In an office on Houston...
The employer, a shadowy man with no known past, addressed Jason. Here's the deal. I'll give you 20 million credits. All you need to do is find this artifact, and retrieve a sample of whatever's on the other side.
'What exactly are you thinking is on the other side?' Jason questioned.
'Well, we're thinking of two things. The first and foremost is small artifacts-Hopefully of a species we can assume are known as Daam K'vosh. The second is any nebula or asteroid fragments-we need to know if this system is exploitable.'
Jason considered the offer. 20 million credits...he must want this bad...it seems dangerous though...but, the money...I could really use it...
Jason straightened in his chair. 'Alright,' he said. 'You have a deal.'
6 hours later, Jason's ship hurtled out of the jump hole into Kansas. He took the co-ordinates from a trader he met in New York, who slipped them over the neural-net for a mere 4 million credits. Activating his cruise engine, Jason sent a broadcast out over the system.
'I'm looking for an alien artifact. Large in size. Anyone know it?' A few seconds later, a reply came through. A ship bearing NTF tags broadcasted a reply. 'I know of what you speak. Though I advise against going anywhere near it. If you go through, you'll never return.'
Never return. Hah. Jason thought. 'Can you direct me to it?' Silence over the comms for a good minute. 'I...can show you the marker. That's good enough'
Floating over a large red cloud he had been informed contained the artifact, he met up with the NTF fighter. 'I don't like this' He said, obviously concerned. 'Don't worry about it' Jason replied, with a dull tone of voice.
Following the NTF fighter, Jason came upon the Marker-A broken-down ship known as the Rattlesnake. 'This is as far as I go, The NTF fighter said. You will need to find the way yourself'
'Thanks...' Jason replied, displeased, but overly confused as to the NTF fighter's jumpiness.
Sitting back in his chair, Jason stared at the wreck, mulling over its shape and location. There's nothing really useful with this wreck, he thought, moving his ship to another viewpoint. Suddenly it was like everything fell into place. It almost seems to be pointing... Aligning his ship with the broken hull, he stared down the line.
Suddenly a flash lit the cloud, a lightning bolt, which was common in large nebulae, highlighting a giant star-shaped object. As Jason laid eyes on it, he heard a beautiful music, the likes of which he had never heard. It brought tears to his eyes.
Suddenly he was gripped by a desire to find the source of the song, the calling. Speeding towards the object, his ship started to move of its own volition, enabling a docking procedure and covering his screens in a text foreign to him.
Flying through the ring, he found it worked much like a jump gate. Rainbow colours flashed past, like a jump gate but different, more stable, more flowing than a human gate. Strange, he thought, how I'm thinking of it as human, instead of a normal gate.
Bursting out the other end, he found himself in front of a large purple gas giant. His ship was under his own command again, and instead of the music, a deep-seated fear ruled his mind.
Struggling to control his emotions, he pushed the fear down remembering the 20 million credits he was assured. Calm, he returned his focus to his ship, heading towards the asteroid field, remembering his mission.
___________________________________________________________________
'Warning: Radiation damage detected'
The message boomed through his speakers. He devoted all weapon power to engines, hoping he could make it in time. Flying towards the asteroid field, he noticed a movement in the stones. One particularly large asteroid floated away, revealing a large, almost organic station.
Once again the music flowed in his mind. His panic washed away as he stared, pinned to his chair. Noticing that the unknown structure contained some human sections by the looks of it, he headed towards it, his ship flowing through the fibrous membrane that coated the 'station', as easily as through space.
Upon leaving his ship, he slowly stepped towards a nearby doorway, where he heard chatter and low music. Opening the door, he was amazed. A mixture of many factions stood around. A man bearing the uniform and scarred face of a rogue, conversed with someone who had the look of a policeman, a beer in hand. Corsairs and xenos and all manner of pirates and police and other factions stood around the bar. A woman dressed in a black, metal-studded suit approached him. 'Hey,' She said. 'You look new'. Jason took a while to get hold of his senses. 'Ah, yeah, I am. Mind telling me how the hell you all got here?' 'We heard the music, as I suspect you did as well.' She replied. 'Come, have a drink. I'll tell you all you need to know.'
Many hours later, Jason wandered to the upper levels. He was bewildered at the amount of information the woman had taught him in the short time she did. He stumbled forward a few steps, remembering his mind was clouded by the effects of the drinks he had. He shook his head, and walked down a corridor, heading towards the room that the woman had told him of. Opening the door, he walked inside and flopped down on the mattress set against one wall. As he drifted to sleep, he decided he would explore to understand by himself the next day.
The next day...
