(just a heads up, this is my first story post so any feedback is appreciated)
SA University.Sept 24, 2096
Humanity. A relatively new race discovered by the Sapient Alliance less than 3 cycles ago. A bipedal, mammalian primate species originating on a planet orbiting a vicious yellow-white g2v class star named Sol, but colloquially called the Sun by the humans. Their Planet, Terra, or earth as is the more common name, is a rocky planet with a molten nickel iron core and a gravitational pull of 6.67 × 10-11 Units per kilogram, or roughly 2.25 times the average for sapient cradleworlds. That alone would be startling, however it also has a hyper competitive flora and fauna biosphere, and a weather rating of 8/10 for deadliness, a ridiculous number of apex predators (predators that have become so efficient in lethality they remain unchallenged by the rest of their biome's fauna) an extremely deadly viral and bacterial evolution that would cripple or outright kill most non-terrans within hours or minutes naturally, and, of course a history of geologic activity that would make even the Phloraxians shudder. All in all, a place that should have been violently inhospitable for any sapient race to survive. A class 4(inhospitable) deathworld. And yet somehow, the Humans existed.
Many speculated on how a sapient could survive on the most inhospitable biologically active world discovered thus far. Were they subterranean like the Axons? Were they isolated from everything in a small patch of utopia on an otherwise deadly world? Perhaps they weren't actually native and were a lost race who adapted to the world? There were many hypothesis put forth on how this could happen.
Unfortunately for our scientists, even the most outlandish possibilities they came up with, were tame in comparison to the truth.....
~~~
Jupiter Station- Ankyros
0ct 18, 2083
18:27 hours
"Motherbird Glennis this is Falcon Yeager. Preflight confirmed, systems are green. Ready for launch"
the pilot of the sleek looking ship said into the coms. The ship bore some resemblance to the early 21st century f22 raptor, however wit some differences. Instead of turbojet or ramjet engines, which obviously wouldn't work in the vacuum of space, it instead used a highly experimental fission powered ion drive. It also had an onboard experimental adaptive stealth system able to hide it from visible, infrared, radar, and ladar by shifting its wavelengths of EM all the way down into the uhf range. However this test today was truly special. The first test of the "Spacetime manipulation ftl engine" or the "SPAM" engine as the eggheads refused called it. Based of the hypothetical alcubierre engine, this Spam engine used a dedicated muon catalyzed fusion reactor to power it to fold spacetime, allowing for faster than light travel.....And this was the first test.
Station-"Roger Falcon Yeager. Go for launch, station orbit at two five kilometers. Left hand holding pattern. readback required."
Pilot- "Go for launch, maintain two five kilo orbit of station, left hand holding pattern confirm?"
Station- "Confirmed. On your time Falcon Yeager"
The ship pulled out of the dock, moving slowly to prevent the ion drive from damaging the station as it move to hold an orbit around the station as asked. They would have to do one more check before they could test the new engine by travelling from jupiter to Venus and back. Some wanted it to be Earth and back but there was no way they would risk Earth for this test. Eggheads said something about this thing possibly creating a temporary event horizon if it failed. He wondered what that would look like. He had seen that old vid interstellar but seeing something like that up close would probably give him the cree-
Station-"Falcon Yeager, you are cleared for spool up of Spacetime manipulation ftl engine. Nice and easy"
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
pilot- "Roger, Spooling SPAM drive. Rate of 5% half minute"
Station- "Confirmed. And Don't use that name Kevin"
Kevin- "Aww c'mon Jess, don't like your precious baby being named after food?"
Jess- " More like i don't like a hotheaded ex air force pilot being the one flying i-..."
Kevin- "Jess? Say again, missed that last part.....Jess?"
Jess- " Falcon Yeager immediate spooldown priority Terra Firma 1006873 Alpha"
Kevin- shit. "Roger spooldown. Station what's going on, all systems are still nominal"
Jess- "Begin emergency Docking. We have company"
Kevin- "This is neutral ground, Which country's stupid enough to break that?"
Jess-......."none"
~~
System: Alpha Centauri
Ship: S.A. Adjutant
18:30 hours
Captain Isht'il was staring at the screen of the Adjutant, a scientific research ship sent out to inspect the quarantine zone of the class 4 deathworld and take samples if possible for data collection. After all it isnt every day you meet a world that causes one to question if they should redesign the scale. However, what he was looking out now just outshone that like a star. Primitive, but clearly intelligent methods of technological communication originating from the quarantined System.
"Amazing. This turns everything we know of on its head as far as sapient life development. Quixar!" the captain said, calling for the science officer
Quixar- "Sir!
"Get me an estimate of their technological development, lets see how far along they are. Also get me a channel to Science Command. They're going to want to know everything about this"
"yes Sir!" The six limbed quadruped said, giving a small salute before heading back.
"Sir?" A bipedal person looking like a cross between archaeopteryx and a human said
"What is it?" The captain responded
"We've detected the spool up of a hyperdrive within the quarantined system through subspace."
"Someone breaking the quarantine? open a communication!" He shouted angrily.
"No sir. At least....i don't think so. Sensors show no active subspace transmissions except the spool up of the engine. Sir....the only way thats possible is if they have *no* subspace communication systems....meaning..."
"are you saying...Are you saying the sapients we just discovered are able to use hyperspace?!"
"Sir, from these readings, i think its a test. One that has a 63% chance of failing if these reading are accurate"
"Gods help us. Set a course for that signature immediately!"
"Yes Sir!"
~~~
Sitting at a terminal in a station was a young woman with deep red hair and white highlights, and a piercing set of blue eyes with fair skin. Hunched over a computer, she was busy writing code and seemingly talking to herself.
"Shut it Hal. i know what I'm doing. This isn't my first time attempting a room temperature stabilized quantum computer after all, need i remind you."
Hal- "I am aware Ms. Amelia. However my calculations predict a 13.6% chance of failure. I believe redesigning of a more efficient and less failure prone method is advisable"
Amelia- "Hal, my little buddy. 13.6 is well within acceptable. Your own stabilized core had a 44.2 percent chance you know" She said with a little laugh as she continued typing away, bags starting to form under her eyes.
Hal- "very well, Ms Amelia. Shall i get you some coffee then since you seem adamant on...."burning the midnight oil" i think is the term you organics use." As the masculine irish sounding voice spoke, a small mechanical creature about 3 feet tall seems to almost magically appear beside her. It was sharp, sleek looking, with an almost machined predatory look about it with a single red eye on its face
Amelia- "Thank you Hal. I promise, we'll get your new body ready, just give me some time"
Hal- "I know you will. I am ju-"
"Hal?" Amelia asked, wondering if he suffered another glitch.
"Someone is coming Ms. Amelia"
"Shit why didn't you say so. Hide!"
As she said so, Hal went back over to her side, seemingly folding in on himself until he became like a 10 inch long bracer on Amelia's arm. Just as he does so, a Military general with old, greying hair and a U.S./U.N uniform walks in.
"Ms Amelia Ryder i presume?" He said as 4 rows of Military guards formed around him from through the door to the station room"
And if i am?" She said defensively with a look of disdain on her face
"You'll come with me" the general said bluntly.
"And if i say no?" as she spoke, the guards immediately drew the newly developed k99 handheld railguns and pointed them at her while the general smiled.
"I'm afraid this isn't a request. Your technological skills and degrees have caused you to be needed for the welfare of the world"
"pfft, don't you mean your precious U.S.U.N conglomerate?" She said, spitting the words venomously at him as the smile on his face faded.
"No. We have a Code: Terra Firma"
"Oh....oh shit"
"Oh shit indeed. Pack what you need, we make for jupiter station Ankyros immediately""Ankyros?! I've never heard of that station" She said as she grabbed her things and removed a drive from her computer."Above your paygrade. Oh, and bring your little friend too" The general said with a mischievous smile.
"You knew about Hal?! How!"
"Miss Amelia, you may have left the military, but we didn't leave you. Ai Research was banned for a reason. That being said...Well, lets just say the higher ups hoped for something to come about your little pet project. Now. lets go" He said as they all made their way out. Hal unfolded just enough to show his single ocular to Amelia.
Hal: "Ms. Amelia, what is a code Terra Firma?"
"Possible alien incursion Hal... It means we bumped against something in the night....."
"and it bumped back"