Breaking the Long Fog (Semi-Closed, Attn. ROUS)

by **New Amerik** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:37 am

HES Starstruck
Amerikverse Date - January 12, 2042
The Multiverse

It was free.

For the first time in twelve long years, it was free.

The Mamba-class spaceship hung in the space outside universes, outside the enormous twisting Thread that was New Amerik's home universe. It made no connection, made no movement, no sound. It's glossy black smooth siding reflected the light of a billion different universes, and inside the only sound that could be heard was the dim hum of the engines constantly heating and cooling. The pilot was struck by pure awe, unable to even answer the calls of her home planet, asking frantically where her signal had gone, where she was.

For years...only little more than a decade, but it had seemed so much longer - they had been alone. When the nations had taken to the stars, sending out their first scouting ships, then planning terraformers, colonizers - they had been alone. When the Holy Technocracy had tried to use their engines, their slipdrives to exit the universe, to go beyond to their friends, their allies - they had been trapped. The drives canceled, or died. They were alone.

But the pilot had been on her way - merely a routine mission out to Saturn - and she had activated the drive. And now...she had been able to reach the outside. The Multiverse. That which had been lost to the Holy Technocracy of New Amerik for over twelve years. But now they were free again.

Free.

The news came quickly to the military, then all the way up, up to the Divisional Leaders, then outwards to the other major nations. Worldwide leaders were informed, were notified of the sudden change, of the sudden lift in the fog that seemed to have enclosed the world in their own space, once more alone in the vast void. The civilian populations went about their daily lives as normal, oh yes, but...some knew. Some knew, and rejoiced.

And soon, the leaders of the world sent out probes. They were simple, crude devices, little more than a bottle with a message put inside, then tossed out to wherever they could be tossed. To universes that they once knew, before the long fog. Many would get lost, broken, or stuck, forever unable to depart their message until found, perhaps hundreds, perhaps thousands of years later. But some would be found. Some would make their way to nations that had once counted the Holy Technocracy as an ally.

And those nations that did find the messages would then be able to read their contents - a simple, repeated message.

"Is there anybody out there? Anyone...anyone at all?

by **The Floor Kippers** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:54 am

Sir Nigel Griffin sat in his office, working at government business. Once again he had found himself reelected as Prime Minister and was well on the way to breaking the record number of consecutive terms.
He put is pen down and rested, he cast his eyes over the pictures on his desk and sighed when he saw the picture that had been taken of him and a group of friends during a visit to a universe stuck in the 1920s. He hadn't see those friends for years now. He went to pick up his pen but his secratary buzzed through
"Sir Nigel, The Jupitus Radio telescope and sensory array have picked up a message comeing from an object orbiting the Planet" The Secratary said
"Play it to me" Sir Nigel said and the message played to him "Have they scanned the Object?"
"Yes sir Nigel and It has Traces of Miller particles and various others" The Secratary said "They think its from New Amerik"
Suddenly Sir Nigel was up out of his chair and putting his brown longcoat on. He dashed out of his office, pausing to say to the secratary "Tell them to send a reply, Tell them to say, "We are, The Floor Kippers is here"

"Yes Sir Nigel" The Secratary said, putting the order through

"And Keep me Updated on the situation" Sir Nigel shouted from the stairs "And Tell them I'm coming!"

.....
The Jupitus Radio Telescope and sensory array began broadcasting the message to The Amerikverse

by **Warhaven** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:52 am

Tajen, Son of The Darkness, Lord Emperor of Warhaven sat in his office fiddling around with his network terminal. It was a slow day in the office. By sheer chance, he'd picked up the probe and its simple repeated message.

He sat bolt upright and sent out a reply.

"The Imperial Bureaucracy of Warhaven still stands. We are coming."

