Chương 59: Chapter 58 - The Precipice

"We all like to imagine what we would find when we travel to other galaxies. For some reason, our imagination always seems to go into directions that are rather similar to our own galaxy, only with a twist of some kind. Despite often claiming otherwise, we also tend to imagine that the races living in that other galaxy are similar to our own, though I can't tell whether that is due to a lack of imagination or because it has some basis in reality. There is some reason to think they could be similar to us.

The races in our galaxy are, in general, rather similar in many ways, though there are some exceptions. The main reason for that is the fact that we all developed on worlds terraformed by the Dhar. Two races that develop in similar circumstances are bound to have at least some similarities. So if that holds true for our galaxy, would it not hold true for others as well? What that theory fails to account for is that circumstances can change.

Even if the worlds we developed on were originally similar, that doesn't mean they still are. And just because there are similarities, that doesn't mean the differences can't be the defining factor." -High Ambassador of the Mrrroww

"We will be starting our expedition to other galaxies tomorrow." Selendil made the expected announcement to the gathered officers.

"The crew we were hoping to gather is now mostly here. The war between the Mrrroww and the Shinzen has hit a lull, though we'll keep an eye on that. The other war between the Illum as the Tetrarchy is going as well as could be expected. As a result, now is the perfect time to take this step. We will be coming back and you can still personally warp back almost any time you wish, so we can react to any changes to the situation back here." Moonshadow nodded.

"As much as I'd like to argue the point about the Shinzen, you're correct. They have been quiet for a while now, so this is the perfect opportunity. There will always be something that we'd rather deal with before leaving. At some point, we'll just have to ignore those distractions and just go."

"I don't have any arguments either. We have discussed this before. It's time." Amaterasu also expressed her agreement. Deep inside she was rather eager to explore the unknown. A feeling that surprisingly seemed to be pushing her towards something that had been out of reach for a while. She had a feeling it had something to do with her willingness to leave the matters of this galaxy behind.

"I will make sure that the hunters are ready for battle," Ka'aukai confirmed, and the other officers also expressed their agreement.

"In that case, make your goodbyes and say your prayers if such is your style. Despite what I said earlier, there are always risks involved in such endeavors. Dismissed." Selendil declared as the other started filtering out of the room.

"Nox, have you made your decision?" She asked once she was left alone.

"In a way. I choose both. I know that wasn't one of the options, but let me explain before you dismiss the idea." Nox replied hurriedly. Selendil had told the AI that she would need to make a decision concerning the new body she was promised. There were several decisions actually, but one was more urgent and important than others as it would influence all the other decisions.

"Alright, explain." Selendil urged with no intention of dismissing the idea. If Nox wanted two bodies then she'd make two. She was simply amused by the fact that the AI was troubled by such a binary choice with known variables. The AI couldn't choose because she didn't want to, not because she was unable to pick a better option between the two.

"Well, I think it would be better in the short term to have the first body be one that can easily be identified as non-organic. That way the crew would get used to the idea, and I would get used to the body before I would have to determine the final specifications on the other body. A clearly artificial non-organic body is also easier to build modular, so I could use it in combat situations if necessary, and it would be easy to fix if something were to happen to it." Nox listed off.

She was making the choice on whether her body would be fully mechanical and obviously a machine, or something closer to Xiaoli where the body looked like a biological living individual, though with certain mechanical enhancements.

"All true and good points," Selendil admitted freely.

"On the other hand, some other races, especially those we might meet in other galaxies, might not be thrilled with the idea of an AI let loose. Thus it would be useful for me to have a body that at least appeared biological for diplomatic reasons. Also, I personally want a body like that so that I can feel and experience all the things organics do. I just don't think I'm quite ready for it yet. Besides, I don't even know what the body would look like. I mean, we can't make it look like a Dhar.

No matter how we try, we can't make the body into an energy being." Nox argued her position.

