Imperial Guard – 006 Lost Planet of the Ancients
Chapter 2 Discovering the Past
Author's note: Ras'kians are created by GrimGraffiti
Ever since they left space dock, the only crewmembers who had experienced the displeasure of wearing an EV suit were Majih and Jacky, and only in one instance. With the ship having taken damage to the outer hull during a small skirmish with a band of Gulcrecian pirates, a hull plate had to be refitted before they could continue the journey home.
Due to receiving help from an Indarian cruiser, they were able to drive off the attackers before they could take any more serious damage. Although the pirate vessel's mass drivers appeared primitive compared to the now common directed energy weapons, Trezka had made the mistake of underestimating the punch they packed despite that fact. Despite the enhancements made to the old-style weapons, they were no match for the combined strength of one of the Guard's fastest ships and the Indarian starship.
Nevertheless, the extravehicular activity was completed without incident and the two engineers declared they would not hesitate to go out again if needed. That which prevented the whole process of putting on an EV suit from being such a hassle were the Myr'shala's automated dressing rooms. Having made his way straight to the shuttle bay after a second docking of the two ships, Raeth had ordered Jetreycka, Baika, Majih, Itan and Nami to meet up there with him.
If Jetreycka and Baika hadn't already insisted, he required their scientific expertise, Majih and Itan for their technological knowledge and skills, the latter doubling as the shuttle's pilot, and Nami as the mandatory security officer for every away mission. Having taken the liberty to get dressed for the occasion before he arrived, the Fjetanha girl stood at attention near the entrance to the dressing rooms, with Itan having prepared shuttle number two for departure, its tailgate in the down position.
The standard issue Imperial Guard EV suit used a color scheme opposite to the duty uniform, a matte black finish with red accents. Its construction and use of materials kept it as thin and mobile as possible, without sacrificing durability and even doubling as armor for the head and torso sections while providing a strong padded layer for the limbs, resistant to impacts and tearing.
The integrated backpack contained a mobile life-support system with enough capacity to survive close to a full day out in the vacuum under normal parameters. The helmet was triangular in shape and like the rest of the suit fully customized to fit the wearer down to the smallest of details. The dressing rooms stored two sets of torso and helmet for each crewmember while the rest of the parts could be synthesized on the fly, with one complete set always at the ready in case of emergency.
"We're ready when you are, Ginjha."
With her helmet's visor retracted, Nami's vivid orange eyes sparkled in the overhead lights, radiating the confidence he came to expect from her, her long prehensile tail swishing like a whip. Even though nothing indicated that whatever down there on the planet was purposefully hostile, Yuhka had assured him she would bring a sufficient security force down with her to ensure the safety of both teams.
"Good. We'll be ready in a tick."
Exposing his neck for the immuno-booster shot, Salu gave him the injection, while Moa gave Baika hers. Rubbing his skin to rid the spot of the prickle, he looked into Salu's cobalt blue eyes.
"It's more of a precaution should something go wrong with your suit. I would suggest anyone who experiences direct exposure to the planet's atmosphere return to the ship immediately to be examined. I know there'll be medics down there on the surface with you, but my advice would be to abort the mission if such a situation occurs."
"Hyami, Salu. We'll be careful."
Stepping into the right dressing room at the same time Baika entered the left, a display embedded into the bulkhead in front of him lit up to display the instructions, while a pair of scanning beams identified him as himself while the sliding doors closed behind his back. The room was large enough to fit any member of his species with ease. Four sets of manipulator arms suspended from the ceiling were at the ready to begin the procedure.
Stretching his arms and legs into the right positions, as indicated by the animation on the display, he looked straight ahead, and took a slight breath.
"Computer, begin EV suit assembly."
"Confirmed."
