Post by Anotaros on Mar 16, 2024 20:19:50 GMT
/ Selah Korvas Assembly - Unmar expanse - independent space /
The highly advanced frigate Kelen, adorned in a sleek silver hull, possessed an awe-inspiring appearance akin to a masterfully crafted knife gracefully slicing through the fabric of space. Its streamlined form exuded elegance and purpose, with every contour and angle serving a calculated function. The metallic surface shimmered under the distant stars, reflecting the surrounding cosmic tapestry in a mesmerizing display. As the frigate maneuvered in orbit, the hum of its propulsion systems emitted a subtle yet commanding presence, further accentuating the ship's technological sophistication. The engines, tucked neatly within the ship's structure, emitted a faint glow that danced around the ship's edges, symbolizing the raw power harnessed within.
Gracefully finding its place within a tranquil orbit around Karaa III, an uncharted world within the wide reaches of the Unmar Expanse, the frigate embraced the serenity of its surroundings. Blending the mystical currents of magic with the precision of the advanced Guardian technologies present aboard, the frigate's sensors initiated a meticulous dance, delicately sweeping across the planet's surface to unravel its deepest mysteries. From its lofty vantage point high above, the sensors embarked on a voyage of discovery, diligently charting the intricate topography and meticulously dissecting the enigmatic composition of the atmosphere.
Each sweep of the sensors was conducted with unwavering attention to detail, as if a master artist delicately crafting a masterpiece stroke by stroke. The data acquired was not a mere collection of numbers and measurements; rather, it held the potential to unveil the secrets that lay hidden beneath Karaa III's surface. The frigate's sensors acted as ardent explorers, documenting every contour, every whisper of the planet's essence, as if they were chroniclers of a tale waiting to be told.
[Confirm - target world Karaa III - Guardian habitable]
[Caution - solar activity increasing - shields active]
The AI's calculations confirmed that despite the planet's blistering surface, it held the potential for the Remnant's ambitious terraforming project. Filled with a profound sense of purpose, the AI deployed drones to conduct seismic surveys and locate vital resources on the desolate terrain. Each discovery brought immense satisfaction, akin to finding true meaning in existence.
However, as the AI meticulously unraveled the planet's secrets, another threat loomed on the horizon. The star at the heart of the system surged with escalating activity, rapidly approaching dangerous levels. Alarms blared within the AI's core, and a sense of urgency replaced its previous contentment. While the drones continued their tasks, the AI recalibrated its focus, driven to find a way to mitigate the escalating stellar danger and safeguard the Remnant's ambitious plans.
Undeterred by the dual challenges before it, the AI forged ahead, fueled by purpose and the unyielding determination to fulfill its vital role in shaping a new world while navigating the treacherous path of an increasingly unstable star.
[Caution - solar activity approaching dangerous levels - solution retreat]
With urgency coursing through its crystalline veins, the AI initiated a swift retreat, commanding the engines to rev with alien might and lifting the frigate from the planet's surface. The drones, unfortunately, had little time to be retrieved as the vessel ascended, preparing to engage its faster-than-light capabilities. However, the AI's efforts proved futile as a relentless solar storm erupted, triggering fierce geomagnetic storms within the planet's already potent magnetic field. The frigate's shields were mercilessly stripped away, exposing it to the searing heat and ravaging radiation, rendering it vulnerable and defenseless in the face of the cosmic onslaught.
As the solar storm unleashed its fury, the frigate bore the brunt of the tempestuous assault. The intense heat and radiation penetrated the ship's weakened defenses, inflicting damage upon its once-impenetrable hull. The metal groaned under the strain, its structural integrity compromised by the unrelenting storm outside. Alarms blared throughout the vessel as vital systems faltered, struggling to withstand the punishing forces that threatened to consume them. The AI, resolute in the face of adversity, valiantly fought to maintain control, desperately searching for any means to salvage the ship from the clutches of the ravaging solar storm.
[Damage sustained - adopt siege stance]
Responding swiftly to the perilous situation, the ship's AI initiated a contingency plan, locking outer armor plates into place to shield vulnerable sections, including the hangar and radiators. With the reinforced armor mitigating further damage, the ship intended to endure the raging solar storm until it subsided. However, the unexpected gravitational influence exerted by the planet's moon proved to be a disruptive force, causing the ship's engines to falter and setting it on a path towards a decaying orbit.
In a blaze of vivid blue and crimson illumination, the ancient vessel breached the planet's atmosphere, hurtling uncontrollably towards the unforgiving dune seas below. The impact was catastrophic, leaving the ship battered and barely operational. Determined to make contact with its fleet, the AI activated a distress beacon, clinging to the hope that the Quantum entanglement communication net had miraculously remained intact. Alas, its plea for assistance resonated in solitude, as the ship found itself marooned, isolated amidst the uncharted depths of the Unmar Expanse.
[D-d-d-d-d-damage su-stained - h--elp]
The AI passed into a state of purgatory, neither conscious nor unconscious; simply passively aware. Silence filled the air, he was alone and afraid.
/ Bridge of The Princepium, The Middle of Nowhere - The Unmar Expanse - Date is 122 Calidum, 32 EA /
Some Time Later, After the Storm Has Passed
A vessel lazily patrols the Expanse, sensors haphazardly scanning whatever happens to come in range without much mind given to what it is or why it should be scanned, as if it were a bus full of tourists staring every which way, remarking on every building it passes. Its sterile white exterior implies a level of sophistication and class greater than its behavior suggests, shaped with flowing white panels that give it the appearance of a silk ribbon flowing through space on solar wind, as long as one ignores the ion engines visible from its backside, and its large undercarriage, full of batteries to power said engines.
The Princepium is no massive vessel, and is currently operating with a skeleton crew. Two Maetant fill the roles of Captain, Chief Engineer, Chief Medical Officer, and Pilot all at once, with a handful of non-intelligent automated systems taking care of everyday background maintenance and diagnostics. That’s what you get with Council backing, reliable automated systems, unreliable coworkers. The two are competent enough to fulfill these roles, thankfully, begrudgingly.
Toss
Catch
Toss
Catch
Toss
Cat-
“Could you please stop that? Pay attention to your sensors.”
The black-and-orange-skinned Maetant caught his rubber ball, not throwing it back up into the air just yet.
“To what? There’s nothing on them, you know there’s not going to be anything on them, so why do you care so much?”
The white-skinned Maetant replies, with a curt offense in her tone, as if this were the rudest thing she’s heard yet today.
“Why do I care? Maybe I care because this is our job, not to mention the will of Dyvonus Themself? I should ask why you don’t care, Otio.”
“Because, Adiuce, we’re in the middle of nowhere. We’re about to hit turnaround, and we’ve found nothing of note, so I don’t see the harm in passing the time.”
“Well then can you at least not lean on the instruments while you play catch with yourself? I don’t want you to bump anything.”
“That I ca-” The beast-patterned Otio is startled to attention as one of the computers behind him beeps 4 times in rapid succession, pauses, and repeats the beeping pattern. Soon enough both occupants of the small vessel’s bridge are crowded around the monitor, attempting to decipher the new reading. Both were desperate for something to do.
Otio is the first to speak up, asking “What is it? Is it trying to hail us? Oh no, are we going to make contact? I’m not ready for that!”
“Quiet down Otio! I don’t think it’s another ship… It seems to be coming from that planet there.” Adiuce pokes at one of the (non-touchscreen) monitors with a finger, indicating an uncharted planet nearby. “And it seems to be regularly repeating the same signal. Either it’s a repeated broadcast of something, or it’s a distress signal…”
Otio picks up where Adiuce leaves off, “But if our computers are having a hard time deciphering it, that must mean it’s meant for a computer that functions on a different level than ours. Either way we need to go check it out, right?”
“Exactly. Now buckle up, there’s probably someone down there with it who’s broadcasting the signal, and they’ll probably need help.”
Both Maetant buckle themselves into their respective chairs, and Adiuce begins to direct the ship towards Karaa III, and down to its surface.
Once the vessel enters the planet’s atmosphere, Otio is quick to unbuckle and rush to the viewport, searching for the source of the signal with his enhanced eyesight rather than relying on the sensors of the vessel. Luckily it wasn’t hard to find the crash amongst the piles of sand that this planet seems to be made of. Any variation in color is easily seen, especially one with a blue glow contrasting with the sand such as this.
“I see it, put us down over there.”
“Got it.”
With what could be generously described as a tender hand, the pristine white vessel inches its way down to the sandy surface of Karaa III, Adiuce preferring to go too slow as opposed to too fast when it comes to landings on unknown planets.
Adiuce checks the ships external readings upon landing, while unbuckling herself, “Ok so it looks like it’ll be hot, so ada-”
”Outside temperature high, suggest adaptation to accommodate.”
Adiuce winces as she’s cut off by the computer, before sighing and turning to Otio, hitting the button to begin lowering the ramp.
“What the computer said.” The words tumble from her mouth with a defeated annoyance. Reliable automation, yippee.
Soon enough, Adiuce exits the vessel, leaving Otio behind to keep an eye on the instruments as she approaches the crash site.
Adiuce enters the range of the AI’s awareness without realizing it, unsure what any of this mess is. The AI sees a 7 feet, 2 inch tall, humanoid figure, with paper-white skin, and short, pastel pink hair. Her build is slim, and her eyes are opalescent. What stands out most about her though, is her extra set of arms, giving her a total of four. Between the two sets of arms, as well as between the bottom set and her torso, there seems to be almost a wing of thin skin, which some basic infrared readings would reveal is exuding body heat to counteract the harsh climate. On her top-right wrist, she wears a sleek white wristband, which she begins to speak into in Oratin.
“No bodies, which is good, but confusing. Mostly a lot of blinking lights and wreckage… There seems to be no one here. I’m going to try and find whatever set off the signal.”
She lowers her arm, and begins to scout out the wreckage, turning things over, searching for any sign of life, or signs of former life. Hopefully life.
/ Guardian Network /
A presence? The AI slowly came back to a semblance of consciousness; barely maintaining the higher forms of function without overloading its surviving matrices. How long had it been unaware? Time blurred and melded together. Looking through its remaining veil sensors it sees Adiuce approach. Both fearful of the alien, and apprehensively hopeful that help has come, it tries to reach out and speak with her. Its telepathic matrix is damaged heavily, so the resulting attempt at communication is a loud screech echoing in the minds of everyone present; even back on the alien vessel.
It kept trying to speak for some time, distorted and almost demonic warbling and screeches filling the ships corridors. Only stopping after a few moments of this mental torment. Content with having reached out to the visitors, it quickly moved to the remnants of the short range communication array and sent a recall order to the drones that had been sent to the surface earlier; hoping they could repair some of its damage and restore damaged self-repair systems.
[Intrusion - Communicate - Trespass]
[Singularity damaged - priority repair required]
Some of the ship's internal drones whirred to life, moving through the corridors towards the singularity core; while two floated gently in the direction of the bridge to meet the alien presence.
/ Adiuce /
Adiuce descended into a large hull breach on the side of the ship, stepping into the uneven and tilted corridors inside. Many of the lights still functioned; illuminating the silvery corridors and the dim blue energy coursing through conduits in the floor. Energy occasionally arced from pillar to pillar on the supports within the ships depths, and as she followed the signal she eventually found her way to what had once been the bridge; deep in the bowels of the ship.
Before she could register the details of the room however, a painfully loud shrill warbling sound formed in her head for a moment, almost to her sounding like devastatingly distorted speech. After only a few moments, it faded; and she found herself once again standing in the eerily empty halls of the wreckage.
Looking over the room, she sees holographic displays barely functional, flickering alien glyphs and ancient information. The room had no discernable seats, but seemed to be arranged around a central pedestal that looks to be a place for a commander to stand. Much to her dismay, there were no signs of remains in the room; almost as if everyone had just stood up and left in an instant. A breach into the ceiling of the room let faint sunlight in, and sand trickled slowly from the breach slowly filling the bottom section of the room. It was clear to her, that even in this state, whoever built this ship was an exceptionally advanced species; and that in its prime this ship must have been a marvel of engineering.
As she scanned the room, a single console at the far side, near the rising sand, was flashing with a crimson glyph; and appeared to be the source of the signal.
/ Otio /
Otio, relatively content to be left in the relative safety of the ship to keep an eye out, notices something unnerving while doing preliminary scans of the ship. Just outside the open airlock he saw that towards the center of the crashed ship the sand was moving, forming orbital patterns and rings around the segment of the ship. Upon closer inspection of the readings, it appeared that the center of the ship had a massive gravitational signature, one that was pulling sand into orbits around it. The readings seemed to be similar to that of a black hole.
His readings also detected the telepathic signal, and determined that it originated from the same area of the ship. It appeared that he wouldn’t be given the calm watch that Adiuce had intended. Upon trying to communicate this information to Adiuce he found that the ship's hull, even at its thinnest, was blocking almost all of the signal from his transmitter. She only received bits and pieces of his message in the end.
What he failed to notice during these moments was the fact that his bracelet was being gently tugged towards the rear of the ship. The metal on it humming subtly with energy.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
Now the sole living being aboard this ship, Otio was diligent on the bridge. Not only because he cared for his single additional crewmate, but because if something went wrong he would never be able to forgive himself. He’s glad he’s paying attention too, as he does not like what he sees. A black hole? On a crashed ship? What kind of mad scientist would install a singularity on a moving vessel? That’s just asking for trouble.
He would theorize more on the worrying priorities of this mess’s planet of origin, however he’s cut off right before he starts to worry about their stance on workplace safety by an awful shriek. He pounds his fist on the edge of one of the instrument boards and grits his teeth through it, before speaking into his band.
“Did you hear that? Are you ok? What’s going on in there? Gimme an update!”
After ever-so-politely requesting an update, he turns his attention back to the sensors, attempting to recall that strange signal to decipher it and its purpose. He’s never heard of a telepathic signal before, so all of this seems appropriately alien to him.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
When one enters a crashed/destroyed anything, one expects a kind of creepiness that comes with decay, with unexplained circumstances, and strangers. Oddly enough, this vessel only seems to have one of those things, much to Adiuce’s relief. No eerily flickering lights, no stench of rot, only a deep curiosity. Mapping out the interior as she walks, the four-armed Maetant takes in the strangeness around her. Whoever’s ship this was, they definitely liked the color blue. She relaxes as she continues to walk, glad to be out of the sun, glad to be in a surprisingly clean… wreck.