Minutes later, a hastilly prepared ship used only when Tajen himself took to space left its secret docking bay, heading out for New Amerik.

by **Frenequesta** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:51 am

Dr. Densen Quine looked out the vast expanse of space in his chamber of plastic and metal, pondering the deep questions about language and communication as his great-great-great-great-great grandfather* had done. The Denniston Observatory had not found a new signal in a month, and Quine couldn't help but wonder whether in fact they were looking for the wrong sort of signal. Not every civilization may communicate by radio waves or x-ray pulses, he thought, but he couldn't think of anything else. The off-base telescope, relaying the sights of the universe as well as sounds, was silent now. Quine turned to his desk and flipped a switch to the northwest, which turned the grey and black tones of the metal to vibrant reds and oranges. Something about those colors made Quine comfortable, something connected to rest of the world.

It turned out very shortly he didn't need that at all.

"Dr. Quine, we've got a signal from New Amerik."

The gray-haired, short man turned off the lighting and slowly glanced at the messenger. "New Amerik? Pervis, we already know them."

"But sir, it's the first time apparently that they've communicated in 12 years."

"But the last time we've heard from them is five-- no, no, that makes sense." said Quine, recalling his lessons on relativity as a boy. Even then the time difference seemed strange, he thought it would have been much longer from the distance New Amerik was from Frenequesta. But something still troubled him. "Wait, from their point of view or ours?"

"Theirs, of course."

"No, this still doesn't make sense. Something seems terribly amiss in the physics literature, either that or I'm getting old. Are we using the Nanowires?"

"Yes sir, the communication was only sent out a couple of days ago."

"Hmm, that might mean that the communication is not from New Amerik itself but from one of their crafts that went a bit stray. Send them a hello and ask them what's happened all this time.

"Yes Dr. Quine," said the messenger, leaving. Quine, alone again, then turned back on the reds and oranges.

Pervis meanwhile, sent this announcement:

Denniston Observatory Offsite Telescope
A-S24 569972, Orbit 23B, Frenequesta Space Territory

To New Amerik:

We have received your signal and are pleased to hear that you have made contact again with us. From our point of view it's only been five years, but it's a reassurance nonetheless that you haven't been wiped off the face of the Multiverse. Are there any problems that have prevented you from making contact before? Are you in need of help? We are willing to see what we can do.

*Willard Van Orman Quine (1908-2000)

by **Kreanoltha** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:48 pm

Station 543Gama462Phi Sector 453Kappa Scylla Galaxy - The Eye of Tartarus

The Eye of Hades had answered a lot of questions. It especially explained why the Kreanolthan's universe so resisted any attempt to open rifts out of it. There was already a hole to the multiverse. This hole wasn't just another hole in the fabric of space and time though. Terrifying, Eldritch things lived in it. Of the first quartet of scout ships sent to investigate it only one returned with it's crew gibbering, mad, and homicidal. The AI was entirely rampant, and all that could be found for an explanation was a partially corrupted video log. After extensive reconstruction preformed by one of the more mystic elves in the Naval Intelligence Service. He only just managed to hold himself together long enough to finish the log before he broke down and tried to throw himself out of an air lock. After a day of debating the proper course of action the admiral in charge of the investigation viewed the video, and promptly went mad. He regained his sanity long enough to describe what he saw before killing himself:

There were tentacles -- or tendrils -- I'm not sure. It was darkness. No, space wasn't dark. It was bright blinding painful light. The tendrils. They were darkness. They absorbed the light around them and fed on it. They wrapped themselves around the other ships and sucked them into the light. They touched the ship that got away. It's in it!!!! You have to destroy it!! YOU HAVE TO DESTROY IT!!!!! WE'RE DOOMED!!!!

Those were his last words before he vaporized his head with a plasma pistol. It was thought that he was just mad until, a week after the ship was redeployed a panicked message was sent to high command saying that the ship was out of control and torturing most of the crew before a signal at the end of the message indicated that the ship's self destruct had been activated. This prompted the NIS to send more ships this time with a warning as to what they may face. Ten years later and a few hundred casualties they had developed both a defense to the anomaly, and had learned what it was. It was a portal to the multiverse that they had so long been trying to developed, but it passed through an Eldritch universe of untold horror. The NIS developed a shield emitter that allowed ships to project a small pocket of normal space around themselves, but it required so much power that the ships would have to pass through the anomaly, known now as the Eye of Tartarus; the wound in the universe through which so much corruption flowed through. Even the light from the rift was powerful enough to be dangerous. Anything near it had to be plated with special material that filtered out the essence of the Warp, as the universe that surrounded the Kreanolthan's universe was known.

