by J. N. Chaney
“I do. Let’s have a little chat with Athena.”
In the lounge, Abigail and I sat at the small table with Athena, who I’d never seen sit before. The Cognitive offered one of her friendly smiles. “What can I do for you and Miss Pryar, Captain?”
“Athena, we have some questions about your new shell,” I began.
“Of course,” she replied, lacing her fingers. “What would you like to know?”
“You said Carl had to fill in code where repairs couldn’t be done, right?” asked Abigail.
“That’s correct, Miss Pryar.”
“Well, we were wondering if that gave you any special access. Back doors into Tartarus, should it be needed.”
“Just as a backup,” I added. “So far the Celestials haven’t attempted to attack Tartarus or get back into its systems, but we want to make sure you’re safe.”
“I appreciate your concern, Captain. I will speak with Carl and Sigmond about the possibilities.”
“Good enough for me,” I said, shifting in my seat. “That leads to my next question. We have to find a way to defeat the Celestials. While you were… with them, did you learn anything that might help?”
Athena shook her head apologetically. “Sadly, no. However, in my most recent communication with Carl, he was working on breaking down the final barriers the Celestials had put in place. He may have an answer now. Would you like me to check?”
“Please,” said Abigail.
Carl’s form appeared within moments. “Hello, Captain. Miss Pryar.”
“Captain, if you don’t need me anymore, I will return to Titan and continue my work there. Many systems still need repaired for me to reintegrate.”
“That’s fine,” I told her. “Thanks.”
With a curt nod, she was gone.
Carl looked at me and Abigail with an expression of light curiosity. “Athena tells me you wish to know more about the Celestials.”
“That’s right, Carl. You said before that you didn’t know where they got the slip drive tech. If you’ve learned anything, I want to know. I want you to tell me everything you can so we can take the Celestials down for good. Knowledge is power,” I said, echoing Octavia’s earlier words.
He nodded. “Of course. I am at your disposal, Hughes.”
“Good. I want to start with how the Celestials became so perfect. They don’t eat, or sleep, or seem to need any time for recovery like the rest of us lowly mortals. They’ve been able to incorporate phasing, and everything else. How exactly did they figure it all out?”
“From what I have been able to discover, they didn’t,” he explained.
“You mentioned that before about their slipspace technology,” Abigail said.
“Care to explain that, Carl? Is that what you mean? The slip engines?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, my records have suggested that a great deal of their advancements were derived from another source, though they certainly are responsible for some.” He gestured at himself, then spread his arms wide to encompass the Star and Tartarus. “And it wasn’t just the slip drive. In fact, that device was only one of many advancements that came about through the absorption of foreign technology. As for the genetic modifications, they used another lifeform’s DNA and fused it with their own.”
“Another lifeform,” Abigail repeated, sending me a look rife with concern.
“Who?” I asked.
“That, I cannot say. The data is incomplete, but since our last discussion, I have been able to discover some additional information,” he explained.
“What is it?” asked Abigail.
“A location,” Carl told us. “The place where the Celestials first arose. Their birthplace, in a manner of speaking.”
Abigail and I went quiet at the sound of that.
“The system has no designation in the archives,” Carl finally continued, after a moment of silence. “Something I believe was done intentionally. However, the word ‘Elysia’ appears several times, though the affiliated text has been omitted. I believe that this was at one time the name given to this world.”
I kept my focus on the Cognitive. “Is that where the Celestials live now?”
“Unfortunately, no,” said Carl. He waved at the view port and it lit up to become a display, just like the one inside Tartarus. “It is simply where the species you call the Celestials first arose.”
It depicted a large ring-shaped structure, the surface covered by landmasses and water. Not only that, but it seemed to contain a full atmosphere, clouds and all. I’d never seen anything like it before.
Abigail seemed to recognize it because she gasped. “That looks like a corona station. But they’re supposed to be theoretical.”
“Never heard of it,” I said.
“Miss Pryar is partially correct,” Carl replied. “This is indeed a corona megastructure, but not a station. It encircles a small star the size of Sol’s Saturn. This is where the Celestials discovered the technology that they would eventually use to evolve themselves. And it’s just one of several.”
“You didn’t know about these before?” asked Abigail.
“I’m afraid not, Ms. Pryar,” admitted Carl. “My access to this data was restricted and my memories of the information were altered until your arrival. Even then, I only regained full access recently and have begun to sort through it.”
I studied the display, trying to wrap my head around how such a thing worked. “So, it’s like a planet on the inside of a ring?”
“Essentially, yes. However, my information on its actual content is limited.” He waved his hand, zooming into a green section.
“That kind of looks like Earth,” I observed.
It was too far out to see any animals or other life, but the balance of green gave me a reason to believe it could be possible.
“They are similar enough. The ecosystem appears to mimic Earth’s. There are familiar fauna and small bodies of water.” He paused. “I believe this ring could prove a valuable source of knowledge for us.”
“How so?” asked Abigail.
“If my records are accurate and this is truly where the Celestials first arose—”
I leaned forward. “Then we might find something that could turn the war in our favor,” I interjected.