Jason awoke to find a cold draft floating through his room. After a couple of seconds of panic at where he was, his memories came back to him. Getting up and massaging his eyes, he stretched and took his jacket from the bedpost. Standing and stretching his back, he slowly made his way down to the bar, where he retrieved something to eat, meager as it was, and stalked to an empty table in the corner. Taking a bite, he remembered the stories of some of the people he had talked to the previous day.
The stories all varied from one to the other, but the basic line was the same? They had been called by the 'Nomads' or 'Spirits' or 'the music' and had stayed to learn about them.
One person, an outcast, had said he spent his whole life following them, and observing them. They did not fight each other, not in the whole time had he seen any sign of conflict between nomads. As unsettled as Jason was about the aliens, he had a slight hunch they were more organized, than humans, united as a whole to defend the land given to them.
Other stories were of people seeing the 'nomads' in their dreams, every night, until they could not resist anymore and had come here. In all the dreams, there were multitudes of humans, falling upon the nomads and being eviscerated, but every battle had been closer to home.
Some of these stories scared him, but most of them opened his eyes. The human race, that he had seen as defenders of 'righteousness' and 'justice' were nothing but invaders, invaders to the land the nomads had once lived and prospered in.
Jason was then jolted from his daydreaming by the fact that he had consumed the remainder of his food.
Standing up and returning his plate to the table at the front, and murmuring a hollow thanks, Jason left, wandering to be left with his thoughts in the hollow caverns. Stalking down a corridor, Jason saw the walls and floor slowly change consistency from the steel station walls usually seen on bases, to the gooey, blue, semi-transparent material that the outer station seemed to be made of.
Slowing his steps, Jason timidly poked it with his foot, and when nothing happened, he continued walking. But after a few steps, he found he could walk no further, some sort of invisible wall was blocking his path. Pressing himself against it, he felt a cold, smooth substance, like glass, but without solid form. Stymied, he backed away and returned to his daydreams as he traced his steps back to the human part of the 'station'
Returning to his room with a new store of information, for the station seemed forever releasing more secrets, he saw a man in a dull white robe standing by his room. His right hand was covered by a metal glove, inscribed with strange runes, while in the other he held a staff with a Gold and purple object held in the end. Around his neck was an ornate gold mantle, marked in runes, and the size of it betrayed the fact that while his body seemed frail, his strength did not match.
"Who are you?" Jason questioned as he approached.
In a deep voice that once again betrayed inhuman facets of this person, he spoke.
"I am an oracle."
"Who are they?"
"We are the ones who have dedicated ourselves to helping the ones that originally built this place-or rather, their guardians."
"The nomads."
The oracle nodded, gripping his staff.
"They are powerful. One day the human race will purge itself in war. We are here to bring as many to this place as possible, to save the human race...from itself."
Jason considered his words. There was no hesitation, no hint of uncertainty in the oracle's voice. He had no reason to lie that Jason could think of, anyway.
"So...why were you waiting outside my room?"
The oracle smiled, and it was like a crack in a granite wall.
"Though the nomads are indeed powerful, they are, I confess, few in numbers, compared to what they once were. They need to grow, and the easiest way to do this is hybrids."
Jason's hair on the back of his neck stood on end. That didn't sound good...at all.
"H...Hybrids?"
"Yes. They are human beings that willingly give themselves to become...something more."
"What does this have to do with me?"
"Well..." He said, once again standing straight and gripping his staff, the object emitting a small glow.
"The hybridization process is a very lengthy one. Few who come here deny the opportunity, but not all of them are able to undertake it."
He brushed some dust off his robe, and then continued.
"The body in question must be fit. If it does not adapt to the changes within the first 20 minutes of the transformation, there is an extremely high chance that arteries and veins will burst, killing the subject quickly."
"I understand now. The people I met in the bar didn't all seem too healthy."
The Oracle frowned at the statement, and in a flat voice, replied.
"Indeed. Those such as the outcasts, while sharing the cardamine trait, lack stamina and strength, and in most cases we have witnessed, die almost instantly when the process is initiated. Rogues and other pirates deal with all manner of diseases that put strain on the body as is."
"And what of police and other factions like them?"
"Few make it. Removing them from their respective environments stymies them. Shock and pirates can pick off many, while few, in their rush, forget to refuel now and again, and their engines fail on the way."
The fear that Jason had experienced was soon replaced by understanding. Relaxing his muscles, he spoke.
"So what do you want from me?"
"You were an athlete. Your body is full and healthy. You have no discernable diseases or disorders, and your stamina and endurance, judging by combat logs and your history is excellent."
"How do you..." Jason began, but was halted, as the oracle said,
"We hacked your neural net."
"What we want from you, Jason is to join a bigger cause. Your body would almost assuredly survive the hybridization process, and you would become something more. Now...what do you think?"
