A great roar erupted. Odian stood, arms and wings outstretched, to better draw the collective energy. He spoke again, but his words were muted by a powerful pull in Velora’s psyche. She could still hear him, louder now in fact, since he spoke directly to her through the implant.
“Come Velora, I wish to hear of your exploits at Nova.”
Suddenly she was standing next to Odian atop the Matüridan. She realized she was fully in the collective now, and that Odian had the ability to tune out all the others.
“Take my hand.”
Resistance futile, she placed her orange claws into his big, blue palm—and fell. Her collapsing mind flowed into his. She was in the Valpax with Marriko and Bluuimpus watching the scopes as their fighters drew off the Peacekeeper forces, then made a diversion run for Nova.
It was all there, everything from the pale starlight to Bluuimpus’ chalky smell. Then, events became faster scattering as Odian flipped through her memories. They were flying toward the probe, then she was in her suit guiding it into the cargo bay. They were back on the bridge preparing to patch into flowspace.
As she looked at the sensors, the memory froze. Velora couldn’t tell if she still had a body or had become an observing spirit.
“I sense your skepticism. I know you wondered why I ordered the MFs18 to Earth. After all, the distraction could have worked all the same without such a sacrifice. But they do not have the same aversion to death we do. We needed them to prove something, and they did.”
Odian released her mind and everything dissolved bringing the present back in full volume. All the while, he’d been speaking to the crowd, finishing only now.
“Go! Prepare your groups for our next phase!”
For a moment, his gaze singled hers out from the massive audience. With a mighty flap of his wings, he soared upward, again creating a strong wind that nearly toppled those closest. He climbed toward the base of the monolith, then wheeled and dove, gathering speed before rocketing over the Matüridan’s top and back towards the fortress.
The crowd headed back the same way they came; ships, stairs, and sliptubes… renewed purpose speeding them on their way.
Velora let them pass her, preferring to gaze at Odian’s receding figure. Innumerable turns as a Creator had shown her incredible things, but none so incredible as him: the legend that unified these species, the Valkon with the vision who would do what was needed.
But, the Fandaxian knew that peace never came peacefully.
1 Xaraka
The former name of planet XXX. It was a planet in the Warpgate system with an advanced, sentient, subterranean species. Harnessing the planet’s heat, they sculpted giant tunnels and cities that spanned across the core. Sadly, a rogue black hole passed through the planet’s system, cracked the planet in half with tidal forces, and swept it along on it’s dark journey. It wasn’t until 25 million turns later that XXX was discovered by Odian Spek and became the Creators of Space’s base of operation and home to the fierce warrior.
2 Threshold
The space around XXX’s parent black hole where time is distorted. At XXX’s orbit, time moves 10x slower than the rest of the galaxy.
3 VIRGL
Short for Virtual Intuitive Relationship Growth Lifeform, it is the 8th Generation AI companion of Odian Spek. It was developed by the Toridians and perfected by the Valkons. It is a passive, inquisitive, sentient digital being with limitless learning capability. They grow slowly from infant digital consciousnesses that are reared with compassion and respect. They can compute vast quantities of information and usually aid the logistics of special groups.
4 Valpax
A modified Pandula Class Drop Ship, under the command of RuCreator Velora Tunami. It was originally designed for shuttling 40-60 ground troops to and from a planet’s surface. This craft has Beacblocks, missiles, a sensor defeating hull, and upgraded engines for running in deep space. The Pandula Class Drop Ship was imagined by Sector Prime Niro Hadriianna during his time at Havlanager. After becoming increasingly bored of retirement, he designed a ship that would be capable of making his escape, then gave the plans to the GSA so they would know their flaws. The Pandula Class was built by Sector 7 Enterprises on Mijorn.
5 Tragdor
A large, sentient species standing over 8 tradons tall that are composed partially of rock, including their granite-like scales. They are extremely durable and are even able to absorb low energy plasma blasts. They have a high tolerance to heat and cold, can survive short durations in vacuum, and can hold their breath for up to three trikes. Their neural physiology is incompatible with Voidwhisperer implants.
6 Traa-female
The birthing gender of Fandaxians. Fandaxians have four genders; Saa-male, Traa-male, Saa-female, and Traa-female. All four genders are required to breed. A Saa-male fertilizes a Traa-male who in turn fertilizes the egg cell in a Saa-female who then impregnates a Traa-female who then carries and gives birth to a Fandaxian.
7 Nulusoorg III
A Distant Zones’ world previously visited by the Creators of Space. The planet’s ecosystem was completely destroyed; the atmosphere and oceans were poisoned. The COS intercepted the inhabitant’s arkship on its way to a new planet. Deeming them unworthy, the COS killed all the inhabitants.
8 RuCreator
The second rank of the Creators of Space. There are approximately 1000, all chosen by Odian himself for their deeds to the cause. They are leaders to all the groups within the COS; including battle command, research labs, spy networks, recruitment, and more.
9 NüCreator
The highest rank of the Creators of Space. There is and has only ever been one, Odian Spek. They may be challenged by a RuCreator for leadership of the COS, though they must possess the ability to harness the thought stream that links the Creators. No RuCreator has ever attempted a challenge to date.
