Had Anora’s 'Echoe' followed ‘him’ using purely derelicts while ultimately crashing into everything in doing so resulting in a trail of complete and utter chaos wherever she went, he would have done the same..

Albeit even he was unaware of where The Progenitor Universe was, as The Progenitors themselves were the former rivals of The Precursors who were devolved by said Precursors, however that didn’t stop them from weakening The Federation to allow The Curators an opportunity for that uprising of theirs.

While the fact alone that Anora’s Echoe found a Progenitor Derelict let alone managed to control it for the last fifty years was concerning in the sense that he doubted she wouldn’t require help, let alone know how to do so without alerting everyone after reentering their universe.

And as he began to stretch, it became worse as Anora updated him related to The Derelict. To put it bluntly, it wasn’t Progenitor, nor was it Precursor, rather a Federation Fabricator Dreadnought.

What’s more, it wasn’t even within The Progenitor Universe, rather on the edge of ‘a’ universe which was likely The Progenitor Universe, however he couldn’t be certain as even Arcadia despite having their suspensions hid them well.

The Federation Fabricator Dreadnought was essentially what The Federation had used when exploring recently discovered galaxies or wormholes that led to unknown space.

They were autonomous in the sense that they could create a fleet of mining vessels to gather materials or crack open worlds, while cloning enough crews and researchers for potential patrol & research flotillas.

While only twelve of such ships were ever created as they were created during the first centuries of The Golden Age and without Arcadian or Ascendant Support making them the equivalent of holy grails!

And considering they were all lost or buried meant it was likely The Federation could have survived in other universes or rogue galaxies outside of their universe. Rogue galaxies being comparable to rogue planets that broke away from their solar systems.

If that wasn’t all, rumors or myth would suggest they could track one another, however, Ferris despite his initial fascination was forced to put it in the back burner as its condition was unknown and he’d have to delay her return until after he sorts out his current predicament.

“Zeta respond-”

And as if on cue, he received a static ridden voice.

“Systems-repair-necessary-matrix-please!”

Zeta reported after making use of the open windows of the static.

“Why am I not surprised..”

Anora dryly chimed in..

…

Soon, after departing The Cryo Storage, husks of infection forms made entirely of ash covered the corridors as power fluctuates at random intervals.

It would appear there were enough Infection Forms making their way to him that with every step the husks of ash collapsed after merely walking within their vicinity.

“One hundred years.. on the bright side I don’t detect any severe damage, only potential ash hazards so I don’t suggest removing your helmet anytime soon.. hmm? The reactors, despite requiring minimal maintenance, are still partially active; it appears it must only be a matter on Zeta’s end? I’ll sort out the trams, elevators, and doors as we go..”

Anora dryly humored, having missed the simple luxuries of controlling a single installation. However, this time around she’ll become far more useful as she has considerable expertise in that area and New Harvest’s Systems only differed ever so slightly as they made their way to Beta’s now Zeta’s local matrix.

Within moments, custodial bots began cleaning every section they made their way through while the air purifiers assisted greatly in that regard through Anora’s actions.

“Hmm? I simply relocated the power from non-essential systems in those sectors to tidy the place up. Don’t worry, I’ll keep the lights on until we get on the tram”

…

After finally arriving on the tram, Anora opened the shutters revealing New Harvest covered in snow..

“The Weather Conduits will be on the fritz until Zeta sorts out her matrix. It reminds me of when my security staff had a snowball fight outside of my-or should I say that ‘conclave’. I hope Delta Team is doing well.. Specter Team were alive the last time I checked so at least that's a comforting thought-”

Anora reassured before finally noticing something as the power abruptly turned off leaving them stuck on the tram and ten minutes away from their platform.

“Anora report..”

Ferris instructed, leaving her somewhat silent for several moments.

“We’re not alone.. as I was skimming through the logs I noticed a blip. What I found was that during the last four years, a Terran Expedition Research Ship made it through a gap in Slipspace Inhibitors as they were only partially active before being trapped on New Harvest. A hit squad followed a young woman into the capital before she had used our defenses to dispatch them..”

Anora briefly reported before displaying those reports through his Hud. Evidently, it appeared New Harvest had been discovered, however not truly.. as it would appear the hit squad in question wasn't aware of it and likely only saw it as an abandoned colony to ‘dispatch’ that young woman.

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It was likely Zeta was only partially active and as to prevent her from awakening the young woman prevented her from becoming fully active, likely to contain what she viewed as a code black, preventing whatever was locked away here from escaping.

While seemingly unaware of the neutron purge prior, which was.. understandable considering the terrifying visages she likely saw through the ash husks of The Infection Forms. So far however, she has been trapped here for the last four years and barricaded herself in the mayor’s office.

It was likely that after she received the report of a cryo-pod opening she assumed it was ‘something’ else making its way to her with the help of Zeta, prompting her to understandably shut off the power to the tram in the effort to contain it.

However, the fact alone she could bypass security safeguards and New Harvest’s Encryption, while so fiercely concerned of allowing him to get to her ‘could’ mean she knew of The Infection and likely knew of New Harvest even if purely from rumors.

Speculation aside, Ferris would soon be forced to walk as he attempted to contact her to no effect.

It could also be said that New Harvest was his in some capacity as from his fragmented memories he remembered Ernest transferring command & his title of Planetary Governor before his departure to ensure Ferris would have an easier time decommissioning its facilities.

As a result, after walking a great deal on the tram lines, and making his way to its platform he made use of his command codes, he would soon make his way to the mayor’s office’s courtyard before finally being stopped by a female voice over the intercom.

