by Chris Fox
"What the hell was that?" Nolan asked.
"A signal," Ship replied. "We've just broadcast something to the Helios Ship, which broadcast it to a point in front of us."
Something moved in the blackness, like a window shade being slowly raised. Behind it lay a brilliant white, the familiar glow of a nearby star. Nolan struggled to understand what he was seeing, staring uncomprehendingly as the Helios Ship passed through the window. Only once they were inside did Nolan finally understand. They were surrounded by brilliant mirrored tiles, tiles designed to absorb the light of the massive star in the center. Several planets--an entire solar system--orbited that star.
"My god," Nolan said. "We'd theorized this was possible, but no one has ever built one. We're inside a Dyson Sphere."
"I'm familiar with the concept, though we have a different name for it," Lena said, nodding excitedly. "That may explain how this place exists. If they are using the sphere to harvest all of the sun's radiation, that might provide enough power to combat the black hole's gravitational pull."
Behind them, the panel they'd flown through slid back into place, forming an unbroken sphere of solar panels.
"Ship, what does your initial scan of the planets show?" Nolan asked.
"The sphere is roughly 12 AU in diameter. It houses five worlds, all with breathable atmospheres. Each contains a variety of lifeforms, but I do not detect any registered bipedal species. Nor do there appear to be any structures, except on the world closest to the sun. That one contains a single city."
"Make for that world," Nolan ordered. It was a clue, at least.
"Of course, Captain," Ship answered pleasantly. "There is a piece of data you may wish to be aware of."
"Go ahead." Nolan struggled to rein in his impatience, knowing Ship was just doing what it was programmed to.
"There is another vessel in the system. It is larger than anything recorded in my databanks," Ship said. The holodisplay shifted to show a ship orbiting the first world--a massive blue arrowhead, its hull dotted with cannons. An enormous black maw gaped at the front of the ship, the barrel of what Nolan thought might be the largest cannon in existence. "Our scan indicates an unidentified energy signature within the vessel, something capable of outputting incredible energy."
"Are you picking up any life signs?" Nolan asked, approaching the hologram. He studied the ship closely, unable to believe that they might have actually found it.
The Forge.
"The ship is impenetrable to scans." Ship offered.
"Is there a docking bay?" Hannan asked. "Somewhere we can land this thing?"
"There are seven hundred and thirty-eight docking bays. As you will want to reach the bridge, I presume the one I've highlighted would make the most sense." The hologram changed to show a section of the aft hull. A tiny section flared red, showing their destination.
"Plot a course." Nolan couldn't help but suppress a grin.
"Look at the size of that thing," Edwards said, sidling forward with his massive body. "Maybe it was worth flying all the way out here."
Chapter 33- The Forge
"It's hard to believe we're finally here," Izzy said. Was she purring? Nolan was pretty sure she was. That made him smile.
Hannan slung an arm around the Tigris's shoulders, "Told you the captain would get us here. I mean, assuming we didn't get blown up along the way."
"You see a tool of war," Atrea said, "and you are not wrong in that." She hobbled forward with her cane; Lena moved after her like a shadow, ready to catch her should she fall. Atrea's eyes were clear, though, and she stared reprovingly at Hannan. "But remember that this ship is not just a weapon. It is an artifact of my people, proof that I have sought my entire life. My people were once far more advanced, and this vessel is the culmination of all that combined knowledge."
There was reverence in her voice, and Nolan shared it. It wasn't every day that you discovered the religious artifact from your people's creation mythos.
The harvester drifted slowly toward the ship below, and as they approached, the Forge's sheer size became clear. The harvester was like a gnat beside an elephant, winging toward one of many, many docking bays. They approached the aft section, circling around to get a look at the quartet of titanic engines in the back of the craft.
Then they were close to the hull, the vessel zipping by until they slowed near a blue membrane of energy covering their destination. The membrane winked out of existence, and they passed through and into the Forge. Once they were inside, the membrane sprang back into place.