10 Halls of the Created
A digital afterlife and tomb for machine and biological life who die in the service of the Creators. A machine’s code copy is downloaded when they “die” with their memories wiped. They are reborn in a new world to start fresh. The Halls of the Created are both functional and spiritual for the Creators of Space.
11 Matüridan
The central engine of a vast, ancient machine built by the extinct Xarakans within what is now XXX. It is used as the primary gathering location for the Creators of Space.
12 Azoeleo
The homeworld of the Fandaxians and capital world of Sector 4. It is the middle of five rocky planets that orbit a red dwarf star. The Endon came from the planet’s mean radii of its orbital distance with an eccentricity of only .000007. The perfect gravitational resonance between the planets maintains Azoeleo’s rotation despite it being well within the tidal locked zone of its parent star.
13 Laser Blade
A handheld weapon shaped like a sword or dagger that generates a flow of superheated plasma through a magnetic field along the blade. When activated, it can cut through most materials without resistance. The origin of handheld weapons like this was lost during the Second Dark Era. Its existence has been recorded back at least 15 million turns.
14 Stunstaff
A two hand weapon shaped like a long pole, about a tradon long, that when activated, emits a concussive shockwave on contact that usually incapacitates the target. They are commonly used for crowd control.
15 Plasma Repeater
A common galactic firearm. A fusion battery superheats pellets of compressed air into plasma that is accelerated in incinerating bursts at a target.
16 Paraluar Horns
Horns that grow in the same direction. A sign of evolutionary superiority amongst the Valkon. Those of lesser blood have horns that grow sideways called Paxaluar.
17 Boon Bonx
Was a sentient interplanetary species in the Distant Zones that attempted to conquer their neighboring species, the Tipaaroo. They were defeated and eradicated by the interceding Creators
of Space.
18 MF’s
Is a Creators of Space acronym for “Machine Friends.”
Eighteen
The Nexus
At the heart of XXX lay the Nexus, where the broken world’s oddly distributed mass created a weightless cave. Here, Odian Spek, along with the Nova probe and those attempting to decode the language written on its panels and examining its innards with robotic eyes—floated. His vacuum armor was safely stowed in his chambers. As Odian moved to the pivot of the Nexus his mind wondered...
“We Creators are not warmongers; we wished for an expanded universe without need for conflict, where there would be plenty for all—always.”
Everything had gone as planned. The information from their agent had proven fruitful. While some might wince at the loss of twenty-four ships, it wasn’t mere spectacle. If he’d wanted the humans eliminated, they’d be gone. Instead, gunning for Earth forced the failsafe and proved how dangerous they could be.
But humans remained to be judged.
Linked with many others in the space through their Voidwhisperer implants, Odian let himself drift into the river of voices.
RuCreator Daminus peered from behind a spectral display thinking. “If this scrawl was their primary form of communication, they did a poor job using it.”
RuCreator Diiusk used a combination of tail-finger and eye movements to manipulate the datachip’s holofield. “It’s command driven, so they must have a digital-type storage.”
This whispering in the dark was part of what kept the true believers from being caught. Their collective debating had begun with the core dissenters led by Odian so long ago. But the tech was granted to the true believers in the cause, so they could join the ranks of the enlightened. Absorbing their analyses, Odian took pieces from each to build his own. Once complete, he pulsed the word enough through the ether.
The others quieting, he said aloud, “Disassemble!”
At once the Voyager separated into its myriad components; nuts, bolts, washers, wires, brackets, bushings, batteries, lens, struts, microchips, thrusters, panels. Odian reached forward—the pieces sorted into junk piles dispersed around the space.
From this chaos, Odian was able to gently pluck what he was looking for: a golden disc. Untarnished since it was installed, its burnished faces glowed in the hololight.
He balanced it between his hands, keenly studying its deliberate etchings. “This is it. No more hiding. All your sins revealed.”
Releasing the disc, it floated. Lasers swept its surface, scattering neon beams as they produced a massive, perfect holographic copy. The eleven-point Carl Sagan map with 2D vectors moved away from the rest and was overlaid with a hologram of the galaxy. The central node stopped over the Nova System, rotating and scaling until each vector aligned with a blinking dot.
Words, the same words, came rushing through the river. “A pulsar map!”
“Indeed,” Odian said. “Any race naïve enough to hand over a map of their home world is sorely lacking in basic self-preservation skills. VIRGL, please begin a cross-check of its spectral analysis and vector language to find a constant.”
In a moment, VIRGL answered. “Language period of pulsars determined. Analysis indicates rotational period for data reveal.”
The 8th Generation AI had first been developed by the Toridians, then perfected by the Valkons before their home-world was exterminated by the Saarkyi.
“VIRGL, please show me how it can be read.”
His consistent courtesy was as pragmatic as it was polite. He’d seen many organics trod over their creations, ultimately creating a backlash that turned their servants into nearly unstoppable threats. VIRGL was alive, as much a companion as his biological allies, and would be treated with the same respect.
“Visual records show a device that can read the disc... here.”
