-----------Star Command Headquarters-------

Team Lightyear, Commander Nebula, and their colorful companion starting from Zurg and ending to Warp sat in green, padded seats in an LGM study laboratory. It was a white large room with computers along the walls, and tables on the middle floor filled with all kinds of gadgets and analyzing tools. There was also a big plasma screen attached in the back wall. The group was gathered to sit (excluding the tiniest Darkmatter, who was in nursery) in front of it, staring at the monitor as if they had been adolescents watching an intriguing adventure movie in cinema. A few of those green foam-extinguisher-sized aliens were explaining the topic of the screen in a choir, while some others buzzed around the electronic devices like enthusiastic bees after honey.

"We are absolutely sure about it!" a line of LGM's answered to the question Zeb Nebula had posed a few seconds ago.

"Hrmh..." the austere old man fiddled his moustache. "Craters, why would anyone want to build something like that? Sweet mother of Venus, for what purposes?"

"Ooo, well..." the engineers looked at each other's triplet eyes a bit shiftless at first, but then again gave a keen unison yelp, "For fast traveling of course! Remember when the hyperdrive was invented? It allowed us lightspeed traveling inside the Galaxy. And now this could open us a way to completely other dimensions!"

"So you are absolutely sure that it's not a weapon?" Buzz squinted his eyes and pouted a bit. He was seemingly meditating something.

"Oo, no, not a weapon!" the chorus confirmed, "Most possibly, with the largest odds it's a dimension opener. Just like the hyperdrive generator activates the jump gate to hyperspace!"

"Oh, great, my all-time favorite hyper-topic! Traveling and sightseeing in hyperspace!" XR yawned, "Hmm... I could write a book already about it. Which might be an interesting idea since I might earn some good uni-bucks with it!" Somehow the robot was drawn away to his own fantasies, "I can see already the headlines! A Space Ranger Author Breaks All Records with His Number One Selling Book! I could give autographs to pretty tootsies and..."

"Kr-hm..." Mira knocked the dome helmet of the mecha with her knuckles, "Aren't we getting a bit sidetracked here?"

"What? Are you trying to muffle the poetic Muse inside me and hinder my brilliant beginning authorship?" the robot ranger began to shed fake tears, taking a giant tissue out of his inners. He was about to sneeze his nose with it, but then ultimately remembered that he did not possess a nose, and put the item bothered back inside him.

Mira rolled her eyes for answer and suggested that the LGM's would continue analyzing the more heated issue than XR's imaginary bestseller.

"Umm... so what do you exactly say this thing is?" Buzz scratched his hair. "Umh, could you explain it a bit more on... the easier line?"

"Sure!" one green wight replied, "It's like a door to other worlds. Yet... we don't know exactly where. But we have scanned the inner structures and classified their functions..."

"Although this is still an assumption..." another LGM with a notebook popped to explain.

"But here in the screen you can see an illustration we have made of it!"

Everyone gawped again at the flat monitor. There was depicted a 3D-structure of this gigantic whatever-lump with green lines. There was also visible that it could be divided into six separate, connected parts.

"We understand it needs an energy impulse for activation. Then, once it is switched on like a colossal light bulb, according to our theories it can maintain dynamically its own energy resources until it's switched off!" a scientific choir concluded.

"Hmh. Isn't that against the second law of thermodynamics? The entropy grows, it's impossible to create a perpetual motion machine", Zarah pointed out.

"Umm..." the LGM's cast some double-minded regards at each other. "It... it can maintain its own energy according to our calculations. This is due to its organic molecule structure... we... we believe it can somehow take advantage of such faint space-energy sources like cosmic radiation..."

"Or simply light."

"But it needs a starters pulse to live, in every case."

Buzz' black hackles rose up, "Live? Live! Did you say live? What do you mean, you mean this is some kind of monster that will be awakened from its beauty sleep...?"

"No-oooh!" a chorus soothed down Lightyear's fears, "Not a real living or thinking umm... thing, because this is a machine after all. It's like hmm... how would we explain it?"

"Like a cell. Runs and works on its own", the redhead nodded.

"I have been the mighty, glorious Emperor of a reign, where man and machine were united", a too-familiar hollow voice began explaining. "As much as it was possible in my nowadays ruined, fallen Empire, it shall be possible more in the future. And here we see a feasible product of such technology, indeed. And thus we understand how pathetically lack-wits and retards everyone in our Galaxy is, since we cannot still control such forces as what this thing may hold inside it... Except I am not of course one of those pathetic blockheads. I possess the supreme ingenuity and intelligence, which is a cosmic truth. Ahh, Nana Zurg would be so proud to see me now, muhahah!"

Apparently the discussion was directed again to sidetracks, since on the background could be heard XR's very quiet, but audible comments on Mariañ Lightyear's expressions. Her dreamy eyes were directed straight to Zurg, roaming in some world of illusions. And then the Emperor himself began bellowing in anger, because he abruptly had started to think about the shape of the deep-space finding. He swore the galactic aliens to the murkiest dungeons because they had not made their fantastic widget to the form of a copious Z-letter. Hence in his opinion the first so-sagacious strangers were now just pathetic earthworms who could not even understand the glory and beauty of this marvelous particular outlining. And more stupidity went on. Warp had started to twit Zarah on something, and now the blue hunk was chasing the little woman around the laboratory room. The LGM's looked shiftless around, not knowing how to cool down the absurd situation. If it wasn't for Commander Nebula, the whole tumble would have possibly continued until the next morning.