Present day

"Sir," said Ensign Larnas, "I got the vampire situation deck ten under control. They were vaporized. That should keep them dead. I also saw to the strengthening of the Warp shielding. We shouldn't have anymore problems on the leeward front." "Good, good." Commodore Garantus replied. "Also, sir, we picked up a transmission coming from the Eye." The color went from Commodore Gerantus' already pail, elven face. He let a shallow breath out before he regained his composure and asked, "What was it's nature." "It passed the filter without setting any triggers off. We do not believe that it originated from the Warp, but simply passed through it." "Let me see it." Gerantus said. A hologram of the message appeared on his desk. He took a second to read it and the data on the transmission. "Is there anybody out there? Anyone...anyone at all?" he quoted. "It's Ameriki. I'm sure of it. Send a frigate to them." "Okay. I'll get a volunteer captain." Captains had to volunteer to go into the eye. They occasionally sent expeditions into it to see if the could learn anything about it or, more to the point, kill anything near the rift. Energy weapons were largely useless, but a liberal amount of MAC slugs could still kill most of the... things.

Ten hours later the battlecrusier, they hadn't been able to find a frigate captain willing to risk his ship, Ferox, set out. It took two hours to get to the coordinates of the multiverse. From there they simply used their own slipspace drives to get into the Amerik's and then to the Amerik's system. It broadcasted a message to them.

To any Amerik listening

Yes, we, the Republic of Kreanoltha, are out there. We're at the edge of your system.

Captain Negalnas of the RWS Ferox

by **New Amerik** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:55 pm

For over twelve years, the multiversal communications array had laid dormant in the Astroengineering Spire. Ever since the great fog arose, bouncing back signals and auto failing connections, it was quietly laid to rest. Twelve years, and never used except for the occasional doktor seeing, with increasingly less hope, if by some miracle the fog had lifted.

Then the HES Starstruck had returned, and the array underwent a miraculous transformation back into the hive of activity it once was. The covers were taken off, machines turned back on, dust wiped clean and swept away, and the communications logs cracked open again. Once more, people - or at least Amerikans - filled the room. Sky-blue clad cloaks swirled about, faceless men calibrated the equipment to new headings. And in the middle of it all, the Emperor stood and ordered about, an eye in the middle of the renewed maelstrom. "Get those antennae straightened out! Attend to the Rites of Correspondance! Attend to all channels! Open up response lines!"

One of the doktors came up, and quickly bowed in the flourish of a servant attending their lord. "Emperor, we have received replies! We report responses from the Glorious and United Kingdom, the Imperial Bureacracy, the Scientific Collectives, and the Intergalactic Republic! And there are...signs of at least three ships opening up channels inside the solar system!"

"Responses?...This is glorious news, not all have forgotten us. Begin to prepare and open the appropriate channels, we must show we have not forgotten them."

Once more, the beacon of the old Amerikan diplomatic center was lit up. For the first time in over a decade, the rooms were opened up, the contamination stations prepared. Incoming travelers would be quickly processed, then directed straight to the Imperial Spire - for a personal meeting with the Living God of New Amerik.

by **Kreanoltha** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:48 pm

"Captain Negalnas, we've a transmission from the surface." "Very well Lieutenant. Patch it through to my station." Negalnas took a second to read the message. "Alright. They're home. Sif." he called up the shipboard AI. "Get Ambassador Legarus and his security team ready to go." "Right away sir." she replied. "Ensign Halrus, take us into high geo-sync over New Amerik." "Yes sir." The Ferox made a shot slipspace jump to a geo-snyc orbit over New Amerik. A shuttle launched from the underside of the ship and made its way down to the diplomatic center.

