Chapter 2 – Their Great Journey
In a universe that was an infinite distance across slip space, space and time stirred. The energies of hundreds of slip space weapons reached across the impossible eddies of physics that made up the 11 dimensions of slip space and the small stirring became a torrent, soon the universe could no longer hold up and split with the violence of an exploding star, disgorging its contents across a wide swath of space.
The Ark Seed Fleet had traveled. Far from their home and yet exactly where they had been, the 13 ships of the fleet drifted across hundreds of light years among the wreckage of the old Covenant ships that had doomed them here. Reactors restarted, shields were raised, sensors flared across the abyss, and ships reoriented themselves. They had landed but now the challenge was figuring out where and why.
He drifted slowly towards consciousness, disoriented and confused. He saw flashes of purple shapes diving into pools of bluish-black inky light. Panic, disorder, then….nothing and yet everything. Suddenly he remembered and his eyes snapped open. Communications Officer Nickolas Austra woke up and looked out over the bridge he served on as others gained consciousness. He saw Admiral Hood stand up from the commander's chair and look around confused.
"I-I need a status report" he began, his voice gaining his usual command again "What happened and where are we?" The Admiral demanded.
Beside him the Arbiter stood up and shook his head. "The Loyalists seemed to have failed in whatever they had attempted Admiral, however, I too am curious as to our what happened the sli—"
The Arbiter had suddenly been struck with what he saw. "Admiral, do you see that?" he asked as he looked at the view screen on the bridge. The bridge crew all joined him as they looked at a familiar sight, the Milky Way.
"Sir, the AI's fail safe tripped but are coming back online now" Nickolas was glad the AI's had survived, they would be invaluable in figuring this debacle out.
"Scans and navigational charts seem to show we are in roughly the same position we were a few minutes ago" Cornelia said as her avatar formed from hard light.
"However, if I'm reading this right, the galaxy we're looking at is and also ISN'T the same galaxy, only 77.307% of the stars we have charted are in the correct location. Also, THE ARK ISN'T HERE."
There was a pause on the bridge, no one knew what to do with that information.
"What do you mean there's no Ark, did we move? The Ark has to be here somewhere!" The Arbiter maintained his composure but was becoming unsure of the situation.
At that time Admiral Hood began reviewing the situation. "So the Loyalists activated two slip space drives and then dove into our rupture, I remember a large amount of new and strange interference, what happened after that Cornelia?"
Searching her records, "It seems we did perform a jump, the fleet is spread out across a few hundred light years, which is much more than ever expected, but the other AI's are reporting ships and crew are fine but the same confusion."
Her avatar moved, her arms crossing and one hand settled on her chin in a thinking pose.
"It appears that we are in the same location as before but we…oh shit." No small amount of surprise crossed the faces of the crew, Cornelia was not known for her lapses in discipline.
"As best as I can determine with the amount of data I have, we…jumped universes…." The Admiral and Arbiter exclaimed simultaneously
"WHAT?!"
The Arbiter continued, "What do you mean construct? How is that possible?"
Admiral Hood agreed, "Did the Loyalists know this would happen? I would think they meant to destroy us." Looking out the view screen, many on the bridge felt the same.
"I think they did attempt that Admiral, there is a good deal of covenant wreckage out here, and it would seem they destroyed themselves but did not manage to do the same to us. Although I think the end effect would be the same. We are no longer in our universe. From the SSC's viewpoint I'd say that we are effectively lost to them." The crew went silent for a few moments, each individual reflecting on the effect this would have. Families torn apart, hopes dashed across dimensions.
Admiral Hood decided he needed to head off any mourning and panic before it set it. "I need communication established with all ships in the fleet, I want a sitrep from each ship in the hour. We will regroup in a defensive sphere around the Reclaimed Mantle. Then once all ships are in position, Cornelia, I need you to inform me and the Arbiter. We will address the fleet after we are briefed with whatever new information we can find. Arbiter, if you would accompany me to the Command Information Center"
"Of course Admiral Hood, we should be able to get the most out of it much sooner than we had anticipated."
The Arbiter responded. "I will see to the fleet coordination at once Admiral." The AI avatar blinked out of existence as she sent commands to the appropriate consoles and then dove into her digital world, sifting through huge amounts of sensor data.
She began her simulations in earnest.
The Admiral and Arbiter entered the Command Information Center , or the CIC, neither was surprised to see Commander-117 there already conversing with Cortana. As they entered, they caught part of the conversation in progress.
"…are working on checking all their equipment, within half an hour all SPARTAN teams will be ready should the Command need them." Cortana and the legendary SPARTAN turned as they noticed the two coming in.
The Arbiter knew that Master Chief had gained more rank in the centuries since they had faced off in the Human/Covenant War, he still thought of him only as Master Chief however. A rank that had been retired in respect for the SPARTAN that had saved not only humanity but very likely, the species in the covenant as well.
