THE GALAXYMBION ODYSSEY

It was the first sign, that red light. Not that there was anyone present to see it, or for that matter the data scrolling up a readout screen, though.

REPORT: CARRIER 4 / 77435 – All Systems Optimal.

REGISTRY: Aldebaran 1 robotic probe, Belvandara Space Corps

MISSION: Extra-galactic mapping; intergalactic expedition

TARGET: Galaxy Andromeda

EXPEDITION TIME ELAPSED: 63.8 Belvandaran orbits

EXPEDITION DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 1201.97 ARCONS

ELAPSE SINCE PREVIOUS REPORT: 15.25 Belvandaran phases

LOCATION: Galactic Rim, Belva Quadrant, Tangent 57, arc 9

AXIAL INCLINATION: 4.9 negative

GALACTIC BOUNDARY DISTANCE: 23.3 ARCONS

TEMPORAL FRAME: Galactin 1196.02

SUBJECT: Unidentified galactic intruder, Sensormesh analysis inconclusive. Source extrapolation: Andromeda Galaxy. Impact distance 310.7 lumors. Impact time 46.03 pulses.

ACTION: Evasive course correction; memory and systems control lockdown; transmitting encrypted data files.

Carrier 4 rapidly processed its options. Attempting to ride out the disturbance had already been dismissed as too hazardous. It had deployed window visors and boosted R.E.D to maximum, shutting down all unessential systems. Had Carrier been a self-aware living entity it could well have been praying. Now it was banking left and preparing to initiate Powermesh photon drive. Only 30 pulses remained before impact and the phenomenon was accelerating. Carrier 4 continued to collect data and attempt transmission to its home-world. It needed more time than it had for the Powermesh to reach critical mass. It also needed somewhere to ‘jump’ to. Alternatives for action were becoming increasingly unattractive as its time shortened. Only 15 pulses remained. The phenomenon’s mass, volume and velocity would be too great to outrun if Carrier 4 delayed any further.

Carrier’s sentient computer made a tentative decision to instigate emergency photon drive without a target location. It jumped at maximum velocity with only 3 pulses remaining. The anomalous disturbance, no longer having a convenient victim to interact with, decelerated and changed course for the nearest gravitational wave source of any consequence. A planetary system only a few thousand pulses away.

17 pulses later, Carrier 4 emerged from photon jump at a distance of nearly 2 arcons. It was sufficient to mask the Aldebaran 1 probe’s presence and prevent pursuit. The cost of escape from that nightmare of red and orange unfused temporal lightning had been jumping blind. Carrier 4 emerged in the path of a dead dwarf star. Insufficient gravity or proximity to attract attention from the disturbance, yet too close for Carrier 4 to avoid. The leading edge of dwarf star matter swatted the Aldebaran a gravitational glancing blow at a velocity of 102000 recules per perchron. It was enough to push the little probe into a new trajectory as well as overload its Sensormesh and Powermesh systems. Inside Carrier 4’s Aldebaran cockpit, sparks danced across consoles and emergency systems activated to isolate the overloads and neutralise combustions.

Too many vital components were damaged to effect instant self-repair, so the valiant on-board computer identified its immediate requirements; navigation, Sensormesh, analysis, communication. It set to work repairing thruster controls, by-passing incinerated conduits and establishing new energy transfer routes. Navigation restored, Carrier 4 took a look at its new environment. This dwarf star supported remains of several gaseous planets that had once been giants and now were either burned out rock or metallic cores. They had been almost entirely stripped of their natural magnetic fields by some previous astronomical cataclysm though were sufficiently massive to have recaptured some of their original atmospheres before the lot boiled away when their star went nova.

Carrier 4 needed more information and was now completing the repairs that would allow it to see and analyse its own damage and determine upon a sensible course of action. Since Sensormesh systems were of necessity built into hull plating and linked to Powermesh arrays any damage to them meant that the hull had also suffered and that Powermesh was probably incapacitated. How bad would only become apparent with restructuring of the Sensormesh grid. Still, there was one ray of hope – assuming that Carrier 4 believed in hope. Since internal repair systems were still working the Powermesh array itself could not have been destroyed. A genial blue light flashed on at the analysis module: “SYSTEM ACTIVE, INITIALISING” the display read. Not that this Aldebaran needed internal displays; they were there for repair crews and the Event Recorder videos. The computer briefly considered whether it would ever see living beings again.