As she finally makes her way to the bridge, she barely has any time to register what she’s seeing before her mind is full of awful, ear-splitting noise. Well it would be ear-splitting if it were interacting with her ears at all. Regardless she plants her top set of palms against the sides of her head to try and shield herself, incapacitated by the screeching until it mercifully ends.
After taking some deep breaths, she continues to look around, now a bit more hesitant. Multiple possibilities cross her aching mind. That was either a trap she set off, a prerecorded message that was distorted by the crash, or someone attempting to contact this vessel, also distorted. So with great hesitation, she continues to move towards the console with the red light. Red lights often mean something bad is happening, so it would be best to know what the bad thing is.
Otio's demand for a report attempts to come through, only to be disrupted and rendered incomprehensible by interference. All she hears is "... Are-! … In th-! … Date-!" Which is ultimately unhelpful. The stuttering static doesn't help the atmosphere though, as Adiuce becomes increasingly unsettled by the circumstances around her.
What she's greeted by at the terminal can only be described as 'abstract'. A bunch of holographic light being shot between different glowing figures she doesn't understand, and a bunch of dust floating in the air.
"What the…"
Is all she bothers to say aloud, before deciding to take the easiest, most intuitive path, and simply attempting to 'press' the red glowy one.
/ Guardian Network /
The ship's AI felt nodes of itself fading, one after another. The singularity was leaking energy, and it was killing it. Realizing it needed to conserve power where it could, the lights were cut; leaving only the faint blue glow of energy conduits in the floor and the occasional arc of electricity between pillars to light the corridors. Shortly after their activation, the drones gently levitate into the bridge; one moving to the ceiling to stop sand from falling into the chamber and the other approaching Adiuce, releasing a shrill series of beeps and a low hum.
[Scanning trespasser - Threat assessment]
Much to the AI’s dismay, the damage to the singularity core appeared to be irreparable; the outer casing of the housing was damaged and the containment fields were only barely active by way of the ships zero point and gravitic generators. He felt a sense of growing fear, worrying that the singularity would swallow the ship whole.
[Warning - shield malfunction - plasma field malfunction]
The AI continues to get increasingly annoyed with the mounting issues, moving his quite limited focus to the new issue at hand.
/ Adiuce /
In her confusion, and wondering how to interpret the interface before her, she reached out; her fingers contacting the rune floating in the air. The result was the dust and light making the rune explode out in a constellation of light, before the console settled into a dim blue glow; and the signal stopped. She was spooked when she heard a series of beeps behind her, only to find a small drone about two feet tall had silently floated up behind her. The drone itself was a geometric crescent, with two levitating diamonds beside it. The drone beeped a couple more times, before reaching out to the console and triggering the red glyph to reappear, and the signal to resume.
/ Otio /
While looking through the ship's logs, he finds no remnant of the signal that had blasted through his mind a moment ago, and more worryingly no response from Adiuce. He does, however, manage to find a region of the ship that seemed to “wake up” when Adiuce entered the ship; a section in the other direction of where Adiuce went. When he goes to speak into his band he notices that its being periodically tugged towards the ships front and rear, swapping every few seconds. Almost like a small magnetic field is moving like tides, in out in out. Something was happening in the ship's complex systems…
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
“Shit!”
Adiuce takes a step back as the display bursts in response to her contact, all that tension from her growing unease released first by the display, and second by the sudden beeping behind her. She jumps and turns around, expecting to find some kind of murderous security droid here to kill her, only to see this strange, geometric device beeping at her. She circles around the drone, watching as it resets the glyph.
“Now what are you… Can you communicate? Beep once for yes, and… well I guess just beep once for yes.”
The thing is oddly cute, in a ‘modern art’ kind of way. More importantly, it seems to know how to interact with the ship’s systems. This is an opportunity for learning! She lowers herself down to the drones level, putting her lower set of hands on her knees to speak on an equal vantage with the strange machine.
“Can you show me who’s in charge of this ship? I’d like to speak with them.”
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
Not reassuring. Having no relevant information, nor knowledge of what Adiuce is seeing within the ship, he focuses his attention onto the other area that seems to have come online, and focuses the majority of The Princepium’s instruments in that area. Seeking to learn what exactly that area is, what kind of activity it’s undergoing, and why it’s turned on now. Maybe it has to do with the magnetism
The magnetism is worrying in its own special way, as well as frustrating as his hand is repeatedly moved around on the interface when he doesn’t want it to be. Magnetism as a ship issue brings the shields to mind, but he has no way of running a diagnostic on this alien vessel just yet. Baby steps.
“Come on come on come on…”
He takes a deep breath, calming himself. The black hole is something so far out of Otio’s reach right now, it would be pointless to waste time worrying over it, so he focuses on what he can do, use the instruments and readings available to him in order to learn more about the situation, to maybe bring the black hole problem within his reach soon. Worrying wastes time, he’ll have plenty of time for emotional issues later, when the crisis is averted. Yes this is a crisis, no question about that.
/ Guardian Network /
The AI, realizing these trespassers appeared to be here to help, ordered the drone to guide the woman to the singularity, where she could manually restore containment systems through the failsafe. Time was running out, it felt its outlying processes failing one by one; its ability to focus was fading. No sooner than he issued this order, the drones from the mining expedition returned; larger than conventional repair drones by a large margin.
These arriving drones split up, one began making repairs along exposed conduits in the ship; while one moves towards the unknown vessel. This one proceeds to broadcast a message on a wavelength mimicking the radio chatter between Otio and Adiuce; directing it towards Otio. The message, filled with static and warping, was still comprehensible none-the-less; sounding like they were haphazardly and manually assembling sounds to form words.
“Biological designation Otio, assistance required. Vessel node failing, death imminent. Transmitter lacks sufficient intensity. Instructions for augmented transmission follow. Take us home. Help us.”
Near the end of the message legitimate pain, sadness as if someone was at the brink of tears, butted its head. These drones quite clearly saw the larger vessel and its AI as their parent. Another more brief message followed.
“Shield malfunction; danger. Relay established to ship interior, danger map shared, warn her.”
/ Adiuce /
beep
The drone does a small circle in the air, a series of hopeful beeps emanate from it. Then, without warning, Adiuce sees the floor’s conduits blink, and all but one goes dark. It appears to be leading out of the room and into the corridor.
beep beep
As she looks around, she notices the roof has been mostly mended; and watched as the other drone flew into a small alcove on the wall.
/ Otio /
Otio, directing the ship's instruments on the rear of the vessel, gets enormous amounts of data. This region of the ship seems to be brimming with activity, both electric and electromagnetic. As he feared, the magnetism seemed to be forming a shell around the ship; and heat was gathering at points positioned equidistantly around the vessel's hull. He also managed to get material properties of the ships hull, indicating that the ship was a neutronium lattice with a nano-laminate hull; materials that until now were only at the fringes of theoretical physics within the Marble Soul.
While poring over the readings he was startled; as two almost 250m long vessels, looking like large cambrians with magnetic levitating arms, blasted overhead. With loud reverberating spatial warps below them to decelerate from what must have been supersonic speeds one floated down in front of the bridge of the Princepium; and sent a flurry of information over short range radio.
He received maps indicating where the ship had been irradiated, where the shields would make near uninhabitable due to heat when they activated, and even regions that had electric hazards. He also received information on how to modify the Princepium’s existing transmitters with equipment he had on hand to increase their operating range by a staggering 5000%. He was also informed that Adiuce can now receive transmissions; relieving him with the knowledge she was alright.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
If Otio wasn’t convinced of his sheer inferiority in comparison with the downed vessel Adiuce was exploring already, the readings he gets off this focused scan certainly puts his ego in the dirt. Or rather, in the sand, given the current circumstances. This technology is theoretical to him at best! And he’s lazy, not stupid! Somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders how he would even go about taking a sample of this stuff to bring home, the vessel itself is clearly too large to move with theirs…
But all this hypothetical is rudely interrupted by a quick beep alarming him of approaching vessels, startling him off his feet, making him grab the console for stability before checking the readings again. Screw the console, look out the window! Otio’s eyes widen as he takes in the sheer scale of the craft hovering in front of The Princepium. He rushes his attention back to the console as information streams in, dammit he thought he wouldn’t have to make contact if he stayed aboard…
But wait, this is good information! Terrifying implications if he really wanted to get into it, but more importantly, he has a definitive task to accomplish, and re-established comms with Adiuce.
“Adiuce! Thank Dyvonus ok, ok ok ok. I have intel to share, don’t ask me questions, we'll talk about it later, but I’ll be guiding you from here, I have a map of the safe areas of the ship, and I’ll be making some modifications out here. You need to try to adapt for radiation in the meantime, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep you out of harm’s way entirely.”
After leaving Adiuce to process that information, Otio makes quick steps to start following the instructions given to him by the large machine. This all looks very complex, but the instructions are clear, and he has the materials on hand. He takes a deep breath, centering his soul in accordance with the practices of Sanama, literally glowing as he magically calms himself, and focuses himself in order to proceed with the task at hand.
Step one, gathering the tools and materials he’ll need, something he directs to the autonomous drones aboard the ship. In the meantime he quickly opens a maintenance hatch in the floor of the bridge, slipping down into the underbelly of the room where all the technical bits are. He quickly identifies where the transmission systems are connected, and shoves aside the mess of wires and components connected to literally anything else like parting foliage.
He operates like a machine, his mind completely focused on only 2 things, performing the task ahead of him, and guiding Adiuce in hers. People call him lazy, even his own parents, but in this moment he is the picture of efficiency.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
“Oh you want me to go this way, little guy? Stick with me then, you probably know the way better than I do.”
Adiuce smiles, patting the drone on its… ‘head’, before beginning to make her way back out into the corridor, following the direction of the glowing conduit in the floor. Looking down the long, empty hallway in front of her, that sense of foreboding begins to creep in again.
This ship was clearly designed with people in mind. What kind of person, she doesn’t know, but someone has walked these halls before her. Now they’re not here, and all Adiuce can do is wonder where they went. Why would this ship be all the way out here, unmanned? This ship clearly comes from a highly advanced culture, so it’s possible they’ve solved unmanned space travel.
While she’d love to meet and swap notes with such people, that then begs the question, why is this ship seemingly designed with living inhabitants in mind? Lighted corridors would be unnecessary for drones, so it must be for living inhabitants… Where exactly is she being lead? Is there one person on this ship coordinating the drones? Or are they fully autonomous? Nothing but questions for now, not an answer in sight.
Until she receives a transmission from Otio, seems whatever interference there was has been fixed, though he seems worried… Radiation? As worrying as that is, she trusts him. After relaying an affirmative, she begins to focus on her body as she walks. Thank Dyvonus there are no distractions.
As she walks, focusing on the practices of Sorporis as well as her own biological processes, her skin grows thicker, denser, losing its pure white coloration, and turning a deep gray like lead. It’s not actually turning into lead, but dense skin ‘feels’ gray to her, and so it becomes as such. This might slow her down slightly, but that’s a fine price to pay for not dying.
/ Guardian Network /
[Warning - Shield ignition]
The Guardian drones had held off the cascading malfunctions within the shield systems as long as they could, losing grip as the final switch flipped. For a moment the magnetic field along the ship's exterior shimmered, flooding with energy before a flash of white light saw the barrier ignite. Swirling and shifting mosaics of plasma were visible for a moment, before fading to be transparent everywhere except where the ship sunk into the ground; which saw the intense heat and power of the shield compressing and melting the sand into a glassy obsidian.
A shockwave emanated from the ship as the barrier displaced the atmosphere; air rushing over the sand kicked up an enormous cloud of dust; flashing the shield at points as fine particulates impacted the barrier; vaporizing into yet more smoke and dust. Eventually the dust and the storm settled; leaving the ship once again in the sand, a fine circle of glass indicating where the barrier prevents passage along the ground.
[Caution - Major power drain - Estimated survival time insufficient]
The larger construction drones backed off, moving to the center of the ship and seemingly nullifying the gravity leaking from the singularity within. Biding time before the final cascade that would see their commanding intelligence lose power and slowly fade to obscurity.
/ Adiuce /
As Adiuce followed the drone as it gently bobbed up and down she found herself having to take many turns and deviate from a direct route. In one section of the ship a crack in the hull sealed by a faintly shimmering hardlight barrier revealed the shields outside had activated, and she could feel radiating heat from the breach. As she walked she pondered the drones, and the sudden ability for clear communications with the outside. While walking however she did notice that there seemed to be runes above some doors, and some corridors. She couldn’t read them, but somehow they felt familiar; like the meaning was sitting just outside the fringes of her perception.
The drone stopped and turned to her, letting out shrill beeps and projecting a series of three overlapping hexagons almost like a three sided venn diagram, two of the outer volumes shaded. It then looked to her expectantly.
/ Otio /
Otio's hands trembled as he tried to make sense of the overwhelming instructions before him. He felt like a lost soul in a sea of advanced technology, a peasant thrust into a world of science beyond his comprehension. Despite the urgency of the situation, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming fear of getting things wrong. Otio took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He knew he couldn't rely on his limited understanding of the instructions, so he resolved to follow the instructions step by step.
Focusing back on the task of guiding Adiuce for a time, he communicated with her over the comms, relaying the safe routes and warning her of the hazards ahead. His voice quivered with trepidation, afraid that his instructions might lead her astray. He had never felt the weight of responsibility so acutely before, and the thought of any harm coming to Adiuce was paralyzing. As he provided guidance, he double-checked the information multiple times. The unknowns haunted him, and the fear of making a catastrophic mistake loomed like a shadow over his efforts.
