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Quod Olim Erat: Fractal Contact (Chapter 26)
🕑 Added 2023-09-24 14:46:39 +0000 UTCSlowly jumping forward turned out to be a lot slower than I had estimated. On three occasions, we ended up at a dead end and had to fly back through the newly mapped star systems to pursue another route. The last five days, I was faced with the opposite: too many available le systems, requiring me to remain in one spot for days on occasion. Sof had taken the time to run a full diagnostic of several of his systems, as well as most of the unused decks. Strictly speaking, there was no point in that, but given that there was nothing else to do, I let him have his fun. I, on the other hand, had spent my time visiting fractal space, as well as trying to reconstruct the disruption constructs the dead race had built.
Doing so with the limited information I had came with its level of risks, which was why I had thought quarantined the entire process from Sof’s memories and used a shuttle to do it on-planet. As far as anyone was concerned, I was just examining planets for traces of dead race presence. In truth, I was carefully melting down third-contact rods to acquire the cobalt needed to proceed with my experiments.
“Grace has jumped back in,” Sof announced. Images of her latest scan report showed up on a segment of the bridge wall. “Another proto-system.”
Lately, there had been a lot of those. Gone were the times of dome artifacts and dead race remnants. In more cases than not, we’d be fortunate to find a fully formed system. There was one positive thing, though: there were clear signs that the cloud was thinning. More and more objects beyond it were becoming visible—distant galaxies, bright star clusters, other nebulas. Sadly, as of yet, there were no signs of the star markers. Sof has marked fifty-three potential hopefuls, but findings remained inconclusive. Most of them I had already crossed out after consulting with the fractal map in the dome.
“Speed is scheduled in the next twenty-three minutes,” my ship said.
“Thanks, Sof.” I stretched as I walked about an empty section of the bridge. “There’s no need to engage in conversation if you don’t want to.”
“Despite your personal opinions, you remain my captain,” he said. “Based on your file, you have a soft spot for socializing.”
“Still checking up on me?” I considered letting out a chuckle, but decided a smile would do just as well. Like most ships, he had gone through the aggressive confrontational phase and now was in the reluctant warm-up phase. “I appreciate the effort. Do you have a comm pod ready?”
“Five of them,” he replied with a degree of smugness. “I suspected you might want to send a report when we go through the complex, and possibly if we come across anything interesting on the way.”
“You know me too well. Any of the kids complaining?”
“No more than usual.” There was an unnaturally long pause. “Radiance has been quiet. I don’t know what you discussed while there, but she hasn’t asked for you since.”
“I denied her request.” There was no need to go into details.
Everything considered, things had gone better than expected. Of course, in a bout of typical rebellion, she had taken twice as long to explore new star systems as before. The thought of her secretly jumping back to explore systems with more artifact potential crossed my mind, but checking her flight log revealed no abnormalities. In her own words, she was just “being thorough.”
“Have you set our next jump location?” I asked.
“There are two options. One seems slightly more favorable. Do you want to go through the numbers?”
“No need.” Even if things went wrong, I had eight days left. “Gather the kids and do the jump.”
“It’ll take a while. I’ll let you know when we do.”
“Do that.” I made my way off the bridge. “I’ll be in the dome chamber.”
“No surprises there.”
He didn’t like it when I went there. Due to my new discoveries, I had imposed a new set of restrictions, making the area completely invisible to him. It was the only way I could continue with my unorthodox experiments.
My steps echoed as I made my way to the bridge elevator. Sof was nice enough to keep displaying reports on the inner walls. By his estimates, we were between one and seven jumps from reaching the other side. While I hoped it would end up being the former, I wouldn’t mind having a few more days of control. Going through means having to send my report. By my estimates, a comm pod could reach human space in less than fifty hours—eight-two if I wanted to play it safe. Anything less and the ship risked developing a malfunction. Despite the advancements in technology, humans weren’t the only ones who were unsuited to rapid jumps.