At first he was horrified. Then he started to think. He remembered the terrible wars he had seen. The countless people killed, dead by his hand. The horrible things humans had done to each other. He thought of the stories the many people in the bar had said. Slowly, but surely, he started to see this in a new light.
Still not totally sold on the subject of sacrificing himself, he slipped past the oracle into his room, and sat on the edge of the bed.
The oracle stood in the doorway, staring at him intently.
"You wouldn't be destroyed, you know."
"What?"
"You see it as yourself being possessed or controlled, and your own being destroyed. This is not the case. It is you, your mind, which changes. It does not hold host to a nomad, it becomes one. You will still be alive, you just'¦change."
With this, the oracle turned around and walked back into the corridor. Looking behind him, he said,
"We occupy the space below the Bar. See us if you wish to continue with this process"
Jason mulled over the thoughts again and again...changing his mind from one to the other...over and over...
He flopped down on the bed with a sigh. Scratching his head, he knew he could never make up his mind about something as large as this. Giving up his body...he never could. And yet, a part of his mind held sway with the Oracle. It could be an opportunity... an opportunity his fears held him back from. He was caught in the middle of two great powers, pulled by each, neither making ground.
Drifting across the sea of his thoughts, he dozed into a restless and shallow sleep.
The next day...
Waking from his slumber with his mind cloudy and his legs sore, Jason groaned as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Jason stumbled into the corridor and down the stairs. Once again retrieving a plate of food, Jason sat at a corner table and wolfed down the meal. Returning his plate to the front, he started to think more clearly, and remembered the conversation he had the previous night.
He forced down the thoughts, for he had no wish to be caught in another cycle over them. Walking down to a table near the back, he relaxed and watched the small screen protruding from the wall. Surprisingly, the station picked up Sirian transmissions, news and television regularly broadcasted through the bar.
Though this time it was different. The newsperson had a sullen caste, and spoke in low tones.
"This day...is a sad one. A swarm of pirates attacked Newark yesterday, falling from the debris fields surrounding Manhattan. Up to twelve fighter and bomber craft were registered, with more joining and leaving the fight from an unseen base. Two gunboats, also suspected to be either outcast or lane hacker, entered the scene, severely damaging the LNS-Resolution in the process. The fatalities are high on both sides. The entire system has devolved into a battlefield. Newark station lost life support to several areas, and debris rained areas of Manhattan, causing few deaths, but many injuries. The LNS-Mississippi dispatched two bomber wings to follow the remaining fighters as they fled, and in the process, located the mysterious Rogue base which has been terrorizing the West Point-Norfolk shipyard lane."
Images of fighting between pirates and navy ships flashed across the screen.
"Many civilian ships, or otherwise, were caught in the crossfire, and one civilian has even threatened to file a lawsuit against the Liberty government, accusing them of 'slacking' in terms of defense. The repairs to Newark and Manhattan damages are thought to be in the tens of millions in taxpayer credits."
Jason was horrified. What the Oracle had said was happening. Not currently, perhaps, but over a period of time, Humanity would purge themselves from the universe. Jason stared at his hands, and his time in the navy flashed before his eyes. He could have sworn he saw blood on his hands, the blood of those he had killed.
He uttered a choked sob, and a few of the other people in the bar looked at him quizzically, and then resumed muttering at the relay that they had just seen. Clasping his hands, Jason thought about what he had just seen.
Two days... he thought. Two days I've been here, and my outlook on 'humanity' has completely changed. He allowed himself a bitter smile, and then returned his attention to his surroundings.
The entire bar seemed shaken from the news. Two friends, a corsair and an outcast, muttered in a corner, concern lit on their faces quite clearly.
At that moment, it all fell into place. Humanity could never be at peace. Whenever there is power, there will be one to fight it. The only way that peace could be ensured is a trial by fire. Destroy those who incite the battles. Bring peace.
Standing from the table, Jason released the table, having been gripping at the edge without noticing.
He saw a door set into the wall, a line of runes carved across the top of it. Walking towards it, he slithered through the crowd of people, moving between some people, moving others out of his way. Finally, after what seemed an eternity in his thoughts, he reached the door.
His finger hovered above the call button, feeling the full force of fate and destiny weighing on his mind. Hovering on a cliff edge that was his decision, he slowly, slowly brought his finger down. Hearing the buzz from inside, he felt a great sense of finality, and the feeling that he wouldn't need to continue these dark thoughts pleased him.
With a hydraulic hiss, the door slid open. The oracle that had greeted him before stood in the doorway.
"I...have decided to meet your offer." Jason mumbled.
"I know. We sensed it in your mind."
Once again, Jason was confused at the oracle's response, but let it pass.
