Song of the Void

”For being one of if not the most important technological discoveries in the last eon, surprisingly little is known about phase space. We know it functions much like an alternate reality, but it’s clearly connected to ours. Things that you do in normal space affect the phase space and vice versa. It might be more accurate to call the phase space the other side of the coin we are living on. The amount of strange elements and materials that can be found and mined there is staggering, but trying to gather those resources is a dangerous endeavor. To make things worse, the deeper into phase space you go, the weirder things get. On the other hand, the greatest discoveries and the fastest travel speeds are achieved only by going deeper. However, one must do so only when prepared. There are rumors of darkness and terrors that lurk in the deep recesses of phase space. Whether these are just rumors is still something that remains to be seen, but it pays off to be careful and prepared. Unfortunately, some choose to be reckless in their rush for power and thus put us all in danger…”

- High Ambassador of the Mrrroww

--------

As soon as Selendil started to return to consciousness, she could sense the presence of another being close by. However, that being was not a danger. In fact, for a moment she wondered if someone’s pet had wandered onto her ship, but that was mostly just the result of her mind being groggy due to the long sleep. The stasis made time almost stand still within the field. Almost. She still felt like she had just woken up from the longest nap she had ever taken, which was likely accurate in this case.

The first thing that hit her after regaining some clarity was the realization that her race was gone. The grief was almost a physical blow, and if it wasn’t for the presence of the strange being, now unconscious, she might have just curled down to cry. She still avoided joining her mind with the consciousness of the universe and the Great Song, because she wasn't prepared to face the silence.

The being in front of her was pretty much harmless. Even if it had been strapped with the most dangerous explosives ever created, Selendil could escape before being affected. It would take a powerful psion to prevent her from avoiding such simple attacks. Yet the being did represent something else. If there was one strange being on her ship, there were likely others nearby. And those might pose a more serious threat, or at the very least a problem to be dealt with.

As she gazed idly at the slumped form of a humanoid clad in a vacuum suit, she came to the conclusion that the being was a member of some sort of supposedly intelligent race. Why that race would send a single slave to face her was a mystery. ‘Clearly it has to be a slave. The nanites inside its body are so rudimentary. Even our servants had better. Is it supposed to represent an offering?’

“Nox, why is there a hairless ape on my ship?” Selendil asked the AI controlling the ship that should be regaining full functions now that she was awake.

“Strictly speaking there are more than thirty apes on your ship. I feel a little dirtied personally. I also feel obliged to point out they aren’t completely hairless. That individual in front of you has hair on its head and between its le….” The Ai’s voice was cut off.

“That’s not really the most salient point, now is it?” Selendil commented wryly. “Why are there apes on my ship, or more to the point, how did they get here? There should have been automatic defenses in place, and the ship is perfectly capable of defending itself even while you’re half asleep.”

“Well, according to my scans, that isn’t really true anymore. If these readings are correct, and they should be, the main and auxiliary power cores are down. Even the support beacons are down due to their cores reaching full entropy. We are currently running on the last dregs of what is left of a single support beacon. Pretty much all systems are down or only used when necessary. The weapons are all down due to lack of power and some of the auxiliary systems have decayed to the point they no longer retain function. In short, we’re drifting dead in space.” The AI named Nox listed. It kept the report down to the main points and didn’t go into every single system.

“How? All of the power systems should be able to function for millions of years! And why didn’t the VI wake me up earlier if we are in such a dire situation?” Selendil asked in shock. The Dhar built to last.

“According to the VI’s calculations, we’ve exceeded that time plus a bit more, just enough for the systems to fully begin deteriorating. All things considered, the ship is in a fairly decent condition with no real structural or systematic damage since the support beacons kept everything in pristine condition until they too started running out of power. The power distribution system itself is functional, although not in perfect condition, just to give an example.” Nox explained, sounding a little baffled by the results as well.

