Universe Online - Enter the Game: Complete Edition

by Ryan 'Viken' Henning

  But Andrix actually leads me up several floors, which I only get to see glimpses of. Many people are running around in high spirits. We finally reach the highest level, which opens up to be the control room. There are people sitting at cobbled together computers and half-cracked monitors, typing away or communicating with their communication units. In the corner there's a small office with a door.

  He leads me in, then shuts the door before offering one of the chairs across from him as he takes the big one. Off to one side is a console with a radio system I recognize from my time in the Tug.

  “Here, this may take a while. And the subject matter is... well, the term would be 'taboo', but everyone here knows it.” He speaks with a sickly smile on his face, and I get a bad feeling.

  Even I can connect the dots. I am not stupid, after all.

  “The Drex... were us, right? The Drune Rex, I mean.”

  I ask the hypothesis I'd come up with. Andrix doesn't even seem surprised that I figured it out.

  “Yes. Although they haven't been 'human' for about two hundred years before the fighting took place. They aren't... Well, I better give you the whole story.”

  He says, leaning back in his chair with his eyes on the ceiling, which is actually bare rock, instead of plating.

  “We, the Drune Rex, settled here on this planet after the colony ship experienced difficulty with its prototype FTL drive. We became utterly lost, and had to set down on just about the first habitable planet we could find. We settled here, on a lush world perfect for agriculture and only light terraforming was required to make it livable for earth species.

  “After we started settling, we found that the planet is roughly the same size of Old Earth, but with only a third of the mass. No one could figure why that was. Planetologists argued for decades that it should be impossible. All told, the planet's size should have been smaller than Mars, you know?

  “And then an exploration team found a ruin. A massive alien complex buried under a mountain range. After we figured out how to access it, what we found shattered all the arguments about the planet. This entire planet was a construct. A test, of sort. Forced planetary formation in an already stable solar system. The race that did it... they were long gone. Their technology level exceeded the limitations of this dimension. We believe that they became an Ancient Race long before we found Drune.”

  He stops and looks at me, and I nod my head. Ancient Races are part of the backstory of Universe Online. Spacefaring species that have progressed so far with technology or other means to shed themselves of their physical trappings. Most simply disappear, leaving behind their ruins and wonders. Some are still active, in small conclaves that rarely interact with the other races.

  Beings of pure energy. Or electronic hive-mind clusters. Or simply finding a way to ascend to a higher (or lower) space dimension.

  “But we found their research. And not only about the planet. Energy systems, data systems. Weapons and ship technology. So much information that it was mind boggling. It took years to translate even enough to understand what we were looking at. Then we found it. The holy grail.

  “We found research on genetic manipulation and evolution. Every geneticist and biologist on the planet rushed to get their hands on the data. And why not? Properly done, it could cure almost every illness. But what they didn't realize at the time is that the research was incomplete. But by the time we'd figured that out, we had already adopted a broad base of genetic manipulation in our population. It was cheap and easy.

  “The vast majority of us decided to enhance our mental capabilities. It was a small, precise process that had instant results as well as long-term effects. Over time our children would grow progressively smarter. It was godsend. Or so we thought.”

  I nod again, and interrupt him by holding up my hand.

  “But the side effect was the reduced physical capabilities, right? A reduction in the bone's ability to absorb calcium, if I had to guess.”

  “Mostly correct. There were other effects, but we managed to track them down and eliminate the issues as we started to understand more and more of the research we'd originally found. But after five or six generations, we decided to quit using genetic manipulation at all. It caused too many issues over the long term. We were already smart enough, and thus didn't need it anymore until we could eliminate the risk. The vast majority of us agreed, so it was outlawed.

  “But there was an offshoot who didn't want to stop. At first they hid underground, supplying black market research and genetic 'amps' to people who could pay. Eventually they tried to stage a coup of our governmental body of the time, but were repulsed and so they fled into space. We were able to track them to the far reach of the system; but they fortressed themselves up at the place called the Conclave.”

  He stops this time and raises his hands to rub his temples. Yeah, it is that bleak. And it gets worse.

  “They started calling themselves the Drex. They mined the outer solar system for resources. They refused to have anything to do with the rest of the Rex. Many wanted to stop them, and bring them back into the fold. But there were always other issues that came up first, and a military option wasn't viable. We had settled small colonies on the other planets in the solar system, and on several moons, and were actively mining the asteroid belt in the inner system.

  “And then the attacks started. First, we thought it was standard pirating, which is an issue every race deals with. Captured ships would be taken, and the survivors were left out in space until they could be rescued. Then the ships would reappear after what seemed like a refit and would attack again. Over time it only got worse; and the ships became more weird. They started slaughtering the crews. We started patrolling and building security stations.

