckled, “To think we would ever be forced to use them. However, I have to agree that the Humans shouldn’t be able to read us. We are constantly verifying it, so let’s regard this possibility as less probable for now. It is more likely due to their technique being self-explanatory with telepathy and the assumptions regarding your abilities due to surveillance.”
“This still wouldn’t explain their behavior fully, though. Was that yet another test?” Emberwing reminded them of what Alexander Jardin had said, “The Humans may want to find out something, and while they can’t read us, their AIs could be hard at work right now, analyzing our every move and facial expression.”
“The Neridi have somewhat similar tools, except that they don’t work on us due to insufficient cultural data.” Recalled Beryl, “Adapting them was deemed to be too much effort for too little of a gain, especially since the Barsam or Delrias would need dedicated routines as well. And I don’t think that it would be possible to rewrite them for the Pipolsid. Since we are quite similar, the Human ones might be applied to us, but the extent is certainly exaggerated.”
“I get it, we are arrogant about our abilities, and they may use that for tricks against us.” Emberwing showed her impatience, “But I require answers. This behavior was simply too strange!”
“You expect far too much in an instant,” The Listel frowned, then switched to a smile, “Fortunately, I do have a theory. What if the Humans acquired additional information from a different source, and this forced them to ascertain it as fast as possible? As to where it came from, the prime suspect would be the Historian construct.”
“Meaning that this accursed puppet-thing sold us out?” She never trusted it, despite that it was supposed to be an ally, “Maybe the Humans gained access to our databases?”
“No, those are still safe.” Midnight tapped her tablet, “Besides, in such a case, their actions should be more straightforward. It felt like they were probing for something they weren’t sure of, or attempted to disprove a suspicion.”
“What kind of twisted game is the construct playing?” Did it sent the Humans some kind of ominous warning as well, confusing them greatly? “Can we even believe its outrageous claims?”
“Not at face value, obviously,” Beryl was quickly exchanging mental images with the others, and provided her with various examples, “However, there are three points, which do have some credibility. First, the Humans are truly powerful telepaths, if all of them can farsee without apparent amplification. Second, it’s almost certain that they can share abilities among themselves. Finally, they had sent us the Zulotchi data, and it’s very detailed.”
“Thank you,” Emberwing quickly calmed herself, and looked at the tablet which was given to her. Looking through the information, she realized that it was indeed far too complex for an impromptu falsification, “I’d like a summary, if possible.”
“Even a preliminary one would be finished tomorrow at the very earliest.” Oasis shook her head, “Combined with all the ridiculous stuff the Emissary had told us, it needs a lot of time to be cross-referenced.”
This was to be expected. Given the huge amount of data, and the fact that it increased daily, processing all of that would be plain impossible. Trying to do it regardless was most probably her biggest mistake that led to them being unable to complete any of the endeavors. No matter how talented its members, this team was simply too small. “Let us settle for preliminary analyses of the most interesting cases as a general principle, this way we can deliver the information in a more comprehensive state once we get back.”
“A good idea, we’d need several groups of Listel and other specialists to make sense of this.” Agreed Beryl, “I was trying to process your sensor cap’s logs, for example, but besides telling me about neurotransmitter levels and brain activity, it amounted to little. There’s simply not enough data to even postulate a theory.”
“Just do what you can, and I shall read the reports later. Perhaps that Human notion of having an inspiration in a dream would work for me as well. Speaking of dreams,” Emberwing turned to the Tiret, “Oasis, let us analyze my last one in the meantime.”
The Loroi formed smaller teams and dispersed to different cabins to carry out their respective tasks, while Emberwing followed the counselor. “That dream was even more interactive than the previous one.”
“Maybe the reason the Humans were so insistent on trying out the group session was this dream?” Theorized the specialist, as she received the memory through a touch link, “It did come pretty close to sanzai.”
“They could’ve assumed that it required just one more push.” Somehow, Emberwing had a similar feeling, which was probably the reason she agreed so quickly. “Or trying to solve it with brute force, once they run out of patience, might be a character trait of their species.”
“I’ll add this to the psychological profile.” Oasis noted it on her tablet, “After all, they also force open their psionic talents.”