"On that subject, I don't even know if we should make it gendered. I know I assumed a more feminine voice when other people came on the ship, but…"

"Well, unless you're going to make it look like a race with no genders, you're going to have to make it gendered. I suppose we could make it fairly androgynous, but then you'd miss some of the things you wanted to experience. Other than that, I find no fault with your logic." Selendil stated. There were some holes she could poke into Nox's reasoning but she didn't bother as she had no desire to do so." So it's ok?" Nox asked, sounding almost afraid but also expectant.

"It's fine with me. Now get to designing that body of yours! We can use the brain interface that other AI companions used during the Eternal Empire, but you'll have to make the rest of the design on your own. And please don't just copy the old templates. We don't want anyone in the other galaxies figuring out the connection by accident. There might be records of old AI companions, as those might be still around even if they're inert." Selendil stated, glad she could make Nox happy for once.

"Moonshadow, could you wait a bit." Amaterasu chased after the Mrrroww High Ambassador.

"What can I do for you?" Moonshadow asked in a rather official but friendly tone. The two had become something akin to friends, but they also felt a bit like they were competing somehow. They also didn't want to be too genial in front of the rest of the crew during the working hours, just to keep things official.

"Walk with me." Amaterasu requested and started leading the way towards one of the meditation chambers scattered around the ship. She checked the room was empty as they entered, and had the controls lower a force field to close off the doorway. The ship was still quite lacking when it came to doors in her opinion.

"Well, this is getting interesting." Moonshadow said a bit jokingly as she settled down on the floor, getting comfortable on one of the soft meditation matts.

"I think I'm very close to finally connecting with the universal consciousness. Something clicked inside me when we were in the meeting just now. You said you've been having trouble forming the connection without Selendil present. I think it would be helpful for both of us if we did it together." Amaterasu didn't bother mincing her words and went straight to the point.

"Well, that is something. I suppose we could ask Nox to get a word to Selendil if we can't do it alone, but I think this sounds like something we should test without her first." Moonshadow agreed. Amaterasu released a breath she had been holding without realizing it.

"Good. I think we should try it before I lose this feeling." The two got comfortable and went deep into meditation. Moonshadow quickly found herself pushing against the same resistance she had faced before. It took Amaterasu slightly longer to reach this point, mostly due to her lack of practice, but once she did Moonshadow could feel as if someone was pushing against the resistance with her. It wasn't a big help, but it was enough.

The resistance wasn't really something to be overcome with power, but with mentality, and having someone's mental support was a big help. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Once there, Moonshadow once again felt the over encompassing feeling of unity. This time she was better prepared, but knew to allow Amaterasu some time to overcome the rush of new sensations and emotions.

She also went through the same steps as Selendil had done with her, helping Amaterasu to learn to communicate. She noted with some annoyance that the Illum woman was much better at not broadcasting all her emotions and secrets even without being told about that.

"This. Amazing." Amaterasu managed to convey.

"Isn't it?" Moonshadow's speech was much more natural. At the same time, she could feel the approach of someone with a much larger presence, which she recognized as Selendil. The Keeper realized the delicacy of the situation though, and decided that it might be better to let the two try and figure things out on their own without her preconceptions coloring their experience. Much of what the two would gain would depend on their own thoughts and expectations, so she should not color those thoughts too much.

The two spent quite a bit of time exploring the new surroundings. For some reason, Moonshadow felt it was easier to move around now than it had been before. They actually gained some concrete information from the universal consciousness. The Dhar race had come to the universal consciousness as a whole race, and their entire race had benefitted from the discoveries made there. However, that didn't change the fact that certain people had easier time discovering certain things.

Scientists were more likely to find out things related to the secrets of the universe and the laws that governed it, while artists would be more likely to find inspiration and beauty never found outside this place. In the end, both Moonshadow and Amaterasu were politicians and psions. There were no great universal secrets related to governance aside from the unity itself, so their discoveries were mostly in the direction of psionics.