  “It’s around that time that Archon Station started being built. It took more than seventy years to finish into the structure it has today. And the Trident. The Drex, having been cut off from the ruins and what we named the Archive couldn't keep up with us technologically. But they still attacked relentlessly. And then they invaded a security station bordering the outer system...”

  He pauses again, trying to collect himself while I wait. I can just imagine it. I already know what was going to be said next.

  “They had turned into monsters. It was the first time we had any first-hand experience with what they had become. Rampant genetic manipulation. Forced evolution. Armored creatures and horrors who could survive out in space with minimal technology and power. We managed to save the station’s main computer after the fighting ended, and saw what they had become. What they did.

  “Work accelerated on the Archon Station. An entire battle fleet was assembled to guard the inner solar system. The Trident was made operational, and the first and only Imperial-class shielding array was built and was in the testing phase when all hell broke loose. The Drex attacked Archon Station directly with an armada they'd been hiding. Hundreds of captured ships that they'd remodeled.

  “The fighting went on for days in space, and then a massive Drex ship appeared. It was some sort of massive carrier vessel as big as a small moon. They had abandoned the Drex Conclave to live solely in space. But whatever sort of weapon systems they had on that ship was enough to overwhelm the Archon's basic shielding arrays, and they started taking out the weapons and life support. It was obvious that they wanted to raid the station and convert it or destroy it.

  “We forced the activation of the Imperial-class shields, which were the strongest shields we'd ever attempted to create. Complete spatial isolation. It folded space so greatly that external energy cannot penetrate it*. But the system had not been tested at full strength. We lost all communications and instantly knew something had gone wrong. We could see the station there, but it went dead within moments. Using the shield to save the station had killed every single person on it. We still don't know how or why.

  “The Drex were furious. They switched targets to the planet almost as soon as they realized that they couldn't touch the station
. They'd never attacked a planet or moon until then. The armada surrounded Drune and hit the planet with everything. Lasers, mass drivers, bombs. Missiles. Then the carrier-moon opened up with its main weapons. It caused extreme ionization in the atmosphere, and is what caused all the radiation. It was so powerful that it broke down everything it came into contact with into radioactive materials. Complete nuclear transmutation.”

  I cringe. I'm not able to help myself. That must have been what cracked the planet's crust. I cannot imagine the horror of facing something like that, with almost no chance to survive on the planet's surface.

  Andrix takes a breath and straightens up in his seat.

  “They didn't even bother to check for survivors or the shelter sites. Nor did they show any interest in the surface at all. Not even the Archive, which survived. We lost more than 600 million people in a single day. After that, we were cut off almost completely. Only basic sensors and radio communications with the other Sites on the planet. At first we were able to reach the facilities still in space, but they rapidly got cut off one by one after the Drex left orbit. They probably destroyed all of them.

  “And it’s been this way for more than five hundred years. We've been struggling to survive down here. Mining the limited crustal ore under the surface, away from the radiation. Manufacturing and growing our own food. We tried sending out unmanned craft into space to search for help, but we don't have the resources to build FTL technology. It’s estimated to take another thousand years for one of the crafts to reach the nearest star.

  “And now, we've basically run out of time. Until you showed up out of the blue. If you hadn't survived on the station, or hadn't gotten your ship, we would have been dead in a week.”

  Andrix has a wry smile on his face, but his eyes are still haunted and shallow. It’s the look of a man who's become desperate. Desperate enough to believe that a newcomer can help. Desperate enough to grab a faint hope.

  I simply remain silent, thinking about it all. It makes a lot of sense, but I still shudder.

  *DING*

  Secrets Revealed!

  You have learned the devastating secrets of the Drex!

  Their rampant misuse of genetic manipulation technologies caused extreme forced evolution, and became the scourge as we know them today across the Galaxy. The Drune Rex, those few who managed to survive, hold a deep shame and hatred for their long-lost kin.

  If you reveal this information to any races, you may receive extra benefits or rewards.

  You have gained:

  100 Reputation

  5 Intellect

  2 Psyche

  2 Awareness

  Secrets Aspect

  Truth Aspect

  Find Aspect

  Research Aspect

  Study Aspect

  Truth Hunter Title

  Research Aptitude (Pers)

  Truth hunter

  You have found the truth of one of the great modern mysteries, which is much sought after across the Galaxy. Even though you never sought to find these answers personally, the consequences of knowing the truth could still have Empire-shaking repercussions.

  +10% Research and Study gains.

  Database Plus Activated.