“But what did they enable in me?” Her strength was abnormal enough to destroy an amplifier, and she even awakened to a farseer talent. However, despite sharing dreams, there was still not a single hint about enabling telepathy. “And why can’t I connect with them? Everything would be much easier if we could sanzai!”
“By the way, I think that I got the meaning of his joke.” Sensing her gloom thoughts, Oasis suddenly smiled impishly, “Since they’re monogamous, meeting the parents to get their approval to start a relationship might be common sense, or at least it could’ve been in the past. You were quite eager to show him around.”
“I didn’t perceive it in such regard!” Or did she? “But this could be true, thank you for the explanation. And for lifting my mood.”
“This is my original job, after all.” The counselor leaked quite a gloom mood as well, “Trying to make sense of strange aliens or weird dreams is way too many ranks above me. We Tirets are just better apothecaries.”
“Do not deprecate yourself, your contribution is very valuable!” Her idea about the possible connection was proven true, after all. “We must do what we can, and make sure to deliver the accumulated data back to the Union. In the first place, this detour was completely unintentional, but we still have to make the best out of the delay.”
“Thank you as well.” Oasis nodded, “If it weren’t for that obscure legend, I would’ve been left behind on that citadel. I hope that my contribution here outweighs me vacating the battlefield, not that I could’ve done much in the fight, either.”
“Those were Lashret Lightspear’s orders, and it was by her sacrifice which allowed for the support personnel to be evacuated.” This would certainly include the Tiret as well, “Unlike my strike group, where everyone except for me perished.”
“Comparing the number of friends we’ve lost is a rather strange way of encouragement.” She smiled, “It does work, however, so I’ll be adding it to my repertoire.”
“So let us consider it a fair exchange, then.” Emberwing stood up, “It’s getting late, and I still want to go over all the reports.”
Back in her cabin, she did exactly that. The various bits and pieces of information which they’ve accumulated so far felt like tiny pieces of a gigantic puzzle. Unfortunately, the more data they got, the more complicated would the bigger picture become. She could merely hope that her decision to switch to surface-level analyses would provide a better overlook, or at least make the job easier for the researchers back home. Since this was leading nowhere, she decided to sleep, and let her brain sort it out, if what Zarjow had said would apply to the Loroi as well.
Emberwing strolled through the streets of the fantastical city, except that today, they were utterly empty. Wondering where all the inhabitants had gone, she arrived at a huge temple-like structure in the middle of the town. From inside of it, she could hear a song, or rather, a chant? Curious about the familiar rhythm, she pushed open the massive doors to reveal the Zulotchi’s magnificent throne room. Bathed in golden light, it appeared even more spacious than before, and was filled with worshiping, hooded figures to the brim.
The masked alien raised a hand to beckon her, “Welcome, at last! The grand ceremony couldn’t begin without you.”
As if upon a silent command, the masses parted to allow her to proceed before the throne. “Here I am, so what do you need me for?”
The golden mask seemed to liquefy and flowed upwards to create a shining crown, revealing a familiar face. Alexander Jardin eyed her with a mysterious expression. “Are you finally ready to take up my offer?”
“What offer?” Emberwing was puzzled about this strange turn of events.
“To join us, of course.” He waved his hands, and the figures removed their hoods.
“Who or what are you?” She looked at one of the beings, only to realize that this must be her sister, “Join the Voiceless Dead? What kind of sick joke is this?!”
“They are not truly dead, nor longer voiceless, by our powers combined shall we awaken and attain the long-forgotten dream of immortality. You as well cannot avoid this destiny any longer.” He crossed both palms on his chest, “As to what I am? We have a saying, that whoever slays the Dragon, will inevitably become the next one.”
A farsight session? Were they aware of her abilities? “But I am no farseer.”
“We don’t have such a strict distinction or castes.” Alexander Jardin tapped his head, “While some do possess certain strengths, the farsensing is done with the entire group, and its members supplement each other.”
“What are you hoping to achieve?” Emberwing felt that she should take up his offer, yet was still unconvinced, “We don't even know if there’s truly a link, whether it works in a conscious state or if I can contribute something to the group effort.”