With scanning restored at partial capacity, Carrier 4 began self-diagnostics. Powermesh compromised 28%. Shell-matrix integrity 78%, navigation capability 81%, hull integrity 76%, energy reserves 14%, communication potential 2%, transmitters not operational, computer systems 92.5%, internal processes 79%, repair system 47%, Sensormesh operational capacity 51%, R.E.D 39%, defence capability 19%. Causal analysis – temporal lightning damage 24%, dwarf star collision damage 76%. Mission status: ABORTED. Specific galactic neighbourhood unknown. Processing recommendation; locating nearest low-gravity stable planetoid with thin atmosphere; setting course. Processing recommendation; repair communication and transmitters; launch emergency beacon requesting assistance/rescue from Belvandara and advise current status. Processing recommendation; following touchdown on target planetoid effect all possible critical repairs. Processing recommendation; recharge fuel cell energy reserves using R.E.D to absorb viable energy sources, and maintain shutdown on all non-vital systems to conserve power.

Carrier 4 had located the most likely planetoid amongst this dwarf star’s ghostly family, in the fifth orbital out. It was a small world, with a thin inert atmosphere and gentle gravity, which had once been a gas giant. It had remnants of a substantial magnetic field which could trap some energy sources, and a loose mineral crust that might provide useful resource material. The intrepid automated probe activated Powermesh and corrected its chaotic tumble carefully, allowing for its reduced mobility, then pointed itself along an optimum intercept trajectory. Its rear engine plate glowed weakly as it began its gentle acceleration curve. Given no further disasters it should achieve touchdown on the chosen planetoid in approximately 12 perchrons, Belavandaran time.

With a painfully slow crawl of a journey ahead, flying almost blind (the visors were stuck closed and energy was not to be wasted in attempts to finely map its location), Carrier 4 turned its attention to communications transmitters. It simultaneously updated its Event Recorder and prepared REPORT 77436. If a computer could be glad of anything, Carrier’s sentient unit would be extremely relieved that it was installed aboard an automated probe. No biologicals to worry about. It began gathering local stellar environment basics; planetary target orbital axial tilt, atmospheric composition, planetary mass, orbital velocity, crust composition, revolutionary periodicity, orbital periodicity, gravitational signature, solar system insertion cartography, stellar axis against galactic plane, libration points and optimum atmospheric insertion vectors. There was a small lunar body in orbit around the target world that could assist with a gentle, low energy soft landing.

With its repair systems channeled into communications and switched to automatic, Carrier 4 deactivated lighting and other non-essential sub-systems and descended into timed hibernation mode for 11.5 perchrons.

What the valiant probe had not been able to detect, from both its distance and due to its many malfunctions, was that the little planetoid it was now slowly edging towards (and which it had not swept with biological sensors as it was expectedly lifeless) had recently acquired a sentient being. How the computer would cope with this revelation would remain to be seen upon its arrival, for all Galaxymbion vessels were fitted with sentient computers that had life-valuing safeguards in place. Should its presence on the planetoid in any way present a hazard to that indigenous life, Carrier 4 would have to abandon its touch-down, even though it could not afford to remain powerless in space or be sucked uncontrollably into this solar system’s gravity well eddies. Nor did it have sufficient energy reserves both to complete its repair schedule and find alternative ‘accommodation’.

As the name suggests, Carrier 4 was the fourth in a series of remote exploration probes. Although technically able to sustain a single occupant (of a reasonable size – some species were out of the question) for a few revs the Aldebaran 1 was intended only for automated exploration, transfers of small cargos and messenger or decoy duties. Routinely they did not have amenities or comforts for living organisms and could not accommodate sufficient water, food and medical supplies or the means by which to synthesise these.

Carrier 4 was operated by Belvandara Space Corps, carrying their registry and loaded with advanced analysis and propulsion systems – it had trans-galactic tachyon drive for use outside galactic neighbourhoods. This technology had been developed nearly half a millennia ago on Belvandara, enabling automated probes to circumvent cosmic fabric so efficiently that they could potentially reach Andromeda in 8.5 orbits’ time. Such potent technology could not be used for internal galactic travel, or for that matter within a radius of several thousand arcons of a galactic perimeter, because it leeched so much energy from cosmic fabric it would destabilise any star or planet within that radius.