While he imitated a statue, the manipulator arms moved with swift precision as the storage compartments embedded into the right bulkhead opened to provide the suit's solid parts. Within ticks, the weight of the backpack pulled on his shoulders, while the multi-jointed mechanical arms moved around his body to synthesize the protective parts directly over his skin for a perfect fit. The anti-gravity plating under his feet suspended him about a hand's width in midair, while maintaining the illusion that a solid surface supported his entire weight, to allow for the arms to wrap his feet in a pair of sturdy three-toed boots.
Following the movements only with his eyes, listening to the mechanical clicking, whirring and buzzing as the arms did their thing, he could feel the movements in the air on his face. Although the procedure was nothing new to him, the system never failed to impress him time and time again with its faultless operation and the speed at which it prepared any member of a starship crew for a trip out into the void.
"Procedure complete. Please take your helmet, Ginjha."
As the anti-gravity field lowered him back on his feet with a gentle touchdown, the strange sensation of not being able to feel the cool metal of the deck was the most unnerving aspect of wearing the suit. Taking the helmet as it was held out to him by one of the manipulators, he flicked his ears in a position to insert them and placed it over his head to connect the seal with that of the torso.
As soon as the connection was made, the display integrated into the visor blinked to life, projecting suit integrity, system status and oxygen levels into his field of vision as the internal computer ran a quick diagnostic. Shrugging off that innate feeling of discomfort that came with his species' inherent aversion for enclosed spaces, he heard himself take two deep breaths, taking in that characteristic new-and-unused product smell.
Waiting until all systems showed green across the board before opening his visor with a single command through the helmet's neural link interface, he turned around to face the shuttle bay through doors that had already opened.
That Jirro was there to block his excess to the shuttle, arms crossed and glaring down his muzzle like he always did, caught him by surprise. Flaring his nostrils, he stepped aside to let him pass, but without breaking eye contact.
"Feeling uncomfortable with being in command?"
Avoiding the question, the large Mantrin's lips parted, revealing rows of glittering white as he flicked his ears.
"Be careful down there, Raeth."
Answering with a confident smile, he caught a glimpse of what could not be mistaken for concern in the Ryrjhii-Goureg's emerald eyes.
"I appreciate your concern, Jirro. You keep a close watch up here as well. So far we haven't seen a single sign of hostile intent, but we are also not able to obtain permission for what we're about to do."
With their steps now sounding even heavier and with a metallic undertone because of the three-toed boots, it was hard to miss the sound of the approach of the remaining members of the team. What remained visible of Jetreycka's face showed some discomfort as she conveyed her readiness with a quick nod. Majih on the other hand flexed his muscles like he was about to go into battle, something the suit was more than capable of.
"Those orbital structures look like they're much more capable of just maintaining a planet-wide cloaking field, although I must admit that is already an impressive feat by itself," their head of science declared. "As we've linked up with the fleet, we're now also sharing in the data they've gathered. Can't wait to dive into it on our way back."
Climbing the short ramp with the same heavy steps as the rest of the crew, Raeth met up with their pilot on the right side behind the controls. With the shuttle's seats adjustable in such a way that they could fit the suit's backpack, strap them in, and offer a reasonable level of comfort for the time it took to reach the surface, they all still had to try their best to make do with the amount of available space.
"Preflight checks complete. All systems green," Itan reported as he hit the controls with a series of quick and precise taps, before grabbing hold of the yoke between his massive legs, which were stuffed away for the most part in the space below the console. "Bridge, this is shuttle number two. We're ready for departure."
"Copy that, shuttle number two," Le'tan's voice answered. "Opening shuttle bay doors."
Waiting for the doors to fully open, Itan gave the console another series of taps before powering up the ship's thrusters with a gentle whine.
"Off we go."
Although somewhat muffled by the breather part of his helmet, there was a certain eagerness in the Goureg's voice when he said that. His characteristic blue green eyes had a playful twinkle in them. He had considerable experience with small craft maintenance, though Raeth was about to witness his first time flying one. His record showed he wasn't lacking in that department.