“Other techniques will take longer to explain, or are classified for now.” He smiled, “Besides, it may be more fruitful than to simply exchange medical data.”
“What do you think? It’s risky, but I’m also interested in gauging their strength, as well as in establishing a sanzai link.” She asked Tempo for her opinion, “We could also test if anyone beside me can sense something. Finally, it’s a good excuse for me to use the amplifier, and try to spot any existences other than the Humans.”
“I’m not entirely sure about it. Is he trying to pull off something, or was that merely decided on the spur of the moment?” The Mizol ruminated for a heartbeat, “Fine, your arguments are sound enough. Let’s accept it, but try not to reveal the full extent of your abilities. Just have Eight Eye join us as well. She can better ascertain the possible dangers.”
“Then, I’ll be the lab miros, again.” In the case where they would establish a telepathic link, she was confident enough to safeguard important information. Not that she knew many secrets, except perhaps for the stowaway Historian. Or was that even a secret? “I agree, on the condition that our Farseer will attend as well.”
“Of course, it is meant as an experiment in the first place.” The Captain agreed immediately, “Alexey shall fetch her, and we can join up in the cargo bay.”
“Do you need the amplifier?” There weren’t any reports about them reacting to it.
“We thought of a slightly different way to use it.” He led them to the elevator, “Since it appears to be impossible to tune the amplifier to our specifics, why not use a centerpiece which it was designed for?”
Did he mean her? She remembered the first amplifier experiment, where the Humans said that they need to focus on a central point. “I see, we already thought of something similar, once the issue of our incompatibility would be solved.”
“It will make it easier to conduct, then.” They arrived in the cargo bay, and soon after, Eight Eye together with Midnight, accompanied by Zarjow, joined them.
“Now that we’ve assembled, I’ll explain what we’ll be doing.” The Operative urged them to head towards the amplifier. “Interestingly enough, I got the idea for this from a dream.”
“What was it about?” Emberwing was greatly interested.
“No, that one wasn’t related to your connection.” He smiled wryly, “I wouldn’t dare to infringe on the Captain’s privilege. It was just the usual case of a stroke of inspiration in a dream.”
“Usual?” The Humans said that they didn’t place any importance on dreams.
“Well, when we sleep, the brain will process the events of the day and may come up with new insights.” Angela Carmona, who accompanied them, explained it, “In rare cases, it could even provide an inspiration.”
“In old times, people believed that such dreams would connect us to an incorporeal realm of ideas, where all that was, is, or shall be is recorded.” Zarjow nodded to the scientist, “Perhaps, since we discovered one mythic power, that of telepathy, this one might be next?”
“That isn’t even such a great of an idea, merely a logical conclusion.” Angela Carmona shook her head. “And can you keep your weird hobby out of my science?”
“Says the co-founder of the Institute for Witchcraft.” He chuckled, “Pardon, the First Institute of Psionics. Anyway, to get back on topic, my idea is indeed quite simple. Our farsight needs a focal point, which is usually the person with the highest aptitude for this endeavor. So, we’ll just try it with Torret Emberwing, who will be inside the amplifier. Hopefully, this might allow us to access its capabilities indirectly.”
“We had already thought of trying that, once the problem of the apparent incompatibility would be solved.” Eight Eye looked at the amplifier device, “But if Warrior Emberwing does have a connection of sorts, it might work.”
“I thought you would be more against it, actually.” Ellen Jardin, together with three more Humans descended into the cargo bay as well. Emberwing recognized them as the farsight experts from their first experiment on the citadel, “This is primarily meant to test if there’s any link at all, yet, what if it succeeds too well?”
“It won’t be a problem. Sanzai is our primary means of communication, and we have far more experience with it than you. Rather, what if it turns out to be to your demerit instead?” Emberwing got into the amplifier seat. “I’m ready.”
“Then we’ll accept the challenge.” Five of the Humans assumed positions around the chamber, while Angela Carmona And Zarjow stood back to watch it. Emberwing took a deep breath and activated the aperture.
“I can let Eight Eye explain how to operate the amplifier, but what must we do in order to set up that link?” Somehow, the Humans acted very casual, as if expecting her to know both of their technique and how to control this device.