"Order in room! This is not the monkey house of a zoo!" the old man bawled his mouth as wide as a baguette. "Craters, what's wrong with you people?"

And so the silence fell upon the hall. A bit embarrassed everyone returned to their seats, to hearken to the important lecture they were given about the space mysteries.

Warp still did not throw his amused mood quite quickly away, but began kidding on Buzz' fears. "See, it's not an ancient evil monster, which wakes up from its gigantic coffin and lands of Capital Planet and stomps the skyscrapers broken with its huge hairy feet. Hmm... although... there might be a chance that there is hiding some King-Kong, or Godzilla, or a hungry carnivorous plant inside it... boo-hoo... fre-eaky... "

"Hmph!" the Captain snorted back.

"Darkmatter. Do not scare Buzzy Boy, he may see freaky nightmares", Zurg scolded him, a truly grave expression on his experienced face.        

"Freaka me, freaka you..." Warp sneered back, until another yell of Nebula was required to turn the kindergarten back to Star Command.

Booster's shy question allowed the serious matters to begin again. He had been silent in his corner during all the scientific talk, but now wanted to know if the LGM's had found any clue from where the finding would have origined.

"About 12 million light years it has been traveling in hyperspace", the tiny engineers squeaked together. "Definitely it hasn't started its journey from our group of galaxies. We assume it's from an outer galaxy called NGC2403; that would approximately fill in the details of the distance."

"Hot rockets... where is this en-gee-cee... or what was it?" the big Jo-Adian was not to stay in his chair for enthusiasm. He was proud in a way to notice that his question had begun an important discussion.

One LGM pressed a button on the controlling keyboard, and a map of deep space was soon illustrated in the scientific movie screen.

"In this part of the Milky Way it can be seen weakly in the constellation of Cameropardalis. But NGC2403 is actually situated in a group of galaxies called Sculptor."

"And if the finding is theoretically activated, it assumingly opens up a sort of portal there? Is that the whole point of this issue?" Buzz' puny brain cells had buzzed and woven up a neat observation.

"Umm well yes. If the activation the day after tomorrow is successful."

This reply made the determined Captain rise roughly up from his place, so that the chair plumped down. "What? You're going to activate it? Now? No! You can't do it just like that! We... we know nothing about those who sent it! You haven't even told us why anyone would send a thing like this in space!" he yelped hastily.

"Hey hey, pal, relax!" Warp commented raising his brows, "What's the storm about? We don't want a hurricane inside this room, it's messy enough already. And what's this idiotic chirrup about some activation?"

But so did Commander Nebula give a scream too. He sat in his chair, jaw verging on the threshold level. "I was not aware of this! Who has ordered you to activate it? Pulsars and their anthills, I was just told what the cratery wreck is and now I am told that something has been done behind my back! What is this?" he barked to the poor LGM's, all of whom would have wanted to find a mousehole to hide.

"Well... we DID find out already earlier what the device is... but we were just now allowed to tell it to a certain VIP-audience..." the aliens whined.

"ALLOWED? VIP-audience? Craters, am I not your Commander? I order here! Who has given you ORDERS so that I haven't heard?" Zeb roared so that everyone's myrinxes were to burst.

All the wee green beings whizzed behind a large table in fear so that only the antennas of their heads were visible for the others. They piped in unison, "Oo-o... It w-was an or-order from the Alliance Parliament. T-they called us and..."

"Craters! I'm the Commander of Star Command!"

"Oo, Sir, but..."

"Who is the cratery person behind this plotting against me?"

"S-Senator Ämpäri, t-the leading minister of t-this p-project..."

"This is supposed to be MY project, not the property of some corrupted red-tapist! Give me his comlink number now, I'll vidphone that... grmbfff..." the hoary man attempted to muffle the nasty bynames coming out of his throat.

One of the fear-quivering LGM's passed Zeb a little notebook. The elder man panted and sweated furthermore in his rave, but was in sense enough to leave the laboratory and go to perform his quick com-session in another room. Before he rumbled away like a thunderstorm, he noted, "I won't accept this! I'll speak for you too, Buzz."

"Blast, yes! Tell that I won't agree on the activation at all!" the Captain shouted from behind Zeb's back.

Fifteen minutes crept with the steps of tortoise, until the door clacked and the disappointed-looking Nebula walked lame in. His inner gale had abated, but his face was shadowed by stringency. Mere timidity oppressed the room, and it was broken just until Zeb hacked a bit. He took an acute gaze at the Captain and others. "I... I discussed with this Senator Ämpäri. Craters, what a mess... I've been ignored like some rookie. I'm afraid... they can't take either mine or your opinion into consideration. Universe Protection and the Galactic Alliance have gotten the agreement of Madame President to start to prepare the activation. They don't think the finding is hostile."

