Chapter 2

Space travel is extremely boring, I suppose it could be that I was on an automated research vessel and not a ship designed to entertain its crew. Elora was being as helpful as she could, but she knew facts and figures, nothing of artistic value, so I studied our readings from the battlefield, ship design, weaponry and anything else I could download into my brain, it was not a very long process.

"Great, 4 days down, 16 more months to go." I said to myself.

I went over everything I had downloaded with exacting detail.

"Elora?" I asked.

"Yes NX?" Her voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"Did you notice the gravitational fields at the colony?" I asked.

"Yes there was an un-accounted for variance in the expected fields." She said

"What would cause this?" I asked.

"Unknown NX." She said

"hmmm." I said tapping the desk with my fingers.

"Elora can you download all files we have on theoretical modes of travel." I said.

"One moment NX." She said.

"Downloading." She said.

Suddenly my head was buzzing with information, it was vaguely disturbing, I still had yet to come to grip on what I was. I sat very still going over the information, checking over every detail contained, slowly things began to clear.

"Elora, I know what caused the disturbance." I said.

"What was it NX." She asked.

"Wormhole drives, thousands of them used to transport a fleet." I said.

"Improbable NX, at the time of our departure generation of stable wormholes was thought to be centuries beyond our capabilities." She said.

"I know, but the fact remains someone used it at that colony to transport a fleet in." I said.

"I am unable to confirm, the remains of the fleet did not allow for a proper investigation into their propulsion system." She said.

"Of course, I guess we will just have to wait to get to earth." I said.

I now had a project, I knew from the wreckage what the energy output of the ships had been, I knew the basic theory of wormholes, with the added gravitational readings I had an idea on how to get a drive up and working.

I spent the next 13 months going over a design for the drive, it was surprisingly simple, and most excitingly was the fact we had all the parts in the hold to start building one, I had shown my report to Elora, she had deemed my research as probable. I had startled to assemble the basic components in the hold, working with out rest.

"Nx" Elora said.

"Yes" I said from under the assembly of my new engine.

"We are getting an automated message." She said.

"From who?" I asked.

"Earth" She said.

"Put it through." I said.

There was a crackle of static followed by the sounds of explosions, alarm klaxons could be heard in the background.

"This message is going out to all children of earth ... the ... have found Earth ... fleet has engaged ... losses are staggering ... If you are hearing this you can ... earth will fall soon. We know that ... Colonies gone ... But maybe older ships with pre-sub light drives may still be in-transit, research vessels with small crews..."

There was a loud explosion over the message.

"Mars has fallen, the fleets are gone ... Please ... if you are getting this message that means we did not completely fail, somewhere there are traces of the human race left ... Survive ... Find each other ... at the end of this message ... data packet ... tactical information ... Signal has already been sent to activate all golems where ever they are ... imprinting with barest information."

More explosions rang in the background, a loud air raid siren seemed to be going off.

"Oh god, we have a final weapon, we are going to cause detonate our star, we hope to destroy enough of them to give you a chance out there ... Remember us."

The message ended in static.

"Elora, is that all?" I asked.

"No NX we have gotten a partial data packet on the enemy they fought." She said.

"Can you download it, also can you get a visual on Sol from this distance?" I asked.

I felt the buzz in my head as I got the information.

"Nx there is not star where Sol is supposed to be, its just not there." Elora said.