With a fluid motion of the control stick, the shuttle responded in a similar way, slipping through the atmospheric containment field and into the cold vacuum. The lack of true darkness wasn't surprising, considering their distance to the nearby star. The landing spot the scientists had picked would put them down on a part of the planet's surface bathing in daylight to set up a small camp near one of the alien structures.
The orbitals Jetreycka mentioned, each of them the size of a small moon, though varying in shape, loomed over the planet like doomsday apparatuses, though their apparent function suggested the opposite.
Passing by one as Itan brought the shuttle into a descend vector, its hull displayed the same dormant circuitry-like patterns across its surface. Its shape was like that of a giant metallic chunk of crystal, with large cubic protrusions spiking in all directions. Attached to one of these was an octagonal ring, though its function was a guess at this point.
"The science team is certain that most of those structures were responsible for the cloaking field," Jetreycka explained. "They're not sure about the others. That ring could be anything from a weapon, a jump gate, or something we can't even begin to comprehend."
"Let's hope we don't have to find out the hard way," Baika responded. "It looks a bit eerie and all."
"Nothing about the Ancients suggests they were hostile to other forms of life," Majih tried to reassure her. "One reason for their technology to have reached such heights is because they tried to learn from other cultures in their early version of the galaxy without resorting to violent methods. Of course, that is still speculative and based on the fact that not a single piece of recovered technology appeared to be a weapon or a part of a weapon of any known kind."
As the shuttle penetrated the outer layers of the atmosphere with flames licking her hull, Itan reduced speed further as the surface of a world teeming with life appeared before their eyes. Running a series of scans while they continued their approach, Raeth discovered that they would at least be able to trust their own eyes.
"All appears to be real," he relayed to the rest of the team. "It's not an illusion of some kind. At least none that the scanners can detect. There really is a beautiful natural world down there. Those structures have no impact on the planet's ecosystems. They might even be responsible for maintaining them. Still no signs of intelligent life."
Despite the lack of signs from the makers, the planet was sparsely littered by abandoned buildings and machinery. Being visible from outer space, the alien structures were truly enormous. The landing coordinates relayed to them by the Kealii would put them right next to one, its protrusions piercing high up into the sky. Resembling giant metallic crystals, they curved into crowning shapes as if grown, instead of built, under the influence of some magnetic field.
The plains where one of the structures arcing outcroppings, each of them several hundred steps in diameter, reached the ground like a pylon, appeared well-picked, with the science teams of several parties already present on the surface.
"They've been quick to set up camp," Majih remarked.
One of the Kealii's massive orbital dropships was in the process of lowering a lab and habitation module on the surface, with the other teams setting up their own equivalents. Meanwhile scientists scurried around the area, using handheld equipment to run scans. In the distance, a large herd of six-legged animals the size of horses grazed on the plain's tall grass-like vegetation.
"I'm gonna put her down over there by the other shuttles," Itan decided, aiming for an empty spot near two other craft from the Kealii.
Yuhka had already spotted their approach, waving and stepping back toward the other shuttles, before disappearing from view as Itan leveled off during the last part of their landing. As Raeth braced for the slight bump of the touchdown that didn't come, Itan shot him an amused look after shutting down the engines.
"Don't get cocky," he joked, watching those blue green Goureg eyes twinkle in the light of day entering through the shuttle's windshield. "Suits secure?"
Waiting until he had everyone's confirmation, he dropped the tailgate with the tap of a button, the hiss of pressure equalization and rush of air dampened by the suit. With the crewmembers in the back making their way out first, Raeth was the last to disembark, using his helmet's neural link to retract the ramp.
As he gazed around like the rest of his crew, the beginnings of a joint base of operations already looked like they had been down here for several days, aside from the shuttles still coming and going. Every party involved in the expedition brought their own ships and equipment, but the spirit of collaboration was very much alive.