As for her, she believed her mind was playing tricks on her..

“Whoever you are, or whatever you are, I could use some help. Whether or not you're a ghost or not.. I’m not picky! Come to The Mayor’s Office.. I still can’t believe he had years worth of supplies, and his own reactor and some fancy plasma turrets. It’s unfortunate he probably died before he could use them.. you win some & and you lose some..”

It would.. appear she wasn’t entirely lucid.. however, he wouldn’t refuse her invitation. And after ten or so minutes of continuously inputting his command codes due to the scientist’s lucidness being called into question, he had finally made it past the plasma turrets.

Only for him to soon discover the reason behind her lack of lucidness. Evidently, she consumed an obscene amount of alcohol.. despite this it appears she was also clean, as was her clothing.

And with further investigation it appeared, the water supply was also separate, as were the vents. By most standards it must have cost an obscene amount of credits for the mayor to have such a luxurious room, office, and amenities, all situated in city hall?

New Harvest’s budget was comparable to that of a blackhole, but this? A mahogany desk, imported directly from earth somehow, eight racks of aged old earth wine, mulberry silk curtains also from earth, and a seventeenth century Persian Rug to name a few..

As for the scientist herself.. she looked to be thirty and still attractive by most standards. She had messy cream blonde hair, an athletic figure and violet eyes, which was indeed an oddity even if she was somewhat hammered.

Thankfully after some moments she was coherent enough to realize he was truly there before curiously looking through the logs she narrowed her eyes..

“Do you have a ship..”

The moment Ferris shook his head, she sighed and leaned further back into the mayor’s comfortable 'Italian' Leather Chair.

“Favors go a long way, let’s not question why either of us are here or how we’re still alive. It’s for the best, as for introductions.. I’m Helen Jarvis, Former Director of a Branch of The Terran Expeditions, former in the sense that a death squad will be sent out if you say my name out loud, this one is a freebie. So, unless that bothers you, let's find one..”

Helen was undoubtedly straightforward to say the least, something Ferris found somewhat enduring..

“You can call me Ferris.. welcome to New Harvest. The Neutron Purge should have taken out anything with a pulse a century prior. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to repair a certain A.I’s Matrix before she mistakenly overloads our reactors..”

Ferris calmly introduced before making his way down the hall to Beta’s Auxiliary Matrix, now Zeta’s only to realize there was a hole in the wall as he looked back to Helen who squinted her eyes and downed another wine bottle.

After managing to force open the door he finally noticed that Helen.. had to put it bluntly thrown rocks at the matrix console through the hole and managed to get in a lucky shot in, prompting him to recalibrate Zeta and turn her matrix off and on for an added measure..

There was an option to do so via the console to cycle her in and out, however the power button offered the same purpose and didn’t require him to input his command codes five separate times. And as if magic, Zeta was now back online, as were the lights and New Harvest it would seem?

“Ferris? Right.. due to The Neutron Purge and the same unknown entity who had entered your lab prior, The Slipspace Inhibitors had only remained partially online. I have corrected this error. I ask you don’t remove your helmet due to.. air hazards until the sanitation units contain the hazards. It should approximately take four hours-”

Zeta unceremoniously alerted, before ultimately being silenced.

“Status of The Fleet, Assets, and Facilities..”

Ferris calmly instructed, and within moments a holographic map appeared.

“The Secondary Fleet has undocked and will be conducting patrols, the main fleet’s last known location has been uploaded to your Hud. Planetary Cannons active, cloaking active, slipspace inhibitors active, secondary fleet active, automated functions active. Facilities relating to storage, cloning, fabricators, and ship foundries are secure and powered down-”

Zeta further explained, while as for The Secondary Fleet, it consisted of a single standard dreadnought leading a fleet of fifty vessels. One Dreadnought Flagship, Five Standard Dreadnoughts, Fifteen Cruisers, and Thirty Frigates.

Their crews were kept frozen after cloning, fifteen thousand crew and other necessary attachments for the dreadnoughts, seven thousand five hundred crew for the cruisers and three thousand crew for the fifty frigates.

In total, twenty five and a half thousand men and women were cloned, frozen, and removed from cryo onboard their vessels to respond to any number of threats. In actuality, they were unaware they were cloned, rather it was simply in their contract to remain in cryo until called upon..

As for The Main Fleet, they were all marked as K.I.A after their life signs could no longer be detected. Ten thousand of humanity’s brightest killed along with their crews.. forcing him to activate the revitalization protocol.

The Evacuees and the staff on New Harvest could opt to be cloned after their deaths for any reason or time, and there were several thousand of the ten thousand who agreed to do so within the next ‘several’ centuries.

They were aware of the risk and their necessity for the future of humanity, at the very least New Harvest wouldn’t be empty anymore..

Coupled with them being in the same boat as the crews of the secondary fleet, they were in it for the adventure or so he hoped? Naturally, he chose to order The Dreadnoughts Separate attachments numbering three thousand in total to assist in that regard.

Before calling upon those of the cruisers who would send down another fifteen hundred to assist and support them with securing New Harvest for the revitalization protocol.

“ETA Fifteen Minutes, Autonomous Security Units will be instructed to secure non-essential facilities outside of the capital. Revitalization Protocol ETA Five Hours. Mining Fleets Activated, Logistics Fleet Activated, Slipspace Probes Activated, ETA Five Minutes. Assembly Yards Activated, One Super Dreadnought Currently Queued, ETA Sixteen Hours”

The String of Reports despite how welcomed they were, would be the only ones available for the unforeseeable future.