Doran sat back on his bunk, colder then he would have liked it. The ever-
present sounds of industry somehow crept their way into his cramped
quarters. The days of work where piling up, the council of science expected
a report on his progress.
Not many people could get access to the kinds of things he was working on. The progenitor foundry was heavily guarded to prevent someone from awakening some unknown safeguard like the keepers, or mover drones. Today was the third time this month that someone had set off some alarm system, and the crews where still trying to turn off all the blinking blue lights that had been set off as a result.
He knew he was getting close to something, but he was not sure what. They had translated several new letters right before they had arrived here, and the h-net was soon covered with new translations from other progenitor wrecks. The only problem was, that none of them seemed to have anything to do with what they where studying
"Full systems alert, incoming hyperspace signature!"
"Dam" he muttered to himself, "How many of these scouts are we going to see before someone.."
Doran couldn't finish his thought before the hull chimed in a clear and deafing tone as a high-energy ping went by. This was not like the previous events, normally the jump in just out of the defense guns range, scanned the base and left. They never took the time to do a high detailed pinging on the area..
"This is base command, all personnel to their stations!"
Doran painfully hoisted himself up to his feet and opened his door. He herd lots of feet running around, but not many people had there quarters this far inside the asteroid. Most tried to get near the outer rooms, in hopes of getting a window to the stars. Doran figured that if the raiders ever decided to take over this place, a window would become a nice door in a few seconds.
He jumped out into the hall, hung a left and ran to the ladder at the end of the hall. He climbed down several decks and jumped off into another hall. He did expect to see anyone this low in the asteroid, the gravity was a bit higher near the generators, and all the important posts where much higher up near the command bridge.
Despite this fact, someone still found their way down this low and came barreling down the hall towards the ladder. Doran was startled by the footsteps alone, much less the body flying towards him. A split second later they where both a tangled mess on the floor, nether having time to brace for the collision.
"Sorry sir!" blurted out the young repair worker as he tried to lift Doran from the floor.
"Slow down there, what's got you in such a hurry?"
"They called all personnel to their stations, I am posted in the secondary repair bays!"
"Look, you wont be needed until they declare battle stations, until then try not to run anyone important over, ok?"
"Yes sir!" Barked the obviously green worker.
Doran shook his head as he ran past him and sprinted up the ladder to his post. With any luck the missile defense systems would scare them off long before they got here. If a battle did start, they didn't even have enough fighters to have to use the secondary repair bays.
He continued down the narrow halls until he arrived at his post, tertiary communications backup. He post made him back up the guy, who backs up the guy who backs up the main communications officer. It was just a nothing post that he was supposed to be at to stay out of everyone's way.
Doran walked into the room, and slumped down in front of an array of the oldest possible screens the council could find to put there.
"Station, please pull up all related data on artifacts 563-0052-45, and 563-0052-48" he muttered.
"All related data for artifacts under the 563 code require authorization from the Council of Science. Please input your authorization code, or request one" spoke back the computer in is normal monotone voice.
Doran pulled out his key card and swiped it though the reader on the side of the console. After a few seconds the monitors started opening documents, pictures, and video clips of the two artifacts he was working on.
He knew that they somehow where linked. They had many of the same writings on them, but they where found in two very unrelated sections of the wreck. The first piece was found near the top of a small generator, in the control room. The other was found in what appeared to be a fighter of some kind.
He pondered over their meaning while continuing levels of alert where declared by the bridge.
"This is command, all personnel to battle stations!"
"Damn" he thought to himself, "This is not good"
He did not realize it at the time, but several thousand kilometers out from the base, a massive hyperspace signature has appeared. The raider war lord Meyvunt and his fleet had finally amassed enough ships to pose a sizable threat to the Higarans, and it was at this research base that he would make his move.
Not many people could get access to the kinds of things he was working on. The progenitor foundry was heavily guarded to prevent someone from awakening some unknown safeguard like the keepers, or mover drones. Today was the third time this month that someone had set off some alarm system, and the crews where still trying to turn off all the blinking blue lights that had been set off as a result.
He knew he was getting close to something, but he was not sure what. They had translated several new letters right before they had arrived here, and the h-net was soon covered with new translations from other progenitor wrecks. The only problem was, that none of them seemed to have anything to do with what they where studying
"Full systems alert, incoming hyperspace signature!"
"Dam" he muttered to himself, "How many of these scouts are we going to see before someone.."
Doran couldn't finish his thought before the hull chimed in a clear and deafing tone as a high-energy ping went by. This was not like the previous events, normally the jump in just out of the defense guns range, scanned the base and left. They never took the time to do a high detailed pinging on the area..
"This is base command, all personnel to their stations!"
Doran painfully hoisted himself up to his feet and opened his door. He herd lots of feet running around, but not many people had there quarters this far inside the asteroid. Most tried to get near the outer rooms, in hopes of getting a window to the stars. Doran figured that if the raiders ever decided to take over this place, a window would become a nice door in a few seconds.
He jumped out into the hall, hung a left and ran to the ladder at the end of the hall. He climbed down several decks and jumped off into another hall. He did expect to see anyone this low in the asteroid, the gravity was a bit higher near the generators, and all the important posts where much higher up near the command bridge.
Despite this fact, someone still found their way down this low and came barreling down the hall towards the ladder. Doran was startled by the footsteps alone, much less the body flying towards him. A split second later they where both a tangled mess on the floor, nether having time to brace for the collision.
"Sorry sir!" blurted out the young repair worker as he tried to lift Doran from the floor.
"Slow down there, what's got you in such a hurry?"
"They called all personnel to their stations, I am posted in the secondary repair bays!"
"Look, you wont be needed until they declare battle stations, until then try not to run anyone important over, ok?"
"Yes sir!" Barked the obviously green worker.
Doran shook his head as he ran past him and sprinted up the ladder to his post. With any luck the missile defense systems would scare them off long before they got here. If a battle did start, they didn't even have enough fighters to have to use the secondary repair bays.
He continued down the narrow halls until he arrived at his post, tertiary communications backup. He post made him back up the guy, who backs up the guy who backs up the main communications officer. It was just a nothing post that he was supposed to be at to stay out of everyone's way.
Doran walked into the room, and slumped down in front of an array of the oldest possible screens the council could find to put there.
"Station, please pull up all related data on artifacts 563-0052-45, and 563-0052-48" he muttered.
"All related data for artifacts under the 563 code require authorization from the Council of Science. Please input your authorization code, or request one" spoke back the computer in is normal monotone voice.
Doran pulled out his key card and swiped it though the reader on the side of the console. After a few seconds the monitors started opening documents, pictures, and video clips of the two artifacts he was working on.
He knew that they somehow where linked. They had many of the same writings on them, but they where found in two very unrelated sections of the wreck. The first piece was found near the top of a small generator, in the control room. The other was found in what appeared to be a fighter of some kind.
He pondered over their meaning while continuing levels of alert where declared by the bridge.
"This is command, all personnel to battle stations!"
"Damn" he thought to himself, "This is not good"
He did not realize it at the time, but several thousand kilometers out from the base, a massive hyperspace signature has appeared. The raider war lord Meyvunt and his fleet had finally amassed enough ships to pose a sizable threat to the Higarans, and it was at this research base that he would make his move.