Watching Yuhka's crew mingle and converse with members of the Earth Alliance, Raeth was astonished to see that the humans had even brought a trio of Ras'kians with them as part of their team. The reptilian humanoids with their lanky postures and digitigrade legs were very shy to stray from their homeworld. Their natural heightened fear of the unknown would have made them less suitable as members of a frontier science expedition, yet here they were, suited up and curious to explore like everyone else.
Their natural powers of being able to adapt to extreme environments over varying periods of time would not be of much help for them to not need environmental suits, though with gradual exposure to the planet's natural environment, over time their ability could render them the only ones capable of making a new home on this world, if that were the goal.
"Wonderful, isn't it?" Yuhka asked, gesturing at the bustle of activity surrounding them. Joined once more by her First Officer, the joyous look in her eyes made it clear that she was in her element. "Those modules make setting up camp a cinch. I have this feeling that we're here to stay for a while."
"As long as there are no signs that we're overstaying our welcome, I assume."
Yuhka nodded.
"Correct, and there have been none thus far." Nodding toward the colossal artificial construct overshadowing everything, and obstructing a large part of the clear purple blue sky, she swished her tail. "Want to join me and the other teams for a closer look after we've brought the lab online?"
The lab in question was an airtight facility of considerable size, complete with airlocks, its own life support system, solar arrays, backup power and housing a variety of stationary equipment. The habitation module contained a food supply and synthesizer, beds and sanitation facilities as well as additional power supply and life support and the two were connected via a small access tunnel connecting two airlocks.
The lab rendered the researchers able to conduct experiments without being hindered by a protective suit, while the habitation module allowed for some catching up on rest and refreshments without having to be transported back to the ship in orbit.
"Phew, not sure if I'll ever really get used to this," Jetreycka said, blowing out her breath after taking off her helmet.
Taking off her own, Baika shook her head, big Orkeht ears flopping as she breathed her own sigh of relief.
"Yeah, wish we could do without the suits." Following her smaller companion into the research area after both placed their helmets in the designated storage rack, she was surprised to find out that the interior volume was larger than the impression created by its outside appearance. Several members of the Kealii's science team were bringing the different stations online and were running checks. "Wow," Baika expressed her admiration.
"I second that," Jetreycka agreed. "Not sure if we can spare the time to stick around for very long, but this is some fine lab equipment."
"It is, isn't it?" The soft tenor voice belonged to a male Orkeht Mantrin who already walked around in standard Imperial Guard red. "Uiisa, where are my manners? I'm Ohka, House of Siyu. You're from the Myr'shala, right?"
Ohka's build wasn't typical for his race, him being closer to average Sogowan height and muscularity. Flicking an ear, he smiled as he let his fingers run over the controls of a molecular analyzer.
"We are. Jetreycka, House of Shiva."
"Baika, daughter of Hyht and Lyssl."
"Ah, a woman of Solbrecht. I go for family visits every summer season. Which tribe, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Ingaea province. Oghuni Teh Neywa."
It was impossible not to notice that sparkle of pride in Baika's voice. Lineage wasn't that important in their society, not even on Sogowa Prime, though there were some notable Houses famous for the deeds of their members, making their mark on history through their prowess and contributions to society.
The tribes of Solbrecht however made a name for themselves due to unique subcultures and lifestyles and the Oghuni Teh Neywa and their futuristic domed communities, while sticking to a very traditional way of living, had put themselves on the map in quite a literal sense.
"I'm honored." Copying Ohka's subtle bow, Baika balanced on her legs, swishing her tail in excitement. "I haven't made much of a name for myself yet, though I hope to do so by being a part of this expedition."
Jetreycka couldn't help but find herself humored by his polite manner of speech and precise choice of words. To the point of her wondering if the House of Siyu was one of those well-known imperial Houses. Then again, it was impossible to remember the names and accomplishments of every single one and with her and Ardiin living in a small town, such matters were not often brought up in any conversation. Still, even when Ohka switched his attention to her with a sparkle of his Orkeht gray eyes, she choose not to inquire.
