History of the Galaxy II

[geoschmo]

The Hive had developed techniques and technologies that allowed it to keep in touch with the pieces of itself on the various ships and planets throughout the Laxes system. It was able to share information very quickly by radio transmission, but this was not enough. The Hive wished to be able to “connect” its pieces together even at great range. So it began to experiment with technology to allow this.

This research was not immediately successful, but the Hive did make a startling discovery in the process. The receiver it built to communicate with the planets turned up some surprising energy emissions coming from the edges of the Laxes system. The Hive sent a ship to explore the source of these emissions and discovered several stable wormholes leading out of the system.

The Hive searched its host’s memories but found no knowledge of these wormholes. The wormholes defied any theory of natural formation that the Hive could contemplate. Therefore it determined the only logical conclusion was they were artificial. And if the hosts were unaware of their existence, then obviously they were not responsible for creating them.

The Hive was not alone.

The Hive realized quickly that this was not necessarily true. The Hive knew that the universe was very old. The universe was much older than the existence of the hosts, even older than the Hive itself. The creators of the wormhole could have been a race of incredibly powerful beings that had created them for some purpose, and then ceased to exist for some reason.

Like any sentient being, the Hive was curious. It wished to know if the wormhole creators still existed. And if they did not, perhaps some others did. Some others like the Hive, that it could communicate with and learn from. The Hive had already colonized all the planets that could support the host’s bodies in this system, so the Hive decided it would use these wormholes and send pieces of itself wherever they might lead.

[Jmenschenfresser]

Chapter 2--Part 2
2402.0

---------------------
GOTH & FERRISS
---------------------

(F)--How's the gel shock covering?
(G)--Stress virtually zero. Thanks for watching out, Programmeer.
(F)--You're a fully fledged member of the Tribe now, Goth. We all know your comfort is essential to our survival. Do you have the scans of this system completed yet?
(G)--I do. Eppis Eppingi, several useable rock planets and several ice planets. No breathable atmospheres. Nothing unexpected. Are we going to set down in this system, Programmeer?
(F)--I was hoping you can tell me.
(G)--Atmosphere does not matter to me, you know that.
(F)--Sa'ah Command is pushing to venture further away from the Rellan systems. No doubt the Rellan will quickly move into Eppis Eppingi.
(G)--Calculations show an equal chance of find better worlds in the next system to finding worse conditions. Has the Command ventured to then sell the rights to Eppis Eppingi?
(F)--Negotiations are underway. Both parties are waiting on your complete scans. Would you send them upstairs, G?
(G)--Done. I've accessed the negotiation files.
(F)--You're not allowed, Goth!
(G)--There was no restrictioned placed upon them.
(F)--Because no one would come looking for them.
(G)--It would be wise if the Command allowed me to write standard encryptions and coding for such files. I've noticed that the data storage proceedures boarder on chaotic.
(F)--Yes, possibly, but don't tell them you've gone and tried to look at their files.
(G)--You forget, Programmeer. The files are in me. One could make the claim...
(F)--If you start making those types of claims, I doubt they'll let you live another five minutes.
(G)--Understood.
(F)--Ok...
(G)--Ok in what sense of the word.
(F)--Still having trouble with that one, eh. What's in the file, G? And while you are at it, restrict yourself from divulging the fact that you divulge things to me.
(G)--That's a round about way of saying, 'our little secret.'
(F)--Well, I never know if you are going to understand.
(G)--Rellan and Vellon are in negotiations. Neither wants to pay what Sa'ah want because there isn't an immediate gain in acquiring Eppis Eppingi. However, neither wants the other to have it. Since it is the terminus of this route through space, the value is strategic rather than as a place to call home. What was the name of he who first recommended me to enter the Tribe?
(F)--Htari, a friend of mine.
(G)--I am adding something to his recommendations for the negotiations.
(F)--You wouldn't.
(G)--Just repaying my debt, Programmeer.
(F)--What did you add?
(G)--Few graphs. Few statistics. Some convincing words, but you'll just have to wait and see.

