UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 06:31 a.m.

Location: Civilian areas, Aurolin Ruins, Au'Shalis Prime, Clinton's Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way

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The Aurolin Ruins truly weren't impressive at all. In fact, they looked as nondescript as one could imagine. The crumbling buildings, at least the ones still standing, bore a strong resemblance to the normal structures of New Hamton. Concrete walls streaked with rust-like stains, crumbled buildings overgrown by nature over time and fractured windows. It was a scene almost too familiar thanks to my time on ASO-17309. But nonetheless I had to imagine that the two cities wouldn’t be all that different if both were still intact.

The Aetherians, for all their vanity and their engineering brilliance seemed to let their cities fall into the same kind of ruins as anyone else. Time still claimed all it seemed. But a stray thought gnawed at me. How could a civilization that mastered longevity, building star-spanning megastructures and ships designed to survive millenia, allow such negelect.

[ It would be bad for the economy. Aetherian spaceships and other space components were built to last. The same goes for most megastructures and core infrastructure. But if everything lasted forever there would be no need for new goods, no working production lines, and the reaction efficiency in emergency situations would be drastically reduced. In short, it was a necessity to keep the Aetherian Empire’s economy going strong and to be prepared if something in the galaxy or the universe at large went drastically wrong. ]

Okay, I could acknowledge that. Sure, through their endless expansion the Aetherian Empire would always generate demand for their products. New colonies and mining outposts needed infrastructure and always had a demand. But it made sense that wouldn't be enough to sustain such a vast economy. Artificially raising the demand through planned obsolescence was clever, albeit unsettling. It was easy to see how basic economic theory worked in their favor and how much of their system depended on the deliberate neglect I now stood in.

Looking around again, I focused on the details. Faded murals hinted at what might have been a thriving market square. Broken walkways bore deep grooves from heavy use. Or what’s more likely from machines long gone. Still as much as the ruins stirred a vague curiosity, they also felt hollow, like a city that had been erased and left with only the ghost of its identity.

I started walking away from the shuttle landing stage, choosing a direction at random. Standing still too long would make me stand out and there was no need to draw unwanted attention. The ruins were supposed to be open to civilian visitors but the lingering presence of the SHF patrol drones and a few discreet security stations reminded me that not everything here was open for the public. The real secrets were probably hidden in the closed-off areas ahead.

“Well, Fen, what now?” I muttered, keeping my voice low.

[ Well, first off, you’re heading in the wrong direction. But that should make us stand out less if we slowly circle around. The last thing we need is for someone to think you’re here with too much purpose. In the meantime I will start using the acess codes I got from hacking the police station. This should allow us to at least get away from the Second Human Federation security measures. ]

Fen’s advice was sound. The patrol drones might not care about someone wandering aimlessly but they’d absolutely care if I started heading straight for the closed-off areas. I forced my steps to stay casual though my eyes scanned every alley and archway for potential trouble. The city had an oppressive silence to it. Aside from the faint hum of the drones and the occasional shuffle of other visitors the ruins felt frozen in time

[ Go left. There’s less foot traffic down that street. ]

I ducked into a narrower passage flanked by intact walls on both sides. Allthough they looked like they were one slighg breeze away from collapse. “Anything on your end yet?“, I asked, keeping my voice low as I swept my gaze over my surroundings.

[ Still scanning the local network, but it’s quiet. Too quiet for a semi-military point of interest. What we see on the surface is likely just a shell with our acess codes not allowing much deeper decrypting. I’ll keep probing for weak points, but I don‘t think it will amount to much. ]

This entire plan was a gigantic gamble. The old Aetherian weapon systems still worked. Even better, they might still respond to specific command protocols, hopefully to the Inheritor-Protocol as well. It was a long shot, but if I could gain acess, the technology would still be extremely valuable. Of course the SHF wanted the same still. That point even after all their failed tries seemed to be still the same. That was the reason for the drones, guards and probably worse waiting in the shadows.