"Master Chief, I see you are getting your bearings as well, we have arrived in a strange place due to malicious intent from those we thought vanquished." The news brought by the Arbiter did little to surprise the Commander, he'd been through too much already.
"So it would seem, Cortana was just explaining to me that it seems the smashed themselves against dimensions higher than the 11 known in slip space. Now we're….somewhere else while still in the same spot."
He rolled the thought around in his head for a moment, unfamiliar with the strangeness it held. "Either way, in any universe, our SPARTANS will be ready shortly for whatever you need them for Sir."
As he addressed the Admiral. "I'm glad John, I hope we don't need them but I know the SPARTANs will put the fear of god in anyone they go up against. I know you'll keep them ready. For now though, Cortana, what else can you tell us about our situation?"
The AI's avatar leap from the small pedestal to a 6 foot tall avatar that paces as she talks, the CIC had hard light emitters and she enjoyed their use whenever she could.
"What you heard before is true, we are in a different universe. Until we have a full scan I can't tell you how it differs with any certainty but I CAN tell you that the galaxy we're looking at-" a holographic view of the "Milky Way" appeared- "very closely resembles our own, although not enough that our navigational charts are much use. Large galactic structures persists, star clusters, constellations, and nebulae. Those sort of stellar itea different place, others are just…gone."
There was a few moments of silence as all of them thought about the information presented to them. Admiral Hood was the first to speak up
"So Cortana, do we have good navigational data to get to Earth or any of the other home worlds?"
If they could find those worlds, they could find an anchor in this universe and begin the process of figuring out how to get back to theirs.
"Unfortunately, no…the stars in the Orion arm seem to be particularly scattered. We might show up at Earth or the coordinates could take us – wait a moment – I have something new." Everyone leaned forward.
"More bad news….it seems that with what we know from the position of the major structures we arrived…in the past Sir. By almost 900 years if this is correct..."
It seemed the news today would go from bad to worse for the members Ark Seed Fleet.
"Even if we find one of our home worlds, they won't have even attained interplanetary colonies yet."
Cortana added, 'if this universe even has any of our species….' in her mind.
The Arbiter decided to make a suggestion. "Until we know more, I think the best course of action is to gather the fleet, inform the crews, and begin efforts to find our way back. We have the best and brightest on some of the most advanced ships OUR universe had ever seen."
Murmurs of agreement traveled around the table, that would be the best course of action, it was also decided that the situation would be treated as a military action – specifically civilian extraction in the face of adversity.
"Until we have more information we will be under martial law, Chief, have your SPARTANS available and ready, Arbiter and I will coordinate efforts between the AIs and science teams. Have Rear Admiral Lasky coordinate for a group of scout ships to begin scouting the edge of this galaxy, we're close to the Orion arm so that's where we'll begin. However, for now our mission is getting home, let's make it happen people!"
As Admiral Hood finished his brief and the highest members of the SSC fleet, possibly the only SSC in this universe, left to take care of their various tasks. Admiral Hood received a hail from the bridge through his Neural Lance.
"Sir, the fleet has regrouped and await your fleet wide address."
"Very well Cornelia, I'll be at the bridge momentarily.
As Admiral Hood and the Arbiter entered the bridge, the confusion was gone from the crew. Replaced with a sense of purpose – find what happened and reverse it to get home. The Arbiter continued to be proud of those he served with, they kept their heads even in a different universe.
"Comms officer, put us on a fleet-wide broadcast, the Admiral and I would address everyone."
Nickolas Austra turned back to his console, fingers flying over the hard light console. "Done Sir, you can address the fleet."
The Admiral and the Arbiter briefly glanced at each other and stood up straight.
Admiral Hood began "As many of you have seen, we were the subject to an attack by the Loyalist Covenant, remnants of them seem to have survived long enough to launch what they no doubt thought would be a strike at the SSC's pride and technical prowess. As you can see from the wreckage outside, their success was not the case. They were destroyed and we are still here." Small murmurs of agreement rippled across the bridge.
"However, while the attack was not a success, we seemed to have passed through a violently unstable slip space event. For now…we are no longer in our own universe. We have been transported to the approximate location of the Greater Ark in a separate universe."
The Arbiter continued, "Though we have found ourselves displaced, we needn't worry, we are the most advanced fleet to exist since the Forerunners erased the flood from our galaxy. Even now we are coordinating the brightest minds the SSC has to find our way home. Until that time however, we will find all we can about this place, soon we shall dispatch 20 scouting fleets – Galaxy-Class Ships will lead them with frigate support, to find our way in this galaxy. We have no word on how long we may be here but know this – We will not lose our discipline, drive, or morals."
Admiral Hood agreed, "The Arbiter is right, as of now, this will be a military situation. Our mission will be civilian rescue from an assumed hostile place. We have all seen some of the worse our galaxy had so for now we must prepare for and expect no rescue. We will find our own way."
Both the Arbiter and the Admiral finished together with "For the Mantle."
The call was echoed across the fleet. They had their purpose and they would die before they see themselves fail.