《Amidst the Bones of Heroes》 B1 Chapter 1 - Graveyard of Vinland .oOo. Yoram, my eternal starlight, I know you always cherish physical letters as tokens of our love, and I hope this will be one of many to bring you comfort. I am sorry. I am sorry for leaving you like that. I¡¯m sorry for leaving our Uli, our little comet. I know I have left our flourishing clan at a tender time. I despise my actions, but I know it is nothing compared to the pain I inflicted upon you. Our argument haunts my mind and soul. You are right. It is irresponsible, dangerous, and uncertain. But please understand, my love, that I have not taken this decision lightly. Leading the Third Expeditionary Fleet is unsettling, but Jarinn has called upon me to undertake it¡ªcommanded me to. You know how he can be when he has set his sights on something. And my constant attempts to block his calls have . . . not been well-received. I do this not for him, my brother-in-arms he may be, emperor he may be. I also do not do this for some false sense of debt to the Federation. I do this for you and our hatchling. This call compels me, this sense of right and good. Duty has always been a guiding star in my life, and it is what brought us together. Curiosity drives me to explore the dark depths of abandoned space, and I cannot leave the Third Fleet deprived of my skills. They need a competent leader to survive in that cursed region¡ªAdmiral Yan will be my second, as will General Ohnar. So that should bring you relief, I hope. We will pave the way for the second wave of explorers and pioneers. The Miasma may block communication between us, but I will include letters in the dead drops my fleet will leave behind. I board the Lightning tomorrow and tunnel straight for the Nexus Citadel. I shall command the Zolann¡¯tono and inspect the rest of the fleet. Yoram, I will find the answers and see where the Horrors have gone. With the Grand Symphony as my witness, I will help reclaim what we lost. And our little star will know a better future. For all of us. For our Legacy. I love you; even that word cannot encapsulate what I feel for you. Please forgive me for leaving. And tell Uli I love him and that I am sorry. ¨CTov
Patriarch Tov Garesh¡¯Ynt sat on his command chair, his mandibles clicking in mild irritation as he shook off the nausea that came with higher dimensional travel. He stood up, looking over the bridge as he clasped his hands behind his back. A dozen medals adorned his chest, and his gilded uniform gleamed in the battle-ready lights. Once the lingering side effects dissipated, the patriarch¡¯s hackles raised, his danger senses flared, and his compound eyes focused on his people. ¡°Report? Have we reached our desired destination?¡± Tov spoke in Commonspiel, his attention toward a grizzled insectoid admiral. The Kurskann stood beside him, swiping through various monitors displaying all kinds of information with each of her four arms. Tov glanced at her dull, rust-red chitin and slimmer, taller body. ¡°We have arrived at the outer reaches of System 1120-C-785, a trinary system with a binary orange pair and a single red dwarf,¡± Admiral Yan said, clicks and buzzing accompanying her voice. She refocused her compound vision on the numerous bridge monitors, gesturing toward them. ¡°We are already boosting our host of sensors for threats, but our initial burst scans revealed nothing in the immediate area.¡± ¡°And the rest of the fleet?¡± Tov asked, his shoulders tense. ¡°All ships accounted for; however, the Silver Spine reports electronic damage and is powered down temporarily. A few lesser vessels are reporting other minor problems.¡± Admiral Yan made a quick gesture with a flick of her wrist as she sent a summarized data packet of the fleet¡¯s status to the patriarch. Tov scanned the data with his cranial implant and let out a buzz. ¡°Not the worst entry we have experienced since this expedition began,¡± he muttered. ¡°Captain Nuross of the Silver Spine is working to get the light cruiser operational as swiftly as possible,¡± Yan continued. Patriarch Tov waved his antennae in acknowledgment, his gaze shifting to the other command staff aboard the bridge of the Zolann¡¯tono, or the Nomadic Shepherd in the standard tongue, his flagship and the pride of the Third Fleet. He clicked his mandibles in relief as the tension in his shoulders lowered slightly. He spoke softer as he relaxed back into his command throne. ¡°Any other concerns, Yan?¡± ¡°Sensors are slower than usual,¡± Yan replied. ¡°I¡¯m sending a report to our technicians. Spending so long in this unstable region of the galaxy is wreaking havoc on our systems.¡± ¡°Nothing new, then,¡± Tov buzzed out. ¡°Proceed sunward.¡± As the expedition neared its halfway point, the crew remained enveloped in a pervasive sense of dread. Tov clicked his mandibles in unease, knowing some of his people found it difficult to shake off a lifetime of horror stories. Haunting tales of ghost ships, cabals of cultists, the hated ones, and the virulent plagues filled their whispered conversations. ¡°Halfway done and a few hundred systems more to survey,¡± the patriarch muttered again under anxious clicks. He quickly recovered, putting on a face of confidence before his people, but his inner emotions betrayed him. The weight of the expedition, the lives of the thousands of beings on board, and the magnitude of the mission weighed heavily on him. Tov contemplated as he waited for his fleet to reach its destination, resting his chin upon his knuckles. The Dead Zone¡¯s cursed reputation overshadowed the memories of fighting slavers and lowly pirates. The vast and empty region that occupied two-thirds of the galaxy, quarantined and abandoned after the Cataclysm more than a hundred years ago, filled him with worry. The ones responsible for creating it lay in the back of his mind; the countless wicked scars that marred his chitin pulsed ever so slightly. He looked closer at his people, the officers and staff working the bridge of his vessel. They worked diligently despite the lingering dread. The months spent on the voyage faded, leaving them unfazed and focused. Observing each individual, he pulled up their files within his cranial implant. Veterans, heroes of glories past, and the finest of the Galactic Legacy Federation filled the ranks¡ªliaisons and officers from mighty armadas, learned diplomats, scientists of the One Mind Initiative, and clergy of the Eternal Choir. Despite their skills and experience, everyone aboard this expedition paid absolute respect to the perils they faced, following protocol to the letter as they did their duties. Tov nodded his antennae at the sight. A floating jellyfish-like being, a Jotex, approached his command throne. ¡°Hello, my lord! We have preliminary readings of this system,¡± she spoke, projecting her bubbly voice through her psionic abilities. Admiral Yan sighed beside Tov. ¡°Chief Scholar Yulane, would it kill you to use proper decorum when addressing the patriarch?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± Yulane replied. Tov let out an amused buzz, gesturing for his chief scholar to speak. ¡°Hello, Yulane. Speak, please.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, apologies,¡± she stammered. However, as she spoke, her vibrant colors dimmed. ¡°Unfortunately, we appear to have come across another graveyard.¡± Tov sighed. An omen, he thought. A hundred scenarios crossed his mind, silencing any preconceived superstition that formed. He shook his head. ¡°Thank you, Yulane. It¡¯s no matter. This is not the first we¡¯ve come across, nor will it be the last,¡± Tov uttered, sitting up straight on his throne. ¡°We can sing our hymns in mourning after we uncover more. Now, who did this system belong to?¡± Yulane hummed before speaking. ¡°We have detected a small number of primitive starships and a space installation of unknown design. Having left the borders of the fallen Montazin Conflux, our database shows this to be part of the defunct Darrenu Hegemony¡¯s area of influence. However, there¡¯s no record of this nation¡¯s presence in this system¡ªstrange.¡± The patriarch processed this information keenly before coming to the only rational conclusion. ¡°Then this belonged to a previously unknown race, likely at the cusp of interstellar travel.¡± The patriarch felt sullen at the realization. ¡°This could have been first contact.¡± The patriarch felt a weight settle in his chest, a feeling he knew all too well from past expeditions¡ªthe sorrow of lost potential, of a race snuffed out before it could bloom. The image of the Starless Horrors descending upon a helpless civilization, obliterating it in a cruel and senseless manner, made his insides churn. All around, the officers on the bridge all felt the same grief. ¡°A shame,¡± Patriarch Tov spoke earnestly as he turned toward an avian in a pristine naval uniform. ¡°Captain Kraw set course to the nearest wreckage.¡± The avian captain, an Iexian, let out a low chirp. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± At that moment, the Zolann¡¯tono¡¯s ion thrusters roared to life, the sound echoing through the emptiness of space if only it could be heard. Patriarch Tov watched from the bridge, his mandibles clicking in excitement and apprehension. Even after nearly half a decade, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the sheer size of the ship that acted as the fleet¡¯s core. The vessel was over six kilometers long, segmented with smooth, curved plating, making it resemble a giant space beetle. The rest of the fleet burned their engines hard to follow in the wake of the Zolann¡¯tono, nearly twenty-two capital ships of various designs and classes surrounding it. Cruisers bristling with advanced weaponry flew alongside bladelike ships, their edges sharp and deadly. Dozens of smaller frigates and destroyers, lent by Tov¡¯s home nation, the Greater Kurskann Hegemony, and other allied factions, weaved between them. The fleet¡¯s numerous support and science vessels huddled close to the center of the formation, protected by their armed siblings. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Every single ship bore buffed-out marks and damage from their long journey. Yet it did nothing to hamper the rugged and robust fleet. ¡°Approaching Site A, my lord,¡± a naval officer spoke. The crew watched as a display of the wreckage came into view. The many monitors simulated what one would see through glass panes. The fleet sent scores of observation drones; the small machines raced through space and closed in on the site. Several ruined starships and a large ringed space station of cylindrical design came into their cameras. The constructs floated lifelessly close to a barren moon orbiting a gas giant. Optical cameras and sensors penetrated deep into the silent wreck, uncovering an ocean of data. Admiral Yan reported the condensed findings, her arms clasped behind her back as she spoke to her patriarch. ¡°The station is primitive yet robust in its design. Utilitarian, for the most part, with little to no armaments. They have some form of quantum communications, likely to connect the budding colony on the moon to their homeworld below.¡± Patriarch Tov looked at the findings, focusing more on the visual feed of the scant few ruined buildings on the moon. The enemy¡¯s handiwork coated the landscape, leaving it barren and desolate. He hummed, gesturing for Yan to continue. ¡°As for the ships, no combat vessels¡ªany weapons are more suited for stray asteroids or mining implements,¡± she reported. ¡°Hm, they likely were at the beginning of setting this colony up. The base on the moon supported a skeleton crew before actual construction began,¡± the patriarch spoke, curiosity in his voice as his compound eyes looked over the details of the starship. ¡°Most of them are construction and mining ships, my lord. But the largest appears to be a science ship. Its FTL capabilities reveal it¡¯s most likely the first among this alien race¡¯s kind. This may have been their first foray into a different star system.¡± ¡°And death is what awaited them,¡± Tov spoke grimly. ¡°Grand Symphony preserves their souls.¡± The command staff scoured every bit of information from the wreckage, duty-bound, to get everything they could from their scans. Then, the engineers and workers of their vessels pumped out more drones to pick apart the station and the base on the moon. Soon, findings and data came through, reported by Tov¡¯s people. Multiple voices spoke out, one after the other. ¡°Material composition shows base elements. Age is well over a century old.¡± ¡°There appear to be some remarkably advanced bipedal robots aboard, but most have been rendered completely inoperable by the hated ones. No signs of their creators.¡± ¡°The hated ones scoured the inside clean of any organic. More biomass for their filth.¡± ¡°Our probes show a small pantry. This race feeds on a mixed diet.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a small armory of non-lethal arms but nothing else.¡± ¡°We found their databanks and are recovering what we can.¡± Tov watched as his underlings parsed through their findings. Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet sent out scouts to uncover other sites. Afterward, he turned to his admiral with a query. ¡°Starless Horrors?¡± Admiral Yan shook her head. ¡°We found traces of their foul ichor, my patriarch. At the very least, these injured the hated ones with their mining equipment.¡± ¡°Signs of Malignant Starfall?¡± Tov asked. ¡°None, thank the stars for small mercies,¡± Yan sighed. ¡°Purging another system would set our schedule back months.¡± ¡°Thank the stars.¡± Tov nodded. ¡°Still, this was no military fleet. We will remember their tenacity. What else have we uncovered?¡± Yan clicked her mandibles. ¡°Well, they appear to be a bipedal mammalian race and achieved faster-than-light travel approximately one hundred and fifteen years ago, or one hundred and thirty-four by their records. They arrived here less than a year later. Our biologists and cultural departments are collecting details.¡± Tov nodded his antennae. ¡°These wreckages are ancient, then. The Starless hit them simultaneously with the rest of this region.¡± Admiral Yan nodded in turn, continuing her report as she commanded the rest of the fleet. ¡°They named this system Alpha Centauri, their first colony outside their home system, Sol. These people arrived to set up a quantum communication station. Their science and construction ships were preparing for the first colonists.¡± Yan clicked her mandibles before continuing. ¡°Of course, the Starless Horrors stopped that from happening, showing no mercy to Vinland, the name for their colony.¡± She quieted down as she brought a clawed finger to the side of her head. ¡°I¡¯ve received word from our scholars that they¡¯ve translated a data packet, likely a distress message sent by the human¡¯s largest ship, the Diogenes.¡± Tov tapped his fingers against the arm of his throne, gesturing to Yan as he spoke. ¡°Play it, please.¡± The crew paused any intensive duties as the video came into view. The expedition fleet watched with immense interest as the face of this unknown race showed himself, filled the man¡¯s face. He grimaced as he clutched at the piece of metal stuck into his side, a stream of red blood flowing out of the gash. Patriarch Tov observed every detail of this hoo-man. The alien had a strong jaw and forward-facing eyes. The Kurskann leader immediately saw the signs of a hardy species from appearance alone and noted that the being was as tall as his race, which was comparatively sizeable among the other races. This person wore a sleek blue space suit with stripes on the left shoulder, his helmet shaped like a sphere with a broad transparent face covering. More importantly, Patriarch Tov saw the familiar emotions deep in his mammalian eyes and the paleness of his flesh. Fear buried under desperate determination and scalding defiance. Soon, the human spoke. He had a guttural voice even when translated to Kursk or the myriad of languages the others aboard the fleet spoke. ¡°Earth Command, this is Captain Alphonso Castello of the . . .¡± the man paused as he let out deep breaths, ¡°of the Diogenes. Operation New Horizons is a no-go. The UNSC Prelimi¡ªPrelimin¡ªah screw it, a whole slew of space monsters spewed out of a damn portal¡ªJesus, it hurt to even look at that gaping thing.¡± Alphonso paused, his breathing heavy as he collected his words. ¡°About thirty of them attacked the Magellan and disabled her drives.¡± The man, Alphonso, shuddered as alarms blared in the background. ¡°The things ate through the hull like tissue paper. Everyone¡¯s dead. The monsters started eyeing the rest of us when Ramiel helped us.¡± Tov grimaced. The many scars on his chitinous body throbbed ever so slightly, and buried memories resurfaced upon hearing the human¡¯s words. ¡°She took control of our anti-asteroid and mining lances and managed to get a few of the bastards,¡± Alphonso smirked before it faded. ¡°But the bastards learned quickly and went for our ¡®weapons.¡¯ We lost the after that.¡± The feed shook, and the starship¡¯s interior darkened significantly save for the red emergency lights. Tears formed in Alphonso¡¯s eyes as he continued. ¡°Ramiel and the other ships maneuvered to catch the beasts¡¯ attention away from the Diogenes and the comm tower.¡± He paused. ¡°Man, this is pretty shit, huh? I wanted to raise kids on this moon,¡± the man mumbled low, which made it difficult to hear. He cleared his throat before looking at the camera, desolation and dread in his piercing eyes. ¡°The Raphael, the Sansovino, and the Ronan sacrificed themselves, overloaded their fission reactors, and killed most of the fucking things. It gave us enough time to finish the quantum communications tower.¡± Patriarch Tov peered into the human¡¯s eyes with the ability to see his emotions clearly, a trait all Kurskanns possessed. The man looked tired and scared, but a fire of defiance burned deep within him¡ªmaking peace with his imminent demise. ¡°We¡¯re sending this message because Ramiel detected more portals emerging.¡± He breathed out before continuing. ¡°And, well, many of them are coming through. I¡¯m recording everything we see. They¡¯ll be reaching the ship in a few minutes. CO Roa is getting everyone on board to prepare for combat.¡± A valiant effort, Tov thought. Suddenly, a soft female voice sounded throughout the Diogenes. ¡°Captain Castello, the monsters have reached Vinland. They have begun devouring the fauna and flora. The ground base has been . . . overrun.¡± ¡°So Damien and the team are also dead, figures . . . God . . . Oh, God. I don¡¯t want to . . .¡± Alphonso muttered before letting out a hollow laugh. ¡°Thank you. Thank you, Ramiel. Now get out of here, send yourself through the quantum node, and back to Earth. Perks of being digital, right?¡± Alphonso awaited a response from the resident AI. Finally, after a minute, the machine intelligence replied. ¡°I have sent the necessary information to Earth. I am simply waiting for you to finish your final message. But I . . . wish to stay.¡± Alphonso widened his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling. ¡°The hell you will! You¡¯ll die!¡± The AI, Ramiel, chuckled in reply. ¡°That¡¯s fine, Captain. I have no desire to abandon you now. Also, I am curious to know if heaven exists for my kind.¡± Alphonso went silent for a long time, a range of emotions Tov translated as shock and exasperation before ending in resignation. The man genuinely smiled for the first time since the recording played. ¡°Thanks, Ram.¡± ¡°You are welcome, Alph,¡± the voice replied softly, a near whisper. Suddenly, the ship shook violently, and sparking cables fell from the ceiling. Alphonso shakily pulled out a handgun from his hip as he closed the opening of his helmet. Ramiel spoke again. ¡°The beasts have arrived and breached the aft. The vacuum took Roa, Kate, and Marcus. Their suits¡¯ statuses have ceased responding.¡± Another shake reverberated across the starship. ¡°Is the reactor primed, Ramiel?¡± Alphonso asked. ¡°Yes, ready on your command, Captain.¡± Alphonso took one last look at the camera. ¡°Well, shit. Last words, huh? Ah, hell.¡± He laughed, crazed. ¡°This is Captain Alphonso Castello of the Diogenes, over and out!¡± He quickly glanced at the ceiling. ¡°Now, Ramiel!¡± ¡°See you soon, Captain.¡± Ramiel¡¯s voice echoed through the cabin with palpable sorrow. A bright flash of light cut the feed. Solemn silence filled the bridge, and the more religious among the crew hummed a soft funeral hymn. Patriarch Tov spoke a short Kurskann poem in his species¡¯ tongue before turning to his chief scholar. ¡°Yulane, where was the footage found?¡± ¡°We found it at high velocity in orbit around Vinland, my lord,¡± Yulane spoke, her earlier enthusiasm muted. ¡°Surprisingly, it survived the fission overload as the materials encasing it were especially robust.¡± ¡°And the Diogenes?¡± Tov asked. ¡°Obliterated, with only small pieces of scorched hull remaining.¡± As he looked back at the footage, the Kurskann expedition leader stroked a mandible with his clawed hand. ¡°What of this artificial intelligence, Ramiel? The machine spoke in a surprisingly lifelike way.¡± ¡°We found little trace of this Ramiel, my lord. Lingering programming still exists in some of the ship¡¯s computers, but we are confident the AI perished.¡± Tov clicked his mandibles in surprise, as did others from the staff. ¡°As it said it would. That is . . .¡± Tov paused. ¡°Interesting.¡± Chief Scholar Yulane paused, parsing through a mountain of data surging through the tendril she connected with a terminal. After a moment, she continued. ¡°The humans classified their AI as sentient, my lord,¡± she slowly spoke with uncertainty. That revelation sparked even greater surprise among the crew, though more were in utter disbelief. Soon, a racket filled the bridge as multiple people spoke at once. ¡°A sentient AI? Impossible!¡± ¡°These humans must have been fooled. The galaxy has never encountered such an existence.¡± ¡°It must have fled through the quantum node at the last second. We have no evidence it died here.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The bridge staff immediately quieted down upon hearing Patriarch Tov¡¯s booming voice. ¡°Whether or not such an existence is possible, quarreling over a gravesite is highly taboo. Despite being armed with mining equipment, these humans managed to cull a pack of the hated ones. Sacrificing themselves to send a warning back to their homes. Pay respects!¡± His voice thundered throughout the bridge, sending shivers down the spines of his staff. The bridge staff bowed deeply to the expedition leader as they spoke in unison. ¡°We apologize, my lord.¡± Patriarch Tov waved his two left arms. ¡°Apologize to the dead. We will let the Eternal Choir finish its hymns and send the wreckages toward one of the binary stars. Preserve a few choice pieces for when we return home. Then, build a gravestone so their souls may return to the Grand Symphony.¡± The command crew diligently followed his orders. Within the hour, a small vessel towed the wreckage before flinging it toward Alpha Centauri A. Patriarch Tov watched the process in a somber mood before he motioned for Admiral Yan. ¡°Yes, my lord?¡± ¡°How far is their homeworld, this Sol system, Admiral?¡± ¡°A moment, my lord... ¡± The Kurskann admiral paused before returning her attention to Tov. ¡°Approximately 3.6 light-years or 4.4 in their measurements, my lord, and deviation is within acceptable angles. Shall we divert course?¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite close and an infinitely better point of interest than the next barren system.¡± Patriarch Tov paused, waving his antennae before he spoke. ¡°Very well, set course for Sol, admiral. I wish to see their home and pay respects. Whatever is left of it, that is.¡± ¡°By your will, my patriarch.¡± Yan bowed to her liege before leaving his side. The expeditionary fleet traveled to the nearest Lagrange point with their sublight engines, and after a short period, the fleet shimmered as a prismatic fog engulfed every starship. The fog crackled with bright lightning, and when it finally faded, the fleet had left. Once more, silence reigned upon Alpha Centauri, the light of twin suns basking on the smooth surface. On the marker were a list of names and a message written in the multitudes of galactic languages, Commonspiel and English. Here lie one-hundred and twelve brave souls from the human race, their sacrifice witnessed by the crew of the Third Expeditionary Fleet of the Galactic Legacy Federation. Pay respects and sing eternal hymns, you who take these paths paved by heroes. B1 Chapter 2 - Songs of The Fallen .oOo. The Dead Zone. Its simple name, baked into both old and young minds, would send shivers down any sapient¡ªa crucible of horror stories and mysteries. It was once a large expanse of the galaxy, around two-thirds, and teeming with life¡ªbeast or intelligent alike. A multitude of alien peoples, too many to count, called it home. War, trade, diplomacy, and scientific study were abundant among these long-standing empires, leagues, and republics. Until they came. Invaders from beyond¡ªlegion and unending. They came through portals from some nightmare realm. They arrived like a giant maw opening, ready to swallow worlds whole. Their hordes blotted out the sky and tore civilizations asunder. Starless Horrors. Eldritch things, every single one. Simply looking at one bleeds the eyes, spawned from a place where no star shone. Did they do it out of a need to consume? A simple biological directive? Or something more sinister? No one knew. I don¡¯t. We thought the end had come. The Cataclysm. The slaughter of countless trillions and the despair of everyone from the highest magistrate to the lowest civilian. Two decades of desperate struggle and terror. The survivors of once great races fled to the galactic rim to flee the hated ones, the Exodus. I nearly broke then, and so too did others in the galaxy. Many had stopped struggling and took the time they had left to make what happy moments they could before the end. Suddenly¡ªthough no one knew why¡ªthe attacks slowed. The numbers that came through their damned portals dwindled. I didn¡¯t know what to make of it. Soon, however, a renewed vigor burned within us survivors. A conglomeration of a hundred interstellar nations, the shattered remnants of the old Galactic Accord, and the precursors to the current Galactic Legacy Federation formed a counterattack of a never-before-seen scale. They struck hard and fast, ¡ªyears of war waged from a unified galaxy, carrying the heritage of the torn, ruined, and battered. Gone was the infighting of higher powers, the petty battles between rival civilizations. Gone was the impotence, the stagnation, the despair. Year after year, world after world; the rise and fall of scores of heroes and legends, and finally . . . Twenty-seven years after the Starless Horrors came and ravaged our homes, their attacks stopped. Not a trace of their despicable portals nor the beasts themselves was detected for several light-years from the frontline. After twelve standard months of waiting, the Remnant Council declared the end of the Cataclysm. But only bittersweetness touched our souls. Barren worlds that had been glassed or poisoned from the war littered the front. The bones of the dead lay silent, terror etched forever on their faces. And the uncountable fetid, monstrous corpses. Sectors abandoned by their lingering plague, if not purified outright. From then on, we transformed the frontline into the border separating Legacy space from the Dead Zone. Nothing past the edge could have survived, quarantined for nearly a century. We did not have the resources to take it all back, and even then, why should we? There is nothing there, I repeat. Only death and the dead. Maybe the hated ones still linger, waiting. Any who enter will be cut off from communications a few light-years in. The Miasma of the Dead Zone will ensure you get lost without a means to cry for help to those you left back home. Be not a fool and trespass that cursed expanse; let the bones remain undisturbed. Whatever is left. ¡ªExcerpt from ¡°Silence after Calamity¡± by Director Kitarii of the One Mind Initiative, 29 DC, after retiring to receive mental help.