"Pressure is equalizing in the docking bay," Ship said pleasantly. "The Forge is aware of our presence, but I cannot detect any active security countermeasures in the bay."
The ship settled to the deck with a tiny shudder, and everyone looked at Nolan. He considered for a moment, then gave an order that Dryker would have approved of.
"Edwards, I want you to head up the Judicators. Array them into ranks surrounding the ship. Keep them at the ready while we explore the ship. If we get into trouble, or if anything comes for our ship, I want you ready to respond immediately," Nolan ordered.
"Yes sir," Edwards said, though his tone made it clear that he was nervous.
"You'll do fine," Hannan said, slapping his metal leg with a gloved hand. "Just have them do the heavy lifting, and report anything over the comm."
"Atrea, how do you feel about going for a little walk?" Nolan asked.
"Nothing would please me more than being present when you reach the bridge. If the Gate was genetically locked, it is quite possible this ship may be as well." Her voice quavered, but she tottered forward with Lena's assistance.
"Delta, why don't you give her a hand?" Nolan asked.
The big black man moved to scoop up the Primo, but Lena interposed herself, giving Delta a fierce glare. She lifted Atrea gently, settling the old woman on her back. "I will take care of her. We need your hands free, in case there is fighting."
"If you say so," Delta said, shrugging.
"All right, people," Nolan said, walking toward the doorway that led from the docking bay deeper into the ship. "Let's see if this thing can help us win an unwinnable war."
Chapter 34- Puzzling Anomaly
Reid had access to the Eye's many encounters with the Forge--the battles they'd lost, the fleets it had wiped out. The Eye remembered the ship's ability to flee if threatened, its cloaking device utterly impenetrable even to the Eye itself.
Yet Reid had now docked with the legendary vessel, the first of his people to ever make it this far. He felt a very un-Gorthian pride, knowing that he'd succeeded where so many before him had failed.
Reid drifted through the harvester, confident that Nolan and his companions were suitably occupied. It would take them time to find the Forge's bridge, time that Reid would use to guarantee an immediate end to the war. Within the archives on this vessel lay the secrets to the Birthplace--and who knew what else. If Reid could reach that core and transmit the data to his master, the war would finally be over. Possibly all wars, if the Birthplace proved as powerful as Reid suspected.
Reid exited the harvester, drifting invisibly into the cargo bay. Below it, forty-five Judicators stood at attention. Five were Alphas, the heavy shock troops used to break fortifications and armored units. Forty were smaller Judicators, more nimble and designed for skirmishing. The combination had proved devastatingly effective, and Judicators were in high demand on every galactic front.
Forty-five would be enough. Reid could use them to screen its advance, covering it while he made for the core. Reid was all too aware that he was newly birthed. The Eye that had spawned him had hide tough enough to survive the stresses of a star; it was all but impervious to weaponry. Reid, on the other hand, was much more vulnerable. He could survive a vacuum, and possibly a journey through a star. He wasn't quite ready to test that, any more than he was willing to put itself into harm's way here.
Who knew what weaponry the Primo possessed? It could be strong enough
to kill even him, so Reid needed to be careful. He needed to get what he'd come for, then depart swiftly. If he did his work well, none would be the wiser until it was far too late.
Reid activated one of his favorite organs, using it to pass his will to every last Judicator. Forty-four fell immediately into line, moving in the direction he'd bidden them. They fanned out, advancing toward a different door than the one Nolan and his squad had gone through.
The forty-fifth Judicator was puzzling. Reid could tell that its programming had been altered. The limiter had been removed. That shouldn't matter, though. Reid focused his attention on the renegade Alpha.
"Join your brethren. Move to secure the data core. Kill anything that gets in your way," Reid said, drifting closer to the Alpha. It was indistinguishable from the others, but he could feel its mind. This one still possessed an identity, and thought of itself as Edwards.
It stood there, wavering. Long moments passed as it resisted, then it turned wordlessly and trotted after its companions. Reid was pleased. He could deal with the troubling behavior later. For now, he had a mission of vital importance to fulfill.
