Chapter 9: Downward

The incident with the dust cloud was now over six weeks ago.

Down here in completely unexplored space, it really hit home how big our galaxy really was.

Back home in the Upward sector with Hyper Highways and Space trains; with known planets and systems and of course with everyone connected to GalNet space did not feel as empty and vast.

We had crossed the gap and now steadily went further down the Coreward sector. Our sensors picked up some space traffic now and then, but in general, this area of space appeared to be much less busy than our Upward sector.

We had made two more fuel stops on uninhabited worlds and this time without incidents.

Until today, we more or less followed a straight line but today the Red Dragon had changed course as we passed a Quasar.

Shea suspected this Quasar was some sort of waymarker for the Dragon.

Krabbel pointed at a star system on his navigation screen. “It looks like he is heading for that KII type star. There isn’t much else around.”

Mehdi Senhadjii was sitting in for Shaka, he had little to do and had expressed his interest in Helm. For several months he had studied with Shaka, and today was his first watch on Helm.

He was visibly proud of his new position.”New course data received and entered, Captain.”

“You sure love Helm it seems. I wish I could as easily pick up on your instructions on Combat Psychology.”

“But you do, Captain. You are a very astute student with a great natural talent.”

Har-Hi groaned with a grin.”Galactic spirits have mercy. You learning what Mehdi does is downright frightful.”

Cateria who now more often than before spend time on the bridge stood next to Soboby.

“There were always Quasars near Seenian worlds. I was only a medic of course but I think, we once had contact with a very advanced civilization who made them.”

“We always wondered about that. I mean many of our scientists believe Quasars where artificially made.”

“I am not sure if Quasars are indeed of artificial nature. It is just something I remember.”

Shea asked. “Do you remember much of that enemy you were fighting, we only know as the Dark Ones?”

“No, I never saw one and I don’t think even our military knew much, but I think It was a space-faring society just like us for the most part.” She lowered her voice as if she was afraid to be overheard.”There was a persistent, highly forbidden rumor that the Dark Ones were actually Seenians who somehow objected the Queen and were able to obtain an even more advanced tech than ours.”

Mao said.”Whenever some legend or story is forbidden by official governments there is more truth to it than the rulers like to admit.”

Elfi nodded.”That is true and there were and are forbidden truths in Saran society.”

Tyron Suit who know just like Ak Fective always stood right behind me whenever I was on duty and on the bridge said.”It is more than a legend. At the height of our development, a Seenian Prince and son of the last Seenian Queen created the New Dark Ones and declared himself emperor.

The queen was utilizing an artifact of the First Empire that existed not millions but billions of years ago, and the prince somehow found or utilized tech of that era to wage war upon his mother and the Seenians. The new Dark Hordes were no mysterious, relentless foe as official Seenian records show, but Seenians led against Seenians.”

His explanation left us speechless, there in a few sentences, Tyron explained one of the greatest mysteries there was.

He went on apparently unaware of our awe.

“I am reading and watching much since I am freed and no longer a thing. This, of course, is the reason there are no artifacts found. They are one and the same. Artifacts of the first Dark Ones are billions of years old and I doubt much has survived that much time.”

Shea asked.”You would not know more about those opposing Seenians? If they won, where are they?”

“I do not know. I have been deactivated and packed away before the war ended, a fact I learned aboard this vessel.”

“Do you know anything about the other, the first Dark Ones?”

“All I can tell you about them, are the legends and myths my former owner was telling and hearing about.”

Shea turned her seat.”I like to hear about it.”

“According to these stories It was said the Dark Empire ruled over more than a thousand Galaxies. They had one Emperor.

One Being on the top who ruled with absolute power. This being or entity was known as the Imperius Invictus. According to these legends, he was not a mere being but a god, a demon perhaps. With powers beyond psionics. Another rumor was that it was the goal of the First Empire and the Dark Ones to find and appease that god, and created that Empire to impress that Dark Entity.

What of it is true I do not know but it was said this Dark One had ultimate dominion of space and time. A thought of this god could move Galaxies and that his power and rule stretched over more than one reality and more than one dimension. There supposed to be a physical of a prophecy that is the source of much of what the Seenian scholars called trans galactical myths and legends.”

Cateria was visibly shocked about this.”I never believed it but even I heard whispered rumors about that.”

Narth added.”Perhaps the Narth Supreme knows if these are indeed just stories, but all stories and legends have an origin as we too had contact with the Dark Ones. The Narth Supreme has shared little of that time with Narth. It might be the reason we choose to abandon all contacts and removed our world from this plane.”

Shaka now also took part.”If the Narth met these First Dark Ones and if Suit is correct about the billions of years, then the Narth must be around far longer than the Pree and the Uni.”

Cateria said.”The Pree were to us what we Seenians are to you, a Lost Civilization. Somehow I have a feeling the age of the Narth isn’t counted in millennia but in eons.”

Narth declined his shrouded head. “Your feeling is quite correct. We were the very first life form in this Universe that gained sentience and the first to reach Techlevel twelve. We were called the Nnnth and had a corporeal existence. We met an entity, the Arth who existed in hyperspace. We merged and became the Narth, but I must correct you, as one can divide Billions of years into centuries and count them”

I rolled my eyes as I did so often at Narths matter of fact statements and looked at Cateria. You heard him you can count billions just fine ... just takes a little longer.”

She smiled.”This is such an incredible story. I never thought I would admit it but I am very fond of this crew and this Narth.”

“As this Narth is fond of you and I even know what the meaning of fondness is.”

I turned to Shea.