Abigail smiled. “I guess this means it’s time for another trip.”
20
Since the Celestials hadn’t attacked anything more since we’d reached Aldera, I decided to bring the Dawn with us. After hearing about the unknown corona ring and the chance to learn more about the Celestials, neither Vick nor Sanchez had any problem with the excursion.
“We have one more thing to do before we go,” said Abigail.
It was the next morning, and we were getting ready to make final preparations. I pulled on my clothes and shoved my feet into my boots before turning to her. “Really, woman, I can’t keep up with you. There will be plenty of time for that later.”
I stepped to the side just in time to miss the pillow she threw at my head. “Not that, Jace. Get your head out of the sewer. I’m talking about Lex.”
Her mention of the girl sobered me. “Okay. What about her? Dressler said she was doing great with all the tests.”
“She is,” Abigail said, reassuring me. “But we should at least talk about whether sending her back to Earth would be a good idea.”
“Oh. I don’t know, maybe.” I thought about that for a moment. On one hand, I knew Shaw would keep her safe. Or, as safe as was possible. On the other, the kid was damn near made of adamantine now.
“With everything going on, I think it would be best for her to stay with us,” Abigail continued.
“Besides, we don’t know where the Celestials are. They could be cloaking themselves and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I don’t want to test Lex’s immortal limits in a trial by fire,” I said, imagining the scene in my head. “What if Apollo were to get intercepted?”
“We’re in agreement then. Lex stays.�
�
“Yes!” came a muffled squeal from the hallway.
I opened the door and found Lex sitting on the other side with a guilty expression. “Thought I heard something. See this, Abby? We’ve got ourselves a spy.”
Lex grinned up at me. “You’re being silly, Mr. Hughes. I just wanted to hear what you guys were talking about.”
“Uh huh. I think it sounds like someone doesn’t want any rock candy,” I teased. “Alright, where’s Shaw? He’s supposed to be keeping an eye on you.”
He came down the hall, saving her from answering. “Ah, there you are, Lex. There’s a lot going on today, so you can’t just take off like that.”
She scuffed a toe on the ground and did her best to look sheepish, but we all knew it was just an act. “Sorry, Mr. Shaw. But, guess what? I’m staying while we go to…” Lex turned a questioning glance on me. “Where are we going again?”
“Elysia. And you need to listen to Mr. Shaw. If you’re going to come along, I need to know you’re going to do your part. We clear?”
“Yes, Mr. Hughes.”
I dug in my pocket for one of the sweets I kept there and came up with two pieces. “Good, kid. Here, take some rock candy and go with Mr. Shaw. We’ll be leaving in just a few hours.”
“Okay! See you guys later!” She swiped the candy from my hand and bounded away, barely remembering to slow down for the former Admiral. Once he caught up to her, she took his hand and they continued on their way.
I watched them go, shaking my head a little. “You know, it’s pretty amazing how well he’s taken to her.”
“Didn’t you say he has a granddaughter? I’d say it makes perfect sense,” said Abigail, coming to the door.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” My pad chirped, letting me know I had a message. “It’s from Oscar. He’s the engineer working on the transportation room.”
“Something important?” Abigail asked, peering over my shoulder.
“Nope. He’s got most of the processes fixed but something about a power relay is giving him trouble. Not something I’m going to worry about until we’re back in slip space. Do you know if the rest of the crew is back aboard?”
“Yes, they checked in last night. Octavia says all of the wounded have been treated and transfers to other ships have been completed.”
I tapped my comm. “Carl, I think we’re ready. Verify with Vice Admiral Vick and Major Sanchez to be sure.”
“I will do that, Captain. Stand by for departure.”
“Just about that time, Abby,” I told her after ending the call. She didn’t smile and I took her hand. “Don’t get cold feet on me now, nun.”
We had already left slipspace and were less than an hour from Elysia now. I studied it on the holo, marveling at the ingenuity of those who built it. Though the star was smaller than Sol, the structure encircling it was still a major feat.
“Amazing,” whispered Dr. Dressler. “The Union has been planning to build a corona but hasn’t had the resources. I don’t know how they accomplished this. They must have discovered a very efficient way of bonding in order to ensure it doesn’t break apart.”
I looked closer and noticed an open spot on the ring. “What is that?” I asked, pointing at it.
Carl focused on the area and zoomed in. “The corona appears to have sustained damage at some point or has decayed.”
“Damage from what?” I asked.
“An attack maybe,” said Freddie. He and Petra walked onto the bridge, from wherever they’d just been, and both stared at the display in awe.
“It could be a number of things, Mr. Tabernacle,” said Carl.
“I’m surprised it’s still intact,” Abigail muttered. “With that much missing, it shouldn’t still be in one piece, should it?”
“That’s an astute observation, Miss Pryar.” Carl frowned and zoomed in again. “If there are no other significant bodies in orbit around the star, then the carona should continue to retain a stable orbit indefinitely. The rotation of the structure matches the star, which assists in this matter. No doubt, its creators had this very problem in mind during its construction and took steps to prevent it from breaking apart, no matter how much time had passed. For reference, consider a planetary ring, which is comprised of many smaller objects, though it still retains its shape.”