Much of what they learned were things Selendil had already taught them, although Selendil had filtered the information through millennia of experiences and practical use by the Dhar. Their discoveries, while raw, were good just for perspective. Still, they couldn't get far, and they both knew why.

"The. Song." Amaterasu urged. Her words were still stilted, but the message was clear. She had heard Selendil talk about the Great Song and wanted to take part. Taking part in the song would also allow them to learn more about other things.

"We can barely speak." Moonshadow countered, as if explaining something to a child. That's when the benefits of having another perspective became obvious.

"Not. Need. Words. To. Sing." Amaterasu raised her non-existent face towards the sky that also didn't exist in this place and started to hum along to some melody that she felt more than she could hear. It was far from what Moonshadow had heard from Selendil. It didn't have any of the emotion or the deep insight mixed with a divine voice. It was just a simple melody hummed by the woman. And yet, it was still taking part in the Great Song. They were shaky and feeble first steps, but they were steps nonetheless.

Moonshadow hesitated a bit and joined in as they hummed the same few notes, occasionally adding a new note when they realized what that note should be. Several things happened as a result. They both felt more powerful, as if some weight had been lifted off them. They felt more free, as if they could explore more of this place, if only a little. They also felt drained by the effort, as it seemed that figuring out the new notes didn't come without a price that kept growing with each note.

Moonshadow also realized something. Something important. They had only sung a few notes, but she already knew she had stumbled on something important. This was the Great Song, without a doubt. Also without a doubt, it was a different song than the one she had heard Selendil sing. It wasn't just a difference in performance. It wasn't just that it sounded different. She could sense the difference on a conceptual level, like knowing the difference between a rock and a planet.

There was a reason she could not join the Great Song when Selendil sang it. That was a different song. And it wasn't her song. It was a song she would never take part in. Why? Because that was a song sung by others. It was also a song that couldn't allow others to take part for a simple reason. That song was already over. Despite there still being someone singing the song, that song was already finished. On many levels, she knew that she would need to inform Selendil.

This was something that the Keeper desperately needed to know. Yet she also knew she would not be able to tell her, or anyone else. She was not allowed to. The Great Song would not let her. The moment she would open her mouth to say those words, her voice would lockdown. If she tried to write it down, the message would erase itself. This was the reality of the universe. The old song was over, and Selendil would need to realize that on her own.

What that meant for the Keeper or the universe itself, Moonshadow could not say. What it meant for her, she could not say either. She only knew that she now kept a large secret. One that the very universe would not allow to be revealed. She decided that the only way to find out more was either to go further in the song, or to help Selendil come to the same realization.

"Is everyone prepared?" Selendil asked as they all took their places on the bridge." Affirmative." Nox replied.

"Confirmed." Amaterasu also stated, looking up from her checklist.

"Alright then. Hold on to something, as this might be a bit of an experience. I did my best to calibrate the warp engines, but theory and reality have a habit of being very different." Selendil joked a bit. It should be just fine. Maybe. Her mind entered the universal consciousness long enough to connect with the warp network. She'd have to spend some time with Moonshadow and Amaterasu the next time they made the connection.

Pushing the idle thought away she located the galaxy Nox had pinpointed as the one that had held the homeworld of the race that had experimented with the void creatures. Oddly, the whole galaxy had a single working warp beacon. That said, the current galaxy only had a handful until Selendil got around to making more, so it wasn't that out of the norm. Since her choices were limited, she picked that beacon as the destination and the warp engines came to life.

The warp network hidden from everyone did the heavy lifting during the process, but the ship's engines did their part. With a bright flash of light, the ship disappeared from the original galaxy and suddenly arrived with another flash at the destination. The ship started shaking like a plane caught in a storm, throwing everyone on board around.

"Nox!" Selendil shouted.

"On it. Activating the shield and compensation with the inertial dampeners." Nox reported. An outside observer would've noticed thousands of small hexagonal shields that looked almost like colored panes of glass a few meters across appearing all around the ship. The whole ship was covered by the glowing membrane of power.