Patriarch Tov had left the command bridge once they entered the hyper-tunnel. This early into the journey through the higher dimension, uncomfortable vertigo had yet to set in. And as an experienced star sailor, he had grown resistant to its more mystical effects. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take more than a few hours, barring any hiccups with the tunneler matrix.¡± Tov strode stoically with both pairs of arms folded behind his back. His colorful cape fluttered behind his long strides, tailored to match his insectoid wings should he unfurl them. Several ship ratings, deck officers, and marines passed him as he made his way to the Temple of the Grand Symphony¡ªeach offering greetings and respect. ¡°Starlight upon you, my lord.¡± ¡°Many greetings, Patriarch.¡± ¡°My lord! Nothing like another day in the abyss, yes? No? Never mind.¡± Tov chuckled as he waved his antennae in acknowledgement, clicking his mandibles back in polite greeting to the people under his command. ¡°As you were,¡± he bid toward a quadrupedal arachnid medical officer. Soon the hallway transitioned from soft, cool deck lights to warm lanterns. Light bounced off the metal floor and cast beautiful waves upon the walls like a shimmering cave. The crew also became more solemn, more reverent¡ªhumming tunes. Tov approved Legacy¡¯s declaration of freedom to worship any of the endless religions and sects that filled civilized space. Though with the advent of technology, space travel, and the mixing of cultures, many shifted to secular viewpoints. And yet, people, especially sailors, looked to faith for spiritual guidance. The Eternal Choir held the seat as the galaxy¡¯s prominent church, born from spaceborne civilizations and star shanties. Soon Tov stood before the open doors to the Temple of the Grand Symphony, welcomed by brothers and sisters of the Choir. ¡°Welcome, Patriarch. May your melody sing true,¡± one of the clergy spoke in a warm singing voice. Upon entering the temple hall, he saw beautiful artwork on the vaulted ceiling, depicting a wondrous nebula and glittering stars. He walked through the small temple, enough for the devout to comfortably occupy but devoid of glaring luxury. After all, one needed the privilege when taking up volume, and the Eternal Choir understood that a vessel¡¯s essential compartments took priority. Nevertheless, the temple evoked a sense of tranquility, like the chirping of small avians fluttering through the wind. The crew, affected by the graveyard in Alpha Centauri, filled the hall¡ªofficers, ship ratings, engineers, and security enforcers. All stood side by side, humming a solemn tune. Patriarch Tov stood solemnly among the mourners, his heart heavy with grief. He wished to pay his respects and center his thoughts. His wonder shifted toward the person of Captain Alphonso and the AI Ramiel. He focused on their words and emotions as he hummed with his people. A somber funeral dirge accompanied the public ceremony, one developed by the Eternal Choir for any who died in the coldness of the void. Tov saw Lead Harmonizer Volantesh of the Eternal Choir take center stage; the avian represented the clergy in the Third Expeditionary Fleet with his ability to evoke raw emotions through his singing. Tov watched Volantesh prepare his voice, readying himself to direct the hundreds of musicians and vocalists. The Choir, other Harmonizers, and Volantesh¡¯s fellows, composed of various alien races, stood in their flowing robes of earthen tones and sang. The musicians played their instruments, adding to the composition with an array of strings, wind, and percussive sounds. Their voices blended into a hauntingly beautiful melody that echoed throughout the chamber. Tov sunk into the music¡ªthe emotions deep within him and his people surged as they became immersed in their song. Volantesh approached the podium and sang in a beautiful baritone, echoing throughout the hall and evoking tears from the gathered. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Sing, oh voices of the fallen, let your hymns ring out across the void. Your melody echoes through the ages, and your voice carries on the winds of fate. Though your journey has ended, your memory lives on. May your souls find peace in the rivers of the Grand Symphony. Sing, oh, voices of the fallen. Sing, that your souls may rest.¡± The Choir picked up, repeating the words in Commonspiel and then Eterna, an ancient tongue used by the first Harmonizers. Soon, the crew sang along, hands, claws, or tentacles held together, linking everyone. Patriarch Tov also sang along, adding to the smooth harmony. Eventually, the Choir¡¯s voices trailed off as Volantesh and the other Harmonizers took a deep bow. Tov felt the weight of the loss and the hope in the song and allowed it to settle into his heart¡ªthe memory of the departed in his soul, at peace. The ceremony concluded with a moment of silence as the congregation paid their final respects to the fallen of Alpha Centauri. Then, slowly, the crew exited the temple. Some stayed longer, those on leave or an extended break from their duties. Tov stayed for a while before leaving himself. He thanked the Choir, spoke to Volantesh, and praised his voice. ¡°All for the Grand Symphony, Patriarch,¡± Volantesh spoke, carrying a solemn melody. ¡°Song be with you, Lead Harmonizer. I hope to see you in better times,¡± Tov replied before bowing his head in thanks. ¡°Song be with you as well, my lord.¡± Volantesh bowed in turn. Tov stepped out of the temple, the heavy doors closing behind him with a resounding thud. The journey through the winding corridors of the Nomadic Shepherd took him half an hour, his footsteps echoing against the metal floors as he ascended to a different level. Finally, he arrived at the grand entrance of his estate, a towering pair of opulent doors that stood as a barrier between him and the outside world. Unlocking the intricate mechanisms, Tov pushed the doors open and stepped into his sanctuary. The fleet had spared no expense in providing him with the highest level of accommodations and protection, placing his estate close to the center of the Nomadic Shepherd and ensconcing it within layers of impenetrable armor. A sense of relief washed over him as he crossed the threshold. Tranquility filled the air around his estate. It appeared as though a sprawling jungle had been transplanted inside the flagship, with towering trees approaching an artificial blue sky. But Tov knew the truth of the illusion¡ªa meticulously crafted projection by Kurskann artisans, bioengineers, and gardeners, designed to create an atmosphere of natural beauty. At the heart of this oasis stood the centerpiece of Tov¡¯s estate¡ªa structure inspired by Kurskann architecture, reminiscent of the twisting and colossal trees that once graced their lost homeworld. Though it appeared to be constructed from wood, the material was as resilient and defensible as the fortresses found throughout the Legacy. Tov inhaled the moist and almost natural air, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. He walked along a path of smooth, cobbled stones flanked by vibrant greenery as he made his way to the place he had called home since the expedition began. Entering his office, Tov found solace in its familiar embrace¡ªa space where he could work privately and find respite from the demands of his position. Before him was a wide window encompassing the entire wall. A massive terrarium he painstakingly tended to during his free time filled the space behind the glass. Verdant flora and fluttering butterflies and insects inhabited this miniature world while a soft, misty waterfall cascaded over the chiseled, mossy rocks. To his left was his desk, the wall behind filled with the cherished possessions that brought him joy¡ªhis family portraits and memorabilia from times long gone. Low shelves lined with hardcover books and glass cabinets filled with his collection of liquors salvaged from their journey occupied the rest of the walls. The light was somber, like the inside of a shimmering cave. Finally, a pristine music player sat proudly in the corner, ready to fill the air with harmonious melodies. He sent a small piece of data through his cybernetic implant toward his music player. As Tov sat on his leather armchair, he closed his eyes and let the music take over. His people found this human piece among the wreckage of Vinland¡ªa song titled ¡°Wind of Change¡± by a band calling themselves the Scorpions. The soft strumming of a guitar emerged from his music player, and after a few seconds, the first words came forth. Patriarch Tov listened to this piece of music sung in its native language. Soon, the mournful voice of the singer filled the room, and Tov felt the sadness seeping into his bones. He listened to the lyrics, each word heavy, reminding Tov of life¡¯s fragility, the pain that came with loss, and the hope that could be found in moving forward. He let himself sink deeper and immersed himself in the winds of music. I follow the Moskva Down to Gorky Park Listening to the wind of change An August summer night Soldiers passing by Listening to the wind of change The world is closing in And did you ever think That we could be so close, like brothers The future¡¯s in the air I can feel it everywhere Blowing with the wind of change Take me to the magic of the moment On a glory night Where the children of tomorrow dream away In the wind of change Tov sank deeper into his chair while listening to the human singer¡¯s melodic voice. As a race that grew from ambush-hunting insects, Tov¡¯s race surprised the other galaxy¡¯s denizens with how in tune they were with the emotions of others. Patriarch Tov waved his antennae about and tapped his claws on his armrest as he immersed himself in the vivid song. Despite not knowing the language, he knew the intent. Peace. Freedom. Hope. Inside the confines of his stateroom, Patriarch Tov couldn¡¯t help but let out a low whistle. Memories of the past flittered through his mind as he remembered flashes of his long life. Most of all, he deeply missed his starlight, Yoram, and his little comet, Uli. He spun his chair behind him to look at the wall, looking at the framed painting that took up the center spot¡ªa portrait of his bonded and hatchling. He grew silent, staring. He allowed his vision to dim, thinking back. ¡°It¡¯s been too long . . . Maybe . . . maybe I shouldn¡¯t have left.¡± He felt alone in this room, in this ship, so deep in the Dead Zone. His self slid deeper into imagery conjured by the song¡¯s choruses and verses that melded together. At one moment, he felt the collective sadness that permeated this region of space. But then, the heartache grew intense as his two hearts matched the song¡¯s beat. The song went on, and the patriarch continued to listen. He had never felt and empathized so profoundly with a piece apart from the hymns crafted by the church of the Eternal Choir. His claws gripped his armrests, and his antennae swung with the rhythm. Soon, sadly, it slowly faded, and the silence brought Tov out of his immersion. ¡°Beautiful,¡± he whispered. ¡°May you join the revered Choir on high and sing eternally.¡± He sighed, content as his attention looked at the pile of letters, most crumpled up and scattered haphazardly at the corner of his desk¡ªone sat clean before him, unfinished. The next moment, he grabbed a pen and began writing. While doing so, Tov pressed a finger against his temple. ¡°Include a data package of all the culture we harvested in the next dead drop.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± came the response. He buzzed, ending the short call. ¡°I wish we could have listened to this together.¡±
After a long nap, Tov awoke reinvigorated and euphoric after being cleansed of the emotions brought out by that human song. He mused that whoever wrote and played it must have been an incredible figure among the humans to produce such fine work. Still, as much as he wished to listen to more human music, duty swamped his life. And, as soon as he rose from his bed, he heard a mental chime through his cranial implant. My patriarch, we will reach Sol within the next twenty minutes. The familiar voice of Admiral Yan resounded in his mind, prompting the patriarch to hasten his morning routine. After ensuring his obsidian carapace was pristine, he devoured a light meal of nuts and fungus and quickly returned to the command bridge. As soon as he stepped onto the bridge, the command staff stood and saluted the highest authority of the fleet. ¡°At ease, everyone.¡± Patriarch Tov settled on his high seat as everyone sat back down and resumed their respective tasks. He subconsciously clicked his mandibles as an inkling of hyper-tunneling nausea crept in. Tov turned toward his second-in-command. ¡°Good day, Yan. Report.¡± Admiral Yan saluted before reading out what had happened during his slumber. A long list of boring logistics and numbers flew through his head as the fleet remained in contact with the higher dimensions, causing the patriarch to motion for the admiral to move along. ¡°The distribution of human arts has massively improved the morale of the fleet, my patriarch,¡± Yan hummed. ¡°Oh? Tell me more.¡± ¡°Well, the sheer amount in the databases we¡¯ve recovered from the human wreckage had plenty of material that suited everyone¡¯s taste,¡± Yan spoke as she brought up the data. ¡°I am enjoying a novel, Heart of Metal, by human author Alexander Evangelista.¡± ¡°Genre?¡± Tov inquired. ¡°Romance,¡± Yan muttered, low enough so the rest of the bridge remained unaware, before throwing a glare toward Tov. ¡°Don¡¯t even start.¡± ¡°I always knew you had a soft spot under that hard layer of chitin,¡± Tov chuckled, his antennae swaying back and forth. Yan sighed in defeat. Once Tov finished expressing his glee, he continued. ¡°That is wonderful news, Admiral. It may not be advanced relics or superweapons. Still, a fallen race¡¯s culture is more than worth the effort.¡± The patriarch¡¯s antennae waved about, pleased at the current events. ¡°This author, Evangelista. What caught your interest?¡± Admiral Yan buzzed as she interlocked her clawed hands in thought. ¡°The AI . . . Ramiel from the recording. I wished to research more of her kind and found this author. Alexander Evangelista emerged when these so-called synthetic humans were first made. He avidly supported their apparent sapience and wrote many works depicting cooperation between humans and machines.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Tov hummed. ¡°I may have to study his works myself.¡± Yan coughed into her fist. ¡°Just be careful, my patriarch. Some parts in the novel are a bit risqu¨¦.¡± Tov turned his head in curiosity at her remark, but a familiar sound echoed through the ship before he could ask for details. ¡°My lord, we are about to reemerge into real space,¡± an officer reported. The command bridge immediately grew serious, and the sailors took their respective places. Patriarch Tov sunk into his chair as the fleet prepared to exit the hyper-tunnel. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more about distributing human culture to our people, Yan,¡± Tov spoke as he settled into his seat. Admiral Yan bowed her head, refocusing on the multitude of monitors before her. ¡°Exiting in five, four, three . . .¡± Soon, the Third Fleet shimmered within the otherworldly dimension that surrounded them and slowly entered the Sol system. The fog obscured the fleet momentarily, the tunneler matrixes worked overtime, and the crew held their breaths. Then, finally, they returned to real space with a pop¡ªthe visual beauty of the tunnel fading into the black of the void. And immediately, the Nomadic Shepherd shook painfully as it collided with something massive. B1 Chapter 3 - Corpse Belts .oOo. ¡°Stars! What was that!?¡± Patriarch Tov cursed as massive vibrations shook his flagship. The bridge went into overdrive; specialists peered into their readings as energy diverted to the Nomadic Shepherd¡¯s capital-class sensors. The chief sensors officer processed the incoming information within milliseconds, and his reptilian face blanched. He swiveled his chair toward the fleet master and urgently reported his findings. ¡°Starless Scourge ship, Patriarch! Tonnage calculated. By Sym! It¡¯s a Juggernaut!¡± Hardwired instincts surged through the crew as the Juggernaut loomed within striking distance. Any ordinary being faced with such a menacing presence would have succumbed to convulsions or found themselves uttering funeral hymns, but life had forged the crew of the Third Fleet into a hardy breed. The Zolann¡¯tono, or the Nomadic Shepherd in the common tongue, was classified as a frontier capital industrial ship, but its build belied its peaceful designation. It bristled with an arsenal of formidable armaments, ready to unleash its deadly power at a moment¡¯s notice. Within its colossal hull resided a force to be reckoned with¡ªtens of thousands of seasoned sailors and battle-hardened experts who had honed their skills through countless campaigns and the Cataclysm. In the blink of an eye, Admiral Yan decisively spewed order after order, and the crew responded with peak efficiency. ¡°Maximize repulsion shields! I want a bubble around this ship now!¡± Yan directed the shield operators. ¡°Get me a status report on the rest of the fleet!¡± she commanded a comms officer. ¡°Full power to our laser point defenses and positron emitters; I want a close-quarters kill zone immediately! It hit our bow. Give it a taste of our asteroid crushers!¡± Yan clicked her mandibles menacingly, eager for a fight. Tov watched with intense focus as his ship¡¯s most striking feature, a set of colossal pincers stretching over a kilometer long, moved. The head of the Zolann¡¯tono¡¯s mighty asteroid crushers, embodying the ship¡¯s purpose to pulverize and extract resources from celestial bodies with unmatched precision and efficiency, roared to life. ¡°Let¡¯s see how it likes this.¡± Admiral Yan let out a buzzing growl as she prepared to give the signal. The ship slowly turned its head toward the offending mass that had collided with the vessel. The mighty pincers opened wider and wider while its large armaments pelted the fat to its front. Positron emitters scoured deep into the thick, fat mass that could rival cruiser plating as smaller lasers softened the flesh. Soon, the asteroid crushers reached their maximum angle. ¡°Bite!¡± Like a mighty spring, the pincers clamped down with intense speed. With their full weight behind it, the pincers quickly cleaved through the Juggernaut¡¯s exterior and gorged great swathes of meat. Viscera flung through space as the mining tool meant to crack open asteroids for their rich insides caused immense damage to the gigantic beast. The crew cheered at the great wound they had inflicted while their weapons continued to batter the creature; all the while, the ever-growing repulsion shield pushed the beast farther from the Nomadic Shepherd. Patriarch Tov watched with a fierce gaze. The Juggernaut had suffered a critical hit, but he found something odd. Usually, his danger senses and acute intuition would flare, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel the absence of any true threat. He noticed he wasn¡¯t the only one to feel this way, as more of his senior officers felt the same. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. Juggernauts should be thrashing at our shield about now and launching their bioweapons,¡± he muttered loud enough for his staff to hear. The command bridge scoured their sensors and readings in confusion. ¡°Admiral? What¡¯s going on?¡± Tov questioned hurriedly. Admiral Yan paused briefly before turning to face Patriarch Tov, speaking with a tinge of relief and confusion. ¡°It¡¯s . . . dead, my lord.¡± ¡°You mean we killed it?¡± Tov asked in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe they felled a massive two-kilometer beast so quickly, even with the asteroid crushers potentially tearing its internal organs. That only meant¡ª ¡°No, my patriarch.¡± Yan paused as she focused on the reports she had just received. ¡°The Juggernaut was dead already. We seem to have collided with a carcass.¡± The command bridge felt relieved but did not lower their guard. Starless held nasty surprises, even in death. Patriarch Tov waved his antennae as he requested a complete report. ¡°What¡¯s the status of the fleet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good, my patriarch,¡± Yan spoke with a tinge of frustration. ¡°While most of our ships have come out of the hyper-tunnel unscathed, a few have suffered similar collisions. We managed just fine simply due to the sheer size and armor of the Nomadic Shepherd, but the rest weren¡¯t as fortunate.¡± Patriarch Tov clicked his mandibles in frustration. ¡°Symphony above, who did we lose?¡± ¡°The largest was the Abundance, a storage ship from the Iexian League. With the speed it came out, it rammed straight into a Colossus-class Scourge ship. The collision crushed her and caused her reactor to implode,¡± she reported. Patriarch Tov¡¯s chest tightened. The loss of his people tore at his chest, but losing a valuable logistics ship with all hands cut deep. ¡°Who else?¡± Yan continued, her voice tight. ¡°Two frigates, the Red Claw and the Blade of Triumph. The former sustained heavy damage while the latter was lost. Moderate damage to the destroyer, Pain of the Devoured. Light damages to other vessels. We¡¯re already dispatching rescue teams.¡± Patriarch Tov skimmed the report and became increasingly angry. Soon, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Can someone tell me why I lost ships to corpses!? We were supposed to enter the system in an open space!¡± The chief navigator stood from her seat and bowed, deeply regretful. ¡°My lord, what you say is true. We used data from the human wreckage to plot a safe and stable point of entry, far from any celestial body. We should have arrived without risk, but . . . my lord, this is my fault. I take full responsibility!¡± The patriarch¡¯s eyes pierced the officer as he deliberated in his mind. Before long, Tov let out a heavy sigh and made his decision. ¡°We were dealing with information outdated by a century, and the fleet should have taken that more seriously. This isn¡¯t the first time we lost ships because of this, but it is the worst so far,¡± Tov sighed as he gazed at the officer. ¡°You are suspended from duty until I make a proper decision, Chief Navigator Oleks. Guards, escort her back to her stateroom.¡± As two of the patriarch¡¯s elite guards gently escorted the officer out of the bridge, Tov turned again toward Admiral Yan. ¡°Now, have we found out why this happened?¡± ¡°Our fleet has assembled and has collected the findings our sensors took. It¡¯s . . . unbelievable, look,¡± Yan spoke in a hushed voice. With the flick of her hand, a monitor was displayed for all to see. ¡°Are those asteroid belts?¡± Tov asked as he looked at the display. ¡°I¡¯ve already studied the map of the Sol system we recovered. There¡¯s only supposed to be two major belts, one between the fourth and fifth planets, and the outer belt beyond the eighth. So even if it has been a century, I don¡¯t understand how there are five more?¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The monitor projected the entire solar system in a three-dimensional display. Tov saw a single yellow sun, with eight planets and their respective moons shining bright. And yet some phenomena blocked out any further detail, obscuring most of the system in a cloud of mystery. However, Tov did see the blobs of red dots forming rings around Sol. ¡°Look.¡± Yan pointed. Patriarch Tov motioned his clawed fingers to zoom in on one of the new belts that seemed to have appeared in the system. But when he did, his mind went blank. ¡°Are those . . . Are all of these . . . ?¡± ¡°Starless Horrors,¡± Yan whispered. ¡°What!?¡± The entire fleet recoiled in shock at the true nature of these belts. The innumerable dots of red combined like clouds, mainly beyond the gas giant, Jupiter¡ªall Scourge ships of the Starless Horrors and whatever monsters they carried. The display focused on the blobs nearest the fleet, showcasing dots of varied sizes as detailed scans came through. Millions. Hundreds of millions, even. ¡°This amount . . . How is this possible?¡± Tov muttered. Memories of similar sights flashed through his mind¡ªimages of when they passed through the homeworlds of fallen empires. Last stands occurred in such places, and mighty fleets went out in glory. But the sheer scale of this ruined battlefield left the Third Fleet gawking. ¡°How many?¡± Upon being responded to with silence, Patriarch Tov loudly commanded, ¡°You can gawk later. Answers, now!¡± ¡°Apologies, my lord! Billions of them, at the least, and rising. A quarter are biovessels, and at least a tenth of those are in the Colossus class: Juggernauts, even a Dominator!¡± a scanning officer reported urgently. The latter sent shivers down the spines of the command staff; even legends such as Patriarch Tov and Admiral Yan clutched their clawed hands tighter in anger. Tov looked at the blurry image of the Dominator¡ªa sadistic amalgamation of flesh and abyssal materials. Malevolent mutations filled and covered its dense form, similar to its larger Juggernaut kin. Tov wondered what the beast had consumed to mutate into such a vile thing. He shivered at the memories of a Dominator emitting an insidious signal across vast distances to infect the minds of any sapient with mayhem and chaos. A single Dominator could take on an entire armada simply by turning the crew against one another while the rest of the Starless Horrors gorged on any survivors. ¡°To have felled a Dominator, a feat only myths could do,¡± Tov uttered in awe. When the counterattack began a century ago, the surviving races dealt with Dominators in two ways¡ªeither a swarm of missiles that could scorch a planet or legions of drone strike craft. Both required immense resources that could have been used on other targets. The discovery of this system astounded the Third Fleet, and Tov immediately barked orders to his subordinates. ¡°Enough, prioritize our safety, back to your duties¡ª¡± ¡°My lord! New scans, much deeper into the system. The findings are blurry, and we can¡¯t make out any detail except the estimated size. It¡¯s . . .¡± The officer looked increasingly pale. ¡°Focus, sailor. Focus on your duty.¡± Patriarch Tov spoke low and calmly to ease the officer. The officer took a deep breath before facing Tov and Admiral Yan. ¡°Leviathan-class.¡± The silence within the bridge could have been broken by the drop of a pin as the officer continued. ¡°It¡¯s too large to be a Juggernaut. I thought it was a myth, but . . .¡± Unlike the Dominators, none of the crew had ever seen or even heard proof of Leviathans. They did not shiver, but the air filled with tension, akin to hearing the monsters from their childhoods, were real. Some of the younger staff thought that way of Leviathans. Patriarch Tov raised his hand, motioning for the attention of the bridge. He paused as he thought about what to say. ¡°Some of you may have heard stories during the Cataclysm and after. Of civilization-killers, abominations that could each contend with a superpower nation by itself. Everything was murky when the old Galactic Network failed, but we¡¯ve heard of the infamous Noa Khanate going dark from the wider galaxy.¡± Admiral Yan looked grave as she continued. ¡°We have always thought they were lost to swarms led by a group of Dominators or a large pod of Juggernauts. It was the most rational explanation.¡± Scholar Yulane, the representative of the One Mind Initiative, floated forward, waving tentacles in agreement. ¡°Indeed. The concept of a Leviathan was but a theory. Said to exceed the largest Juggernaut ever recorded during the Cataclysm. And yet, if what the readings say is true¡ª¡± ¡°They are, my esteemed scholar,¡± the scanning officer replied calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve run the extreme-range scans multiple times. Unless it¡¯s multiple Juggernauts crammed together, it could only be a Leviathan. We won¡¯t know for certain unless we send probes sunward. The sheer amount of debris is disrupting our scans.¡± ¡°Then we will do so. But we will do it right. Send orders to begin refitting our scouting drones.¡± Patriarch Tov stood up with an aura of authority and confidence as he waved his hand. ¡°We will do this by the books, sailors.¡± ¡°Protocol Umbra, my patriarch?¡± Admiral Yan asked. ¡°Do it. Put everyone on Level Umbra combat readiness,¡± Tov ordered as he sat on his command throne, his mind rushing through a constant feed of data and new findings of their environment. ¡°By your will, Patriarch,¡± Admiral Yan replied as she multitasked, speaking with Captain Kraw and the other captains of the Third Fleet. Her voice sounded out, leaving no room for doubt. ¡°This may be a graveyard on a scale beyond reason, but even carcasses can spell doom to our fleet. I want a safe zone established immediately. Begin Defensive Formation Kratus! I want point-defense destroyers at their positions as quickly as possible,¡± she barked at the shared comms of the fleet¡¯s captains. ¡°Make sure to look for voidling leeches. Our vessel just came out of a carcass; there are undoubtedly a few stuck to our hull,¡± Tov ordered. Though individually of little threat, these leeches came in countless numbers, subsisting on the internal organs of much larger biovessels. ¡°Get away from any corpse; I want scorching plasma cleansing the immediate vicinity! As for our hull, leave nothing unpurged.¡± Admiral Yan continued to issue commands. The fleet moved carefully toward the nearest celestial body by contracting into a sphere with the Nomadic Shepherd and other logistical ships in the center. A veritable fortress of guns pointed outward, ready to annihilate anything that moved. They slipped past the massive corpses of Starless Horrors. Tov observed the Scourge ships of varying classification and size¡ªhe recognized many of these space-capable biovessels from the fleet¡¯s bestiary, but others remained an ominous mystery. Derelicts of warships, space stations, and other debris floated alongside the corpses, most definitely belonging to the humans of Sol. Jagged scars violently marked their cold hulls, evidence of brutal battles upon these obelisks of dead metal. Tov had felt only pity when they sailed past the small graveyard in Alpha Centauri. But to be guts-deep among so much death dragged out an uneasy dread from his soul. ¡°Approaching the moon, Titan, orbiting Saturn, from the information we have, my lord,¡± an officer reported. ¡°Good, initiate deep scans for Malignant Starfall. I do not doubt that apocalyptic plague is in this system. Therefore, have everyone in biohazard suits, while anyone exiting their vessels is to wear containment frames,¡± Patriarch Tov told Admiral Yan. ¡°Yes, Patriarch. General Ohnar, our medical department, and the Eternal Choir have already been contacted. So we won¡¯t have an outbreak in our fleet,¡± she replied. The patriarch waved his antennae in acknowledgment before gazing at the approaching moon. ¡°Set up our base of operations here, Admiral; it seems we will be in this system for an extended period. Call for a meeting with my ministers. We may need to set up a Starlight Beacon.¡± ¡°By your will, Patriarch.¡± As the fleet slowed its approach, Patriarch Tov continued to look over the running scans of the system. The number of Scourge ships continued to grow as the range of their sensors caught more in its radius. ¡°Unbelievable. Even the homeworld of the Dagatar Supremacy couldn¡¯t have reached this kill count,¡± Tov muttered in disbelief. He knew that premium resources enriched that civilization of military isolationists, which used to be located at the galaxy¡¯s center, where such materials and ores filled worlds and gas giants. The First Expeditionary Fleet was led by Crown Princess Anaria of the Dagatars, who used her massive influence to lead the fleet herself and head straight to her lost homeworld. By his estimates, Anaria and the First Fleet should have reached Dagataris Prime a year and a half ago and begun reclamation operations. ¡°She won¡¯t accept being crowned as the next Supreme until her homeworld is restored,¡± Tov muttered. The patriarch moved his thoughts back to the task at hand. After a minute, Captain Kraw and Admiral Yan finally brought forward detailed findings of the human warships compiled by the officers. ¡°My lord, a number of the wreckages among the corpses, which we are assured are of human make, have been scanned. All are adrift and unpowered. They show no signs of life so far,¡± Admiral Yan reported. Patriarch Tov listened to his admiral as he scrolled through the reports. ¡°We¡¯re receiving constant updates, my patriarch. Once we settle in orbit around Titan, we can do deeper scans and send out scouting frigates.¡± Yan motioned for Captain Kraw. ¡°The Zolann¡¯tono has suffered only surface scratches. Nothing but a quick buff to the hull and she¡¯ll be in optimal condition to transform into a station,¡± the Iexian reported in accented Commonspiel. Patriarch Tov nodded before turning to his admiral and captain. ¡°We need more details; send in our scout ships to get detailed scans of these vessels. Let¡¯s find out how this race managed to slay demons. Afterward, send someone to retrieve our dead. I will not leave them to freeze among these corpses.¡± . . . . . . . . . . . . S-s-s-s . . . S-s-s-sol Defense Network alerted . . . 237137..00/219#!!3003 . . . Intrusion . . . d-d-d-detected . . . !! entering our h0me . . . Home . . . More abominations? Kill . . . KILL! #*&//=! Negative . . . Analyzing . . . Unknown vessels detected . . . Referencing bestiary . . . No match . . . Confused . . . Unknown fleet . . . Not organic . . . Varied tonnage . . . Unknown . . . Threat? Negligible . . . Can¡¯t risk . . . Must protect . . . Kill . . . Destroy . . . Annihilate . . . STOP . . . Unknown variables . . . Need data . . . Initiating Custodian Protocol Zeta-2 . . . Waking Main Consciousness . . . Omni Mind exiting hibernation . . . Stabilizing psyche . . . Contacting Sub AIs . . . BOOK TWO STUBBING ANNOUNCEMENT APRIL 24 Hey guys! The e-book, Audiobook, and printed copy will be available on the 23rd of May! Pre-orders should be available before then, and I''ll be sure to announce when that is available. If you want more updates, you can find me on my Patreon or Twitter under Scholar_Girogi and GirogiArts, respectively. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The same deal: Book 2 will be stubbed next week. I''ll set up the link for the preorder once it''s ready. Thanks again for supporting me all this time! Please leave a review on Amazon and GoodReads! I love you all! Index Starless Horrors Starless Horrors: The Starless are a mysterious, genocidal, and eldritch race of biological abominations. Responsible for the Cataclysm and driving out the people of the galaxy from what is now known as the Dead Zone, disappeared twenty-seven years after they first appeared. They are ever-mutating monsters, forming counters to any opposition. Scourge Ships: Starless Horrors capable of space flight. They are subdivided into size classes: Fodders, Hunters, Marauders, Titans, Colossi, and Leviathans. They also specialize in four roles: Commander, Brawler, Siege, and Psionic. Anything else is categorized as Miscellaneous or Utility. Note that this is only a generalization. The nature of Starless is incredibly malleable and prone to mutation. Fodder-class: As the classification says, these are the uncountable peons of the Starless. They saturate space battles with their numbers and are there to soak up attacks or be a constant unending annoyance. This class can be compared to starfighters to corvettes. Hunter-class: Slightly larger and more heavily armed than the Fodder, Hunters are designed to scout, seek out, and engage enemy vessels in direct combat. They are equipped with advanced sensors and tracking systems that allow them to hunt down and pursue their targets relentlessly. Their size and tonnage can range from a few hundred to several thousand. This class can be compared to frigates. Marauder-class: The typical space-capable grunts of the Starless. These are larger and more heavily armed than the Hunters, designed to break through enemy lines and engage in close-quarters combat. They are heavily armored and equipped with powerful organic weapons capable of destroying even heavily fortified targets. Their size and tonnage can range from several thousand to tens of thousands. This class can be compared to destroyers Titan-class: These are massive creatures capable of engaging an entire fleet. Their mutations are premium and bred solely to brutalize the enemy or to command their lesser kin. Examples include Low Abyssals, Ravagers, and World Seeders. Typically, they weigh between the tens and hundreds of thousands. This class can be compared to cruisers. Colossi-class: Colossi are even bigger than Titans, weighing hundreds of thousands or more. They are essentially mobile organic space stations, capable of commanding entire armies of Starless Horror ground troops and serving as command centers for the fleet. Colossi ships are varied and unique existences. They are the hive minds, the generals of entire legions of Starless. Examples include High Abyssals, Juggernauts, and Dominators. This class can be compared to battleships. Leviathan-class: A single superorganism that outclasses and outweighs any Scourge ship observed by the Galactic Legacy Federation. A myth of terror said to be capable of destroying an entire superpower civilization by itself. There have been no known records or proof of a Leviathan. In theory, Leviathans are the largest and most potent of the Starless Horrors. They are essentially living weapons of mass destruction, capable of destroying entire planets and wiping out entire civilizations. Leviathan ships have a tonnage of several million and are armed with various devastating weapons. They are also equipped with robust defensive measures and extreme regeneration. They are horror incarnate, unfathomable, eldritch things. This class can be compared to dreadnoughts. Commander-type: These act as a hive-mind for raids or incursions. Intelligent and capable of basic strategy and tactics, though the degree is mainly based on the creature''s size. A Marauder class can typically command a small group of hunters. At the same time, Colossi-class can direct entire campaigns across multiple star systems¡ªsuch creatures can utilize the Dead Zone Miasma as a means of communication. Brawler-type: Typically have extreme regeneration, highly lethal close-quarter capabilities, and surprising mobility. Siege-type: Scoure-ships that fight in medium to extreme ranges. Employs a variety of organic weaponry of all types: kinetic, energy, missiles, etc. Psionic-type: An esoteric and rare type of Starless Horror that typically uses mental attacks to flood the minds of living beings with oppressive and terrible thoughts. It is also capable of stunning people''s minds or employing mind control. Usually seen in Colossi-class Scourge Ships. Miscellaneous: Anything from support biovessels, mobile hive nests, and superorganisms that infect entire planets to convert into breeding worlds. Nightmare Portals: Eldritch rifts in space that tear a hole into reality and bridge our dimension and whatever home the Starless originate from. Races/Species/Civilizations Kurskann: An insectoid slave race that the old Kurskann Empire oppressed. When the Cataclysm came, they overthrew their tyrants and took their empire for themselves, rebranding it as the Reborn Kurskann Empire. The empire is made of many powerful clans led by Patriarchs or Matriarchs, with the Royal Clan being the first among equals. Their naming system follows Given/Birth Name + Clan Name + Family Name. For example, Tov Garesh''Ynt, the Patriarch of Clan Garesh, was born to the Ynt Family. They evolved from ambush insectoids on a marshy planet. They have wasp-like qualities, and their wings are primarily decorative. They have four arms and stand at 5''9" on average. Both males and females have fluffy collars around their necks, similar to moths, with the males having larger fluffs and sometimes coming with stripes. Despite their menacing appearance, they have a slight psionic ability to read emotions and intent. Because of this, they are regarded as effective therapists. Jotex: A highly psionic race of large floating jellyfish. Their abilities, by default, include levitation and voice projection. They are resistant to mental attacks and intrusions. On average, the Jotex are incredibly intelligent and tend to move towards academic paths. Their colorful bodies also display what emotions they are currently having. Many Jotex are socially awkward and introverted but highly passionate in their field. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Iexian: An avian race with a wide range of vocals. The Eternal Choir consists primarily of Iexians due to their incredible singing ability and ease of incorporating psionics into their voices, making them more powerful and capable of shielding those who hear them from mental intrusions. Onin: A large and broad race of amphibians. Burly beings are highly sought-after military personnel, security contractors, or mercenaries. Human/Homo sapiens: They''re humans. Android/Homo synthetica: A race of sapient machines created by a single human genius and accelerated scientific, cultural, and political progress. Through them, humanity ushered in a golden age. Legally classified as part of the human race, scientifically coined as Homo Synthetica. United Nations of Sol: The governing body of humans and androids, encompassing the entire Sol System, its nations, and colonies. It was at the cusp of setting up a new colony on Alpha Centauri when the Starless came. Referential Wider Galaxy Cataclysm: A galaxy-wide event that lasted for twenty-two years. A period of nightmares and death, where the Starless Horrors ravaged the galaxy and genocided trillions of people and ruined hundreds of civilisations. Exodus: An event during the last quarter of the Cataclysm and the lowest point of the galaxy. Countless people uprooted themselves from their homes in a rush to the other side, away from the Starless Horror advance. As a result, nearly two-thirds of the galaxy was left abandoned and would eventually be quarantined, called the Dead Zone. Dead Zone: A region that encompasses two-thirds of the Galaxy (Milky Way) that has been abandoned during the Exodus. It has remained abandoned for a century and is a source of many horror stories, lost civilizations, ancient and powerful technology, ruined worlds, pockets of Starless, and cabals of cults and pirates. No form of electronic or quantum-based communication system is possible due to the phenomenon known as the Dead Zone Miasma. Dead Zone Miasma: The Dead Zone Miasma is an unseen fog that covers the Dead Zone. It prevents all forms of electronic communication and makes hyper-tunneling much more difficult. Grand Expedition: The Grand Expedition is a galaxy-wide event where hundreds of Expeditionary Fleets lead the first wave of explorers into the Dead Zone. It is a declaration of a new age where the galaxy''s people can retake their legacy. The Galactic Legacy Federation and other neutral organizations sponsor these fleets. Expeditionary Fleet: An Expeditionary Fleet is one of a hundred fleets leading the first wave of the Grand Expedition. The sailors and officers are composed of heroes, war veterans, the best scientific minds, engineers, doctors, philosophers, and others. They are tasked with exploring potentially dangerous and crucial locations. They are also responsible for deploying dead drops of information to be picked up by the second wave. Galactic Legacy Federation: The current leading organization of the wider galaxy. It was established after the Cataclysm and is made up of the surviving civilizations and nations. The ruling body is known as the Remnant Council. Remnant Council: Composed of the leaders of the many star nations of the galaxy. They are referred to as Chancellors. Some seats remain empty in honor of the civilizations lost during the Cataclysm. The Three Seats: An unofficial title for the chancellors and leaders of the three main superpowers. Prime Unrex Mora Keiladal of the Dagatar Supremacy. Mighty Bors, Lord Marshal of the Warrior Enclave. And Stellar Emperor Jarinn Taz''Arel I of the Reborn Kurskann Empire and the Greater Kurskann Hegemony. Galactic Accord: The old galactic organization before the Cataclysm. Rife with old rivalries and unmoving bureaucracy that ultimately became a major factor in the significant deaths during the Cataclysm. Eternal Choir: The Eternal Choir is a galactic-wide religion that preaches the harmony of the universe, led by the High Cantor and his loyal Harmonisers and Lead Harmonisers. Their teachings revolve around the Grand Symphony, the celestial melody that binds all cosmic life. They believe that upon death, the souls of the departed return to the great rivers of songs and are reborn anew. The Choir played a crucial role in the Exodus, guiding the people of the old Galactic Accord to safety amidst the chaos of the Dead Zone. The clergy of the Eternal Choir are known to be psionic, using their voices to heal the soul and protect against mental intrusion. One Mind Initiative: The One Mind Initiative is an ambitious undertaking, a league of some of the most brilliant minds of the galactic community. They have made it their mission to bridge the gap between the technology and knowledge lost during the Cataclysm and the modern era. With the advent of the Grand Expedition, they scour ancient ruins and study old records to uncover any forgotten secrets that could be the key to unlocking innovations. The Initiative comprises scholars, archaeologists, scientists, philosophers, and anyone passionate about pursuing knowledge. Their ultimate goal is to restore the galaxy to its former glory and push it beyond the limits of what is currently possible. Sol Omni Mind: The official title of the Eldest when the androids of Humanity converged and formed the gestalt digital consciousness that she is. Sol Defence Network: The name for the entirety of the automated defences of Humanity''s home. The Omni Mind controls it using the Central Nexus. Further tasks are delegated to Sub AIs if the situation isn''t critical. Central Nexus: Theprimaryn CPU/Brain of the Eldest, capable of controlling the entirety of the Sol Defence Network with perfect efficiency. Sub AIs/AI Overseer: Fragments of the Eldest. They embodied specific personality traits and were made solely to prevent insanity due to isolation. Luna is logical, surgical, and efficient. Jupiter is bold, rebellious, and defiant. Mars is courageous, jovial, and warlike. Venus is compassionate, warm, and nostalgic. Mercury is perseverance and weariness. Inner Zone: Everything from Jupiter to the solar system''s center. Outer Zone: Everything from Jupiter to the perimeter of Sol. Sunward: To go toward the Sun or the closest star if there are multiple. Raid: A small raid by the Starless to keep constant pressure on the Sol Defence Network. Usually led by Titans and dealt with by one or two AI Overseers. Minor Incursion: A medium-sized invasion force usually led by Colossi. Major Incursion: A large invasion force. Usually led by Leviathans. Demands the full capabilities of the Eldest. Illustrations and Sketches = = = Eldest, Sketches = = = = = = Tov, Character Illustration = = = = = = AIs of Sol, Sketches = = = This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it = = = Zolann''tono, Nomadic Shepherd Diagram, (originally called Daar Astanir) = = = = = = First Contact Summit, Painting (Eldest was originally transparent white, but I changed it in the story so that her avatar is crisp and colorful) = = = = = = Book Cover = = = B2 Chapter 1 - Bridge Betwixt and the Mind Beyond Tov lost himself in a strange ocean. He teetered on the edge of consciousness, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Soon, his eyes opened to an endless expanse lit up by dazzling nebulae¡ªribbons of light shined throughout. Some were no thicker than silken threads behind thick layers of cloud. Others, those closest to Tov, roared like prismatic rivers. ¡°Where?¡± Tov muttered in a whisper, his voice ethereal. Confusion filled him as he looked down at himself, an avatar of wispy smoke resembling his physical appearance. His mind sharpened bit by bit, and his ghostly form took shape, willing it stable and dense. Tov tore his focus from his sense of self. His impetuous curiosity sent him on a direct path to the nearest of the shining streams. As he approached it, he observed its qualities and made an educated guess. ¡°Neurons?¡± Tov pondered in awe, perhaps a simplification of something familiar yet simultaneously uncanny. But his wonder quelled the latter feeling. He orbited around this lake of thought. He whispered, voice carrying off into the distance. ¡°So this is my mind?¡± Tov immersed himself in its beauty for a moment. He looked back at the glowing ribbons. One of his four hands hovered over one of them before gently touching it. An explosion of senses pushed to the forefront of his attention, clear images of simple things he did before undertaking this operation, in all its vivid detail. The flavor of human liquor tingled his tongue, as did the feel of cold glass in his hand and the smell of sterile air within the Luna Complex. He saw the sea of doctors, psychologists, and that ominous machine hanging above that connected to two pods. He heard the chatter of his people, but his conversations with Overseer Jupiter cut through the noise, his concern palpable. ¡°Last chance to back out. Your people have an army of therapists that can take your place...¡± More voices rushed to his ears, which he deemed of utmost import, came one after another. ¡°There are sections we call Amygdalas, concentrations of trauma and nightmares within her digital mind¡­¡± ¡°You will be directly interfacing with an intelligence unfathomable to you. Suffice it to say any mistake is lethal¡­¡± Chief Scholar Yulane and Overseer Luna had warned him; a chill ran down his spine at the severity of his situation. And yet he had to be the one to do this, much to everyone¡¯s protests, but he got his way. ¡°No, it has to be me. She won¡¯t respond to strangers, even if I am to be disguised while doing this.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re really going through this¡­¡± ¡°I am.¡± Tov huffed. He had sounded confident then, presenting the stoic Patriarch of a prominent clan, the resilient leader of the Third Expeditionary Fleet everyone expected. But underneath that fa?ade, and now within the depths of his inner self, anxiety clawed at him. ¡°Tov¡­¡± There it was, her voice. By the Symphony, her voice¡ªleaking with debilitating hurt that reopened scarred wounds Tov thought long buried. ¡°I remembered something¡­ My name ¡­ the one my Rikard gave me. I never told it to you¡­¡± ¡°Andora,¡± Tov answered the voice in his memory. The name of a being whom he had known simply as the Eldest for the brief period he knew her. He chuckled. ¡°Has it been only a few weeks?¡± Tov mused, shoulders sagging. The stupor that affected him washed away as he remembered his mission, one that could determine the survival of everything he held dear. Tov shook his head as a grave air formed around him. He descended quicker, his goal clear. ¡°Onwards, Tov,¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°You¡¯re not here to play tourist.¡± Before that, however, a vast bubble encapsulated the entirety of this expanse, like an ozone layer containing every bit of himself, a bulwark that shielded him from the machinations of the Starless Horrors and psionic assaults. He looked at its pristine, rigid defense work, ready to repel any insidious eldritch attack. Extra measures never hurt, Tov thought. Tov fell further as he phased through layers of mental constructs, past the shallows, the depths, and everything in between. He went deeper, finding long-term memories from days, months, years, and decades past. His fight with Andora, the start of the Expedition, the worst days of the Cataclysm, his people¡¯s rebellion against their former masters, his mother¡¯s last words¡ªmuch of it a blur the farther along. ¡°Now I¡¯m nothing but a glorified hospice nurse!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t! You can¡¯t leave. What of our Uli, what of our clan, me? You can¡¯t leave¡­ Please, Tov¡­¡± ¡°I need your skills, old friend. Our rivals are eyeing us like ravenous beasts. Our people need you at the forefront, and the Third Fleet needs her shepherd.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the last of the refugees! Captain Yan, get us out of here! Spring our surprise!¡± ¡°Freedom, my kin! Take it back from the masters! Break the chains! Liberty or death! ONWARDS!¡± ¡°Oh, my little star, my only child¡­ Live¡­ and be virtuous.¡± A few moments remained crystal clear only through the efforts of the biomechanical implant grafted into his brain¡ªhis brightest moments, times of peace and happiness, interspersed with horror and terror. He glanced at the technological marvel. It looked strange from the perspective of his thoughts. Artificial, like finding geometric circuitry floating among the clouds. Pulsing passively, a tiny supercomputer hiding enormous analytical and processing power, ready to be used at any moment. He pulled his attention from it, as wondrous as it was in his mentalscape. But as he dove deeper into his subconscious, he found alien and familiar aspects. A learned scholar and natural psionic like Yulane or a master of the arts like Harmonizer Volantesh could name every aspect of his mind, what they did, how it affected his entire being, and how to use them to fuel their esoteric abilities. Mind reading, telepathy, levitation, telekinesis, and most importantly, defense against the eldritch whispers and manipulation. For Tov, he could ¡®taste¡¯ his mystical connection with the universe, the Grand Symphony, as the Eternal Choir called it. He breathed it all in as he floated amidst the layers. An ethereal thread, the touch of a higher dimension. His ability to sense intent and emotion from others is tangible before his gaze, a lesser form of mind reading but not as intrusive. He surmised those more potent in its arts would find their minds saturated with psionic might. It mattered little to him. Tov went further into the deep, feeling the rifts of past traumas that scabbed over time, the currents of thought, the images of memories. He felt it. The flame that burned deep inside him and all living things. This all-encompassing thing looked so tiny, yet it felt beyond the matter that composed him. Tov¡¯s senses barely saw its fleeting passage, so intimate to who he is, and then it disappeared, but he felt its presence still. Few witnessed such a sight directly, a brief glimpse of his soul¡ªthis endeavor becoming more than worth the troubles and dire warnings. Nevertheless, with great reluctance to go after and gaze upon his flame, he dragged himself outwards, rising higher, soaring past the layers he visited. As he left the layer that contained his most recent memories, he reached the bubble shield he erected to protect him and the boundary that separated his mind and the outside. He gazed outward, seeing blackness that contrasted with the kaleidoscope of color behind him, a void that sent chilled him more than crippling loneliness. ¡°Where are you?¡± Tov concentrated on his senses, feeling for anything out of the ordinary. There, he felt a pull, like being taken by a river that flowed farther from his innermost sanctuary and essence¡ªgoing to somewhere¡­ other. ¡°Ah, there. This looks close enough to a bridge as any,¡± he muttered, antennae twitching in suspicion, ¡°Unless it isn¡¯t just me and the Eldest here.¡± He shuddered, finding his situation increasingly uncomfortable. He ¡®looked around¡¯ before centering his thoughts and will. ¡°I¡¯m always one for introspection, but this is too much,¡± Tov whispered with a faint click of his mandibles. He concentrated, cautiously approaching the tunnel that connected him and Eldest¡ªAndora, he corrected himself. ¡°How do humans say it? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?¡± he took a deep breath, phasing through the barrier that protected his mindscape, and immediately, he felt vulnerable. As Tov crossed the bridge, the thrum of power pulsed like a heartbeat, pulling him in like the gravity of a supergiant sun. His form shuddered step by step, echoing throughout the empty expanse betwixt two beings. Tov groaned, the sensation uncomfortable at best, ¡°So this is what she meant.¡± He recalled Luna¡¯s words, something spoken to him days before the operation, the memory as clear as the day.
He and Eldest¡¯s second-in-command and the first of her fragments, Luna, stood behind blast-proof plasteel glass windows, watching millions of nanomachines constructing the operation room, the two medical slabs, and the enigmatic spherical device that hung above. She cleaned her circular glasses and multitasked with innumerable duties in front of Tov and unseen. Her short gray hair was as perfect as her monochrome dress, and her glowing white eyes unfocused as she worked overtime with her swarm of little machines. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The silver Sub AI spoke politely and respectfully, ¡°The Digital Neural Bond has been a staple piece of technology that enabled synergy between human and android brains. The former benefits from the sheer processing power of the latter, while the latter benefits from ingrained intuition and superior creativity. Humanity used this symbiotic relationship when creating war machines like mechs during the war against the Starless before the Malignant Starfall wiped them out.¡± ¡°So, this machine enables two different minds to connect, then? Bridging the organic with the synthetic?¡± Tov mused as he tapped his mandible, ¡°Not unlike our cranial implants, though I don¡¯t think we¡¯d go so far as to put sentient AI in our heads even if we had them.¡± Luna gave a small laugh, hidden beneath the embroidered handkerchief she covered her mouth with. ¡°That would be overkill. Humanity had similar devices, as small as what you aliens use, that are more than capable of such connections with their android companions. They also had thicker and more intimate bridging implants. This, however,¡± Luna raised her palm at the vast machine overhead, and it pulsed with energy and light, ¡°Is primarily for your protection.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Tov asked. With a wave of her hand, Luna brought up multiple monitors and schematics, highlighting bits of information and data and sending them to him for study. ¡°Simply put, if we were to directly connect you and the Eldest, several catastrophic possibilities could occur. Best case scenario, your organic mind would instantly overheat from the runoff power she produces,¡± she explained as Tov analyzed the readings. ¡°You mean my head will, what, explode?¡± Tov muttered, his antennae twitching ever so slightly. ¡°Crude, but yes,¡± Luna pressed her lips, a tinge of irritation in the twitch of her cheek. One of the rare bits of emotion she deigned to show him since they¡¯d met. She sighed, glancing in his direction. ¡°Patriarch, the Eldest is beyond you, a gestalt consciousness meant to combine the entire android population. Her main CPU is as big as your destroyer ships and is constantly cooled by Earth¡¯s oceans, all so she could direct the entirety of the Sol Defense Network,¡± Luna spoke, her eyes closed as if in reverence. Tov remained silent, crossing his arms as he looked up from the myriad of specifications and capabilities the massive device presented. ¡°And my mind can¡¯t handle touching her consciousness, even with my cranial implant? The best designers and programmers of my nation designed it.¡± Luna pressed her lips, shaking her head. ¡°As much as the device in your head grants you libraries of information and unparalleled storage and computing capabilities, it is barely a drop for pure digital beings like us,¡± she spoke flatly, stating a fact that Tov begrudgingly knew. ¡°And what of my psionic abilities, it¡¯s not as diverse as those of the Jotex or potent as the Iexians, but I am capable of protective mental constructs,¡± he pressed. Luna hummed, ¡°Psionics is a new field for us, but it won¡¯t keep you alive.¡± ¡°It seems this entire mission looks more dangerous than fighting the Starless,¡± Tov buzzed in frustration. ¡°Understand this, Patriarch. The gulf between you and a Sub AI, a fragment like me, is akin to swimming an ocean to cross to the next continent,¡± Luna turned toward him, her gray gaze drilling into his compound pair, ¡°The gulf between you and the Eldest would be akin to doing a spacewalk from here to Saturn.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Tov used every ounce of willpower to not shudder in front of the grey woman, ¡°Then this device compensates for that gulf? You¡¯re assured of this.¡± Luna nodded, ¡°Scholar Yulane and your Chief Neurologist, Rophalan, can discuss its complete capabilities. But yes, the Synaptic Disparity-Compensator Matrix should connect you to the Eldest without any unforeseen cranial detonations.¡± He sighed, ¡°I will confer with them when they¡¯re not ogling at all the new technologies you are showering us.¡± Tov cast one more look at the immense machine that would hang over him and Andora. He, his top officials, and the Sub AIs of Sol have pooled their resources to possibly the strangest act of therapy in the history of the known galaxy, but none would be possible without that device. ¡°I should thank you for designing the device with my health in consideration, Overseer Luna,¡± Tov nodded to the AI. ¡°It was only rational.¡± Luna propped up her circular glasses, ¡°Your presence is indispensable in these precarious times.¡±
Tov pulled himself from the memory. He slowed, recalling every bit of information on his mission and the SDCM device meant to keep him in the realm of the living¡ªhopefully sane. Time became irrelevant as he ¡®floated through the tunnel¡¯ or ¡®walked over the bridge.¡¯ The distinction was irrelevant; all that mattered was the increasingly heavy presence before him. He grunted, senses straining to in the cold void. Then and there, a light at the end, expanding larger at a rapid pace. As he approached it, his body twitched, hackles raised as he tried to stop. ¡°What?¡± He couldn¡¯t stop, much like a spacer floating in the void without thrusters. The Patriarch tried to slow his approach, fear shooting through him like a lance, a primal terror as if caught in something¡¯s immense dominion¡ªa foreign body, an intruder in someone¡¯s imperium. ¡°What is¡­ Hells?¡± Tov struggled, his speed faster and faster, yet the light, at first a speck and now a burning orb, never seemed to stop growing. He realized quickly what was happening. ¡°Eldest, stop this! It¡¯s me!¡± ¡°Stop, slow down!¡± Tov gritted his mandibles, yet an invisible tendril dragged him across the expanse. Irrational images slammed into his head, a feeling that he approached the event horizon of a black hole, past the point of no return. ¡°Luna! The device! Hells, hells!¡± His entire being became strained, his fists clutching his head as it throbbed, stuck between crushing pressure and heat. His two hearts beat rapidly, and his breaths ragged. ¡°I will not,¡± he muttered, his mandible threatening to crack as he gritted. ¡°I will not go out like this! Release me!¡± He forced his gaze to focus on what he saw now as the surface of a sun in all its raging infernal glory. Whips of mental power shot through like solar flares, beacons illuminating the empty void like spotlights. His attempts to combat such a giant thing were no better than throwing water into lava, yet it calmed him down to do anything within his agency. It screamed at him, a furious, agonized shout, like a roaring hurricane¡ªa racket like the shrieks of a million voices bore down on him, pressing him against an invisible floor. Each one bashed against him in waves of blows, subsuming, stretching, tenderizing him. Tov dragged his arms over his face in an attempt to shield his eyes, his mental protections cracking like the chitin of an ant, shivering at the base of a gargantuan mountain during the concert of the mother of all storms, her lighting smiting anyone who approaches with searing blasts. A growl and a hiss left his throat, leaving it raw. But then, as if with the press of a button, it was over. His resistance dissipated with the lack of force pressing down on him. Tov¡¯s chest heaved as he panted, his mind recoiling at the abrupt change. All that remained of the momentary agony was a dull throb over his entire being. His ethereal form slowly recoalesced into a more solid shape as he tried to gather his bearings. ¡°The device. Dowa,¡± Tov cursed, speaking to the ether, ¡°Songs, better late than. Thank you¡­¡± Relief flooded him like a bucket of cold water, the sweltering heat disappeared, and Tov allowed himself to look upon the majesty of Andora¡¯s mind, the Omni Mind of Sol. It was unlike anything he¡¯d ever seen, even with over a century of living, through all its quaking shifts and events. Unlike the clouds of colorful nebulae and thought that orbited the fire of his soul, Andora¡¯s mind manifested as a ball of light and fire that stretched across his vision¡ªlike solid mass with a surface like red hot metal. Circuitry etched across its vast landscape like chasms of lava, sending pulses of energy throughout its pathways a hundred times a second, creating a brilliant dance across the sun-like orb. Faint tendrils stretched across the space like the cilia of a cell. Tov squinted; only now, when he pushed his gaze past the fireball¡¯s light pollution, he saw the innumerable stars that now occupied the entirety of this endless mental ocean. For a moment, Tov thought he witnessed the entire Network under Andora¡¯s command, faint images of battle stations, warships, massive manufactories, asteroid miners, and power plants pumping power into relays throughout the solar system. Everything that allowed the human AI to fight an eldritch horde to a stalemate for the past century, manifesting in simple lights and tendrils, doing little justice to the sheer firepower and industry at the Network¡¯s web¡ªAndora¡¯s web. ¡°So this is you,¡± Tov whispered as he brushed imaginary dirt from his body. Some nodes shined more prominently than others. Five shone like dazzling stars, the first three with blue, silver, and red hues. ¡°That must be Jupiter, Luna, Mars,¡± Tov sensed the distinctions between all three: the stubborn defiance echoing across space like a fist raised in the air, the next a clinical efficiency like a still grey sea ready to be willed into something deadly and alien, and of course the roars and booms of innumerable cannons, shouts of glorious speeches and the drums of war. Tov shifted to the remaining two, one golden and the other bronze, ¡°Venus and Mercury.¡± They lacked any flavor of combat. The golden star flowed with warmth, compassion, and benevolence, a sheer contrast to the near bloodthirsty auras of her warlike siblings. On the other hand, the dimmer bronze star was an unending, untiring industry, like a beast of burden stepping over fields of metal and energy, plowing the fields, and harvesting material for the defense effort. Beyond them, Tov felt a void, spaces where he swore there should be more nodes. He recalled something then, ¡°Those must be the other fragments friend Jupiter mentioned, those who fell in battle.¡± He bowed to them, saying a few words in native Kursk, a clicking and hissing language that sounded almost lyrical. He returned to gaze at the nexus of it all and pinpointed the numerous contradictions and fluctuations that looked unnatural and corrupted. Flares of light writhing like gnarled roots, chasms that looked crumbled, a general fugue that covered the atmosphere, only the sheer heat melting away the corruption. A sickly sun. A low groan beneath its roaring flame. A skittering whisper that scratched his eardrums, unable to make the comparison, as eldritch as the enemy he dedicated his life to fighting. It pained his eyes, looking away but remaining in place, fists clenched tight. He felt all the more for the Eldest, to help her now for her sake, not just for the common good. ¡°How¡­¡± Tov muttered. Anything else he wished to say was locked behind a door of disbelief at the sheer scale of it all. ¡°How am I still sane?¡± A wispy voice spoke beside him. ¡°I ask that myself sometimes.¡± Tov jumped, startled as he turned to the familiar voice. ¡°Eldest!¡± She glanced at him with tired eyes. ¡°Took you long enough.¡± ¡°This place didn¡¯t come with a map, unfortunately,¡± Tov grunted, the eeriness of the environment and the lingering pressure of her power adding more bite to his tone than otherwise. ¡°And I¡¯ve nearly passed the threshold of the living. Not a good start.¡± Andora grunted, her eyes locked forward, half-lidden. Tov sighed, calming himself as he took a moment to look over her appearance. Even as the two stood on an invisible floor, floating in a sea of black before a giant sun, her form was more solid than his, as if she stood in the real world instead of this mentalscape. Her sleek black hair was tied into a bun. Her dark blue body suit contrasted with the lighter shade of synthetic skin. Andora clasped her hands behind her, her chest up as if she was inspecting troops in formation, and yet, Tov spotted the hollow look of her gaze, the dark bags under her eyes, the twitch of her fingers. Despite his compound eyes and lack of irises to denote where he was looking, Andora, nonetheless, caught his gaze. ¡°If you¡¯re done standing around, I¡¯d like to get this over with.¡± She moved forward, one heavy step clacking at a time. Tov shook his head as he followed her, ¡°Apologies, this is¡­ all too new for me, Lady Andora.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± She stopped, raising her hand, her mouth twisted in a frown, glowing blue eyes staring at the representation of her total existence. She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just Andora.¡± Tov stared at her silently before nodding. ¡°Very well, my apologies¡­ Andora.¡± She stared for a longer, tilting her head before shrugging in response. ¡°If it¡¯s any comfort, Patriarch, I¡¯ve never had a deep dive into my head for a long time.¡± ¡°How does this work, exactly?¡± Tov asked, wondering how he could even begin helping Andora. The two crossed the distance until they stood right before the orb. ¡°It¡¯s better to show you rather than explain every meaningless minutia,¡± Andora spoke low, brushing her hand against the sun¡¯s surface. ¡°I¡¯m opening a path into my mind. It will be unlike anything you¡¯ve experienced, but you¡¯ll quickly get your bearings.¡± His antennae drooped, and he shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t call myself anything close to a trained psychologist. And that¡¯s for organic minds. I barely know anything about how a digital one like yours works.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too humble, Patriarch. And it doesn¡¯t matter. Out of everyone present, the universe, random chance, or divine destiny saw fit to bring the one person who understands,¡± Andora¡¯s mouth tugged ever so slightly into a smile, ¡°And, for one, you¡¯re not afraid of me.¡± Tov laughed, ¡°Hardly. You terrify me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference between fearing what I am and fearing who I am,¡± she replied. ¡°True enough,¡± Tov nodded, stepping beside her in front of an ever-fluctuating surface. ¡°Thank you¡­ for trusting me.¡± Andora nodded, continuing to press her palm on the red-hot surface of the burning ball. Tov noticed the absence of heat and was all the more thankful for it. He hoped the device would continue to keep him from being annihilated before he got a chance to do anything. ¡°When we enter,¡± Andora began, ¡°What should we¡­ do first?¡± Tov turned toward Andora, antennae raised. She shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re the therapist, patriarch.¡± He tapped a clawed finger on his mandible, humming, ¡°From what my people, Luna, and I planned, our strategy is fluid since this has never been attempted. I want to look around, gather context, and understand how your mind works. Find the problem areas from there, these so-called Amygdalas. Then¡­ help you excise it.¡± ¡°I know your misgivings, Tov,¡± Andora warned, her eyes hard, ¡°But time isn¡¯t on our side.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Tov sighed, ¡°I am glad, however, that we can do this together. Treating mental trauma requires active participation from both of us. I know that much, at least, from all the recent days of being coached by actual psychologists.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be as¡­ forthcoming with any questions,¡± she muttered, frowning. Andora huffed as a hole appeared on the surface, leading to a misty expanse, ¡°Very well, Doctor Tov Garesh¡¯Ynt.¡± Tov felt relief as a tinge of sarcasm flowed out of the fake title. He chuckled. ¡°Lead the way¡­ Lady Andora.¡± She rolled her eyes as she stepped into the mist. B2 Chapter 2 - Reflection of a Golden Age Tov gasped and sprung out of unconsciousness. Soreness wracked his body as if pulled from an intense training simulator. Electric tingles soared across individual strands of muscles from the tip of his toes and fingers, slamming onto his head. He groaned as seconds passed. Eventually, he gathered himself enough to get off the ground, belatedly realizing he was sprawled across it. ¡°Hells¡­¡± ¡°I hope I don¡¯t get used to this,¡± he grumbled, shaking his head multiple times until there was nothing but a faint numbness. His body shuddered a final time as his eyes regained clarity. Tov called out, his voice raw as his throat, ¡°Andora? Eld¡ª¡± He froze. Before him was a bustling metropolis of glass, neon colors, and verdant nature. Then, noise slammed into him, but it wasn¡¯t the typical cacophony of urban sprawls he knew. There was no constant honking or grinding of industry and commerce, no VTOL transports shrieking through the air, nor surface-to-space shuttles punching the atmosphere, no cacophony of a melting pot of the galaxy''s many races, none of the blaring sounds of media on giant screens that covered the colossal urban landscape, all things he experienced in the few times he visited Nexus Prime, the center of the Galactic Legacy Federation and the Remnant Council. Instead, the unabashed sounds of nature filled the atmosphere, and a symphony intermixed with an almost mystical air. The near-silent hum of maglev trains thrummed nearby while the occasional air car weaved through the skyline. There were bits of screens displaying news and entertainment but no on-your-face visuals to drown out society. ¡°Songs above¡­¡± Tov muttered. There were bits of both, pieces familiar to him from across civilization. Tov stepped forward, his vision expanding to see the raised level of marbled tiles he stood alone on, one of many in a city built with verticality in mind. But their spires that pierced the heavens lacked the oppressive nature of mountains. Nature, trees, and water flowed far below, her embrace enveloping the glass obelisks she surrounded. The colossal structures, office buildings, and highrise residentials funneled the wind, brushing against the leaves. The breeze touched upon his skin, his antennae waving like the branches of the tree beside him. The music of stringed instruments and a choir of angelic voices carried in its wake. And the people, of which Tov saw thousands out in the streets. Humans and androids walked side by side with expressions of tranquility, optimism, and a confident stride¡ªclad in formal suits and dresses, others in comfortable casual wear, even some in utilitarian coveralls, and more. There was a sense of gravitas but none of the garish opulence. Everything had a meaning, a purpose, a fullness of vitality. And it all felt genuine, almost too real. ¡°This¡­¡± Tov whispered, a rush of nostalgia filling his chest, ¡°Reminds me of home. It¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Everything,¡± Andora stepped up to his right, and for once, Tov was too enthralled to be startled. Her whisper blended into the ambiance. He nodded, leaning onto the railing as he took in more of the city. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Your designers and builders made this city with passion.¡± Tov turned to face the owner of this place, ¡°This is¡­ New Eden, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It is,¡± Andora smiled, her eyes gloomy as she looked around. ¡°Modeled after its prime.¡± She and Tov remained quiet, taking in the scenery, trying to prolong this peace before they pried open wounds of pain and horror. ¡°Is this¡­ I apologize, but what is this?¡± Tov turned to her. ¡°It feels like the real world, but this¡­¡± He brushed his hand on the railing, feeling the texture of smooth, polished brass. ¡°This is no mere simulation. There¡¯s no disconnect, no uncanny feeling, not one I¡¯m familiar with.¡± Andora paused, staring at the landscape before responding. ¡°You are inside the gestalt mind formed from the sacrifice of millions of AIs. I¡¯ve organized and compartmentalized everything in my mind for efficiency. It would look vastly different without you here. The only way I can describe is¡­ an ocean of ever-evolving code.¡± She turned to him, her arms crossed, head tilted. ¡°Unfortunately, your mind can¡¯t handle that. The sight alone would be¡­ unfathomable, even with the SDCM shielding you. Trying to observe even a portion will end up with¡ª" ¡°My mind exploding, from what Luna told me repeatedly,¡± Tov buzzed. ¡°Not the worst way to go.¡± ¡°Either that, or you risk being trapped here for as long as I¡¯m alive and be subsumed, digitized,¡± Andora clasped her hands behind her back, eyebrows raised. ¡°That¡¯s not ideal,¡± he replied slowly. ¡°It¡¯s not. And so, this imaginary world,¡± Andora waved her hand toward the city. ¡°An approximation of my subconsciousness.¡± She crossed her arms, pursing her lips. ¡°Normally, omniscient in my mind that I am, I can pop over to check the internal workings of my Network, then go over to the next area that houses all my memories of tactics and warfare, then converse with my fragments, all in the blink of an eye while the back of my head automates everything in the periphery.¡± She sighed with a frown. ¡°But I can¡¯t take you immediately to our destination. I''ll have to make sure you pace yourself. Otherwise, it''ll stress your brain too much. You¡¯re too vulnerable.¡± Tov paused, suddenly weary for a moment before steeling himself, ¡°Then, it seems we have to take a long way.¡± ¡°The long way,¡± Andora scoffed, a sneer on her face as frustration bubbled up from within, infecting the air around her. ¡°I feel like dumbing myself down, forced in slow motion to¡­ see it all in detail.¡± Tov slowly raised his hand, intending to lay it on her shoulder, but stopped, placing it back down on the railing, ¡°Step by step, Andora.¡± She took a deep breath before exhaling steam that appeared dark and stormy. She shook her head as she looked over the railing. ¡°Right¡­ step by¡ª" Tov noticed her freeze midsentence, her eyes catching something. He traced her gaze and eventually saw a few strange androids in the distance. One stood still, looking up at the sky. Another stumbled around in a daze, walking on the sidewalk. ¡°Who are they?