"And what brings you here, m'lady?"
Suppressing a laugh to a light chuckle, she smiled.
"Same as you really. If anyone's going to remember me, then let it be due to a scientific discovery of some significance."
"Very humble, considering where we are, and what we've already discovered so far. Though I understand being here is not part of your original mission."
"Too good to pass up, and I'm glad our Ginjha agrees with that."
One edge of Ohka's beak curved into a subtle grin, before he walked over a larger workstation with a slight shuffle in his steps, which consisted of large screens of both the regular and holographic kind.
"He sounds like a wise man, your Ginjha. Forgive me, I have to hurry. I will be watching you and the rest of the reconnaissance team very closely from right about here."
"You're not joining the team that's going to try and seek contact with the Ancients near the structure?"
"Oh no, my team is going to use the equipment in here to analyze all the telemetry from your scanners in real-time. Besides, I'd like to stay out of danger."
"Everyone, gather around. Check your gear, keep an eye on your vital signs." For this next part of the away mission, Raeth had decided they should all follow Yuhka's orders to the letter, being the more experienced Ginjha for these types of missions. With their combined teams forming a single group, the other parties formed their own as their leaders coordinated their efforts into moving toward the alien structure. "Move out!"
Having spent her entire life walking barefoot, Baika couldn't quite get used to crossing the grass-covered plain without feeling the blades tickle between her toes, or the soft soil giving way underneath the soles of her feet with each firm step. It was like having to learn how to walk all over again. It wasn't like she hadn't worn an EV suit before, but it had been a while and all those times the environments had been inhospitable, barren wastelands. Not the untouched paradise of nature surrounding her right now. It was like her mind couldn't grasp the sight of a planet quite like home, while being disconnected from nature.
Right in front of them, the enormous pylon arched at least a leap up into the sky before curving down into the center of the construct. There were no signs of activity, except for a very faint purple glow emitted by the circuitry below its metallic surface. The illuminated patterns were scaled up numerous times compared to the ones covering the artifact aboard the Kealii, but equal in intricacy, suggesting that the artifact was a part of a much smaller piece of machinery from the same creators.
Keeping a close eye on her scanner, its readings told her that the structure maintained some sort of energy field, powered by an unknown power source. Its output appeared to be modest, compared to the construct's size, though its limits were as unknown as the purpose of the entire structure itself.
"Everyone still okay?" Raeth's voice sounded over the comm.
"Yeah, though does anyone else feel a kind of pressure on their ears?" Nami asked.
Several voices acknowledged and indeed, Baika hadn't failed to notice the same feeling as in the presence of the activated artifact though far less intense. A kind of low-frequency buzzing that weighed on her ears, despite them being protected inside the dedicated protrusions of her helmet.
"Doesn't seem to increase in intensity as we move closer. Nothing suggests the energy fields surrounding the artifacts have any negative effects on a person's health, but keep monitoring."
"Acknowledged."
With the pylon now less than a hundred steps away, she still hadn't seen any openings of some kind. Then again, maybe it was never meant to be entered. Nothing about it gave the faintest clue about what it was for. For some reason though, she felt drawn to it. A strong and sudden unexplained desire to take off a glove and lay a hand on its surface. Just as she wondered what that strange metal would feel like, Yuhka's voice shook her out of her trance.
"Short distance scans only. You are not to touch the construct. I repeat, do not touch the construct."
Yet she was unable to shake the feeling. Taking a quick look around, she noticed that while most scientists were performing scans and setting up short-range monitoring equipment, a small portion remained tranced. They were not moving forward nor back, captivated by the pulsating purple glow of the circuitry in the construct's surface.
Keeping an eye on her scanner while it recorded every bit of information from its internal sensors, she began paying attention to the buzzing and pressure on her ears, discovering a correlation between it and the light emitted by the circuits the moment Jetreycka mentioned it.