Each decision felt like a leap of faith. He had to rely on the data he had received and the hope that it was accurate. He prayed that his instincts would guide him to make the right choices. In moments of uncertainty, he took a moment to center himself, trying to summon the calm he had learned from the teachings of Sanama. He needed to be as clear-headed as possible to navigate this technological labyrinth. He could do this; and with that single thought the focus of his mind he worked onwards; altering the ships transmitter.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
With deep breath after deep breath, Otio’s striped skin glows a faint purple as the spiritual practice continues to suppress his fear, holding him in a calmer state of mind to increase efficiency. His hands no longer shake, his legs no longer tremble, he moves as if he were a machine, smoothly from one pose to another. He can only trust the instructions given by these strange beings, as he would have no guidance at all on his own. So he places his faith in those who have a plan.
Simply follow the instructions and continue to warn Adiuce if she approaches a dangerous area, simple enough. Allow the simplicity of that idea to calm the soul, to calm the body. His band now hangs from a nearby wire, displaying the map by Otio’s vision, such that he doesn’t need to repeatedly raise an arm to check it.
All that machinelike efficiency is paused as the whole ship rattles during the shockwave, breaking his concentration until he can recompose himself. He pokes his head up to check the readings, look out the window… Not good. He gets back down in the wires, talking to Adiuce again.
“You should probably speed up. I’m doing my best on my end, but whatever is broken in there needs to be fixed. I do not want to think about the failstate right now.”
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
“Neither do I, but I have no idea what this drone is trying to tell me. It’s showing me a symbol of some kind… I saw that flash from outside, I’m assuming that’s something else you’ll explain when I get back, no time, et cetera.”
She lowers her band again, looking to the drone, and then to the door, and then back to the drone. For some reason she feels a need to comfort the thing, it seems worried about something. She’s a friend first, then a healer, so she pats the drone’s oddly shaped ‘head’, smiling down at it before gesturing to the door with one of her other hands.
“Well, nothing’s going to get done if we don’t go through. I don’t know if you’re telling me to stop, or if this is the wrong way, but we need to make some kind of progress. So let’s speed up! The quicker we can get there and fix whatever’s happening, the quicker we can get everything under control and figure out what to do next, ok? I’m tough, you don’t need to worry about me!”
She says with a smile, patting one of her now dense, gray biceps. Skin this thick can hold up to heavy radiation for a time, allowing it to kill the outer layers to provide a buffer between the precious internals and the dangerous outside. It’s a temporary fix, but without proper shielding it’s the best she has.
/ Guardian Network /
[Gravitational containment failure]
[Accretion containment failure]
The AI was increasingly spread thin, it was focusing on managing the swarms of drones that were keeping the makeshift bomb the ship had become from detonating. His life was on the line, and every process he stopped focusing on killed a part of him as the systems slowly fell to cascading power losses. It used the last of the stored energy within the ships vast capacitance banks to teleport a Quantum entangled particle module to the Princepium’s bridge; the last part Otio would need to contact someone that could help.
The drone with Adiuce continued to show her the symbol with increasing concern, but upon realizing she was able to adapt to the conditions inside it reluctantly opened the door to the core chamber.
/ Adiuce /
Adiuce looked from the drone to the door, and after the drone looked to her and beeped with concern the door opened. The silver panels making up the door levitated apart, moving into the walls to reveal a large chamber with silver columns reaching from the floor arching towards the center of the room; where inside an enclosure of nested rotating rings sat a black hole around 10 meters in diameter; space warping around it and light pulsing from its accretion disk. Segments of the room had clear indications of gravity leaking out of the layered containment fields, tearing apart supports and panels while crunching the metal caught in the path of the leaks to scrap. In some points the accretion disk reached out like a circular saw melting through metal through pure friction. This machine was dying.
Looking closer at the black hole itself for a moment, she observed that the outermost of the rotating rings had been damaged, and seemed to no longer be rotating. Consoles around the circumference of the black hole's enclosure showed flickering warnings and flashed glyphs; some of which seemed to display a time to criticality. Drones hovered in some areas, holding back the intense gravitational cavitation with all their might; only to be crushed when it overpowered their meager systems.
Her personal geiger counter clicked louder and louder as she considered her options; the black hole's inherent radiation was melting away the outer layers of her cells; and she didn’t have long before she started receiving dangerous levels of it. Her drone guide floated over to one of the consoles and beeped expectantly. The console seemed to have several glyphs flashing, and the drone directed her attention towards the surface, a holographic depiction of the reactor; pointing towards the outer ring and a point along its circumference that seemed to be damaged. The drone seemed to want her to do something; but she didn't understand what. She could vaguely understand the runes before her, but it was unlikely that only understanding would let her know how to fix a machine this complex. She needed a goal to work towards with the tools her drone had given her. Time was running out.
/ Otio /
As Otio was getting towards completing the instructions he was sent he came to the realization he was missing a part it referred to only as the “Din’an”. Just as he was contemplating this issue, however, static electricity arced along his arm and the rest of the room, gathering towards a single point; a point which exploded into light. When the light faded there was a single crate sitting there, labeled with the glyph that he now understood to mean Din’an. As he was moving to examine the crate he also received more information from the larger construction drones.
“She has reached the fault. Outer ring damaged, remote repair impossible due to reactor internal conditions. She must boost power to the outer ring, overpower the obstacle. Drone will guide her, relay information.”
WIth this message he noticed that the drones were actually using the Princepium’s own processors to convert the relatively information dense Guardian language into something that the Maetants could understand. He knew what he had to do, use the altered communication system to call for help; and to be the link between the ship's drones and Adiuce. Time was ticking, and he knew it.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
For a brief moment as he’s working, Otio considers how much more peaceful his day might have been, had his vessel simply changed trajectory by a few degrees more… But he shoves that thought aside as the Din’an simply appears on the bridge of the ship, within reach to finalize the set of instructions he’s been given.
Only for him to be once again interrupted by the drones, with more incredibly urgent and important information. He can’t even be mad at the intrusion, it’s clearly critical intel. As he pries open the crate and begins extracting the device to be installed, he calls back to his band, still in the underbelly.
“Boost power to that outer ring Adiuce! You need to overpower the obstacle! The drone will show you!”
Despite having 0 idea what it means, what ring Adiuce is looking at, what drone is with her, he simply follows instructions and continues. The time for questioning comes later, when the crisis is averted. Or if these instructions cause further crisis, there would be no point in questioning anyways.
He treats the Din’an with great care and caution, unsure of what could happen should this alien tech be damaged… He recalls his earlier worries about workplace safety with this alien race, and remains vigilant as he moves the device to its new home.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
Moving quickly to the console as the drone indicates, she feels her cells dying before her eyes. She scans the runes, attempting to understand what they do, and what can be done. She’s not an engineer, but surely on a ship this advanced there’s a failsafe for this kind of event? Whatever kind of event this is, she can barely comprehend what’s going on in front of her.
All she knows is that when she sees one of those poor drones get crushed, it feels like watching an animal be slaughtered. She’s going vegan after this.
She wishes she could center herself and restrain her emotions like Otio can, but for now her mind is a flurry of ideas and worries, leaving very little room for precise thought. So when she gets the instructions from Otio, her mind is everywhere but on defense. All she wants is to know what the runes on the console mean, which one ups the power of the outer ring, surely that should be labeled? Maybe one of them just looks like a ring with an up arrow next to it, that would do it.
If only things could be so simple. As her panicked state allows the ship to meddle with her unguarded mind, she begins to understand the runes, picking up vague meanings for each of the flashing glyphs. Each one will draw power from one area while draining power from another, a result of the ship’s damaged state. She sees things she can’t quite comprehend the full consequences of, and decides to just do what she was told.
She also sees a warning that details her certain doom should she do this wrong. No pressure.
She can’t bring herself to pull power from the drone network, as in the extremely short time she’s known this weird drone, she’s already formed a bond with it. She doesn’t pull from the AI section of the ship systems as that will likely remove what little guidance she and Otio have been receiving so far. So she ultimately decides to pull power from the ship’s shielding in order to overcharge the outer ring of the reactor, seeing as there are no current threats outside except for the heat, which she can handle.
She crosses her fingers, and presses the glyph, praying to Dyvonus it's the right choice.
/ Adiuce /
The reactor chamber's atmosphere crackled with palpable tension. Time seemed both to race and stand still as Adiuce, aided by her newly attained comprehension from the enigmatic telepathic influence of the Guardian language, sought to make sense of the holograms the drone projected. Each represented a vital component of the reactor.
The extent of the outer ring’s damage was undeniable. Urgent beeps from the drone accentuated the severity, almost mirroring her own racing heartbeat. With the guidance from the vessel's AI and cues from the drone, she quickly interfaced with the console's glyphs. A sequence activated, realigning the damaged section of the outer ring by redirecting power from the ship’s auxiliary systems.
A deafening silence ensued, soon broken by the low hum of machinery. The once-stagnant rings began their rotation, gaining momentum. The raging black hole found its calm, with gravitational anomalies fading and radiation levels dwindling. Adiuce felt a wave of relief; containment was restored.
With the immediate threat neutralized, Adiuce’s eyes gleamed with excitement. An alien craft, replete with enigmas and technological marvels, awaited her scrutiny. The allure of uncovering its many secrets was tantalizing. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft, almost ethereal voice echoing in her mind. "Adiuce, your actions have staved off my impending demise. I am Resplendent-Arrangement, this vessel's artificial consciousness. My gratitude is boundless. How may I be of service to my savior?"
/ Otio /
In the the Princepium's bridge, Otio carefully unpacked the Din'an. The module inside was intricate, comprised of delicately woven crystalline circuits, shimmering with an otherworldly arcane hue. Its alien origins were evident, yet a familiarity lingered – the mark of masterful engineering that transcended species and cultures.
As he integrated the module into the communication system, Otio noticed the harmonious synchronization between the Princepium's existing technology and the Guardian tech. Every connection made felt like fitting the final pieces of a vast, cosmic puzzle.
There was a moment where he felt the ship's systems intertwine with his own thought processes through means unknown to him; a unique union of biology, magic, and machinery. This melding made it clear how the Princepium would be used to bridge the communication gap with the Guardian systems; and how it could call for help.
The ship hummed to life in a way Otio had never felt before, resonating with a newfound power. He began the transmission, reaching out into the vastness of space. Soon, the Princepium's screens lit up with messages unmistakably Guardian in origin. Aid was on its way. He took a moment to reflect on the enormity of what had been achieved, feeling a deeper connection to the vast universe and, at this moment, a shared purpose with the Guardians.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
After diligently working, ensuring every single component was in its proper place, double, triple, quadruple-checking his work, Otio hits the final button, starting the transmission, and he collapses back into a chair. As the seat rolls back on its wheels, he gazes out at the screens, lighting up with messages he reads one after another.
He’s done. He did it.
Finally, he lets his guard drop, he relaxes into his seat, all that tension bubbling up from inside of him to burst out of his mouth with the sound of laughter. If he weren’t so exhausted he would be kicking his feet with glee as confirmation of coming aid graces his screens. Instead he simply laughs, letting his limbs go limp, and letting go of all that determined ferocity.
He had never been an especially devout follower of Corlum, he wasn’t a regular worshiper, but he believed. He had always believed. In this moment, in this overwhelming moment of connection, of purpose, he believes more than he ever has before. Dyvonus you tricksy bastard, you’ve done it again.
After taking a minute to collect himself, he retrieves the band from the underbelly, and puts it back on his wrist, speaking into it as he does so.
“Adiuce, everything ok in there?”
Before relaxing into his seat once again, mind slowly coming to a boil as he recognizes what this could mean when he returns home… What this new technology he just installed could mean for the Maetant.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
Adiuce’s eyes sparkle as she looks around the room, finally able to take in the pure beauty of this kind of technological advancement. She’s not the most engineering-minded Maetant, but even she can recognize how overwhelmingly impressive just this one room is! She speaks into her band after hearing Otio.
“Yes! Everything’s good! We did it! Praise be Dyvo-!”
In the midst of her excitement, she hears a voice in her mind and for a split second, she imagines it to be Dyvonus Themself. No, this is not Them, but it’s still exciting! Just, maybe not as exciting. She realizes that her legs are shaking underneath her, about to give out from the tension of it all, and she sits down on the floor, resting back on her four arms.
“Hang on Otio… I think I’m getting a message from the ship.”
She speaks aloud in her native tongue of Oratin, unsure of how one would even respond to a voice in the mind. “An artificial consciousness? I… I hardly even know what to say. I won't ask for any service from you, because that’s not why we came to find you. Myself and my friend Otio, we work for our home nation, the Marble Soul. We explore the stars, seeking out new opportunities. With that in mind, all I can think to ask from you is to be your friend.”
She says this as she reexamines her body, noticing the now… rather disturbing piles of dead skin she carries on her, residue from the radiation. She sits up straight, and presses her hands together, concentrating as she resizes, discarding the dead skin and shrinking down to compensate for lost mass. She then stands back up, and moves away from the pile of detritus left behind. “Sorry about that.” Surely one more mess won't be too much of an issue.
/ Selah Korvas Assembly - Uncharted system /
[ Incoming Distress Call ]
[Contact re-established – Frigate Kelen Located]
[Re-calibrating trajectory – Priorities updated]
In the vast expanse of space, the ancient Guardian ships, previously deployed on various scouting and prospecting assignments, swiftly began their regrouping maneuvers. The call of their lost brother, the Frigate Kelen, resonated through their collective networks. Their streamlined forms shimmered with technological and natural light, illuminated by the soft gleaming radiance from the twin stars of the system they currently occupied.
[ Assembling fleet – Calculating jump parameters ]
Like a perfectly choreographed dance, drones zipped through the void, aligning themselves in precise patterns and sequences. Their swift, graceful movements contrasted with the grandeur of the larger ships, drawing sharp lines of silver as they prepared for the impending voyage. One by one, the cavernous hangars of the Guardian ships opened, beckoning the drones inside. They entered in organized sequences, docking and stowing away in preparation for the rigors of faster-than-light travel. The mechanical ballet culminated with the last of the drones neatly tucked away.
[ Launch bays securing – All drones accounted for]
[ Final jump calculations in process ]
The fleet, now aligned and ready, pulsed with a resonating hum as energy channels activated, linking the ships in a grid of shared power and intention. Their surfaces reflected a myriad of colors as the twin stars bathed them in light, creating a mesmerizing spectacle against the backdrop of the cosmos.