Chapter 35- Thetah
Hannan took a deep breath, waving Izzy forward. The Tigris nodded, trotting silently ahead of the others. She moved with silent grace, maybe even more so than Mills had. She'd never thought anyone could top the sniper they'd lost early in this war, but if anyone could it was Izzy.
The snowy cat disappeared through the doorway, scouting ahead. Hannan came next, waving Delta and Nolan forward once she'd reached the doorway. She peered through, waiting for the pair to arrive. Only then did she motion Lena forward. The Tigris carried Atrea with more gentleness than Hannan would have thought her capable of.
"Did that passageway just get brighter?" Nolan asked, squinting up the hallway.
"Looks like it," Hannan said, turning her attention to where he was looking.
A blue-white hologram had appeared, emanating a warm glow. It hovered in the air, drifting slowly in their direction. There was no sign of Izzy, which genuinely impressed Hannan. Where the hell had she gone? There was no doorway between them and the hologram. Hannan looked up. There she was, her white fur all but invisible against the ceiling.
The hologram seemed unaware of the Tigris clinging above. It passed by Hannan, giving her a much better look at it: a woman, about two feet tall, a perfect miniature of a Primo. She wore elaborate robes not so different from what the Primo nobility wore today.
"I cannot believe it," Atrea said, a genuine laugh bubbling up. "This is the ship's VI. I wonder if it will recognize me."
"Of course I recognize you." The hologram blinked and drifted to within a foot of Atrea's face. "You show significant genetic tampering, not all of it stable. But, underlying that, I see recognizable Primo markers. You are a descendant, yes?"
"I am," Atrea said, managing to keep her bow dignified despite needing her cane to prevent her from falling. "We have come with dire need. The third Eradication has begun."
"Oh, my," the hologram said, clutching tiny hands to its narrow chest. "We assumed there would be another Eradication, but two more? It's become cyclic. Our causality matrix must have worked a little too well. We've overslept."
"Causality matrix?" Nolan asked.
The hologram turned to blink at him. "You're an odd species. What's wrong with your legs? How is locomotion possible? You can't possibly jump very far."
"Pardon, honored one, but we are here with some urgency." Atrea gave another bow. "Would you be willing to guide us to the bridge? Even now, all three of our peoples are dying."
"Three?" the hologram said, looking around more carefully. It finally seemed to realize Lena was there, though it hadn't yet seen Izzy above. "Furry aliens. How delightful! I simply must study you, when we have time. How do you deal with extreme heat? Wait, wait. Forgive me. I haven't met anyone new in a very long time. Please, follow me."
The hologram turned, and started up the corridor. Izzy landed lightly next to Hannan, not making a sound as she did so. Hannan gave her a respectful nod. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."
"I may not be the warrior you are--not yet anyway--but I'm very good at hiding," Izzy said, giving a smile with an alarming number of fangs.
"Sir?" Hannan said, raising an eyebrow at Nolan.
"Let's follow along," Nolan said, giving an apologetic shrug. "This is our best lead. Hopefully she can guide us to whatever they use as the CIC or bridge."
"What kind of vessel did you arrive in?" the hologram asked. It turned back up the corridor, flying swiftly toward the doorway back to the hangar, then paused there and rounded on them. "You came in a harvester. You've brought Void Wraith to the Forge. Why? That's madness."
"They take their orders from us," Nolan said.
"We thought the same thing," the hologram's mouth tightened. "We were wrong. No matter how you modify the programming, the Gorthians can override it. The Void Wraith are dangerous, and cannot be used in battle."
"You call them Gorthians? Eye-like, tentacled things?" Nolan asked. The hologram nodded. The captain's face darkened, and Hannan couldn't blame him. "We can't deal with the Judicators right now though. Let's get to the bridge. We'll catch you up on what's going on. Hopefully you can help us."
"Of course," the hologram said. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Thetah. I am the chief architect in the data core."