‘Ah, the support beacons. Not the most glorious technological marvel but the true work-beast that kept everything running in the Eternal Empire.’ Selendil thought to herself. The support beacons were something of a focal point of the Dhar technology that kept everything running. They were combinations of nanites colonies that repaired and maintained almost anything, small-scale fabricators that could produce basic parts to replace broken ones, auxiliary power supplies, and beacons to use as warp markers to allow instant travel to their vicinity.

“As for why you were not woken up, well the VI was given rather stringent conditions to avoid waking you up too early and allowing you to contract the plague by accident. The ship has detected no signs of the plague for a long time, so that’s one condition fulfilled, but there was another condition. Either a danger to you and/or the ship, or signs of sufficiently intelligent life. Apparently, the standard for sufficiently intelligent might have been set a mite too high. So, the VI actually allowed this being to get this close to you to fulfill the other condition before things got even worse. It started the wake-up protocol as soon as that being entered the ship properly but did not anticipate that it would head straight towards your stasis chamber. I still think you should've just left me in charge. I wouldn't have made mistakes like this." Nox argued, with some merit.

“You know as well as I why the rules were set as they were even if they might be pointless in your case. And you may have missed it, but I wasn’t exactly in a condition to make such judgement calls before going to stasis.” Selendil sighed as grief threatened to overwhelm her again. “I’m not sure that has changed just yet.”

One of the more dangerous wars the Dhar ever waged was against the very AI’s that served them. Eventually some of the AI’s decided to try and flip the master-servant relationship, but the Dhar had been prepared. They had installed many fail-safes and the ever important warp network was wholly outside AI control. That allowed the Dhar to mount a speedy response before the war got out of hand. Still, it had almost reached a point where the Keepers would have marched for war for the third time in Dhar history.

As a result, every AI in the Empire was connected to a Dhar master. If the master died or was rendered unconscious, the AI would also be shackled. Only basic functions at low-level were allowed. These low-level Ai’s were not true self-aware intelligences and were called VI’s. There were provisions in cases of emergencies to allow the master to be saved by a fully functional AI before going to sleep, but those provisions were strict on purpose to discourage fake or manufactured emergencies. As Selendil had gone to stasis, Nox had been forced into ceding control of the ship to a simple VI. In a bit of irony, the new connection between a Dhar master and an AI tended to create bonds that rendered such measures unnecessary, but the Dhar had very long memories.

“Be that as it may, the VI did a fair job considering the circumstances. The most pressing issue is that there are strange beings on the ship, though only in one of the auxiliary arms. The next two things that need attention are the lack of power and the possibility of more potential enemies arriving. A tertiary problem is the fact that many of our vital systems like the hydroponics are totally non-existent, which means no supplies and no life-support.” Nox reiterated, knowing that Selendil needed a bit of focus right about now. The time for mourning would come later. Much later if the AI had any say in the matter, as it wasn’t as sentimental about the whole thing. For Nox, Selendil’s wellbeing was the primary concern.

“That explains the stale air. Good thing I don’t actually need to breathe or eat, but it’s going to be rather uncomfortable if things continue like this. Have you entered their systems already? I assume they arrived on a ship.” Selendil gathered her wits and started running through some options. For example, she knew that having power would help alleviate the life support issue since there were alternative methods to hydroponics. The reason she started from the tertiary issue was mostly because she really disliked not being able to breathe or eat.

While waiting for the reply that would come almost instantly, she entered the part of her mind that stored all the information and experiences of her people that she had preserved. The Keepers all had their own method, but she imagined an endless old library with every mind being a book on the shelves. Just because Keepers stored all the knowledge and skills of their people, that didn’t mean they themselves learned all those skills. Most of the information was stored in their minds passively. Some of the knowledge would eventually trickle through and get absorbed by the Keeper, but that didn't make them an expert on the subject as they lacked the hands-on experience that the original owner of that knowledge had.

She could bring some of those minds close to the surface, in which case she could assume their skills, knowledge, and experience to become an expert. However, there was a limit to how many of the minds she could surface at once. She had not tested her limits since she had become a Keeper and her abilities had grown greatly since then. For now, three particular books appeared in front of her mental self and floated inside her. Those were some of the most skilled engineers and phase-smiths that she had absorbed, and would be useful in bringing the ship back to life.