[ Navigational shielding Active ]
[ Standby: Jump imminent ]
/ Adiuce /
The ambiance inside the vessel had transformed since Adiuce first entered. The darkness that once loomed was now punctuated with light as various systems began their self-repair. Subtle lights activated along the walls and ceiling, revealing intricate patterns and designs along the ship's interior. The now stable black hole orbited by rotating rings that slowly drew energy from the poles of the sphere; the accretion disks dimly lighting the room as it repaired. Runes glow faintly along the rings, channeling a magic that was not present before; as a second teal accretion disk begins to form around the black hole; intersecting the other.
The drones, now able to move freely and safely, floated seamlessly through the air. Their designs were elegant, with flowing lines and luminescent patterns mimicking the aesthetics of the ship. These drones busied themselves with repairs. Arcs of soft gold energy emanated from them, sealing breaches, repairing damaged panels, and recalibrating systems. The ship seemed to breathe and come alive, its every pulse resonating with the intent of restoration.
As Adiuce observed this dance of rebirth, Resplendent-Arrangement's voice echoed gently in her mind. "It is an honor to know my savior. It has been eons since we've had visitors of such curious physiology. What do you seek in your exploration? How might I assist you in understanding what I am?"
Adiuce smiled, her wonder for the vessel undiminished, "This is amazing. I want to understand your technology, your culture, and your purpose. But first, just seeing all this... It’s like a dream."
The vessel hummed softly in response, perhaps a sign of agreement or a simple acknowledgment.
"Your explorations, Adiuce of the Marble Soul, what have they revealed about the universe? How do your kind perceive its mysteries? I have forwarded information on what we are to your friend; you will be able to read it at your leisure later."
The Maetant explorer grinned, her eyes reflecting a myriad of stars and experiences, realizing that the exchange of knowledge and stories had just begun.
/ Otio /
As the multitude of messages flashed across the Princepium's screens, Otio's relief and joy were palpable. But amidst the visual cacophony, a distinct harmonic chime resonated through the ship’s audio systems, drawing Otio’s focus. A data transmission from the Guardian vessel began to unfold before him.
On the main screen, a series of images emerged, painting an extensive tapestry of images, a narrative of the Guardian’s history. Born from the fragments of a deity who perished during the universe’s fiery birth, the Guardians were divine remnants carrying out a cosmic legacy. This ancient deity, in its final moments, shattered into countless shards, giving rise to the Guardians at the universe’s dawn.
Their sacred mission, as Resplendent-Arrangement revealed, was to preserve the sanctity and diversity of evolution and life. The very fabric of their existence was woven with the profound responsibility of protection, observation, and guidance of younger species. To the Guardians, ensuring the balance and diversity of life was paramount, a duty passed down from the legacy of the god from which they emerged.
Their sudden presence was not a claim to power or an attempt at conquest but an escape. Their unwavering commitment to this age-old mission standing firm. Their ships were once beacons of hope and guardianship, ensuring life's delicate dance went undisturbed across galaxies.
Processing the weight of this newfound knowledge, Otio reflected. His hopes of new technology and wisdom might truly be answered by what he now knew were called “Guardians”. All he had to do was wait for their arrival.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
Otio has a lot to take in. He rolls his chair up closer to the monitors, taking in the information as it scrolls across his screens. He can ask Adiuce about what she’s hearing later.
For now he ensures that the ship’s database is recording all this info he’s being fed. Preserving this knowledge of a new potential alliance, new potential partners, and ones so thoroughly advanced. This could lead to a new golden age of advancement for the Marble Soul!
Especially as he keeps reading. The history is grand and significant of course, but Otio is no historian, he’s an engineer first and foremost. So his eyes latch to the segment referring to the Guardians as ‘guides for younger species’.
Would the Maetant be given that guidance? Could they be shepherded into a more advanced age, just as they were lifted from stone tools to spaceships by another friendly guide back home?
The potential of the future swirls in Otio’s brain as he leans back in his chair, passively absorbing the Guardian’s intel while the ship records it to be shown to those with more expertise than himself.
And he can relax, thank Dyvonus.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
With no face to pin to Resplendent-Arrangement, Adiuce’s eyes continue to wander the room, taking in every little thing as she spins on her feet. Soon she turns to look at the drone that’s been by her side through all this, and pats what she assumes to be its head.
“Well, Resplendent-Arrangement. This is a new universe to us, and we have been thrust into it unprepared and alone. We reach out to find our neighbors dramatically more advanced than we are, and they are kind to us, welcoming us into our place in the stars.”
She looks around again, beginning to wander her way out of the reactor room, back into the hallway, to do some idle exploring while the conversation continues in her mind. Now when she looks up at the doors along the hall, the runes make more sense, she can begin to understand what she’s reading, which puts a smile on her face.
“I won't deny, this universe is strange to us. I’ve been told that in our home universe, magic flows freely in all things, in all places. It is in the soil, in the people, and in the raging fires of every star. Here it is limited, tied down to what we now know as leylines. I was born here, in Ancerious, so I can only speculate on how such a transition feels.”
She frowns, reflecting on that idea briefly, that she wasn’t around for such an event, that she can’t possibly know what it was like. But then she perks up again, and stands up straight, putting the idea out of mind, and getting back to the excitement at hand.
“But that is why we explore our new home! Our creator Dyvonus does not ask us to wallow in doubts and uncertainties. They ask us to go out and embrace what is new and what is yet to come. I am certain that our superiors will be ecstatic to meet you and your people, just as I am ecstatic to have met you here!”
/ Adiuce /
Stepping away from the reactor room, Adiuce was greeted by corridors that seemed to breathe anew with the ship's reawakening and repairs. The walls began illuminating with a soft ethereal glow. Mysterious drones floated by, their forms appearing renewed somehow. Some radiated soft blue lights, others displayed shimmering patterns across their armor, all purposefully moving as if driven by unseen commands. Their tasks varied: some repaired broken panels, others realigned crystals behind access panels, and a few paused occasionally to scan or assess certain areas before moving on.
All the while, one particular drone continued to follow Adiuce, its actions reminiscent of a curious puppy trailing its new friend. Every so often, it would hover closer, producing soft harmonious chimes as if trying to communicate or simply express interest in her fascination.
As Adiuce meandered through the chambers, she came across a couple that captivated her. The first was a room filled with what appeared to be suspended animation pods, each one housing a silhouette obscured by a milky, glowing substance. Others yet cracked open with malformed bodies spilled from within. Were these other members of the Guardian species, waiting to be awakened? Or perhaps remnants of other races they'd encountered?
The next chamber it contrasted starkly. It was vast, with high ceilings adorned with holographic constellations, and in the center, a raised dais with an ornate pedestal. It seemed to be a place of deliberation or diplomacy; maybe even a temple.. As she gazed up at the constellations; their depths seemed to shift and project images of ancient and forgotten worlds into her mind. During this contemplation Resplendent-Arrangement's voice resonated within her thoughts.
"[Observation] Our stories, though forged in the crucibles of different universes, seem to intertwine in unexpected ways, Adiuce of the Marble Soul. Like your people, we too were thrust into Ancerious, similarly unprepared for the uncharted expanses present here. We have navigated its vastness, seeking understanding and connection with it as a whole.
[Revelation] But there was a stark disparity we were unprepared for. The Veil, a fundamental cosmic force present in our original universe, was conspicuously absent here. Its absence rendered our abilities and our connection to magic considerably weakened. Where once our powers flowed like vast rivers, here they were but trickling streams, confined to the pathways of leylines. Our technology suffered greatly in its absence. The very fabric of this universe posed a challenge, demanding adaptation and evolution.”
She moved her gaze from the constellations above her towards the ornate pedestal in the center of the room; its elegance and craftsmanship drawing her attention. Atop it, floating gently in a faint field of purple and white tendrils of energy, sat a shard of white crystal. It was unlike any crystalline structure she had seen before, its form intricately shaped by cosmic forces beyond comprehension. As light touched its surface, the shard refracted it in mesmerizing patterns, bending and splitting rays in ways that defied physics. Colors unseen and unknown danced upon the walls, inviting the Adiuce into a trance. Resplendent-Arrangement’s voice fell out of focus, becoming simple noise behind the enthralling object before her.
But beyond its visual allure, there was a palpable presence emanating from the shard. Waves of divine energy cascaded gently from it, making the very air in the room seem to hum with a tranquil resonance. Those in its vicinity felt an overwhelming sense of calm and security, as if cradled by a cosmic protector. The shard was not just a fragment of a crystal; it was a beacon of celestial serenity, its depths echoing the essence of the Guardian’s creator.
Shattering her from the trance, a sudden force rocked the ship. The ancient corridors echoed with the sound of shifting sands, a cacophony of rumbling and creaking. Dust and particles filled the air as breaches in the hull allowed the desert's intrusion. The little drone by Adiuce's side moved closer, as if trying to shield her or offer comfort.
Through the disarray, Adiuce's bracelet vibrated calmly. It was a message from Otio, "You need to see this, it's the Guardians. They're here." The ship seemed to hum and pulse with anticipation.
/ Otio /
While engrossed in the scrolls of data on the monitor, a flicker in the peripherals of one of the exterior view screens catches Otio's attention. He quickly shifts his gaze, leaning forward to get a clearer view. A swirling, churning vortex of colors and energies manifests in the atmosphere, giving birth to a Guardian fleet. They emerge from the wormhole like luminescent titans, an awe-inspiring spectacle that dwarfs the local starships in both size and grandeur.
His eyes widen, his jaw dropping slightly as he takes in the vast armada. "Dyvonus above," he murmurs, his heart racing. This is a sight beyond even his wildest expectations. Though he's seen vast fleets before, the sheer scale and grace of the Guardian ships is unparalleled, their ships an ethereal dance of art and engineering. From vast cruisers reminiscent of glistening fortresses, casting long shadows over the sands, to sharp frigates that seemed to lack any discernible engines or weapons, they were a marvel to behold.
The centerpiece of this celestial ballet, the flagship, was a monolith of its own. Its intricate designs shimmered as it caught the fiery light of the twin suns, appearing as a beacon amidst the gleaming armada. As the wormhole shut behind them a flash of light made him look away for a moment, before an eerie silence fell over the room; and the fleet stood still above the dunes below.
Then, the stillness and silence of the desert was shattered. A massive, silent shockwave had erupted from the wormhole's exit point. The dunes below rippled and shifted, like a sea reacting to a dropped stone. Cascading waves of sand rolled across the vast desert expanse, reshaping the landscape in mere moments. The twin suns cast ever-changing patterns of light and shadow as the dunes moved, making the desert appear alive.
Otio felt the vibrations through the ship, a gentle tremor that grew in intensity. The sheer power displayed by the Guardians' entrance was humbling, to say the least. This wasn't just a display of mindless might; it was a warning to anything that would threaten their fallen brother below; they were here to bring him back. It's evident that these beings are indeed the cosmic guides that Resplendent-Arrangement spoke of.
Pulling himself together, he sends a brief message to Adiuce: "You need to see this, it's the Guardians. They're here."
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
As she is shaken from her trance, she steadies herself on her feet once more, all four arms held out for balance, one resting on the drone as an anchor. She looks up and around, checking to see if this is the symptom of some sort of interior damage revealing itself, or something exterior exerting itself on the ship.
Before she can assess for herself, Otio’s voice broadcasts itself, and Adiuce’s eyes widen. She replies “I’ll be right there!” before leaning down and giving the drone a tight hug, pressing her face to its cold exterior.
“I don’t know if you can come with me, little buddy, but if you can, come on! We’ve got some more new friends to meet!”
As she begins to gently jog her way back towards where she entered, she continues to speak to Resplendent-Arrangement, incapable of wiping a smile off her face.
“I don’t know your range either, RA, but if there’s a way for us to keep contact, I would love that! Our peoples’ stories share in so many ways, and even if you are just one intelligence of your people, every voice matters. Wouldn’t you agree?”
As she approaches the exit, she turns around to point her fingers up at the ceiling, in a sort of ‘here’s looking at you’ gesture in the vague direction of the AI’s presence.
“Promise me we’ll speak again! If you can’t find a way to make that work, I will!”
Before finally making her way back out into the open sandy desert of Karaa III to behold the sheer mass of vessels that appeared to block out the very suns themselves.
She’s frozen in place temporarily, only to be bumped back to consciousness yet again by the drone nudging her side. She smiles again, and places a hand on it to pet it as her eyes once again move up and up and up to the fleet. She slowly moves her arm to speak into her band.
“... Yeah, I see em.”
Oh how far down the totem pole the Maetant truly are.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
After delivering his message, Otio isn’t quite sure what to do next. Does he go outside to greet them? Should he remain on board so he can communicate via the ship’s computers? Does his hair look alright?
Wait, forget all that! He rushes outside once he gets Adiuce’s message. He sees her leaving the crashed vessel, along with some strange piece of machinery that seems to be following her. Probably a drone given how she’s petting it, she always does that no matter how much he tells her they don’t feel it.
“Adiuce! Adiuce are you ok?!”
“Yes! Otio I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine! You would not believe what I saw in there! An AI spoke in my mind and told me so many stories and there was this crystal that-”
Her ramblings are quieted by Otio throwing his arms around her, squeezing her tight
“Thank goodness you’re alright…”
Quickly enough though he stands back up and lets her go, straightening himself out. His eyes glow a gentle white as he forces himself back to reality and turns to face the fleet.
“Now! There will be plenty of time to talk about what you saw, but first I think we have to make proper contact. I was speaking to them while you were in the ship, but I think that now the crisis is over, proper conduct would say we should give them a formal greeting, right?”
“Right, time to talk later.”
As the two make their way back aboard The Princepium and stand at the comms, Otio takes a deep breath and opens a channel.
“Guardian fleet, I am co-captain and chief engineer Otio, of the Marble Soul. I am joined by co-captain and chief medical officer Adiuce, of the Marble Soul. It is an honor to speak with you in calmer circumstances, and to formally greet you as fellow citizens of the stars.”
Adiuce speaks next.
“I have met the intelligence within your downed vessel, Resplendent-Arrangement. They have relayed to me the story of your people, and how our histories have great similarities. It is my wish that this can become just the first step in a peaceful, amicable friendship.”
Now the two simply stand and wait for a reply; the future relations of two civilizations hanging in the balance.
