by Chris Fox
"We'll test it. But, assuming you're right, what's the solution? It sounded like you had one, potentially." Nolan forced a deep breath. There was a lot riding on her answer. They needed a win.
"Gene therapy," Lena burst in. She blinked when everyone turned to her. "We have a sample of unmodified Primo DNA from their first era. If we can splice it with Atrea's, we may be able to interface with the Gate."
"Wouldn't the Void Wraith have tried that?" Nolan asked, shaking his head. "If it's easy to modify the DNA, they had plenty of unmodified samples to work with."
"Truthfully, we don't know that it will work," Atrea said. She balled her tiny hands into equally tiny fists. "But we must try. The data seems sound. I cannot explain why the Void Wraith didn't use the technique, but I see no reason why we shouldn't."
"Give it a shot," Nolan said, resting an affectionate hand on Atrea's shoulder. "If it works, wonderful. If not, we'll find another way."
The pair filed off the bridge and Nolan sank back into his chair. He was almost as afraid of succeeding as failing. The Void Wraith had let them escape, and now it seemed like a low tech genetic modification might be enough to circumvent whatever this security was. Nolan smelled a setup.
The problem was, he didn't see an obvious way out of the trap. They couldn't not look for the Birthplace. The fact that the Void Wraith seemed to want them to find it was damned concerning, though.
Chapter 28- The Eye Sees
The Eye observed through progeny-Reid's senses, watched as Nolan learned of the final puzzle piece. It was pleased.
Its theory had been confirmed. The Primo had utilized wave-particle duality to cloak the data, and their trigger point was ingenious. They'd measured the thought spectrum, cutting off anything associated with the Void Wraith. That was why all the attempts to get a Helios Gate to accept Gorthian control had failed.
The programming had likely extended further, including anyone who wanted to use the Birthplace for personal gain. It identified those truly in need, the desperation in their thought patterns clear. Only then would the correct data be displayed, and then only if the seeker were of the original Primo. It explained why every attempt to locate the Birthplace had failed, why millennia of research had yielded nothing but myth.
It was now a near-certainty that entity Nolan would find the Birthplace. Even if he did not, the Eye now understood how it could be found. If necessary, the Eye could engineer someone matching the criteria. It could breed an original Primo using stored DNA. That Primo could be induced to find the Birthplace for the "correct" reasons, ignorant of the fact that the Eye was manipulating it. However it happened, eventually the Eye would find the Birthplace. It was patient, more so than any of the species in this galaxy could understand. Their lifespans were limited, their bodies more so.
Yet the original Primo had accomplished something the Eye had never seen, something even its progenitor had not seen--not in any of the galaxies they'd conquered or warred against. The Primo adapted to tactics and technology within days, overcoming each with impossible speed. Every advance the Gorthians had made was instantly countered. The Primo produced a seemingly endless supply of advances, one that made the war too costly to carry on.
Whatever they had done, it had occurred there; it was tied to the Birthplace. That much had been learned during the first war, though they'd failed to locate it. Now the Eye knew why, but before it pursued the Birthplace it had more urgent needs.
Something rumbled deep within it--not a stomach, precisely. An organic reactor with an endless need for genetic matter. One that would soon be satiated. The Eye tugged several threads, all placed within the inefficient human governing body. Each had recently become aware of the impending Eradication, and all sought to flee. The Eye demanded otherwise.
"You will become leaders. You will advocate defense of your world at all costs. Disavow all who flee as traitors." The Eye's words thrummed through quantum space, finding their hosts. Those words were heard, and obeyed.
Chapter 29- That's a Blackhole
"Ship, show me what we're dealing with," Nolan ordered, clasping his hands behind his back. He forced himself to stand calmly, watching as their harvester climbed past the towering inferno, into the relatively calm area above the star's corona.
"What you are seeing is a doomed star," Ship answered. "Its mass is being pulled by the supermassive black hole. It wandered too close, and while its destruction may take hundreds of millennia, eventually it will be swallowed."
