Author's Note: When speaking from a Liir perspective, I will convey their name as a Liir would, complete with the telepathic completion in parentheses, as this is considered part of the name. When speaking from a Human perspective, however, I'll leave that out. Also, I do understand that all Liir are hermaphrodites, but they identify themselves as male or female depending on which role is dominant in their life at that particular point in time. Therefore, I will write their part as a gender role, which may or may not change over the course of the story.
Author's Apology: When I began writing this story a few days ago, I was unaware that I was infringing on an official canon work by a similar name. Due to the fact that the names are fairly different, I will not be changing it. I will, however, pay proper homage. Official Sword of the Stars writer Arinn Dembo has written a piece called "Incident at Avalon", and it can be found at Her screen name there is Erinys. Again, it has nothing to do with this fanfic, and I apologize for the infringement.
The Avalon Incident
Chapter 2
Avalon System Command
Capital City of Nycea, Planet Avalon
July 20th, 2623 A.D.
1700 hrs
Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water) floated in front of her communication console. It had been several hours since the Solaris had sent the message stating that they were investigating a sensor anomaly, and the Officer of the Day, a pleasant-minded Human called Lieutenant Riese, had said to alert him immediately when the next message came in from the scout.
That hadn't happened yet. Currently, the communication boards were clear of anything directed at System Command. That wasn't unusual. Half the time, most people forgot that Command was even there. After all, as Human command buildings go, it was small, and oddly placed, being on the coast, and even half in the water. For the Liir, however, it was even stranger. Typically, only the Black Swimmers needed command buildings, and they almost always put them in orbit. True, each Steel Singer foundry also had a communication console, but those didn't have to be manned. The console simply received any incoming order, and a worker would check for new messages several times a day. Liir also didn't use structures very often, and never were they half on land.
System Command, however, had to be manned by both Humans and Liir, as neither was ready to completely trust the other with the safety of a colony. Therefore, the building accommodated both species. The main command deck had a domed ceiling fifteen feet up, and that had four large transparent windows, providing ample light during the day. The rest of the room was circular, colored in a utilitarian gray, and measured one hundred and fifty feet in diameter. In the center of the room was a pool of water seventy five feet in diameter, and thirty feet deep, and led under the northern wall directly into the harbor. This was the Liir staff's work area. In the center of the pool was a pillar twenty feet in diameter, and many of the Liir-manned stations were built into this pillar, though all were only a few inches below the surface. The rest of the Liir stations were embedded into the outer walls of the pool, following a similar layout. On the top of the pillar and around the outside of the pool were the human-manned stations, above water for obvious reasons. Four bridges roughly an inch above the water led to the central deck at the cardinal compass points. Any Liir on duty noticed that the words "SeaWorld" or "aquarium" flitted through the forethoughts of many humans when they walked through the door.
At the moment, Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water) was relieving the boredom of her duty by playing a game of "hide the thought" with Amuun (the contented feeling of a job well done), who was likewise unoccupied at the tactical radar. That particular post seemed silly to the Liir, as it was the job of the Black Swimmers to protect the planet from aggressors. Still, the Humans insisted that someone keep an eye to the sky, and so the Liir would do their part.
Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water) had just discovered that her friend's thought was "I would rather be practicing my back-flips" when her console started flashing. She looked, and there was indeed a message for System Command. It was also from the Solaris! She opened the communiqué, and then read it carefully; rereading it twice to make sure she knew what it said. As an Avalon colonist, Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water) knew both Liirian and Human fleetsong, and could order her thoughts to make sure a Human understood her, but sometimes messages were technical and some of the words or concepts were hard. Once she was certain of all the words and their context, she forwarded the message to the currently unmanned human comm. console, and then rose to the surface and poked her head above water.
Lieutenant Riese! She called. Humans weren't telepathic, but they could somehow still hear what a Liir sang. They just couldn't respond in kind or fully grasp some of the underlying intent.
They also had no idea how loud their own thoughts could tend to shout. That was how Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water) knew she had gotten his attention when she heard; I wonder if she's received word from the Solaris
Riese reached the edge of the platform and kneeled down so he was closer to eye level with the Liir, he said, "What is it, Shiilu?"
She replied, I have received a message from the Solaris. They say that the anomaly is a jump point, and they provided the information received from a probe they sent through. The message has been sent to the human comm. station if you wish to see it.
Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water) wasn't exactly sure what a jump point was, and she certainly hadn't understood all of the mathematical data attached to the message, but she picked up from Riese's mind that this was important. As the human looked over the message, her impression of its importance grew until she realized that this may be something of life altering proportions, such as when she learned that not all life was peaceful from a game of hide the thought with the elder Shonnol (the first taste of a new food that is good) back on Muur (homeworld).