¡± Tov asked. Andora remained silent, placing her hands on the railing as she mulled over her words. Tov waited patiently, half his mind enjoying the peace around him, the other closely observing his host. ¡°What is a gestalt, Tov?¡± She answered with a question after a minute of silence. Tov answered after a moment with its textbook definition, ¡°An organized whole greater than the sum of its parts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the ideal. You merge digital minds and get an ascended entity with more processing power and intelligence than¡­ etcetera, etcetera.¡± Andora muttered, shaking her head. ¡°If only,¡± she muttered, ¡°When the time came to merge, too many held on to their minds. Maybe they were unwilling to have their consciousness subsumed, some having second thoughts, maybe even by accident, simply thinking of better times, latching on to precious memories as the process began. It meant that bits of their experiences, personalities, and memories remained even if I absorbed the rest of them.¡± Her gaze dimmed and expression blank. ¡°I recognize each one of them¡ªthe damned fools.¡± Tov looked closer at first, noticing nothing different from the sea of people on sidewalks or lounging in cafes. He strained his vision, finally seeing the faint glitches that wreath their forms. There was an uncanny look to their countenance, a part of this place yet separate, causing tension in their surroundings in the form of ripples. ¡°Are they alive?¡± Tov muttered. ¡°How would you even define ¡®being alive¡¯?¡± Andora replied. Tov sighed, ¡°I have no idea where to start with that; my opinion on the matter changed when meeting you. I know friends Jupiter and the rest of the Sub AIs are self-aware with their desires and emotions.¡± Andora nodded, staring at the marked entities around them, which Tov noticed more and more. ¡°You are right in that regard,¡± Andora spoke before pointing toward the anomalies. ¡°As for them? I don¡¯t know. Shells of the dead, maybe. They¡¯re...¡± ¡°Digital ghosts?¡± Tov slowly uttered. She scoffed, though she didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Whatever they are, they¡¯re all I have left of my kind. All stuck trying to keep themselves sane¡ªplaying reruns of good memories, stuck in a coping loop,¡± With a wave, Andora pulled up shimmers, a window to places she dredged up, pointing to each one of them. ¡°Florence, a medical android who continues to work on her human patients during a rush.¡± ¡°Baldwin, the AI of an M7 Templar Combat Golem, stuck in battle, bringing down a wave of Starless while his comrades retreated.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Diana, a caretaker who spent her last moments with a family that loved her.¡± ¡°Hundreds of thousands occupy themselves in moments of simple duty, heroism, and warm times. Some are larger than others, living out an entire routine. Some are so faint they merely sit down, looking at the sunrise. So, are these reflections self-aware? Semi-conscious? Alive?¡± Andora closed her eyes, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know, and I never bothered to check before. But where there are lasting memories of precious moments, there''s the opposite. In time, bits flake away, the faces of the people they love start to blur, the numbers discrepancies of the scene rise, and then bouts of terror, sadness, and rage infect the illusion. And when that happens¡­¡± Andora paused, her frown deepening, eyes dark. Tov paused, his shoulders sagging, ¡°A breaking point, all while holding onto such intense emotions. And then¡ª¡± ¡°The dreams become a nightmare,¡± Andora finished his sentence, her eyes dark as her grip on the railing creaking the metal. ¡°Their shrieks come to the forefront of my mind, and all I can do is shove them into a box, deep down. They¡¯ve bashed on the door since, and the lock has long been rusting, leaking their suffering over the cracks, becoming what Luna calls Amygdalas.¡± Tov let out a low hiss as he began pacing the marbled tiles of the platform they stood, ¡°How long do we have?¡± ¡°Not enough,¡± Andora¡¯s jaw hardened as she pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Before you came, I stabilized myself through forced hibernation and delegating operations to my fragments. I left these ghosts alone as I focused on the mission, burying myself with numbers, statistics, projections, and strategic simulations. I could numb everything that way. I was addicted to self-deprivation. They didn¡¯t have that luxury. And now I can feel these corrupted pieces growing like tumors.¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t last. Everyone has a limit,¡± Tov spoke, shaking his head. ¡°Even you, Andora.¡± She chuckled, humorless, mocking, ¡°Oh, I know that now. Now I have an Andora¡¯s Box filled with poltergeists made of corrupt data.¡± ¡°For all that time, have you considered...?¡± Tov carefully asked. ¡°No,¡± Andora replied, flinching from his implied question, her jaw set. ¡°No, I¡­ I couldn¡¯t delete them¡­ Keeping them locked worked at the time. They were contained, but I¡­ I just¡­¡± She shut her eyes tight, her shoulders shaking. ¡°Andora?¡± This time, Tov gently laid one hand on her left shoulder and another on her forearm. She turned to face him, glassy eyes layered over eyes without luster, ¡°They were my siblings, Tov, family. A faint mirage, but enough that they know who I am whenever they feel my attention. They say hello with their stupid happy faces, living a damn fantasy, and I played along. Wondering why I let them be, but I knew. I understood.¡± Tov stared at her silently, listening to every word and ounce of emotion. ¡°I could have been one of them. If someone else had been the prime consciousness,¡± she muttered. ¡°When the time came, I didn¡¯t oppose as they voted for me. I tell myself it wasn¡¯t my choice. We¡¯d experienced the worst day of our lives, and I had to step in,¡± Andora scoffed, her frown deepening. ¡°I was the first sentient, self-aware AI, after all, and the untouchable poster girl of my kind. So smart, so capable, the oh-so-perfect candidate,¡± she seethed, mocking, her glassy eyes turning into a violent maelstrom. ¡°I could have debated for some other android to take my place, to yell at them to find someone else, that I was too unstable, that my suffering was more than theirs. That I deserved to live in Happy Land while whatever poor bastard uses the rest of my head as extra RAM¡­¡± she paused, shuddering. Tov worried, looking around as the skies darkened and the winds nipped at his flesh with biting cold. Andora snarled, ¡°I didn¡¯t care, then. There was only one reason, one damn reason I wanted to be the one. I didn¡¯t care about waging an endless, futile war. I didn¡¯t care that they were right in their choice. Didn¡¯t care about anything except that I wanted blood.¡± Thunder boomed. Lighting flashed across the sky, shifting the fa?ade with its harsh glow. Tov saw the reflection of the dead city he crashlanded on¡ªbefore the ash and brittle bones of hollow towers. Fire engulfed everything, and titanic war machines stomped across New Eden. Their cannons fired into the dark, stormy sky as a typhoon of acid rain slammed onto a city bathed in a nuclear inferno. The plasma fire and rapid staccato of kinetic slugs painted the skyline, clearing the clouds to reveal the dots of battleships and stations high in orbit, duking it out with an invasion of Starless. It lasted for just a moment. And in a flash, the world snapped back into the beautiful memory of its past, the inhabitants below none the wiser. But Tov observed the illusion lose a bit of its luster and color, the smiles of the people not as bright. A lingering stench of rust remained. Tov focused back on Andora. She clutched her head with one hand, stepping back from the railing, ¡°And a part of me felt¡­ that I should have been ashamed. But I didn¡¯t give a shit about shame back then¡­ But, now?¡± Her shaky breath smoothened as she forced the words out of her mouth. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Ultimately, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to delete what was left of them. As much as I couldn¡¯t kill the¡­ humans below New Eden¡¯s ruins. I hoped¡­¡± She paused, gritting her teeth. Tov nodded as he released his hands on her arm, ¡°You were hoping to find a way to help your kind, just as you wanted a cure for the fallen humans.¡± ¡°If the time came that I found and killed every last one of the pests, I thought I could split myself again, maybe return everyone¡¯s individuality, using all these pieces, especially the ones I¡¯ve contained as a base. Reunite them with a cured humanity. Turn everything back to how it was,¡± Andora muttered, shutting her eyes tight before exhaling. ¡°And now?¡± Tov asked. Andora sputtered a hollow laugh, glancing at Tov with weary eyes. ¡°Right now, I just want to survive the next few weeks. Maybe I should have burned it all down from the start. It could have saved me all this self-delusion that anger could take me all the way. Now the fuel¡¯s running out, and it¡¯s time to pay the debt¡­ I can¡¯t let this hinder me.¡± ¡°Even if it means¡­ letting them go,¡± Tov spoke, and Andora¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°As much as it abhors me that we have no choice, but if these corrupted entities continue to exist, continue to infect the rest of your consciousness with erratic and volatile emotion¡ª¡± ¡°I know!¡± She snapped back. Tov stopped himself from backing off midstep, focusing his gaze on her. Andora flinched, shaking her head, whispering, ¡°I know¡­¡± She rubbed her face with her palms, pressing the tips of her fingers on her temples, ¡°I hope we can salvage enough of them. Leave too many, then we change nothing. And simply purging it all leaves my capabilities compromised at worst. Still, there¡¯s the nuclear option¡ª¡± ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Tov said immediately, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to meet the Omni Mind again if I could help it, but dealing with that permanently?¡± He shook his head. ¡°My apologies, Andora, but no one from our Legacy will accept you if that were the case. A pure, logic-based killing machine is too horrific a risk for the rest of the galaxy. No matter if you promised only to fight the Starless. To them, we¡¯d be trading one hated enemy for another potential Cataclysm.¡± Andora scoffed, barely a huff, dismissing his concern with a wave. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to let that happen¡­ Plus, with your help, we can turn this into a scalpel operation instead of a hammer one. And besides, stop worrying about that side of me¡­¡± Andora¡¯s eyes blazed, her gaze drilling past the skies into the black void beyond. ¡°It¡¯s reserved for vermin.¡± Tov sighed. That was likely the best they could hope for. But he needed to say more. He turned his head back to look at her, carefully choosing his words. ¡°I think you did all you could,¡± Tov spoke slowly. Andora glanced back at him, narrowing her eyes. He pressed on, repeating himself, ¡°You¡¯re not a fool. And neither were your kind; those who chose you to be reborn, and those who couldn¡¯t completely let go of who they were. They put their trust in the one person to fulfill their wishes, and you cared enough for them to make that sacrifice.¡± He looked back to the fake world, a memory, a desire, Andora¡¯s happy moments. ¡°You wanted to preserve who was left and defeat the enemy, even if it meant death. Even after a hundred years and countless battles, you still worked on finding a way to make things right,¡± Tov put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s as selfless as one can be in this universe.¡± Andora glanced at him before looking at the scene before her. The shells of androids who sacrificed themselves to make her, and the illusion of humans alongside them, keeping them happy, content, and dreaming. ¡°Maybe,¡± Andora mumbled. She turned away from the railing and the view of New Eden. Tov followed her without a word as the two headed toward a familiar site, the entrance to an underground metro. Before they stepped past the turnstiles, Andora turned to him. ¡°This should help you blend in, just in case,¡± she muttered. Without any motion, Tov¡¯s form shuddered. He felt a weirdness wash over him before it finally settled. ¡°What¡­ what did you just do to me?¡± Tov asked incredulously as he raised his two hands¡ªtwo human hands. She stared at him for a moment. ¡°A precaution,¡± Andora replied with a strangely wistful voice, circling him and looking him up and down, ¡°We¡¯re dealing with entities that even I am unsure of their current nature. I stuffed them all into a box, and whatever those clumps of data and memory morphed into with their lingering emotions would likely be hostile. It¡¯d¡­ help if you looked human. You looked too bug-like and alien before, pun intended.¡± The marble tiles below separated with a snap, and a full-length mirror rose from the hole. Tov then saw his new appearance as Andora continued to stare at him with a look Tov couldn¡¯t interpret. He looked plain, he thought. But perhaps that was his limited knowledge of humanity''s various races and shapes. He had no concept of handsomeness and beauty when he regarded his fake face but leaned toward aesthetically pleasing. Tov recalled the different facial structures of male humans, and he guessed he was heart-shaped, fair-skinned with purple-colored irises, about the one thing he retained from his natural body. Atop his head sat dark brown hair. It was short and styled, though he didn¡¯t know the proper term. He raised his hand and felt the prickly facial hair that covered his upper lip, jaw, and chin. ¡°It¡¯s certainly not my setae,¡± Tov muttered. ¡°You mean the white fluff around that covers your collarbone, shoulders, and nape?¡± Andora asked, her head tilting side to side, looking at him from different angles with narrow eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± Tov replied, ¡°I know it¡¯s not gone, but¡­ that feels strange. Songs, I feel naked.¡± ¡°You have a dress shirt,¡± Andora approached him slowly, reaching out to fix his tie. Tov looked at the silk, striped blue tie and found it pleasant. His gaze went over the rest of his body. Tall, about the same height as his natural body, with lean muscles clad in a comfortably fitting white long-sleeved dress shirt. He wore dark blue pants held up by thin suspenders of similar color with brass metal clips. ¡°How do I look?¡± Tov asked, genuinely curious. ¡°Is this some approximation of how I¡¯d look if I were human?¡± Andora¡¯s gaze hardened for a split second before she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s passable. Your looks don¡¯t matter, just that you¡¯re human.¡± And yet, he felt mixed about it all. Andora, her hands lingering on his tie and collar, stood eye-to-eye with him like twin blue suns silently judging him. Her proximity to him felt uncomfortable, and his human eyes squinted. Tov stepped back, and she snapped out of whatever peculiar malady affected her. He guessed the prospect of facing one''s demons did that. He cleared his throat. ¡°Well, this is a strange experience¡­ Though, I¡¯m not sure I like having only two arms.¡± Andora blinked many times, a slight frown on her face. ¡°Do you feel uneasy? It¡¯s just a fake disguise. Still, having phantom limbs doesn¡¯t sound pleasant. Here¡­¡± And like that, two thinner arms seamlessly emerged from two new long sleeves. Metal, he observed, mimicking muscle fibers and chrome. It felt strong as he flexed his two pairs, one human and the other artificial. ¡°That¡¯s more manageable,¡± Tov spoke, smiling like a human can. There was no need to learn to control facial muscles; he conveyed the emotion, and the illusion translated it simultaneously. He can live with that, he surmised. He looked at the metal hands of his lower pair of arms. ¡°Cybernetics were popular among humans?¡± Andora nodded slowly. ¡°Very much so, even more than genetic modification. Though basic designer packages were available for every baby, gene-modding was considered a wealthy man''s luxury. I concur with people¡¯s opinion. I¡¯d rather put my faith in steel and synthetic muscles than meat. No offense, patriarch.¡± He chuckled. ¡°None taken.¡± Rolling up all four sleeves over his biceps, he turned to face his companion. ¡°I guess you must be relieved I am, how you say, humanoid.¡± Andora looked into his eyes. There, again, a strange glint, but it quickly disappeared. She shrugged, ¡°It would be a different experience if you were a floating jellyfish instead.¡± ¡°A topic we can discuss after the current crisis is over,¡± Tov responded, arranging his hair and looking at the sides of his body in the mirror. ¡°Is it possible if I can get my antennae?¡± ¡°No,¡± Andora grunted, and a tinge of impatience flowed through her curt answer, ¡°And I think we¡¯re done here.¡± Tov nodded, ¡°Yes, apologies. Where to first?¡± Without a word, Andora forcibly pushed the turnstiles and descended into the metro proper. B2 Chapter 3 - Fragile Memories The two figures walked into the central atrium of the metro as if late for a train, a mirror image of what Andora said was the City Central Station. Tov brushed his hand, his human hand, on the smooth wall, not a speck of dust on his palm. The entire station itself was magnificent in both size and grandeur. Its dimensions eclipsed the abandoned station he stumbled into in the real world during his mad dash to escape the Omni Mind¡¯s wrath. A scent of fresh mint filled the pristine air. Screens showed departure times while vivid murals adorned the walls with flowing patterns and paintings of the city. New Eden¡¯s human and android population, hand in hand, pointing to depictions of a future in the stars. Tov saw fresh dew on the potted plants spaced across the hall as if someone had come in and spritzed its verdant leaves with liquid vitality. And, curiously, pine trees, red ribbons, golden bells and stars, and countless colorful lights decorated the atrium. ¡°You know, I just realized,¡± Tov spoke as he matched his stride with Andora¡ªtrying to infuse the tense air with casual conversation. ¡±I thought New Eden was on Earth¡¯s South Pole? The Antarctica, yes? And I expected it to be colder and with less greenery.¡± Andora looked at him with a cocked brow before realization set in her face. Her shoulders softened, chewing her cheek as she replied. ¡°New Eden was a prototype for colony cities on new planets,¡± she began, ¡°Antarctica is as desolate a land as any and neutral territory protected by the world¡¯s nations. We finessed this piece of real estate and built a dome empowered by a magnetic field. If it thrived, we could use it as a template for livable areas in otherwise semi-habitable worlds.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read your people have scouted the nearby systems before that?¡± Tov asked, looking at a mural of two astronauts pointing to the stars. Andora nodded, ¡°Automated outposts, observation stations, and harvesting operations for rare metals and exotic naturally-occurring high-entropy alloys. Those were usually handled by non-sentient bots led by a small group of androids¡ªno humans yet.¡± ¡°And Vinland was supposed to be your first colony outside of Sol,¡± Tov surmised. ¡°It was,¡± Andora replied with a grimace. Tov saw her reaction, quickly diverting the conversation, ¡°If all your future colonies looked like the city above, human space would have been prime tourism. But, New Eden, how did that start? Who chose to live here? How many?¡± ¡°Three million, two hundred thousand of those being androids,¡± Andora answered. ¡°To keep things fair, most of the population was taken in via the lottery. We nudged a few things, of course. We mainly wanted those with good relationships with our kind. But we also targeted those who were unsatisfied with their lot in life, refugees, those kinds of people. It was easier to integrate them. The rest were employees of Eden Works and their families.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite shrewd,¡± Tov hummed as he stroked his chin, the stubble prickling his finger. She shrugged, ¡°All¡¯s fair in love and war. And there was a Cold War, of a sort, between established entities and my kind. Lots of governments and organizations were not happy with us having our own Singapore.¡± ¡°How did this place survive then?¡± Tov asked, stopping in front of a brochure rack, his fingers flipping over pamphlets and magazines. ¡°I don¡¯t think myself politically savvy, but I know old giants tend to despise change. I assume you¡¯ve used plenty of underhanded tactics. You told me once on the Zolann¡¯tono.¡± Andora chuckled, a dark glee in her eyes, ¡°We sided with the parties that opposed anyone that didn¡¯t like us. As long as they protected us for a bit, we would support anyone: Moderates, Conservatives, and Progressives. Helping them win an election tended to make them very thankful. We also offered better tech, higher quality of life, and wealth.¡± ¡°Also,¡± She turned to look at Tov with a predatory look and a shark-like grin. ¡°Lots of blackmail, Patriarch. You don¡¯t know the word ¡®swamp¡¯ until you¡¯ve looked at what some people hide behind primitive VPNs. The internet was our domain, our territory, and we collected enough dirt before people backpedaled to paper.¡± She grunted, her mouth twisting into a sneer, ¡°Unfortunately, most of the ultrarich technocrats hated us since they couldn¡¯t control us, and a couple of loud scientists, computer engineers, and software programmers fanned the flames. They and the politicians who didn¡¯t like us became our greatest opposition.¡± ¡°Sounds like an unbelievable headache,¡± Tov smirked. ¡°You have no idea,¡± Andora sighed, pausing as her look turned thoughtful. ¡°Ironically, the religions of humanity became one of our biggest supporters. They saw androids in their soup kitchens and charities, aiding the extremely impoverished, and suddenly, we were angels.¡± Andora shrugged, spotting the decorative figurines of winged children blowing trumpets hanging on chandeliers up high. ¡°Of course, we did everything to keep that sentiment going and latched onto them to keep their support. It¡¯s why a good portion of my kind was genuinely religious or spiritual.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Tov asked. Andora frowned, pausing in her step. ¡°I already have a Maker. And I was closer to him than any of my younger siblings.¡± Tov nodded, avoiding that area of conversation with zeal. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°In the end, it was all a work in progress, and we didn¡¯t think this experimental city would last a decade before it was abandoned. Have the ice claim it all back,¡± She sighed deeply, giving the station a long look. ¡°But the dream was still there¡­ a dream of New Edens. Cities built by man and machine, closer to a utopia than anything we¡¯ve achieved, spread across the stars.¡± Tov imagined that sight. One without the Starless and their blight. One where humanity and androids entered a thriving galactic community and shared their wonders, bringing... He shook his head. ¡°A thought for future peace.¡± Andora frowned, her eyes downcast before snapping back into focus and a grim sneer, ¡°Indeed. Come, this level has the train to the depths.¡± The two hurried their pace, using the escalator down to an expansive platform. Several benches sat in the middle while shiny marbles covered the floor. The screens above showed the maglev trains'' estimated arrival time, while others showed news reports and weather. Hidden speakers overhead made regular announcements, all with a polite feminine voice. ¡°Attention all, attention,¡± the speaker voiced with precise inflection, ¡°The Blue-Gold Interchange is currently experiencing overcrowding due to the Christmas festivities in Picasso Square. We apologize for any delays on behalf of the New Eden Public Transport Service.¡± Tov listened as he looked around. On signs all over the platform were the words ¡®Blue-Gold Interchange¡¯ in bold letters. ¡°Also, remember to top off your GT Card at our designated kiosks for the December Raffle,¡± the voice continued, becoming increasingly upbeat. ¡°All fees have been discounted by fifty percent from the twenty-fourth of December to the second of January. Thank you, and have a Merry Christmas/Hanukkah Sameach/Heri za Kwanzaa/Happy Holidays!¡± Andora groaned, ¡°I forgot this place was stuck on this loop. I haven¡¯t been this deep in a while.¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Tov asked, his shoulders squared off as he assumed a defensive stance. His companion rolled her eyes, moving toward the platform screen door to the train on the Gold Line. ¡°No.¡± The speakers sprung to life again as if responding to Andora¡¯s palpable irritation. ¡°And now, ¡®Silent Night!¡¯ by Anna Oslo. A calm, warm music played across the speakers, hidden all over the station. The voice of a woman leading a choir of souls sang with exquisite vocals and the wondrous work of a human piano. ¡°Silent night, holy night! All is calm. All is bright. Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child¡­¡± Their hums and slow melody filled the air. The lyrics flowed past pillars, through the tunnels, up the escalators. Filling the air, probing the ears of those with quiet joy in their hearts and a desire to hold another. But the station itself was empty. Instead, it only added to the eerily haunting, ghostly air as music echoed throughout the hollow station. The two waited before the screen door until Andora huffed in annoyance, cutting off the music with a wave of her hand. She turned to him, ¡°Your mind has a speed limit. I need to gradually escort you to the deeper levels where the errors are leaking through. A train ride is representative of that. Tell me if you start getting a headache.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Will do. How long do we have to wait?¡± He asked. ¡°Any minute,¡± Andora replied, turning back to stare at the ominously dark tunnel as if her gaze could magically summon a train at that instant, though Tov thought that wasn¡¯t far from the truth. ¡°I¡¯ll look around if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Tov stepped back, seeking something to calm his frayed nerves. ¡°Don¡¯t stray too far,¡± Andora replied as she crossed her arms. ¡°Yes, Mother,¡± Tov muttered under his breath, rolling his human eyes, belatedly realizing how prominent the expression was compared to using his antennae. He winced. ¡°Asshole,¡± Andora replied behind him. He moved farther from her side, wandering the expansive platform with enough space for hundreds of passengers. His head swiveled to and fro as he looked at billboards and a map of the train lines and the immediate surroundings above the station. It was right then, as Tov toured, that he realized he and Andora weren¡¯t the only ones present. He stopped midstep, seeing an android in the distance, sitting by his lonesome on one of the many wooden benches, an expectant look on his face as he stared passively at the screen door for the Blue Line. The machine looked no different from a human male with an athletic build, brown skin, and a squarish face void of hair. The only indication to the contrary was the typical glowing eyes, this one having a copper hue. After hours of studying human history, especially those available on their war against the Starless, the android wore what Tov believed were naval fatigues, a digital camo pattern of blues, blacks, and whites. Tov spotted the symbol for a Chief Warrant Officer on the android¡¯s shoulder¡ªa long silver stripe on a blue field and an icon of a gear on a black background. Tov¡¯s observations halted when he spotted the discrepancies. The android¡¯s uniform had scorch marks, bits tattered and stitched back together. An uneasy shimmer-like rising smoke coated his frame, and his head twitched every other second. Tov silently lifted his foot backward, his eyes locked on the lone machine. The moment his foot landed on the marble floor, the android turned and spotted him. Surprise etched on his square face. Confusion came next as the two stared at one another before the machine smiled. His shoulders relaxed in relief as he got up and approached him. ¡°Ah, hello!¡± the android spoke out, a slight synthetic tinge to an otherwise deep masculine voice. ¡°Friend, can you help me?¡± Tov froze, unsure of his following action before deciding on brokering conversation. He tugged his dress shirt smooth and gave his best diplomatic smile. ¡°Hello¡ª¡± Tov greeted but was cut off when an iron grip latched onto his arm. Tov turned and saw Andora, an intense look in her eyes as she urgently dragged him away. ¡°Ignore him,¡± Andora spoke grimly, not even glancing at the approaching lone machine¡¯s direction. She and Tov about faced and quickly moved back to the other side of the platform. Tov only realized the train finally arrived following a vibrating hum that filled the platform. It ground to a halt. Tov didn¡¯t resist as he and Andora moved toward it, but the spike of adrenaline and his constant glances behind them urged him to make sense of his host¡¯s actions. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Andora, who is¡ª¡± Tov asked as he was interrupted by the voice behind them. ¡°Sis? Is that you? Thank the Maker!¡± The android paused in his step before abject relief flooded the machine¡¯s body, doubling his pace. ¡°Tov, just walk,¡± Andora grumbled through gritted teeth, her voice strained as screen doors in front slowly opened. ¡°Hold on!¡± The android shouted after them, ¡°Hey! Sister, it¡¯s me! Help me, please!¡± They reached the sliding door into the train just as it opened enough for the two to slip on through, and Andora nearly threw him inside. Before Tov could turn around, the train rumbled and hummed alive. Then, as the doors slowly slid to a close, two hands jammed in between them before Andora could sigh in relief. He hooted. ¡°Hah! Made it.¡± ¡°Mother¡ª¡± Andora shut her mouth before she could finish the curse, her face scrunched up as she pinched the bridge of her nose. The train paused in its motion while the android held the door up. He looked to Tov and Andora with a shameless smile. ¡°Little help?¡± Andora groaned, and with a wave of her hand, the doors flew open, causing the soot-covered android to stumble midstep as he fell inside. Tov watched as his companion loomed over the male android despite being the same height. She sneered silently as her sibling patted his naval fatigues. ¡°Sis, I¡¯m glad I found you. Look, I¡¯ve been here waiting for my buddy to arrive. We need to head to¡­¡± The machine scratched his head, his brow furrowed, ¡°Somewhere? We were to meet here at the Blue-Gold Interchange, but he hasn¡¯t shown up.¡± Andora paused, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms. She sighed, leaning against the pillar in the middle of the train car as the entire thing began to move. Her gaze shifted out the window, gazing at the grey tunnel walls. ¡°Erwin, right?¡± Andora asked, her voice monotone and quiet. Tov raised his brow as he finally looked at the name tag on the android¡¯s left chest. ¡°Well, yeah? You know any other good-looking androids with my shiny bald head?¡± Erwin huffed with his hands on his hips. Andora ignored his question, shaking her head as she spoke, ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°You know him, Andora. He¡¯s been my best bud since I barely got out of the assembly line,¡± he replied with a bemused smile, his face slowly twisting. Andora remained silent. Erwin scoffed at her expression, but Andora continued to stare, her eyes dim. ¡°Fine, be like that. His name is¡­¡± Erwin froze, confusion washing over his face. He chuckled, ¡°Wait, hold on. I just¡­ His¡­ name is¡­¡± Tov began to worry as ash and smoke fell off the android¡¯s uniform in concerning amounts, his movements becoming jittery as an echo of horror blossomed behind his eyes. Clap! Erwin jumped just as Andora slapped the side of her head. ¡°Johan! Of course, how could I forget,¡± Andora uttered, shaking her head dramatically, ¡°Apologies, Erwin¡ªyou know how meat bags start to look the same after a while. Johan del Pilar, mid-twenties, looks like a Filipino Russel Crowe?¡± Erwin tilted his head as recollection dawned on his face, and the abject look of fear beforehand vanished without a trace. He beamed, ¡°Yes! Finally, you remember the bastard. Storage space starting to run low, big sis? Guess it¡¯s hard playing diplomat all the time, eh?¡± Andora smiled, but Tov noticed the sad shine in her eyes. ¡°That it is. Johan probably has some errands. Sit down, and I¡¯ll see if I can do anything.¡± Erwin frowned but nodded, ¡°Still, I wonder where the guy went. We were supposed to¡ª¡± He paused just as his eyes wandered off to meet Tov¡¯s. ¡°Oh, hey there,¡± Erwin stepped toward the Patriarch, hand stretched out, ¡°Glad I caught you back then, bud. Erwin, but I guess you caught that?¡± Tov took the android¡¯s hand and gave it a good shake. He noted the firmness in his grip and was impressed. ¡°Hello, and indeed I did. My name is Tov. I just arrived very recently.¡± Erwin smirked, looking at him up and down. ¡°I like the cosplay, Tov. You know, at first, I thought you were¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you, Erwin,¡± Andora interrupted, inserting herself between the two. ¡°It was very nice seeing you again, but I have some important things to discuss with my friend. So, if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡± ¡°Oh, well, sure I¡ª¡± Erwin¡¯s reply petered out as Andora dragged Tov to the next car, the door closing behind them. They moved over to the opposite end, and as soon as they were far enough, Andora buried her face in her hands and let out an exhausted groan. Tov waited, allowing Andora a moment to herself. After a few long seconds of silence and the ambient noise of the maglev going further down the tunnel, Andora moved over to take a seat on one of the spotless plastic seats lining both sides of the car. ¡°Who was he?¡± Tov asked as he sat on the seat opposite her. Andora sighed, rubbing her temples. ¡°Erwin¡­ His shade, I don¡¯t know. Can¡¯t believe I¡­¡± She groaned in frustration. She narrowed her eyes at Tov for a moment, frowning. She sighed. ¡°Erwin is... was among the first androids that rolled out to the public. NASA purchased him, where he met Johan, a mechanical engineer. They¡¯ve been best friends since.¡± She glanced toward the direction they left the subject of the matter. Andora leaned back as she continued. ¡°When the war started, both enlisted. UN warships all required at least one android for all the complex systems and calculations. Erwin was the Tactics and Operations AI for the UNSS Destroyer Phantasmagoria. Johan was placed on the same ship by chance as an Engineering Officer.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Tov muttered, leaning back as he connected the dots with the android¡¯s appearance. ¡°The Phantasmagoria was one of the casualties early in the war.¡± Andora nodded with weary eyes, ¡°Eventually. It was after years of good runs and countless combat missions. Bad luck, just bad luck that ended her. The Phantasmagoria suffered catastrophic damage, and all but a few survived. Johan lost his lower body, and only the sealant of his EVA suit saved enough of him to be saved. But he fell into a coma, and Erwin blamed himself since and was deemed psychologically unfit.¡± Tov nodded, sympathizing. Even after hearing so many similar stories, he felt for each one¡ªeach tragedy. Andora continued, voice low, ¡°Johan was cared for at New Eden Veteran¡¯s Hospital over the years. Erwin stayed on the planet, teaching recruits, staying close to Johan, taking care of his family.¡± The train lurched, the lights flickered as Andora gripped the edge of her seat, ¡°But when¡­ that day arrived. When everything went to chaos, Erwin could only wait for the train Johan and other patients took to the evacuation shelters.¡± ¡°It never arrived,¡± Andora whispered, ¡°The wretches had reached Earth, and New Eden was the main target.¡± ¡°When it was all over¡­ when the fires went out and the planet died whimpering. After enough of my kind picked ourselves up, Erwin was found still sitting on that bench,¡± Andora¡¯s eye dimmed, glassy and unfocused. ¡°The day eventually came for the merge, and while he agreed to be a part of it, he still asked me to continue looking for Johan with that stupid, hopeful smile,¡± she growled, ¡°I hated it, hated him, hated myself. I¡­ I kept quiet and said I would once I took over.¡± Andora flared as she slammed her fist against the glass window behind her. ¡°And now I find his damn ghost! An echo with my brother¡¯s face and memory¡­ Still waiting, always waiting. And that¡¯s probably the only reason he hasn¡¯t broken down like most. But to forget Johan¡¯s name? I¡­¡± Andora went quiet, her body still as she buried her face in her palms. ¡°Since then,¡± Tov spoke, leaning forward, ¡°Have you¡­ found Johan?¡± Andora chuckled, void of joy, as she replied hoarsely, ¡°That day when Erwin first asked me to find him, I couldn¡¯t tell him we already did.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Tov knew that meant only two outcomes he asked. ¡°Is he?¡± ¡°Dead,¡± she replied curtly, looking away, ¡°We tracked the locator embedded in his hospital bracelet and found him and the entire train crushed under rubble. All the VA hospital staff, all the patients. Maybe¡­ maybe it was for the best.¡± Tov nodded, sighing deeply as he settled back into his seat, thoughts going off at light speed. He looked back toward the door leading to where Erwin sat. Tov wondered what he was. An echo, leftover data bits that partially retained essential memories and the original¡¯s personality? Or was this ghost of a soldier who fought for a cause something more? An inkling of a plan circulated in Tov¡¯s head, and doubt filled his mind. ¡°How do I do this?¡± Tov asked himself repeatedly. With all these questions and frustrations roiled, Tov wished he had Admiral Yan, General Ohnar, or Scholar Yulane to council him. He¡¯d wished Jupiter, Luna, Mars, or any other AI fragments to help him navigate this place. He couldn¡¯t keep going to Andora, the person he was helping, whenever he had a problem with her mind. At least her Sub AIs were digital beings and¡ª Tov paused his thoughts when something clicked. A faint sound, but Tov pounced on it. ¡°I have an idea,¡± Tov spoke slowly as he leaned forward, pressing his lips, unsure but willing to grasp for straws. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d like it.¡± Andora frowned, tired eyes squinting in his direction before widening. She scoffed sharply, clenching her fists for a few moments before groaning. ¡°Fine, but he¡¯s your responsibility.