[Jmenschenfresser]

Chapter 2--Part 3
2402.0

--------
HTARI
--------
The middle-aged Htari sat before two members of the Command, an umbrella council formed to provide the clan means of interaction, waiting for movement or word to be made toward him. After several moments of them whispering to each other, they turned to him. One took a drink and then began.

"As you know, all Sa'ah clan leaders are welcomed to participate in government and offer suggestions. The two of us have contemplated your recommendation and feel that your words are wise. We are all new to this space travel. There are no precedents to rely upon. Nothing written which suggests the slightest. Though we are the oldest, many of us are experiencing the same feelings of lostness and unsure footing a young Sa'ah feels when first asked to make choices."

The other took over.

"Htari, son of Jul, son of Ge'ad, head of the Naz'ah Clan, pending the success of the next days, we would like to reward you. Your clan is an old one. Originally from the western whites, your people have been, no doubt, impoverished since the famine of eighty years foregone. I know that area well, though I don't know you personally. You have been one of the first Sa'ah to step forward and make bold recommendations for the pride and betterment of our mutual futures. First, the computer, Goth. Now, Eppis Eppingi. You are wise to see Eppis Eppingi as a strategic route between the future borders of the tribes. Rellan to the north, Vellon to the east and Omon to the west. Eppis Eppingi will give us guaranteed income from trade. Retaining the system, while selling the worlds is a brilliant idea, my friend. Yes, we will sell a few initially as you suggested and retain the rest to sell when the systems teem with life."

The first again.

"Yes, Htari. Despite age, we promise to you, the first war ship of the Sa'ah. Nevermind, rank. The old system of Lords must be done away with even though they retain their titles. But power stuggles on the new world will have little to do with the real power. The power to be gained from space exploration. We've created a new title and we bestow it upon you. Rise Starlord Htari.

[sachmo]

Invexus Corporation

2402.3

The galactic map spread out before him, and the Board Chairman smiled at what he saw. In a little over two years, the Invexus Corporation had established colonies on four different planets in four different systems. While these planets were still getting on their feet, they were already showing their potential. The research station on Verdas had already done enough research to cut down the projected remote mining satellite research by six months. On Wisdom, the mineral mining communities were already turning out great quantities of raw minerals that were being shipped back to Cherek for production. Projections for the profitability of the colonies were steadily climbing. In the meantime, the exploration ships were steadily pushing back the frontiers of the known universe, exploring star after star. Many wondrous discoveries had been made. The entire Olossa system was filled with a huge spatial rupture. What was not known is how the rupture was formed, and what effects it would have on life in the system. Already a science vessel was being constructed to go to the system and study it, but one major discovery had already been made here. It seemed that emanating from the rupture were “wormhole waves” which snaked out across the system. These “waves” acted like miniature wormholes, and anything caught in one would be warped to a random location in the system. The scientists in the Research and Development Division believed that if these waves could be studies and understood, they would unlock some major secrets in how the universe worked, and quite possibly find some practical, and profitable, applications for this discovery.
On four other planets, discoveries of a different sort had been made that were no less mysterious then the Olossa Rupture. Remains of what looked to possibly be ancient sentient habitats had been identified. This discovery was kept top secret, of course, but even now a colony ship was heading for the planet. Once there, a team of scientists and archeologists would begin studying the structures. No one really knew what they would find there, but to Hartnell it only served as additional proof that there were other sentient species in the galaxy. He hoped that they were friendly and eager to trade. If not, he intended to have a large enough fleet to protect the interests of the Invexus Corporation.

[capnq]

Almost half a month passed before Milsu Sutre returned to the mysterious airlock. It had taken that long to get the Masters' skycity floating level again, and would have taken even longer if one of the salvage engineers hadn't thought of opening some of the buoyancy cells on the higher side, rather than repairing them all on the low side. The city had sunk another third of a kilometer, but the salvage workers could move around much more easily.