On the hologram, a diamond-shaped glyph glowed. The matching stylus, invisibly drawn from the debris, flew over the disc and stopped perpendicular to its surface. Cords of light from Nexus hardware created a connection to it.
“VIRGL, please compensate for Nova’s atmospheric content, link electrical feed, begin playback, and sweep data-absorption until you get a hit.”
The disc spun. The stylus produced groans and gibberish. It was likely language, but to Odian it sounded like the hooting of animals.
“Stabilize feed. Repeat on various inputs, please.”
The disc continued playing harsh sounds, some barely perceptible. And then... a burst of what a human might recognize as whale-song made one of the Creators howl. Her mental pain bled through the river, inciting anger from Odian before he could close himself off from it.
The cry came from Diiusk, a Baleen of the water world Yallaweh.1 One of his earliest recruits, she twitched as she floated. Two of her compatriots held her steady. Salty tears drifted from her eyes in tiny beaded drops.
Using the tiny thrusters strapped to his wrists and ankles, Odian propelled himself the three tradons between them. The rest moved closer as well, unaccustomed to seeing a Creator weep so unabashedly, let alone one with battle scars on her outer claws and a half fin missing.
He put a hand to her claw. “We’ve chased the stars for many a turn. I’ve never seen anything rattle you. What is it?”
Her voice echoed an inconsolable pain. “That sound, it was a Murakoor2—one of the Peace Whales—a peaceful species of music, song, and memory. They came on the Agnessil ships from Eladium, and they made my world their home ages before my people could build sky-platforms. We have long lived in harmony. That piteous cry was a scream for help. Its people are being slaughtered… almost extinct. I’ve heard more than enough to judge these barbarians.”
Odian’s wingtip tapped her carapace. “Channel the anger, Diiusk, we’ll need it. But we’re not one of them. We must know their history and intent before any hammer is swung.”
Though the Baleen calmed herself, her fury still echoed through the river.
“Continue the playback, please.” There was more and more gibberish until the plane projection became scrambled bars of light and static.
“VIRGL, take over translation, please, and use your intuition.”
VIRGL voiced each step, somehow making the process sound both soothing and important.
“Assume pixelation style data output.”
“Assume 4:3 grid ratio.”
“Assume output is circular in shape.”
“Attenuate... I’m now running the closest five billion iterations within the mean differential. Looking for image match for a hieroglyph of a circle within a rectangle.”
The crude symbology on the hologram overlaid the projection. Once it stabilized to grey, a blurry, warped line formed into a curve.
“Enhance,” Odian said.
When the edges sharpened, the eager collective mirrored his thoughts.
“Enhance! Enhance!”
The curve became a circle.
“Decryption complete. Readout is nominal. Would you like to see, Odian?”
“Yes, VIRGL. Thank you.”
Wheeling lines clicked into crude pictures of humans and their solar system. The additional images depicted the benign existence of bland creatures. Odian had no doubt the way the humans presented themselves was highly sanitized. He’d seen it all before.
As every child in the galaxy knew, never trust a Saaryki.
They were just another T-Class Planet until an evaluation cycle indicated there’d been a quantum leap in their progress. No nuclear wars, no civilization-induced ecosystem collapse… there was nothing that might be cause for worry. Many felt the near extinction-level asteroid impact prior to their modern era had made them wise.
First contact was a resounding success: their diplomats invited to GSA worlds, trade routes opened. Their language was adapted into the Galactic Star Alliance translation nanobots with little resistance.
Unknown to any, the Saaryki knew the GSA had been monitoring them during the asteroid collision and s
tood by rather than prevent the near-extinction of their species. Their affability a farce, they were bent on vengeance. In short order, they bioengineered pathogens based on the DNA acquired in their travels through the Alliance.
Valkürin was one of their first targets, losing a quarter of its population to the artificial plague. By the time they realized the Saaryki relief ships were actually troop-carriers, the invaders had gained control of their FTL ships, industrial areas, weapons platforms, and extensive natural resources.
Then, they proceeded to do the same to three more systems.
General Odian was three sectors distant on a mission whose objectives were murky at best. Many of the Vdubs with him were his own species, so when news reached them that their world had been conquered, Odian abandoned the mission and led his fleet home.
Jumping three sectors in under 12 fikes3 was unheard of. Odian did it in two. As the Valnur4 dropped from Patch 5 flowspace, hull groaning from quantum instability, he was greeted by a surface glassed by nuclear weapons—from the Saaryki’s attempts to hold the planet.
Though the nearby capital, Radan, was ash, Odian found his humble skytower home unharmed. Still, his relief melted into despair; his family and friends had the plague. As he held his dead daughter in one arm, his dying wife in the other, cheers of victory came over the comms. The Saaryki were no match for his enraged VW fleet.
Kissing his beloved’s brow, he promised her vengeance. With her last breath, she whispered, “From your pain, create a better world.”
Those words were now etched in every hall of XXX, but back in that moment, he was broken. Having disobeyed orders, the Vdubs were forbidden to take part as the GSA drove the Saaryki further back. They did so anyway, utterly ignoring orders, widening the gap between the great government and its greatest warriors.
Beyond Kuiper: The Galactic Star Alliance Page 28