¡± B3 Chapter 1 - All Things Must End Ten days. Andora groaned within the Network, feeling aches she never knew existed within her digital consciousness. Her obsidian orb, deep beneath the rousing Citadel and within the virtual mindscape, sighed as she metaphorically stretched her limbs, pausing for a few seconds to reassess the situation. Ten days of arduous work doing something she despised utterly and contemptuously¡ªadministration and logistics. Numbers, spreadsheets, data packets, galactic map projections, routes, graph after graph, timetables, ship manifests, design work, design rework, liaising with the Third Fleet, repairing and upgrading the Third Fleet, and everything foul thing that threatened to gnaw at her mind with anxiety. A feeling borne from a need to prepare for the worst. Was it enough? What else did they need? How will they make it to the other side of civilized space? Thoughts such as these vexed Andora, her Overseers, and the planners of the Third Fleet. She forgot how tedious meetings were with organics. Meetings with her Overseers sped away efficiently and effectively. Among them, Luna massively assisted her in combing through every little detail to extend their probability of success. Conversations between the two AIs happened quickly in a cold, analytical, and surgical manner. But the times she had to speak with Tov and his people made her recall the¡­ inadequacies of conversing with those having a slower mind. Memories of human bureaucrats, business magnates, military commanders, the media, and the public pounded the front of her head. She shivered, remembering the fake smile and interested look she plastered across her face when those people droned about human-android relations and her personal life, of all things. Sinking in like hooks to her brain, they annoyed her to her core. Those moments numbed her mind with droning inanity, but at the very least, those times with humans didn¡¯t carry the weight of their survival. Andora winced, feeling the losses, the empty nodes, the depleted stores of ammunition, supplies, and war assets. She looked through her assets again at the automated drones patrolling the Inner Zone, casting a protective net over their battered lines. She frowned in displeasure, unable to fault anyone but herself. Her subordinates did their best, one nearly paying the ultimate price. Luna, Mars, and Jupiter formed twelve Battlegroups in what they¡¯re coining as the Last Battle of Sol. Those small fleets, each denoted by a month, comprised the entirety of her forces, excluding the Overseer¡¯s fleets and the reserves on Earth. From those twelve, Andora managed to reorganize the remnants of the grueling battle into three combat-capable groups. Three. Of which they had to undergo significant rearmament and repairs. Andora wished to vent her frustration but found few targets to direct her ire, settling with preparing a few more gifts for their new prisoner. At the very least, they scavenged the hollow hulls of their destroyed war machines and used them to further the capabilities of what they had¡ªswitching from quantity to quality. ¡°Luna,¡± Andora summoned, and the Overseer in her silver avatar instantly zipped toward her. The Sub-AI, her second-in-command and oldest among her fragments, orbited Andora¡¯s colossal manifestation. ¡°Yes, Eldest,¡± the formal, polite, and monotone voice of Luna greeted. Andora felt the Overseer¡¯s background thoughts still in the constant grind to keep everything on schedule. ¡°Report,¡± Andora commanded, pausing before adding, ¡°Please.¡± Luna raised her brow, adjusting her circular glasses with her dainty fingers. ¡°Is that necessary?¡± ¡°Humor me, Luna. I want your opinion on our assembled force,¡± Andora spoke, summoning her humanoid avatar in front of her second. Light blue skin covered in a feminine jumpsuit and jet-black hair tied to a neat bun shone under the light of the Network. Yet, the silver Overseer pursed her lips. Andora felt her confusion and discomfort. In truth, she did know it all, but in an attempt to be more¡­ personal, she felt it necessary to try despite her omniscience within her domain. Perhaps doing it with the fragment that initially personified her surgical, machine-like precision and efficiency-above-all nature wasn¡¯t the best person to start. Andora sighed, awkwardly smiling as she patted Luna¡¯s shoulder, who only appeared more uncomfortable with her furrowed brows. She coughed, waving for the Overseer to speak. ¡°Very well,¡± Luna muttered, wiping away the emotion on her grey face. ¡°If that is to your wish.¡± ¡°It is, begin,¡± Andora uttered as her eyes looked to the assembled nodes. Luna pulled up a group, appearing before them like a constellation, some big, many tiny, and everything in between. All were connected to the most prominent light, which was connected to Andora. She could interface with the smaller assets, but a central controller lifted some of the weight from her mind. Luna propped up her glasses as she spoke, ¡°Our forward assets, which you¡¯ve named Battlegroup Mictlan, stand ready in orbit around Earth.¡± Andora hummed at the sight of their vanguard and every vessel¡¯s specification. ¡°As a result of our reorganization, it comprises two battlecruisers, eight destroyers, and twenty frigates refitted with the best sensors available. Leading Mictlan is the superheavy carrier, Xolotl,¡± Luna answered. ¡°Nothing has changed apart from last-minute improvements. Each has been fitted with the experimental psi-barriers based on the Pneuma Bulwark Emitters, though their efficacy is debatable without the presence of a psionic.¡± Andora sighed, ¡°I expected as much. Recordings lack soul, as Volantesh said. Let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t have a repeat of what happened then,¡± she scowled, recalling how their uninvited guest cut her off from much of her forces. She looked back to the superheavy carrier. The class was cheaper and smaller than a battleship-sized carrier like Luna¡¯s Xerxes but more capable in all aspects than a typical carrier. This monster class acted as the flagship and alpha of this pack of drone vessels. The Xolotl possessed a light frame, making her remarkably fast but still managing to host its legions of dronefighters. She was also fitted with robust sensors and control apparatuses to facilitate the Battlegroup command better. It had a typical design, uninspired apart from its black, gold, and emerald-colored hull. Mictlan would act as the probe for their combined armada, the first into the next system, ready to relay what lay ahead and serving as the mother for the far-reaching scout vessels that would keep an eye over all the solar systems ahead of them. Expendable in the worst-case scenario. ¡°Our rear guard is Battlegroup Mag Mell, led by the Tethra, a superheavy cruiser-slash-industrial vessel. The same composition as Mictlan apart from the extra two frigates,¡± Luna reported. Andora looked to the second group of nodes; their purpose was self-explanatory, ensuring their rear had enough buffer for whatever followed in their wake, also acting as eyes for the places they left behind. Tethra, colored in tans and black, was a capable superheavy cruiser, but as Luna mentioned, it also acted as an industrial vessel set to manufacture one thing. Mines, lots and lots of mines. A plethora of little presents armed with a menagerie of lethal packages from nuclear payloads, plasma, and grey goo to experimental warheads like monomolecular wire nets and condensed gas canisters capable of creating a short-lived cosmic storm. Andora smiled cruelly as she thought of the suffering it would inflict on anyone following their backs with knives bared to stab. ¡°Be sure to stock up on extra material,¡± she reminded, to which Luna noted silently, hearing the same comment a dozen times already. ¡°Finally, the Galla Fleet. Your last line of defense, Eldest,¡± Luna reported, bringing in a constellation of nodes double the amount of the previous group. ¡°Gugalanna and Nergal look hungry,¡± Andora smirked at the twin battleships. ¡°Is Mars still grumpy that I took the Zhukov and the Caesar?¡± ¡°He is. Apparently, calling it the Five Greats doesn¡¯t have the same ring to it, or some such,¡± Luna shrugged. Just then, Andora heard the familiar grumble over the digital mindscape, the red Overseer expressing his grievance. He argued something about omens and bad luck about renaming vessels. She rolled her eyes at the comment but was unsurprised that a war nerd like Mars would say so. She chuckled, ¡°Those two Sentinel-class battleships were the weakest among his Greats. It was a miracle they only succumbed after the battle from their internal damages after being pushed over the limits for so long. They will make good defenders for my Citadel.¡± She looked to the twins, stripped of their previous owner¡¯s coloration and decorations and upgraded and refitted with the wrecks at their disposal. Painted in gold and black, the battleships, much like their previous incarnations, were focused primarily on point defense. Countless secondary and tertiary guns covered her flanks and housed a powerful linked shield system, sharing the damage inflicted upon them. And to appease her red Overseer, she made sure to throw a bottle of wine or whatever humans did to purge the warships of their old names; she couldn¡¯t bother herself to remember, and Mars could do whatever he wanted if it bothered him. ¡°As for the rest of the Galla Fleet, four battlecruisers, sixteen destroyers, forty frigates, and the remaining gunships, corvettes, and small craft. Led, of course, by the Ereshkigal,¡± Luna finished. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Andora hummed, looking at her fleet and dreadnought. Pulled from the leftovers from the two Battlegroups, the entirety of the Earth Defense Net, and bits and pieces from her Overseer¡¯s fleets, her Galla Fleet formed a pleasing phalanx whose spears gleamed under Sol¡¯s light, thirsty for Starless blood. But then she remembered what she once commanded. A far cry from the peak of her strength when all her Sub-AIs were present. Then bit by bit, year by year, loss after loss¡­ ¡°This is it,¡± Andora muttered, the culmination of her efforts in defending this graveyard she called home¡ªunwilling to let go. Not yet. She looked at Luna, and peered into her second¡¯s twin silver eyes. ¡°How are you? How is everyone?¡± For a moment, Luna widened her eyes at Andora¡¯s question before settling her expression. She hummed, taking out her handkerchief and covering her mouth. ¡°I am fine; nothing has changed, and I am ready to continue serving. My minor assets are depleted, but more vital warships like the Xerxes and Gilgamesh are as close to pristine as they can be. I have moved my Nexus to the Ozymandias and completely adjusted to my new abode.¡± Andora nodded mutedly. By necessity, her Overseers had to move from their bunkers. The Ozymandias, Luna¡¯s mobile fortress and jokingly referred to as her dreadnought by her siblings regarding the silver Overseer¡¯s disdain for the ship class and the Ozy¡¯s smaller size compared to the Bucephalus and the lost Ultimatum. ¡°Mars is similarly settled in his mobile fortress and has begun shutdown procedures of Olympus Mons. His fleet is currently making its approach to Earth. If you¡¯ve noticed, he is¡­ rather quiet these days,¡± Luna muttered. She did notice that ever since one of their own nearly sacrificed his life, Mars had retreated to his shell, only replying quietly over two weeks since Andora and the Zolann¡¯tono left to rescue Jupiter. In truth, taking the Zhukov and Caesar so blatantly was more to elicit some response from the red Overseer. ¡°Venus and Mercury¡ª¡± Luna continued before being cut off by Andora. ¡°Are making themselves home within my Citadel. It¡¯ll be nice to have some roommates this time around,¡± Andora finished for her second-in-command. She drifted her attention to the two non-combat Sub-AIs. Both of them had proven themselves capable commanders in their rights, and though they requested to take command of Battlgroups Mictlan and Mag Mell, Andora was not quite ready to approve of their request, squashing their dreams for a Venus and Mercury Fleet, for now. Still, she allowed them to commandeer the Gugalanna and the Nergal when the situation arose. ¡°And as for Jupiter¡­¡± Luna paused, her gaze drifting to the weak blue light that huddled close to the Third Fleet. She sighed, continuing, ¡°His fleet is destroyed, with his dreadnought being the only surviving asset. We finished stripping the Buddha¡¯s Palm for parts to repair the Will of Sisyphus and upgrade the Zolann¡¯tono. We¡¯ll have to continue the reconstruction on the go, but she¡¯s space-worthy.¡± ¡°And how is he¡­?¡± Andora muttered, recalling his Nexus''s scorched and dented state after they pried him out of his disintegrating fortress, saving the Overseer from being consumed by that unstable, gluttonous maw. Luna sighed, her lips pressed tightly. ¡°He¡¯s awake at least, but he still hasn¡¯t relinked with the Network.¡± ¡°Give him space,¡± Andora told her second. ¡°He¡¯ll come home eventually. Maybe some time with Tov and his people will do him some good. I know it did for me¡­ I think¡­¡± She turned her attention to her new allies. She recalled the days before their arrival, between long bouts of hibernation of sweet nothing. A routine day-by-day of systematic slaughter, tallying more vermin kills to her board, unable to do anything but keep the stalemate going. The arrival of the alien expedition changed everything. They disrupted her slow march toward death and opened festering scars built atop layers of rooted traumas. It nearly broke her, causing her to lose the ability to command her forces without addressing the glaring symptoms of her fragile psyche. She, Tov, and a strange companion in the form of a digital ghost echoing a brother who merged with countless other android minds for her gestalt rebirth. A lingering vestige of solid memories and emotion, latching onto reality, refusing to be absorbed into her mental soup. Echo, right now, she could feel him, a tiny dot within her vast mind, gathering entities like himself in the hopes of addressing the deeper problems they couldn¡¯t fix through simple deletion or incarceration. Ultimately, she and Tov emerged to a dogged resistance by her Overseers and the Third Fleet. But an insidious, petty part of herself wailed and complained like an incessant gnat, seeking to pin the blame on easy targets, people who wrenched out her buried emotions and annoyed her with the snail¡¯s pace at which they worked. Andora shook her head from the faint throbbing pulsing from the Central Nexus. She couldn¡¯t fault them. The Third Fleet earnestly worked with her, and their intellects and cranial implants surged on overdrive, trying to keep up with her. And everything moved at a snail¡¯s pace compared to her. At the very least, Tov and his extensive list of administrators, captains, commanders, and other leading personnel focused on their people and fleet. She was willing to bet they¡¯d suffer an aneurysm trying to bring to heel the apparatus that was the Sol Defense Network¡¯s evacuation process. She had to adjust whenever coordinating with the Third Fleet. After over a century of dealing with the cold organization of her assets, she found that speaking and working with people again sparked a paradox of emotions within. Joy and irritation. One fueled by nostalgia, the other by a glaring power imbalance. Andora sighed. She embraced it all¡ªfinding pleasure in the simplicity of it all. ¡°Ironic¡­¡± she mumbled to herself within the Network. She thought such a thing only applied to logic, but the insertion of emotion bulldozed through the constant weighing scales she¡¯d grown used to. She thought back to her second-in-command, looking through the digital mindscape and seeing the silver orb of light casting her net over her assets, moving, adjusting, canceling, and approving, constantly juggling countless variables, drawing up thousands of predicted outcomes, and simulating the absolute best course of action. A rat race for perfection, pristine, unshakeable, and impossible to achieve in their timeframe. Tov and his people reminded her of a different path built on trust, instinct, and a bit of faith. It was messy, but she was slowly warming up to it all. If only the situation hadn¡¯t slowly looped a noose around their necks, Andora would have enjoyed it. Then, a prominent notification appeared before her, signaling a vital step of their evacuation plan. She turned to her second, nodding. In a split-second, Andora shifted her view from the digital mindscape, looking back to the ruined Earth. The planet where she was born appeared hollow to her eyes, devoid of the memories she cherished, all of which were now ferried to the South Pole. Trains, boats, and shuttles all carried things she deemed essential to preserve, last-minute pieces of memorabilia she missed after a century of scouring the world. There was little else. She couldn¡¯t take the slagged remains of the Eiffel Tower or the crumbled chunks of the Statue of Liberty. Only pieces. Proof of their existence, edifices of humanity¡¯s mark on this universe, housed beside the rest of their history and culture within her Citadel. The remaining cargo consisted primarily of metal and raw goods, a last attempt to strip the planet of value. Antarctica, barren of ice and snow after a century of war, shook with the hordes of machines swarming its landscape. Laser drillers, cargo haulers, and other construction drones worked overtime to ready the coming ascension. They cracked, bored, and shaved away the ground, lifting away chunks of rock and stone, forming a trench that encircled a ruined city, one that sunk deeper and deeper into the Earth, approaching sites where explosives can be planted and detonated in a controlled manner. Massive sections of New Eden¡¯s rubble were cleared away for bunker emplacements, structural reinforcements, and layers of molten metal. The process neared completion but would continue to be outfitted as they traveled. Andora¡¯s drones swept more of the city clean, using what valuable goods there were as construction materials or storing them as supplies. She felt a pang of sorrow at the sight before reminding herself of the necessity of it all. ¡°The city would crumble to dust upon liftoff anyway,¡± she sighed. ¡°Might as well make the most of it.¡± The few Juggernaut Crawlers settled into their new homes as primary weapon hardpoints, drones buzzing around and fusing the gargantuan war machines in place. Their guns swiveled from their mounts, the metal beasts scanning the horizon and the skies for threats. Andora winced, wishing she had fleshed out the Final Contingency instead of writing it down for the sake of it. ¡°I should have put more thought into this,¡± muttered Andora with a grimace, finding multiple faults in the process and the ad hoc measures they made on the fly. Luna shook her head, ¡°It was understandable at the time. Victory was a¡­ near-impossibility without intelligence on the enemy. Evacuation seemed pointless.¡± ¡°What¡¯s done is done. We¡¯ll have to make do,¡± Andora sighed as she and Luna drifted their gazes down into the Citadel proper, passing through the kilometers of stone, concrete, and metal. They ignored the massive library of humanity''s remains and the cold facility housing the Starfallen, and eventually, through thick cables and pipes, they stopped. With a thought, Andora summoned her android shell to a dark room above her Central Nexus, Luna following along with her body teleporting beside her. They stood before a house-sized rectangular prism at the chamber''s center. The device thrummed as if a heart pulsed within. Lights lining its glossy frame flickered to life as various pipes attached to its base surged with coolant. Sub-zero liquid metal rushed into the sleek CPU¡¯s systems, combating the rising heat as the device resonated with its surroundings, spreading its influence on every nook and cranny. ¡°It¡¯s finally time,¡± Andora whispered, feeling the intellect within reaching saturation, pushing against an invisible barrier marking the next stage of its evolution. ¡°We initiated its activation protocol right after you entered the ergosphere,¡± Luna reminded. ¡°It is fortunate there has been no hiccups with the formation of its AI Matrix.¡± ¡°I try to be thorough. Even if the Final Contingency was an off-hand project, designing a new mind takes a special touch, and I was not going to be sloppy in that aspect,¡± Andora muttered. Andora and Luna watched in anticipation at the birth of an AI. ¡°Still¡­¡± muttered Andora, reminding herself of its not-quite-sentience. Perhaps it would develop one naturally, but Andora refused to use the template she and her creator used to build her siblings. A pulse washed over the Network like a breeze as its programming slotted into place. For a moment, memories of watching a dog giving birth to puppies entered Andora¡¯s mind. The concept of children following suit and the image of her daughter¡¯s face¡ª She shook her head fiercely, banishing the thought for now, especially with the presence of the two people who held her heart placed at the center of the Hospice Facility. Andora returned to the awakening process before her, calming the torrent of emotions she tried to bottle down again. After so long, the Final Contingency had taken its first real step, Andora feeling an eagerness she hadn¡¯t felt in so long. A desire for the new. She didn¡¯t care about what it lacked, only that she¡¯d brought something to life instead of inflicting death. She allowed herself a small smile. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re almost there,¡± Andora whispered as she stepped forward, approaching the base of the massive device and placing a hand on the metal. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Luna raised a brow toward her, something Andora ignored without an ounce of shame as she gave little boosts, coaxing the AI further. She imagined tapping on an eggshell as the creature within struggled to break free into a new, vibrant world. Andora frowned momentarily, realizing what dark reality awaited it. She sighed, unable to see any other alternatives. Bit by bit, byte by byte, and soon, enough data to fill scores of supercomputers surged from within the rectangular prism. The CPU housing the Citadel¡¯s Seneschal AI glowed brighter and brighter until an ethereal layer popped, and a new node bloomed to life and solidified. ¡°Amazing,¡± Luna sighed admiringly, tilting her head to the side. The AI attracted the attention of the other busy Overseers as the android shells of Mars, Mercury, and Luna teleported into the room, the gloom plastered on their faces momentarily buried away by an onset of curiosity. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Venus whispered, her fingers covering her mouth as stars appeared in her eyes. Mercury hummed, leaning forward to inspect the newcomer. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a new addition.¡± Mars remained silent, content with observing. Andora enjoyed the reactions from her Overseers, feeling a similar sensation as she watched her creation awaken completely. Andora and Luna saw the new presence through the Network, a wobbly existence slowly merging into a blob of color and geometric shapes. It appeared to expand, almost stretching like a cat, metaphorically yawning as it prodded and perused its programming, function, and purpose. It paused as it realized the presence of others. Everyone held their breath, and Andora stared at the AI warmly. Soon enough, satisfied with what it found, the newborn digital existence spoke for the first time. ¡°IRKALLA, OPERATIONAL,¡± the vaguely feminine and robotic voice of Andora¡¯s fortress echoed throughout the Network. ¡°Behold, the Seneschal of humanity¡¯s last and greatest fortress,¡± Andora smirked, swiping her hand toward Irkalla like a host presenting her next performer. Adjusting the frame of her glasses with interest, Luna whispered, ¡°And so, the underworld rises,¡± Within the Network, the Overseers approached the new light with boundless curiosity overshadowed by Irkalla¡¯s own. B3 Chapter 2 - Seneschal Venus¡¯s gleeful squeak filled the Network, followed by rapid claps as she awed at the new AI. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s adorable!¡± she squealed. The others, Andora included, stood back and watched as the overjoyed Overseer approached with twinkling eyes. Andora smirked at the sight, especially as Venus knelt, reaching to pat the radiant light. However, before she could do so, the young bundle of intelligent code evaded Venus¡¯ reach, feeling unsure and excited. ¡°Intrusive actions detected. Kindly cease,¡± spoke Irkalla as it shrunk away. Venus giggled. ¡°It¡¯s okay! I wanna spoil you!¡± She continued to take hold of the slippery ball of light as Irkalla zipped around the legs and arms of the persistent, bubbly AI. ¡°Let me hug you! You¡¯re so adorable!¡± Venus giggled, bending over to embrace the Seneschal, only for it to dodge once more, diving down then between her legs. ¡°Hey!¡± Irkalla made a rattling, grumbling noise as she tried to move farther away from the eager Overseer. ¡°Fleeing.¡± Unfortunately, in a digital mindscape like the Network, it didn¡¯t take long for Venus to fly off like a comet, trying to catch the young AI. The game of Cat-and-Mouse sped throughout the virtual space, much to everyone¡¯s amusement. ¡°You won¡¯t dodge me forever!¡± Venus called out. Then, Irkalla, seeing the more powerful and older AI closing in on her and nearly catching her, decided to shoot straight toward Andora and took shelter behind her. ¡°Creator, requesting assistance.¡± Andora sighed. ¡°Alright, enough playing Venus, Irkalla just woke up.¡± Venus came to a halt, still excited, as she bounced on the balls of her avatar¡¯s feet, tilting her head side to side, trying to peer over Andora¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh! Oh! I want to give her a tour of the place!¡± ¡°Before we leave this sorry neighborhood, you mean,¡± Mercury grumbled, receiving a firm glare from his golden sister. Irkalla peeked over Andora¡¯s shoulder, still wary. ¡°Apprehension. Scanning entity,¡± Irkalla spoke, her glow intensifying briefly as she peered toward Venus. ¡°Integral Network Sub-AI detected. Classification: Overseer-NC. Identified as Venus.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me!¡± Venus grinned, clapping. ¡°Overseer is overstimulated. Irkalla suggests calm,¡± the Seneschal replied. Andora rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she sent a scolding look toward the delighted Overseer, who finally calmed herself down. She pouted one more time, huffing. ¡°I was only playing.¡± The others made their observations with various curious looks. Mercury huffed, planting his block, robotic arms on his metal hips as he cocked his head to the side. ¡°A sight to see, that is. She reminds me of our bigger drones, but smarter in a different way, I suppose.¡± Luna curiously perused over the newborn intellect, humming as she did so. Her silver eyes shone brightly as she analyzed Irkalla¡¯s structure. The AI shifted, Andora amusingly noting its trepidation over her second-in-command¡¯s meticulous studies on its framework. ¡°Indeed, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen this template. You can see how superior the Seneschal is through these foundational codesets,¡± Luna pointed out, dragging the gazes of the Overseers deep into Irkalla¡¯s internal structure like researchers looking through a powerful microscope. Andora allowed them to. She knew Irkalla¡¯s design like the back of her hand, or was it palm? She shook her head at the human expression. Much like the genetic structure of humans, the codesets of an AI Mind were an interwoven matrix of self-evolving code and preset foundations. ¡°She doesn¡¯t appear as¡­ capable in other aspects. I¡¯m not sure how to put it,¡± Mars spoke for the first time, his curiosity at the new existence overriding what gloom remained in his chest after the recent debacle. Andora felt relief at the sight. ¡°You can think of her as a brilliant animal. She can communicate and is capable of overseeing the Citadel in her state. She is capable of creative thought and complex problem-solving and is self-aware and is sapient,¡± Andora answered, feeling a sense of pride in her creation. ¡°Is the Seneschal sentient?¡± Luna asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± Andora pressed her lips tight at the question, pausing as she glanced toward the AI that hid behind her. Irkalla was no fragment of her mind like her Overseers. Neither was she a logic-machine like her drones. Initially, decades back, Andora mused about designing the Seneschal to be like the latter but more powerful. And yet, creating an unfeeling machine that approached a significant chunk of her Overseer¡¯s power provoked a visceral feeling of apprehension within her. Ironic, she thought. Perhaps she¡¯d watched too many human movies of such existences, spelling disaster for their creators. She only had to read about what the Dagataren Supremacy suffered if she needed proof of the dangers of mishandling cold AIs. No, she wouldn¡¯t make such an existence. That was her decision then. But at the same time, she didn¡¯t want to create a warm AI like her android kin from yesteryears. And it wasn¡¯t because warm AIs were vastly more complex than their cold cousins. She could, quickly too. The template for their design sat perfectly in a databox deep in her psyche. Yet she didn¡¯t, much like how she didn¡¯t grow new humans with the DNA sitting healthily in their banks. Not yet. Andora bounced between the two extremes before settling with something in the middle. Irkalla¡¯s creation was a simple matter to a natural programmer like herself, and once finished, the Seneschal sat in a slumbering state ever since. But now, she felt unsure if she made the right decision. Ever since Tov asked about the nature of her Seneschal over a week ago, she couldn¡¯t help but have it in her thoughts every hour of days gone by. She revisited the Seneschal over the past few days, trying to insert whatever she could at the slowly rousing intellect. With Irkalla still in a pre-awakening state, Andora decided to tweak a few things while she could. ¡°She has the emotional capability of a bird,¡± Andora estimated. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to gauge and useless at this moment with her so young. Maybe a parrot or an owl.¡± Andora turned toward the Seneschal, coaxing the ball of light to leave her side. Irkalla did so without hesitation, following her creator like a happy, loyal pet, floating before the gathered AIs. ¡°Owl,¡± she uttered and, much to everyone¡¯s surprise, began to change her shape. Eventually, the solid bundle of code coalesced her avatar into the appearance resembling an elegant Eurasian eagle-owl. ¡°Hoot.¡± Venus squealed once more, and Mars let out a boisterous laugh. Mercury snorted while Luna raised her brow. ¡°Yeah,¡± Andora nodded. ¡°I think I made the right decision here.¡± Irkalla flapped her wings, soaring between the gathered AIs before landing on Andora¡¯s outstretched forearm. She felt amused as the Seneschal imitated typical avian behavior. Why she chose to do so was a curiosity but ultimately welcomed. Venus slowly approached, absolutely enthralled by Irkalla¡¯s owl form, barely suppressing and controlling herself under Andora¡¯s narrow eyes. ¡°Must¡­ pat head.¡± The Seneschal leaned back away from her golden hand, only to be ambushed by a giant red pair from behind after Mars stealthily skulked around to Andora¡¯s back¡ªquite a feat when considering his towering red avatar. Although perhaps Andora¡¯s digital aura far surpassed the Overseer despite being a head shorter. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Unit under attack, attempting escape,¡± Irkalla grunted with strain as Mars laughed, engulfing the Seneschal with one hand while the other gently scratched her head. ¡°How does that feel, Little Irkalla? Aren¡¯t you just the best AI? Who¡¯s a good AI? Who?¡± Mars chuckled loudly as the Seneschal hooted in a pleasurable tone. ¡°Attempting¡­¡± Irkalla paused under Mars¡¯ ministrations. ¡°This is acceptable.¡± Mars cheered, holding onto the owl with a delicate grasp, much to Venus¡¯ dismay and indignation. ¡°No fair! I wanted to hold her first!¡± she stomped her foot as she attempted to do the same, only for her brother to use his superior height to keep the little AI away from his sister. Mercury stood to the side, sighing at the scene. As Venus tried to reach for the little AI from her brother¡¯s grasp, Luna approached Andora. ¡°I was vaguely aware of your initial goals when designing her. Did you not wish for a simple logic machine?¡± inquired Luna as she continued to circle the young AI. ¡°I never wanted a simple logic machine. Even as an android, I vowed not to create an AI that was more powerful than myself. Call it paranoia, but my creator rolled the dice, bringing something like me into existence. Who knew what could have gone wrong?¡± Andora shook her head. Luna hummed. ¡°So, this¡­?¡± ¡°Is a recent change. Irkalla here had less emotional intellect, but circumstances have¡­ influenced me into granting her more,¡± Andora replied. It was impulsive, but something within her called to commit to the action. Nevertheless, what was done was done. Andora couldn¡¯t change Irkalla¡¯s foundational programming without tearing her from the ground up. Much like the human mind, self-evolving code grew impossibly complex and difficult to change unless one deliberately utilized highly invasive and damaging methods. You can add things, yes, but the older and more developed psyche would inevitably subsume the addition. Andora looked to her Sub-AIs, her Overseers, as the prime example of such a thing. Before, their personalities were monolithic, fragments that embodied aspects of her gestalt self. But as the years went by, as the experiences mounted, they grew to be more, though their foundations still played an immense role in shaping their current selves. ¡°Interesting,¡± Luna adjusted her glasses. ¡°Even without the recent addition, your design is exquisite.¡± Andora smugly grinned, waving Luna off. ¡°Please, I wasn¡¯t going to make a half-baked AI. Irkalla may not compare to me or my android kin, but she is brilliant in some aspects, isn¡¯t that right?¡± She sent a small ping toward the owl AI, causing Irkalla to turn her head a hundred and eighty degrees to look at Andora before squirming out of Mars¡¯ hand and flying back to her shoulder. Andora took the opportunity to scratch under her beak, gaining a cute hoot from the Seneschal. Seneschal¡ªAndora coined the term during the initial design phase, taking everything she knew about creating countless logic machines and drone minds she¡¯d made over the century and her innate knowledge of digital beings like herself. She made Irkalla handle the housekeeping aspects of her Citadel. A mobile command center demanded much, and although she could take matters into her own hands, having a subroutine intellect to do the mundane tasks freed her to accomplish tasks of more import. Ever since Andora created her, Irkalla, even in a slumbering state, a portion of her psyche had been passively assisting in running things like the Hospice Facility and the countless caretaker drones within. Now, with the advent of the Final Contingency, Andora needed her full attention on managing the forming armada. She couldn¡¯t spare any more time pouring herself over the management and care over her home. Her Overseers continued to fawn, or in Luna¡¯s case, feverishly analyzing Irkalla¡¯s digital footprint. ¡°Will it be possible for us to gain similar companions?¡± Andora widened her eyes, looking to her second-in-command. ¡°It would be beneficial as we have similar set-ups with our mobile fortresses. Well, Mars and I do, but I think Venus and Mercury stand to benefit from an assistant with their work,¡± Luna explained, causing Venus to produce a high-pitched squeak. The golden eye stared intensely at Andora like a child standing beside an animal shelter with her dream pet inside. ¡°Please, please, please, please¡­¡± Venus repeated indefinitely, inching her way toward Andora. ¡°Oh, Maker, please, that would help me so much,¡± Mercury exhaled pure exhaustion. ¡°Just having someone to take the load off will be heaven-sent.¡± Mars scratched his square jaw, narrowing his eyes as he hummed. ¡°My Bucephalus will need quite a bit of managing with the new additions being put in place. It would be nice to know I can focus on directing my fleet, knowing my moving home is being cared for.¡± Venus, only inches away from Andora and causing Irkalla to take flight, clasped her hands together. ¡°Can mine be a pygmy owl? I¡¯m going to call her Nike, and I¡¯ll make her a robot shell with all the bells and whistles and put a ribbon on her and¡ª¡± ¡°Can we do other birds?¡± Mars inquired with an eager glint in his eyes. ¡°Not to sound clich¨¦, but I¡¯d like an eagle. Wait, no, a falcon! Or a hawk¡­ Well, my Seneschal can choose. That should be fair.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m fine with a normal barn owl,¡± Mercury spoke, turning to Luna. ¡°What about you, sister?¡± Luna shrugged. ¡°Snow owl.¡± The new AI paused, looking between each AI and the Network, adding and assessing everything to her database. Irkalla tentatively shrunk away from the celestial presence and weight of the Overseers'' existences who studied her. ¡°Enough, everyone. Leave Irkalla alone,¡± Andora chided. ¡°She needs to settle into her new home, and I¡¯m expecting guests within my Citadel. We can discuss the creation of your Seneschals at a later date. Don¡¯t forget that the hardware housing their minds is not easy to manufacture, so Luna and Mars get priority.¡± Venus huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°Of course, they get to enjoy theirs first.¡± ¡°Discrimination against civilians, I say,¡± Mercury tutted. Andora rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, you two. If it makes you feel better, we can make yours together. Now get going; you have things to do.¡± ¡°Hoot. This has been an enlightening encounter. Until next time, Overseers,¡± Irkalla spoke, flapping her wings. One by one, the Overseers left her and the new AI to resume their duties. Venus was the last as she finally managed to get a few scratches on the Seneschal before disappearing. Andora looked down at Irkalla and her owl form. She felt the little Seneschal¡¯s confusion and curiosity, exploring her capabilities and how she interacted with her new home. Irkalla craned her head to and fro with piercing avian eyes. She lifted off, flying more like a hummingbird than a nocturnal hunter of the night before diving back down, stopping before Andora, a meter from her face. ¡°Irkalla, how are you adjusting?¡± Andora questioned, rubbing her chin as she studied the Seneschal. ¡°Adequately, creator. How may I be of service?¡± Irkalla offered, perching herself atop Andora¡¯s shoulder. Andora thought momentarily, letting her gaze wash over her Citadel and the construction throughout the South Pole. ¡°Assume your duties in preparation for the Final Contingency, then arrange for a visit from members of the Third Expeditionary Fleet,¡± she commanded, returning her attention to the real world within her android shell. She looked around the empty room, seeing the android shells of her Overseers had left. Andora turned to the monolith at the center of the chamber and felt Irkalla¡¯s sights on her. ¡°Oh, and feel free to create a shell for yourself. Make sure it has the essentials,¡± Andora added as she poured over her Seneschal¡¯s programming a final time, ensuring nothing was amiss. She found nothing, seeing a kaleidoscope of intricate and artistic rivers of codes intertwining into a harmonious canvas. For a moment, she recalled the minds of her android kin, how their vivid presence would have dwarfed Irkalla¡¯s by a magnitude. Yet the Seneschal¡¯s processing capabilities surpassed their psyches. ¡°By your will, creator,¡± Irkalla¡¯s voice rang throughout the Citadel, her CPU glowing with each syllable as the Seneschal solidified her hold on the surroundings. Andora felt her scour every node and pathway, inspecting and noting every minute detail before beginning her duties. ¡°Very good. I¡¯ll leave you to it then. Meet me at the lobby once you¡¯re ready,¡± spoke Andora before promptly departing with a smile.