Motioning to Jason, the oracle walked inside. Jason followed curiously, looking at the inside of the room. It seemed that the walls were the same substance as the station, but molded to form a square room. The material seemed condensed to immeasurable lengths, becoming a hard purple material strong as steel. Four people sat in various places in the room, doing...nothing, as it looked.
Once he entered, though, they all stared at him intently. The oracle who he followed in nodded, and they all smiled, going back to their thoughts or whatever it was they were doing.
"Now," The first oracle said, "The process to becoming a hybrid is long and tedious. Many ingredients need to be acquired."
Walking over to a pedestal with a large, leather-bound book on it, he began to flick through the pages.
"Let's see...yes, here it is," He muttered, pausing on a page, then returning his attention to Jason. "There are, in base, four ingredients that you will require. The first and most easily obtained is cardamine in its liquid form. I believe there is some on Cambridge station. Easily obtainable. The others, though, are not so easy to find."
Walking to the other side of the room, he drew a book from the library concealed in the wall.
"So, liquid cardamine is the first, and the others are?" Jason said.
"Well. A set of artifacts, each referring to an aspect of the nomad's life. A live nomad is also required, which you will be fused with..."
He replaced the book in the wall.
"The third, however, will not be as easy to find. It is a nomad power cell. Very few actually exist, let alone are obtainable."
"So, how might I get these ingredients?"
"The artifacts we can obtain. They lay inside this station. The cardamine you can get from Cambridge. Stealing it is not an option. You'll need to buy it. We can get you a smuggling ship for the cargo."
"Alright...but, this power core seems, well, hard to obtain."
"Believe me, it is. I do not know of any nomad ships destroyed that are large enough to carry an intact power cell. Though, I will enquire about a power cell to Das Wilde...they may be able to get us one, or, failing that, tell us where one is."
"Das Wilde...who are they?"
"They are the remnants of the Rheinland military, those who became infected during the great nomad war of 800 A.S. Back to the subject. The final ingredient is a nomad ship. Due west of here lay many cryogenic freezing containers, carved from asteroids. Many have been opened, hybrids and other nomads that have come before. But there are a few, ones further from here, that lay dormant still, shadowed from the system's sun."
"So I need to find a dormant one?"
"Indeed. You must also open it. And once it is open, you must find a way to lead the ship close enough to the shrine to rediscover its link the mindshare."
Every answer that Jason wrought from this man put another question in his mind.
"The mindshare?"
"It is the psychic network that joins all nomads. It makes them impressive fighters. You will understand soon enough"
The artifact on top of the oracle's staff blinked for a moment, then faded into darkness again.
The oracle frowned at Jason once more.
"Hrm...Other problems arise though, if we cannot secure these ingredients. Work with haste, and with utmost secrecy. Much pain will come of failure. Now, go. You have much to do..."
Jason turned around and went to leave.
"Wait! One more thing," The oracle said. Drawing a gold band from his wrist, he gave it to Jason. "This will mark you as a friend to Das Wilde, Division 18, and others like them."
Descending on Cambridge, Jason spied his first target. Cambridge research station. He checked his Researcher ID was properly installed and acquired docking permission.
So far, so good, He thought, landing his ship and cutting the engine. He wrapped his hand around the pistol he had inside his jacket. A memento from when he worked for the military. Opening the airlock, he stepped down to the deck, moving directly to the Commodities dealer. Now, for the harder part. Walking over to the dealer, he looked around, and then flicked out his researcher id.
"I'm here for a shipment of Liquid cardamine"
"Alright," He replied, "It's just over here. Only just shipped in by some strange-looking men this morning. A whole lot of it too. We'll load it into your hold"
The Oracles must have sorted that for me...
Looking at his ID, the gold band caught the researcher's eye.
"Now that seems familiar," He said, "I know those markings."
Fear gripped Jason. If it was known that he was somehow connected to nomads, his cover was blown. The researcher turned around and picked something up. His shoulders went rigid. The researcher turned around with fear in his eyes, gaped at Jason and ran towards the panic button located on the wall.
"Oh no you don't," Jason said, drawing the pistol. "I can't be exposed."
He didn't want to kill the man, so he put a round through his knee. Falling to the ground, Jason ran up behind the man, and dispatched him with a blow to the head with the hilt of the pistol.
By then nearby researchers had noticed his actions. Jason returned his pistol to his jacket and bolted towards his ship. Just as he reached the ship, a guard ran around the corner with an automatic rifle. Jason sealed the door just in time as a flurry of bullets ricocheted off of the hull. Jumping into the cockpit, he turned on all systems, literally punching the tractor beam, and rising into the air. His console registered the cardamine safely stored in his hold.