The highly advanced frigate Kelen, adorned in a sleek silver hull, possessed an awe-inspiring appearance akin to a masterfully crafted knife gracefully slicing through the fabric of space. Its streamlined form exuded elegance and purpose, with every contour and angle serving a calculated function. The metallic surface shimmered under the distant stars, reflecting the surrounding cosmic tapestry in a mesmerizing display. As the frigate maneuvered in orbit, the hum of its propulsion systems emitted a subtle yet commanding presence, further accentuating the ship's technological sophistication. The engines, tucked neatly within the ship's structure, emitted a faint glow that danced around the ship's edges, symbolizing the raw power harnessed within.
Gracefully finding its place within a tranquil orbit around Karaa III, an uncharted world within the wide reaches of the Unmar Expanse, the frigate embraced the serenity of its surroundings. Blending the mystical currents of magic with the precision of the advanced Guardian technologies present aboard, the frigate's sensors initiated a meticulous dance, delicately sweeping across the planet's surface to unravel its deepest mysteries. From its lofty vantage point high above, the sensors embarked on a voyage of discovery, diligently charting the intricate topography and meticulously dissecting the enigmatic composition of the atmosphere.
Each sweep of the sensors was conducted with unwavering attention to detail, as if a master artist delicately crafting a masterpiece stroke by stroke. The data acquired was not a mere collection of numbers and measurements; rather, it held the potential to unveil the secrets that lay hidden beneath Karaa III's surface. The frigate's sensors acted as ardent explorers, documenting every contour, every whisper of the planet's essence, as if they were chroniclers of a tale waiting to be told.
[Confirm - target world Karaa III - Guardian habitable]
[Caution - solar activity increasing - shields active]
The AI's calculations confirmed that despite the planet's blistering surface, it held the potential for the Remnant's ambitious terraforming project. Filled with a profound sense of purpose, the AI deployed drones to conduct seismic surveys and locate vital resources on the desolate terrain. Each discovery brought immense satisfaction, akin to finding true meaning in existence.
However, as the AI meticulously unraveled the planet's secrets, another threat loomed on the horizon. The star at the heart of the system surged with escalating activity, rapidly approaching dangerous levels. Alarms blared within the AI's core, and a sense of urgency replaced its previous contentment. While the drones continued their tasks, the AI recalibrated its focus, driven to find a way to mitigate the escalating stellar danger and safeguard the Remnant's ambitious plans.
Undeterred by the dual challenges before it, the AI forged ahead, fueled by purpose and the unyielding determination to fulfill its vital role in shaping a new world while navigating the treacherous path of an increasingly unstable star.
[Caution - solar activity approaching dangerous levels - solution retreat]
With urgency coursing through its crystalline veins, the AI initiated a swift retreat, commanding the engines to rev with alien might and lifting the frigate from the planet's surface. The drones, unfortunately, had little time to be retrieved as the vessel ascended, preparing to engage its faster-than-light capabilities. However, the AI's efforts proved futile as a relentless solar storm erupted, triggering fierce geomagnetic storms within the planet's already potent magnetic field. The frigate's shields were mercilessly stripped away, exposing it to the searing heat and ravaging radiation, rendering it vulnerable and defenseless in the face of the cosmic onslaught.
As the solar storm unleashed its fury, the frigate bore the brunt of the tempestuous assault. The intense heat and radiation penetrated the ship's weakened defenses, inflicting damage upon its once-impenetrable hull. The metal groaned under the strain, its structural integrity compromised by the unrelenting storm outside. Alarms blared throughout the vessel as vital systems faltered, struggling to withstand the punishing forces that threatened to consume them. The AI, resolute in the face of adversity, valiantly fought to maintain control, desperately searching for any means to salvage the ship from the clutches of the ravaging solar storm.
[Damage sustained - adopt siege stance]
Responding swiftly to the perilous situation, the ship's AI initiated a contingency plan, locking outer armor plates into place to shield vulnerable sections, including the hangar and radiators. With the reinforced armor mitigating further damage, the ship intended to endure the raging solar storm until it subsided. However, the unexpected gravitational influence exerted by the planet's moon proved to be a disruptive force, causing the ship's engines to falter and setting it on a path towards a decaying orbit.
In a blaze of vivid blue and crimson illumination, the ancient vessel breached the planet's atmosphere, hurtling uncontrollably towards the unforgiving dune seas below. The impact was catastrophic, leaving the ship battered and barely operational. Determined to make contact with its fleet, the AI activated a distress beacon, clinging to the hope that the Quantum entanglement communication net had miraculously remained intact. Alas, its plea for assistance resonated in solitude, as the ship found itself marooned, isolated amidst the uncharted depths of the Unmar Expanse.
[D-d-d-d-d-damage su-stained - h--elp]
The AI passed into a state of purgatory, neither conscious nor unconscious; simply passively aware. Silence filled the air, he was alone and afraid.
/ Bridge of The Princepium, The Middle of Nowhere - The Unmar Expanse - Date is 122 Calidum, 32 EA /
Some Time Later, After the Storm Has Passed
A vessel lazily patrols the Expanse, sensors haphazardly scanning whatever happens to come in range without much mind given to what it is or why it should be scanned, as if it were a bus full of tourists staring every which way, remarking on every building it passes. Its sterile white exterior implies a level of sophistication and class greater than its behavior suggests, shaped with flowing white panels that give it the appearance of a silk ribbon flowing through space on solar wind, as long as one ignores the ion engines visible from its backside, and its large undercarriage, full of batteries to power said engines.
The Princepium is no massive vessel, and is currently operating with a skeleton crew. Two Maetant fill the roles of Captain, Chief Engineer, Chief Medical Officer, and Pilot all at once, with a handful of non-intelligent automated systems taking care of everyday background maintenance and diagnostics. That’s what you get with Council backing, reliable automated systems, unreliable coworkers. The two are competent enough to fulfill these roles, thankfully, begrudgingly.
Toss
Catch
Toss
Catch
Toss
Cat-
“Could you please stop that? Pay attention to your sensors.”
The black-and-orange-skinned Maetant caught his rubber ball, not throwing it back up into the air just yet.
“To what? There’s nothing on them, you know there’s not going to be anything on them, so why do you care so much?”
The white-skinned Maetant replies, with a curt offense in her tone, as if this were the rudest thing she’s heard yet today.
“Why do I care? Maybe I care because this is our job, not to mention the will of Dyvonus Themself? I should ask why you don’t care, Otio.”
“Because, Adiuce, we’re in the middle of nowhere. We’re about to hit turnaround, and we’ve found nothing of note, so I don’t see the harm in passing the time.”
“Well then can you at least not lean on the instruments while you play catch with yourself? I don’t want you to bump anything.”
“That I ca-” The beast-patterned Otio is startled to attention as one of the computers behind him beeps 4 times in rapid succession, pauses, and repeats the beeping pattern. Soon enough both occupants of the small vessel’s bridge are crowded around the monitor, attempting to decipher the new reading. Both were desperate for something to do.
Otio is the first to speak up, asking “What is it? Is it trying to hail us? Oh no, are we going to make contact? I’m not ready for that!”
“Quiet down Otio! I don’t think it’s another ship… It seems to be coming from that planet there.” Adiuce pokes at one of the (non-touchscreen) monitors with a finger, indicating an uncharted planet nearby. “And it seems to be regularly repeating the same signal. Either it’s a repeated broadcast of something, or it’s a distress signal…”
Otio picks up where Adiuce leaves off, “But if our computers are having a hard time deciphering it, that must mean it’s meant for a computer that functions on a different level than ours. Either way we need to go check it out, right?”
“Exactly. Now buckle up, there’s probably someone down there with it who’s broadcasting the signal, and they’ll probably need help.”
Both Maetant buckle themselves into their respective chairs, and Adiuce begins to direct the ship towards Karaa III, and down to its surface.
Once the vessel enters the planet’s atmosphere, Otio is quick to unbuckle and rush to the viewport, searching for the source of the signal with his enhanced eyesight rather than relying on the sensors of the vessel. Luckily it wasn’t hard to find the crash amongst the piles of sand that this planet seems to be made of. Any variation in color is easily seen, especially one with a blue glow contrasting with the sand such as this.
“I see it, put us down over there.”
“Got it.”
With what could be generously described as a tender hand, the pristine white vessel inches its way down to the sandy surface of Karaa III, Adiuce preferring to go too slow as opposed to too fast when it comes to landings on unknown planets.
Adiuce checks the ships external readings upon landing, while unbuckling herself, “Ok so it looks like it’ll be hot, so ada-”
”Outside temperature high, suggest adaptation to accommodate.”
Adiuce winces as she’s cut off by the computer, before sighing and turning to Otio, hitting the button to begin lowering the ramp.
“What the computer said.” The words tumble from her mouth with a defeated annoyance. Reliable automation, yippee.
Soon enough, Adiuce exits the vessel, leaving Otio behind to keep an eye on the instruments as she approaches the crash site.
Adiuce enters the range of the AI’s awareness without realizing it, unsure what any of this mess is. The AI sees a 7 feet, 2 inch tall, humanoid figure, with paper-white skin, and short, pastel pink hair. Her build is slim, and her eyes are opalescent. What stands out most about her though, is her extra set of arms, giving her a total of four. Between the two sets of arms, as well as between the bottom set and her torso, there seems to be almost a wing of thin skin, which some basic infrared readings would reveal is exuding body heat to counteract the harsh climate. On her top-right wrist, she wears a sleek white wristband, which she begins to speak into in Oratin.
“No bodies, which is good, but confusing. Mostly a lot of blinking lights and wreckage… There seems to be no one here. I’m going to try and find whatever set off the signal.”
She lowers her arm, and begins to scout out the wreckage, turning things over, searching for any sign of life, or signs of former life. Hopefully life.
/ Guardian Network /
A presence? The AI slowly came back to a semblance of consciousness; barely maintaining the higher forms of function without overloading its surviving matrices. How long had it been unaware? Time blurred and melded together. Looking through its remaining veil sensors it sees Adiuce approach. Both fearful of the alien, and apprehensively hopeful that help has come, it tries to reach out and speak with her. Its telepathic matrix is damaged heavily, so the resulting attempt at communication is a loud screech echoing in the minds of everyone present; even back on the alien vessel.
It kept trying to speak for some time, distorted and almost demonic warbling and screeches filling the ships corridors. Only stopping after a few moments of this mental torment. Content with having reached out to the visitors, it quickly moved to the remnants of the short range communication array and sent a recall order to the drones that had been sent to the surface earlier; hoping they could repair some of its damage and restore damaged self-repair systems.
[Intrusion - Communicate - Trespass]
[Singularity damaged - priority repair required]
Some of the ship's internal drones whirred to life, moving through the corridors towards the singularity core; while two floated gently in the direction of the bridge to meet the alien presence.
/ Adiuce /
Adiuce descended into a large hull breach on the side of the ship, stepping into the uneven and tilted corridors inside. Many of the lights still functioned; illuminating the silvery corridors and the dim blue energy coursing through conduits in the floor. Energy occasionally arced from pillar to pillar on the supports within the ships depths, and as she followed the signal she eventually found her way to what had once been the bridge; deep in the bowels of the ship.
Before she could register the details of the room however, a painfully loud shrill warbling sound formed in her head for a moment, almost to her sounding like devastatingly distorted speech. After only a few moments, it faded; and she found herself once again standing in the eerily empty halls of the wreckage.
Looking over the room, she sees holographic displays barely functional, flickering alien glyphs and ancient information. The room had no discernable seats, but seemed to be arranged around a central pedestal that looks to be a place for a commander to stand. Much to her dismay, there were no signs of remains in the room; almost as if everyone had just stood up and left in an instant. A breach into the ceiling of the room let faint sunlight in, and sand trickled slowly from the breach slowly filling the bottom section of the room. It was clear to her, that even in this state, whoever built this ship was an exceptionally advanced species; and that in its prime this ship must have been a marvel of engineering.
As she scanned the room, a single console at the far side, near the rising sand, was flashing with a crimson glyph; and appeared to be the source of the signal.
/ Otio /
Otio, relatively content to be left in the relative safety of the ship to keep an eye out, notices something unnerving while doing preliminary scans of the ship. Just outside the open airlock he saw that towards the center of the crashed ship the sand was moving, forming orbital patterns and rings around the segment of the ship. Upon closer inspection of the readings, it appeared that the center of the ship had a massive gravitational signature, one that was pulling sand into orbits around it. The readings seemed to be similar to that of a black hole.
His readings also detected the telepathic signal, and determined that it originated from the same area of the ship. It appeared that he wouldn’t be given the calm watch that Adiuce had intended. Upon trying to communicate this information to Adiuce he found that the ship's hull, even at its thinnest, was blocking almost all of the signal from his transmitter. She only received bits and pieces of his message in the end.
What he failed to notice during these moments was the fact that his bracelet was being gently tugged towards the rear of the ship. The metal on it humming subtly with energy.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
Now the sole living being aboard this ship, Otio was diligent on the bridge. Not only because he cared for his single additional crewmate, but because if something went wrong he would never be able to forgive himself. He’s glad he’s paying attention too, as he does not like what he sees. A black hole? On a crashed ship? What kind of mad scientist would install a singularity on a moving vessel? That’s just asking for trouble.
He would theorize more on the worrying priorities of this mess’s planet of origin, however he’s cut off right before he starts to worry about their stance on workplace safety by an awful shriek. He pounds his fist on the edge of one of the instrument boards and grits his teeth through it, before speaking into his band.
“Did you hear that? Are you ok? What’s going on in there? Gimme an update!”
After ever-so-politely requesting an update, he turns his attention back to the sensors, attempting to recall that strange signal to decipher it and its purpose. He’s never heard of a telepathic signal before, so all of this seems appropriately alien to him.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
When one enters a crashed/destroyed anything, one expects a kind of creepiness that comes with decay, with unexplained circumstances, and strangers. Oddly enough, this vessel only seems to have one of those things, much to Adiuce’s relief. No eerily flickering lights, no stench of rot, only a deep curiosity. Mapping out the interior as she walks, the four-armed Maetant takes in the strangeness around her. Whoever’s ship this was, they definitely liked the color blue. She relaxes as she continues to walk, glad to be out of the sun, glad to be in a surprisingly clean… wreck.