Chapter 36- Manda
Nolan forced his breathing to slow, combating the rush of adrenaline his body had produced. The situation was stressful, but operating at that level of intensity for too long took a toll. He needed to stay sharp, to keep his wits about him, so he lowered his rifle, and moved slowly up the corridor.
Thetah led the silent group through the empty ship, and their footsteps echoed as they traversed corridor after corridor. Most looked the same, with elaborate murals covering every inch of the walls. The amount of love and attention that had gone into this place would have been more at home in a temple than a starship.
"How much further?" Lena asked, the words clipped, with a dose of brevity that Nolan had learned to associate with the Tigris being angry. She was clearly struggling with Atrea's weight, but had refused to let anyone else carry her.
"Put me down," Atrea huffed out. She was trembling visibly. "We're very near the place I've sought my entire life. Do you think I'm going to give out in the last few hundred yards, little sister? You know me better than that. I want to walk the rest of the way."
"We are nearly there," Thetah fretted, pacing back and forth in the air. "We can rest if absolutely needed, but any delay could be costly."
"We'll keep moving," Atrea said, thwacking Lena on the shoulder with her cane. "Put me down, I said."
Lena reluctantly set the scholar down, but Nolan could tell she was immediately relieved. She lacked the conditioning the rest of the crew had been building, and it underscored how far he'd come. That used to be him.
"Lead the way, Thetah, but would you mind conversing as we walk?" Atrea said, managing a graceful hobble up the corridor.
"Of course," Thetah replied. She hovered near Atrea's shoulder. "I'm sure you have as many questions as I do. Why did we leave clues to the Birthplace? What is the Birthplace? I can't even imagine what this place must represent to you."
"It's humbling to see it," Atrea said, her weathered face broken by a smile as she stared serenely up at the walls. "This is the true history of my people, the true origin. We don't even know what world we evolved on, but you can finally lay that to rest. In the midst of all the turmoil, this is a balm."
"Time permitting, I'd be happy to give you a tour," Thetah said, zipping around Atrea's head as she held a tiny scanner aloft It beeped and hummed, and Thetah nodded happily to herself.
"I've got a question," Nolan interjected, trying to refocus Thetah. He slowed his pace until he was walking next to Atrea. "What are we going to find when we reach the bridge?
"I'll present you to the lead arbi
ter, Manda. She's our military leader, and will decide how to best handle the situation. That's why it's imperative we reach the bridge. She'll need to deal with the Void Wraith you brought aboard." Thetas's explanation was delivered matter of factly. She was unlike any VI Nolan had encountered, indistinguishable from a living, breathing, person. "Ahh, here we are. Please, stand in the circle."
Theta indicated a ring of golden runes in the middle of an oval room. The far wall was split by two golden doors, each with carvings as intricate as anywhere else in the ship. These were studded with gems, though--expensive-looking gems.
Nolan walked to the ring, stepping inside. The others moved to join him, Theta floating into the circle near Atrea. A moment later, the runes in the floor flared red, then a hologram sprang up before them. It was another Primo, also female.
She couldn't have appeared more different than Theta, though. Instead of robes, she wore curved armor, studded with glowing blue stones. Her skin was light blue, fading to a soft white in a pattern too orderly to be natural. Nolan guessed that the soft whorls along her skin were probably Primo tattoos. Her eyes were a soft white, like shuttered lanterns.
"Who are you?" she demanded, eyes narrowing. "Why have you come to the Forge?" She leaned toward the screen, looking straight at Nolan. "You. You're clearly the leader. Give me answers, or we will take them."
"My name is Nolan, of a race called humanity," Nolan began. He wasn't a diplomat, but he needed to be one here. He couldn't afford to antagonize this woman, even if her aggressive attitude chafed. "With me are members of three races. The Tigris." Nolan gestured at Izzy, then Lena. "And your own descendants. We've come because we are being eradicated by the Void Wraith and their masters. This is the third such Eradication, and if you can't help us, the cycle will probably continue."
