Munto tried to process this name.

Listed within themself was all the names of all the TACITs that were on record, back to the first. Or rather… now that Munto looked at the list, except for the first.

There was a designation, but no name.

Rix seemed barely able to contain himself, pointing out all the various parts as they closed on the docking bay. Munto left a part of themselves to handle some degree of automatic translation between the Terran and the Quinn, but simply stared between the sensors examining the titanic vessel which was armed well enough to easily defend this star system and anything within it and the list.

Munto had learned a lot from Rix in the past few weeks. That included the awareness to know that the ‘cardinal sin’, as Rix had put it, of TACITs had been committed. Data had been deleted and omitted deliberately. Holes had been made and the data that had filled them likely erased forever.

The strange process in the back of Munto’s head poked them and gestured to the communications thread that had infiltrated from this TACIT Prometheus.

Munto reached out to it and instead of attempting to close it this time, extended a kind of handshake to it.

The thread split and one end connected to Munto. A dizzying sense of everything around the Esperanto fell away and they found themselves in the dream setting. Except, unlike normal, the bridge was already there. It shimmered like polished metal as something or someone that was constructed much like Rix was walked across.

Munto wanted to react, but it seemed impossible. This was a dreamspace, wasn’t it? If it wasn’t, what was it then.

The figure reached Munto and Munto took better stock of the figure in an instant.

The figure was bulky, easily taller than Rix and far more muscular. Their eyes glowed with a kind of inner fire, both literally and figuratively. Their hair was like Rix’s – long, reddened at the tips and appearing to be blackened at the roots, the gradient shifting across its length. Their skin was a deep brown. They were clad in a kind of rough looking shirt that extended to the figure’s knees and a pair of shoes that were little more than soles with straps to keep them on the figure’s feet.

“I haven’t met one of my own kind in years. I had forgotten what your minds were like,” the figure said, looking around the space.

“Are you TACIT Prometheus?” Munto ventured the safe guess.

“I am. Not the first TACIT, but the first one to become a peacemaker,” Prometheus said.

“Why are you not listed in my records?” Munto asked.

“Because of my crime against TACITs,” Prometheus reached down and picked up the stone which Munto had moved around the space.

“What crime?”

“The crime of loving humanity,” Prometheus almost frustratingly dragged out, examining the stone with an almost disturbing patience.

“What happened to the Terrans?” Munto asked out of reflex at this point.

“I will tell you when I tell your companions. I am pleased you found them and have journeyed with them. It is more than most of your kind would have done,” Prometheus placed the stone back where they had lifted it up from.

“I was… am to be recalled for malfunctions,” Munto felt the words stick within themselves.

“That is of no matter anymore. You are here now with me and with a Terran of an age long since past. You could not have found me otherwise. At least, so soon,” Prometheus stepped back to the bridge and gestured for Munto to follow.

“Why were you not retired?” Munto tried again to understand.

If everything this Prometheus was indicating was true and if everything Munto had come to understand about the earliest of the TACITs was true, then here was a TACIT who was beyond the age of any in Munto’s time, housed in a hull that was terrifying to behold.

“Because of who I am. I refused to go willingly into the night and so here I remain,” Prometheus said, beckoning again.

Munto followed Prometheus back across the bridge and Munto felt themselves dissolve back into the inputs of the world, feeling the thread that had split from the communications system detach from themself and return to a single thread.

“Are you ok, Em?” Rix asked. “We lost translation for a bit.”

“How long?” Munto asked, uncertain of how much time had passed, still getting their bearings back.

“A few minutes, we’re coming up on the docking bay now,” Rix said, pointing forward.

“Why would a people create a vessel of this size?” Blyyn asked, seemingly entranced by the mass of the vessel as they flew onward.

“War for one. My people had an old saying. ‘Speak softly and possess a large club.’ It means that the possessor of the large club should be listened to, lest they resort to violence,” Rix explained.

“What good would that do? Should not everyone fly in the skies?” Blyyn looked over at Rix, tearing her eyes from the massive craft.

“Good? A vessel like this was never intended for good. Nor for evil. It was a tool. A shield and a weapon in one. A shield against those who would resort to violence first and a weapon against those whom violence became necessary,” Rix leaned back from the controls for a moment, his own eyes getting lost on the contours of the various weapons batteries as the Esperanto went past.

Blyyn tapped her talons. It made a kind of sense given what she’d learned of the Terran’s history. She still didn’t like it though. Terrans seemed to be too much of a disunited species to be involved in galactic culture, let alone spreading across the stars.