Grinning like a maniac, he activated the weapon systems. Ignoring angry protests from the docking commanders, he fired three or four rounds into the edges of the docking gate. In a spectacular display with an even more spectacular sound, the docking bay doors were ripped off their hinges. Jason flicked the throttle up to full and punched it out into space. Noticing the contents of the bay floating out into space he picked up a few artifacts, little trophies of his journey. As the Cambridge research station sealed the bay and already repair crews were being hailed over public channels.
Hauling himself to the tradelane, Jason calmed himself as he felt the pull of the lane drag him through towards safety. Reaching the omega 3 jump gate, he headed to the north of the area and towards the Leeds jump hole he had found on one of his many trips from liberty before. Looking behind him, he found nobody following; he had caught the navy off guard. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jason jettisoned the fake name and IFF signal displays into space, replacing them with his normal displays. He flicked the autopilot into life and returned to his hold to examine and store his cargo.
A good 48 hours later his ship appeared in the unnamed system once again. To Jason's relief the run had gone without incident, except for an outcast commending his work in securing that much cardamine, from whatever source. Flying towards the shrine, Jason felt elated at succeeding his task, and returned triumphantly to the room below the bar as a couple of the oracle's handlers moved the cardamine into a less...accessible...location. The outcasts onboard the station could taste the stuff in the air.
Returning to the Oracles, Jason sat down in a seat. Though he had gotten some sleep, the lack of a night in space had messed with his sleep patterns a little.
"We have acquired most of the ingredients you need," The oracle muttered, sitting across from him, "But the power cell is proving most difficult to acquire."
Jason sighed and slouched in his chair.
"The only power cell we can gain access to comes through the wild. They have few, and even less that work."
"So how do we get the cell?"
"We've found that many of their experimental drones have been destroyed in the field. Many are still mostly intact, and a few-very few- have their power cores intact."
"So I need to track down one of these ships?"
"Yes. If we can't find one we'll need to go searching to wrecks from the nomad wars-that will only waste time."
"Alright. I'll leave tomorrow, but tonight I need some rest."
The very next day Jason departed. Wearing the wristband covered this time he set a course for the planet that marked the Jump Hole. The radiation nibbled at his hull, as always, but he did not mind. Closing on the jump hole, He set the autopilot and checked the navigation map, marking the positions of specific parts of the systems.
Since scanners don't work here, I'd best get some landmarks, He thought.
A beep registered on his console. Seeing the jump hole glowing in front of him, he set a docking notice on the console queue.
Jason's ship popped out of the jump hole to Pennsylvania. Turning around to face the Texas jump he had just exited from, and charging his jump engine again, he went hurtling into Texas. He would follow the trade lanes, into Rheinland space. That could get ugly, though...the Rheinland/Liberty war was a wreck for commerce and trading.
Passing Houston, Jason flew on to Hudson.
In Hudson, though, there was a problem. Jason encountered a Rheinland gunboat and a Rheinland heavy fighter.
"What eez your business here, libretonian?" The gunboat captain said in a rich Rheinland accent.
"I am not libretonian. I am from Bretonia. I was just passing through." Jason calmly returned.
"Ah, but you come from liberty way. You are a libretonian, and you lie to us. Now you die!"
It occurred to Jason that this pilot was rather panicked. The gunboat cannons locked onto Jason's ship, and the gunboat prepared to fire. At this moment, fate smiled on him, though, for out of the jump gate came a large, Heron class train, blocking the gunboat's view of him. Jason took this to heart, and punched the afterburner.
Just as the gunboat realized what was happening, Jason docked with the trade lane. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw the gunboat fail to give chase. His ship was spat out of the other end of the lane, and very soon he found himself in Rheinland.
The oracles had set coordinates for the Das Wilde systems into his navmap. He continued through to Stuttgart and into the omegas. The journey took a long time. Four days of travel through Jump gates, jump holes and all manner of nebulas and asteroids. Finally he came upon his final destination-a jump hole in the Omega-5 system. Breathing deeply, he aligned his ship with the mass of light, and locked in the docking procedure.
When he exited the jump hole, not much seemed different. It was an orange-clouded system like most in omega, with a few asteroid fields and an orange sun. The difference soon became apparent in the form of a squad of Wraith class Rheinland VHFs.
"You will die for entering this zone" The leader said with obvious malice.
Jason hurried to open a video link, and cried "Wait! I was sent by the oracles," Showing his band, Jason continued, "And I've been sent to retrieve a nomad power cell"
The Das wilde guard contemplated this for a moment.
"Alright. You bear the symbol of a Nomad-friend. You may not know it, but that band just saved your life."
Bloody should have, it's caused me enough trouble, Jason thought to himself.
"Come on then! You need to get ready. We'll escort you."
Heading for a nearby jump hole, the Wilde pilot told Jason about the system ahead.
