Chapter 2
A lone object tumbled through space, making only minor adjustments in it's trajectory. It still attempted to fulfill it's basic programming – to acquire knowledge of what was out there, and to eventually return that information to it's creator. The problem was, it no longer could contact it's designers to transmit it's findings or update it's programmed objectives.
The object had sailed through the blackness of space for such a long time - even tumbling through a wormhole at one point in time – thus, ending up on the opposite side of the Milky Way Galaxy. It's creators most likely wondered what had happened to it, once it apparently halted in it's transmissions, probably assuming it had been destroyed or something. The limited programming and computing capacity, however, would not allow it to do anything except continue on it's lonely way, collecting vast amounts of data, and one day download that data to those waiting for it with the proper passcodes.
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-Object detected, numerous voices chimed together, in a group mind. Moving ship to intercept.
A black ship moved out of the shadowed side of the dark planet that was illuminated by a small, yellow sun. Lights from great factories – used to process the raw materials of the planet – glowed like beacons on the dark side, as vast furnaces heated the material for smelting. The entire surface reflected the light of that star, as it was covered by metal, resembling a jumbled mass of pipes, girders, and conduits. Billions of beings inhabited the planet, all cybernetic in nature.
The ship, a much smaller, though no less geometric shape in design, moved in space, approaching the tumbling object. Small bursts of energy were detected within it, as photos were taken, and a short message was played in a format that took a few moments for the vessel to adjust to. The inhabitants of that ship considered the message, and the activation of primitive photographic lenses, for a minute, judging the possible threat level, before activating a tractor beam - thus halting the barely controlled free-fall. The metallic thing was brought aboard the ship, and several 'crew-members' moved to inspect it, poking and prodding it with sensors and various mechanical appendages.
Soon, a plate was found, partially obstructed from centuries of travelling through space, dust clouds, atmospheric brushes, and pock-marked from micrometeorite impacts. A small bit of writing was visible to their sensors, and, through the study of the language of the message and the enclosed information packet left to welcome new species and inform them of peaceful intentions, the group mind deciphered the letters within moments – "V-ger".
A memory passed through the group mind from deep within it's consciousness. She recognized it, from so far in the past, from Her home world.
-Bring it to my Avatar, She commanded, and the vessel once more moved through space, quickly exiting the solar system, moving for a new location.
Soon, the ship in question was traveling faster than light, at warp speed, towards another system, whose planets all resembled the surface of the one in the previous system. Within that system, a vast complex hung suspended in the space between the inner planets, a series of geometric shapes tied together by girders and tethers. The ship moved for the central, largest, of these shapes, docking against it. "V-ger" was moved by a group of the crew from that vessel to the larger pyramidal form it was now connected to. A new figure approached the metallic thing, running her hands over it in reverence, knowing everything about it that She knew. She stood studying the ancient artifact before her, while all those around her accessed her own knowledge of it, disseminating the information among the group mind, the "Collective", as it was known. She knew the thing's real name, it's origins, and it's purpose. In Her timeline, it had likewise been sent forth; however, it was truly lost in that one.
Suddenly, She was speaking in the collective mind, instructions being given, plans revealed. Before the plans were even finalized, factories and workers were reactivated for the first time in a very long time. These factories had accomplished their purpose centuries before, building a fleet from the available materials within the system, to spread out and continue the acquisition of knowledge from the surrounding stars, slowly and methodically moving outward from this central core.
-We will 'allow' this to finish what it started, for it to fulfill it's programming. It will require a vessel, to contain all the knowledge that it now has, and will obtain in the future. Also, this vessel will carry it back to it's point of origin. Be sure that it has the power required for this task, as well as for the task WE will set to it, once it finalizes it's mission. The power will need to be tremendous, perhaps even one of our original types of power. Use the schematics from a Relay to fashion the new power core, but on a scale of several magnitudes larger – it will need that power to finish what we program it for.
The "Collective" reeled somewhat from that contact, even from such a 'distance' from Her. The strength of will and power contained within Her mind and body were overwhelming, even out here. Her individual mind pulled back from this reality's collective one, although it maintained a small contact within her own mind.
The one that oversaw this reality looked within the collective about her, to see that the instructions were carried out promptly. She saw that the design of the core for the new vessel was already being agreed upon by those within the group mind that knew of such things, and that the design for the containment vessel was finalized moments later, as the others caught the lines of thought of the first group. In the factories, workers began the long task of assembling the basic structure of the new ship, while other parts were being built in other sections of the complex. It would take time, but the new ship would be built as soon as possible, with the most efficiency they were able to muster. She regretted that the process of acquisition was not as efficient or complete as the initial merging; however, the power required for that to occur was much too large to recreate, as it had already created too many problems, leading to the current state of things.
Her introspective was cut off as her attention was drawn back into the collective consciousness, to oversee something happening further away, with a species that they had yet to understand, one designated '8472' by the group mind.