“Since we can’t feel each other yet, simply act naturally.” Ellen Jardin smiled reassuringly, “The group effort is a combination of each individual’s abilities, If it succeeds, then you’ll understand what to do, and if not, then it would be impossible to explain it in words, anyway.”
“Fine, let’s begin.” She closed the bubble and leaned back in the seat. The psionic melody began as an almost imperceptible whisper, hiding in the far-off corners of the cargo bay. It was slowly drawn to the amplifier bubble, gradually attuning the walls to its familiar rhythm. Finally, the song converged on the ceiling, but instead of continuing beyond, as in the citadel, it was reflected inwards, filling the small amplifier chamber with a powerful tune.
Her sight expanded in a rapid pulse, and she had to quickly reorient herself with the help of the holographic projector. While the two groups of Loroi served as points of reference, everything else on the ship was utterly dark. No minds besides them, Human or otherwise, could be sensed, and she didn’t feel any foreign influence, either. “I’m not experiencing any link?”
“We don’t feel any changes to our sight as well.” Said the Captain. “What can you perceive?”
“Only the Loroi right here. Maybe I should try to spot the other ones, if that’s even possible.” Emberwing lied about the extent of her abilities, and then, attempted to refine her sight, to gauge whether there was some kind of dampening or interference active, to no avail. Instead, fleeting, almost imperceptible wisps began popping in and out of existence at the edges of her perception. They were disappearing way too fast for her to analyze them, as if mocking her futile attempts. Was this a figment of her imagination, or an error in the amplifier’s alignment? “Eight Eye, I can see strange flickers in the corners of my vision!”
“This sometimes happens, every Farseer has such an experience now and then.” The Bistima’s sending was calm, “We don’t know the exact reasons for this. It may be due to residue static that the amplifier cannot filter out completely. Regardless of the source, it is not dangerous, so you may proceed.”
Thus assured, she directed her sight into space. This system, yet another lifeless one typical for the Wastelands, provided no responses either, so she decided to look for the next star. “I don’t think that this arrangement works, but shall we attempt an interstellar farsensing anyway?”
“There’s indeed no feedback.” Acknowledged Alexander Jardin, “On the other hand, this also means that it’s not dangerous either, so why not go a step further?”
“If that’s your wish, then I shall oblige.” The holo-projector provided her with the direction, and she channeled her efforts towards the faraway dim red dwarf. It did not even have any rocky planets, just a single gas giant and a few outlying planetoids. The only thing of note was a dense belt of ice particles, which occupied the inner orbits. Perhaps a failed attempt at forming a planet, or did the gas giant’s gravity trap and crush a number of comets there? As expected, there were no lifesigns either, so she deactivated the aperture.
“Without any points of reference, I can’t be sure whether my sensing range was any different. As I said, I’m no farseer, so I don’t have the expertise to provide a definitive answer, but there was no link.” Emberwing stood up, “How was the experience on your side?”
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t feel anything, either.” Alexander Jardin rubbed his temples, “No connection, or responses in the adjacent system, not that we expected to see any. Perhaps the farsensing should be attempted again in more controlled circumstances, when we know the location, size, and distance to the target. This could help us gauge if there’s any improvement in range or resolution.”
“Were you able to notice something?” She joined with the others, “It also needs to be confirmed how the connection works in the first place. Merely sharing dreams now and then might not be enough for the application of this technique.”
“Failure is the most common outcome in such experiments, there’s no need to worry.” Zarjow was not discouraged, “We simply need to come up with a better idea.”
“Can we consider this session to be concluded, for now?” Tempo decided to wrap it up, “Let us discuss the matter without them.”
“Of course, but if you do notice any changes, or think of other means to verify our connection, please contact us.” Alexander Jardin escorted them to the elevator. “We will send you some medical data regarding the dream issue. Also, we can try it again tomorrow, once we’d rested.”
Bidding farewell, the Loroi returned to their cabins. “The Humans behaved somewhat strange, although I don’t get the reason. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.” remarked Tempo.