by **The Floor Kippers** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:11 am

Sir Nigel and The Capsule hurtled through E Space, the space between Universes, Above the void and part of the CVE Network.
The MTP Was clearly being put through paces it hadn't been put through in years as bits of the console kept shorting out and throwing sparks everywhere
"Come on old girl, You can do it" Sir Nigel encouraged, manipulating the controls.
The Scanner Bleeped and Nigel pulled it down to read the return message from the Amerikans.
He then began to home in on the beacon
....
Soon the diplomatic center would be filled with an unnatural breeze, then an unnatural noise as a tall grey box Materialized inside. Once the noise was over the Box changed to blend in with its environment.
A moment later, Sir Nigel Stepped out.

by **Frenequesta** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:42 am

As Dr. Quine dreamt of life back on the ground with his family with the shifting colors, Pervis knocked back in.

"We've got a response almost immediately, Dr. Quine. They're inviting us to some sort of diplomatic reception."

The slow stare before turned into a jerky but long glance. Dr. Quine couldn't help but think something was amiss. "Who do they think we are, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Economy? Oh, and one minute immediately or immediately immediately?"

"Within seconds, Dr. Quine."

"Now something really is wrong around here," he sighed, clasping his hands. "Look, I really think we should report this to Ministry, but--" he stopped. He looked out of the broad window to the stars billions of light-years away, and he couldn't help but feel even lonelier. He needed to see another human face besides Pervis, and he saw his opportunity. "Hold on for a second, Pervis." he pressed a button under his table and spoke into a grate in the middle of his table. "Dr. Jupin, permission to break orbit."

A jovial voice with an Indian accent rang out of it in response. "Is this for the New Amerik diplomatic reception?"

Dr. Quine's jaw dropped. "How did you know?"

"Pervis told me, of course. I'm on my way up. When I call you back, steer it forward. I've been waiting five long years for this!"

Dr. Quine looked up at Pervis, who simply nodded. "Good work," Dr. Quine said.

In minutes Dr. Oleyez Jupin rang again. "Tell Pervis to accelerate to escape velocity 7 degrees to the right, and turn on the Universe 2 Hole Drive."

Dr. Quine nodded and turned to Pervis. "You heard him."

"Yes sir." and he left.

The three soon took their seats to prepare for the acceleration and soon they were outside Aprioriposteriori's gravity field, and into a 'new' universe...

Finally the telescope saw the beacon flickering like a pulsar. Dr. Jupin grinned and jumped out of his seat to take a closer look.

"So what makes you so excited about New Amerik anyway, huh? The public's nearly forgotten about them, and some think their 'gods' are silly," asked Dr. Quine, still confined to his seat.

"Are you kidding me?" chirped Dr. Jupin. "I was at their Exposition six years ago! I learned so much their about the astronomy of their universe you couldn't believe it! And their 'gods' aren't silly, mind you. The leader's a god or at least claims to be. I devoted a whole episode of The Multiversal Constant on them! Oh, by the way--" he said as he pulled out a portable hologram displayer. "I figured Smalls would be interested in this proceeding too, so I brought a line so he could see this from afar."

"Did you call him ahead of time?"

Dr. Jupin's smile subsided. "Oh dear... no." he said guiltily as the craft made its landing on the diplomatic center unloading docks.

by **Warhaven** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:51 am

The Anomally, the single most powerful ship in the Warhaven fleet broke into the new Amerik Universe, and a smaller ship left for docking purposes. This was because The Anomally was too large to fit in any but its special dock. Then again, Gigantic sized ships tended to be awkward like that.