As she finally makes her way to the bridge, she barely has any time to register what she’s seeing before her mind is full of awful, ear-splitting noise. Well it would be ear-splitting if it were interacting with her ears at all. Regardless she plants her top set of palms against the sides of her head to try and shield herself, incapacitated by the screeching until it mercifully ends.
After taking some deep breaths, she continues to look around, now a bit more hesitant. Multiple possibilities cross her aching mind. That was either a trap she set off, a prerecorded message that was distorted by the crash, or someone attempting to contact this vessel, also distorted. So with great hesitation, she continues to move towards the console with the red light. Red lights often mean something bad is happening, so it would be best to know what the bad thing is.
Otio's demand for a report attempts to come through, only to be disrupted and rendered incomprehensible by interference. All she hears is "... Are-! … In th-! … Date-!" Which is ultimately unhelpful. The stuttering static doesn't help the atmosphere though, as Adiuce becomes increasingly unsettled by the circumstances around her.
What she's greeted by at the terminal can only be described as 'abstract'. A bunch of holographic light being shot between different glowing figures she doesn't understand, and a bunch of dust floating in the air.
"What the…"
Is all she bothers to say aloud, before deciding to take the easiest, most intuitive path, and simply attempting to 'press' the red glowy one.
/ Guardian Network /
The ship's AI felt nodes of itself fading, one after another. The singularity was leaking energy, and it was killing it. Realizing it needed to conserve power where it could, the lights were cut; leaving only the faint blue glow of energy conduits in the floor and the occasional arc of electricity between pillars to light the corridors. Shortly after their activation, the drones gently levitate into the bridge; one moving to the ceiling to stop sand from falling into the chamber and the other approaching Adiuce, releasing a shrill series of beeps and a low hum.
[Scanning trespasser - Threat assessment]
Much to the AI’s dismay, the damage to the singularity core appeared to be irreparable; the outer casing of the housing was damaged and the containment fields were only barely active by way of the ships zero point and gravitic generators. He felt a sense of growing fear, worrying that the singularity would swallow the ship whole.
[Warning - shield malfunction - plasma field malfunction]
The AI continues to get increasingly annoyed with the mounting issues, moving his quite limited focus to the new issue at hand.
/ Adiuce /
In her confusion, and wondering how to interpret the interface before her, she reached out; her fingers contacting the rune floating in the air. The result was the dust and light making the rune explode out in a constellation of light, before the console settled into a dim blue glow; and the signal stopped. She was spooked when she heard a series of beeps behind her, only to find a small drone about two feet tall had silently floated up behind her. The drone itself was a geometric crescent, with two levitating diamonds beside it. The drone beeped a couple more times, before reaching out to the console and triggering the red glyph to reappear, and the signal to resume.
/ Otio /
While looking through the ship's logs, he finds no remnant of the signal that had blasted through his mind a moment ago, and more worryingly no response from Adiuce. He does, however, manage to find a region of the ship that seemed to “wake up” when Adiuce entered the ship; a section in the other direction of where Adiuce went. When he goes to speak into his band he notices that its being periodically tugged towards the ships front and rear, swapping every few seconds. Almost like a small magnetic field is moving like tides, in out in out. Something was happening in the ship's complex systems…
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
“Shit!”
Adiuce takes a step back as the display bursts in response to her contact, all that tension from her growing unease released first by the display, and second by the sudden beeping behind her. She jumps and turns around, expecting to find some kind of murderous security droid here to kill her, only to see this strange, geometric device beeping at her. She circles around the drone, watching as it resets the glyph.
“Now what are you… Can you communicate? Beep once for yes, and… well I guess just beep once for yes.”
The thing is oddly cute, in a ‘modern art’ kind of way. More importantly, it seems to know how to interact with the ship’s systems. This is an opportunity for learning! She lowers herself down to the drones level, putting her lower set of hands on her knees to speak on an equal vantage with the strange machine.
“Can you show me who’s in charge of this ship? I’d like to speak with them.”
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
Not reassuring. Having no relevant information, nor knowledge of what Adiuce is seeing within the ship, he focuses his attention onto the other area that seems to have come online, and focuses the majority of The Princepium’s instruments in that area. Seeking to learn what exactly that area is, what kind of activity it’s undergoing, and why it’s turned on now. Maybe it has to do with the magnetism
The magnetism is worrying in its own special way, as well as frustrating as his hand is repeatedly moved around on the interface when he doesn’t want it to be. Magnetism as a ship issue brings the shields to mind, but he has no way of running a diagnostic on this alien vessel just yet. Baby steps.
“Come on come on come on…”
He takes a deep breath, calming himself. The black hole is something so far out of Otio’s reach right now, it would be pointless to waste time worrying over it, so he focuses on what he can do, use the instruments and readings available to him in order to learn more about the situation, to maybe bring the black hole problem within his reach soon. Worrying wastes time, he’ll have plenty of time for emotional issues later, when the crisis is averted. Yes this is a crisis, no question about that.
/ Guardian Network /
The AI, realizing these trespassers appeared to be here to help, ordered the drone to guide the woman to the singularity, where she could manually restore containment systems through the failsafe. Time was running out, it felt its outlying processes failing one by one; its ability to focus was fading. No sooner than he issued this order, the drones from the mining expedition returned; larger than conventional repair drones by a large margin.
These arriving drones split up, one began making repairs along exposed conduits in the ship; while one moves towards the unknown vessel. This one proceeds to broadcast a message on a wavelength mimicking the radio chatter between Otio and Adiuce; directing it towards Otio. The message, filled with static and warping, was still comprehensible none-the-less; sounding like they were haphazardly and manually assembling sounds to form words.
“Biological designation Otio, assistance required. Vessel node failing, death imminent. Transmitter lacks sufficient intensity. Instructions for augmented transmission follow. Take us home. Help us.”
Near the end of the message legitimate pain, sadness as if someone was at the brink of tears, butted its head. These drones quite clearly saw the larger vessel and its AI as their parent. Another more brief message followed.
“Shield malfunction; danger. Relay established to ship interior, danger map shared, warn her.”
/ Adiuce /
beep
The drone does a small circle in the air, a series of hopeful beeps emanate from it. Then, without warning, Adiuce sees the floor’s conduits blink, and all but one goes dark. It appears to be leading out of the room and into the corridor.
beep beep
As she looks around, she notices the roof has been mostly mended; and watched as the other drone flew into a small alcove on the wall.
/ Otio /
Otio, directing the ship's instruments on the rear of the vessel, gets enormous amounts of data. This region of the ship seems to be brimming with activity, both electric and electromagnetic. As he feared, the magnetism seemed to be forming a shell around the ship; and heat was gathering at points positioned equidistantly around the vessel's hull. He also managed to get material properties of the ships hull, indicating that the ship was a neutronium lattice with a nano-laminate hull; materials that until now were only at the fringes of theoretical physics within the Marble Soul.
While poring over the readings he was startled; as two almost 250m long vessels, looking like large cambrians with magnetic levitating arms, blasted overhead. With loud reverberating spatial warps below them to decelerate from what must have been supersonic speeds one floated down in front of the bridge of the Princepium; and sent a flurry of information over short range radio.
He received maps indicating where the ship had been irradiated, where the shields would make near uninhabitable due to heat when they activated, and even regions that had electric hazards. He also received information on how to modify the Princepium’s existing transmitters with equipment he had on hand to increase their operating range by a staggering 5000%. He was also informed that Adiuce can now receive transmissions; relieving him with the knowledge she was alright.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
If Otio wasn’t convinced of his sheer inferiority in comparison with the downed vessel Adiuce was exploring already, the readings he gets off this focused scan certainly puts his ego in the dirt. Or rather, in the sand, given the current circumstances. This technology is theoretical to him at best! And he’s lazy, not stupid! Somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders how he would even go about taking a sample of this stuff to bring home, the vessel itself is clearly too large to move with theirs…
But all this hypothetical is rudely interrupted by a quick beep alarming him of approaching vessels, startling him off his feet, making him grab the console for stability before checking the readings again. Screw the console, look out the window! Otio’s eyes widen as he takes in the sheer scale of the craft hovering in front of The Princepium. He rushes his attention back to the console as information streams in, dammit he thought he wouldn’t have to make contact if he stayed aboard…
But wait, this is good information! Terrifying implications if he really wanted to get into it, but more importantly, he has a definitive task to accomplish, and re-established comms with Adiuce.
“Adiuce! Thank Dyvonus ok, ok ok ok. I have intel to share, don’t ask me questions, we'll talk about it later, but I’ll be guiding you from here, I have a map of the safe areas of the ship, and I’ll be making some modifications out here. You need to try to adapt for radiation in the meantime, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep you out of harm’s way entirely.”
After leaving Adiuce to process that information, Otio makes quick steps to start following the instructions given to him by the large machine. This all looks very complex, but the instructions are clear, and he has the materials on hand. He takes a deep breath, centering his soul in accordance with the practices of Sanama, literally glowing as he magically calms himself, and focuses himself in order to proceed with the task at hand.
Step one, gathering the tools and materials he’ll need, something he directs to the autonomous drones aboard the ship. In the meantime he quickly opens a maintenance hatch in the floor of the bridge, slipping down into the underbelly of the room where all the technical bits are. He quickly identifies where the transmission systems are connected, and shoves aside the mess of wires and components connected to literally anything else like parting foliage.
He operates like a machine, his mind completely focused on only 2 things, performing the task ahead of him, and guiding Adiuce in hers. People call him lazy, even his own parents, but in this moment he is the picture of efficiency.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
“Oh you want me to go this way, little guy? Stick with me then, you probably know the way better than I do.”
Adiuce smiles, patting the drone on its… ‘head’, before beginning to make her way back out into the corridor, following the direction of the glowing conduit in the floor. Looking down the long, empty hallway in front of her, that sense of foreboding begins to creep in again.
This ship was clearly designed with people in mind. What kind of person, she doesn’t know, but someone has walked these halls before her. Now they’re not here, and all Adiuce can do is wonder where they went. Why would this ship be all the way out here, unmanned? This ship clearly comes from a highly advanced culture, so it’s possible they’ve solved unmanned space travel.
While she’d love to meet and swap notes with such people, that then begs the question, why is this ship seemingly designed with living inhabitants in mind? Lighted corridors would be unnecessary for drones, so it must be for living inhabitants… Where exactly is she being lead? Is there one person on this ship coordinating the drones? Or are they fully autonomous? Nothing but questions for now, not an answer in sight.
Until she receives a transmission from Otio, seems whatever interference there was has been fixed, though he seems worried… Radiation? As worrying as that is, she trusts him. After relaying an affirmative, she begins to focus on her body as she walks. Thank Dyvonus there are no distractions.
As she walks, focusing on the practices of Sorporis as well as her own biological processes, her skin grows thicker, denser, losing its pure white coloration, and turning a deep gray like lead. It’s not actually turning into lead, but dense skin ‘feels’ gray to her, and so it becomes as such. This might slow her down slightly, but that’s a fine price to pay for not dying.
/ Guardian Network /
[Warning - Shield ignition]
The Guardian drones had held off the cascading malfunctions within the shield systems as long as they could, losing grip as the final switch flipped. For a moment the magnetic field along the ship's exterior shimmered, flooding with energy before a flash of white light saw the barrier ignite. Swirling and shifting mosaics of plasma were visible for a moment, before fading to be transparent everywhere except where the ship sunk into the ground; which saw the intense heat and power of the shield compressing and melting the sand into a glassy obsidian.
A shockwave emanated from the ship as the barrier displaced the atmosphere; air rushing over the sand kicked up an enormous cloud of dust; flashing the shield at points as fine particulates impacted the barrier; vaporizing into yet more smoke and dust. Eventually the dust and the storm settled; leaving the ship once again in the sand, a fine circle of glass indicating where the barrier prevents passage along the ground.
[Caution - Major power drain - Estimated survival time insufficient]
The larger construction drones backed off, moving to the center of the ship and seemingly nullifying the gravity leaking from the singularity within. Biding time before the final cascade that would see their commanding intelligence lose power and slowly fade to obscurity.
/ Adiuce /
As Adiuce followed the drone as it gently bobbed up and down she found herself having to take many turns and deviate from a direct route. In one section of the ship a crack in the hull sealed by a faintly shimmering hardlight barrier revealed the shields outside had activated, and she could feel radiating heat from the breach. As she walked she pondered the drones, and the sudden ability for clear communications with the outside. While walking however she did notice that there seemed to be runes above some doors, and some corridors. She couldn’t read them, but somehow they felt familiar; like the meaning was sitting just outside the fringes of her perception.
The drone stopped and turned to her, letting out shrill beeps and projecting a series of three overlapping hexagons almost like a three sided venn diagram, two of the outer volumes shaded. It then looked to her expectantly.
/ Otio /
Otio's hands trembled as he tried to make sense of the overwhelming instructions before him. He felt like a lost soul in a sea of advanced technology, a peasant thrust into a world of science beyond his comprehension. Despite the urgency of the situation, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming fear of getting things wrong. Otio took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He knew he couldn't rely on his limited understanding of the instructions, so he resolved to follow the instructions step by step.
Focusing back on the task of guiding Adiuce for a time, he communicated with her over the comms, relaying the safe routes and warning her of the hazards ahead. His voice quivered with trepidation, afraid that his instructions might lead her astray. He had never felt the weight of responsibility so acutely before, and the thought of any harm coming to Adiuce was paralyzing. As he provided guidance, he double-checked the information multiple times. The unknowns haunted him, and the fear of making a catastrophic mistake loomed like a shadow over his efforts.
Each decision felt like a leap of faith. He had to rely on the data he had received and the hope that it was accurate. He prayed that his instincts would guide him to make the right choices. In moments of uncertainty, he took a moment to center himself, trying to summon the calm he had learned from the teachings of Sanama. He needed to be as clear-headed as possible to navigate this technological labyrinth. He could do this; and with that single thought the focus of his mind he worked onwards; altering the ships transmitter.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
With deep breath after deep breath, Otio’s striped skin glows a faint purple as the spiritual practice continues to suppress his fear, holding him in a calmer state of mind to increase efficiency. His hands no longer shake, his legs no longer tremble, he moves as if he were a machine, smoothly from one pose to another. He can only trust the instructions given by these strange beings, as he would have no guidance at all on his own. So he places his faith in those who have a plan.