"You'll need to keep a good head on you-Autopilot gets messed around in Omega-58. The entire system is like a cyclone, everything is constantly spinning around the center."
As they reached the jump hole, the pilots spoke for a moment, and one by one, entered the jump hole.
Unlike the system they had just been in, the difference was apparent. A gigantic jump gate sat in the center of the system, surrounded by a halo of red fire. The gate seemed like a complete version of the one in Kansas, except'¦energized.
Jason let out a yelp as he barely dodged a large asteroid flying very fast right past him.
"Don't get hit! Everything in this system is drawn in by the Gate!"
The pilots dodged through the stones and scrap with expert grace, and Jason flopped along behind, taking a few near-misses as well. Finally the barrage of objects ceased, and the squad headed towards the base sitting near the gate. It seemed to be a construction site of sorts.
Jason landed first. The squad leader second, and the rest of his squad landed in the next few minutes. Leaving his ship, Jason walked to the squad leader, who clapped arms with him and told Jason who he was going to meet.
"The leader of our group is one that few know of. They have been informed of your arrival and mission by the Oracles."
"Through the mindshare?" Jason asked.
The pilot grinned and nodded, entering a small room divider.
"If you would wait here, I must go retrieve my commander. He's been informed of your mission."
"Alright." Jason replied, entering the room, and sitting on a cushioned chair set in the corner.
A few minutes later, the pilot returned with a man wearing a uniform so adorned with medals, it surprised Jason the jacket could hold up without tearing. The officer, as Jason was sure he was, saluted him, and Jason saluted back.
"Now," The officer said, "I believe you are here for the power cell that the oracles require?"
Jason nodded. He felt a sense of finalism, as if his journey was nearing its end.
"Well then. This power cell technology was given to us by the nomads. Only our most powerful ships can carry it, not for its size or weight, but for the energy output it provides. The power source refuses to be blocked or stopped, and usually we channel a lot of the power into the engines, just so the rest of the system can handle the strain."
The officer sat opposite Jason, and took an apple from a bowl in the center of the table.
"Due to this fact, very few of these cells are still active, and even less are retrievable. The most likely locations, however, are two: The first is in the minefield surrounding a research facility in Stuttgart. We were trying to activate some old cloaking technology from the nomad wars,"
At this time the officer took a grave expression, obviously showing distain at the loss in that time, and continued.
"And our engineers could not control it. The reaction to the cloaking fractured most of the power systems and killed the engines and controls; the ship floated into the alien minefield and was obliterated, except for the rear of the vessel which slowed to a stop deep inside the field. The power cell should still be active."
The officer leaned back on his chair.
"The second option is equal in difficulty. One of our battleships, stolen from Rheinland military by boarding parties, and refitted, was recently lost in the Omega-11 system, while fleeing from Rheinland military Cruiser/bomber squads. We believe it floated too far into the Von rohe and, without the proper radiation shields, the crew was soon dead."
Finishing the apple he had taken, the officer looked out the window at the alien gate and its glow. He then turned back to Jason and stared at him intently.
"Now," He said in a low voice, "The choice is yours. Will you go to Omega-11, or to Stuttgart?"
Jason thought about this. Omega 11 is closer, but Stuttgart is less risky. The mines are avoidable, and the hole made by the cruiser would probably have made a big enough hole to fly through.
"I think I'm going to go to Stuttgart," Jason replied after a bit of thought. "It seems a lot less risky than a radiation-soaked battleship."
"Alright then. We will give you a decent amount of nanobots and shield batteries. Then you can be on your way. You don't need to return here after you collect the item, just head back to the Oracles."
The officer stood, spun on his heel, and walked to the door in one fluid movement. Turning to face Jason once more, the officer saluted, and murmured one more thing to Jason as he walked out.
"You are very lucky to be chosen. Most humans are unwilling to us; it is like being imprisoned in clay. What we would give to fly of our own accord, instead of all this machinery." The officer sighed. "Be sure to make the most of it, will you?"
Jason smiled and saluted the officer in return.
"I will."
In a few hours of jump holes and gates, Jason reached Stuttgart. He located the field with ease, for it was given to him by Das Wilde. Moving towards the mines, he saw the mines were a different type, alien of sorts. He then saw the ship. The broken-down hull of the cruiser was sitting silently in a hole in the field. A cold chill ran down Jason's spine. This ship seemed like it had been deserted for centuries. Broken cannons floated around the hull, and the engines were black as night. Jason flew towards the rear of the remains, near the engine. There was a service port for H-fuel in the side. Jason donned his armored Oxygen suit, took a weapon from the racks in the roof-just in case- and set his ship to tether to the wreck.