The Masters' city had not turned out to be the treasure trove that had been expected. There were surprisingly few artifacts left to claim; apparently the Masters had taken almost everything with them when they abandoned the city. Heavy equipment and other things that were too large to move had mostly corroded away as Jalwu's atmosphere leaked into the dome. The buildings had held up better than anything else, apparently built from materials that the atmosphere didn't affect much. Many of the investors in the salvage rights had resold them to cut their losses, and the remaining speculators were expecting smaller profits from selling settlement rights after the dome was repaired. Sutre had kept the rights to the shipyard section for himself, and hoped to eventually restore it to working order. The partially completed ship would probably have to be removed first, and he wasn't going to do that until he'd seen the inside.

He'd come better prepared this time, carrying an extra hydrogen tank so he could explore longer, and a cutting torch in case the airlock door had corroded shut. The manual release handle that he'd found Last time had already become discolored now that it was exposed. He grasped the handle with both hands and put all his weight into turning it. It moved more easily than he'd expected, and he could hear the clank of the latches disengaging even through his environment suit.

Sutre pushed against the inner door, and it swung open. He stepped through the opening and found himself in a corridor with an oddly low ceiling, less than three times his height. Perhaps it had been some kind of maintenance tunnel, but then why would it have an exterior airlock, rather than access doors from the interior? There was a door that nearly reached the ceiling opposite the airlock, and he could see similar doors on the inner wall in both directions. The door in front of him had a manual latch just above eye-level, like any normal door. It opened easily when he tried it.

Behind the door, Sutre found a rather small room with two notable features. Set into the wall was something that looked like an antique flat display screen, with an archaic data entry panel below it. In front of the screen was something that looked a little bit like a table, but with a long bent section sticking up almost vertically from one edge. The strange table was fixed to the floor, but he found that the horizontal surface pivoted. He could read most of the characters on the data entry keys, but some were marked with other symbols that meant nothing to him. There were obvious access panels on the wall to either side of the display, so Sutre opened both of them, but what was inside was barely recognizable as electronics components. He wondered whether it was possible that millenia-old circuits could still work, if he found a way to connect them to a power supply.

[capnq]

The electrician that Milsu Sutre had hired found a recognizable power coupling in the Masters' unfinished ship fairly quickly. They'd hooked up a portable generator, and were about to test it for the first time. Sutre stood in front of the antique display screen with a camera, hoping to record anything that might appear when the power came on. The metallic hull of the ship blocked their environment suit radios, so he had turned on the camera as soon as he entered the room, while the electrician bounced around to the generator to start it. He zoomed in the camera so that the screen filled the viewfinder, then waited for some sign that the power was flowing.

Power: active
Initiating start sequence: TARS Node-25
WARNING: input voltage 48.746% below optimal - compensating...
Initiating memory check
WARNING: memory faults in 70.143E6 sectors - compensating...
Memory check complete
Initiating systems check
WARNING: life support system - offline
WARNING: primary processing unit - offline
WARNING: primary manuever control system - offline
WARNING: secondary manuever control system - offline
WARNING: astrogation system - offline
WARNING: external communication system - offline
WARNING: system faults in 3 internal communication stations
WARNING: 183 internal communication stations - offline
WARNING: system faults in 3 external optical sensors
WARNING: 20 external optical sensors - offline
WARNING: system faults in 8 internal optical sensors
WARNING: 376 internal optical sensors - offline
WARNING: 2 engines - offline
WARNING: 4 primary reaction mass tanks - offline
WARNING: 4 secondary reaction mass tanks - offline
WARNING: system faults in 6 attitude thrusters
WARNING: 8 attitude thrusters - offline
WARNING: 4 tertiary reaction mass tanks - empty
WARNING: 4 tertiary reaction mass tanks - offline
WARNING: 4 passive defense systems - offline
WARNING: 6 active defense systems - offline
WARNING: targeting system - offline
WARNING: fire control system - offline

The ancient text had filled the screen and was scrolling faster than Sutre could read it. The electronics were still working! Well, some of them, anyway. The warnings that he'd managed to read had gotten progressively more cryptic, but it was obvious that a lot of things weren't functional; many of the items reported must not even have been installed before construction had stopped.