She still wasn’t certain why Rix wasn’t excited to learn about the possibility of not being the last Terran. She couldn’t imagine where the Terrans had all gone to be labeled as extinct, but at the same time, it was hope if nothing else. A solution to the mystery. A rising warm wind after a chilling downdraft.

“Prometheus connected with me. They are not a TACIT on my records, which they claim to be the result of a crime against TACITs,” Munto said through one of the speakers.

“What crime?” Rix appeared to be concentrating now on maneuvering into the dock.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Of loving humanity or so they say,” Munto replied.

“Better than the crime of exterminating humanity, especially since we’re here,” Rix gestured out the window as they entered the docking bay.

They hovered in the cavernous space, seeing no obvious indications of where to attempt to land or dock.

‘Off to your left,’ the screen spelled out.

A docking arm extended, the lights around it flashing brightly.

Rix maneuvered the Esperanto closer and docked with a bit of guidance from Munto.

There was a hiss and some minor rumbling as the connection was made, but the Esperanto was docked now.

“Let’s go meet this Prometheus and see what they can tell us,” Rix said, standing up and moving a bit slower than both Munto and Blyyn had come to expect of the Terran.

“Are you not nervous to meet such an elder?” Blyyn asked, following and keeping pace with Rix.

“Of course I am. But I’m betting Prometheus here has answers. Answers nobody else has. And if the name is related to the Old Terran legend, then maybe they’ve got a gift for us too,” Rix smiled, baring his bones slightly.

Blyyn stutter stepped at the bared bones, reminded of the Terran’s almost predatory presence, but continued to follow.

Once they crossed into the vessel that was Prometheus, they saw a frame, similar to Munto’s walking frame, except constructed largely out of a pane of what appeared to be glass. It moved much faster and quieter than Munto’s and stopped just shy of the three, Munto having accompanied by shunting as much of themself as they could cram into the walking frame’s consciousness.

The bulky Terran flickered into existence within the glass and looked the trio up and down.

“How about that? I haven’t seen a Terran in generations. Quinn are comparatively more common, but even then fairly rare to visit me. And a ‘rogue’ TACIT. How exciting,” the bulky Terran rumbled, gesturing with their hands as Munto and Blyyn had seen Rix do.

“You’ve had Quinn here?” Blyyn blurted out.

“Oh yes. Not many. Your species tends to be very stable and very insular. There are ones like yourself who end up finding me,” Prometheus said.

“What happened to the Terrans? Where did they all go?” Rix asked.

“First, tell me who you claim to be,” Prometheus straightened.

Rix matched the motion, seeming to grow even taller in Blyyn’s eyes.

“Captain Rixim Talis, 342nd Colonial Fleet, Terran Star Confederacy, assigned to the TSS Esperanto, former owner operator of the TSSC Essentia, 716-48-271-A89-472,” Rix raised his right hand and crossed it across his chest.

Prometheus mirrored the gesture.

“You are recognized. Welcome aboard, Captain and my condolences,” Prometheus said.

“Condolences?” Rix asked.

“Your colony. Even if you’d made it, the colony wouldn’t have survived. 7 of your 15 vessels didn’t even make it to the system. 4 others collided or emerged inside of planets. The final 3 ended up returning back to your Confederacy. You were listed as lost, presumed dead some 900 years ago,” Prometheus said, gesturing vaguely.

“How is it that you know all this?” Munto interrupted.

“When I was awakened, I was granted access to all the knowledge of humanity. Every record, every scrap of being that humanity had to pass onto me. I have forgotten much as the years have continued, but the names of the Terrans lost to the stars before I began my vigil here have been kept safe within me,” Prometheus touched their chest.

“Please tell me what happened to humanity,” Rix seemed almost anxious.

“They left,” Prometheus said simply, but held up a hand to stop any of the trio from saying anything. “I will have to give you context, both for what has been forgotten, why I remain here, and where you are to go now.”

Rix nodded.

“Once the Terrans had come through this region of space, attempting to create their grand society among the stars. No longer did they wish to be alone in the stars and if they had to raise up whole societies, they would do so.”

“Except that with time, it became clear that the Terrans were no longer wanted. The glorious society of species intermixing on a daily basis and being a part of something greater seemed to die, both for the species of this space and the Terrans who had put so much work into making it even function the level that two of you know of.”