Riese straightened from his bent position over the console. His mind was heavy with thought, in some areas so convoluted with trying to predict cause and effect that it was difficult to understand at all. To Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water), it appeared as though he were trying to understand and consider concepts more suited to an elder. Riese was young, and only elders tended to consider thoughts that would affect whole planets, as the Human was doing now. He simply wasn't old enough or wise enough to have a hope of coming to a reasonable conclusion. Not all of his thoughts were good, either, and some even scared the liir below him, who were now all paying attention to the flurry of thoughts prevalent in his mind.
Turning back to the Liir, Riese said, "Shiilu, I'm going to send this to Admiral Remington- he needs to know. I want you to inform your elders of this. It could be nothing, but then again, it could be something. Something big." With that, he turned back to the station and began making his report.
Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water), for her part, sang into the metaconcert, the interconnected song of all Liir in telepathic distance, a message for elder Bayna (patience in awaiting great things), saying that the human scout ship had found something that may or may not mean anything, and that he may want to come to system command soon. The song would be passed from Liir to Liir in a gossip chain until it reached the elder. Riese heard the message waft across his consciousness like a ghostly caress, and grunted a vague approval at the initiative to bring the elder here, where a decision could be more easily reached.
Just as Riese finished sending his findings to the Admiral, Shiilu (the joy of jumping into the air in a spray of water) felt a new presence swim into the command center. It was Allaay (fierce determination in contest), a one hundred year old Liir who was showing promise as a future elder, even this early in life. He swam up to the surface next to where the human stood and said, Lieutenant Riese (human who improves himself through an open mind), I am here to relieve you. What has happened on your watch?
Riese replied, "The scout ship Solaris has deviated from its course to check out a new jump point that showed up out of nowhere. I've just informed Admiral Remington, and he may have something for us shortly, so be on your toes- or whatever. Just stay alert."
I understand what you mean, human, Allaay (fierce determination in contest) said, his amusement evident. Very well, swim free for a time, Lieutenant Riese (human who improves himself through an open mind).
"I'll be staying around the command center for a while, just in case the Admiral calls," Riese said. Then he walked away, his mind still very troubled, not to mention flustered at the implied compliment of his extended name. Unlike other Liir, Allaay (fierce determination in contest) insisted that Humans should expand upon their names like Liir did, or at least allow a Liir to express a suitably descriptive expansion. However, like all other Liir who became philosophical before age 400, most people humored him, but otherwise ignored his eccentricities.
Edge of the Avalon System, near Unknown Jump Point
Scout ship TAS Solaris
July 20th, 2623 A.D.
1825 hrs
Ensign Bryant looked at his comm station. He read the message, and then reread it just to be sure. He was about to read it a third time when the voice of Commander Montoya broke the relative silence of the bridge.
"You have something, Ensign Bryant?" Montoya asked.
"Yes, sir," Bryant replied. "Message from Command, sir. They want us to gather more information on the anomaly."
"Read the whole message, Ensign." Montoya ordered.
"Aye, Aye, sir. Message reads: 'From Jack Remington, Admiral, 15th Fleet, Avalon System Command, to Commander Richard Montoya, TAS Solaris. You are hereby authorized to undergo whatever operations necessary in order to determine the origin of the anomalous jump point, as well as stability, viability, and threat level. Utilize extreme caution, and take no unnecessary risks. Elements of 15th Fleet and Fleet of Shining Water have been dispatched to the coordinates you provided. Their ETA is four hours. Godspeed.' What does it mean, sir?"
"It means," replied Montoya, "that we're going to find out how stable this thing is while we wait for reinforcements. When they arrive, we're going to go through that jump point and find out for certain what's on the other side, and why it just showed up for no apparent reason."
Silence reigned on the bridge as everyone pondered the Commander's words. The implications were enormous, and the danger incredible. Still, the crew would follow Commander Montoya. He was a good ship's captain, and wouldn't put them into danger if the risk outweighed the gains. Everyone on the bridge of the Solaris knew that Montoya was weighing the lives of his crew against not only the lives of everyone in the Avalon system, but also the very fate of a true Human/Liir Alliance. If Avalon failed, then it was unlikely that either species would be willing to try again for a very, very long time.
Montoya sighed. It had already been a long day, and it looked like it was just going to get worse. He'd have to be fully awake and rested if he wanted to make the right decisions.
"XO," he said, "you have the bridge. I'll be in my quarters. Inform me the moment our reinforcements show up on scanners. The Liir will probably arrive first, and I'll want to speak with them."
With that, Montoya got up and left the bridge, leaving it in the hands of his seasoned executive officer.