  Be careful, for although answers may bring light and understanding to all sorts of subjects, some secrets are better left kept. Some information may be too powerful to let slip.

  Research Aptitude (Pers)

  How well you research or study information.

  All Research actions +6%

  Aptitude Size

  5

  Another set of messages pop up in front of me, which are clearly invisible to the NPC, Andrix across the table from me. I take the moment to scan them though, surprised again at what I'd gained before I flick them closed.

  It seems that learning the origins of the Drex is a big deal. Who would have guessed?

  I simply shrug at Andrix though.

  “What can I say? I'm pretty lucky. I'm just happy you didn't shoot me.” I speak with a dry, wry tone, and he bursts out laughing.

  -|- -|- -|-

  “... and this is where we've set up the tanks for the Hydroponics project. People have been working around the clock to study the subject and maximize productivity. The technical aspects are actually the easiest, which is surprising.”

  Andrix has been showing me around Site Prime, and we've finally reached where the vast majority of my time and effort is going to be spent. We've already visited the life support compartment, which is even bigger than the hangar bay is. Hundreds of people were already working on the repairs, tearing out parts and replacing them with the new stuff almost as quickly as they can get their hands on the crates.

  Already the timer in my quest log is going up. Minutes, hours. A day or two. That single load of supplies from the Station has bought valuable time. And Andrix has already told me that there's a vast difference compared to just a day or so ago. When people were without hope, all they were doing was sitting around stewing with bad thoughts and despair.

  I'm just happy to see the grins on people's face and get their greetings. Andrix introduces me to everyone we come across. All of them know my name by now. It’s a funky experience, but still kinda cool.

  It’s like when you have massively high reputation or fame in other games. The NPC's know about it and gossip amongst themselves to spread the news. It’s no different here. Just not as obvious.

  Still, back on target. The compartment that's being turned into the hydroponics facility is large, and tall. Pumping equipment is being installed right before my eyes, and dozens of men and women are going about their work with a look of determination.

  Around a tank already half-full of murky brown water, a huddled group of scientist-types are chatting and working on various handheld devices and several computers that have been set up nearby. Silene is with them, and she's the most animated and verbal of the bunch.

  Her high voice can be heard across the space, but everyone ignores it for the most part.

  But all of the scientists are excited. I even spot my packet of seeds being passed around with extravagant care.

  “Ah! Andrix, Allec, come over here! Come on now!” It seems we didn't escape Silene's notice, and move over to their group after sharing a mutual grin.

  “What have you found out, Silene?” I ask as soon as I get to the group, although I'm tempted to hold my nose.

  The half full water tank gives off a livestock stink I could definitely do without. But it’s my plan, so I simply scrunch up my nose at the smell and deal with it.

  “We've cataloged more than 600 species of plants from this packet, and there are still more we are sorting through. All of them from the major ecosystems found here on Drune, pre-bombardment. But more than that, we've found larvae of insect life mixed in! Worms, spiders, aphids, you name it! For a little while we couldn't figure out what they were, because the identifiers were only looking for plant life.

  “We basically have a whole starting kit for rebuilding the ecosystem!”

  Her words cause the other scientists to nod, and I soon learn that many of the plants and the bugs had been shipped over to the greenhouses. With proper ecosystems, even in a micro-environment, productivity is boosted and plants become healthier. It’s great news, and goes far beyond what I was originally thinking.

  Sadly, there is only a small number of each, so there's no telling how long it would take to cultivate enough to gain productivity. But with the tropical-based plant life that was originally found on Drune, the scientists think it will only take a generation or two before we're swamped with available seed stock.

  Next, the hydroponics setup. I get an in-depth explanation of the system they've set up, and was informed that bringing the extra rations was actually a good idea. They can break them down and isolate the nutrients needed for the specific plants we'll be growing. At the moment, algae and other major oxygen producing specimens.

  Setting up the power, light, and heating for them
is a major hurdle though. The semi-tropical nature of most of the plants requires higher than average temperatures, so it’s going to be a really big draw. They aren't sure they have enough heating elements to get the job done.

  I make a couple of suggestions about heating coils and the like; but most of them are turned down. Heating up the water with an exposed coil in the water would cause unequal heating and other problems. Like electrocution should something go wrong.

  That one is a big no-no.

  In the end though, there isn't anything we can do about it right this moment. I'm not sure if I can find any compatible systems on the Station.

  The only likely idea is raiding the other dead Sites.

  But no one really likes that idea. I especially don't. It would require me and my only working ship. And there's no telling what we'd find. It would basically involve an entire expedition, and I have enough on my plate already.