“Or an asteroid belt,” said Freddie.
“Precisely,” said Car. “The ring also seems to have its atmosphere intact, regardless of the section we examine.”
“I still want everyone in full exosuits,” I ordered. “We don’t know what might be in the air down there and I’m not taking any chances.”
“Agreed, Captain Hughes,” said Carl. “As a matter of fact, I have located evidence of a past civilization.” The Celestial Cognitive switched the image, bringing up a holo view of buildings that I instantly recognized.
“That’s what I saw,” I said. “In the slip tunnel. Those are the same buildings.”
The room went quiet as we took in the implications. Whatever I had seen in slipspace was somehow tied into the Celestials and whoever had built this ring.
“Well,” said Abigail, finally breaking the tension. “It sounds to me like we’re on the right track.”
Having learned my lesson on Novo, I made sure to have Sigmond and Athena take control of the mobile armor again. We stepped off the Star in a small group. Dressler and Davon had been able to create enough hard light accessories for half a dozen, and I thought it best to keep our numbers small. Rackham was among my crew, but Major Sanchez had opted to stay on his ship and coordinate with the Empire regarding White Cross. I took this to mean he trusted us to give him the information, which we would.
“Sir, I don’t detect any toxins in the air, but there is one unknown component. It may take some time to understand what effects it might have.”
I grimaced, imagining taking a deep breath of this alien structure’s atmosphere and inhaling some killer parasite. “Keep your helmets sealed while we’re down here. Carl, these buildings, you sure they’re abandoned?”
“Yes, Captain.”
I led the way up a short walk to what looked like a main hub. The building speared up into the sky but wasn’t as tall as some of those I’d seen in other places. Sellion City came to mind, a Union controlled metropolis that I’d visited on one occasion. It had been for a job Ollie had sent me on, and I almost considered staying, but that was a lifetime ago.
As I studied the exterior, I noted similarities between it and the Celestials’ architecture. The structure had the same symmetry and overall perfection. The difference was in the design. It wasn’t built for pure efficiency, and it had what I liked to call personality.
There wasn’t a door, just a large rectangular opening. I wondered briefly if the Celestials, or whatever they were before becoming what they are now, were responsible. Had they come here and broken in, like common grave robbers?
Inside, we found a cavernous room, completely bare. Unlike the facility on novo, this place wasn’t in pristine condition. A layer of dirt and grime covered every surface, and if there had once been anything in the room, it was gone now.
My visor alerted me at the same time that Athena did. “Captain, there appears to be text on the walls.”
They were symbols—glyphs, I think Freddie called them. It looked to me as though they were digital. I turned off the helmet’s heads up display and the markings went away, confirming my thoughts.
“I see it,” I told her. “But I can’t read it. Can anyone?”
“There’s something familiar about it,” said Freddie. “But I can’t place it. I think there might be a reference from Darius Clare’s teachings.”
Darius Clare was the man who had created the Church of the Homeworld, the crazy religion that he, Abigail, and Octavia had been a part of when I first met them. Hitchens too, even though he hadn’t been a man of the cloth.
“I want Athena and Sigmond to scan everything and send it back to Tartarus. I see fou
r doors. Rackham, you and Dr. Dressler take one. Petra and Freddie, you got number 2. Abigail and I will take the next. Whoever gets back first can do the last one.”
We split off and I led Abigail through an open corridor. Like the great room, it was empty, but more glyphs covered the walls. Along the way, we cleared any small rooms that were open and continued to find nothing.
“It looks like the Celestials took everything,” commented Abigail.
“Yeah. I doubt they left anything for intrepid travelers such as ourselves to stumble upon. There’s another door up ahead. I think it’s the end of this hallway.”
Like the other main openings, this one had no door. A giant skylight in the ceiling bathed the space in a soft glow, the natural lighting making it easy to see what dominated the room. “I guess they didn’t take everything.”
It was the twin of the transportation device currently aboard Tartarus.
“Maybe they couldn’t.”
I shrugged and stepped closer.
“Jace, keep your distance,” she warned.
“Relax, Abby, I’m just looking. It doesn’t seem active, anyway.” I walked in a slow circle around it and inspected the outside. The one on Tartarus had been closed up in a sphere when we found it. This one was open. I put a foot on the short ramp and jumped back when the device lit up and emitted a shrill beep.
“I told you to stay back,” said Abigail, exasperated.
“Captain, you have an urgent incoming message from Mr. Herrera,” Sigmond said over the comm.
I grunted. “A little busy right now, Siggy.”
“I’m sorry, sir. He says it is in regard to the transportation device.”
I nearly froze. There was no way that could’ve been a coincidence. “Put him through,” I said.
“Captain Hughes. Sorry to bother you, but something’s happened.”
“What is it, Oscar? Siggy says it’s about the transport device,” I said. “Which is weird, because I just happen to be staring at another one right now that looks exactly the same.”