Carrier 1, had launched from Belvandara 97 orbits ago, and successfully breached the galactic perimeter in transit into intergalactic space to fulfil its original mission to Andromeda. At the requisite distance the tachyon drive had activated and the little probe had continued broadcasting useful data back to Belvandaran receivers for a few decorbs. After that its broadcasts ceased abruptly, and it was presumed lost or destroyed by unknown events, sixty orbits after it launched.

Carrier 2 had launched 7 orbits later than its unlucky sibling, with a different mission; to leave the galaxy and circumvent it locally. It had a modified tachyon drive installed that allowed use nearer to the galactic perimeter, therefore it was somewhat slower. It was now halfway through its fifty-first galactic circuit and had documented and scanned numerous planetary and nebulaic environments as well as providing detailed 3D galactic cartography and electromagnetic scans. It would return to Belvandara on completion of this current circuit and was at this time on the opposite side of the galaxy from Belvandara and Carrier 4.

Carrier 3 set sail nearly 80 orbits ago to penetrate the large and small Magellanic Clouds and return detailed findings. About fifty orbits into its mission it had ceased broadcasting and was presumed to have shared a similar fate to Carrier 1. Other Galaxymbion member worlds had launched galactic or extra-galactic probes – particularly those worlds located in the outer galactic spiral arms. In each case only FOUNDER and ASCENSION planets spearheaded such exploratory missions, since only they had the requisite technology. Where collaborative schemes were supported by two or more worlds in the same quadrant, the FOUNDER planet would carry the greatest responsibility and control over the missions. NEXUS status worlds were able to participate in a minor capacity only, due to limitations on what Galaxymbion technologies they were responsible enough to have authorised access to.

Such ‘deep space’ or intergalactic explorations were at this time in galactic history only allowed by the Galaxymbion High Council with automated probes. Technologies and velocities involved were incompatible with living matter, as were tachyon drive radiations. Four decades ago a rather eccentric elderly scientist from Bireldene 6, a very highly respected temporal physicist affectionately called ‘The Mezoy’, had been pestering his own world’s Planetary Congress to allow him to take an Aldebaran 5 outside the galactic perimeter. Fitted with a modified tachyon drive of his own invention, which he claimed was safe, the vessel could support a brief mission with a single crew member. Congress rejected his request, not out of small-mindedness, but because his modified drive could not be, and therefore had not been, tested anywhere near life-forms. He took this matter to the Galaxymbion High Council and, faced with the same choices, they also turned down his request.

Frustrated by this The Mezoy attempted to ‘borrow’ an Aldebaran 5 to install his drive, and was apprehended. He has been stationed on a deep space satellite research facility, without ID access to any spacecraft, ever since.

Carrier 4 awoke to find itself gliding over a smooth salt-lake on its chosen planetoid; the Salanin Desert. It ran a diagnostic on itself and was pleased to discover that its communications capability was partially repaired and would be operational at nearly 60% efficiency. Hopefully that would be enough to launch a distress beacon and transmit its data back to Belvandara. Landing proved to be easy in the gentle low-gravity atmosphere and soon the Aldebaran 1 was resting securely on grey, sandy ground, taking stock of its peculiar and unexpected situation. A blue signal from the communication circuits interrupted investigations of its new (and hopefully temporary) home. It was time to release its distress beacon and transmit all collected data footage back to its home-world.

An Aldebaran distress beacon, for those of you who have never seen one, is a small spherical object about 10 micrals (half a metre in rough Ledaran measurements) in diameter. It has a winking green light at one ‘pole’ and a Sensormesh ‘cap’ at the other, which looks a bit like a perfectly round polar glaciation. Other than that, it is featureless. Carrier 4 finished uploading relevant telemetry and complete status reports, up to and including number 77436, into the shiny chrome-like sphere, then jettisoned it from a roof panel. Soon the beacon was too far away to be seen. Only a few moments later the beacon confirmed it had adopted a geostationary orbit directly overhead, though whether it was transmitting correctly was unclear. Carrier 4 ran through some last-minute diagnostics and decided that it could ‘sleep’ until the next sequence of repairs was complete. What it did not know was that it was being watched from a vantage point on a nearby mountain range.