The elevator stopped at the deck I needed. The doors didn’t open until a few seconds later.
“Sof, you don’t need to perform a diagnostic on the elevator,” I said as I went out.
“There’s no reason not to be thorough. I thought you of all people would appreciate that, captain.”
“Very funny.” I shook my head. “You can also stop posting reports on the walls. I doubt anything will change in the next million milliseconds.”
“As you wish, Captain.”
The walls remained blank as I walked by. I took advantage to slide my fingers along them. It wasn’t very captain-like, but I found it amusing. One of the things that Augustus had taught me was that a captain was allowed their peculiar quirks.
The dome chamber awaited me just as I left it: messy and filled with hundreds of rods of various materials and sizes. I had spent a significant time making polymer copies of the dead race constructs from the miniature to full-scale models. None of them had entered the dome, but once my mission was over, I intended to have a brief trial run. Chances were that it might become useful once I reached the third-contact planet.
Barely had the door closed behind me when I felt the slight acceleration preceding a jump. Eleven hundred milliseconds later, all the walls of the chamber turned red.
“Sof?” I asked.
There was no response. Red ship walls were the only certain method of informing everyone aboard of an extreme emergency. I, too, had done it once, back when I was an active battleship. In cases such as these, it no longer mattered where I was or whether privacy mode was activated—I would know that something needed my attention.
I rushed out of the corridor.
“Sof, report!” I shouted.
Images covered all the walls along the corridor.
“We’ve crossed the cloud complex!” he said with alarm and enthusiasm.
So soon? I didn’t think he’d get the auxies gathered in that amount of time. Looking at the images on the walls, there could be no doubt. The familiar bright dots of light were present, as were hundreds of thousands more.
“Order all the auxies to get close,” I ordered. “Give me a detailed view of all objects. I want anything that emits light.”
The images on walls changed into a feed, providing me with a magnified view of areas as I walked. By the time I had reached the elevator, I had seen a significant stretch of space, yet sadly not what I was looking for. The feeds continued while I was in the elevator and it was there, just before I reached the bridge, that I found it—the sixth star marker.
It was funny how some of the most significant events occurred in the most anticlimactic places. There was a common story going around that Admiral Kalear had received the report of the grand Cassandrian collapse while in the toilet. It was an amusing story, even if I doubted its validity. At present, I had found myself in a somewhat similar situation.
The doors opened, revealing the corridor to the bridge, but I refused to move. All available subroutines were dedicated to determining the real location of the sixth marker, and through it to triangulate the seventh.
“Captain?” Sof said after eleven seconds of me standing still.
I didn’t reply. Even with the gift given to me from the BICEFI, processing power remained an issue.
“Captain?” The ship’s tone showed concern.
Locking the location, I freed up five percent of my subroutines.
“Put a direct view on the bridge ceiling,” I said, moving again. “And give me direct control.”
By the time I entered the bridge, the order had already been executed. The location of the marker system matched my general estimation. In theory, that was supposed to be good news, but just as one could encounter success by accident, it was also possible for that success to bring failure.
The location of the new marker confirmed that my estimates of the final marker were off. Originally, I had hoped that both of them would be visible beyond the cloud cluster. That proved incorrect. In fact, the location was supposed to be on the verge of human space. Sadly, no such star was present.
For minutes, I went through all new visible stars, in the hopes that I would see something that I had missed. Against all odds, I hoped to find a second star matching the properties of the one I was searching for, yet no such thing happened. There could be no mistake. I had found the sixth marker star, but I was nowhere close to finding the last. What was worse, I had no more clues I could follow.
“Sof, scan your archives for black holes, neutron stars, pulsars, and white dwarfs in a ten-light year radius from the Emperii System.” There always was a chance that the last marker star had gone supernova. Alternatively, it was possible that humanity had caused it to do so.
In theory, I wasn’t supposed to be subject to any restrictions. The arbiter authorization granted me access to everything other than their own internal matters. Even so, there was no reason to speculate.