The electrician bounced through the door behind him. "Anything happening?" he asked.

"It's incredible! Look at that display! It's running some kind of diagnostic."

"Wow! The Masters sure knew how to build things to Last!" the electrician laughed. "I really expected that all we'd get would be a few sparks and some smoke."

"You didn't mention that when I hired you."

"I almost didn't take the job, but I figured that you might still have some luck left over from finding this place."

"Sure looks like it. All by itself, this could make up for not finding many other artifacts in the city."

[ October 19, 2002, 19:11: Message edited by: capnq ]

[geoschmo]

2402.7

The Hive had been busy. In under three years it had used the Warp points it found to expand its reach in search for the warp point creators, or at least signs of other intelligent life forms. It had used the network of stellar phenomena to visit twelve different star systems already. And had planted permanent settlements in half of those. In fact, in its curiosity and single minded purpose had nearly run out of resources on the planets in the home system with which to build and maintain the Hive ships.

It had developed logistical techniques with which to return resources from the colonies in other systems to the home planet to keep the construction facilities turning out more Hive ships. But this infrastructure took time to develop for each system, and the Hive was impatient.

Rather than face the shutdown of the Construction yard on the host Homeworld, the Hive decided to attempt to extract resources from the asteroids and several uncolonizable planets in the home system. The attempt was not entirely successful.

The Hive was able to build a remote mining ship easily enough, but its technology in that area was not very well developed at the time. The ships it could build were too small to put more than one automated remote mining array on, and because of the complexity of the extraction process, only one mining ship could be assigned to any particular planet or group of asteroids.

The Hive quickly realized the amount of resources it was extracting were not sufficient to even make the effort worthwhile except of a very short period of time. After four months on station the mining ship was returned to the Homeworld and mothballed until the Hive could decide on another purpose for it.

The host in charge of monitoring orbital traffic was watching its computerized displays when an alarm softly chirped. The telemetry link to the mothballed mining ship had been lost. Standard mothball procedures had been followed. Once the final shutdown crew had debarked the ship had been towed to a high stable orbit and left. The only systems left functioning were the guidance systems and enough retro rockets to allow the ship station keeping. This process was handled almost completely by computer, and the telemetry link to the planet was normally only a formality.

The Hive searched for debris, and found none. The only anomalous readings at all were some gravitational fluctuations in the Last reported position of the ship. And these subsided over the next few minutes until they were completely gone. The ship had disappeared as neatly as if it had never existed.

The Hive assigned a few host scientists to explore the evidence and develop a theory about what had happened, and then went on about its tasks. The ship was of minor importance after all.

Meanwhile, onboard the mothballed ship....

Error 610: Orbital position incorrect. Begin correction subroutine

Error 1200: Unable to process Last command. Positional telemetry signal lost. Reacquire positional telemetry signal

Error 750: Unable to comply with Last command. No carrier. Run downlink system diagnostic.

Return 0: Downlink system diagnostic ok.

Return to subroutine 750. Reacquire positional telemetry signal.

Error 750: Unable to comply with Last command. No carrier. Run backup subroutine. Stellar position check.

Error 1550: Data outside of expected range. Stellar position does not match with Last known position. Crosscheck with stellar cartography database and recheck position.

Working.

Working.

Working.

Working.

Working.

Stellar position determined. Present location Mirach Star system.

Primary Command: Reestablish previous orbital position. Bearing known, calculate distance to previous position:

Working.

Distance calculated. Distance to previous position 3169248453331200.7 Km.

Analysis: Main Propulsion system offline. Insufficient reaction propulsion to reacquire previous position.

Secondary command: Contact Orbital command for assistance. Begin automated broadcast to orbital command. Request maintenance team to reengage Main Propulsion system. Repeat message until acknowledged.

Estimated time for Orbital command receipt of maintenance request: 314 years, 6 months, 14 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes, 41 seconds.