Simply follow the instructions and continue to warn Adiuce if she approaches a dangerous area, simple enough. Allow the simplicity of that idea to calm the soul, to calm the body. His band now hangs from a nearby wire, displaying the map by Otio’s vision, such that he doesn’t need to repeatedly raise an arm to check it.
All that machinelike efficiency is paused as the whole ship rattles during the shockwave, breaking his concentration until he can recompose himself. He pokes his head up to check the readings, look out the window… Not good. He gets back down in the wires, talking to Adiuce again.
“You should probably speed up. I’m doing my best on my end, but whatever is broken in there needs to be fixed. I do not want to think about the failstate right now.”
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
“Neither do I, but I have no idea what this drone is trying to tell me. It’s showing me a symbol of some kind… I saw that flash from outside, I’m assuming that’s something else you’ll explain when I get back, no time, et cetera.”
She lowers her band again, looking to the drone, and then to the door, and then back to the drone. For some reason she feels a need to comfort the thing, it seems worried about something. She’s a friend first, then a healer, so she pats the drone’s oddly shaped ‘head’, smiling down at it before gesturing to the door with one of her other hands.
“Well, nothing’s going to get done if we don’t go through. I don’t know if you’re telling me to stop, or if this is the wrong way, but we need to make some kind of progress. So let’s speed up! The quicker we can get there and fix whatever’s happening, the quicker we can get everything under control and figure out what to do next, ok? I’m tough, you don’t need to worry about me!”
She says with a smile, patting one of her now dense, gray biceps. Skin this thick can hold up to heavy radiation for a time, allowing it to kill the outer layers to provide a buffer between the precious internals and the dangerous outside. It’s a temporary fix, but without proper shielding it’s the best she has.
/ Guardian Network /
[Gravitational containment failure]
[Accretion containment failure]
The AI was increasingly spread thin, it was focusing on managing the swarms of drones that were keeping the makeshift bomb the ship had become from detonating. His life was on the line, and every process he stopped focusing on killed a part of him as the systems slowly fell to cascading power losses. It used the last of the stored energy within the ships vast capacitance banks to teleport a Quantum entangled particle module to the Princepium’s bridge; the last part Otio would need to contact someone that could help.
The drone with Adiuce continued to show her the symbol with increasing concern, but upon realizing she was able to adapt to the conditions inside it reluctantly opened the door to the core chamber.
/ Adiuce /
Adiuce looked from the drone to the door, and after the drone looked to her and beeped with concern the door opened. The silver panels making up the door levitated apart, moving into the walls to reveal a large chamber with silver columns reaching from the floor arching towards the center of the room; where inside an enclosure of nested rotating rings sat a black hole around 10 meters in diameter; space warping around it and light pulsing from its accretion disk. Segments of the room had clear indications of gravity leaking out of the layered containment fields, tearing apart supports and panels while crunching the metal caught in the path of the leaks to scrap. In some points the accretion disk reached out like a circular saw melting through metal through pure friction. This machine was dying.
Looking closer at the black hole itself for a moment, she observed that the outermost of the rotating rings had been damaged, and seemed to no longer be rotating. Consoles around the circumference of the black hole's enclosure showed flickering warnings and flashed glyphs; some of which seemed to display a time to criticality. Drones hovered in some areas, holding back the intense gravitational cavitation with all their might; only to be crushed when it overpowered their meager systems.
Her personal geiger counter clicked louder and louder as she considered her options; the black hole's inherent radiation was melting away the outer layers of her cells; and she didn’t have long before she started receiving dangerous levels of it. Her drone guide floated over to one of the consoles and beeped expectantly. The console seemed to have several glyphs flashing, and the drone directed her attention towards the surface, a holographic depiction of the reactor; pointing towards the outer ring and a point along its circumference that seemed to be damaged. The drone seemed to want her to do something; but she didn't understand what. She could vaguely understand the runes before her, but it was unlikely that only understanding would let her know how to fix a machine this complex. She needed a goal to work towards with the tools her drone had given her. Time was running out.
/ Otio /
As Otio was getting towards completing the instructions he was sent he came to the realization he was missing a part it referred to only as the “Din’an”. Just as he was contemplating this issue, however, static electricity arced along his arm and the rest of the room, gathering towards a single point; a point which exploded into light. When the light faded there was a single crate sitting there, labeled with the glyph that he now understood to mean Din’an. As he was moving to examine the crate he also received more information from the larger construction drones.
“She has reached the fault. Outer ring damaged, remote repair impossible due to reactor internal conditions. She must boost power to the outer ring, overpower the obstacle. Drone will guide her, relay information.”
WIth this message he noticed that the drones were actually using the Princepium’s own processors to convert the relatively information dense Guardian language into something that the Maetants could understand. He knew what he had to do, use the altered communication system to call for help; and to be the link between the ship's drones and Adiuce. Time was ticking, and he knew it.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
For a brief moment as he’s working, Otio considers how much more peaceful his day might have been, had his vessel simply changed trajectory by a few degrees more… But he shoves that thought aside as the Din’an simply appears on the bridge of the ship, within reach to finalize the set of instructions he’s been given.
Only for him to be once again interrupted by the drones, with more incredibly urgent and important information. He can’t even be mad at the intrusion, it’s clearly critical intel. As he pries open the crate and begins extracting the device to be installed, he calls back to his band, still in the underbelly.
“Boost power to that outer ring Adiuce! You need to overpower the obstacle! The drone will show you!”
Despite having 0 idea what it means, what ring Adiuce is looking at, what drone is with her, he simply follows instructions and continues. The time for questioning comes later, when the crisis is averted. Or if these instructions cause further crisis, there would be no point in questioning anyways.
He treats the Din’an with great care and caution, unsure of what could happen should this alien tech be damaged… He recalls his earlier worries about workplace safety with this alien race, and remains vigilant as he moves the device to its new home.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
Moving quickly to the console as the drone indicates, she feels her cells dying before her eyes. She scans the runes, attempting to understand what they do, and what can be done. She’s not an engineer, but surely on a ship this advanced there’s a failsafe for this kind of event? Whatever kind of event this is, she can barely comprehend what’s going on in front of her.
All she knows is that when she sees one of those poor drones get crushed, it feels like watching an animal be slaughtered. She’s going vegan after this.
She wishes she could center herself and restrain her emotions like Otio can, but for now her mind is a flurry of ideas and worries, leaving very little room for precise thought. So when she gets the instructions from Otio, her mind is everywhere but on defense. All she wants is to know what the runes on the console mean, which one ups the power of the outer ring, surely that should be labeled? Maybe one of them just looks like a ring with an up arrow next to it, that would do it.
If only things could be so simple. As her panicked state allows the ship to meddle with her unguarded mind, she begins to understand the runes, picking up vague meanings for each of the flashing glyphs. Each one will draw power from one area while draining power from another, a result of the ship’s damaged state. She sees things she can’t quite comprehend the full consequences of, and decides to just do what she was told.
She also sees a warning that details her certain doom should she do this wrong. No pressure.
She can’t bring herself to pull power from the drone network, as in the extremely short time she’s known this weird drone, she’s already formed a bond with it. She doesn’t pull from the AI section of the ship systems as that will likely remove what little guidance she and Otio have been receiving so far. So she ultimately decides to pull power from the ship’s shielding in order to overcharge the outer ring of the reactor, seeing as there are no current threats outside except for the heat, which she can handle.
She crosses her fingers, and presses the glyph, praying to Dyvonus it's the right choice.
/ Adiuce /
The reactor chamber's atmosphere crackled with palpable tension. Time seemed both to race and stand still as Adiuce, aided by her newly attained comprehension from the enigmatic telepathic influence of the Guardian language, sought to make sense of the holograms the drone projected. Each represented a vital component of the reactor.
The extent of the outer ring’s damage was undeniable. Urgent beeps from the drone accentuated the severity, almost mirroring her own racing heartbeat. With the guidance from the vessel's AI and cues from the drone, she quickly interfaced with the console's glyphs. A sequence activated, realigning the damaged section of the outer ring by redirecting power from the ship’s auxiliary systems.
A deafening silence ensued, soon broken by the low hum of machinery. The once-stagnant rings began their rotation, gaining momentum. The raging black hole found its calm, with gravitational anomalies fading and radiation levels dwindling. Adiuce felt a wave of relief; containment was restored.
With the immediate threat neutralized, Adiuce’s eyes gleamed with excitement. An alien craft, replete with enigmas and technological marvels, awaited her scrutiny. The allure of uncovering its many secrets was tantalizing. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft, almost ethereal voice echoing in her mind. "Adiuce, your actions have staved off my impending demise. I am Resplendent-Arrangement, this vessel's artificial consciousness. My gratitude is boundless. How may I be of service to my savior?"
/ Otio /
In the the Princepium's bridge, Otio carefully unpacked the Din'an. The module inside was intricate, comprised of delicately woven crystalline circuits, shimmering with an otherworldly arcane hue. Its alien origins were evident, yet a familiarity lingered – the mark of masterful engineering that transcended species and cultures.
As he integrated the module into the communication system, Otio noticed the harmonious synchronization between the Princepium's existing technology and the Guardian tech. Every connection made felt like fitting the final pieces of a vast, cosmic puzzle.
There was a moment where he felt the ship's systems intertwine with his own thought processes through means unknown to him; a unique union of biology, magic, and machinery. This melding made it clear how the Princepium would be used to bridge the communication gap with the Guardian systems; and how it could call for help.
The ship hummed to life in a way Otio had never felt before, resonating with a newfound power. He began the transmission, reaching out into the vastness of space. Soon, the Princepium's screens lit up with messages unmistakably Guardian in origin. Aid was on its way. He took a moment to reflect on the enormity of what had been achieved, feeling a deeper connection to the vast universe and, at this moment, a shared purpose with the Guardians.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
After diligently working, ensuring every single component was in its proper place, double, triple, quadruple-checking his work, Otio hits the final button, starting the transmission, and he collapses back into a chair. As the seat rolls back on its wheels, he gazes out at the screens, lighting up with messages he reads one after another.
He’s done. He did it.
Finally, he lets his guard drop, he relaxes into his seat, all that tension bubbling up from inside of him to burst out of his mouth with the sound of laughter. If he weren’t so exhausted he would be kicking his feet with glee as confirmation of coming aid graces his screens. Instead he simply laughs, letting his limbs go limp, and letting go of all that determined ferocity.
He had never been an especially devout follower of Corlum, he wasn’t a regular worshiper, but he believed. He had always believed. In this moment, in this overwhelming moment of connection, of purpose, he believes more than he ever has before. Dyvonus you tricksy bastard, you’ve done it again.
After taking a minute to collect himself, he retrieves the band from the underbelly, and puts it back on his wrist, speaking into it as he does so.
“Adiuce, everything ok in there?”
Before relaxing into his seat once again, mind slowly coming to a boil as he recognizes what this could mean when he returns home… What this new technology he just installed could mean for the Maetant.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
Adiuce’s eyes sparkle as she looks around the room, finally able to take in the pure beauty of this kind of technological advancement. She’s not the most engineering-minded Maetant, but even she can recognize how overwhelmingly impressive just this one room is! She speaks into her band after hearing Otio.
“Yes! Everything’s good! We did it! Praise be Dyvo-!”
In the midst of her excitement, she hears a voice in her mind and for a split second, she imagines it to be Dyvonus Themself. No, this is not Them, but it’s still exciting! Just, maybe not as exciting. She realizes that her legs are shaking underneath her, about to give out from the tension of it all, and she sits down on the floor, resting back on her four arms.
“Hang on Otio… I think I’m getting a message from the ship.”
She speaks aloud in her native tongue of Oratin, unsure of how one would even respond to a voice in the mind. “An artificial consciousness? I… I hardly even know what to say. I won't ask for any service from you, because that’s not why we came to find you. Myself and my friend Otio, we work for our home nation, the Marble Soul. We explore the stars, seeking out new opportunities. With that in mind, all I can think to ask from you is to be your friend.”
She says this as she reexamines her body, noticing the now… rather disturbing piles of dead skin she carries on her, residue from the radiation. She sits up straight, and presses her hands together, concentrating as she resizes, discarding the dead skin and shrinking down to compensate for lost mass. She then stands back up, and moves away from the pile of detritus left behind. “Sorry about that.” Surely one more mess won't be too much of an issue.
/ Selah Korvas Assembly - Uncharted system /
[ Incoming Distress Call ]
[Contact re-established – Frigate Kelen Located]
[Re-calibrating trajectory – Priorities updated]
In the vast expanse of space, the ancient Guardian ships, previously deployed on various scouting and prospecting assignments, swiftly began their regrouping maneuvers. The call of their lost brother, the Frigate Kelen, resonated through their collective networks. Their streamlined forms shimmered with technological and natural light, illuminated by the soft gleaming radiance from the twin stars of the system they currently occupied.
[ Assembling fleet – Calculating jump parameters ]
Like a perfectly choreographed dance, drones zipped through the void, aligning themselves in precise patterns and sequences. Their swift, graceful movements contrasted with the grandeur of the larger ships, drawing sharp lines of silver as they prepared for the impending voyage. One by one, the cavernous hangars of the Guardian ships opened, beckoning the drones inside. They entered in organized sequences, docking and stowing away in preparation for the rigors of faster-than-light travel. The mechanical ballet culminated with the last of the drones neatly tucked away.
[ Launch bays securing – All drones accounted for]
[ Final jump calculations in process ]
The fleet, now aligned and ready, pulsed with a resonating hum as energy channels activated, linking the ships in a grid of shared power and intention. Their surfaces reflected a myriad of colors as the twin stars bathed them in light, creating a mesmerizing spectacle against the backdrop of the cosmos.