"All good?" Said the cargo ship that had accompanied him. It was there to remove any remaining weapons and cargo once the core had been removed.
"All good..." Jason replied, sighing into the mic.
Opening the airlock, Jason felt the decompression as a series of pops in his ears. Crawling along the tether, he entered the fuel hatch, and, because the ship was run off the power core, and didn't require fuel, blew it open on the inside.
As soon as he sealed the door, the floating sensation ceased. This, of course, sent Jason to the ground. On his face. Groaning and lifting himself up, Jason felt gravity tugging at his suit. Artificial gravity still working, He thought to himself, and checking his wrist-computer, and the oxygen recycling system as well.
Removing his helmet, Jason gulped a breath of fresh air. Hooking the helmet onto his belt, Jason clunked down the hall towards what his neural-net showed the power rooms to be.
A groan of twisted metal echoed through the hall. Jason glanced around, uneasy, and stepped towards a door. Opening it, Jason heard a click. It was his only warning before the blast of a tachyon rifle came flying towards him. He hit the floor and yelled "WAIT!"
Getting up and showing his band, he looked around. About fourteen men stood around him. Their faces were sweaty, bloody, and fearful, but most definitely alive.
"I'm here for the power core. You'll all be rescued." Jason said, brushing dirt and metal shavings off of his suit.
"You are with Das wilde?" One man said.
"Yes" Jason replied. The remaining crew cheered and started for the spacesuits in a rack on the wall.
Walking into a corner, Jason opened comms with the transport.
"Alpha-Seventeen, you copy?"
"*We copy, sir*"
"Can you pressurize the primary cargo bay?"
"*Yes sir, but why?*"
"We've got fourteen men down here, all healthy and willing."
"*Alright. Pressurizing chamber one*"
Closing comms, Jason turned to the power generator. The cell wasn't nearly as big as he thought, but it was still big.
"Alright! Everyone out!" Jason said, pointing to the airlock. "I need to depressurize this room!"
The remaining crew of the cruiser hurried to the airlock, closing it behind them. Interfacing with the main computer, Jason turned off the artificial gravity, and everything began to float. Jetting towards the cell, Jason released the locks holding it, and pulled 4 small explosive charges and a magnetic field generator from his belt. The explosives he hooked on a roof panel, and the MFG was stuck to the center of the floor. Now was the time for action.
Jason blasted the panel on the roof off. It floated towards the mines and was quickly decimated. The explosion also moved the cruiser in the opposite direction as well. Pushing the cell with small impulse jets, he maneuvered it out of the ship. He saw the transport with small figures headed towards it.
Jason checked his wrist computed, and set the ship to tractor the cell and himself into the cargo bay. The rope-like beam hooking onto him, Jason was drawn back inside the craft and the cell with him. Repressurising the cargo bay, Jason bolted to the cockpit, and spun the ship around. He saw how little time he had left.
Passing through the nearly-closed hole in the minefield, Jason let out a sigh of relief. With an almost bloodthirsty glee, he pressed the button for the MFG, and turned his ship to watch.
A field of magnetism appeared around the cruiser. Suddenly, all the nearby mines started floating towards the cruiser shell, shredding it almost instantly. Broken shards of metal flew out between the mines, which assumed their regular position after the field was broken.
Over the next few days, a mixture of insomnia and paranoia ruled Jason's body. He did not sleep, he barely ate, and he was always skipping trade lanes in favor of jump holes. The fear that someone would steal his prize ruled him, and whenever he doubted that fact, something, something he couldn't put his finger on, would jolt him back into his cycle of paranoia. At one point he even thought that someone had stowed away on the ships, and he subsequently set the ship on autopilot and locked himself in the cargo hold. He only exited once he needed food, at which point the feeling passed and he returned to the cockpit. Jason arrived at the Shrine drifting. The ship's autopilot had sensed the Neural-net signal and autopiloted the ship to the destination for the last 2 days.
Jason awoke tired and sick-feeling. His face felt bruised from sleeping on the console, and his arms refused to work properly. He dragged himself to a small table, pulled out a synth foods-marked tray, and tore at the lid to get at the food inside.
After his brief repast, he felt somewhat better. His mind was no longer cloudy, and his limbs moved to his will. Standing straight and stretching his aching limbs, Jason lowered his prize to the floor of the shrine, and walked down himself.
Whistling to the dock operators, he had the cell moved to one of the oracle's storage bays. Like the cardamine, safety was the key.
He found the Oracle he had met waiting by the bar entrance for him. The Oracle seemed energized, and he wore a smile larger than any Jason had seen. The oracle walked briskly to Jason's side, and shook hands with him.
"Ah, now we only need one thing. The nomad ship you are to be joined with."
"How can I get one?"