“Yes, first, they acted as if already knowing of my abilities, especially farsight, then assumed that I would immediately pick up on their technique.” Emberwing felt weird about this, “Can they read me? Or was that one of those mind games?”
“Them being able to read us is highly unlikely.” Tempo nodded to Midnight, “We Mizol have certain protocols to ascertain such cases by comparing and analyzing our observations.”
“I regarded those exercises to be nothing except measures to keep unruly apprentices busy.” Midnight chuckled, “To think we would ever be forced to use them. However, I have to agree that the Humans shouldn’t be able to read us. We are constantly verifying it, so let’s regard this possibility as less probable for now. It is more likely due to their technique being self-explanatory with telepathy and the assumptions regarding your abilities due to surveillance.”
“This still wouldn’t explain their behavior fully, though. Was that yet another test?” Emberwing reminded them of what Alexander Jardin had said, “The Humans may want to find out something, and while they can’t read us, their AIs could be hard at work right now, analyzing our every move and facial expression.”
“The Neridi have somewhat similar tools, except that they don’t work on us due to insufficient cultural data.” Recalled Beryl, “Adapting them was deemed to be too much effort for too little of a gain, especially since the Barsam or Delrias would need dedicated routines as well. And I don’t think that it would be possible to rewrite them for the Pipolsid. Since we are quite similar, the Human ones might be applied to us, but the extent is certainly exaggerated.”
“I get it, we are arrogant about our abilities, and they may use that for tricks against us.” Emberwing showed her impatience, “But I require answers. This behavior was simply too strange!”
“You expect far too much in an instant,” The Listel frowned, then switched to a smile, “Fortunately, I do have a theory. What if the Humans acquired additional information from a different source, and this forced them to ascertain it as fast as possible? As to where it came from, the prime suspect would be the Historian construct.”
“Meaning that this accursed puppet-thing sold us out?” She never trusted it, despite that it was supposed to be an ally, “Maybe the Humans gained access to our databases?”
“No, those are still safe.” Midnight tapped her tablet, “Besides, in such a case, their actions should be more straightforward. It felt like they were probing for something they weren’t sure of, or attempted to disprove a suspicion.”
“What kind of twisted game is the construct playing?” Did it sent the Humans some kind of ominous warning as well, confusing them greatly? “Can we even believe its outrageous claims?”
“Not at face value, obviously,” Beryl was quickly exchanging mental images with the others, and provided her with various examples, “However, there are three points, which do have some credibility. First, the Humans are truly powerful telepaths, if all of them can farsee without apparent amplification. Second, it’s almost certain that they can share abilities among themselves. Finally, they had sent us the Zulotchi data, and it’s very detailed.”
“Thank you,” Emberwing quickly calmed herself, and looked at the tablet which was given to her. Looking through the information, she realized that it was indeed far too complex for an impromptu falsification, “I’d like a summary, if possible.”
“Even a preliminary one would be finished tomorrow at the very earliest.” Oasis shook her head, “Combined with all the ridiculous stuff the Emissary had told us, it needs a lot of time to be cross-referenced.”
This was to be expected. Given the huge amount of data, and the fact that it increased daily, processing all of that would be plain impossible. Trying to do it regardless was most probably her biggest mistake that led to them being unable to complete any of the endeavors. No matter how talented its members, this team was simply too small. “Let us settle for preliminary analyses of the most interesting cases as a general principle, this way we can deliver the information in a more comprehensive state once we get back.”
“A good idea, we’d need several groups of Listel and other specialists to make sense of this.” Agreed Beryl, “I was trying to process your sensor cap’s logs, for example, but besides telling me about neurotransmitter levels and brain activity, it amounted to little. There’s simply not enough data to even postulate a theory.”
“Just do what you can, and I shall read the reports later. Perhaps that Human notion of having an inspiration in a dream would work for me as well. Speaking of dreams,” Emberwing turned to the Tiret, “Oasis, let us analyze my last one in the meantime.”
The Loroi formed smaller teams and dispersed to different cabins to carry out their respective tasks, while Emberwing followed the counselor. “That dream was even more interactive than the previous one.”