It had taken almost five years, even with the huge labor force able to be drawn upon, to complete the vessel, during which time "V-ger" had been studied, it's programming broken down and analyzed, and new programming inserted where needed. At the same time, the required element was found or created, collected, and stowed within the containment cells of the vast ship's drive core. Workers moved like ants over and within every surface of the ship, completing the construction of the massive craft. Enormous supercomputers were installed, to contain all the acquired information and knowledge of "V-ger", as well as allow the craft to grow and evolve as needed, supplementing the primitive 'brain' of the original probe.
Speaking of that 'brain', and supplementing it, the original programming was broken down – leaving the basic structure intact for the required mission parameters – and then completely rebuilt, reprogrammed, with a new set of directives. These new directives would unlock and begin running once the craft entered it's home system, and received it's 'transmit' authentication codes.
The group mind toiled tirelessly to complete all the tasks set to it in as fast and efficient way possible. The 'queen' was pleased at the progress, and she knew – through her link to Her – that her Queen was happy. Soon, everything would begin to progress at a faster rate than the other timelines. The discovery of this probe upped the time factor for the operation by centuries, maybe even millennia. Once the probe accomplished it's new mission directives, then the one planet that had caused the most difficulties in every other instance would be out of the way, as it were – or, more precisely, brought into the fold, to use a metaphor.
-All proceeds well, Queen. Work will be finished within less than a month, and the probe will be returned to it's origins. Is all satisfactory with our work?-
-It is. You have progressed at an extraordinary pace, and have exceeded my expectations. The Collective of that timeline is very efficient. Well done.-
-Thank you, Queen.-
-The Collective also thanks the Queen. We are indebted to you for raising us from our chaos,- millions of voices said in unison.
The contact through the quantum entanglement connection became more tenuous, as the Queen turned her attention elsewhere. This timeline's 'queen' also turned her attention back to the task of fulfilling the objectives set her, and coordinating the huge effort of the Collective.
It was finally time for the new vessel to be launched. There was no fanfare, no celebration, at it's departure. Such things were meaningless, served no purpose. It simply was, an event worth no more than a footnote in the Collective's memory, as they went back to their everyday routines, aware of little more than the need to accomplish the work set each individual unit, to the satisfaction of their 'queen' – and ultimately Hers.
The gargantuan vessel moved through the complex maze of the complex, moving carefully out of the obstructions. By programming, it turned back the way that it had come, and began to pick up speed, the strange element powering the ship to tremendous speeds, though it would not be able to achieve much more than low warp speeds – as the huge power reserves were to be used for something entirely different later. This time, there would be no wormhole for it to travel through to cut time off the voyage, but that only meant that much more knowledge that it would acquire by the time it made it's objective system. It would not be time wasted, as the information gathered would prove useful later on.
Faster and faster the ship hurtled through space, the power output finally pushing it past the light speed threshold through raw power alone. It sped it's way through the heavens on it's way to the fateful encounter that awaited it, along with the inhabitants of the planet of it's origins.
Some time later, it began to pass through space occupied by a more warlike species, one that it had not encountered before. By this time, it had come to be aware of itself and it's surroundings – it had become a true Artificial Intelligence – due to the vast amount of knowledge and information it had recorded, not to mention a certain amount of rewriting on the part of the race of 'machines' that had found it and given it new purpose. As it became more aware, in it's immature state, it came to the conclusion that it would be best to cloak itself in a cloud, to hide it's true nature. This came about as it had passed through the space occupied by another, more violent, organic 'life form', which had attacked upon sight, damaging the fledgling self-aware vessel before it could come to a decision on how to proceed. Repairs had taken weeks, as it lay almost dormant in the cold reaches of the blackness. However, the self-repairing ship finally was on it's way once more, cloud enshrouding it, and ready to attack first and record everything in a digital format for later study.
Now, three ships, little more than a thin sheet of tin containing a finite and delicate mixture of gasses and a form of life, with no real intelligence of their own, made their way toward the cloud's edge. The ship hailed the new craft, yet they didn't respond immediately. After several attempts to communicate, the new ships fired their warheads at it. Acting out of self-preservation, the cloud fired three shots of a unique form of energy back, targeting the onrushing torpedoes (as it later learned they were known as), and, by trajectory, the ships themselves. The energy engulfed the torpedoes, and then the vessels, changing them into energy themselves, and storing the energy as data within the ship's massive computer banks. The ship would be able to review the 'data' at a later date, in complete safety, with no possibility of injury to itself.
Once that encounter was over, the AI known as "V'ger" concluded that it would send out a hail, for a certain amount of time, upon encountering another 'race', then summarily use that unique energy upon them, to avoid the same problems again. After coming to this conclusion, it moved on.
Before long, speaking in galactic terms, it came across another vessel, one that got it's attention, and changed things for it.