Mystery Solved
Disclaimer: The characters of Stargate Universe belong to MGM. The characters of the Four Orders are entirely my own.
AU/SGU/FO: A powerful being from another universe appears on the Destiny just as Eli's time had run out. Stranded on the ship he has to figure out how to go home and the best way is to help the crew of Destiny.
Season One – The New Guests
Previously:
Diablo finally reached Eli's room and noticed the logs were very thorough. He summed up this will take time to go through.
Viz meanwhile confirmed Diablo's suggestion for the power supply technology and got to study some of the power logs that showed discrepancies (and discovered what they were).
Eight weeks passed and he waited for Diablo to come out and when he did not he went to check why. Apparently, the logs were extensive and more time is needed. So Diablo gave him a new task – to check the crew's calculation for the three years jump and find out why the ship sought power from a blue giant and so now…
Chapter 7
Nearly four months have passed since Viz and Diablo last spoke. Viz had used the time to double check Eli's calculations and the ship's logs, and also discover why the ship needed power from a blue giant.
The ship's logs told Viz what he needed to understand why it needed the blue giant. It was not by choice. It was a deliberate action undertaken by the crew to avoid a race of AIs that had taken hold of the galaxy they had left. This was the reason why they chose to enter stasis and ride out till the next galaxy.
Apparently, these robotics were created by a long extinct race in order to defeat another one (which apparently they did) but then turned on their creators and destroyed them. The crew met them on several occasions and was successful in defeating them briefly. That was until they learnt that the robotics controlled the galaxy.
The robotics had succeeded in analyzing the crew's needs and the ship's. They had positioned themselves on the path of every yellow sun the ship needed to refuel. This had forced the crew to make difficult choices. They had succeeded once in defeating them but the cost had been too high. So this forced the crew to find a different solution and voila, the stasis idea came to life. Hence the reason they needed to choose a different sun to refuel and the choice had fallen to a blue giant.
And so the crew made their goodbyes and entered stasis but one of the pods was damaged so one stayed behind to try and fix it for two weeks (the allotted time for that without compromising the calculations for the stasis period). But time ran out and that one was about to die when Viz and Diablo arrived onboard.
What bothered Viz (the moment he found that information) was the fact that they had said their goodbyes with their relatives on Earth (which was incidentally one gigaparsec away) and he wondered how they did it. So he had shared that with Diablo who had apparently just discovered the answer Viz sought.
Apparently, the crew has been using a technology developed by the original builders allowing them to transfer their consciousness briefly into a stranger's body back on Earth (and the stranger's into theirs) so they can say their goodbyes. Both of them found this technology amazing and highly disturbing morally. Still it was one heck of a way to communicate across the universe. Viz found the stones but did not dare to use them as he could not foresee the outcome of such an act (given they were still in another dimension).
Viz also revisited Eli's calculations and made a disturbing discovery. He rechecked his findings but the truth stared at him, irrefutably.
"Diablo," He called. "We need to talk."
"What is it?" Diablo called back.
"It is important. I found something disturbing."
There was a pause. "Alright, I will join you in an hour. I have to finish this last segment."
"I will wait on the bridge."
Viz took the time to find the reason of his discovery and soon understood it. It was an unlikely event but it did manage to screw things up. It was no one's fault but there it was.
Diablo arrived on the bridge one hour later (like on the dot). "What have you found so disturbing?"
"I rechecked Eli's calculations and found out…"
"What?"
"They are incorrect. The ship will drift to the other galaxy after the three year period elapses."
"He miscalculated?"
"Yes and no,"
"Oh, care to elaborate?"
"As you know, they were forced to use a blue giant to refuel."
"Yes, and,"
"While they were in the blue giant, there was a flash radiation wave."
"Ok, so?"
"So, at the time of the flash, the ship had received a subspace update from the seed ships and thus the data was…"
"Corrupted." Diablo finished his sentence.
"So it is not Eli's fault but that changes things."
"Yeah, it does." Diablo agreed. "How short will the ship fall?"
"I estimate somewhere between 50 and 150 thousand light years."
"Ouch!" Diablo observed. He remained pensive for a few minutes. "Is there any way we can alter that?"
"No," Viz shook head. He had already thought of that but there was nothing that could be done to change this outcome. "The ship has already allocated the necessary amount of power to make the three year trip. Any more power and the stasis pods will lose power and the crew will die."
"Can we transfer power from this dimension to the other giving them the extra boost?"