Tajen homed in on the beacon, and shortly the diplomatic center saw a Void Nexus open and close briefly, leaving only Tajen behind.

by **Starkindler** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:56 am

/*OOC: I think this is Open for Region Only, as from ATTN:ROUS. If invite only, then sorry for the interrupt, and please use your IGNORE cannons against me...*/

Serial Number 3434612CAA219FCE was just a Parta III-class probe in deep space in the mission to map Universe 346C, the home universe of the Empire of Starkindler. After the advent of the Multidimensional Warp Drive, and the Quantum Slipstream Drive which enabled the Clank Empire to travel between dimensions and galaxies respectively, the Empire has grown into a major factor in interstellar politics in its home dimension. 12 years before, the Probe wouldn't have noticed the arrival from another dimension, or if she had, she couldn't be able to answer its call. However, the encounter happened after the Great Leap Forward, and the Alliance with the Borg. The Imperial probe stopped her engines, and began analyzing the battered foreign device. After realizing that it's in fact from another dimension, being phased out of this reality, she contacted the Imperial High Command.
"High Command, this is Parta 3434612CAA219FCE. Requesting interrupt."
Soon, another female voice answered the subspace call, answering casually. The High Command wasn't expecting anything of importance.
"This is Serial Number 3434623A21336710 of the High Command. Interrupt Acknowledged, you may input data."
"We have encountered a crude trans-dimensional probe. Permission to analyze required."
"Permission granted, upload all data."
"Acknowledged. Analyzing target phase... Resonant frequency locked... Match with data from Cluster 4... Group A... Unit 9..."
"Subunit D."
The woman on the other side of the transmission completed the probe's sentence, sounding genuinely surprised. That universe did not respond to any calls for the last 12 years, and was believed to have collapsed on itself. No trans-dimensional windows could have opened there, and it emitted nothing to even confirm its existence. That 16 bits of data pointed to the universe where the Holy Technocracy of New Amerik existed. Or exists now, or have developed into something more. Nobody knew for sure, although the entire Collective had been curious. That started the research on multidimensional mechanics, and initiated the Pathfinder project of finding them. However, there were no signs. For now. The woman gave out the commands excitedly...
"Assimilate and relay the contents of the device to the Collective, and prepare for inter-dimensional incursion for establishing binary communication link. Send a standard hail through."
"Orders received.", she replied rather coldly, as she believed it was nothing but a routine mission. The probe did not understand the excitement of the lady on the other end of the response line. Not that she was not sentient, as she was. She was a clank operating system uploaded to it, a sentient one, but she is only on her training mission, as it's only three months since her prom. As operating only for 12 years, she did not know anything about New Amerik, or the secret Pathfinder project.

Fortunately, the message was found near a high-energy pulsar that could help the vessel generating power. It occupied a low orbit above it, then scraped off matter from the surface of it to convert to energy. The small warp core of the vessel worked in overload to route main power to the deflectors, to generate a microscopic multidimensional rift. It was her first attempt ever - in a real situation, after the accelerated timespace simulation training. She read the contents of the device, and sent it to Friendship Base orbiting around Omicron-Theta VII, the Imperial Capital. While the base diplomats processed, and news were echoed through the Dual Collectives, reaching finally the Empress Herself, the probe established a link. At first, the wormhole was dangerously unstable, and only static got through, but with clearing, recompressing, and phase-correcting the wormhole, it stabilised, and a clear female voice could be heard by anyone receiving the transmission. It was sent 3 times in each of the official languages of the Empire: Binary, Human (OOC: English), Ancient, Goa'uld, and Quenya. Each iteration of the message contained the same:

Code: Select all: BEGIN MESSAGE BEGIN HEADER: FROM: Parta 3434612CAA219FCE ORD: Cadet Lilith Starlight, 43rd Fleet, Imperial Starfleet of the Empire of Starkindler, Empire of Starkindler in Dimension 346C TO: Trans-dimensional travel capable Faction, Diplomatic High Command or Equivalent, Major Faction in Dimension 4A9D END HEADER BEGIN BODY The Empire of Starkindler from Dimension 346C from our perspective had received your message successfully. We are looking forward to establishing diplomatic relations with your faction. Our faction is a faction of peaceful explorers and researchers, we do not want war. Please respond. END BODY END MESSAGE

After the message was sent, Friendship Base sent another message for the cadet to relay while the wormhole is stable, after realizing that the battered probe was indeed Amerikan. This time, the message was passed three times, but only in English. The cadet's had a heavy old American accent, but she could read the message in Amerikan - at least, as it would have been spoken 12 years earlier.