"What the heck was that?" Amaterasu asked while picking herself up from the floor.

"Attempting to find out. The sensors are having some difficulties adjusting to the surroundings. The problem is not with the ship though." Nox gave a quick summary.

"Can we get a quick headcount and a report to make sure everyone is fine?" Moonshadow requested. The comms were filled with chatter as everyone reported in one by one. The only injury was to one of the Guardian who had fallen badly while protecting the plants in hydroponics. That Guardian would soon be fine though.

"I'm starting to get readings," Nochehuatl reported from his station.

"Massive gravity and energy fluctuations. Bigger than the ones near the center of our galaxy. Any other ship would've been in big trouble I think. The whole area is filled with waves of alternating gravity that could shred most ships in seconds."

"Reporting. The deep-space scanners are starting to work and I got some reading from the beacon. The only reason it's still working is because it can keep drawing energy straight from our surroundings." Nox sounded a bit agitated.

"According to the scanners, the whole galaxy is in a bad shape. I think the technical way to put it would be to say the whole galaxy is fucked."

"Can we get a visual of some sort?" Amaterasu asked with a sarcastic tone.

"That might be more useful than your very eloquent and precise technical definition."

"I will try to extrapolate a visual based on available data and what records we have of this galaxy from back then." Nox said, sounding a bit unsure. A short time later the center of the bridge by covered by a holographic representation of the galaxy. The term 'fucked' was putting it mildly. It looked like some enormous explosion had wasted the galaxy, and the whole thing was now imploding back towards where the source of the explosion was. What was left anyway.

It looked like a full two-thirds were just missing, the stars just gone. Even the enormous black hole at the center of the galaxy wasn't there anymore.

"What the blazes?" Amaterasu asked in shock.

"Nox?" Moonshadow asked.

"Any theories?"

"I have one. Someone found one the things we use as the heart of our main power core and managed to override the safety measures keeping it in check. That should be pretty much impossible though." Nox speculated. Other races didn't have the temporal control even if they could get past all the other security measures. Those words made the others go quiet though. This was the force powering the ship?

"That's not quite it," Selendil stated after consulting with the scientists she was Keeping.

"This is something worse, though I would say this is the ideal result if my speculations are correct."

"This is the ideal result? An entire galaxy wiped out? I'm not sure I want to know what the other worse results would be." Nochehuatl voiced a thought they all shared.

"It seems they managed to somewhat utilize the core, but it wasn't just the core getting out of hand that did this. That would do really bad things to a galaxy, but not quite this bad. No, they wanted to use the core, supported by the singularity at the core of the galaxy, as a power source to open a door that should stay closed. Fortunately, they didn't have the ability to control the core so the whole thing collapsed. Good thing too, because that door should stay closed.

Not that they would've been able to more than crack it open even if the plan had worked." Selendil speculated. Back then the Dhar had used hundreds of cores to power their unfortunate attempt, although the cores back then had been slightly less powerful due to being an older model. The power of a single core combined with a singularity wouldn't have been able to maintain the door open for more than a few seconds, assuming it had been able to even open the door.

This attempt had clearly failed before it even got that far.

"They could have theoretically tried to achieve something else." Amaterasu pointed out.

"They could have," Selendil admitted.

"I doubt it though. Something about this fits too well, and I have a feeling." To be more precise, she had a feeling one of the void wraiths had decided to cooperate after all. For a price of course.

"Any way to tell if the world we're looking for survived?" Moonshadow asked.

"We can try to calculate that. it will take some time though. We're working with really old records, and using some really complicated calculations based on that shaky information." Nox speculated.

"We'll have to go through this mess anyway. We need some way to figure out if the danger died with the explosion or if there'll be more galaxies like this." Selendil gave a suffering sigh.

"I suppose we should check the neighboring galaxies as well, just to make sure they are intact. If they did try again, without the help of warp, the nearby galaxies are the only places they could reach to make another attempt."