"I don't think that whoever designed that system had ever thought of such possibility. It is a one way trip for the power. It comes from that dimension to this one and it stays here. There is no way to return it."
"Can we build some kind of shunt to return it?"
"No," Viz shook head again. "Most of the power conduits on this ship, as you noticed, are blown. It would take major repair of its systems to even attempt that. But in order to do this, the ship will have to drop out of FTL. And being in the middle of nowhere with no supplies, it is not feasible (among its other problems)."
"Well then, we have a problem." Diablo said though knowing he stated the obvious.
"What do you suggest we do?" Viz was open to ideas as he had none to offer.
"For now, nothing," Diablo said. He was pensive again. Viz was wrong. There was something they could do but Diablo was not ready for it yet. Actually, he was not sure the ship will survive his idea.
"What?" Viz had noticed Diablo's facial expression. It suggested he had an idea but was reluctant to share.
Diablo sighed deeply. "Well, there is a way but you are not going to like it."
"What do you have…" Viz voice trailed off. He had a sudden illumination. It was something Diablo could do but given the state of this ship his idea was beyond crazy. "Nah, no way, you can't. This ship cannot endure what you have in mind. It will fall apart."
"The other alternative is to remain stuck on this ship for a very long time."
"You cannot make this decision. If there was no one onboard, I might agree with you but there is a crew of humans onboard and they should…"
"What? Have a say?" Diablo exclaimed. "I don't think so. Look, if we do nothing, the ship will drift."
"It is not the first time it has done so."
"Maybe, but the times before it did not have a crew."
"They are in stasis."
"And you suggest I leave them to wake up and have the loveliest of revelations that they are alone on the other end of the universe because of what…an error the ship made. And the error will cost them everything they are familiar with. Oh what a lovely discovery that would be when make contact with Earth. Provided there is Earth after a few dozen millennia, give or take." Diablo countered. "No, I will not let them live with this."
"It is not…"
"I know but they will think that. Come to realize that the reason the ship's data became corrupted was because they went into a blue giant to refuel, and after that all their calculations though perfectly correct were based on false data. So yes, they will feel guilty and they most certainly will be alone. The chances the people of Earth will endure this long is not inconceivable but the chances anyone on Earth would remember them are slim to nonexistent. We cannot allow that to happen not when we can do something about it."
"I understand that, Diablo. But it is dangerous as hell. I don't think the ship can survive this regardless of how good your intentions are. You have already used the shield to keep Eli alive. How do you plan to keep the ship's structure integrity intact? The ship's hull is too compromised."
"Well, ok, we have a few snags but it is not something that cannot be overcome."
"How? For this to work, the ship's integrity needs to be at least twenty percent higher than it is currently."
"Well, as I said, there a few kinks to work out." Diablo said irritated. "So stop your whining and we will figure it out."
Viz sighed deeply and mostly gave up trying to argue with Diablo though he knew that these kinks were rather big obstacles that will be extremely difficult to overcome.
"Ok, so while the ship travels in FTL affecting repairs is close to impossible."
"No," Viz said. "It is not close to impossible it is impossible."
"Why?"
"Why? You serious?" Viz exclaimed. "Well, let's see. You can't make the repairs because you have to revert back to the other dimension and the moment you do that the ship will sense your presence and in the worst scenario will drop out of FTL. Or it will allocate resources to keep you alive and although you don't need them the ship doesn't know that.
What else? Even if the ship doesn't allocate resources as it remembers you from this dimension we come to the other problem. In order to fix the ship or some parts of it, the ship has to drop out of FTL to do that safely."
"No, it doesn't need to drop out." Diablo replied. He had a plan forming in his mind. It was risky but not impossible.
"Yes, it does otherwise we would have to…you are insane. That could never work." Viz had a thought of how it might get done but it was crazy to boot. "We will have to drop the shields around the area and this will create instability in the structural integrity…"
"Viz, stop over thinking it!" Diablo interrupted. "You are right about one thing though."
"Which is what?" Viz asked with growing concern.
"I cannot make the repairs but you can."
"What?"
"You are right. I need to save my strength for when the time comes. And I cannot revert back to the other dimension because there is a chance the ship will sense me. However, you can affect the repairs. You are a trans-dimensional being. The ship will not sense you."
"You are insane!" Viz exclaimed. "Yes, ok, the ship will not sense me, but I would have to revert to my original state and in it I do not have any…"
"Yes, you will not have my powers." Diablo interrupted again. "But I will transfer some of them through the dimensional veil to you and then you can make the repairs. Mind you it will be a precision job but it is doable.