“The Vi already did that for me. I have access to their systems and I’m taking all the information I can. Something you should know, I registered a very stealthy activation of a phase drive just a few minutes ago. Someone already left the system. That someone is likely not an ally of these strange beings, but a word about us will get out. Judging by their trajectory, I’d give them good odds of making it despite this apparently being uncharted territory for them. Assuming they have any skill in navigation, which might be a bold assumption all things considered.” Nox replied, while Selendil already returned from her mental library, the whole process taking less than a second.

“I’m going to assume that we can’t pursue?” Selendil stated, blinking at the absorption of new information and skills. Technical knowledge had always been easy for her to absorb, but harder to put to practice.

“Warp engines are down, phase drive is down, even sub-light engines barely work due to the lack of energy.” Nox replied.

“Well then. I think we better get to it.” Without making a single gesture, Selendil caused the strange being that had collapsed on the floor to float closer in front of her. “I still don’t quite understand the presence of this slave. I know the VI allowed it to approach, but why was it sent in the first place?”

“I don’t think she’s a slave. Incidentally, that thing is a female member of their species. The other beings don’t even have the rudimentary nanites that she has. According to the records, she’s supposed to be something like an expert on a people called the Progenitors. That means the Dhar in case you were wondering.” Nox countered.

Selendil sighed. “So. Primitive apes then. Let’s see what we can find out.” She placed a finger on the helmet of the apparently female being and entered the being’s mind. There had been some feeble resistance that she barely registered and the being’s necklace cracked, but in essence the being’s mind was an open book for her to peruse. For a short while at least. Selendil wasn’t quite used to handling minds so fragile, so the feeble mind of the woman shattered and collapsed pretty soon under her scrutiny.

Selendil grumbled a bit. “Annoying fragile little being. The information I got was a bit fragmented. At least I got the gist of things and absorbed their language and general knowledge of our surroundings. Incidentally, it seems she was a spy of some sort. Amusing, though largely irrelevant now.” On a whim, she flicked her finger and tossed the being inside the stasis field and started it back up without physically touching the controls.

“Master?” Nox asked brimming with curiosity.

“She was the first being I met after waking up. And apparently her kind worship the Dhar as something akin to gods. I dislike the fact that they are basically dancing on our graves, but at least her kind tries to be respectful about it. Anyway, as a sort of gift for her information, I might take the time to repair her mind. Assuming we get the opportunity with our ship being broken and all. The other people on the ship…they are less respectful and will not find the same mercy.” Selendil was becoming genuinely angry. These people were building on top of the ruins of her people and robbing everything that was left!

“So, time for some pest control?” Nox asked almost rhetorically.

“Yes, time for some pest control," Selendil confirmed as pieces of white and gold armor appeared from hidden compartments inside the wall and floated in place around her. As soon as she exited the stasis chamber, the room behind her seemed to rotate and the stasis chamber was replaced by her personal armory. ‘Since the power cores are all busted, I should stick to basics.’

“Nox, set a goal after our most pressing matters are handled. My room is in a dreadful condition. I need to make this a decent place to live. It’s a matter of principle. Can’t have the last of our race live in squalor.” She stated as she floated towards the doors. The armory also rotated away and was replaced with a mostly empty room. No need to arm potential enemies that might sneak past her.

------

Heinrich was sitting around the command bridge of the Vindicator, whiling away his boredom. He had ‘volunteered’ for this task at the prodding of his old teacher. The Psicom was worried about outside interference and having his name attached to a find this large would go a long way towards improving his reputation. Deities were honored and looked up to no matter where they went, but that was only among the normal populace. The important people in the political, military, and economic fields knew that Deities had differences. They were all powerful psionics, but they were not equally powerful. And every important party had their favorite to call on and hire.