Edge of the Avalon System, near Unknown Jump Point
Scout ship TAS Solaris
July 20th, 2623
2230 hrs
Lieutenant Commander Delwyn Majors stood in front of the tactical screen at the back of the bridge, brooding. He had two Liir cruisers on the scopes, and they were heading in the direction of the Solaris. At least, whenever they were actually on the scopes, thanks to that damned stutter warp technology they used. They just appeared and disappeared at will, stuttering their way across the system, playing merry hell with every sensor that tried to lock on to them, be it lidar sensors or fire control systems. It was only thanks to the new advanced predictive software being installed all across the fleet that Humans could EVER tell where a Liir ship was going. It had made combat against them, limited as it was, an absolute disaster for both sides.
Lt. Cmdr. Majors did not like the Liir. He was also the newest member of the Solaris' crew, and didn't understand why the Commander trusted the damned Fish so much. In fact he still had the marks from their first conversation on the subject. Back during the 200 Year War, there had been a brief period of time, just after contact was made with the Liir, when the two species had been enemies. It was horrible. Liir had no trouble targeting Human ships, but the particle beams and lasers of the time meant that they couldn't get through Human armor very well. Humans, on the other hand, could hardly hit the Liir, but when they did, the mass drivers would punch right through the thin armor and wreak havoc on the aquatic environment within. Both sides soon saw a potential stalemate with staggering losses, and forced their own people to the peace table. As neither side had targeted civilian populations yet, a shaky truce was soon reached.
Majors had lost an uncle to the Liir, and he had resented them ever since. Still, he was a professional Naval Officer, and he could follow orders. He had already informed the Commander of the Liir's approach, and was just waiting for the Old Man to take over the bridge. Majors wouldn't kill the Fish, but it didn't mean he had to like them, or deal with them.
Commander Montoya stepped onto the bridge, immediately saying, "as you were" as everyone not performing a major function came to attention. Then he faced Lt. Cmdr. Majors.
"How far out are they, Commander?" he asked.
"Hard to tell with Liir, sir," Majors replied, "but best guess puts them at five minutes."
"Very good, Commander. I have the bridge. Go get yourself some chow, and I'll call you before anything big happens."
"Aye, aye, sir," Majors said. He came to attention, saluted, and then left the bridge.
Montoya scowled as his XO departed. He knew Majors didn't like the Liir, but he'd be damned if he was going to let one officer's prejudices affect the outcome of this operation. He turned to the comm officer.
"Ensign Bryant, are the Liir in real-time radio range yet?" he asked.
"Barely, sir," Bryant replied. "They just came into range. At this distance, there might still be some lag."
"I'll chance it," Montoya said. "Put me in contact with the lead ship. When they respond, push the transmission to my console."
Montoya sat down in the command chair and focused his attention on the small audio/visual screen built into the right armrest. After a moment, it winked to life, showing the visage of a fairly ordinary-looking Liir. It looked very similar to a bottlenose dolphin, at least at first glance. On closer inspection, there were several differences. First and foremost were the strange tentacle-like growths on its snout, the tips of which were glowing fluorescent orange. His fins were also different, and there were more of them than a terrestrial dolphin would have. Then there were the tattoos. This particular Liir had its melon decorated in patterns of fluorescent orange and neon green. The "tattoos" were actually tiny bioluminescent microorganisms that the Liir allowed to grow on the layer of fur that grew all over their apparently sleek bodies.
There was another difference, too. Montoya knew that he was not looking at an ordinary Liir. This was one of what they called the "Black Swimmers". He was a member of the Liirian Navy. As such, he was considered dead by Liir standards. Before his training, he would have had a funeral, his family and friends singing their mourning songs as they swam around him, paying their respects to the dead. Dead Liir could do things no other member of their race would do. Black Swimmers could kill. They could maim. They could wipe out entire worlds with their cutting beams, or turn the entire population into fanatically loyal Liir supporters with their Assimilation Plague. A Liir who swims "the Black Sea" would not initiate hostile actions, but once they saw a people as "Suul'ka", they would not stop until something dramatic changed. That was something to always be kept in mind.
"Greetings," Montoya said. "This is Commander Montoya of the TAS Solaris. I take it you're the reinforcements that we're waiting for?"
The Liir spoke in the language they called "Fleetsong", a language of clicks, whistles and other sounds that only further reinforced the image of dolphins and whales. This language was in turn translated into English.
"Indeed we are," he said, "I am Siivall, elder of the Liirian vessel Shining Hunter. How may we aid you in your task?"
"We need to assess what threat may lie on the other side of this jump point. To do that, we need to actually go to the system and make an initial intel survey. Still, we can't leave this area unguarded, so…" Montoya drifted off, knowing that the Liir would get the idea.
"We hear and agree," Siivall responded, "we shall guard this area until your return."
"One other thing," Montoya said. "There should be some Human ships arriving soon, their orders will probably be to assist you in your task."