2766/2015

Sebria reclined uneasily in her cabin aboard Omnipotence. She had the countenance of someone troubled by some half-buried anxiety without a solution in sight. Her crew and Senators had performed in an exemplary manner at the crash scene on Chelen 4, saving many Octaladonians from the wreckage; her medical staff had worked tirelessly to save life and heal the injured, whilst her psionic healers had worked miracles stabilising those Octaladonians suffering from psychological trauma. Omnipotence was now returning to Caldia with Aurora’s crash survivors, yet Sebria felt dejected and gloomy. Her senior surgeon had requested her help five lapses after vacating that lonely planet; Ambassador Gurss’s condition was rapidly deteriorating and the surgeon could not bring it to equilibrium.

Sebria had been in the infirmary at the time, tending to a severely injured pilot from Aurora. A nurse found her and took her to a diagnostic bed behind an opaque privacy screen where Gurss lay unseen to avoid distressing his crew. When Sebria arrived, he was barely hanging onto life. She tried with all her might to equilibrate his respiration and psionically encourage his body’s own defences to fight back. She knew that his weight did not help his predicament, any more than her lack of familiarity with Octaladonian anatomy. Yet, if she could just induce his arteries to mend and his heart to beat evenly that would be half the battle to save him. Gurss’s body had other ideas. Every time she mended an artery another would rupture from redirected pressure. The surgeon and her staff busily synthesised Gurss’s blood; unfortunately his biological defences refused to accept the manufactured serum.

Desperate to keep the Ambassador alive, Sebria had tried to induce a healing trance in him. Sadly, his nervous system was failing and erratic, too badly damaged. He passed into coma and stopped breathing, resuscitation failed and suddenly in front of them his life ebbed away. Sebria longed for her father’s presence; with his skills the Caldian king might actually have saved this life. But even at maximum velocity his cruiser could not rendezvous in time to prevent Gurss’s demise.

A small view screen on Sebria’s desk came to life; it was Captain Kalana. “How can I help?” she murmured at his image.

“Your Grace, we have President Tiakra Tarss on interplanetary channel to speak with you.”

“Very well, put her through to my cabin, secure channel”. The image changed from Captain Kalana to an ashen faced woman who looked considerably older and more haggard than earlier. “Madame President, it is good to speak with you again. I hope your investigations have borne fruit.”

“Princess Sebria, we have received all data now. I must apologise for my earlier demeanour. I really was convinced someone was playing a cruel trick upon us. Since we last spoke we have reviewed all your evidence, as well as confirmation from the Galaxymbion Science and Education Triumvirate and your Psychology and Medical faculty. Are you any nearer to having an explanation for this obvious paradox?”

“Negative, Madame President. Aurora’s wreckage will be carefully brought to Caldia for intense sub-nucleonic scans. When those are finished a recovery barge can return it to Octaladon. Your investigators will be informed of our findings and provided with all evidence prior to that. Its Event Recorder video is being copied for forward transmission to your Safety Executive. The High Council has directed that this incident is to remain in camera for the time being; all data must be sealed under code Uranium 7 and remain restricted until GHC authorises release. There is more unhappy news, President Tarss; regrettably Ambassador Gurss has died from his injuries. The Gurss we have here, naturally.”

“Understood, Princess Sebria. We will make all necessary arrangements to comply with Uranium 7. I would like, under the circumstances, to come to Caldia with my senior scientific researchers. We will examine the wreckage for ourselves before any decision on bringing it to Octaladon. I understand that what I am about to ask may be rather irregular, even controversial under the circumstances. It is a personal request, and I hope you will be able to grant it even with Uranium 7 controls in place. It is this; I wish our Ambassador Gurss to come to Caldia with us. Can this request be accommodated, please?”

“I will see what I can do, Madame President. I cannot promise anything since it is not my place to interpret High Council rulings. Are you certain that your Gurss is up to facing such a peculiarly stressful and troublesome journey?”

“No, however I will insist on his presence if necessary.”

“Very well. Under these curious circumstances I withdraw my suggestion to personally speak to the families and friends of those who died on Chelen 4. They may find it more useful to talk only with the survivors about this anomaly, and you may wish to appoint your own support teams to help with what will become a difficult transition for your citizens.”

“Yes, it is most thoughtful of you. I am neither a scientist nor a mystic, dear Princess, and so I cannot possibly understand what has happened here from a scientific or mystical viewpoint. How would you recommend us to integrate the survivors back into Octaladonian society, alongside their doppelgangers?”