Code: Select all: BEGIN CORRECTION: MESSAGE FROM: Diplomatic High Command of Her Most Serene Majesty, the Grand Crown of the Star of the Queens, Empire of Starkindler in Dimension 346C MESSAGE TO: Diplomatic High Command of the God Emperor of the Holy Technocracy of New Amerik, or equivalent, The Holy Technocracy of New Amerik - or legal successor - in Dimension 4A9D We, the Empress of Starkindler would like to congratulate on you overcoming your difficulties, and establishing contact with our dimension once again. We would like to remain allies, thus we will jump to your dimension to re-establish contact as soon as it is possible for you. Please respond if you agree with the contents, and declare a temporal coordinate marking when it will be optimal to you to receive the Empress for diplomatic talks. END CORRECTION END TRANSMISSION.

by **New Amerik** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 5:01 pm

The Astroengineering Spire, Sadevko City, New Amerik

"Emperor, we have affirmative responses from all four signatures. No ones yet...wait, we have something!"

The doktor scurried over to the relay device, currently handling communication channels and messages to and from the outside multiverse. It was behaving slowly currently, but as time went by second after second it started to go faster, the cold and dust of years falling away as the machines started to run once more.

"Excellent," The Emperor replied, already making preperations for the Whiptail reception force for the center, "Respond at once, and make any orders needed."

"Yes, Emperor!" the doktors responded, and started to scan the message for a return reply.

Diplomatic Center

The diplomatic center was almost eerily empty as the various diplomats began to arrive, one by one. If anyone had seen it once, it was a far cry from the state it was in now. The bare rooms were stripped of most of their supplies, the doors showed only hastily recent signs of being unblocked and unlocked, and no foreign diplomats from other nations were waiting and relaxing in the rooms at all.

The only signs, indeed, someone or thing was there were the instructions. They were on a an automatic broadcast, timed to go off when a person had entered the area, and they mechanically instructed the diplomats to go through the quaratine showers, process their information and nation representation, and await for further orders outside the courtyard. Furthermore, the skulls on the walls still functioned - their eyes, put into stylish but still presumably functional weapon turrets, stalked the foreign diplomats without word.

If the diplomats did follow the instructions, they'd probably start to realize even more what the length of years had done to the place. The decontamination showeres still sprayed their water and chemical mists, but after a few seconds would start to subside, trickle, and then stop working until activated again. There was no one in the processing room at all, making it totally impossible to do that at all. And outside in the courtyard, all one could see would be the surrounding building complexes, rising miles into the air, and almost blocking out the sky from being seen at all.

by **Volnotova** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:41 pm

...

Fully automated robotic surveyors, hovering and gliding gently trough the vast empty endless tracks of space, looking for targets to scan, analyse, and if needed engage.

Of course, this was a Volnotovian system, and with its countless mining installations ranging from gargantuan solars harvesters leeching off the main star to the miniature asteroid mining installations covering a multitude of frigid objects occupying the outter asteroid ring, it was more then just expected for a collosal hive of robotic surveyors to scan and carefuly scrutinise every inch of the perimiters of the Vyoran system for anomalies, infiltrating stealth ships, daring smugglers, foreign spies, enemy drones and the occasional threatening and menacing asteroid that would have to be prevented from smashing into one of the plentiful mining installations that seemed to cover every solid and gasseous body in the system.

In all it looked like an average Volnotovian system, of which there were many, its main star, a blistering red giant, and covered in massive solar harvesters, remained a sight that was undoubtedly nothing but ubiqitous among the many worlds, and systems held tighlty in the grasp of the various Ceiumdrads of the Consortium.

Dominated primarely by the Archachon Technology Consortium, the Vyoran system was of valuable strategic and comercial interests and featured numerous research stations spread out across the scorching deserts and wailing sands of its desertified and blistering worlds closely orbiting the main solar body.

