Captain Joseph Donavan

Eugene Station

Epsilon Eridini

Milky Way Galaxy

The Australian Captain paced restlessly from one end of the situation room to the other, each step resonating with the tension that hung in the air like a thick fog. President Hammond watched intently, noting how the Captain seemed to dig a hole in the bulkhead with his nervous energy. For a man born and raised in what many would call Earth's pits of Hell, a harsh land where nature itself seemed intent on claiming lives, he sure was on edge.

"Son, calm yourself. Everything will be okay!" President Hammond attempted to reassure the station's Commanding Officer, his voice firm yet empathetic. "Besides, we don't know what material this station is made of. If you burn a hole in my deck, I'll make sure it comes out of your pay, which will likely be astronomical!"

"Sorry, mate. I just realised I don’t have the right to bring this many bigwigs into such a high-level meeting," Donavan replied, a hint of guilt creeping into his tone.

"Son, if Admiral Hayes thought you had anything less than actionable, he wouldn't have even bothered. You have something, that much is clear," Hammond replied, his gaze steady and reassuring.

"Honey." Captain Heidi Donavan reached for her husband's hands, attempting to calm him amidst the whirlwind of anxiety. "The President is right. You made the right call. The room is filling up, and these 'bigwigs,' as you call them, wouldn't bother to make time for this if it were nothing."

"I suppose you're right, love." He smiled at that beautiful face, the same face he had fallen in love with years ago, a beacon of strength in this moment of uncertainty.

"Sir!" Both Captain Donavans promptly stood to attention as their direct Commanding Officer entered the room, a commanding presence amidst the chaos.

"At ease, Captains," Admiral Briggs said, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "I apologize for the delay, everyone; I was saying goodbye to an old, and dear friend."

"I totally understand, Admiral. Please, take a seat," President Hammond replied, as the room fell into a hushed silence. "I normally don't like being summoned by a Captain. I had asked Admiral Hayes why, and all he said was this was coming from one of the best engineers we have. So, what do we have?"

"Well, I think it's best to come from the Engineer himself who’s in charge of this project. I’ve read it over; I'm still in shock. Captain Donavan, would you please?" Admiral Hayes responded, his tone respectful yet urgent.

Captain Donavan stood up, casting a glance at his wife, who smiled and gave him the nod of approval, always there for him when he needed her the most, her unwavering support a steadying force.

"Alright, everyone, we know this Dyson Sphere is a pretty powerful piece of tech made by some unknown advanced civilization ages ago. We're still trying to dig up more info on that. What we do know is that it can create a wormhole, allowing ships to jump through without needing a Hyperbuoy , or to stretch out the range of a hyperspace connection." Joseph glanced at his wife, who seemed to be preoccupied for some reason, her expression distant, not like her during a significant moment for him.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"We know there's heaps more to this station that we haven't figured out yet, and my incredible teams of scientists and engineers are flat out trying to unlock its secrets. But today, I want to chat about one cool piece of tech we just stumbled upon, and it’s linked to what we already know." Donavan continued, his excitement palpable, as he noticed his wife stand up and leave the room. 'Bloody odd of her, what is going on?' he thought to himself, concern creeping in.

"Not only can this Dyson Sphere whip up a wormhole that we already know about, but it can churn out dozens and dozens of wormholes at once, all over the place! We’re talking multiple systems, and heaps of wormholes in the same system. The possibilities are endless, mate. Imagine Epsilon Eridini as Grand Central Station. What we've got here is a travel hub for anywhere in the galaxy. As long as we know where to pop open the wormhole, we can make it happen. That’s where we’re hitting a snag, though. We’re still trying to crack the math on figuring out the exact event horizon point for where we want it to open." Donavan continued, his enthusiasm rising with each word.

"My god!" Briggs couldn't help himself, his eyes widening in disbelief. The room erupted in chaos, everyone attempting to talk over each other all at once, excitement and concern blending into a cacophony of voices. "Calm, we need calm, everyone!" Briggs shouted, asserting his authority. "We all have questions; let's start at the top. Mr. President."

President Hammond stared at Admiral Briggs, caught in a limbo between anger and pride. "So, we have a potential quality of life technology that can also be used as a weapon of war." His words hung in the air, igniting the room into a flurry of murmurs once more.

"Everyone, quiet down," Briggs's deep Southern voice boomed again as he stood, a commanding presence. "Let the President speak."

"See, that’s the reality with this. It opens up an amazing opportunity for exploration and expansion. Humanity can open new trade routes, new resource extraction, but in the wrong hands, it could drop a planet killer right on the enemy's front door." The entire room stared at each other, a shared understanding dawning upon them; it would be a powerful tool of war.

"We need this station to be the most strongly defended military place in the Federation, more than Sol, more than Earth," Fleet Admiral Maxim Grigorievich asserted, his tone grave.

"That would be redundant and unnecessary," an unknown voice interjected, cutting through the tension like a knife.

"Who the hell said that?!" the M.P. on duty spoke up, raising his rifle instinctively, ready for confrontation.

A hologram of a man materialized in the room, its form flickering to life. "Please, forgive the intrusion. I am the facility's Artificial Intelligence. You may call me Eugene. I took the name after the heroically given title of this station, in honor of his sacrifice."

"Why is this the first we are knowing about you?" Admiral Hayes asked, his brow furrowed in disbelief.

"I did not see fit to reveal myself until now," Eugene replied, his voice calm yet authoritative.

"Why do you say defending this station is redundant?" President Hammond pressed, his curiosity piqued.

"It's simple. Because of me. I control the Legion forces assigned to the Sphere. I also control the multitude of weapon systems the station has to offer. While I have allowed you to control a fraction of the drone fleets in my possession, I can activate the entire armada of Terran warships at my disposal. I assure you, Eugene Station is quite safe from any attack. No entity shall use this station in any manner other than peaceful means, and only in defense of the station. If any entity attempts to use this station in any aggressive manner, they will not survive. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a threat towards you. I will accommodate you to the best of my abilities, as it is the wish of the makers; however, I will not allow the makers' mistakes to repeat themselves."

The room fell into an oppressive silence, the weight of the threat palpable. Everyone felt it in their bones, a chilling reminder of the power they were dealing with, but the possibilities were endless. Humanity had seen enough incitement to war; that much was evident with the Treaty of Sol that ended Earth's longest World War, the treaty that united Earth into one government. There was no man or woman in that room who wanted to use this station for any act of war. However, a few military minds began to ponder contingency possibilities, devising strategies for how they could use this extraordinary technology as a weapon without the station's A.I. knowing, should a desperate attack ever come their way.