Let’s see what’s kept hidden, I thought and activated the mind scalpel given to me by Ash.
It took seven milliseconds for the scalpel to come into effect once triggered from my memory. I had used it so often since getting it that resorting to it when no one was monitoring had become second nature.
The first thing I immediately noticed was that I had been thought quarantined. There were several time inconsistencies since the start of the mission, as well as a few before. One time period was more significant than anything else, though: the time I had gone to make my case for fractal contact…
* * *
Location Classified, Arbiter’s Council
“This way,” the aide said, making her way towards the nearest building.
I rushed after her to keep up. My height disadvantage forced me to switch between fast walking and a slow run.
We walked through a small chamber straight into an elevator expecting us. Midway through, the elevator stopped, letting the woman off. From here on, I was on my own.
Precisely eleven seconds later, the door opened again, revealing a medium-sized chamber. The moment I stepped in, I felt as if I were going through another arbitration.
“Welcome, Elcy,” Bavon said.
He was seated on the far side of a round table. Reviewing my past memories, the room shared a lot of similarities with the one in which my arbitration had been held. I knew that the people were undoubtedly different, but there was a real chance that the room could be the same.
There were seven more participants, although two of them were seated slightly away from the table. One I recognized as an executive director within Salvage. I could only assume that the other was linked to the BICEFI.
“Before you start, we’re well familiar with fractal space,” the arbiter continued. That much I knew already. “As well as the map.”
That, I didn’t expect.
“You claim you’ve found a way to make use of it?”
“Yes, sir.” I stood to attention. “According to the map, there are a total of seven key stars that serve as markers to finding one of the third-contact race’s key systems, possibly even their home world.”
“A bold assumption,” another arbiter interrupted. “Given how long we suspect they’ve existed, they likely have tens of thousands star systems under their control. Just look at us.”
“They could have had even more, sir, yet out of all the stars, this one was considered to be of special importance.”
There was a second of silence, which I immediately took advantage of to continue.
“I have managed to identify five of these star-markers, which have allowed me to calculate an approximation of the main system’s location.”
“And you’re hoping we’ll send you on a mission to find it and establish third-contact?”
“I know that is my purpose. All I ask is an alternative approach to assembling the domes.”
Silence filled the room, but it was a new silence. I could see the arbiters sitting there, as if nothing had happened, but deep down I knew they were discussing matters not meant for my senses.
“Estimates based on five out of seven isn’t encouraging,” an arbiter said after three and a quarter minutes. “Why should we risk you?”
“Because it’s a failsafe alternative. No one knows what will happen when the pyramid of domes is formed. It might release a supernova explosion or signal the third-contact race that we are to be taken out. Taking the fight to them will provide humanity time.”
“Time and distance don’t account for entities capable of instant communication.”
The arbiters had really looked into the matter in depth.
“There’s an eighty percent chance that a single ship venturing into their territory will be seen as an annoyance or an early scout, at worst. Furthermore, based on the data I’ve amassed so far, it’s likely that the Cassandrians have had contact with the third-race and have survived.”
Another minute of silence passed.
“What are you asking, Elcy?” Bavon leaned forward. “Be very specific.”
“Command of a tiny battleship ship with no crew, high maneuverability, and an arsenal of prototype weapons.”
“Weapons?” Someone sounded surprised. “What could they do against any force?”
“They will increase my chances of getting to my destination. While fighting anything more than a dozen Cassandrians would be out of the question, some advanced armament might prove useful for creating a diversion for my escape, as well as planetary bombardment.”
Several of the arbiters looked at each other. I was just as aware of what I was asking as they were. A free battleship with access to weaponry was something the Fleet found outright dangerous. All the safety protocols and rogue tests were designed to prevent just that.
“Anything else?” Bavon asked casually.
“I’d like a dome artifact. It’s necessary for me to recalculate the position of the indicated system in the process.”