"But... but... why wasn't I listened to? My ranger instinct..."

"I'm sorry, Buzz, but you're not a politician, or a statesman of the Alliance. You're just a normal space ranger, although a very laudable one, with the Space Ranger Manual work and all. But you're not a person to decide the Alliance's crucial things like this. As you see, even my opinion was not much asked", Zeb sighed and trotted to Buzz from his place. Putting a hand on his shoulder, he asserted, "This is what I was told... there has been a so-called closed session in the Alliance Parliament. A voting has been done on what to do with B.L.U.F.F. X-1014. The issue is, that once the LGM's found out -And now I just heard this happened already a week ago- that it's a dimension opener, a gateway to new 'undiscovered worlds', nearly everyone in the parliament gave his or her votes agreeing that the activation should be done, and immediately. Politicians, they are harum-scarum..."

"But what the craters and blasters and bazookas and all kinds of stupid space junks do they think they profit from this?" Lightyear spread distressed his arms, in vain endeavoring to get some bite of sense into the question.

"The pathetic mortals of the pathetic Galactic Alliance..." the deep snort of Zurg came from the other side of the room "Buzzy boy, you are once right in this issue. Although the finding might be glorious and hmm... yet not shaped like a Z, grrhumph, in every case, it shall be very careless to play with matches, children." And just now the comprehension-clutch was put in the 'on-position' in his head. Opinions. Of course he had an opinion about the activation too. "Graaghrh! And why was not my, my, MY appraisal asked EITHER? Groaak, I am Emperor! I am always right! I shall..." Zora's eyes blazed as he even thought about the whole ignorance of his glory and majesty.

As well indecisive Zeb hobbled to him, as if making some kind of tournée across the room. "You're not emperor any more, keep that in mind. And you're officially dead, remember that too. Although you're getting pension from the Alliance and can help us here in Star Command, you're even less important person for them than your son." Sarcasm could heavily be heard spicing up his tone, "...And hmm... I definitely wonder if they would suddenly consult someone, who over 25 years fouled up with evil plotting against them, has tried to turn half of the galaxy into slobbering dog slaves, boom up the Capital Planet about five hundred times, and furthermore has blundered with all kinds of other stupidities against the intergalactic peace... "

"What? I was the expert of evilness and schemes! And I indeed would have had this milksop Alliance in my claws unless it was not my ninny boy, who cannot even find himself a girlfriend, stopping me and vitiating my extraordinarily pastries of maliciousness! Their piquant naughty nutmeg odeur did not fill my nostrils any more! Graagh, and now when I have turned away from the path of the dark side, I am treated like some floppy old flour sack, although I would have even biceps to share! Hrrmph!" After this bluster the tick in Zoxedaszeĉ's head directed him back to the theme Buzz had started, namely what were truly the profits of commancing such a task.

"The Alliance truly thinks this is an opportunity that cannot be wasted, an opportunity that rarely happens in the universal timelines... they see the gate, its opening, as an Arc de Triomphe to the future, to unknown secrets, to technical advancing, anything you can imagine. They think that those who built the object, sent it to hyperspace as a kind of shout, 'hey, here we are, we want to share our knowledge, technical skills and culture with you!' . Well... those were almost the exact words of Mr. Ämpäri. What a fool..." Zeb sighed.

"Craters!" Buzz cursed. He had not much paid attention to how his father had nicely called him 'ninny', but was only absorbed to the conversation of minute.

"Quasars!" Zurg bellowed right at the same instant.

"But my instincts say that the presence of the dark side..." they both interjected in clear stereo, watching then a bit baffled at each other.

"As was said, it happens the day after tomorrow", Zeb added, nevertheless not caring about the mumbo-jumbo of dark sides.

"What kind of preparations are there for this?" Now even Darkmatter had quit his kidding and ironizings. "You're just gonna go knock-knock some uncle alien's front door like scout boys selling cookies? Hey, Mister, will ya donate our new clubhouse?" he imitated the last sentence in high-pitched childspeak.

"And what about the energy impulse? How will that be performed?" Zarah put her nose in the middle.

"Mr. Short-Wit Ämpäri was short in his sayings. He only snapped at me that nearly all the star cruisers need to be ready for immense security action. Patrolling around the activation area... meaning that." Next, Zeb cast his cantankerous eyes at one LGM, who still hid behind the table even after such a long time. "And these, who seemingly have turned to serve other hosts, masters, and lords, can tell about the cratery activision."

"Umm... ee.... erm..." a pack of LGM's stirred around the floor. They were seemingly embarrassed because of the distrust they had caused in Nebula. This was a lot, lot trickier case than for example the cheat of building XR.

"Now will you tell Mrs. Darkmatter what she asked or WHAT? Or will you just jut there like mushrooms the whole day?"

"Ooo... yes... well, we have built an energy blaster for that purpose. It will be directed towards the object and give it the boost it needs."

So the discussion continued forwards, in a tensed atmosphere. Nothing could be done any more to hinder the happenings that would follow.