"Do you sense it?"
"Yeah… I do." The hesitation in her voice came from another urge to get closer and make contact. Like the more she focused on her senses, the stronger the urge became. Breaking eye contact, she shook her head and looked at her superior. "What is this? Why do I want to know so badly what it feels like?"
"I dunno. It's like it wants us to make contact."
"Everyone stay back! What are those Ras'kians doing? Keep 'em away from the construct."
But it wasn't just the Ras'kians who seemed strongly affected by the pull of the alien structure. Members of several other species were moving towards it. One slow step at a time, some already reaching out with one or both hands.
"Majih!" Grabbing her crewmate's arm right at the moment he was about to follow, she pulled him back, thereby shaking off the hypnotic effects. "What're you doing?"
Disoriented and breathing hard all of a sudden, he turned to face her as he tried to find his bearings, resting his hands on his thighs.
"What was that?" he asked, confused. "It was like I couldn't think of anything else but to move closer and put my hand on it."
Meanwhile the comm channel flooded with chatter as everyone began to realize what was happening. With crewmembers being pulled back by their peers to prevent them from doing what Majih was about to.
"We're too close!" Yuhka yelled. "Everyone get back! Back!"
When someone over the comm mentioned the Ras'kians again, Baika spotted the tallest of them standing but a step away from their object of study. Disregarding the unfavorable atmospheric composition, the alien had already removed the right-hand glove of their EV suit and reached out to the shimmering gray metal.
"No, don't!" a loud male voice yelled over the comm.
The moment the palm of the Ras'kian's hand touched the structure, the pressure on her ears intensified to the point of her feeling like being submerged. The low-frequency buzzing sound turned into the same powerful drone the artifact aboard the Kealii produced upon activation. A strong rush of wind or some invisible force just like it knocked her down on one knee, with several people around her being knocked off their feet entirely.
The Ras'kian responsible seemed unaffected by what felt like a local storm, which tripped several others as they tried to flee the direct vicinity of the structure. Gripping the scanner as its readings went off the scale, it told her that the energy readings coming from the structure had increased a hundredfold and were still climbing. The pulsating glow of its circuitry grew brighter and brighter as it appeared to flow upwards toward the construct's center, like the energy was being concentrated and building toward a climax.
As she prepared to join the others in full retreat while being too curious to turn her back on the structure entirely, she saw the Ras'kian being grabbed by its two brethren, which broke the influence of the construct on his mind, allowing his inherent fearfulness to take over.
Watching them sprint away from the structure on all fours, Baika decided to do the same, heeding the call of her superiors as their voices yelled in her ears. Letting her scanner record on its own, she attached it to the utility belt of her suit and followed a striding Jetreycka who had been gesturing for her to keep up.
The alien structure's display of power had startled the herd of grazing animals in the distance, triggering them into stampeding over the plains in the other direction as the group of scientists rushed back to camp and to some form of safety. Just as she thought they had put some distance between them and the invisible danger, she was given a push in the back by another powerful rush of wind. Cushioning her fall with her arms, she watched the tall grass around her being blown flat, with many others failing to stay on their feet as well.
It was the reflection of light in the visor of her helmet that caused her to look behind once more, as a pillar of light burst from the construct's center up into the sky. Fearing it was a weapon being fired, her thoughts went out to the Myr'shala back in orbit with Jacky's face flashing before her eyes.
"Myr'shala come in!" Down on his middle legs, fighting against the incredible force attempting to flatten him against the planet's surface, Raeth did his best to locate the rest of the team as he repeated his attempt to get in contact with the ship. If that beam of energy was some kind of weapon, it could be directed at the fleet in orbit, and if that were the case they wouldn't stand a chance. "Is everyone all right?" he grunted, spotting at least Majih nearby.
He had seen the smaller Mantrin and his chief engineer do a somersault, his legs kicking the air before landing on his back. A raised arm and an out of breath confirmation indicated he was. After waiting for five distinct voices to answer, he switched comms back to the larger group.