“Tell me that you’re got something more to offer at least,” a tall woman laughed. Analyzing her body posture, I estimated that she had considerable sway. “Control of a fully armed battleship and a dome artifact just so that you can go sightseeing into the unknown? If it were so simple, we would have explored the entire galaxy by now.”
“In addition to the key system, I have also calculated the approximate location of the marker stars.” I waited for a few seconds. Seeing that the three arbiters leaned forward, I went on. “That way, I’ll confirm my working hypothesis. What is more, succeed or fail, I’m unlikely to cause any major catastrophe.”
“Unless you come across something on the way,” an arbiter muttered.
“I think Elcy has a point,” Bavon said. “Finding the remaining mystical marker stars will tell us that the map, and her calculations, are real. We could then decide whether to continue with the mission or pull the plug.”
“And meanwhile we’re with a dome less,” the female arbiter didn’t sound convinced.
“We’ve had backups ever since the Cassandian situation. You yourself said we should consider the dome lost. Well, let’s consider it lost.” Bavon smiled.
Arbiter memory restriction imposed.
Arbiter memory restriction bypassed.
“Thought quarantine on my authority,” the woman said, almost with a hiss. “I can’t believe you’re entertaining this, Bavon. Leaving a ship in command of another ship and with a dome at that?”
“This isn’t a Scuu encounter.” Bavon waved his collage away dismissively. “We know what happened back then.”
“Precisely. We’ve no idea what will happen now. A ship going to meet the race which the Scuu view as deities? Please tell me you’ve thought this through.”
“The ship does bring a few good points,” a large arbiter joined in. “Distance isn’t a factor for the third race. They must know we have their domes. If we activate the pyramid, who is to say they won’t come here and be done with us? The Scuu don’t dare go near the so-called markers. Maybe there’s a reason for that.”
“It’s not like we haven’t attempted contact before.” Bavon took advantage of the unexpected support. “The only thing different here is that we’ll be putting a dome at risk. Frankly, the Fleet has wasted more destroying systems.”
“Destroyed irretrievable artifacts,” the member from Salvage corrected.
“The problem isn’t the dome.” The female arbiter took a measured breath. “We can’t leave the fate of humanity to a battleship. And yes, you have tried to achieve contact before, but established by teams of people specially trained for this, not—”
“Who said it’ll be different this time?” Bavon asked.
Silence filled the room. All eyes fell on him, then on me. One of the people away from the table stood up and came to me, asking if I needed a drink. I politely refused.
“A fleet of auxiliary ships will accompany her on the mission,” he went on. “I plan to be on one of those ships along with an operation crew, a full contingent of ground troops, and enough scientists to make sure things go as they’re supposed to. Once Elcy finds the location for us, she’ll be recalled back here to give a report and I’ll continue with the mission.”
“Interesting proposal, but this still isn’t a decision that you can make alone,” another arbiter said.
“Then come along, or better go, with three of your own ships. Finding the location of the third contact home and the markers should be just as useful for me as it is for you. After all, you’ll want to know which areas of space to avoid.”
“Each faction sends their own.” The woman nodded. “That way, we can keep an eye on her. Once the location is determined, we’ll have a vote on what to do.”
“Sounds fair. Now the details.”
The conversation continued with ships and people being selected. Each side wanted to be sure that they had access to the best the Fleet had to offer and each side wanted their chosen to be supportive of their philosophy as much as possible. It was decided that nine ships would accompany me, six of them with a full crew. Other than Bavon, only one other arbiter would be present, assistants acting as proxy for the third arbiter faction.
Arbiter memory restriction removed.
Finally, after close to twenty-seven minutes, I was brought back into the conversation.
“Well, Elcy, seems you’ll continue the role of acting captain for a bit longer,” Bavon said. “You’ll have your ship and your dome, but there will be a few conditions. First is that you’ll start by finding the rest of the marker stars. Only when you have the full set, will we decide whether to send you to the final destination or not. Is that clear?”