“Madame President, I would contact Viceroy Coroma Arlon, Physicist Faria Salddari and Prefect Aramek Skane at Tirian Citadel, and Senior Archivist Ventorr Lantt at Keska Citadel, on Kolda-ra. They have experience of a similar situation.”

“Thank you, gracious Princess. And if we decide that we cannot manage such a re-integration, can I apply to The Galaxymbion High Council for the survivors to be domiciled on Caldia or another world of their own choice? Can you help with that?”

“I would be pleased to represent you at The High Council, as would both my parents. My mother, Onjarimi, is currently visiting Kolda-ra in relation to this very incident. I suspect that Aurora’s survivors would prefer to be as near to Octaladon as possible. Viceroy Salddari has considerable experience with Octaladonian diplomacy and you may also wish to consult Tirian Viceroy Coroma Arlon concerning alternative citizenship.”

“Thank you for your support, Princess Caldia. A further request, with your indulgence; it would be illuminating for me – and our Ambassador Gurss – if you provided as detailed a summary as possible of your initial conclusions concerning this incident.”

Sebria considered very carefully her response to Tiakra Tarss. If she provided too cursory a synopsis it could either confuse, irritate or seriously alarm all Octaladonians concerning the openness and conduct of FOUNDER citizens. If she provided too full an account of how the situation appeared to have arisen that could also cause considerable panic on a Nexus world.

“Please accept that what I am about to tell you must travel only as far as it has to, especially within Uranium 7 status. Furthermore, none of what I say is confirmed by full and thorough investigation as yet; it is only the way pointed out by cursory examination of Aurora, its crew and passengers, accounts of the survivors who may be confused and incoherent, and initial examination of the Event Recorder. Evidence strongly suggests that the Aurora wreckage we have encountered is from the future, approximately four orbits from now. Upon returning to your world it encounters a Glane ambush and will be damaged in the ensuing battle. These Glanes will possess a temporal weapon and somehow this is what will cause Aurora to be hurled backward in time and quarter of the way across the galaxy. Some of the Glane soldiers that boarded Aurora then fight each other, for reasons as yet undetermined. Two of them die, the rest are absent.”

“How extraordinary. Did the vessel’s Recorder, and the survivors, indicate where Aurora was returning from?”

“Kolda-ra. Ambassador Gurss will have presented a petition for annexation at the Interworld Conference Centre in Tirian Citadel. There a Glane assassin will attempt and fail to kill Ambassador Gurss and destabilise the Galaxymbion. They will then mount this successful attack against Aurora, in retaliation. We believe they somehow have gained access to advanced futuristic technology and possibly stole illegal temporal devices to achieve this outrage. Another paradox, of course.”

The President looked pale and shaken by this news. “Of course; even now our esteemed Ambassador to the Galaxymbion is working on his petition. It will take him around four orbits to complete his analysis of Octaladon’s predicament. I believe he has asked the Kolda-rian Viceroy to check his findings at some point in the future. Princess Sebria, in the information your government has already transmitted to us I notice you cite Chedsarin and Kareebin as registered deceased in Aurora’s passenger manifest; both victims of a Glane assassin. You also revealed that Lekra is – will become – that assassin; a Glane camouflaged to appear Octaladonian who will infiltrate our society around one orbit from now. Given what we know of this assassination attempt, and the subsequent attack, these two atrocities can be averted.”

“I agree, Madame President, however how we proceed with that knowledge is a matter for the High Council to decide. I will try and assist you in any way I can, so please feel free to contact me anytime for advice, support and information. However, ultimate responsibility for your sector rests with Kolda-ra. Planetary Viceroy Tarosa Salddari is a compassionate and wise leader and will do his best to prevent any harmful actions against your world and your citizens, by Glanes or any other hostile species. The Galaxymbion High Council is also committed to prevent insurgency and violence against all member planets, sectors and quadrants. It may transpire that we have to superficially accommodate these attacks in order to nullify them properly, since outright opposition or prevention is likely to inflame Glane aggression rather than correct it. I am sure you appreciate the need to tread carefully when dealing with backward warlike species; mishandling of situations can lead to the opposite of any intended long-term peace or prevention of further hostilities. I must take my leave of you now, Madame President, as Caldia’s affairs of state require my attendance. I will contact you again tomorrow, if that is agreeable.”