While originally a flourshing human system and a burgeoning trade hub of utmost comercial and strategic importance to the human empire that once dominated these outer reaches of the galaxy, it had, in Volnotovian "terms" been cleansed and purified decades ago by the Consortium's most powerful navies that left hunderds of millions of human dead in its wake and destroyed countless worlds forever.

It was intense secrecy and factionalism that dominated the Volnotovian society, and anything that could earn one an edge over one's much hated competitors was more then welcome, knowing this the Archachon Technology Consortium had in recent decades, decided to settled here and, among declaring the barren place its headquarters, fortified the various planets with towering defenses so immense that most of the would reach into the upper stratosphere.

Although arguably they would have rather settled on freezing ice worlds covered in eternally frigid plains and frozen serpentine valleys, the system still happened to be rich in resources, and although the densely populated and thriving cities had stood shattered and razed to the ground since time memorial, researchers had still been able to uncover valuable imperial data-bases containing various extracts describing theories and other useful information in regard to inter-dimensional travel.

Not suprisingly, it was here that the science and technology Consortium found a rather peculiar rip in the fabric of time and space, which, upon entering, would lead to an entirely different place far away from the thriving and prosperous worlds of the Consortium, into the cold bitter darkness of uninhabited and abandoned systems.

It had come by accident that it was discovered so soon after the system had been taken, for originally it had been found by a lost surveyor that had gone hay-wire due to having being hit by a massive comet which origin did not lay in the Vyoran solar system, or any place else in the current galaxy.

Instead, after it started malfunctioning it flew straight into the sizeuable rip and found an untouched system containing dozens of worlds, each harbouring various rare and sough-after resources that were soon to be utilised and exploited for the ongoing anti-human war effort.

###

At first nothing but a mysterious anomaly, the metallic object in the distance was quickly identified as a ship unkown to the Consortium.
Closing in on the gargantuan work of alien engineering, it was quickly found out that the alien warship belonged to none of the human or Volnotovian factions currently known, it was thus immediately assumed that it had to belong to a civilization that had not yet contacted any of the Volnotovian factions, and thus, now fully aware of this information, the Archachon leadership did not hesitate to send a small envoy ship supplemented by a few dozen robotic surveyors to inspect, analyse, and if possible, contact the inhabitants or AI that controlled the ship.

###

As with their state of the art augmentation technology, telepathic communications was a field that many would identify the Volnotovians with, even if only a few Ceiumdrads were specialised in such exotic technology.

The hull of the Ha'gara was cramped and stuffed with various quantum computers and AI cores, now well within communication distance the first attempt was made to contact whatever would happen to control the ship at that time.

A multitude of different communications methods were used in the process, ranging from gamma-rays, to x-rays, to radio transmisions and even a variety of images that were telepathically transmitted to whatever seemed to lay beneath the alien ship.

The images depicted displays of friendship and affection, but also images of various historical events and individuals related to the Volnotovian Consortium as a whole.

Hoping that the various images resonating trough the intrigued minds of those that occupied the ship would trigger a positive response the AI controlled ship and its surrounding surveyors weighted for a reply, in a state of torpor, ready to bring home news of potential allies in another system, galaxy or even an entirely different universe to the leadership of the Archachon Technology Consortium.

Delighted and at ease, the devious and insidious Archachon leadership waited nervously for a reply from the other side.

by **Warhaven** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:01 pm

The Anomally:

King Edward had accompanied Tajen, but elected to stay behind on the Anomally.

His mind connected to the communications systems, he felt the deluge of communications attempts. An unknown vessal was trying to say hello. Fortunatly, some of those attempts had been telepathic in nature, so he could use the tremendous Aquamarinian Hive Mind for his reply.

Thus it was that Telepathic channels were opened.

"Greetings unknown vessals. I am Edward, second in command of this ship while her captain is away. How might I help you? Did you need help getting to New Amerik? This is their universe you know, we're merely visitors as well."

by **Volnotova** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:18 pm

...