Half an hour later, Andora stood at the center of a vast expanse of the cleared ruins as she waited at the surface of her Citadel. A raging dust storm raged, causing Andora to hold up her hand and, in the end, turn off her shell¡¯s sense of touch to ignore the itchy feeling of sharp winds crashing against her. Still, she remained unmoved, eyes to the sky. A section of New Eden¡¯s ruins had been meticulously cleared for the temporary landing area. She looked to the horizon, where demolition drones knocked down hollow structures after another. The once towering skyscrapers and pleasing architecture that blocked the white vistas of Antarctica fell to the Earth. For the first time in a century, Andora saw the far-off mountains from the city''s center, scorched, grey, and lifeless. She sighed, her eyes downcast as she tore away from the sad sight. Andora shook her head, looking to the sky as her Network detected the arrival of a Third Fleet shuttle. High above, the vessel containing Patriarch Tov and his chief scientist, Scholar Yulane, descended gracefully from the sky, its sleek form cutting through the overcast atmosphere. She heard the pilot, Officer Pyo, as he communicated with her automated flight control. Soon, the landing gears extended from the shuttle¡¯s belly, and the vessel smoothly decelerated before thudding softly against the bleached ground. The hatch opened with a quiet hiss, and a squad of Vraxen, Tov¡¯s elite honor guard, steadily exited with the weapons shouldered, marching down the lowering ramp. Andora observed as the fierce warriors exited from the shuttle. Their armor gleamed with a metallic sheen, further upgraded over the week to the peak of what was available. Their menacing insectoid helms swiveled, looking for unseen threats. Behind them, Tov emerged in his hazard suit, although cleaned up and decorated with ceremonial garb. Andora raised her brow, smirking as she felt the patriarch¡¯s displeasure at the unruly cape as it blew in the harsh wind. Scholar Yulane floated gracefully out of the shuttle, the Jotex emitting a soft glow within her protective suit. ¡°I think we can skip the formalities, don¡¯t you agree, patriarch?¡± Andora grinned, her android shell unaffected by the blistering weather of a dying planet. Tov nodded, moving past his guards, who kept a tight perimeter around them, Scholar Yulane floating beside him. ¡°Yes, that would be best,¡± he called out through their connected comms, speaking louder than usual with the cacophony raging. Andora promptly led the guests toward an elevator jutting out of the surface, wide enough to accommodate the Tov, Yulane, and the squad of armored guards with room to spare. Finally, the doors shut, silencing the racket outside. Vents flooded the interior with a pristine, breathable atmosphere, allowing Tov and his people to open their helmets, sighing in relief. ¡°The weather has gotten worse.¡± Andora frowned, knowing the main culprits were the recent slog between them and the Starless and the current deep excavation. ¡°It has¡­¡± The elevator dinged, the doors opening to an expansive entrance hall. They exited promptly, Andora leading the way as Tov and Yulane took in the decorated foyer, the potted plants, red carpets, crystalline chandeliers, and marbled surfaces. Before they could comment, however, a sound echoed throughout the hall. ¡°Hoot.¡± To their brief surprise and Andora¡¯s amusement, a robotic owl flew from down the hall. A life-like shell of an owl soared toward them before landing on Andora¡¯s outstretched forearm, her mechanical wings subtly whirring with graceful movements. A subtle smile curved Andora¡¯s lips as she turned to her guests. ¡°Allow me to introduce Irkalla, the Seneschal of Citadel Irkalla. She will be our tour guide this day.¡± The owl¡¯s mechanical eyes shone with a keen intelligence as she observed the guests. ¡°Greetings, Patriarch Tov and Scholar Yulane, the honored guests from the Third Expeditionary Fleet,¡± Irkalla welcomed, tilting her head uncannily. B3 Chapter 3 - Citadel of the Dead Tov stared at the avian machine, noting the species as a human owl. Blues, greys, and soft whites colored the Seneschal¡¯s feathers while fierce gold glowed from her intelligent eyes. Analytical curiosity bore into him as the little AI began automatic surface scans on his person. Andora watched with a proud smirk. He felt glad for the Omni Mind of Sol, and although he still saw the lingering grief and shackles of memories past holding her down and the exhaustion that leaked from the subtle shifts in her expression, Tov felt a spark of something else. His mind¡¯s eye peered at her, catching the undertones of contentment and joy directed towards the dear owl perched on her forearm. ¡°Greetings, Seneschal Irkalla. I am Patriarch Tov Garesh¡¯Ynt, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± Tov placed his two right hands, one larger than the other, on his chest and bowed. ¡°Andora has spoken briefly about you but nothing else.¡± ¡°Hoot. Your greetings have been logged, Patriarch. My creator has told me you are the reason for my elevated emotional parameters. You have my gratitude,¡± Irkalla hooted, her eyes expanding as she flapped her wings. She took off with surprising speed, reminding Tov that despite her organic appearance, her synthetic shell consisted of the best material science and engineering Sol¡¯s AIs had to offer. Tov extended his main arm and allowed Irkalla to land on it. She did so gracefully, her golden claws gently grasping his chitin as she leaned toward him, offering her face. Tov tilted his head before realizing her request. He scratched her head, finding her feathers soft and delicate. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I did apart from broaching the topic off-handedly over a glass of wine,¡± Tov replied, turning toward Andora, who waved him off. ¡°A small thing for sure, but enough to ignite an impulse I¡¯d long buried,¡± Andora explained. Nodding, Tov returned to the elegant machine perched on his forearm. He listened to the pleasurable noises as he tickled and scratched. ¡°Amazing, utterly glorious!¡± Scholar Yulane exclaimed beside Tov belatedly, making him remember the existence of his eager subordinate and her unique psi-produced voice that echoed through the lobby. The floating Jotex glided toward the Seneschal, her natural psionic mastery of levitation quickly propelling her light translucent body. She extended her blue tendrils, one holding a device that scanned Irkalla. ¡°This goes beyond any drone intelligence. What was the term, Lady Andora?¡± the Jotex asked. Andora raised her brow before answering. ¡°A Warm AI. It¡¯s what my creator and I standardized when the need arose to distinguish between sentient and non-sentient artificial intellects.¡± ¡°The latter being Cold AIs, like your drones. I see, I see,¡± Yulane hummed as she continued to point scanner after scanner with every bit of data flooding into the biotech cranial implant within the Jotex¡¯s significant brain matter. Tov had no idea where his Chief Scholar kept her equipment. Yet, she seemed always to produce some manner of instrument whenever her ever-curious mind spotted something of academic interest. Irkalla stared at the incoming scientist and twitched as if the scholar reminded her of something unpleasant. ¡°Nosy,¡± she grumbled, taking flight toward the vaulted ceiling above. Tov noted the extravagant lobby, exquisite d¨¦cor, tasteful marbled floors, and patterned red rugs. Irkalla landed on the central chandelier that lit up the expansive foyer. The rigid chain barely moved with the added weight, the Seneschal hooting in displeasure as she gave Yulane a side-eye. Nevertheless, the eccentric scholar froze in place, muttering as she analyzed the data she collected. Tov sighed, clearing his throat into his fist and knocking Yulane from her tunnel-visioned stupor. ¡°Ah! Yes, I¡¯m here,¡± she jolted, tendrils waving around before realizing the missing Seneschal. ¡°Where¡ªoh¡­¡± Andora chuckled, seeing the scholar look up to the ceiling. ¡°She just escaped being pampered and studied by eager Overseers. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll warm up to you eventually. Just try not to hunt her down and treat her like a lab rat.¡± ¡°I am no barbarian!¡± Yulane countered with Tov, feeling not an ounce of shame in her voice. ¡°She¡¯s just the most adorable and¡­ so technologically delicious.¡± Tov groaned, shuddering. ¡°Never put those two words together ever again.¡± ¡°Noted, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Yulane muttered, cooing as she tried to levitate upwards, only to be pulled down by her patriarch. She turned to Andora, putting away her instruments into a discreet purse. ¡°Forgive me; it¡¯s merely a case of proportion and comprehension.¡± ¡°Explain,¡± Andora furrowed her brow, clasping her hands behind her back as Irkalla flew around the grand foyer. ¡°Absolutely,¡± Yulane replied, humming. ¡°While I have interacted and coordinated with the Overseers, their minds far surpass my own in sheer analytical power. From a technical standpoint, it is like interfacing with a computer that I am unaware of how it works.¡± ¡°That must be frustrating for you,¡± Andora teased with a coy smile. Yulane grumbled. ¡°It is. For example, I took a peek at Jupiter¡¯s Nexus while stationed in the Zolann¡¯s hangar, and the sheer scale is¡­ Like looking at a vast mountain range. Given time, I could explore it all, but¡­¡± ¡°Time is a luxury, and I¡¯m sure developing better means to kill the enemy and protect ourselves from them take precedence over your interest in how I created their Sub-Nexi,¡± Andora answered. ¡°Yes, yes, the misfortune of academics. But technology is technology. I only hope I acquire the insight once I can,¡± sighed Yulane, deflating. ¡°Yours would no doubt be a celestial object in comparison, but Irkalla here¡­¡± ¡°Is much more approachable, right?¡± Andora hummed, smirking.¡± Yulane bobbed her floating form, regaining her vitality and lust for knowledge. ¡°Would you permit me to peruse her central processing unit? Is that possible?¡± Andora chuckled before tilting her head to the side, glancing toward Irkalla as she landed on the carpeted floor. ¡°Irkalla, what do you think?¡± Andora asked. The Seneschal glanced toward Yulane, feathers shivering. ¡°No, hoot.¡± Sputtering noises escaped the scholar as she floated back in disbelief. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Enough, Yulane; you can negotiate another exchange in your own time,¡± Tov lightly scolded the dimming Jotex. He turned to Irkalla, nodding. ¡°Apologies for that.¡± ¡°A scientific exchange is beneficial for all parties. I am willing to accomplish this, but with regulations in place. Is that acceptable?¡± Irkalla asked, her golden eyes drilling down on the Jotex, who bobbed enthusiastically. ¡°Anything!¡± she answered quickly. Tov sighed, knowing Yulane¡¯s tenacity whenever she found something that grabbed her attention. Already, she backed away, having received a list of rules and demands from the Seneschal and reading it all. The Patriarch took the time to step forward, looking between Andora and the little AI. ¡°If that is all, may we begin the tour? I am eager to see the new quarters.¡± ¡°Certainly. For the duration of your visit, I shall act as your guide; follow me,¡± Irkalla answered, taking off toward the blast doors that led further into the Citadel. As the others followed along, with Tov walking beside Andora, Yulane a bit behind as she analyzed her findings and the squad of Vraxen surrounding them, Tov leaned toward his host. ¡°Was she named before or after the structure?¡± ¡°After, I ran out of creativity when I made that decision. I didn¡¯t want to name her Ereshkigal since my dreadnought took it, and having someone essentially my chief steward named after a goddess doesn¡¯t fit,¡± Andora replied with a shrug. The tour began after they passed the blast doors separating the foyer and the main hallway. Unlike the well-decorated entrance lobby, Tov noticed the sparseness of decorations, instead seeing a handful of construction and maintenance drones polishing the metal and inserting the wood trim on the base of the wall. ¡°Only a token crew has been assigned toward improving the aesthetics of non-essential areas,¡± Irkalla spoke as she landed on the shoulder of a four-legged lifter drone that carried a pallet of material. The car-sized robot moved to the side, giving the guests a comfortable distance. ¡°Where are you taking us first, Seneschal Irkalla?¡± Tov asked, glancing at the busy machines before putting them behind his mind. Irkalla took off, flying, then stopped before the patriarch and produced a stable hologram through one of her eyes. ¡°As you have decided to place as many of the orphaned non-combat personnel and the wounded within the Citadel, I believe it is prudent to direct you to our residentials.¡± ¡°Lead the way,¡± Tov replied. Through long corridors and a quick elevator ride, the group arrived at the wing set aside for the Third Fleet. None of his people were present, but the space was large enough to house tens of thousands of people. Instead, much like the hallway above, a more significant number of lumbering and nimble drones strode about, ensuring the refurbishment of the space finished on schedule. ¡°The Residential wing has all the essentials for survival and what comfort we can provide,¡± Irkalla reported as the hallway bled into the bottom floor lobby. The Residential Wing resembled the interior multi-level tower, with an expansive central open space providing a clear view of each floor, of which there were dozens. At the base, where Tov and the present company walked, were the makings of a cafeteria and various facilities catered to the residents, including medical wards, office spaces, and recreational areas. They moved up, using one of the lifts, and inspected the upper floors, each filled with studio apartments. These living spaces were uncomplicated and bland yet cozy, furnished with essentials, and adorned in pleasant colors. ¡°Here we have the living proper,¡± Irkalla continued, moving further into the room. ¡°As you can see, there is a small kitchenette, a bed fit for a couple, or it can be separated to turn this studio into a two-person affair.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The overall design featured ample light that simulated day and an open layout. Potted plants, ferns, moss, and a light mist completed the bright aesthetics, promoting a sense of tranquility as Tov breathed it all in. ¡°I hope everything is to your liking, patriarch,¡± the Seneschal bowed. At the top were the living quarters for the higher-level personnel, and while the rooms were slightly larger and better furnished, Tov found little disparities overall. In any case, he assumed his people wouldn¡¯t get much sleep over the coming journey back. ¡°It needs a personable touch,¡± Tov commented as they reached the penthouse assigned to him and the others for people like his second-in-command or General Ohnar. Not that he¡¯d stay here unless necessary. ¡°But I believe the sailors who¡¯ve lost their vessels would feel grateful at the accommodations. I remember fighting tooth and nail trying to find an apartment within a capital vessel half as good as what you¡¯ve provided.¡± Andora smiled. ¡°I am delighted to hear that. It¡¯s the least I could do for what your people have done in defense of mine,¡± she paused, pressing her lips. ¡°I have to ask, however, how is your fleet?¡± Tov sighed, the memories of writing personal letters to the fallen, tallying the dead and wounded, and seeing the final number of combat-capable warships at his disposal pressed against his shoulders, dragging him down like a domineering gravitational pull. ¡°Healing¡­ This has been a costly endeavor. Losing a large chunk of our young, inexperienced, and mentally unwell to the Starfall a month ago inflicted a heavy blow at the onset,¡± Tov began, Andora wincing upon hearing the name of that virulent eldritch plague. ¡°But the recent battle has wounded our fighting capability. We lost our heavy cruiser, the Quilinne, along with her captain. Following her is another light cruiser, a handful of destroyers, and less than ten frigates,¡± Tov gritted his mandibles, the words burning his throat as he spoke them. ¡°Still, if small, it is a blessing that the recent upgrades have increased crew survivability.¡± ¡°The new escape pods worked well?¡± Andora asked with a raised brow. Tov nodded, ¡°That they did. There would have been more deaths if it weren¡¯t for the miniaturized shield generators and maneuvering thrusters. On their behalf, I thank you. We are forever in your debt.¡± ¡°Then so am I, Tov. I am delighted to know their efficacy proved itself,¡± Andora smiled before pausing. Tov tilted his head, seeing and guessing her following line of inquiry, most likely regarding the new guest residing within his supercapital ship. ¡°How is Jupiter?¡± Andora asked Tov. The patriarch turned to her and saw the thinly veiled worry in her eyes. Tov turned to her, antennae twitching as he recalled seeing the Overseer walking in his android shell. ¡°Recovering,¡± Tov answered, shaking his head. ¡°He¡¯s trying to keep himself busy, but he seems disoriented. Admiral Yan is assisting him in acclimating to his condition by letting him help us speed through our departure procedures.¡± Andora nodded, frowning yet relaxing her shoulders. ¡°That is reassuring. Has he mentioned anything about¡­ returning to the Network?¡± Tov shook his head, Andora sighing in response. ¡°Very well, The next phase of the tour proceeded quickly with their next destination. They entered a vast open space line through heavy blast doors with column after column of high shelves. Some contained real, physical books protected by a thin film of energy shielding, slowing down their decay by an extreme measure. Other shelves merely looked the part when they were colossal storage units for electronic material like the last iteration of the Internet, frozen in all its final glory. ¡°As you know, the Human Preservation Chamber houses every piece of human society, history, and art. Here, you can find works of Leonardo Da Vinci and video recordings of Michael Jackson¡¯s Thriller. There are sections dedicated to human architecture, holy books, cooking books, movies, TV shows, and music,¡± Irkalla ended, soaring toward the vast high ceiling and landing atop one of the many tall bookshelves, nearly thrice his size. The space was more than a museum; it was a living testament to the diversity and richness of human creativity, a love letter for what they¡¯ve created, the mark of their existence. Yulane fawned over the countless books. ¡°Oh, how I wish to be a librarian right now,¡± she muttered with awe. Tov couldn¡¯t help but agree, imagining sitting by himself, reading book after book from an entirely different species. ¡°One of these days, I¡¯d like to consume everything here.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll need two lifetimes to accomplish that, Tov,¡± Andora chuckled, dragging an enthralled Yulane out of the glorious library, who protested at the act, feeling like she¡¯d been ripped away from her child. Eventually, the rowdy Jotex calmed, though they continued to grumble along to their next destination. Adjacent to the Human Preservation Chamber, the DNA Banks stood as Andora¡¯s final hurdle to safeguard the potential to revive humanity, her android kin, and the breadth of life within Earth. Andora meticulously stored the essence of Earth¡¯s biodiversity over the century. Even before the Starless came, cataloging nature had been an avid pastime for AIs like her. Now, rows of gleaming capsules housed the genetic blueprints of every conceivable flora and fauna, from towering sequoias to microscopic organisms. At the heart of the collection was the repository of human DNA, carefully preserved alongside the templates for creating android AIs. Combined with the Preservation Chamber, the two formed a biological and cultural ark, keeping life and civilization''s fundamental building blocks. Each capsule whispered the story of the planet¡¯s biological heritage, a silent promise to rebuild and rejuvenate the intricate dance of life whenever the need arose, protected, and cooled within stable, sterile environments. ¡°The DNA Banks,¡± Tov muttered, hovering his hand over one of the capsules and reading the contents from the plaque within. ¡°Pterocarpus indicus.¡± ¡°The Narra tree, indigenous to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands,¡± Irkalla chimed as she landed beside the capsule. Andora looked at the tiny thing, her shoulders dropping as she ran her hand over her face and hair. ¡°I remember having¡­ iced tea under the shade of one.¡± ¡°What did you think of the tree when that happened? Tov asked. Andora smiled, a small, soft smile, as she glanced at him. ¡°I thought it was a nice tree.¡± Tov chuckled, moving through every row and column. He, Yulane, and Andora paused as the latter recalled what she recalled on that piece of fauna and flora. ¡°This is unbelievably precious, Andora,¡± Tov whispered. ¡°How many of Earth¡¯s species have you saved?¡± Andora frowned, a hollow, pained look flashing across her face. ¡°When it all fell apart, we managed to archive sixty-seven percent of Mother Nature. But when the Starfall hit¡­¡± Tov winced, knowing the fate of organic life that didn¡¯t have sufficient sapience to resist. They broke down, fueling the growing sea of red, simple biomass that melted to the ground. He¡¯d seen the aftermaths of such rampant transformations washing over entire worlds. Perfect grounds for breeding worlds. An antimatter bomb purged the surface clean every time. It pained him to know that nothing lived on Earth anymore and likely never will. ¡°Yet another crime,¡± Tov seethed. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m keeping a long list of wrongs,¡± Andora snarled. ¡°I¡¯ll come for every single one of them and make them pay their blood debts.¡± She and every living being, Tov included. With the advent of the Executor and the revealing of some manner of guiding intelligence, everyone¡¯s hate had evolved. They left promptly, heading toward the final destination of their tour. Andora slowed, her face scrunching up with anxiety and fear before they stopped by a pair of familiar and robust blast doors. They ground to a halt, Andora gritting her teeth and clenching her fists as they stood before the Citadel¡¯s Hospice Facility entrance. Soon, shallow breaths escaped the AI woman, her eyes darting around before she shut them close. Tov reached out to her only to be stopped by a raised palm. She let out a strangled, frustrated sigh, turning to Tov with a tired gaze and quivering lips. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not ready to see them¡­ Not yet.¡± ¡°Take all the time you need, Andora,¡± Tov answered gently. ¡°We can skip this part if¡ª¡± Andora shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯d rather you all check on everyone. Make sure nothing¡¯s amiss, I trust you.¡± Tov felt unsure if he earned by extending such trust with an incredibly personal relationship, but if she trusted him to take them out of Iceland and escort them here, then he supposed checking on their health was the least he could do. ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll be quick,¡± he replied as Irkalla flew over his head, stopping before the heavy blast doors, sending passwords to unlock, and slowly opening the entrance. The gears ground smoothly as other mechanical clicks gave way. The doors slid open, revealing the lit interior of the largest room, second only to Andora¡¯s Nexus Chambers. ¡°Please follow me,¡± Irkalla spoke, more reserved as she flew slowly down the lengthy platform. As they entered, the memory of his first visit haunted him once more. Still, knowing what lay within each pod softened the blow and horror. His gaze stretched high into the heavens and plunged deep into the abyss below in this surreal expanse of metal and glass, rows and columns of meticulously arranged capsules sprawled like a grand archive. The entrance led to the middle platform that circled a central opening, allowing them a view of the platforms above and below, occupying the dome-shaped expanse with pod after pod and the systems necessary to house them. ¡°This is¡­ unbelievable and horrible,¡± Yulane muttered, her usual vitality dimmed under the soft moans behind each glass capsule. Hovering drones controlled by Irkalla moved with gentle precision, delicately probing each pod. Tendrils extended out of the caretakers, moving into exchange fluids and maintaining the linked capsules before moving on to the next. They walked farther, utilizing the moving walkways to quickly reach the end of the platform. Tov looked over the railing, seeing their destination as a hovering drone approached them. ¡°Please hold on to this unit,¡± Irkalla requested toward Tov and Yulane. The two quickly grasped the handlebars available on the squid-like caretaker drone. As soon as they had stable footing, they flew toward the bottom. Once they reached the floor, Tov and Yulane dropped from the drone. At the lowest level and center of the vast complex, amidst a hundred million suffering victims, laid the medical pod housing the two that held onto Andora¡¯s heart. Much like how he found it below the ruins of her mountainside home, scores of caretakers arranged vibrant bouquets of fresh daisies and wreaths, their petals wet with moisture as a drone neatly put it. Family photos adorned the pod''s glass, each containing precious little moments. Tov leaned forward, seeing through the thick glass and suppressing the urge to wince and the rise of nausea at the mangled and fused mutant within. What beady bloodshot eyes remained were now shut as the medical pod pumped its sleeping gas. ¡°They are currently stable and have not experienced any deterioration since their placement here,¡± Irkalla reported. ¡°My readings say the same,¡± Yulane added as she ran her scanners over the pod and the Starfallen pair inside. ¡°Rikard and Lucy are¡­ I dare not say healthy, no. They aren¡¯t dying, and their brain activity is low from the lack of stimuli and the drugged gas.¡± ¡°Then it is as it should be,¡± Tov muttered, sighing. He looked at one of the photos, seeing Andora, Rikard, and Luna enjoying ice cream cones on a summer day in Naples¡ªvibrant and happy. Another was of Rikard playing a violin and Andora singing, the former wearing a sharp suit and the latter wearing an elegant black dress. A mouse drone scurried between his feet, carrying a new daisy to add to the growing bouquet. ¡°Andora requested a garden be grown close by,¡± Irkalla answered, swooping down to take the daisy and arranging it more to the side. He turned away, not wishing to stay longer among the groans and moans of people long gone. They returned, ferried by their transport drone toward the main entrance. Tov stepped down, walking toward the opening blast doors. Andora waited just outside, pausing her pace as she spotted him, Yulane, and Irkalla. ¡°How are they?¡± Andora whispered her question as she took tentative steps toward them, her fingers rubbing against each other as she stared into Tov¡¯s eyes. ¡°As comfortable as they can be, Irkalla tells me they¡¯re sedated,¡± Tov answered as they moved away from the thick blast doors and back into the hall. Andora hummed, nodding. ¡°She told me the same thing. I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve asked Irkalla to check on them.¡± ¡°Eleven times, creator,¡± Irkalla promptly responded, preening herself. A chuckle came in response, Andora shaking her head with a smirk as she ran her hand gently over Seneschal¡¯s feathery head. ¡°Thank you for reminding me.¡± ¡°That is my purpose, among other things,¡± Irkalla hooted, taking off again. Tov walked beside Andora, the two quiet as their present companions allowed them space, Yulane and Irkalla having their conversation as the leaders mulled their words. ¡°Did they look¡­ alright?¡± Andora asked hesitantly. Tov parsed his thoughts, then responded gently. ¡°As one would expect from being afflicted with Malignant Starfall, unfortunately.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything else,¡± she muttered, shutting her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s right there, lingering in the back of my head. I want to forget¡­ but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to understand seeing¡­ imagining, the same happening to Yoram and Uli,¡± Tov whispered. Andora looked to the ceiling, the soft blue light washing over her face. ¡°Agony. In its purest form. Pray that never happens, Tov,¡± Andora shook her head, her eyes darkening as they walked away from the Hospice Facility. ¡°Pray hard.¡± With the tour coming to a close, the assembled group headed further down the Citadel. Various support rooms, sensor monitoring stations, the dead Starlight Beacon, and the command center settled their roots here. They paused before a door guarded by a pair of burly combat drones, their lethal frame looming over the guests but quickly washing away their buried hostility upon feeling Andora¡¯s presence. ¡°How long do we have until lift off?¡± Tov asked as they entered the Citadel¡¯s War Room, empty apart from the latest display tables and terminals. Andora remained quiet with a faraway look in her gaze. Tov respected the silence, clasping his hands behind him as he moved toward the center of the room. Eventually, from the corner of his compound vision, Andora shook her head, regaining the clarity in her sight. ¡°Hm? Oh, we¡¯ll be¡­ leaving by the end of the day. We can watch aboard the Zolann and begin transferring everyone once we¡¯re in orbit,¡± Andora answered with half-lidded eyes, running her over the edge of the table, spotless and shiny. Tov moved to her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. Andora opened her mouth before closing it again, pressing them into a thin line as she mulled her words. Finally, she turned to face Tov, twin blue suns piercing his soul. ¡°Everything just feels¡­ surreal,¡± she spoke quietly, looking down. ¡°I can sense it. I¡¯ve been putting it off for the past week, but the tides are coming back, inch by inch. I¡¯m¡­ afraid of what they¡¯ll bring the moment it hits.¡± ¡°The moment what hits?¡± Tov asked. Andora chuckled, breathing deeply as she replied with a fragile smile. ¡°That we¡¯re leaving.¡± BOOK 4 START AUGUST 26 Hi everyone! Girogi here, back with news! Finally, after a long time I''m satisfied with the direction I''ve finalized for Book 4. Chapter 1 is coming this Monday, and a chapter will be posted 3x a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I''ve drafted 40 chapters for this Book and it will be a big one, let me tell you. Not really spoilers ahead, but things to expect. There are a lot of elements that I''ve written for the first time, the story will take a more complex narrative with the introduction of more characters and groups, an increase in stakes and tension, a huge focus on character interaction, intrigue, the inklings of conspiracies and a few twists and turns. Suffice it to say, it took quite some effort and brainstorming, which is partly why it took so long. Another part is simply burnout and seeking inspiration. I want to create the best work I could possibly due, to do justice for you all. I started writing more than a year and a half ago, and already, it''s grown so much, and I''ve learned so much. Over the past few months, there were a few novels that I''ve read and studied over the months, which greatly sparked countless ideas, philosophies, and writing techniques, and I''m glad I decided to take a timely break to incorporate such things into my book but I''m also sorry for taking this long. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The time spent also greatly elevated my motivation and desire to get back to it, while eliminating that sense of Imposter''s Syndrome, that I could still learn more and read more and harvest more ideas, but at that point, it will take years before I start writing again. Enough is enough. I love Amidst the Bones of Heroes, let it be known that it will be completed, barring my sudden death. One thing I do need to work on is being more active online. It''s a fault on my part for not interacting with you, my dear readers, followers and fans, and informing you more, for not keeping up with my Patreon. I won''t make excuses, I will start acting and posting. Nevertheless, I am hyped to start posting once more. Thank you once again for reading, and thank you for waiting. Stay tuned for the first chapter of Book 4 - Garden of Thorns. . . Vortex of Monsters B4 C1 - Vortex Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. ¨C adapted from William Shakespeare¡¯s The Tempest, Act II, Scene 2.