[ Navigational shielding Active ]
[ Standby: Jump imminent ]
/ Adiuce /
The ambiance inside the vessel had transformed since Adiuce first entered. The darkness that once loomed was now punctuated with light as various systems began their self-repair. Subtle lights activated along the walls and ceiling, revealing intricate patterns and designs along the ship's interior. The now stable black hole orbited by rotating rings that slowly drew energy from the poles of the sphere; the accretion disks dimly lighting the room as it repaired. Runes glow faintly along the rings, channeling a magic that was not present before; as a second teal accretion disk begins to form around the black hole; intersecting the other.
The drones, now able to move freely and safely, floated seamlessly through the air. Their designs were elegant, with flowing lines and luminescent patterns mimicking the aesthetics of the ship. These drones busied themselves with repairs. Arcs of soft gold energy emanated from them, sealing breaches, repairing damaged panels, and recalibrating systems. The ship seemed to breathe and come alive, its every pulse resonating with the intent of restoration.
As Adiuce observed this dance of rebirth, Resplendent-Arrangement's voice echoed gently in her mind. "It is an honor to know my savior. It has been eons since we've had visitors of such curious physiology. What do you seek in your exploration? How might I assist you in understanding what I am?"
Adiuce smiled, her wonder for the vessel undiminished, "This is amazing. I want to understand your technology, your culture, and your purpose. But first, just seeing all this... It’s like a dream."
The vessel hummed softly in response, perhaps a sign of agreement or a simple acknowledgment.
"Your explorations, Adiuce of the Marble Soul, what have they revealed about the universe? How do your kind perceive its mysteries? I have forwarded information on what we are to your friend; you will be able to read it at your leisure later."
The Maetant explorer grinned, her eyes reflecting a myriad of stars and experiences, realizing that the exchange of knowledge and stories had just begun.
/ Otio /
As the multitude of messages flashed across the Princepium's screens, Otio's relief and joy were palpable. But amidst the visual cacophony, a distinct harmonic chime resonated through the ship’s audio systems, drawing Otio’s focus. A data transmission from the Guardian vessel began to unfold before him.
On the main screen, a series of images emerged, painting an extensive tapestry of images, a narrative of the Guardian’s history. Born from the fragments of a deity who perished during the universe’s fiery birth, the Guardians were divine remnants carrying out a cosmic legacy. This ancient deity, in its final moments, shattered into countless shards, giving rise to the Guardians at the universe’s dawn.
Their sacred mission, as Resplendent-Arrangement revealed, was to preserve the sanctity and diversity of evolution and life. The very fabric of their existence was woven with the profound responsibility of protection, observation, and guidance of younger species. To the Guardians, ensuring the balance and diversity of life was paramount, a duty passed down from the legacy of the god from which they emerged.
Their sudden presence was not a claim to power or an attempt at conquest but an escape. Their unwavering commitment to this age-old mission standing firm. Their ships were once beacons of hope and guardianship, ensuring life's delicate dance went undisturbed across galaxies.
Processing the weight of this newfound knowledge, Otio reflected. His hopes of new technology and wisdom might truly be answered by what he now knew were called “Guardians”. All he had to do was wait for their arrival.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
Otio has a lot to take in. He rolls his chair up closer to the monitors, taking in the information as it scrolls across his screens. He can ask Adiuce about what she’s hearing later.
For now he ensures that the ship’s database is recording all this info he’s being fed. Preserving this knowledge of a new potential alliance, new potential partners, and ones so thoroughly advanced. This could lead to a new golden age of advancement for the Marble Soul!
Especially as he keeps reading. The history is grand and significant of course, but Otio is no historian, he’s an engineer first and foremost. So his eyes latch to the segment referring to the Guardians as ‘guides for younger species’.
Would the Maetant be given that guidance? Could they be shepherded into a more advanced age, just as they were lifted from stone tools to spaceships by another friendly guide back home?
The potential of the future swirls in Otio’s brain as he leans back in his chair, passively absorbing the Guardian’s intel while the ship records it to be shown to those with more expertise than himself.
And he can relax, thank Dyvonus.
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
With no face to pin to Resplendent-Arrangement, Adiuce’s eyes continue to wander the room, taking in every little thing as she spins on her feet. Soon she turns to look at the drone that’s been by her side through all this, and pats what she assumes to be its head.
“Well, Resplendent-Arrangement. This is a new universe to us, and we have been thrust into it unprepared and alone. We reach out to find our neighbors dramatically more advanced than we are, and they are kind to us, welcoming us into our place in the stars.”
She looks around again, beginning to wander her way out of the reactor room, back into the hallway, to do some idle exploring while the conversation continues in her mind. Now when she looks up at the doors along the hall, the runes make more sense, she can begin to understand what she’s reading, which puts a smile on her face.
“I won't deny, this universe is strange to us. I’ve been told that in our home universe, magic flows freely in all things, in all places. It is in the soil, in the people, and in the raging fires of every star. Here it is limited, tied down to what we now know as leylines. I was born here, in Ancerious, so I can only speculate on how such a transition feels.”
She frowns, reflecting on that idea briefly, that she wasn’t around for such an event, that she can’t possibly know what it was like. But then she perks up again, and stands up straight, putting the idea out of mind, and getting back to the excitement at hand.
“But that is why we explore our new home! Our creator Dyvonus does not ask us to wallow in doubts and uncertainties. They ask us to go out and embrace what is new and what is yet to come. I am certain that our superiors will be ecstatic to meet you and your people, just as I am ecstatic to have met you here!”
/ Adiuce /
Stepping away from the reactor room, Adiuce was greeted by corridors that seemed to breathe anew with the ship's reawakening and repairs. The walls began illuminating with a soft ethereal glow. Mysterious drones floated by, their forms appearing renewed somehow. Some radiated soft blue lights, others displayed shimmering patterns across their armor, all purposefully moving as if driven by unseen commands. Their tasks varied: some repaired broken panels, others realigned crystals behind access panels, and a few paused occasionally to scan or assess certain areas before moving on.
All the while, one particular drone continued to follow Adiuce, its actions reminiscent of a curious puppy trailing its new friend. Every so often, it would hover closer, producing soft harmonious chimes as if trying to communicate or simply express interest in her fascination.
As Adiuce meandered through the chambers, she came across a couple that captivated her. The first was a room filled with what appeared to be suspended animation pods, each one housing a silhouette obscured by a milky, glowing substance. Others yet cracked open with malformed bodies spilled from within. Were these other members of the Guardian species, waiting to be awakened? Or perhaps remnants of other races they'd encountered?
The next chamber it contrasted starkly. It was vast, with high ceilings adorned with holographic constellations, and in the center, a raised dais with an ornate pedestal. It seemed to be a place of deliberation or diplomacy; maybe even a temple.. As she gazed up at the constellations; their depths seemed to shift and project images of ancient and forgotten worlds into her mind. During this contemplation Resplendent-Arrangement's voice resonated within her thoughts.
"[Observation] Our stories, though forged in the crucibles of different universes, seem to intertwine in unexpected ways, Adiuce of the Marble Soul. Like your people, we too were thrust into Ancerious, similarly unprepared for the uncharted expanses present here. We have navigated its vastness, seeking understanding and connection with it as a whole.
[Revelation] But there was a stark disparity we were unprepared for. The Veil, a fundamental cosmic force present in our original universe, was conspicuously absent here. Its absence rendered our abilities and our connection to magic considerably weakened. Where once our powers flowed like vast rivers, here they were but trickling streams, confined to the pathways of leylines. Our technology suffered greatly in its absence. The very fabric of this universe posed a challenge, demanding adaptation and evolution.”
She moved her gaze from the constellations above her towards the ornate pedestal in the center of the room; its elegance and craftsmanship drawing her attention. Atop it, floating gently in a faint field of purple and white tendrils of energy, sat a shard of white crystal. It was unlike any crystalline structure she had seen before, its form intricately shaped by cosmic forces beyond comprehension. As light touched its surface, the shard refracted it in mesmerizing patterns, bending and splitting rays in ways that defied physics. Colors unseen and unknown danced upon the walls, inviting the Adiuce into a trance. Resplendent-Arrangement’s voice fell out of focus, becoming simple noise behind the enthralling object before her.
But beyond its visual allure, there was a palpable presence emanating from the shard. Waves of divine energy cascaded gently from it, making the very air in the room seem to hum with a tranquil resonance. Those in its vicinity felt an overwhelming sense of calm and security, as if cradled by a cosmic protector. The shard was not just a fragment of a crystal; it was a beacon of celestial serenity, its depths echoing the essence of the Guardian’s creator.
Shattering her from the trance, a sudden force rocked the ship. The ancient corridors echoed with the sound of shifting sands, a cacophony of rumbling and creaking. Dust and particles filled the air as breaches in the hull allowed the desert's intrusion. The little drone by Adiuce's side moved closer, as if trying to shield her or offer comfort.
Through the disarray, Adiuce's bracelet vibrated calmly. It was a message from Otio, "You need to see this, it's the Guardians. They're here." The ship seemed to hum and pulse with anticipation.
/ Otio /
While engrossed in the scrolls of data on the monitor, a flicker in the peripherals of one of the exterior view screens catches Otio's attention. He quickly shifts his gaze, leaning forward to get a clearer view. A swirling, churning vortex of colors and energies manifests in the atmosphere, giving birth to a Guardian fleet. They emerge from the wormhole like luminescent titans, an awe-inspiring spectacle that dwarfs the local starships in both size and grandeur.
His eyes widen, his jaw dropping slightly as he takes in the vast armada. "Dyvonus above," he murmurs, his heart racing. This is a sight beyond even his wildest expectations. Though he's seen vast fleets before, the sheer scale and grace of the Guardian ships is unparalleled, their ships an ethereal dance of art and engineering. From vast cruisers reminiscent of glistening fortresses, casting long shadows over the sands, to sharp frigates that seemed to lack any discernible engines or weapons, they were a marvel to behold.
The centerpiece of this celestial ballet, the flagship, was a monolith of its own. Its intricate designs shimmered as it caught the fiery light of the twin suns, appearing as a beacon amidst the gleaming armada. As the wormhole shut behind them a flash of light made him look away for a moment, before an eerie silence fell over the room; and the fleet stood still above the dunes below.
Then, the stillness and silence of the desert was shattered. A massive, silent shockwave had erupted from the wormhole's exit point. The dunes below rippled and shifted, like a sea reacting to a dropped stone. Cascading waves of sand rolled across the vast desert expanse, reshaping the landscape in mere moments. The twin suns cast ever-changing patterns of light and shadow as the dunes moved, making the desert appear alive.
Otio felt the vibrations through the ship, a gentle tremor that grew in intensity. The sheer power displayed by the Guardians' entrance was humbling, to say the least. This wasn't just a display of mindless might; it was a warning to anything that would threaten their fallen brother below; they were here to bring him back. It's evident that these beings are indeed the cosmic guides that Resplendent-Arrangement spoke of.
Pulling himself together, he sends a brief message to Adiuce: "You need to see this, it's the Guardians. They're here."
/ Inside The Crashed Vessel - Adiuce /
As she is shaken from her trance, she steadies herself on her feet once more, all four arms held out for balance, one resting on the drone as an anchor. She looks up and around, checking to see if this is the symptom of some sort of interior damage revealing itself, or something exterior exerting itself on the ship.
Before she can assess for herself, Otio’s voice broadcasts itself, and Adiuce’s eyes widen. She replies “I’ll be right there!” before leaning down and giving the drone a tight hug, pressing her face to its cold exterior.
“I don’t know if you can come with me, little buddy, but if you can, come on! We’ve got some more new friends to meet!”
As she begins to gently jog her way back towards where she entered, she continues to speak to Resplendent-Arrangement, incapable of wiping a smile off her face.
“I don’t know your range either, RA, but if there’s a way for us to keep contact, I would love that! Our peoples’ stories share in so many ways, and even if you are just one intelligence of your people, every voice matters. Wouldn’t you agree?”
As she approaches the exit, she turns around to point her fingers up at the ceiling, in a sort of ‘here’s looking at you’ gesture in the vague direction of the AI’s presence.
“Promise me we’ll speak again! If you can’t find a way to make that work, I will!”
Before finally making her way back out into the open sandy desert of Karaa III to behold the sheer mass of vessels that appeared to block out the very suns themselves.
She’s frozen in place temporarily, only to be bumped back to consciousness yet again by the drone nudging her side. She smiles again, and places a hand on it to pet it as her eyes once again move up and up and up to the fleet. She slowly moves her arm to speak into her band.
“... Yeah, I see em.”
Oh how far down the totem pole the Maetant truly are.
/ Bridge of The Princepium - Otio /
After delivering his message, Otio isn’t quite sure what to do next. Does he go outside to greet them? Should he remain on board so he can communicate via the ship’s computers? Does his hair look alright?
Wait, forget all that! He rushes outside once he gets Adiuce’s message. He sees her leaving the crashed vessel, along with some strange piece of machinery that seems to be following her. Probably a drone given how she’s petting it, she always does that no matter how much he tells her they don’t feel it.
“Adiuce! Adiuce are you ok?!”
“Yes! Otio I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine! You would not believe what I saw in there! An AI spoke in my mind and told me so many stories and there was this crystal that-”
Her ramblings are quieted by Otio throwing his arms around her, squeezing her tight
“Thank goodness you’re alright…”
Quickly enough though he stands back up and lets her go, straightening himself out. His eyes glow a gentle white as he forces himself back to reality and turns to face the fleet.
“Now! There will be plenty of time to talk about what you saw, but first I think we have to make proper contact. I was speaking to them while you were in the ship, but I think that now the crisis is over, proper conduct would say we should give them a formal greeting, right?”
“Right, time to talk later.”
As the two make their way back aboard The Princepium and stand at the comms, Otio takes a deep breath and opens a channel.
“Guardian fleet, I am co-captain and chief engineer Otio, of the Marble Soul. I am joined by co-captain and chief medical officer Adiuce, of the Marble Soul. It is an honor to speak with you in calmer circumstances, and to formally greet you as fellow citizens of the stars.”
Adiuce speaks next.
“I have met the intelligence within your downed vessel, Resplendent-Arrangement. They have relayed to me the story of your people, and how our histories have great similarities. It is my wish that this can become just the first step in a peaceful, amicable friendship.”
Now the two simply stand and wait for a reply; the future relations of two civilizations hanging in the balance.