"Every vessel we've ever sent to investigate this system has disappeared or given up," Lena said, feline eyes wide as she stared at the holographic display. "I don't mind admitting how much that thing terrifies me. It swallows everything, even time. Events at the horizon may still be unfolding from millions of years ago. If we approach, Gate Ship or no, I do not see a way we will ever escape."
"That's precisely why this place is so perfectly hidden," Atrea said weakly. She rose unsteadily to her feet, the gene therapy having clearly taken a toll. There was no outward sign of whatever it had changed, but the side effects were dire. Her normally pallid skin was ashen. "Reaching it is impossible, unless you possess the level of technology to do what we all believe impossible. The ancient Primo clearly had a way of defying our established laws of physics, of being able to safely approach the horizon."
"I do not find that much of a comfort," Lena said, wringing her paws. She licked her chops nervously. "Still, if we must do this then let us do it."
"Lena's right, let's get moving," Nolan said, unclasping his hands and moving to stand with the two scientists. "Atrea, it's time to communicate with the Gate. If that fails, this discussion is moot. If not, then whatever the risks, we're taking them. We find this place or die trying."
Lena nodded, moving to help Atrea. She brought the elderly Primo to the console that Celendra's people had installed in the wall. Atrea placed a shaky hand on a large sapphire, which sent a pulse of light into the console. Atrea's eyes closed, and the console's background hum swelled. It reached a crescendo, then faded. Atrea opened her eyes.
"It is done. I've communicated our wishes to the Gate, and received an acknowledgment back." Atrea trembled violently, and if not for Lena's support she may have fallen. "I do not believe this therapy is agreeing with my constitution."
"Let's get you back to your quarters," Lena said, helping Atrea to her feet.
Nolan raised an eyebrow, but Lena shook her head. He watched silently as the pair departed the bridge. He wanted to ask Atrea how long it would take the Gate to respond, but it was unlikely she had any idea. She was taxing herself to the limits, and needed rest.
So he watched, waiting for some sign to come from the star below him. Had the Gate heard Atrea? How would it respond?
Several minutes passed before he had his answer, and Nolan could only stare. It was the most awesome sight he'd ever seen. A moon-sized sphere exited the star, on a bearing that would take it directly to their harvester. It glowed with a brilliance that eclipsed even the star, something clear on the light spectrum the ship was displaying. That sphere looked nothing like the Gate itself, its surface covered with interlocking hexagons.
"Ship, what am I looking at, exactly?" Nolan asked.
"We're picking up a massive energy field unlike anything recorded," Ship replied, cheerful as always. "I suspect the Gate itself is inside, and that the energy field is designed to protect other ships bound for the Birthplace."
"It makes sense," Nolan mused. A tinge of alarm floated up inside him as the sphere approached, but he suppressed it. The sphere dwarfed their ship, looming closer and and closer.
"We're passing inside," Ship supplied, unhelpfully. Nolan simply stared as an energy hexagon the size of their ship rippled across the outer hull. He felt nothing, but a moment later the holo changed.
They were now inside the energy sphere, which was projected from the Gate he recognized. The part in the center of the ring, where the Gate normally opened, was dark. Brilliant ener
gy flared from gemstones all over the surface, and Nolan guessed that they were projecting the energy barrier the ship had passed through. Nolan's amazement deepened almost to reverence. An entire armada could fit inside the protective dome, which meant you could easily traverse hostile areas of space--or protect your vessels during a battle.
"Ship, does the Gate possess any offensive abilities while transformed like this?" Nolan asked. If it did, they'd provide a massive advantage against the Void Wraith. Not enough to turn the tide, but he'd take anything at this point.
"Negative, Captain," Ship replied. "The Gate can sustain the energy field for roughly five standard sol years, but it has no offensive capabilities. It is standing by for additional orders."
Chapter 30- To The Birthplace
Nolan left the bridge and headed for the mess. The cavernous room was almost empty, the dozen tables making the sole occupant stand out even more than he usually did. Delta sat at a table, mechanically spooning mashed potatoes into his mouth. His back was to Nolan, but Nolan was positive Delta knew he was in the room.