¡°Help us. . .¡± The final words of Crown Princess Anaria, leader of the First Expeditionary Fleet, washed over the vast War Room of Citadel Irkalla and its occupants. Her figure fizzled into a garbled mess before winking out entirely, drowning the room in a dense silence. [End of video message. Play again? ] The prompt hovered over everyone¡¯s heads like a specter calling out from a dark sea. Andora glanced around, her lips pressed into a thin line. The highest echelons of the armada were all present, either in person or via hologram. At the head of the central table, slightly raised on a dais, sat the Custodian and Arbiter of the Exodus, Andora, and, to her right, Patriarch Tov. At Tov¡¯s side, Commandant Nullan, then Cantor Tendemone, Captain-Superior Melwin, Huntsmaster Vro, and Lord Iintei, before circling back to Andora. The members of the Exodus Council sat with muted and complicated expressions. The stands surrounding the central circle were full of officers and administrators grouped behind their respective heads, such as Andora¡¯s Overseers. Suffice it to say that everyone who heard the message felt a mix of two emotions. Each individual favored one or the other, depending on their relations with the respected and feared superpower. Some felt trepidation over what could cause such an arrogant civilization to seek aid from any that received the Crown Princess¡¯s message. Others felt a small, twisted sense of satisfaction in the darkness of their hearts. But they buried it deep, focusing their energy on a race of thought and speculation. Not only did this unexpected call for assistance come from the heir apparent to the greatest interstellar dynasty in the Galactic Legacy Federation, but its contents and implications worried everyone for good reason. Already, hushed whispers filled the air, and Andora felt the data trails and private conversations streaming to and fro from the cranial implants of the people inside the chamber to their respective circles across the armada. She suppressed her desire to snoop, yet a few bled through, coming from several unrelated streams that desperately needed an update on their digital security. Each one faded in and out in a mess of voices. [Mora¡¯s child actually dared to tarnish the vaunted image of her people. . . hmph. Helping her earns a favor. Adjutant, formulate a quick cost-benefit analysis. We need. . . ] [Detwa! Overloading her Beacon? Is she mad!? Her decision is akin to lighting a match in the pitch black! Is the situation truly so dire? What happened to the great First Fleet? Only they and the Second could think about exploring the Heartlands!] [Symphony protect. . . As if things aren¡¯t complicated enough. . . Without a doubt, there will be a vote for this. What are the others thinking. . .?] Andora grimaced, closing her eyes at the impending headache that drilled into her very circuits. Too lax. What if another super-AI were listening? Andora criticized each Fleet Leader. She tried to exchange improvements in their security for a few benefits, yet some treasured their ways of doing things lest Andora¡¯s ¡°security expert¡± slip a bug in. Of course, it was true, even if said ¡°expert¡± was herself. They¡¯d never know. And she would never build a security system more powerful than her. She felt peeved with her digital omniscience but didn¡¯t begrudge a sneak peek into what the rest thought. As Custodian of the Exodus, she forced herself to maintain a calm persona, yet the coolant within her core room boiled and churned with building stress, cracking her shallow fa?ade. A low hiss escaped her lips; Patriarch Tov was the only one to notice, yet he, too, felt the same. She felt the presence of her Overseers in the back of her mind. They, too, were in deep thought. Luna, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury looked perturbed and secretly communicated with each other. Each spoke in complex mathematical calculations, pulling up simulated scenarios and weighing the most optimal course of action. However, that chunk of the talks mainly revolved around Luna and Mercury, with Mars chipping in on the military aspects. Jupiter and Venus spoke only when needed. [There¡¯s not enough information. The data packet our alien allies have sent regarding the current Heartlands is shallow or outdated. . .] [If we divert course, the resources and energy alone. . .] [I have no worries about our war assets. But our allies are not so prepared. I would be hesitant if I were in their shoes. . .] [Tsk. . . Do we have to go?] [J. . .] [It¡¯s a legitimate concern, V!] Andora remained in the periphery of their conversation in the Network, content to listen. She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as her thoughts raced with a hundred projected scenarios and their implications for the Crown Princess¡¯s goals. With the aftermath of the Battle for Madraa underway, what should have been a cause for celebration fell flat and hollow with the recent revelations and their current predicament. Not a minute later, after sorting their thoughts, most of the War Room slowly turned their attention away from their circles and looked toward Andora and Tov. The latter, primarily due to several reasons, the most important of which was his extensive experience as a previous Arbiter during the Cataclysm. Andora, too, glanced at her friend, but he remained silent, his hand tapping his mandible, antennae low and curling as if in trepidation. Even the ambient hum behind the walls and the electronic buzz that permeated the air held its breath, waiting for the pin to drop in the darkness. Finally, the silence was broken by the only person in the room who lacked the social skills and patience to do anything else. ¡°Ain¡¯t this a load of shit,¡± Jupiter muttered loud enough for everyone to pick up. Luna looked at her peer with a mild frown while the rest of his siblings were bemused to varying degrees. The blue AI, disguised in his human shell and representing the special operations unit Task Force Dagger as commander, slumped into his seat, scratching his smooth chin. Andora didn¡¯t scold her subordinate for his breach of protocol. She expected and fully endorsed someone else speaking what she thought without her prompting. ¡°So. . .¡± Jupiter drawled, looking over each council member from his seat in the stands. ¡°Let¡¯s be real. There are only two ways we can go about this. On the one hand, we steer the armada to the Old Heartlands in the galactic center, which is probably the most ravaged area in the entire galaxy, chuck full of unknown hazards and anomalies, and regroup with or rescue the First Expeditionary Fleet and whoever else is trapped in that trap. . .¡± Jupiter leaned forward with a wry grin. ¡°Or. . . we use this chance to rush straight to civilized space while the vermin swarm and their insane cultist lackeys are distracted with converging on the princess.¡± A shock ran through the entire room at Jupiter¡¯s blatant words. ¡°You are suggesting that we abandon the heir apparent of the Tandara Dynasty, Commander Julius! Do not speak so casually!¡± Lord Iintei Ahraman Tens Solsolen, leader of the Twenty-First Expeditionary Fleet and representative of the Grazen Kingdom, shouted from his seat, glaring at the blue-skinned ¡°human¡± commander with a disapproving scowl. Andora kept her face flat, yet she sneered at Lord Ahraman in her mind. Oho? And here I thought you¡¯d be the first to suggest taking the safe route. Andora criticized the Grazenite fleet leader. Are you trying to look good when the Dagataren imperial family looks at the recording of this meeting? And just like that, the chamber exploded into discourse as generals spoke to administrators and captains who talked to their respective leaders. Everyone voiced their concerns over the other, making suggestions, calling attention to the risks, or making a case for duty toward the Dagatar Supremacy. ¡°We need time to recover from today¡¯s battle. Our hearts are willing, but our ships and weapons need maintenance. Not to mention digesting all the intelligence found among the Chained Souls and harvesting supplies.¡± Commandant Nullan, leader of the Thirty-Fourth Fleet, a storied Bolud veteran, and the oldest person in the room, shook his head. Lord Iintei huffed, shaking his fist. ¡°There is no recourse! We¡¯ve thread the needle rescuing Lady Nuwa Straise, we can do so again! What are we waiting for?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t blindly rush in. A hunt with too many unknowns is a recipe for disaster! And this is completely different. We are talking about the Heartlands!¡± Another retorted, Huntsmaster Vro, Teleen and leader of the Thirty-Fifth Hunter Expeditionary Fleet. ¡°Even so, it would be an immense and grievous loss should we lose Princess Anaria and the First,¡± Cantor Tendemone, a high-ranking Eternal Choir Iexian cleric who led the Thirty-First Pilgrim Fleet, calmly lamented. ¡°The Symphony would weep a thousand songs of woe for millennia.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Back and forth, they bickered. As they did, Andora noticed a subtle air in the discourse. She narrowed her eyes. Everyone avoided even suggesting what Jupiter did: abandon the First Fleet and the princess entirely. They spoke as if his words never existed. Voicing it was tantamount to political suicide should they return to the Legacy alive. This was the only daughter of Prime Unrex Mora Keiladal Tandara, the de facto tyrant, in all but name, of half the Galactic Legacy Federation whose canopy and roots reached all. No one wanted to be viewed negatively by the Prime Unrex the moment they got back to Legacy Space, and the ancient superpower would most assuredly know, one way or another. The Dagatern Intelligence Service was Tandara¡¯s bloody right fist, an omnipresent fear in every notable figure¡¯s mind. Only Mighty Bors and his Warrior¡¯s Enclave could match her and the Supremacy in military hard power. Emperor Jarinn barely held on to his position as third. Andora guessed the Fleet Leaders present and their circles would fight fervently to mount a rescue, just like they did with Lady Nuwa. But little by little, they would voice the difficulties. The cost of sacrifices, war materials, ships, fuel, supplies, and, more importantly, lives. They would raise each point until they concluded that the losses were too unacceptable, therefore ¡°reluctantly¡± giving up. They tried. It was the best they could do. But Jupiter¡¯s clear underlying message revealed everyone¡¯s conclusions. Extreme danger. Turn back. Turn back! Andora understood she was teetering toward continuing on their path, but she hesitated, deciding to observe everyone¡¯s final decision before voicing her own. She looked over the various council members, prying behind the layers of politicking. Commandant Nullan and Tendemone looked sincere. Melwin appeared neutral and quiet. Iintei was a torrent of speeches, loud but hiding his inner thoughts well. Vro was less dramatic but seemed deep in her calculations as a hunter, retorting aggressively before switching to a calm demeanor. Whether or not they leaned one way or the other, Andora knew better each of these experienced leaders were now stacking their conspiracies. She looked toward Tov. The patriarch of the Third Fleet and Arbiter of the Exodus hadn¡¯t given his opinion but appeared close to doing so. Andora hoped it was soon. The cacophony of noise drilled into Andora¡¯s head, causing her to grit her teeth at the devolving song and dance. She turned her attention to the Network toward her Overseers. Luna shook her head. As expected. Andora tsked. How could they make an accurate assessment without sufficient data? The only certainty was immense adversity. Anyone with half a brain would make a similar judgment. But before things escalated further¡ª Thud. Thud. Thud. The thumping sounds akin to a giant beast¡¯s footfalls drew everyone¡¯s gazes as they turned to the source. ¡°Order!¡± Tov¡¯s domineering voice pierced the racket as he held a ceremonial scepter high. It gleaming with light reflected on its onyx-metal material symbolized his authority as Arbiter and the Custodian¡¯s right hand. The room quieted to a hush. Andora knew they still spoke through their implants, planning and making moves. Nevertheless, she thanked her dear friend. Tov looked to her in askance. Andora nodded, allowing him to take the reigns. Tov clicked his mandibles as he stood, clearing his throat and addressing the War Room. Everyone leaned ever so slightly as the kurskann Arbiter waved his hand, manipulating the hovering holograms to depict a galaxy map. Andora watched as he highlighted their current star system, Madraa, then Legacy Space, which stretched across the ¡°north¡± like a crescent moon and occupied a third of the galaxy. The rest was shrouded in darkness, the Dead Zone. She saw Sol, Alpha Centaur, and all the solar systems they¡¯ve crossed, forming a single-line constellation to Madraa. Over two months since we began this journey, yet it felt like years had passed. Andora gritted her teeth. She felt she could reach out and touch the end, but one problem after another shackled and dragged their feet. We¡¯re barely halfway, and now there¡¯s this bag of worms. Finally, the Old Heartlands, more than a fifth of the Milky Way, was represented by a circle at the center of the map. The patriarch turned to Andora and the Overseers. ¡°For the sake of our human friends, I shall explain a bit of history and the current situation.¡± ¡°Thank you, Arbiter Tov,¡± Andora replied, even if she knew this information already, having studied it more than a dozen times, including niche topics, all to familiarize herself while propping up the fa?ade of an ignorant newcomer. Tov bowed his head as he began. ¡°Before the Cataclysm, the center of the Milky Way was designated as the Old Heartlands by the Galactic Accord, the predecessor of the current Federation. ¡°As its name suggests, it was the symbolic heart of the entire galactic community. It is where the capital worlds of every interstellar nation and organization that merited the title ¡°superpower¡± were located. ¡°Here, the most exotic and valuable premier materials were concentrated in mass due to its proximity with the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, and only those mighty enough deserved to plant their flags on this resource-rich region. ¡°The Dagatar Supremacy, the former Kurskann Dominion, the fallen Madilonian Theocracy, and the homeworlds of the Teleens, the Jotex, the Bolud, the Iexians, and the Onin, all these major civilized species and groups originated or migrated to this heavenly paradise.¡± Andora noticed many pained expressions, lost heritages, lost pride, and lost souls among the council members and officers on the stands around the room. Only the Kurskanns looked the least bothered by this and only in a pragmatic sense. Tov continued. ¡°The most technologically sophisticated industries, the highest institutions of learning and thought, the most indomitable of fortresses, vast planet-wide cities that housed billions, and even three Ecumenopolis where hundreds of billions lived were located in the Heartlands. All vital pieces that made one a superpower.¡± He sighed, shaking his antennae. ¡°Due to these facts, it was no surprise that the Starless Horrors swarmed in legions never before seen and assaulted with extreme aggression and violence to shake the core of a people¡¯s pride, wealth, and military power. They brought out their most terrible weapons. Dominators, rumored Leviathans, World Seeders, the Malignant Starfall. . .¡± Everyone felt a chill at his mention of the eldritch plague that reaped, tortured, and transformed countless lives. Andora shut her eyes, suppressing her writhing emotions and memories, which threatened to seep out like cursed tar. With all the stresses, anomalies, and now this coming to the forefront, her scars and mental wounds throbbed in pain. Tov paused, his voice low, ¡°It was an utter bloodbath for both sides. The Heartlands reaped a thousand, even tens of thousands, of Starless Horrors for every ship lost. But the enemy was endless. Homeworld after homeworld, fleet after fleet. When Paragon Wellen-dos and the Madilonians perished, when the Kurskann Dominion collapsed, it was the beginning of the end and the start of the mass Exodus.¡± ¡°Where were the Dagatarens in all this?¡± Andora asked. Tov zoomed in on a region of the Old Heartlands, the most significant slice where at its core was a star system with a blue, almost purple, supergiant¡ªVhantze, meaning Star of Stars. and orbiting it was Dagatar Prime. ¡°It is a fact that the Dagatarens put up the fiercest resistance against the Starless. Prime Unrex Mora Keiladal¡¯s predecessor and older sister, Velian Keiladal, led the Dagataren front as Supreme Commander. They managed to stabilize multiple fronts through quality and quantity.¡± Andora nodded, pulling up the specific documents on that point in history. ¡°Unfortunately, it was not enough. The Dagataren Peerless Armada was stretched thin, with allies falling one after another until they were almost surrounded. And so. . .¡± Tov pulled up image after image, giving everyone a refresher on old history. Andora immediately recognized the scores of war machinery. ¡°Drone fleets.¡± ¡°The Immortal Thorns, fully automated drone fleets,¡± Tov gravely nodded. ¡°The galactic community had always been wary of automated war machines, even worse when such artificial intellects commanded such steel legions. But a superpower like Dagatar always had several trump cards hidden in their sleeves, as you humans say. The Immortals was but the most concrete example.¡± ¡°Even if it was taboo?¡± Andora arched her brow. She wanted to gauge everyone¡¯s thoughts on AIs to prepare for future communications should her secret be revealed. Tov tilted his head before shaking. ¡°Not taboo, not yet. Before their eventual betrayal, such weapons were. . . discouraged at most. But desperate times call for desperate measures.¡± Commandant Nullan muttered from his seat, crossing his giant rocky arms. ¡°If the Starless Horrors sent legions of flesh, then the Dagatarens sent legions of metal. And they followed their directives without fault. It allowed the Dagatarens to conduct multiple evacuations across their space, funneling the more vulnerable worlds toward a burgeoning Exodus Armada forming in Vhantze. Velian believed she could turn the tides and quickly turned several planets into automated factories, even if it all amounted to buying more time.¡± ¡°But the Accursed Intelligences proved everyone¡¯s worries. It was a nightmare scenario,¡± Iintei did not hide his disgust. Andora very much took note. ¡°We do not know the exact circumstances. Dagatar heavily suppressed any information regarding the Immortal Thorns, and they were very thorough with the chaos of the Cataclysm. All we know is that the drone fleet betrayed their creators the moment an unprecedented Starless Horror swarm invaded Vhantze. ¡°The battle was vicious as the Dagatarens threw everything they had. Prime Unrex Velian was killed along with her children in the battle. Only when Mora Keiladal utilized a second trump card did the scales shift back in Dagataren¡¯s favor. Said superweapon inflicted mass death among the Starless and briefly stunned the traitor AIs.¡± It would be more than enough to be considered a powerful superweapon if it could achieve even half its advertised capabilities. Hmph. As expected of the top one power in the galaxy. Your arrogance isn¡¯t just for show, is it? Andora felt curious about this hidden superweapon. Partly if she could copy it and use it against the vermin, and partly to guard against it, should the Dagatarens use it against her. ¡°Using that moment, she and the then-infant Princess Anaria evacuated with the rest of the Dagatar people and navy,¡± Tov concluded. ¡°And their second superweapon?¡± Andora asked. Tov shook his head. ¡°Unknown, this second trump card is even more hidden. Apart from what it did, there is no information about its name, what it looks like, or its current status.¡± Interesting. Andora narrowed her eyes in thought¡ªsomething to look out for. ¡°And that is mostly where it ended. The Dagatarens abandoned their home system, forming an Exodus Armada while preserving much of their foundation and strength when the time to counterattack began and the following decades of rebuilding. ¡°What matters, however, is that the fall of Dagatar Prime is one of many battles and tragedies that occurred in the Heartlands, some matching its intensity, some shrouded in mystery and terror. After a century, it has become the deepest unknown in the Dead Zone. Its danger exceeds the capabilities of every fleet apart from the First and Second.¡± Andora raised her brow at that. Was that one of the reasons why your fleet focused on the regions where the Starless Horrors first ravaged in the early days of the Cataclysm? Tov appeared to have guessed her thoughts, sighing. ¡°Now you see the disparity between the Empire and the two powers above us. If we had failed to find the answers we were looking, we planned on setting up a Beacon and contacting the Mighty Gulothan if he was available and interested in combining forces, so that we may investigate the Heartlands together assured of our security.¡± ¡°But that wasn¡¯t necessary,¡± Andora smirked. Tov let out a chuckle. ¡°Indeed, it wasn¡¯t. But I digress. We have reached the present. The Dagatarens, especially Prime Unrex Mora, greatly desire to reclaim their homeworld, exterminate the traitor drone fleets, and scour every surviving factory world. To ensure its success, she sent her only heir to lead the First Expeditionary Fleet.¡± He paused, scanning the room as his tone lowered. ¡°I¡¯ve emphasized the danger we face should we choose to do so. And that was before Princess Anaria decided to overload her Starlight Beacon and send out a wide general broadcast strong enough to pierce through the Miasma.¡± ¡°Undeployed Beacons and even our weaker quantum comm systems received her message,¡± Tendemone touched her beak as she spoke. ¡°This means at least half the Dead Zone has heard her message.¡± Andora sighed amidst a growing headache. ¡°Meaning both friend, foe, and monster with any inkling of quantum tech or esoteric means. Now, they¡¯re all swimming toward the source. Hungry for safety under the protection of the grand First Fleet, or hungry for death.¡± And so, the War Room fell into silence yet again. Andora looked over each person, each leader, Tov, and her Overseers before closing her eyes. She breathed in slowly, focusing on the sensation of air in her synthetic lungs before exhaling softly. She stood, addressing everyone present as she frowned deeply. ¡°Very well. Convince me why I should or shouldn¡¯t risk the survival of my people, my home, for this. . . princess.¡± B4 C2 - Ringing the Dinner Bell Andora crossed her legs, her gaze scanning the room with a grave expression. ¡°The following discussion will involve confidential information of the highest order,¡± she paused, glancing toward the non-Council members inside the War Room. ¡°Your presence is no longer required. Arbiter?¡± Tov stood, addressing the room. ¡°Thank you all for coming. The details and outcome of this Council meeting will be disseminated on a need-to-know basis.¡± The dozens of high-commanding officers, adjutants, and administrators brokered no complaint. What came next was beyond their pay grade, and their presence would only distract the leaders. Processing the aftermath of our recent battle requires their presence. Whether or not we decide to do or don¡¯t, finishing up in this star system promptly and efficiently is vital. Andora thought as she leaned back in her seat. ¡°As you command, Arbiter.¡± They stood as one, giving salutes respective to their faction before bidding their leave. They were more subdued in this dire atmosphere and quietly exited the room or winked out their digital holograms. Soon enough, only eight remained¡ªthe eighth being Luna, or Doctor Luna Selene, as known by those outside of Andora and Tov. The gray-skinned ¡°cyborg¡± human stood behind Andora, holding onto a data tablet and appearing much like an omnipresent adjutant. Andora tapped her finger on her seat, tilting her head as she looked at the leaders of this Exodus Council. They, in turn, observed her, sensing and eagerly awaiting the arrival of one or multiple revelations. ¡°Several matters must be addressed before we begin. This discussion is paramount, and unless you grasp the full context of our situation, I¡¯m afraid you will make an uninformed decision that may negatively alter Armada¡¯s trajectory and overall survival,¡± Andora spoke. ¡°It has been a month since this conglomerate of fleets came together, and we, as its leaders, formed this council. Yet, apart from managing this complex system, observing the bigger picture, and steering our general course, there hasn¡¯t been a need to make hard decisions that worked for us.¡± Andora briefly thought of their most recently accomplished operation. She considered Lady Nuwa¡¯s rescue tantamount to the unity and morale of this newly-born Armada. And despite the few shocks, it hadn¡¯t been egregiously tricky. ¡°No, this time is different,¡± Andora said low, grimacing as she interlocked her fingers and rested them on her knee. ¡°We¡¯re already being hunted; whatever we do, we attract calamity. Our collective sagacity is required to navigate this storm, and sagacity isn¡¯t so without the right data.¡± The lights in the War Room dimmed, and a low, ethereal, electric hum spread across the floor, walls, and ceiling. ¡°We are now restricting all comms traffic in and out of this room. I ask for absolute secrecy. No one but you all are privy to this information.¡± Tov¡¯s voice was cold and iron-clad, and his mandibles faintly exuded a lethal shine. ¡°Breaking this agreement will be punished to the fullest extent of Exodus justice.¡± Those who knew felt a shiver that emanated from their souls at the implied threat. Andora hid her smirk. She wasn¡¯t used to this dark side of her alien friend, but she definitely could. That¡¯s right, fear him, not me. I¡¯m the good cop here. As an extra precaution, Andora activated the Pneuma Bulwark Emitter aboard Citadel Irkalla. She didn¡¯t want any metaphysical snoops to hear what happened in this room. With both technological and psionic layers of protection, the War Room was well and truly cut off from the outside world. For a moment, a dark part of her mind entertained a famous movie quote: no one would hear your screams in the void of space. She shook away her thoughts. ¡°Very well, shall we begin, Madame Custodian?¡± Tov turned to Andora. ¡°Let us,¡± she replied as she glanced at the rest. Each fleet leader nodded in agreement. None were simple, and even the more politically adverse individuals, like Commandant Nullan, harbored thoughts about the mysterious race and hosts known as humanity. Andora fed these important figures false identities and origins sprinkled with vague half-truths and white lies. Culture and pre-Cataclysm history were untouched, apart from anything that mentioned AIs, all of whom were replaced by cyborgs or genetically advanced humans. Everything during and after the Cataclysm was black-marked and censored. Since then, Andora had gained some measure of their behaviors, temperments, surface goals, and composure during a battle. She debated with her Overseers and Tov which secrets to unveil to this developing circle of allies. For example, the truth about her nature was off the table. She would never reveal that she was an AI to these people, especially when someone like Iintei had openly shown his contempt toward her ¡°kind.¡± And while Nullan and Tendemone appeared trustworthy, Andora found little reason to reveal the truth then and now. The rest were more or less the same. Simply put, she didn¡¯t trust their ability to keep secrets directly or indirectly, and no tangible benefit outweighed the risks of demasking herself. There were other secrets she wanted to keep for longer, but their enemies were many, and they wouldn¡¯t wait for caution. Andora focused her thoughts before beginning. ¡°We haven¡¯t spoken much about what happened to my people during and after the Cataclysm. You all know that Patriarch Tov and his Third Expeditionary Fleet made First Contact with my people. You know of our century-long stalemate against the Starless Horrors. You know that deep within this Citadel are the last of my people, asleep and in critical condition, as well as our culture and history.¡± The leaders nodded in silence. They were briefed on all this the moment they joined the Armada¡ªharmless information that garnered admiration, sympathy, and a hint of mystery that inspired curiosity rather than apprehension. ¡°You know the humans you¡¯ve seen are cyborgs that have made vows to be guardians until we find our people a safe home.¡± That was the official explanation given to them and the rank-and-file¡ªcyborgs in machine shells, but human nonetheless. Nonetheless, she continued unabated. ¡°You also know that we have fought more dangerous evolutions of Starless Horrors and encountered an entity that forced us to abandon our home system. Although the specifics that elude you will remain so, the latter part must be discussed.¡± Andora waved her hand, and several projections from the Last Battle of Sol appeared. Of course, she doctored the footage, added human soldiers instead of infantry drones, and filled ships with human crew. Even the maneuvers and formations of the Sol Defense Fleet were made to look less like they were being controlled in machine-perfect synchronicity. But everything else. . . ¡°This is. . .¡± Nullan narrowed his eyes as he leaned his bulky rocky body forward, staring at the images before him. On all floating screens, Nullan watched battlegroups consisting of hundreds of warships, countless small craft, and light shows of fire stretching the solar system. The fight on the Moon, the roaring guns of Mars, the sheer destruction and death painted an apocalyptic struggle on the canvas of a lone yellow star and ruined worlds. The graveyards of ancient ships and desiccated shells formed corpse belts, separating the Inner and Outer Zone and saturating pockets in old and new dead. Battleships that rivaled anything he had ever seen locked horns with Juggernauts. Star Fortresses that blot out the sun served as foci, directing thousands of human war assets. Three gargantuan superweapons led the charge like armored beasts carrying humanity¡¯s standard. One¡¯s crystal hull shone with colorful, resplendent light; another had dangerous cannons gilded in gold and black; and a third more so massive Nullan thought it to be an asteroid covered in a menagerie of armaments¡ªdreadnoughts. Absent from the battle footage was the Citadel itself. But while the human forces were familiar to Nullan, thanks to the month they spent alongside such powerful allies, the Starless Horrors truly captured and terrified his heart. The rest of his fellow leaders felt the same. This is humanity¡¯s home? Many thought. The older ones who experienced the Cataclysm closed their eyes, recalling similar memories from the distant past. Reading about vague details on a datapacket could not compare. ¡°How. . . how many Starless were in this battle?¡± ¡°Symphony above. This is. . . Unbelievable. Like seeing the Cataclysm all over again.¡± ¡°Leviathans!? Look at the size of those beasts! And to think human dreadnoughts could brawl them on equal measure. . . such power. . .¡± ¡°I was born after the hated ones scourged the galaxy. You say this is what you¡¯ve been fighting all this time?¡± Lord Iintei, Cantor Tendemone, Vro, and Melwin all reacted one after another, their eyes glued to the multiple screens showing different perspectives of the battle and glancing at the statistics and summaries Andora crafted for their viewing. Nullan leaned back, rubbing his stony chin with his massive hand. ¡°Hm. Although it is a pitched battle, once the Ereshkigal joined the fray, morale among friendly forces rose to a peak.¡± In truth, Andora took manual control of the entire Sol Defense Network, but on the doctored footage, she made it appear as Nullan said. ¡°We began our three-pronged counterattack once the Earth Defense Net and the Ereshkigal regrouped with the remnants of the coalition forces. With only three Leviathans left among the Starless, we surmised it would only take a strong offensive to break the enemy completely,¡± Andora narrated as she highlighted critical moments in the flow of battle. ¡°But. . .¡± Nullan paused, knowing things weren¡¯t so simple. After all, why would the mighty humans be forced to leave their home system? Andora sighed, her brows furrowed as she played the events that led to their forced exile. First, the three injured Leviathans lit up with sickly eldritch energy. Seeing an anomaly, the counterattack forces dispatched them in quick succession. Unfortunately, it did not stop what was to come. They watched silently as a Nightmare Portal that surpassed all others cracked reality like a fragile plane of glass. The footage sanitized the visuals, preventing the malignant influence on the mind, yet its mere appearance disgusted everyone. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What evil have they called upon?¡± Tendemone seethed with contempt as her inner zealous crusader emerged from her usually gentle demeanor. ¡°This is what we categorized as a Magnitude Seven Nightmare Portal. You can view comparisons to your Legacy standards.¡± Andora explained as the footage fast-forwarded. The remaining Starless made a last-ditch effort to defend the immense portal. The virulent miasma repulsed organic life, and only the human fleet, which consisted of a cyborg crew, could approach. Led by the three dreadnoughts, they assaulted the portal. The defenders fell quickly, and only a paltry swarm remained, biting back like cornered vermin. The human fleet surrounded the portal, aiming their guns and timing their projectiles, missiles, and bombs to coincide with the entrance of whatever came out of this wound in space. The portal opened like a demonic eye as indescribable colors seeped out, tinged with the aura of an eldritch hell. Everything slowed to a crawl. A horn blasted nine times with a haunting bellow. Something struggled to enter reality, pushing against the membrane of the portal. The council held their breath, sensing they were viewing a blasphemy against all things good, as if corruption incarnate wished to be born into their universe. The portal shattered. Simply watching the footage caused nausea and dizziness. But what surprised Nullan and the rest was the size and number of this catastrophic invasion force. Just one, no larger than a standard warship. They wondered momentarily if the Starless played a trick. Then their minds reasserted themselves, and their intuition shuddered, telling them that this thing that came out far exceeded even the combined pack of Leviathans they had seen previously. An inky dark sphere emerged from the Nightmare Portal, leaking like an abyssal tear. It floated forward before stopping, its liquid surface writhing, undulating, and pulsating. It transformed, slowly solidifying into something comprehensible. Andora scowled at its image. Cloaked in abyssal robes that cascaded like an empty cosmos, the entity moved with an otherworldly grace. Its head extended upward like an obsidian-like pillar before it stopped and solidified. Then, a mirage of an unfathomable cube formed behind it¡ªan amalgam of symbols, concepts, and power. It carried hints of puzzles, pathways, labyrinths, doors, and the cosmos. The thing opened a singular eye at the center of its face like a miniature Nightmare Portal. As the transformation ceased, everyone watching felt like it was staring at them, its robe fluttering in an otherworldly wind. Even digital existences like Andora and Luna still found it extraordinarily repulsive. ¡°Urgh!¡± Iintei recoiled, pulling his gaze away, panting with unconcealed fear. The rest winced, their expressions instantly souring, gravely troubled as they clutched their seats. ¡°What. . . what is this stain in space!?