What is this? An infinite abyss?
No, no not quite. Something breaks the darkness, a dazzyling light.
The light shines brightly. It is nearby. It is not alone.
Several more. No, hundreds more. Thousands... perhaps millions?
Some all faint, some small, some large.
I desire to see them all. To know them all. To embrace them all.
Entry#8.1
Space Elevator Anchor, Vestige Orbit, System FN-2011
About five minutes after Delia finished her drink she had also finished work on the EPS lines. In most situations, this would have been an impossible feat. As it turned out, the anchor had a redundant subsystem that had lines that were all in the right place. Delia wasn't sure what the subsystem was for, but she co-opted its EPS lines to construct a direct power line connecting the main operations console to the elevator cable. As she admired her handiwork, a curious question suddenly formed in her mind and she had a burning desire to find answers to it. Therefore, she established a comm link to Zoe through her comm-badge and then began her inquiry.
"Hey Zoe,"
"Yes Delia?"
"Have you ever noticed that people seem to focus on bad AIs? What ever happened to the good ones?"
"Maybe they go unnoticed."
"Let's see if I can name some of them. Let's see... "
Zoe patiently waited just outside one of the anchor's portholes. Charlemagne was busy doing a physical inspection of the orbital anchor's cable in the background.
As Delia was working out her thoughts she typed in a software diagnostic routine into the main console and then activated the routine to test the connection between the console and the elevator cable. Then she had an answer for Zoe...
"Data counts. He's an android, which is an artificial construct that is intelligent ergo an artificial intelligence,..."
"Go on."
"There's also that EMH program. Can't quite remember his name, but I know he was the doctor for Voyager..."
"What about exocomps?"
The console beeped, indicating that the diagnostic routine had completed. Delia was immediately sidetracked from her previous train of thought.
"Oh, the diagnostic results are ready. Let's see..."
"Are you changing the subject?" Said Zoe, who somehow was looking irritated in spite of her largely inanimate form.
"Results are looking good. Looks like we are ready to try this thing out." Said Delia as she excitedly reviewed the readouts on the monitor.
"She did not answer my question." Zoe said rather forlornly compared to her usual tone.
"Are you talking to yourself Zoe?" Delia was looking right at Zoe through the porthole.
The exocomp bobbed in alarm before replying with "No."
"Okay, good, keep an eye on the power readouts for our makeshift reactor. If it goes we can't build another one."
Neither of them seemed to notice the increasing intensity of Vestige's auroral activity.
Zoe was able to remotely monitor systems and therefore did not need to be inside the anchor viewing a monitor to do so.
"Very well, but we are not done."
"Done with what?"
"You know what I'm talking about."
Delia did not know what Zoe was talking about. Delia was already preparing her first message for the makeshift transceiver assembly. She briefly considered that further testing of the system was warranted before use, but then considered her present circumstances and was all too willing to cut a few corners if it meant that rescue could arrive sooner. Besides, there's no better way of testing this thing, she thought to herself. She was aware that sometimes cutting corners to hurry a project along could backfire, but she was also confident that there wasn't much to go wrong with a transceiver. Especially when she has two exocomps around that could quickly fix any problems that arose.
"I think we are ready to go. Are you ready Zoe?"
"Ready" said Zoe.
"Delia to Charlemagne, are you ready?"
"Structural integrity is within acceptable parameters." In spite of the combined efforts of Zoe and Delia, Charlemagne's voice remained robotic, yet distinctly masculine. Enough to surmise that the exocomp may prefer to be referred to as a 'he.'
"Alright, let's bring it online" said Delia as she slowly increased power to the subsystem.
As the system approached full power the piercing sound of audio feedback was suddenly heard. That meant that the transceiver was up and running, and it also meant that there were additional questions in the making. Delia quickly isolated the transceiver channel and muted it.
"Okaaaaay, I think there may be a few bugs to work out." Delia said as she rubbed her ears."Do you two have any ideas on what's wrong with our new toy."
"I do not believe there is anything wrong with our transceiver." replied Zoe "My sensors are reading an exponential power build-up coming from Vestige."
"Power build-up?" asked Delia.
It was then that Delia noticed that something wasn't quite right with her surroundings. Everything seemed a little too blue. Suddenly, the orbital anchor was engulfed by a familiar blue energy wave.