"Yuhka, we gotta get back to the shuttles and leave. At least until we know more about what's going on. I can't raise the Myr'shala."
"You got that right, Raeth. Kealii's not responding either. Structure's power emissions are interfering with long range comms. Everyone listen up! Get back to camp and make sure no one gets left behind. We're leaving."
Unable to determine how long the artificial storm would last, and in an attempt to put some distance between the perceived danger, they began crawling like a group of soldiers in combat training through the tall grass flattened by the wind. With the green blades blocking his vision, streaking past the visor of his helmet unless he raised his head just enough to look over them, Raeth was able to spot the small buildings of camp right in front of them.
At least it hadn't been blown away, though as they continued to move away from the structure, the wind lost considerable strength, until they were able to stand again a few hundred steps before reaching their landing zone. Heavy breathing filled the comm channel as he did a quick headcount, the exhaustion showing on everyone's faces. The wind continued to blast over the plains, fanning outwards from the structure as it continued to project a pillar of light up into the sky, thin rings of clouds forming around it.
"It's shrinking," Jetreycka remarked. With she and Baika being the scientists of their own group, they were the only ones who had grabbed their scanners again to see what data they had recorded. "Energy output's dropping."
"The analysis will have to wait," Raeth ordered, taking the lead after copying Yuhka's hand signal to head back. "I still can't raise the Myr'shala."
"I'm in contact with the shuttle, Raeth," Itan's voice reached his ear. Looking to his right, the Goureg's blue green eyes pierced into his, not having lost any strength or confidence despite all that happened. "Running startup sequence."
It turned out that those who were running the camp had either received orders from their superiors or decided not to wait to prepare to leave the surface. The beam of energy continued to shrink until it vanished, followed by the dimming of the purple circuitry back to near undetectable levels. It did not stop the scientists from packing whatever they could carry and wait only for the last few stragglers to board the shuttles.
Having made it to their own craft, Raeth and crew rushed inside, not further delaying their departure. With the preflight checks completed before their arrival and all systems showing fully intact, Itan whipped the shuttle back into the air with a skillful takeoff, pushing the engines to take them back into space.
"Nothing's pursuing us," Raeth informed his pilot, keeping an eye on sensors for any blips other than the transponder signals of the other ships leaving the planet. Dropping his helmet's visor, now that the air inside the shuttle had been filtered clean, he took a deep breath, savoring a moment of relief now that the immediate danger had passed. "No more activity from any surface structures. Myr'shala do you read?"
Wondering if ionization of the atmosphere, enhanced even more by the energy beam, caused the large amount of crackling interference on all comm channels, he kept trying until the stars were visible again.
"Myr'shala here," Jirro's garbled voice cut through the static. "Raeth, is everyone there with you?"
"We're fine. What can you make of that beam of energy from the structure we were at?"
"It wasn't a weapon of some kind. We're pretty sure of that as it was directed at one of the orbital structures near the fleet. In fact, you should come take a closer look for yourself."
"All right, we're here. Gimme a sitrep."
Glad to be able to once again feel where he went, Raeth set bare foot on the bridge, forcing Jirro to relieve his position as the commanding officer. Switched back to his own seat while Jetreycka reclaimed hers, he ordered Baika to take the spare on his left as he took his own. Everyone had their attention fixed on the orbital structure filling most of the panoramic viewport while the ship's chief science officer tried to make sense of what they were looking at.
The octagonal ring Jetreycka mentioned while they flew past it the first time had revealed itself to be some sort of portal generator, suspending the aperture of a gateway to the unknown between the emitters in each of the octagon's inner corners.
"There hasn't been any other activity before or after you triggered that beam," Jirro reported. "It appears to have powered up that portal."