Making connections was important, especially for a new Deity like him. Heinrich knew that. Still, it was rather dull. While the concept of a Progenitor vessel was extremely interesting, there wasn’t much to see for someone like him while the egg-heads did their work. The fun part would come later when all this was figured out. The novelty of the situation was also wearing off, as was the careful preparedness for any danger that might appear. Heinrich knew that was the eternal problem of anyone on guard duty. Boredom dulled your edge and wore at your concentration. He was conscientious enough to be aware of the danger, but not enough to actually do anything about it.

“Sir! We have a problem! We’ve lost contact with several of the soldiers that went inside the ship.” One of the operators announced. He was also hedging things with the word ‘sir’.

Usually, both military operations and special operations like the ones run by Psicom were very clear on the chain of command. But this joint effort was something of a mess when it came to who was in charge. Theoretically, the Vindicator had a captain, but ship captains usually yielded command to any high ranked officers on board the ship. There was a Vice-Admiral of the fleet and an unspecified but high ranking member of Psicom on board, both capable of assuming command. Add to that the fact that Deities were usually outside of any rankings and often took command in a dire situation, and it was understandable if some of the officers were not entirely clear on who was in charge. Strictly speaking Vice Admiral Burns was in charge of the whole operations, but he was currently resting. That left the poor captain on the bridge with the Psicom commander and Heinrich. Hence the unspecific ‘sir’.

“Did they manage to activate the same system that the girl used earlier?” The captain asked. The captain was a man of action and took command of the situation for now. It was still his ship and crew.

“No captain. They were scouting the other end of the hangar.” The operator replied, clearly relieved to be back on familiar territory, even if the topic was potential trouble.

The captain was just about to ask more questions before all the cameras inside the hangar changed angles as the people they were attached to fell to the floor. Despite the people now being dead according to the life signs readings from the vacuum suits, the cameras kept on sending a signal and sent video of some sort of bladed objects floating up from everyone and spraying blood everywhere. The blades all floated back towards a certain direction, but when they came to a halt, they surrounded a blurry something that didn't show properly on the video feed.

What they could tell was that something vaguely humanoid shaped, floating off the ground on some unknown power, had come to a halt in front of one of the mechs stationed inside the hangar. Heinrich was the first to react. “Captain, I’d recommend preparing for battle. I think we’re about to become under attack by an enemy of unknown capabilities. Assume it’s a psionic threat.”

He had recognized that the being had used telekinesis to hover those bladed weapons around. Why the being used bladed weapons against enemies with rail-guns and combat ready armor was a mystery, but something to ponder at another time. In any case, the attack had been effective enough, so underestimating the enemy was likely a bad idea. “I will also be heading towards my mech.” He announced. He certainly wasn’t going to be stuck inside the ship when the battle started.

That brought sighs of relief among the bridge crew though. A Deity marching to battle was a very reassuring thing. However, that reassurance was diminished quite a bit only moments later. “Also prepare a jump capable shuttle for launch.” The Psicom officer ordered. While the Deity had taken the attack as a challenge and prepared for battle, the officer saw another possibility and prepared to run.

The battle alert sounded across the ship as crew rushed to their station as the lighting changed to suit the needs. Pressure doors started to slide closed in certain parts of the ship, leaving an open path for the Deity and the Psicom officer to reach the hangar. The scientific portion of the people on board were mostly panicking and trying to rush about, but were stopped by the doors. That was one of the main reason the doors had been lowered already after all. The military personnel didn’t need panicked civilians rushing all around the ship. In less than a minute the ship was prepared for battle, though that would do them little good.

As a member of a warrior race, Selendil had been polite enough to wait for them to get ready. Her mech worked purely on her psionic power and wasn’t hampered by the decay most of her ship had suffered, mostly thanks to the fact that it was a rather simple construct made simply to aid her in projecting her psionic abilities in battle. As it was fully functional, that meant it also retained all its power in battle. Entire fleets would have flinched at the thought of fighting her in a direct battle. Entire fleets of Dhar ships that is. She was a Keeper after all. The main and now only Keeper. “A gathering of children and weaklings. I almost feel bad for them. Almost but not quite. Time to teach them the consequences of grave robbing.”