"You must head to the west. Many cryogenic pods lay there, containing nomads from the old times."
"And how do i get it to come out?"
"Well..." The Oracle said, "There lies the tricky part. You can use an artifact to open the cell, but the nomad, well, won't exactly enjoy your presence."
Jason knew what was coming. He hit himself on the forehead in frustration.
"It's going to try and shoot me."
"Exactly." The oracle said, turning away. Jason groaned.
"But," The oracle said, turning back to Jason. "Only for the time it takes to get within view of the shrine. Once it does, it will be more occupied with joining the mindshare than killing you."
Jason sat in his ship, in front of a stone cell that crackled with lightning. He held an artifact in his right hand, the throttle in his left. Closing his eyes, Jason willed the cell open. The artifact warmed in his hand and a low hum emanated from the cell. Then silence. Jason suddenly felt a vast conciousness touch his, and he gasped and dropped the artifact on the floor of the cockpit. As it left his hand, the contact ceased. Jason leaned back in his seat, and took a deep breath.
Suddenly, the cell in front of him exploded in a blast of blue lightning. Shards battered Jason's shields, and something flew from the dust. The nomad displayed the evident displeasure at being woken in Jason's mind, and then started firing apon him. Blue ightning arced down and cut through the dorsal fin of his ship, also destroying his secondary engine. Punching the cruise, Jason winged his way towards the shrine.
The nomad followed him, releasing bolts of energy constantly. Asteroids and smaller stones were obliterated around him. His hull groaned in protest, and warning lights were going off all over the cockpit. Jason could feel the ship heating up.
Suddenly, just as Jason had given up hope, the energy bolts ceased. Looking up from the console, Jason saw the shrine looming before him. He realised he had been holding his breath. Taking a huge gulp of air, Jason headed towards the docking bay, only landing when he was sure the nomad was not going to try and fry him again.
After he left his ship, Jason walked around the bay, checking out the damage. Both wings and the dorsal fin were gone, the secondary engine was fried, and as he watched, a damaged plate gave in and fell to the deck, destroying a maintainance droid with a deafening crash. Letting out a frustrated groan, Jason left to the bay on the other side of the station. To his eyes it seemed like a stretched out transparent 'skin' of sorts.
Four things drew Jason's attention. The first sat in the center of the bay. A black stone slab, big enough to hold a human body, with six artifacts sitting in pedestals set in a circle around the slab. The second was a store of liquid cardamine sitting in a corner. A tube with a large needle was hooked up to it, as well as a large rack that held the tube in place. The third was the nomad power cell, in a large alien-looking 'claw' held in place from three pillars that extended across the room. The final part was the nomad, sitting coiled up in the rear of the large room.
After a quick meal, Jason was ready. He dressed in a set of white robes, and lay upon the slab. One of the oracles placed the needle into his arm, then stepped away. Walking forward, the Lead Oracle turned his stave upside down, and stabbed the artifact into a hole in the ground.
A glow radiated around the slab. The artifacts, one by one, lifted into the air. They floated over his arms, legs, and his head and heart, switching locations every few seconds. The liquid cardamine slowly fed into his arm. He felt light-headed from the amount flowing into his arm.
The world blurred around him.
He closed his eyes.
He felt a foreign mind touch his.
Many minds began to join to his, thousands or more. All were screaming for his attention. His vision cycled through a dozen every second, then something snapped. The voices stopped. It was as if a sheet of water was draped over the world. He felt all the minds at once. Nothing escaped his attention, for his attention was focused on nothing.
Over the void in time that passed, Jason changed. He was a sponge, a recepticle for the voices of his new kin. He gathered much knowledge from the voices, answers to questions he hadn't even thought of yet. His knowledge grew, and such did his mind. He felt stronger with every moment. When he had gleaned all the knowledge he could hold from the mindshare, he slept, he slept and when he would wake, he would be something much more than he could ever have imagined.
The next day...
Jason awoke. But he was not Jason anymore. From the mindshare he had adopted a new name-Ravana. They found themself floating in space. They stretched their arms, and steadied themselves. They tried to open their eyes. Nothing. They observed that the new being that they were had no eyes. Instead, Ravana pushed their mind outwards. Every being was a pinprick of light. The shrine burned like a sun. The asteroids were lit from the organisms upon them. The world shone in an Omni-present glow from the beings of the systems around Ravana. And, to the north, a beam of energy flew out into deep-space. Flying towards the tunnel-of-light, Ravana smiled inwardly. They realized that it was what the humans call a 'Jump-hole'.
Using this, Ravana guided himself towards the next system in his exploration. From the mindshare, a single thought emanated.
***'ours' -go-...*Learn/Observe* from 'theirs' return and become -grown-***
---End---
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.