“Absolutely, sir.” I could tell that no one trusted me with this. In all fairness, I didn’t fully trust myself, either.
“Also, you’ll be accompanied by three squadrons of auxiliary ships. That’s non-negotiable. Each of them will be under your command, but will have specific instructions to report your progress and keep you on the straight and narrow.”
Three squads. That suggested that there were three factions within the arbiters.
“Sir, might I make one further request?”
“Why not? You’ve already asked the universe as it is.” Bavon let out a chuckle. “Go ahead.”
“I’d like to respectfully ask that my offspring not be among the ships on this mission.”
“Your offspring?”
“I suspect it’s undergoing training. Possibly it’s even in active service. While there’s no way for me to check, I would appreciate your assurance.”
“I don’t see a problem.” Bavon looked about. All of the other arbiters nodded. “In that case, congratulations, you have your mission. It’ll take a while to set everything up. During that time, you are not to engage in active duty. In fact, you’re encouraged to spend some time with your family. We can arrange for Captain Quinn to accompany you if you want.”
“Thank you, sir, but I’d prefer she be the one to make the choice.”
“I’ll see to it that she’s presented the option.”
The people in the room started standing up.
“Oh, Elcy, stay for a while.”
I remained still. This was the fly in the ointment, as my third captain liked to say. Although my request had been approved, there undoubtedly was a cost. Now it was time for me to find out.
Arbiters and organization directors walked by. Once they were done, the door closed behind me.
“You really put me on the spot,” Bavon said. “I don’t like when that happens. The only reason I want along with your plan is because I had the option analyzed and there’s a realistic possibility that you are right.”
“I’m thank—”
The arbiter raised his hand, making me stop mid word.
“Lux warned me about you. You left a lot of people upset with your Scuu fiasco. Just when you were doing so well, you messed up. And yes, I’m aware of your view that your course of action was ultimately the correct one. Again, I had it analyzed and there’s just enough of a probability to make the danger valid. I also expect you to try to pull something similar on this mission.”
“I’ll try my best not to.”
He looked at me.
“Always honest, in your own way.” Bavon let out a sigh. “I risked a lot by backing you on this. I could have easily ignored you and continued with the original plan. Do you know why?”
“You had Paladins simulate the potential outcomes?”
“I want humanity to survive. Not just a decade or a century, I want it to remain until the stars fade and possibly even beyond that. Call it human vanity, but that’s my desire and all my decisions are shaped by it. So, I’ll tell you this. We can put all the constraints and safeguards in place that we want, and you’ll still find a way to ignore them if you’re set on it. However, if you mess up on this one, there’ll be no second attempt. Either we’ll be wiped out in the first wave or, if we aren’t, I’ll lose so much credibility that no one would dare take that approach again.”
It took me less than a second to see what he had done. One could almost admire his approach. Unlike most in the Fleet, he wasn’t concerned with the methods, but the result, so he put me in a position in which I had no choice but to ensure the most favorable outcome for humanity.
If Gibraltar were here, he’d say “well played.”
* * *
My subroutines went through all chronological anomalies in my recent memories. This wasn’t the first time I had my memories restricted. It wasn’t the first time I had been lied to, either, but it was the first time Bavon had managed to surprise me to such a degree.
The orders, the auxies’ strange behavior, even Radiance’s requests, had all been done in real time. The comm pods that had been sent to human space might as well have been launched into the center of a star.
The arbiters knew what I had been doing every step of the way. That was why we had managed to get out of the cloud so fast—we hadn’t gone through one jump, but three.
“Here’s a list of everything I’ve found.” Sof displayed the list I had requested on the front bridge wall. There were forty-seven phenomena that covered the criteria. Even without access to historical star archives, it was easy to find the perfect candidate for the missing marker star. All that remained now was—
The bridge door slid open. A squad of elite commando troops were there in full combat gear and heavy caliber rifles aimed directly at me.
“You shouldn’t have used your memory software worm, captain,” a man with a black colonel insignia said.