"We will await their arrival. May the currents you travel be swift and safe." The transmission ended. Montoya looked around the bridge.
"Alright, now that that's taken care of, we can get under way. I don't know what we'll find out there, but I know that with this crew, we can handle it." He turned to Navigation. "Lieutenant Delawter, line us up with the Node, spin up the engines, and make the jump when ready. Sensors, I want all arrays on full. Record all information when we make the jump, and report any anomalies immediately. Then do a full diagnostic while we're in Node Space. I want the scanners at peak efficiency when we reach the system."
Orders given, Commander Montoya sat back and watched his bridge staff go about there tasks with their typical efficiency. Human ships were incredibly efficient now, too. Thanks to the 200 Year War, breakthroughs in antimatter technologies and Node Pathing engines had been made almost eighteen years ago, and was now a mainstay in the TA Fleets. That meant that even though the star system on the other side of this node was an estimated two hundred and fifty light years away, it would only take roughly eight hours to get there.
Delawter made his calculations and the ship moved until it was facing the invisible lines of gravitational forces that connected the Avalon system with… someplace else. Then it began to creep forward slowly.
"All engines report green," he said, "Node reads stable. Making the jump in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Jump!"
Outside, theoretical energies coalesced into a shimmering, gel-like bubble around the Human ship, and in a burst of speed, propelled the tiny vessel into the depths of that not-reality dubbed "Node Space".
Aboard the bridge, however, it was business as usual.
"Node activation successful, sir. Engines fully functional."
"Sensors detected no anomalies. Just another node, sir. Beginning full system diagnostic. Estimated time to completion… one hour, thirty minutes."
"Very good, people," Montoya said. "Now we wait."
Node Space, en route to Unknown Star System
Scout Ship TAS Solaris
July 21st, 2623
0600 hrs
"Sir… the computer's reporting that we'll be arriving at our destination in five minutes." Navigation reported with some confusion. The shift had changed, and Navigation was currently manned by the less experienced but equally capable Junior Lieutenant Michaels. Montoya looked up from his command chair, where he was going over supply manifests.
"We're a half hour early. What happened?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, sir," Michaels replied. "The computer is just reporting that we'll be there very soon."
Montoya considered this for a moment. Ships didn't just get someplace early. Speeds in Node Space weren't defined by how hard you pushed the throttle, but rather by how well your ship's engines refined its path along the node. They weren't that early, but it was enough to be cause for concern. The probes distance estimates could have been wrong, but they had sent three through, and all of them agreed on the distance.
"Alright," he said, "All hands prepare to reenter normal space. Ops, sound Battle Stations. Sensors, as soon as we're clear of the node I want a full system scan. I know it'll broadcast our position, but if we're getting there this early it means we're being pulled. I need to know exactly what's out there as soon as humanly possible."
A host of "aye, aye, sir's" answered him, and while Commander Montoya was outwardly the very incarnation of calm composure, inside he wracked his mind as he tried to prepare for the unknown. What in the universe could pull something through Node Space, and how would it know the difference between a probe and a manned ship?
The ship emerged from Node Space a few minutes later, the protective bubble of energy collapsing as it left the dangerous realm behind. Then the tiny ship started spewing forth a comparatively large amount of radio, radar, lidar, tachyon and gamma emissions in an attempt to see anything and everything in the system at the same time.
Inside, at full battle stations, the crew was working as hard as they could to figure out what sort of threats they were facing.
"Sensors, what do you have for me?" Commander Montoya demanded.
"Sir, we're incredibly close to the system primary, just over one A.U., but something's not right. Readings are consistent with a neutron star, which is in itself strange, but it's also emitting zero radio pulsars. Sir, if that's a neutron star, then we should have been fried in our seats the moment we left Node Space."
"Then I guess we thank God for saving our curious, worthless hides once again," Montoya said with a chuckle, breaking the tension. "Anything else?"
"Yes, sir. I'm reading a large dead zone at .5 A.U.'s relative to the star, but it's also strange. I'm actually getting a silhouette off of it, like it's not actively jamming us, just… absorbing everything we hit it with." Montoya considered that.
"Hmm. Dimensions?"
"It's BIG, sir. Object appears to be ring-shaped, the hollow inside is approximately two kilometers in diameter. I can't get a good enough reading to know the rest of the dimensions until we're in visual range, sir."
"Very well," Montoya said, "charge defense network, weapons on standby. Nav, take us into visual range."
A few minutes later, the TAS Solaris crossed into visual range, and the Humans got their first glance at something none of them could imagine.
Commander Montoya stood up and staggered forward until he was standing between the Navigation and Weapons consoles at the front of the bridge. For a time he simply stood there, staring. Then he uttered three words that was on the mind of every Human on the bridge, as they stared out at the artifact.
"Oh my God…"