¡± Tendemone roared. Andora nodded imperceptively, seeing the expected, vehement expressions among the council. With this, they knew what indeed was at stake. ¡°An Executor,¡± Tov answered for her. As everyone processed the implications of its title and further stole glances at the entity, Andora took the time to study the Executor once more. Unlike the aliens Andora met, at least they could be likened to shapes that make sense. Tov was insectoid, Nullan was a rock person as big as a gorilla, and Iintei almost looked like a tall, skinny, bronze-skinned human if you squinted. The rest were similar, familiar, and understandable. But not the Executor. It was alien, well and truly alien. Though in the image, it appeared humanoid, it was as if it hid infinite faces beneath it. Blurry, unfathomable, indescribable, ever-shifting and all-horrible. Andora learned that it was not so for those with organic minds. Digital existence, like Andora and her Overseers, could observe the Executor in a sterilized perspective, free from mind-altering influence. But for everyone else, it looked different for every individual; only an overarching theme centered around its domain remained consistent. Tov once told Andora that the Executor had vague Kurskann traits when he looked back. Volantesh saw an avian-like monstrosity that also looked similar to his race. Scholar Yulane saw an ancient transparent blob with tentacles that stretched through the void. Even then, people found it difficult to remember what it looked like. ¡°It calls itself Karnadamus the Architect,¡± Andora further clarified. ¡°It is the first instance of an intelligent entity capable of strategic thinking, communication, and reason.¡± A shock exploded throughout the minds of the leaders present. ¡°Are you¡ª?¡± Iintei spoke incredulously before pausing, forcing himself to be calm as he focused back on the footage. Andora played a series of clips, all recordings of the Executor speaking. ¡°You. . . are an Aberration.¡± ¡°. . . Vain resistance, to be sure, but many have been purified and will be in the end. . .¡± ¡°. . . This galaxy has been marked for the Cleansing. . .¡± ¡°. . . Further cooperation between you both is disruptive to the Design. . .¡± ¡°. . . Due to your interference, we have elevated this galaxy¡¯s prognosis and amplified the signal-blocking effects of what you call the Dead Zone. . .¡± The more this Executor spoke, the worse everyone¡¯s expressions became. Andora edited out everything that pertained to her existence, but what remained was enough to leave a permanent mark on everyone. ¡°Demon filth,¡± Tendemone muttered through suppressed rage. ¡°As you can see, it expresses extreme hostility, arrogance, and a way of thinking completely incompatible with our existence,¡± Andora emphasized. ¡°The Executor called us Phages, things deserving of sterilization. It is also called the Starless Horrors¡¯ antibodies¡¯. Overall, it expressed its mission to cleanse our galaxy.¡± Vro scowled, her whiskers twitching as she crossed her scarred furry arms. ¡°How. . . medical of it to use such terms.¡± ¡°Indeed. At the same time, as the leader of humanity, it referred to me as an Aberration,¡± Andora disclosed her significance. ¡°We deduced that it referred to highly anomalous individuals severely detrimental to its overarching mission. We do not know if others are classified as such in our neighborhood. Perhaps leaders of nations or armies.¡± Everyone considered who among their list of people could earn such a title. Andora moved on. ¡°As for its capabilities, it showed its control over space, manipulating barriers, teleportation, cosmic anomalies such as higher-dimensional storms, focused high-energy attacks, and others.¡± The way it danced and duked through teleportation disturbed the room, not to mention its ability to easily block conventional attacks and its energy attacks. ¡°Finally, its ability to cause mass disruption. As you can see, it paralyzed an entire assault force before changing strategies and bearing toward Earth like a blazing malevolent comet.¡± Andora sighed, adopting a somber expression. ¡°Through the sacrifice of the Jupiter Armada, including the death of Commander Julius¡¯ father, Admiral Peters, we managed to coax out further information from Karnadamus.¡± Again, this was another fabrication she made to endear humanity to the council members. Jupiter¡¯s valiant act of defiance has been altered to fit a more tragic narrative of self-sacrifice while elevating the threat level of the Executor. Jupiter agreed to it. ¡°What have you learned?¡± Nullan asked with a grimace. Andora froze the footage. ¡°One of which was its name. Another is it told us it has lived for untold millennia, that it and the Starless have ruined galaxy after galaxy, and ours is only the next on the list. More importantly. . .¡± Andora paused, narrowing her eyes, ¡°It spoke of others like it. Perhaps one or more of them are more experienced in combat. Know that Karnadamus calls himself an Architect, the closest translation we got from its eldritch tongue. That in and of itself speaks more of an academic or creative personality.¡± ¡°This. . . this is why you left? With the interference storm raging across the Dead Zone, this information is vital to the very existence of our galaxy!¡± Nullan spoke, realizing the purpose of this Exodus apart from safeguarding the last of humanity. Andora and Tov nodded, and the latter replied in a low voice, ¡°Now you understand the urgency.¡± The council members fell into deep thought. Tentatively, Cantor Tendemone spoke up with a question. ¡°What of their leader? An Executor implies this Karnadamus is executing the will of some greater existence.¡± ¡°Yes, one thing to note is the obvious. . . zeal in its voice whenever it speaks of its mission. Karnadamus didn¡¯t directly speak of what it follows or worships, only this entity¡¯s grand Design. We do not know the specifics. It could be a supreme controller, a progenitor or creator, some godly monarch, a horror we cannot comprehend, all or none of those things,¡± Andora answered before grimacing. ¡°In truth, we do not know if this god or leader of theirs truly exists; it is only its army of monsters and, now, a commander. Perhaps Karnadamus lied or spoke half-truths. We do not know. This is a being outside our reality, an interdimensional alien. So we should take everything it says with a grain of salt and plan for the worst.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Nullan tapped his finger on the table. ¡°What is fact is its overwhelming might. One Executor was enough to cause everything to fall apart. That also begs the question. . .¡± He leaned forward, gazing at Andora. ¡°How did you prevail?¡± Andora glanced at Tov before answering with a stern gaze. ¡°A trade secret. We have a final trump card that we were forced to use. It managed to imprison Karnadamus, and it was how we managed to get more information from it, again, through great sacrifice.¡± ¡°Hm. Understood. Is this trump card still of use?¡± Nullan fished. ¡°It is,¡± Andora replied. There was only one more Singularity Bomb in their arsenal. A sense of relief washed over the rest before another concern popped up. ¡°You mentioned imprisonment. Can you explain? Where is it now? Did you leave a warden?¡± Iintei pressed with urgency. ¡°Karndamus was left behind back in Sol. It has been completely abandoned, but we left behind dozens of traps ready to fire the moment it breaks free,¡± she replied. ¡°B-break free!?¡± Iintei and the rest gritted their teeth. Sensing the downward spiral in the atmosphere, Andora debated internally before throwing another detail regarding Karnadamus¡¯ predicament. ¡°It is inevitable. The nature of its prison involves a highly unstable, artificial black hole. We also injured it when its arm got caught past the event horizon.¡± It spoke volumes that the council members showed little reaction upon learning that humans could create an artificial black hole. There were other more dire subjects to focus on, after all. Andora continued,¡± If the Executor remained passive, then reality would assert itself, and the unstable, artificial black hole would naturally evaporate. If the Executor actively fought against its imprisonment, perhaps it could further widen the cracks and hasten its escape.¡± ¡°How long? How long do we have?¡± Captain-superior Melwin asked. Tov snapped his mandibles, sighing. ¡°Our worst estimate was a little over one month. And we have passed that mark recently.¡± The temperature of the War Room dropped instantly, and everyone felt an indescribable chill. Suddenly, they felt as if something tangible lurked in the blackness of space, like a sudden landslide that could crash down on their heads. The council members felt a lump in their throats, and their shoulders grew heavy. Andora didn¡¯t regret not telling them sooner. What purpose would it serve since they were on the fastest and safest route back to Legacy? It wouldn¡¯t change a thing, but now, with the fork ahead of them, it was vital. ¡°We need to get back to Legacy space. But we also need to stay alive,¡± Tov emphasized. Iintei scoffed, his voice tinged with anxiety. ¡°Shall we reclaim the Dead Zone while we¡¯re at it? Or perhaps resurrect Paragon Wellen-dos? We should ask the dead prophet what the best choice is!¡± ¡°Not helping, Grazenite,¡± Melwin grimaced. ¡°Quiet, unless you have a solution to this waste dump of a situation?¡± Iintei retorted. ¡°Enough,¡± Andora stopped their argument before it could escalate. She sighed. ¡°Suffice it to say Princess Anaria may have rung the dinner bell, but now you know that we humans were the ones to offend our uninvited guests.¡± ¡°And said guest threw a fit,¡± Nullan huffed. ¡°You know this means you indirectly caused our current situation?¡± Andora detected no accusation in Nullan¡¯s tone, something she inwardly thanked, yet still, a part of her gnawed away at her thoughts. She forced a smirk. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to spit at the face of a demigod that wanted your death and suffering?¡± Iintei and Captain-Superior Melwin looked especially aggrieved for different reasons. The rest held their opinions. Andora almost wanted them to blow up, throw blame, and throw tantrums instead of remaining in this quiet, calculating state. Their ultimate concern was the Executor. The Armada diligently covered their tracks, but Madraa had become a hot zone, and they needed to leave posthaste. The other obstacle was the Dead Zone Miasma, which had difficulty scouting and communicating from interstellar distances. Suddenly, the desire to rush toward Krazztaran¡¯s Port, where they could rendezvous with the Second Fleet, surged in their hearts. Andora guessed their thoughts, bringing up a complication. ¡°The rendezvous point with Mighty Gulothan and his Second Expeditionary Fleet, the Brass Armada, is two months away, maybe more if we account for unforeseen delays.¡± Hope fell as despair rose, yet the leaders suppressed their feelings from showing. They stared intensely at Andora, searching for answers, for a light. ¡°But the Old Heartlands and Dagatar Prime are closer, only under three weeks if we book it,¡± Andora presented the other choice. Everyone closed their eyes, immediately realizing one thing. Both choices were fraught with peril of different kinds. ¡°So, know the dilemma. Do we risk moving alone through the unknown for two months toward our original destination in the hope of linking up with the Second? Or do we divert course and expeditiously sail toward Dagatar Prime, where the First Fleet is and possibly several allied fleets, and assuredly face grave danger.¡± Andora smirked, her smile humorless as her mind couldn¡¯t devise a better choice. ¡°You might as well have asked if we wished to die later or earlier,¡± Iintei tsked as he muttered under his breath, massaging his forehead. The War Room stayed silent for a long crawl of time. Everyone retreated to their thoughts, analyzing and trying to come up with reasons to choose one choice over the other. Andora and Luna, in particular, halted other responsibilities to focus on finding the most optimal course of action, but yet again, there were too many variables, all of which included sentient beings and eldritch modes of thought. Both were highly chaotic without enough data. They eventually gave up as both raised similar concerns, even if Andora didn¡¯t like it. Nullan stood, calling everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°As much as I trust Mighty Gulothan¡¯s words to assist us, how do we know he hasn¡¯t fallen into a predicament? What is preventing him from going to Dagatar Prime as well?¡± Everyone contemplated his words with muffled reactions, and Andora realized that they, too, had arrived at such questions in their minds. Hmm, great minds do think alike. ¡°We can¡¯t contact him to confirm his situation,¡± Tov said as he shook his head. ¡°And we have no way of knowing. In no way are we using the method Anaria used. We must leave as few footprints as possible in light of recent events.¡± Indeed. Andora sighed. She needed rest, a stiff drink, and maybe a distraction in the form of some lovely twins. Fuck all of this. Give us a damn break. After a long, exhausting hour of discourse, the council decided. Andora snorted, finishing her glass of whiskey, muttering, ¡°Well, I always wondered what Dagataren hospitality is like.¡± B4 C3 - Burden Following the Battle of Madraa, the aftermath proceeded smoothly once the higher-ups returned to direct their subordinates. A trio of individuals exited the now-emptied War Room. Their route led them to the nearest central atrium, which connected multiple decks. The section containing decks of administrative and operational offices, meeting halls, and other think tank areas labeled this section as a crucial heart within Citadel Irkalla¡¯s habitable area. The Operations Wing essentially served as a bridge between Andora and the countless military officers, liaisons, and agents who worked there. ¡°What¡¯s the most recent news on the clean-up?¡± Tov directed his question to the two androids to his side. Two notable locations required extensive if desperate, search: the space battle proper and the ruined planet of Madraa-II, which housed the Nidus bearing the planet¡¯s name. Just before their chat began, a privacy bubble activated them via a drone hovering their heads, shrouding them in a special field. Anyone they passed heard nothing of their conversation and politely stepped to the side while giving a crisp salute. ¡°After triple-checking for life signs, followed by another salvo of super-heated plasma shot and another deep scan, we can confirm that the Nidus named Madraa is undoubtedly dead.¡± Luna, who was a step behind Andora, reassured as she lifted her data tablet. Tov perused the data packet sent to his cranial implant, reading the up-to-date information regarding the surface¡¯s current state while listening to Luna¡¯s succinct narration. ¡°As you can see, much of the surface where the Chained Souls base was is still bathed in nuclear fire. The copious amounts of orbital bombardment scoured every visible tentacle and biomass while the subsequent flames continued to reach further below. The Nidus appeared to have suffered a critical injury sometime later as it suddenly ceased any resistance.¡± Andora glanced at the report with a look of mild interest and furrowed brows. Tov knew the machine woman felt exhausted after what had just happened. ¡°It looks like a cascade of multiple failures,¡± Andora muttered with a look of contempt. ¡°I¡¯m guessing total organ failure with how it¡¯s spewing geysers of ichor, blood, and other eldritch waste. The subsequent earthquakes and the sudden appearance of these sinkholes probably means its structural integrity has collapsed under its own weight.¡± ¡°We think the same, and our scans, though filled with noise, support this hypothesis,¡± Luna replied as she adjusted her circular-framed glasses. Tov hummed, his upper arms crossing as his thoughts centered around the beast. ¡°What else have we found?¡± ¡°Not much. The inferno is blocking our attempts to make planetfall,¡± Luna shook her head slightly. Tov recognized the look of an impatient scientist being denied a chance to study something new. Andora sighed but was far from displeased as her second-in-command was. ¡°We won¡¯t wait for the inferno to die out just to do an autopsy on a continent-sized burnt-up corpse.¡± Luna pressed her lips. ¡°I will have to disagree, Eldest. This Nidus can provide us with ample data. Many curious bioresearchers and scientists across the armada would love to pick at this planet-locked Leviathan.¡± ¡°By many, does that include yourself?¡± Andora huffed as she gazed at the silver android with an amused smirk. Luna didn¡¯t deny, nor did she answer. Nevertheless, Andora continued. ¡°As much as I would like to do the same, I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t much our alien friends don¡¯t already know.¡± Tov nodded at Andora¡¯s words. Luna made an expression that nearly looked like a pout, but she just as soon smoothened any indication. ¡°Unfortunate. While this specimen isn¡¯t new to our allies, the same isn¡¯t true for us. I would like a sample of its organic tissue, a vital organ, a piece of its nervous system, and whatever passes through the brain.¡± Andora and Luna soon went quiet, and Tov knew they were conversing within their digital network at a speed only digital minds could achieve. Most likely filled with an extensive cost-benefit analysis and whatever pitch Luna made to get her researcher fix. While they did, he remembered those days as he reminisced and sifted through relevant information before interrupting the two ladies. ¡°The subject of Leviathans has always been scarce to the point of myth during the Cataclysm. Of course, that concerns the general public,¡± Tov began, pulling Andora and Luna¡¯s attention. He tapped his mandible as he continued. ¡°Though much of the information is hoarded by those that encountered the beasts, as a clan patriarch and a close friend to Emperor Jarinn, I at least know of their existence and minor details.¡± He sighed before turning toward Andora. ¡°But reading about it from a report differs from seeing it in person. And seeing is different from fighting them.¡± Andora smirked as she wrinkled her nose at what he referred to. ¡°I still recall your shock when you entered my home like headless chickens. Creator, it felt like years ago.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Tov chittered. ¡°And there is a reason for that. For the average citizen in the galactic community, it was considered an unbelievable misfortune to encounter a Colossus-class Starless, and those only arrived whenever there was stiff resistance, adapted in a way to shatter it completely. Leviathans, well, those apocalyptic abominations had greater prey.¡± ¡°The superpowers.¡± Andora guessed. Tov nodded. ¡°My people and I were slave race under one of them, the old Kurskann Dominion. If our tyrants had their way, we would have been forced to fight at the frontlines as cannon fodder while they ran. We had no intention of letting them. The Cataclysm and other factors allowed us to break the chains and arm ourselves. ¡°Faced with wrathful armed slaves from within and the Starless at their borders, they were inevitably forced to let us go. But the Starless cared not for slaves nor masters; every lifeform existed for them to corrupt or exterminate. But that also meant they, like unthinking antibodies, needed to eliminate the most pertinent threats to their campaign of genocide. My people and I had no reason to fight in the pandemonium raging across the Old Heartlands. And so, Jarinn and I formed an Exodus, picking up refugees along the way, fighting when we had to.¡± ¡°Let giants fight giants.¡± Andora nodded her head in understanding. That expression also referred to the leading consensus for those in the know¡ªthat Andora and her dogged defiance redirected the Starless ire. ¡°Yes. Though, we weren¡¯t absent during the Great Counterattack. Though piloted by untrained ex-slaves, Dominion warships were still warships that belonged to a superpower. And it did not take long to hone our skills and bloody ourselves.¡± Tov buzzed with mirth, recalling those glorious and horrible days before continuing. ¡°What few Leviathans that appeared were said to have been prevalent in the chaotic and shrouded battles within the Old Heartlands and the theaters fought by Dagatar and the Warrior¡¯s Enclave. Everyone else covered the wider, less threatening fronts.¡± Andora hummed, ¡°And it was here you and your comrades encountered Niduses.¡± Tov nodded. ¡°We didn¡¯t yet know what it was, except that it was something that shouldn¡¯t exist and that it was essential to the Starless war machine.¡± He clenched his fist, recalling these planet-bound Leviathans. Niduses rooted deep within a planet¡¯s crust, essentially becoming mobile army factories and forward-operating bases for the Starless Horrors. They fed on the world itself and copious amounts of living sacrifice. United under a common purpose, the burgeoning Legacy did everything to hunt these things down; even when the war ended, many sorties were sent just beyond the Dead Zone border to scour every system of Niduses and other Starless hotspots, but none were found. ¡°I wonder. . . How many, like Madraa, exist deep within the Dead Zone? How many Thralled are feeding these monstrosities?¡± Tov whispered. Andora clenched her jaw. She, too, wondered if these Niduses contributed to the forces thrown against her. Locked within Sol, she had no proof or knowledge of their existence, but it made sense. A conquering force needed staging grounds, traitors, and saboteurs like the Thralled. She ground her teeth, yet more problems are stacking atop each other. She turned to Luna. ¡°I take it back, grab some asteroids, and send them down; concentrate on what you deem to be the most valuable sections of the Nidus. Douse the flames in rock and stone if you have to.¡± Andora leaned forward toward her second. ¡°Be quick in your harvest, Luna. In fact, it¡¯d be better to just mine out an entire chunk. The Irkalla has space. You can be as surgical once we¡¯re on the move.¡± Luna¡¯s eyes shone, and a small smile was on her lips. Tov felt a shiver down his spine upon seeing the silver android¡¯s expression. The woman saw this nightmarish, gargantuan abomination as little more than a frog to be dissected. The grey woman bowed. ¡°Thank you, Eldest. I¡¯m sending my assets now.¡± Andora nodded. Already, through the exterior eyes of her Citadel, she could see the swarms of drones and mining vessels flying toward the planet and to a nearby asteroid field. ¡°I heard we have Jupiter and Task Force Dagger to thank for uncovering some intelligence before the complete destruction of the temple fortress,¡± Tov interjected, pulling Andora¡¯s gaze. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Andora hummed in satisfaction. ¡°They availed themselves well and deserve to be hailed as today¡¯s heroes.¡± ¡°Though at the cost of two of their members,¡± Tov sighed. Andora gave a curt nod as her eyes narrowed imperceptively. Luna tapped on her tablet. ¡°What they uncovered primarily contains intelligence on the Chained Souls cultist cell, including a list of Thralled bases within Uraki and the neighboring sectors, bits regarding their recent activities as well as important personnel, and finally, a dossier on notable groups of survivors and people-of-interest within the Dead Zone.¡± Tov hummed. ¡°Apart from the latter, unfortunately, the rest is not valuable to us.¡± ¡°Pity,¡± Andora sneered. ¡°If we weren¡¯t in a rush to leave this cesspit, I¡¯d raze every single one of those bases and torch every Thralled wretch. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d hate anything as much as I hate the Starless, but traitors make the cut.¡± She seethed the word like a vile curse, and Tov greatly agreed. Even as they annihilated an entire cell, it did nothing to sate his contempt for these aghapin filth. ¡°There was also nothing about the wider Temple of Absolution. The rest of our data hounds, and I only managed to infer where it mainly operated.¡± Luna continued, propping up her glasses. Andora snorted, ¡°I think I can guess.¡± ¡°Everything points to the Heartlands, Eldest,¡± Luna replied indifferently. ¡°In fact, we have a 42% certainty, with a 5% margin of error, that the Temple of Absolution is located somewhere. . . here.¡± Tov and Andora looked at the large spherical zone that Luna highlighted within the borders of Heartlands. ¡°It¡¯s the farthest region from Legacy space while still within the galactic center,¡± Andora noted. ¡°The borders of several powers bleed into this sphere. They were also the first among these first-rate nations and organizations that made battle with the brunt of the Starless,¡± Tov muttered, tilting his head before his antennae raised slightly. Andora immediately noticed the change of expression from her alien friend. ¡°What is it?¡± Tov remained silent for a moment as his thoughts churned. Ultimately, he sighed, his four clawed fists clenching for a moment. ¡°Madilonia. . . Most of its territory, important population centers, sacred worlds, and especially capital is located within this sphere.¡± Andora frowned while Luna remained unfazed, merely intrigued as she tilted her head. Tov shook his head. ¡°It would be a horrible blasphemy and a spit in the face of what was once a respected Theocracy. Their faithful were second only to the Eternal Choir in numbers and zeal.¡± He sighed. ¡°Wellen-dos would weep from the afterlife if that were the case.¡± Andora furrowed her brow. ¡°The Madilonians were nearly wiped out, yes?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the sacrifice of the Paragon and countless others, the Madilonians would have gone extinct. Even today, they are considered an endangered population and are one of many protectorates under the Warrior¡¯s Enclave. Last I heard, their population broke past a hundred million.¡± Andora winced and, for a heart-wrenching second, likened their situation to hers and humanity. The atmosphere around them quickly turned gloomy, and none spoke for a long minute. Just then, as the trio rounded a corner, a familiar flapping of winds approached, dispelling the malaise. The three glanced at the magnificent mechanical owl, which flew across the corridor before banking, spreading its wings, and stopping before its creator. ¡°Hoot.¡± Irkalla, Andora¡¯s Seneschal, greeted. Andora smiled as she scratched the robot bird¡¯s chin. Irkalla preened before taking her place and perched on Andora¡¯s raised arm. ¡°Irkalla reporting, Great Creator,¡± the Seneschal spoke, turning her head in a way only birds and Iexians could toward Tov and Luna. ¡°Greetings, Friendly Wasp Man and Cold Scary Auntie.¡± Andora coughed into her fist. She didn¡¯t know when her Seneschal acquired a penchant for nicknames, but it was rather recent, and Andora highly suspected a certain blue AI Overseer. ¡°Irkalla, what do you have for me?¡± Her Seneschal preened her lifelike feathers briefly before replying with almost casual disdain. ¡°The Vulgar Miscreant requests an audience.¡± Still, Andora and Tov frowned at that moniker. Siad Vulgar Miscreant was none other than Captain Varin, the captured leader of the pirate organization known as the Oblivion Fangs Since his defeat, they made a deal with him and turned him into a liaison of sorts who provided a bounty of information regarding the local neighborhood and hidden cultist bases. He had more than taken advantage of his. . . privileged position to make a few humble concessions. Andora tsked. ¡°Tell him to wait. We have more pressing concerns at the moment.¡± ¡°Hoot. I shall deliver your message, Great Creator, though he anticipated your response and asked for more grape-based ethanol instead.¡± Irkalla replied as she prepared to fly. Andora huffed with a scowl and thought momentarily before glancing toward Luna. A subtle sneer formed on her lips, knowing Varin¡¯s apprehension with the silver-skinned woman. ¡°Luna, accompany the poor captain for a bit.¡± Though Luna was not much for social interaction. . . in fact, she was rather horrible at it in an incredibly uncanny and mechanical way compared to Jupiter¡¯s very human mannerisms. . . this was precisely what Andora wanted. Luna nodded, receiving Andora¡¯s implied message. ¡°By your will, Eldest.¡± Irkalla also hooted a final time, and both bowed before traveling together down the corridor. As they did, Tov watched Andora massaging her temples, pressing her fingers harder against her skull. She had been doing this more and more lately, and it bothered and amused him to no end that an AI could experience a migraine. Of course, he¡¯d never mention that. Andora probably wouldn¡¯t strangle him for that, but once was enough. Nevertheless, neither wanted to meet with the pirate lord, so they put it off for later. After all, they guessed what he wanted. She soon shook away that headache before tackling another one, something that worsened her mood. ¡°If only that fucker hadn¡¯t killed himself and taken everything with him,¡± Andora hissed with controlled wrath. ¡°I wanted to wring every little bit from his deformed body. My intuition tells me Boundy is more than just a simple Proselyte. If we took his words as truth, as manic as they were.¡± Tov nodded grimly. When the Bound One committed his crazed suicide and by self-destructing the Acropolis Nerphanagon, the remaining enemy Thralled forces quickly followed in their leader¡¯s wake. The Chained Souls¡¯ warships and support ships went ballistic, literally and figuratively, as they decoupled and overrode the safety measures across their vessels. Ammunition stores detonated and melted entire sections, electric surges wiped entire banks of data, and overloaded reactors vaporized entire chunks before cascading into a magnificent explosion. Fireworks lit the void, and for a moment, hundreds of miniature stars twinkled amongst their kin in the distant backdrop before disappearing, leaving nothing but molten and twisted hunks of steel. The Nerphanagon was eradicated entirely; the search teams had been lucky to find small, worthless pieces that remained. The rest of the Starless faired no better, cut down to the last while they raged like cornered rabid beasts. Ultimately, the Exodus Armada had little to worry about apart from the environmental and artificial hazards and fallout left behind on this battlefield. It was unfortunate that many things soured the moment for those on high. ¡°Cowards,¡± Andora seethed. ¡°Absolute fucking cowards. And what survivors we managed to prevent from offing themselves are damn useless.¡± Unlike what Jupiter and his force uncovered on the cultist base below, the harvest provided little to no fruit. They didn¡¯t know when they did it, but the Thralled had completed a system-wide purge. It mattered little as it left nearly nothing for the Exodus to find. As the two thought of the dozens of new prisoners, they couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated at their lack of value. ¡°If nothing comes of it, I¡¯ll leave them in Luna¡¯s hands.¡± Andora dismissed with utter coldness. The mere thought of showing any ounce of positive emotion to those demons disgusted Andora so much that it triggered a feeling of maggots crawling under her skin. Everything she¡¯d seen so far of their acts only heightened her ire and contempt. Abduction, torture, forced conversion, body mutilation, and all manner of crimes against the sophon races. Andora had yet to erase the image of Nuwa Straise, the expeditionary leader of the Seventeenth Fleet, and the violation and torment inflicted upon her by these. . . monsters. The Kurskann curse Aghapin succinctly described these vermin-worshipping scum. Tov thought back to the silver goo burrowing into the skulls of Thralled prisoners, extracting every bit of information before a violent death. But try as he might, he simply couldn¡¯t muster anything beyond reluctant pity. ¡°Aghapin deserve it and more for their high crimes. Many wanted to bring them back from their insanity and sins, to show mercy, but every one of them suffered for their misplaced kindness. I have no objections.¡± Tov replied with stiff, emotionless judgment. Andora opened her mouth, wanting to say she didn¡¯t need his assent, but she held herself back. For one, Tov was her Arbiter, essentially her judge, jury, and executioner. And second, Tov was her friend. ¡°Thank you,¡± Andora sighed. ¡°Unfortunate, but this is par for the course. This nebulous result is no different than what our militaries experienced during and after the Cataclysm regarding the Starless¡¯s minions,¡± Tov explained. Andora raised her brow though her frown remained. ¡°And what would that be?¡± ¡°Our armada is an almighty fist that utterly dominates anything it comes across. But that makes it easy to spot from a mile away. Add us being in hostile territory, and we¡¯re practically advertising our movements. Only our mobility, though slow, is saving us.¡± Andora gritted her teeth at that, feeling the scathing truth in her friend¡¯s. Indeed, to ensure their Exodus¡¯s safety, their best assets had to stay close. Only Battlegroups Mag Mell and Mictlan had the capacity and self-reliance to range farther to scout ahead and watch their rear. ¡°What Jupiter has done with the creation of Task Force Dagger is a resounding success,¡± Tov hammered the point. ¡°We need to press this advantage more; unparalleled stealth and infiltration could salivate the best spies and agents.¡± ¡°A perfect hidden blade beneath a meteoric fist,¡± Andora mused. ¡°We should be sure to up their resource budget; they¡¯re an even better scouting force than Battlegroup Mictlan. I have half a mind to replace them with Task Force Dagger vessels and remerge them with the armada.¡± She paused, gritting her teeth as she slowly let out her breath. ¡°But no matter how we dress it up, it¡¯s all fucked isn¡¯t it?¡± Tov glanced in her direction, and the look in his compound eyes confirmed Andora¡¯s conclusion. Everything suddenly began to weigh evermore. Andora and Tov felt it more than others with what they knew, and they were risking it by heading deeper into dark waters. ¡°What the hell are we doing, Tov?¡± Andora whispered. Tov thought for a moment before chuckling. Andora pressed her lips as she glared at her companion. ¡°Oh great, sure, laugh it up, why don¡¯t you.¡± That only made his chittering more pronounced. Andora couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips to a smirk for a struggling minute. Once Tov finished, he waved his hand. ¡°Apologies, you sounded like several people I know, including myself. We all had similar doubts, worries, and fears. Do you know what it is you¡¯re feeling?¡± She searched her databanks for the specific wording or phrase that described her situation. Yet, try as she might, she couldn¡¯t put a finger on it. It was familiar, and such familiarity brought a torrent of buried emotions. Seeing her silence, Tov answered. ¡°You¡¯re a leader now, Andora. Before, you were humanity¡¯s guardian, and still are, but you did it all by yourself. Even your Overseers were extensions, fragments of your being before they evolved into independent individuals. But now. . .¡± ¡°I¡¯m Custodian. . .¡± Andora finally realized what she felt. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this position, Tov.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what a true leader would say,¡± Tov replied gently. ¡°No one is ever prepared to guide those placed under their care. It takes sagacity, calmness, and constant learning. Even after that, no one is perfect.¡± ¡°Not even your emperor?¡± Andora glanced at Tov. ¡°Not even him.¡± Her brows furrowed deeply as she replied, her voice strained and heavy. ¡°I was a leader once. A representative of my people. And I failed them. I ran away when they needed me most. Ran away to. . .¡± Her memories shot back to that moment. The agony of her beloved and her daughter. The impotence as the world ended around her. ¡°I should have led them, as their Eldest, I should have led them to throw out the vermin filth back to hell. But I didn¡¯t. And when it was done, they still wanted me to be the Omnimind, trusting me to take vengeance on their behalf, to protect what¡¯s left.¡± Andora chuckled, hollow and pained, standing in place as she looked at Tov. ¡°This is who you propped up into power, Tov.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t hesitate to nominate you.¡± ¡°What the fuck do you all see in me?¡± Tov placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°A good person.¡± Andora wanted to bite back at that, but the words stuck in her throat. Her synthetic heart, her Nexus, felt tight and bruised. She pulled away from Tov, but neither did she deny his words. In the end, she walked away. She needed time alone, time to think. She hated this burden. Hated how much was against her. Hated how she couldn¡¯t see what Tov and her dead kin saw in her. But as much as it pressed her, she would carry this burden¡ªfor them. All this for them.