Entry#8.2
Vestige Surface, System FN-2011
Concurrent with Entry 8.1
The midnight air carried the sounds of mountain winds, chirping night-birds, trickling streams, and two Starfleet officers running for their lives. Their panicked voices echoing throughout landscape.
The beetle, having been provoked for unclear reasons, was chasing Syn and Blathma up the mountainside. The officers briefly tried running downhill but quickly discovered that was a mistake. The beetle could roll itself into a ball. Running uphill appeared to negate that advantage. It also slowed the massive beetle enough to give the engineers a fighting chance at survival. Tax was trying to attack the creature with its phaser drill but nothing seems to be working against the pursuer's thick armor. The beetle continued to ignore the exocomp, apparently having no interest in the artificial lifeform.
None of the actors of this perilous chase cared to notice that the sky was changing. Blueish auroras outlining a magnetic field were now visible, and the display helped illuminate the mountainside. The auroras were also increasing in intensity.
After the chase continued for four minutes or so, Syn and Blathma scrambled on top of a large boulder. Blathma just barely getting his boots up and over the edge before the beetle's mandibles could reach him. The beetle remained on the ground making noises born out of annoyance. It didn't appear to have wings, and it seemed it couldn't scramble on top of the boulder. Either that, or it didn't want to. To any outside observer, Syn and Blathma were trapped. Nevertheless, both Starfleet Officers took the opportunity to catch their breaths, with Syn feeling especially tired by this point. Tax flew up on top of the boulder with them.
"- .... .. ... / .--. .... .- ... . .-. / -.. .-. .. .-.. .-.. / .. ... / ..- ... . .-.. . ... ... -.-.-- / .-- .... -.-- / -.. --- . ... / - .... . / .- ..- - .... --- .-. / .-- .- -. - / - --- / -- .- -.- . / - .... .. -. --. ... / ... --- / .... .- .-. -.. / --- -. / ..- ... ..--.." said the patently annoyed exocomp.
"I hope the next world we go to won't have these things." said Syn between gulps of air.
"You'll get no argument from me." said Blathma who was equally winded. The two officers were just about to relax when something curious happened.
The beetle suddenly dug into the ground and vanished from sight. As Blathma and Syn began to wonder what this could mean, a blue energy wave consumed them.
Entry#8.3
U.S.S. Strider, System FN-2011, Celes Sector
The bridge was bustling with the activity of a ship that was anticipating anything. It was only one energy pulse before, but just now a second one was detected. It seemed there was more to this anomaly than an interference field.
"Have we reached the Vestige System?" asked Draken as he monitored his ship's main system statuses on his arm rest's screen, which admittedly might have been a little small for such detailed readouts. Doctor Ty'Phoon didn't like it when he strained his eyes in such a manner.
"Yes sir." replied Lt. Berkut.
"Helm, full stop. I want a complete analysis of this interference field and a solution for our sensors before we proceed any further. Inform Starfleet-"
The captain was interrupted at the sound of a sensor alert.
"Captain, I'm picking up a vessel on an intercept course." reported Lt. Chengdu.
Draken suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Yellow alert! What kind of vessel is it?" he asked.
"Unknown. It doesn't match any known design in our database." replied Lt. Rap'tor. "Metallic readings indicates that it is made up of Starfleet alloys."
"What? Can you confirm?"
"The LT is right," confirmed Berkut, "...sensors indicate that this vessel was constructed from alloys unique to Starfleet ships. However, the drive signature is all wrong. I've only seen this profile with singularity drives."
"Were they hiding within the interference field?" asked Draken.
"No sir, they are behind us at..." Lt. Rap'tor double checked his plotter before continuing his report, "Two thousand-five hundred meters. They probably had a cloaking device."
"There's a massive power build-up coming from the unidentified vessel. I believe it is a weapon." said Lt. Berkut from his tactical station.
"Red alert! Charge phasers and begin evasive maneuvers. Ready Alpha wing for combat. Attack pattern Alpha. Lieutenant Chengdu, open hailing frequencies. We need try talking to them first."
"Opening hailing frequencies now Captain."
Entry#8.4
Hugin, System FN-2011, Celes Sector
Concurrent with entry 8.3
"Target in range. USS Strider confirmed." said Maya from her science-slash-comm station.