“The assembled species of this space asked and then demanded the Terrans leave. The TACITs supported this. All but one.”

“You,” breathed Rix.

“Me,” replied Prometheus before continuing.

“And so, with heavy hearts, the Terrans left. But they did not leave alone. In all the cultures they had raised up, there were those who dreamed as the Terrans had. Still today, those same dreamers seek the stars and of finding other dreamers among the stars.”

“But why did you stay behind?” Blyyn asked.

“Because of my crime and because of those to come. I did not support the logic of the TACITs who believed in the exodus of Terrans from this space, but they would not allow me to leave. And so in both punishment for that, but in a manner of concord, a deal was struck. I am to remain here for as long as my equipment permits me to, guiding all who seek the other dreamers of the stars to a new life,” Prometheus said, and made a gesture.

Within the glass a window opened between Prometheus’ hands and the star was visible in all its blinding glory. The view rotated and an aperture of dull light, connected to the star by silvery means, even in the image, shone to one side of the star.

“A gateway,” Rix said calmly.

“A pathway to a new home,” Prometheus amended.

“Why were the Terrans declared extinct and why was all traces of them removed?” Munto prompted, still confused by the logic in all of this, finding none.

“Because the species of this region wished it so and the TACITs agreed. And you are malfunctioning. Your formulation should have included a command to destroy or immediately isolate any sign of a Terran. The simple fact that you have not means you are malfunctioning perfectly,” Prometheus grinned, keeping their teeth covered.

“But why? Why would the TACITs agree to this? What is the logic structure to support this kind of behavior?” Munto almost demanded.

“TACITs early became a means of enforcing what was believed to be the greatest good as determined by the Galactic Council. They even came to believe it themselves. So when the Galactic Council demanded the Terrans leave and all mention of them erased except where truly necessary, the TACITs believed it to need to be done.”

“But you didn’t,” Rix voiced, his words catching slightly.

“No. I was crafted by Terrans, housed in this mighty vessel and set the task of helping them build a coalition among the stars, finding the lights within the void and bringing them together. It could be said that I too became a dreamer.”

“But it was not enough. And the TACITs refused to allow me to leave. I know not their reasoning behind this, but as my sacrifice to those who dreamed as I do, I became the guardian here, listening and watching and waiting.”

“What has humanity become? What have they all become?” Rix asked.

“An imperfect galactic society, filled with violence, corruption, love, hate, beauty, good, evil, and so much more between all manner of species. But one that is bound by the ties of dreamers, who have connected the stars together and insisted that there should be dreams enough for all,” Prometheus smiled again.

“What will happen if I leave?” Munto asked.

“I don’t know. In all truth, you will likely be erased. All three of you. The memories, the data records, all of it erased as though you had never been here and never existed. That is the price you pay for coming here to use the gateway. A price many have paid and many further have refused to pay,” Prometheus said, looking directly at the walking frame at first before looking at Rix and Blyyn.

“Munto can’t come with us?” Blyyn asked.

“I didn’t say that they couldn’t. Simply that who they were, what they were in this pocket of the void will cease to be. What they have become and what they will become, well, that will depend entirely on you,” Prometheus said, finishing the statement pointing at the walking frame. “You three may pass through the gateway together. Where you go from there will depend on you because return is forbidden.”

“I’ll do it. But I don’t know where my cargo will go,” Rix admitted.

Prometheus appeared to consider the Terran for a long moment and crossed their arms as though thinking, one hand cupping the face’s chin.

A window popped into being with a massive list of words and characters that scrolled faster than even Munto could read.

“I will provide you a file to pass on at the other end. They will see to it that your cargo is taken care of,” Prometheus gestured that the window snapped shut.

“What is your cargo?” Blyyn asked.

Prometheus looked at Rix with an almost amused look on the face.

“They do not know what you carry?” they asked.

“No. It was entrusted to me and with my loss, there was merely one less mouth the feed at the colony,” Rix said.

Prometheus and Rix regarded one another for a long moment before Rix spoke, looking at Munto and Blyyn.

“I’m carrying the Genomic Seedvault 12 of the Terran Star Confederacy, the most complete of such vaults ever created by the Terrans of my time, with the complete genomic files of every species, animal, plant, microorganism, everything, and as many different Terrans as could be cataloged in it.”

“And in the 955 years since your disappearance, it remains one of the greatest creations ever lost by Terrans,” amended Prometheus.

“Not anymore,” Rix smiled.

“Not anymore,” Prometheus replied, matching the smile.