As I rounded another corner a subtle change in the ruins caught my attention. The structures here were more intact, their designs cleaner, with fewer signs of the wear and tear that plagued the other parts of the city. A faint pulse of unease coiled in my chest. It wasn’t just luck that this area seemed preserved. It was maintained. We had reached the restricted areas of the ruins.

[ Stop moving! ]

“What is it?”, I whispered, having stopped instantly.

[ Movement ahead. Two patrol drones are coming this way. If you duck into the alley on your right you can hopefully avoid them. I‘m still not entirely understanding everything I can glance from our limited system acess. ]

I didn’t hesitate, slipping into the narrow gap between two buildings. My boots crunched softly over debris as I pressed myself against the wall trying to keep to the shadows.

[ Stay still. They’ll move on in a moment, I believe. ]

Not the most reassuring thing He could have said. I held my breath, listening to the faint whirl of their servos and the occasional electronic chirps as they communicated with one another. After what felt like an eternity the sounds grew fainter.

[ Close call, but you’re good. Let’s keep moving. I’m detecting slight power signatures ahead. Could be something worth checking out. ]

“Lead the way.“, I muttered, getting back into the open.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

I followed Fen’s guidance deeper into the preserved section of the ruins. The power signatures grew stronger, barely perceptible even for an highly advanced AI. Ahead a partially collapsed building loomed, its towering frame still managing to convey a sense of command. In front of it there stood soldiers. Or well, they should have. But they sat around a table a few dozen metres further down the road, seemingly playing a card game of some kind. Even the significantly upgraded of a High-Aetherian wasn‘t enough for that, it seemed.

[ That could be it. If the reports were right, the Aetherian command systems were centralized in facilities like this. You’ll need to find a way in. ]

“Great.“, I muttered, scanning the structure. Looking at how unattentive these soldiers were… Yeah, I could probably just sneak through the entrance without them noticing. And that I did, crouching behind some debris and slowly nearing the entrance. The soldiers truly didn‘t notice a thing. They probably didn‘t expect anyone on this completely secure station to sneak in here out of all places.

Inside the building the air shifted. It was colder and the faint hum of machinery grew stronger, vibrating faintly beneath my feet. The walls here were lined with patterns. Complex geometric designs etched with precision into the stone-like material. They seemed to shift under the dim light, almost alive.

[ Careful. This place is likely to have its own automated defenses and we don‘t know if the Inheritor-Protocols will protect us. Additionally the SHF has some defenses and safeguards in place for sure.]

“Good to know.“, I muttered, moving deeper into the structure. Whatever lay ahead, it wouldn’t be simple, but if I could reach the weapons systems it would all be worth it. Every step of mine echoed faintly, bouncing off the high arched ceilings and walls. Despite the age of the ruins the faint glow of embedded lights along the floor suggested a reserve power source still thrummed somewhere deep within. Well Fen did say that truly critical infrastructure was build to last, one of them probably being the weapon systems.

The silence here wasn’t just a lack of sound. It felt intentional, engineered as though the space were designed to amplify even the smallest noise. Probably another security measure. I forced myself to move slower with my boots barely brushing the ground.

[ I’m picking up stronger power fluctuations now. It’s still faint but extremely stable. It’s likely the system is running on some kind of auxiliary mode. You’re close but tread carefully. This level of truly isn’t by accident. ]

“Preservation or a trap.”, I muttered, pressing myself against a wall as I approached a sharp corner. Peering around I saw a long narrow corridor leading to what looked like a central chamber. At the far end a large metallic door loomed, its surface illuminated with faint blue glyphs and shifting power lines. The last protection of the Aetherians and were the SHF always failed. Hopefully my Inheritor-Protocols would allow me to do what they couldn‘t. Reaching the weapon control center without having one of the many failsaves enact selfdestruction.

But before I could move a sound froze me in place. I heard a faint clicking, almost like claws against metal. It was coming from somewhere ahead, faint but unmistakable.

“Fen!“, I whispered urgently.