“Maybe the reason the Humans were so insistent on trying out the group session was this dream?” Theorized the specialist, as she received the memory through a touch link, “It did come pretty close to sanzai.”
“They could’ve assumed that it required just one more push.” Somehow, Emberwing had a similar feeling, which was probably the reason she agreed so quickly. “Or trying to solve it with brute force, once they run out of patience, might be a character trait of their species.”
“I’ll add this to the psychological profile.” Oasis noted it on her tablet, “After all, they also force open their psionic talents.”
“But what did they enable in me?” Her strength was abnormal enough to destroy an amplifier, and she even awakened to a farseer talent. However, despite sharing dreams, there was still not a single hint about enabling telepathy. “And why can’t I connect with them? Everything would be much easier if we could sanzai!”
“By the way, I think that I got the meaning of his joke.” Sensing her gloom thoughts, Oasis suddenly smiled impishly, “Since they’re monogamous, meeting the parents to get their approval to start a relationship might be common sense, or at least it could’ve been in the past. You were quite eager to show him around.”
“I didn’t perceive it in such regard!” Or did she? “But this could be true, thank you for the explanation. And for lifting my mood.”
“This is my original job, after all.” The counselor leaked quite a gloom mood as well, “Trying to make sense of strange aliens or weird dreams is way too many ranks above me. We Tirets are just better apothecaries.”
“Do not deprecate yourself, your contribution is very valuable!” Her idea about the possible connection was proven true, after all. “We must do what we can, and make sure to deliver the accumulated data back to the Union. In the first place, this detour was completely unintentional, but we still have to make the best out of the delay.”
“Thank you as well.” Oasis nodded, “If it weren’t for that obscure legend, I would’ve been left behind on that citadel. I hope that my contribution here outweighs me vacating the battlefield, not that I could’ve done much in the fight, either.”
“Those were Lashret Lightspear’s orders, and it was by her sacrifice which allowed for the support personnel to be evacuated.” This would certainly include the Tiret as well, “Unlike my strike group, where everyone except for me perished.”
“Comparing the number of friends we’ve lost is a rather strange way of encouragement.” She smiled, “It does work, however, so I’ll be adding it to my repertoire.”
“So let us consider it a fair exchange, then.” Emberwing stood up, “It’s getting late, and I still want to go over all the reports.”
Back in her cabin, she did exactly that. The various bits and pieces of information which they’ve accumulated so far felt like tiny pieces of a gigantic puzzle. Unfortunately, the more data they got, the more complicated would the bigger picture become. She could merely hope that her decision to switch to surface-level analyses would provide a better overlook, or at least make the job easier for the researchers back home. Since this was leading nowhere, she decided to sleep, and let her brain sort it out, if what Zarjow had said would apply to the Loroi as well.
Emberwing strolled through the streets of the fantastical city, except that today, they were utterly empty. Wondering where all the inhabitants had gone, she arrived at a huge temple-like structure in the middle of the town. From inside of it, she could hear a song, or rather, a chant? Curious about the familiar rhythm, she pushed open the massive doors to reveal the Zulotchi’s magnificent throne room. Bathed in golden light, it appeared even more spacious than before, and was filled with worshiping, hooded figures to the brim.
The masked alien raised a hand to beckon her, “Welcome, at last! The grand ceremony couldn’t begin without you.”
As if upon a silent command, the masses parted to allow her to proceed before the throne. “Here I am, so what do you need me for?”
The golden mask seemed to liquefy and flowed upwards to create a shining crown, revealing a familiar face. Alexander Jardin eyed her with a mysterious expression. “Are you finally ready to take up my offer?”
“What offer?” Emberwing was puzzled about this strange turn of events.
“To join us, of course.” He waved his hands, and the figures removed their hoods.
“Who or what are you?” She looked at one of the beings, only to realize that this must be her sister, “Join the Voiceless Dead? What kind of sick joke is this?!”
“They are not truly dead, nor longer voiceless, by our powers combined shall we awaken and attain the long-forgotten dream of immortality. You as well cannot avoid this destiny any longer.” He crossed both palms on his chest, “As to what I am? We have a saying, that whoever slays the Dragon, will inevitably become the next one.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself