(BSS Nephilim, Beta Darconyx System)
“Marcia, what do the scanners say?”
The Nomad AI was already hard at work, running the analytics programs that had been provided with the ship. If anyone were to ask her, she would say the same thing she told the doctors every time she logged out for testing, that she was very happy with her time in this game world. She knew why she had been picked for the program, of course. She was on the spectrum for autism. Higher functioning than some, but crowds were problematic for her, among other things, which prevented her from really integrating with people as much as she’d like. There was some hope that this program could allow her to ease into interacting with other people, and perhaps work as a way to bridge the gap between society and her brain.
The results so far were promising enough that the doctors running the trials were starting to consider opening it up for more people. Perhaps even allowing transitions to AIs with bodies, like the Black Star Company’s CEO and owner, Mirikon had with his Raven. That brought up some troubling thoughts. Her ‘body’, the Nephilim, was owned by Black Star. But her mind was not property of Black Star. Slavery existed in this world, but she was not classified as a slave. And yet her body didn’t belong to her…
She saw the Captain sitting there, watching her screen. Right. Work. The whole interlude had taken 0.03 seconds, thanks to the way the data inputs allowed her to think faster, reducing what otherwise would have been awkward pauses.
“It is an anomaly, Captain. The object is roughly 97500 meters long. Scanners are unable to penetrate the hull. It is covered by some kind of coating that blocks sensors along all known wavelengths. Some leakage in the visual spectrum, but all other sensors except the gravitics show no reading on the object. As you can see, it is roughly cylindrical in shape, with hexad symmetry. Interior spaces are largely unreadable by scanners.”
Her Captain frowned. “So, it is clearly artificial. Nothing in nature is perfectly symmetrical, after all. And we won’t be able to get a clear look at it, because something about it eats sensors.” She paused, and then looked up, sharply. “You said ‘largely unreadable’. Are there areas we can access with sensors?”
Marcia did her best not to flinch when Captain Ueshiba looked at her. She was getting better at that. She wasn’t really looking at her through her hologram’s eyes, after all. She was the ship, not the projection. And the ship had eyes everywhere.
“Correct. The ship has suffered critical damage to large sections of the outer hull. Initial analysis suggests that the damage is the result of high-energy weaponry of some kind. However, given the basic metallurgical analysis of the damaged sections performed so far, the hull material is substantially stronger than anything that is currently even theorized about in Known Space.”
Bruce frowned from his position in the copilot’s chair, which doubled as navigation and weapons, when need be. “If the weapons in play were that powerful, then perhaps we have an explanation for why there is an accretion disk in this system, and the only planets are a few gas giants with what looks like some fairly substantial orbital instability. Like a few massive parts of the system were blown up sometime in the last couple hundred thousand years.”
“Initial analysis would support that hypothesis, Bruce. There are currently no known weapons systems of sufficient type and power to produce the damage patterns we are witnessing. If I might be so bold, the most likely conclusion is that the object was attacked by forces unknown, for reasons unknown, and the fight between the two sides ended with the object being critically damaged, if not disabled to the point of it being a wreck, and resulting in the destruction of the rocky masses of this system. Whether the other side survived the encounter or not is unknown.”
Captain Ueshiba shook her head. That expression meant that she had come to a decision. Marcia had begun to learn the expressions that others used to express themselves. Thinking of others in that way was hard for her, but she was trying. Making these connections in this game was supposed to help her with making the same connections in the real world. And the data would help the doctors learn more, to learn how to better help her, and others like her, manage their challenges. She liked to think that it was a pretty big kid that she was a part of something so groundbreaking. And being able to play around as an AI was calming, especially compared to the chaotic inputs of the real world.
“Right, no reason to get ourselves blown up. If this thing was most recently in a battle, then any automated systems that are working will likely leap to the idea that they are being attacked. How far away from the object can we be and still maintain passive sensor locks on it?”
A simple calculation. Given the object’s size, adjusting for the nature of its hull, accounting for the types of sensors that actually worked on it… The result was not to the degree of accuracy she liked, but it was within the margin of error.
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“Given the object’s size and damage, we should be able to maintain sensor lock up to 1.5 AU away. However, should any of the object’s systems reactivate, we have no way of knowing what may happen. If they have active stealth technology to equal the passive systems, then we could be right against their hull, and we still might not see them.”
The Captain grimaced. “Hold at 1 AU from the target. Keep us off the ecliptic. I want as little space debris as possible between us and the object, but I don’t want to be too close in case it has weapons to match the damage it took. And put in another message to the owner, highest priority. He needs to get out here and see this for himself. Preferably with a bunch of lab coats to figure out what this thing is.”
(Black Star Company Guild Chat)
M.Mollen, Guardian, HaveGunsWillTravel, LabCoat, Bennie, Hullu_Kapteeni, MajorTom, Parca, SammyBaby, Adam01, and Green are in the chat.
MajorTom: So, the new Fourth Group for the Marines will be our heavy assault guys. Basically, we drop them on problems, and those problems die.
M.Mollen: Fine. But I’m not making suicide squads out of locals unless they’ve done something to deserve it.
MajorTom: Oh, don’t worry about that. The Juggernaut Armor for their linebreakers means they’ll be able to shrug off anti-tank weapons. Well, at least one.
LabCoat: The current Mark 2 Juggernaut Armor is the first scaled for Ihm males. It offers a 150% increase in strength and endurance, and the defensive values are enough that standard small arms won’t do more than scratch the paint. Anti-tank weapons have caused dents in the armor, but sensors indicate that the occupant would be alive, and at least 80% functional after taking a hit at point-blank range.
MajorTom: He means ‘close enough that the weapon was destroyed in the explosion of its own RPG’.
SammyBaby: *whistles* Damn, that’s impressive. You said that it was the Mark 2? What happened to the Mark 1?
LabCoat: Too heavy for humans to use without extensive modifications to their bodies, even with assistance.
M.Mollen: I don’t want them all thinking in terms of just being a hammer to hit things with, now.
MajorTom: No, the Juggernauts are force-multipliers, not the force itself. The others will be in more traditional armor.
NotBrady has entered the chat.
NotBrady: Priority message from ship Nephilim, currently on exploration patrol.
M.Mollen: I’m listening, Marcia. Are you under threat of attack?
NotBrady: Not at this time. Continuing from last message. We are still in the Beta Darconyx System, conducting our scheduled exploration mission. Approaching the sensor anomaly revealed it to be a massive structure of some kind. Structure is roughly cylindrical, with hexad symmetry. Clearly designed, purpose unknown.
M.Mollen: I understand. Anything new to report?
NotBrady: Structure appears to have suffered extensive battle damage. Limited analysis based on sensor penetration of damaged sectors suggests high-energy weapons beyond the capability of those in ship’s databanks. Hypothesis: A battle between the structure and an unknown party took place, and the structure was disabled. Unknown party either destroyed or fled, any rocky planets in the system collateral damage and destroyed in the fighting.
Parca: Well, fuck.
M.Mollen: Current status, Marcia?
NotBrady: Standing off at 1 AU from structure, using long range visual and gravitic sensors to establish baselines and gain what information we can. Captain Ueshiba did not wish to linger close to the ship, in case we accidentally woke up any functional automated defenses.
M.Mollen: Tell her I confirm her decision, and make it official. Keep 1 AU separation for now. Prepare for emergency jump to Star’s Reach control zone. If the structure looks like it will turn hostile, jump immediately. Tell the Captain that we are sending a team to relieve her and attempt to recover the structure.
NotBrady: Understood.
NotBrady has left the chat.
M.Mollen: Adam, Green, I want you to reach out to Monty and Rolo. Inform them and their crews of the situation, and have them keep an eye out. This is the second ancient or unknown find we’ve come across in this arm of the galaxy. Chances are that there are more.
Green: Understood, Admiral.
Adam01: Will comply.
M.Mollen: General, what is the status of the Marines?
MajorTom: First Group is on stand down. Some of the new recruits and units from Second Group are taking time to adjust. We moved more people in and out of First Group during the re-org than any other. Second group is at 90% efficiency at the moment, and are working on integrating the Nomad unit into their strategies. Third Group is almost through with initial training, thanks to the cadre from First Group helping them out.
M.Mollen: Have Second Marine Group prepare to move out. Orders are to attempt to land on the structure, and secure it so that science teams can move in, and see what we can learn.
MajorTom: Understood. Will they have fleet backup?
M.Mollen: Yes. I’ll send Third Fleet Group as well. The science teams can be on the Navy’s ships. Third Group will also start constructing defenses, and a permanent station in the system.
Bennie: What are you thinking?
M.Mollen: If we can get info out of the structure, whatever it is, great. But Beta Darconyx is an ideal place for an outpost. Isolated, and with little reason for anyone to go there, now that we can report no rocky planets or easily mined resource nodes. A lot of our work is being done under a microscope, since it is hard to evade notice in Dimiya or Nuevo Edo. We have more liberty in Star’s Reach and Madrigal, but still too many prying eyes. An outpost that is known only to Black Star would be useful. Especially if we get to start experimenting with alien technologies.
Guardian: Ooh, I like it. Our own little Area 51.
(Merchant Ship Standard Practice, Star’s Reach System)
“Cap’n, we got movement from some Black Star ships.”
Stanley Jones looked up at that. The Standard Practice was, on paper, a merchant vessel, a freighter hauling goods and passengers between the Confederacy and other star nations, going on a rather standard and predictable route between a few primary ports. On paper. The ship was actually a spy ship for the Confederate Intelligence Service, and he was one of the few Nomads in the organization.
That, of course, meant that he was one of the people assigned to keep an eye on the Black Star Company. It ‘just so happened’ that the Standard Practice followed a route that took them from Dimiya to Nuevo Edo to Star’s Reach and back again. There were plenty of other ships following similar routes, so they didn’t stand out too much. Even if a few other ships ‘just so happened’ to always be on the same route, and ensuring that there was always a member of the CIS watching those systems.
Stanley took a breath, and said to his sensor tech, “All right, what ships are moving?”
“Looks like the Third Group of their Navy. Positive ID on the Nightforge. Some of their Marines are going along, as well. Can’t tell whether it is the first or second group. Definitely not the third, though.”
“Captain, there’s a broadcast from the Star’s Reach Port Control. Apparently, elements of the Black Star forces are going on ‘training maneuvers’. All ships ordered to keep clear.”
Stanley nodded. “And they probably have Assassins or Raptors to ensure that everyone stays clear. All right, note the vector they go off on, and we’ll pass it up the chain. We don’t want to blow our cover if we don’t have to.”