Look for the places where there are holes in the hull, we have the pieces of the hull just below the holes. All you have to do is pick them up and reattach them as a temporal fix. But doing so, this will boost the structural integrity and diminish the need for the reinforced shielding around that area. Hence we can reallocate shield strength to the structural integrity field thus reinforcing it while you know…"
"Ok, "Viz agreed with that part. "And the rest of the places where we do not have the pieces we do what?"
"We improvise."Diablo replied. "We will scour the ship for the necessary parts that we can mold into what we need and then repeat the procedure. That means that you will have to write an algorithm to temporarily relieve the shield around the holes themselves so we can fix them and then…"
"Why release the shield? This will create an instant instability."
"I know but the shield is interacting with the hole and it will get in the way."
"No, the shield is above the hole."
"It is not. Look, it may look that way but trust me it isn't. The shield is actively replacing the missing piece. It may look like it is over the hole but actually it is also in it and that is a problem."
"Alright, I will try to disguise it as a seed ship update."
"Good, and while you are at it, could you check the computer's systems for a glitch?"
"What glitch?"
"I accessed some data and it took an insane amount of time to get it. I get the impression that part of what you could call the RAM is busy with something. Could you check it out?"
"Sure,"
"Ok, I will make preparations for the fixing part so you'd have only to pick it up and stitch it and in the meantime you check that out."
"You think it is important?"
"Yeah, I get the feeling it is. And I still have some logs to go through."
The two reunited several days later. Now, they had a few more things to discuss.
"I found your glitch!" Viz said.
"Oh, what is it?"
"Apparently, a part of the system was occupied by Dr. Perry and Gin."
"I'm sorry they're what?"
"Due to some circumstances the consciousnesses of both were transferred into the computer, and at some point Dr. Rush decided to play Sex in the City but ended in Desperate Housewives."
Diablo blinked a few times. That was one curious explanation. He got the point but still it was weird hearing Viz use such references.
"So they were both quarantined inside part of the 'RAM' to avoid total system collapse."
"Interesting, that explains the last logs I watched. They were talking about Gin and Dr. Perry being alive but I thought they were making it up. Ok, this is weird but highly intriguing and interesting." Diablo just got a crazy idea.
"Why?" Viz had frowned immediately after that statement. He could see Diablo's mind working overtime. He was up to something. "What are you up to?"
"Well, now that you ask. I had an idea on the spot."
"Which is?"
"Well, gaining space,"
"Care to elaborate?"
"Well, part of the AI's or the ship's trouble is because it doesn't have enough space within its virtual space to affect more problems. So, we can free up that space occupied by the two."
"You want to erase them? But this will kill them!"
"You are such a drama queen, boy!" Diablo smiled deviously. "No, actually I plan them relocate them."
"Where? The laptop…"
"No,"
"Where else is there?" And then Viz answered his question when it hit him what Diablo planned. "You can't be serious. Whose bodies are you going to use for that? Their bodies are gone."
"Well, I will build for them new ones or actually their own but new ones."
"With what?"
"Ah, for that, we will need materials that hopefully we can find in the other galaxy. And I'm also hoping to find what I need to develop the cure for Lieutenant Tamara Johansen. Hence the motivational reason for our plan to work."
"I don't think the others will agree to it."
"The others? What others?"
"Um, the ones in stasis,"
"Oh, they won't be awake for that."
"Ah, yes, they will be because once we reach the other galaxy the wake up protocol will engage and they will wake up."
"Wait, I thought they would wake up in three years."
"No, the protocol will wake them up once they reach the other galaxy…"
"That is before or after the ship refuels?"
"I think after but I could be mistaken."
"Ok, then, you'll have another job."
"Which is?"
"You will write another algorithm that will separate the waking protocol from the main system and make it a manual wake up. "
"Why?"
"We have to do some things for which we do not need any form of interference. One, they will definitely blame us for the drifting part or the sucking of energy that prevented the ship from…well you know. Two, I need to create new bodies and that will take time and I need peace for that. Then, I have to develop a cure for the lieutenant and in the meantime fix the bloody ship.
And while they could assist with that, you and I will lose a lot of time explaining why this is necessary and I won't have a poll for that."
"And when we do all these things?"
"Then we will wake them up one by one. I will start with the military commander so he can explain it to the others and everything can go smoothly without creating a committee of unnecessary discussions and escalating things. Do we have an accord?"
"Alright, we will do it your way!"
"Excellent, let's get to work and we have a lot of that…"
To be continued…
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Lordheaven