"Mind if I join you?" Nolan asked, walking to the counter and grabbing an MRE. He chose the chili mac, which was surprisingly good, especially after months subsisting on gruel.
"Nah," Delta answered, setting his spoon down next to the empty tray. "I don't mind."
Nolan pulled the tab on the meal, moving to sit across from the big black man. Delta's chrome eyes would always be a little intimidating, but Nolan had gotten used to them. He picked up the man's emotional cues in other ways, mostly from body language. Certainly not from vocal tone, since Delta wasn't exactly verbose.
"We've docked with the Gate," Nolan said, pulling the fork from the side of the MRE. He tore the top off, and steam wafted from the now-hot meal. "Atrea needed some down time, but when she wakes up we'll be heading for the Birthplace."
"You know that's exactly what they want us to do," Delta said. He lowered his voice, leaning across the table to stare Nolan in the eye. "I know you do. I know you sensed it when we were getting the cube. They let us get in there, and they let us take that cube. Why?"
"The obvious answer?" Nolan asked, spearing a piece of macaroni with his fork. He returned Delta's gaze unflinchingly. "They want us to lead them to the Birthplace. They made sure we had what we need, and all they have to do is follow us in. Here's the thing: We can't pick up any quantum transmitters aboard the ship, so as far as we know they aren't tracking us that way. We haven't picked up a single Void Wraith drive signature since we left the Torava system. I used three hops, just to make sure no one was following us."
"I can't figure it," Delta said, shaking his head. "Maybe they really can't do the gene therapy."
"Maybe," Nolan said, chewing as he considered. "But that makes no sense. Reid could do the therapy, and could have done it the instant they implanted him."
"So its a trap." Delta crumpled his MRE box and tossed it in the garbage. "You're going to go ahead with it, because we don't have any other choice."
"I don't like it either," Nolan admitted. He set his fork down, giving Delta his full attention. "They're going to try to screw us. I don't know how, I don't know when, but it's coming. They know we need to find that Birthplace--and hopefully the Forge. If we do, I'll bet anything they're going to try to take it from us."
"To do that they'd need to track us. I wish I had some idea how they were doing that." Delta gave a heavy sigh. Then he straightened suddenly. "It could be Kathryn. She's got a larva in her. Who's to say they can't track that?"
"That's a good point," Nolan replied, uncomfortable with the thought. What if the Void Wraith were tracking the ship through Kathryn? If they could somehow feel the larva, then maybe that was the link. If that were the case, what should he do? He knew the answer, but saying it out loud was difficult in the extreme.
"Annie, you on comm?" Nolan asked, speaking into his own comm.
"Yeah, Captain. What's up?"
"I have a favor. I need you to have some of the Judicators move Kathryn's stasis pod into the Tibs. You and she are going to stay behind."
"So you want me to babysit your popsicle girlfriend?" Annie's reply was accompanied by a little laugh. "Sounds like a pretty cushy job. I'll get on it."
"Thanks, Annie. We'll contact you the instant we're back," Nolan promised.
"Captain," Lena called from the doorway. She entered the mess, moving to stand by their table. "Atrea will be resting until the morning. She did speak to the Gate Ship, though. It will respond to your orders, so we can depart for the Birthplace as soon as you're ready."
Nolan picked up his fork again, taking a bite. He looked up at Lena, using the few seconds he was chewing to think. "Ship, relay the order to the Gate to take us to the Birthplace immediately."
Chapter 31- Stowaway
Reid was pleased. It had carefully monitored the situation, watching as Nolan's vessel passed inside the Helios Sphere. They had succeeded in accomplishing something even the Gorthians had failed to do, despite having fifty millennia and near infinite resources: they'd unlocked the Gate's control unit, and gotten the Helios Gate to become a Helios Ship.