[ Hold on. There’s an active security system in here. Could be drones, could be something worse. Definitly something of SHF production, their last protection layer against sabotage. ]

I cursed under my breath, staying pressed against the wall. Slowly I reached for my small desintegrator and pulled it out. Additionally I activated its scanning function and a faint display flickered to life. Urgently I aimed it toward the corridor. The screen lit up with a faint outline of movement showing several small skittering forms patrolling the area. “Spiders?”, I guessed.

[ Not organic. Synthetic guardians. Think of them as highly territorial exterminators. You’ll need to bypass them if you want to reach the door. ]

“How many?”

[ Six, maybe seven in this corridor alone. Their patterns suggest they’re scanning for intruders. They’ll probably pick up on any significant heat, sound, or motion. ]

I swallowed hard, considering my options. I had a few tricks up my sleeve, but nothing guaranteed. Still, there was no turning back now. I surveyed the corridor again, my eyes tracing the placement of the guardians and the layout of the space. The walls bore more of the glowing patterns, and I spotted several old and broken panels that might serve as temporary cover.

“Fen, can you create a distraction?”, I asked.

[ Not remotely and with our abysmal access codes. I’d need access to an SHF terminal to trigger any localized systems. You’re on your own for this one. ]

Figures. I quickly changed the settings of my desintegrator to area fire and electronic desruption. That would give me ten seconds at best, most likely less. I took a deep breath and jumped around the corner. Instantly I started firing and the effect was immediate. The hum of the guardians’ servos stuttered, and their lights flickered out as they collapsed to the floor. I moved quickly, keeping low and darting toward the door at the far end. My heart hammered as I counted the seconds—five, six, seven—before I heard the telltale whir of systems rebooting.

[ They’re coming back online. Move! ]

I slid to a stop in front of the door, Fen already sending out the Inheritor-Protocols. The system responded sluggishly, like waking from a deep slumber, but the glyphs on the door began to align as they started to recognise the Inheritor-Protocols. A sudden whirring noise behind me made my blood run cold. I risked a glance over my shoulder. The guardians were fully operational again, their optics blazing blue as they swarmed toward my position.

[ Focus! We need to complete the link or none of this will matter! ]

I gritted my teeth, forcing my attention back to the door. It slowly started to open with a loud screech. Suddenly one of the guardians was back faster than the others and it lunged toward me with terrifying speed. Its metal claws scraped against the edge of the door as I shoved myself through, the narrow space making it impossible to avoid a collision.

The thing hit me hard, knocking me to the ground as we both tumbled through the gap. Sparks flew as its limbs struck the walls, and I felt the searing heat of its optics as it tried to pin me.

“Fen!”, I shouted, struggling against its weight.

[ Hold on, I‘m already working on it! ]

The door groaned as it began to close, its mechanisms grinding like tectonic plates shifting. I rolled to the side just as the guardian reared back for another strike. The edge of the door caught one of its limbs, shearing it off with a sickening crunch. The creature emitted a burst of static, flailing wildly as it tried to retreat, but the closing door severed its connection to the outside entirely.

With a final echoing thud the door sealed shut, plunging the room into silence.

I lay there for a moment catching my breath as the faint hum of the systems around me returned. The guardian twitched once, its optics dimming, before falling still beside me. Without a connection to the SHF systems it was unable to function correctly.

[ You made it through the SHF defences and into the completely Aetherian part of the structure. But don’t get too comfortable. The door was a closed-off system. To deactivate all systems that are a threat to us, we would need a terminal. And that we won’t have until we crossed all these threats first. I hope you remember our consensus about Aetherian paranoia? If the systems here are still active which I strongly suspect, they will be even less forgiving than what you just faced. ]

I pushed myself to my feet, wincing at the ache in my shoulder where the guardian had slammed into me. Ahead, a faint glow illuminated another corridor, its patterns even more detailed than the ones I’d seen before.

“No rest for the wicked,” I muttered.

[ You did promise me to stay safe and we will have a long discussion about what that means once we‘re back on the ASF Aurora. But right now other things take precedence. ]

He was right and I stepped forward. Whatever lay ahead, it was the key to everything. Though I really didn‘t look foward to the scolding I would get from Fen later…