“That brings me to a question. We do have time so why don’t you tell me the story behind that sword of yours. You never actually told us. How come it cuts even a Seenian suit?”

“Why it does it I can’t tell you. It defies all methods of scanning. The Material appears the same at any magnification. there is no molecular level, no surface structure, no measurable energy but it cuts through anything except its own scabbard.”

“Is it a secret where you got it from?”

“No, I just never really told it to anyone.”

She completely turned her seat around. “I was a young Sojonit. On my way to complete an errand for the order. When I witnessed a fight. A bright almost glowing human-like man in what I can only describe as a very ancient looking armor fought another man in a black armor of similar design. The Man in the black armor seemed to emit black flames all around him and they fought each other with swords. They fought like I never seen anyone or anything fight. Hurling energy beams at each other out of their fists and nothing around them mattered, they simply crashed through concrete walls and steel as if you and I walk through air.

Their weapons cut anything in their way. then the bright glowing one noticed me and thundered something I didn’t understand.

The Black Armored one however actually caught a falling wall that would otherwise have crushed me and because he was distracted saving me was stabbed by the white glowing one.

The Dark one was wounded.The white one was about to strike again, I jumped up and tried to stop it by pulling on its other arm.

The wounded Black one took the moment and beheaded the other.

At this the body of the white Knight withered away in a blinding light and the Dark One was looking at me and I saw no face just a mask with nothing behind the eye-holes and he picked up the remaining Sword of the White Knight and handed it to me then he too vanished.”

She finished and she sighed.

“They had leveled the entire city block, hundreds had died but no one of the survivors had seen what caused it. No one remembered the fight except me. I have spent much time researching and stumbled on only a few references to the Knights of the Light and it was on a fragmented piece of vellum in the Sojonit Library.”

Narth said. “You should come to Narth Prime and show your sword to the Narth Supreme.

Yeoman O’Connell who had been here the entire time took my horror mug from out the Serv-Matic and brought it to me while she said. “I think you have witnessed the clash between a Warrior of the Order and a Light Knight. I know little more, but I know of a Coven Sister who has spent her entire existence on the research on this and I know she had witnessed a fight similar to yours. She might be able to tell you more.”

Har-Hi grunted.”I can’t for the life of me, figure out why this rings strangely familiar to me, but I must admit I don’t like this idea of beings with powers and abilities like this. It would mean that there are things out there that make all our struggles and achievements appear pointless and small.”

He put in words what I was thinking. Several of these immortals have told me that I too would become something like that. There were undeniable events in my life and recent memory that had no real explanation, but I still clung to the idea, that I really was just a weird Neo Viking with gender issues and nothing more. Aloud I said. “I feel that way when it comes to psionics, but It is actually natural that there are other things and powers out there. Life develops even in the strangest places.

That reminds me how is that dust thing doing?”

Shea looked away and was suddenly busy on her console.

Narth was not paying any attention to me and Har Hi simply stared at the main viewer.

“I was just asking a question, guys.”

Har-Hi said. “Who are you asking?”

“Anyone who can answer me that question. Why do I have a feeling that thing isn’t in a box and contained in force fields and you all know about it?”

Har-Hi said. “You didn’t specifically order it to be in a box. You said to make sure it is properly contained. Shea said it just could fit in a box as I recall.”

I got up.

“Krabbel you have the Conn. I think I am going to have a look myself. Is this some sort of conspiracy?”

The Dai shook his head.”You know better than that. We would never conspire against you. We simply thought it might not be all that important. You being the Captain having all those other things on your mind.”

“Har-Hi, we are flying now for the better of six weeks through space with nothing happening at all. I am running out of ideas how to phrase nothing in the Logbook. Now I am not bored or anything like that but certainly we are not busy. Shea, what is going on?”

She also got up. “Maybe it is better you do come and see for yourself. Dusty has learned a lot in two month.”

“Dusty?”

“It wanted a name. Everything has a name. The concept of naming things was alien to it. You don’t need names if you think you are the only living thing in the universe.”

“You named the thing Dusty?”

“No that was Alice. She named it and Dusty liked it.”

“So where is Dusty now? I have a feeling I won’t find him contained in a box in our cargo hold.”

Narth nodded. “I think you can trust your feelings on that indeed.”

While I walked to the IST I said. “You are in on it too?”

“I am in on this ship yes.”

“Narth I carried your ‘Hug thing’ and I think you just tried to act. I told SHIP that isn’t going to work and you are certainly even a worse actor than she is.”

SHIP giggled and I looked up towards the ceiling as I always did when I addressed her. “Now that you are part of this, surprises me not one bit.”

“Honestly Captain we did not do anything against your will or anything that would have harmed you or the ship. We just thought you might order Dusty to be contained in a box. He really was terribly lonely all his existence and he is thirsty for companionship and loves to talk. Dusty was afraid you would order him outside once we reached a suitable star system.

So we sort of promised it not to say much as long as you didn’t ask.”

“I didn’t ask because I was under the impression the thing was contained in a box and would be released so it can feed on a sun or something. So where is it?”

“Playing Cards with Golden, the Holdian Specialist, TheOther and Circuit in the Pirates Den.”

“Dusty the Cosmic Dust cloud is playing cards in our Pirates Den. Do you know what the Admiral will say if he reads that in my report?”

I went into the IST and down to the Hangar Deck. SHIP answered. “I am not able to predict what the Fleet Admiral would say.”

“He will most likely fall off his chair again.”

I reached the Hangar deck and stepped through the door and the curtains to our Pirate Den.

There on a smaller table to the side of the huge round one sat The Other, our Y’All, my Chief engineer, the Little Furry Specialist Warner and the Golden Merchant.