The Gates were magnificent, part of the reason the Void Wraith had never truly overcome the original Primo. It was nearly impossible to defeat a fleet sheltered by a Gate. That wasn't the true worth, of course. The Gates also possessed incredible energy conversion and storage capabilities, ones neither Reid nor his parent entity fully understood.
That understanding was one of the key reasons they sought the Primo technology. Doing so would allow them to create much greater weaponry, giving them a decisive victory over the few galaxies still successfully resisting their rule.
All Reid needed to do now was wait. Thus far, the crew seemed totally unaware of his presence, and would remain so until they'd reached the Birthplace. At that time, Reid would relay the coordinates to the Eye. Then, if the Forge still existed, he would use the Judicators aboard this vessel to seize it.
If he couldn't seize it, he'd find a way to destroy it. If he couldn't do that, he'd simply eliminate Nolan and his companions. If Nolan never returned, it didn't matter than the Forge still existed. It wouldn't save this galaxy. Their resources would be taken, and armies created. They were needed, after all. Wars still raged in eight galaxies, and there were other galaxies outside their local cluster.
Reid's attention sharpened when the Gate Ship began to move. It accelerated away from the sun, into the sea of ominous black that dominated the entire horizon. It picked up speed, accelerating to near the speed of light. Reid was impressed. The amount of energy required to generate that speed would deplete a Void Wraith vessel.
They swam further into the darkness, away from the doomed star. Minutes passed, and the Gate Ship's sensors began feeding him data. They showed him masses of matter throughout the system, forming an accretion disk larger than most solar systems--much larger. The ship flew unerringly toward a specific point, passing closer and closer to the black hole.
Reid didn't experience fear, even knowing the consequences of approaching a black hole this size. If the worst happened and he died, everything he knew would remain. Those memories would help his progenitor, bringing the Gorthians a step closer to total control over all life. In that way Reid was immortal, his consciousness shared with something vast.
A bright pinpoint twinkled in the distance. At first, Reid thought it might be a star. Then the data became clearer. The readings were unlike anything he'd ever encountered, a rush of data he embraced with a near religious fervor. This was what the Eye had been seeking all along. The temporal distortions around the light were clear.
They had finally arrived at the Birthplace, and even as Reid knew it...so too did his master.
Chapter 32- The Birthplace
From the moment Annie's shuttle had departed with Kathryn's cryopod, Nolan's unease had grown. He didn't know if leaving her behind was the right move, but he'd acted. Whatever the consequences, he'd live with them. His
current unease had far more immediate causes.
"What's the strength of the pull?" Nolan asked, turning to Lena. She and Atrea had taken up near-permanence on the bridge, constantly monitoring the flow of data. Since the black hole absorbed even signals, the only measurable thing was the increased gravitational pull.
"Our harvester would have passed the point of no return twenty-two hours ago," Lena said, taking her tail in her hands. "Any other vessel, even a Primo carrier, would have given up before that. No one has been out this far, not from any of our civilizations anyway."
"No one has returned you mean," Delta rumbled quietly. "I'm sure plenty of people have tried, and most probably ended up in the maw of that thing." He nodded at the holographic representation of the black hole. The accretion disk around the event horizon was the only thing providing context for the enormity of the blackness.
"Quit being so grumpy," Atrea said, swatting Delta's leg with her cane. "You're witnessing one of the miracles of the universe. Besides, we have something none of those other people had: a Helios Ship."
"I don't mind admitting I'm out of my depth," Hannan said, moving to stand next to Delta. "I get what the big guy is feeling. It's like being in a vacuum with nothing between you and the black but an EVA suit."
"Captain," Ship interrupted, "the Helios Ship appears to be slowing. My scans do not show anything that would have caused the sudden change in behavior."
"It's all right, ship," Atrea reassured the vessel, patting a wall. "The Helios Ship is taking us where we need to go, and slowing can only mean we've arrived at our destination."
As if on cue, a high pitched ringing vibrated through the deck. The holographic display grew fuzzy for a moment, only righting when the ringing had faded.