Resting his arms in his lap as he stretched his long legs, Raeth allowed himself a moment to take in the view, which had everyone else in awe. Staring into the rift of space and time that bathed the Myr'shala's bridge in a distinct violet hue, the obvious question of where it would lead nestled into his mind.
"Jetreycka, can our sensors conclude anything?"
"Definitely a portal of some kind," Jetreycka confirmed everyone's suspicions. "Detecting high energy tachyon and neutrino emissions. No indications of Netherspace or other hostile realms. It appears stable but I have no way to determine the destination."
"Le'tan, back us off. I feel we're a bit close here."
"I feel you there, Raeth." Tapping his console, the Myr'shala's fusion engines hummed to life. This would have resulted in the ship reversing direction at a steady pace, except it did not, as Le'tan discovered soon enough. Sliding a pair of fingertips over his console in an upward motion, the hum's pitch increased, yet nothing happened. "We're not moving," he said in a flat voice.
"It's not a tractor beam," Trezka said as she played her controls. "But I am detecting a dampening field of some kind. Same effect but far more advanced. It's keeping us in place."
"Can you disable it?"
As he suspected when he asked the question, Trezka shook her head. There was no doubt that the orbital construct was the source of the dampening field, yet there was no visible emitter. Its illuminated hull patterns pulsated with an increasing intensity as Le'tan diverted all available power to the engines on his command, though his attempts were in vain.
"Weapons are not responding," Trezka grunted, her console taunting her with chirps of failed commands.
"We're starting to move toward the aperture," Houn warned, working his console like a skilled piano player handling the instrument. "I'm already taking power from life support."
"No effect," Le'tan said, now in a raised voice. Meanwhile, the aperture filled their entire field of view, the forward bow about to make contact with the artificial rift in the fabric of space. "Raeth, there's nothing I can do."
"Contact the Kealii! They might be able to pull us out."
"I already have, sir," Jetreycka responded. "They've attempted to engage tractor beams but the dampening field is preventing them from getting a grip."
Given their multiple futile attempts to break free, Raeth knew he had to make some sort of decision. With ticks to spare before contact, he concluded that riding the stream, instead of exhausting themselves, had become the only option.
"Divert all power to shields! Keep her steady. We're going in, whether we like it or not."
The abrupt cutoff of the engines had no effect on the rate at which the ship was being pulled inside. As the Myr'shala's bow penetrated the barrier, waves of distorted spacetime rippled through the fuselage, distorting vision and perception of time. Waving his hand in front of him, Raeth studied the stroboscopic effects of the artificial anomaly with curious interest, watching duplications of said hand appear and disappear. It ended with a bright flash and the strange feeling of weightlessness.
The abruptness at which reality reformed himself therefore caught him completely off guard. What felt like the effects of a black market drug, were replaced with the mental clarity after a shot of adrenaline. So much that it knocked the breath out of him.
The sound of heavy breathing filled the air as the rest of the crew still recovered from the effects, shaking them off as best as they could on short notice as they weren't out of the woods yet. Alarms continued blaring, the loss of attitude control and the close proximity of a planetary body being responsible.
"Main engines are still offline!" Le'tan reported as he fought with his console to get some form of control back. Adrift and spinning at a slow rate, the Myr'shala hurtled toward the planet as her pilot used whatever he could muster from the maneuvering thrusters to stabilize her orientation. "We're inside the planet's gravity well."
"Navigational computer's been thrown out of whack." Houn added. "It's like we're not even in the same place anymore."
"We aren't," Jetreycka confirmed. "Our star charts don't align anymore. It's like we've been moved not only to a different position, but also to another…" As her voice trailed off, several heads snapped in her direction. "Running a series of scans on the planet. It's inhabited. I've got several database matches with historical records from thousands of solar cycles ago."
"What you're saying is… we've traveled through time?"
Looking up from her console, astonishment and disbelief twisted her face into an odd mixture of both.
"I can double check it, but if this analysis is correct, that planet is Mantra, with civilization in its infancy stage."