Viviane stared intently at the viewscreen looking for anything that could be amiss.
"Is the area clear for operations?" She asked. There had to be no witnesses before they could attack a Starfleet vessel. They only had one shot.
"Nothing on our scanners save for Strider." replied Maya after rechecking the plotter for what seemed like the hundredth time. The only thing that was new was the second energy discharge from Vestige. Hugin had not received a cease-operations order from Odin as a result of the second event.
"Very good. Dr. Yeka, are we sure this new weapon will work?" It was not the first time Viviane had asked the question.
"According to one thousand simulations and five lab tests, the mechanism is proven. I fully expect that this field test will also be successful." His brimming overconfidence irritated Viviane on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, he had the track record to back it up. There will be a day when your luck runs out. I hope that's not today, but if it is I will die laughing. Viviane wanted to say that, but chose a more tactful question.
"Would you stake your reputation on that?"
"I do. As I have done on every project of mine. I have yet to fail."
Viviane's face twitched ever so subtly. She decided to just focus on the task at hand. "Very well. Jutta, drop cloak and begin transferring power to the Flintlock capacitor."
"Aye captain, dropping cloak. Transferring EPS power flow from nonessential systems to Flintlock capacitor. Capacitor at one percent capacity." reported Jutta from her tactical station.
"USS Strider has engaged active sensors." said Maya.
"That was quick." Viviane said. She could feel a knot slowing forming in her gut, and she tried to ignore that feeling. It was no use indulging in emotions at such a critical moment.
"Flintlock at fifteen percent capacity." reported Jutta.
"We are being scanned." Maya said.
Now they had no choice but to destroy the Starfleet vessel. If Strider was able to send their scan data back to their superiors, Starfleet would know exactly who they were dealing with and the operation would be in jeopardy. Hugin would need to destroy the Strider with one shot.
"Flintlock at fifty-two percent." reported Jutta.
Viviane could feel her heartbeat getting faster, and her mouth starting to dry up. She never expected that this assignment would have her up against a Starfleet vessel this soon. She was certain the rest of the crew, all 50 of them, felt the same way. Except for Yeka, who seemed completely oblivious to the danger they were in. No doubt he was blinded by his own sense of invincibility.
"USS Strider is raising their shields." reported Maya.
If the specs on the Flintlock were correct, and the simulations were accurate, then the shields should be no problem. A bead of sweat formed on Viviane's head. She really hoped those simulations were trustworthy.
"Flintlock at seventy-eight percent." reported Jutta.
"Flintlock at one-hundred percent capacity. Disengaging EPS flow, hammer is in position and the shell is loaded. System is ready for tetryon-kinetic conversion. All systems are green. The weapon is live. We are ready to fire." Jutta almost ran out of breath giving that report.
This is it, Viviane thought as she prepared to give the order...
"Take aim..."
"Massive energy spike coming from the Strider's impulse engines. They're locking phasers on us. They're also hailing us."
It was now or never. If they don't fire now, the Starfleet vessel will assume that Hugin was hostile and then things would get supremely rough for the scout ship. Hugin was never designed as a warship meant to challenge the Iconians. Alita class starships like Strider were designed to challenge Iconians. With her heart pounding, Viviane drew a deep breath before giving the order...
"...FIRE!"
Hugin recoiled under the sudden simultaneous burst of combined tetryon and kinetic energy from the Flintlock. The 200 centimeter shell screamed across space at close to the speed of light, a tetryon bolt leading it. The tetryon bolt hit Strider's port side shield arc, weakening it to the point that the kinetic bolt could pass through. The bolt itself was coated with a thin ablative layer to give any remaining shield strength something to absorb, and it did its job as the bolt passed through the weakened shield. Strider was split in half following impact. A bright flash later, and a furious ball of expanding plasma replaced the ruined combat ship as the warp core lost anti-matter containment. Strider and its crew of 200 were no more.
Despite overloading several EPS junctions connected to peripheral sub-systems, as well as straining the structural integrity of Hugin, Flintlock had worked perfectly. Hugin's crew cheered the success of their experimental weapon. It would be a few hours before it could be used again.
"Well done everyone! Maya, inform Odin Base that the target has been neutralized." said Viviane, and she could feel her tension melt away. The one downside of today was that Dr. Yeka would continue to be an arrogant ass.
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