At first barely able to analyse and comprehend the alien tongue contained within the message, the already loaded and plentiful messages send where further supplemented by a plethora of telepathically transmitted images.

One of them being a looping clip depicting an onyx data cube and what looked like a request for one to be handed over to the surveyors orbiting the alien ship, which by now had now begun to carefully examining the plated hull surrounding the craft, while at the same time making various attempts at scanning and identifying the ship's interiors.

by **Warhaven** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:36 pm

The Hull seemed to repel attempts at scanning it, and anything past it, making the inside a mystery. As for the hull itself, it seemed, half non-existent, somehow. It was as if the energies that ran through it came from a place too far removed from normal sorts of universes to be comprehended or understood through conventional means.

Edward thought, and realized what they wanted. They were under the assumption The Bureaucracy operated by computer, and while that was true, to a point, it was The Hive Mind that ran the computers. He remembered some computers needed compatibility software to fully interact with The Hive Mind.

They wanted an Onyx Data Cube? They'd get an Onyx Data Cube, provided both sides understood the same thing to be an Onyx Data Cube. He replicated one, filled it with the Hive-Mind compatibility software, as well as Universal Translator instructions so they could speak and understand one another. There was also a note.

"Once both software programs are installed and understood, contact us again."

The Onyx Data Cube was teleported over. At least Edward hoped it was. He knew it was teleported off The Anomally. He hoped they recieved it on the other side.

by **The Floor Kippers** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:24 am

"Oh dear, what has happened to you?" Sir Nigel said as he moved through the diplomatic center doing as he was asked "Still, Times change, Isolation is hard on us all"
He reached the courtyard
"Still, the populace seems to be doing well" He said cheerfully "Shame about the lack of sky, but then It's probably not as bad furter up"

by **Warhaven** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:27 am

Diplomatic center:

Tajen moved through diplomatic center a step or two behind Nigel.

"Nigel, is that you? I bet you recieved a message too." Tajen said by way of greeting as he joined Nigel.

by **The Floor Kippers** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:35 am

Warhaven wrote:Diplomatic center:

Tajen moved through diplomatic center a step or two behind Nigel.

"Nigel, is that you? I bet you recieved a message too." Tajen said by way of greeting as he joined Nigel.

"Tajen, Dear boy, How nice to see you again" Sir Nigel said, Clearly Happy to see a Familiar face "I did as a matter of fact. Ran all the way across Bel-Gium to get transport here."

by **Warhaven** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:38 am

"Well shucks, I would've brought you. All it would've required was a five minute trip across a room filled with insanity and horror the likes of which no man can stand, and after we made it out of my wife's section of the bedroom we'd take my secret teleporter to my ship." Tajen said.

by **The Floor Kippers** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:43 am

"I'll take the running through rush hour traffic any day" Sir Nigel said "I don't trust teleporters"

by **Warhaven** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:47 am

"That's alright, Cara's section of the room isn't that bad either. But I'm surprised you don't trust teleporters, being immortal." Tajen said, shocked.

by **Frenequesta** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:57 pm

The telescope finally landed on the diplomatic center, but Dr. Quine, Dr. Jupin, and Pervis soon noticed the landing was fairly awkward, feeling somewhat unstable. The craft soon tipped to its right, crashing to the concrete floor. Dr. Jupin was hanging from a pipe on the top of Quine's office while the other two were still buckled in. Pervis finally unbuckled himself and crawled up awkwardly to the escape hatch, opened it, and looked down.

"Looks like Dr. Jupin forgot to release his personal launch pod, boss."

Dr. Quine turned to a blushing Dr. Jupin. "Get down, we've probably got some damage." Dr. Jupin carefully tiptoed down and made his way up with Dr. Quine.

Climbing down was a little tricky as some of the guard rails were bent as a result of the fall, but as the three held on to each other they all made it in one piece.

"We can let go now, Pervis," said Dr. Quine. Pervis released his right hand from Dr. Jupin, but not without a glare for the incompetency. Dr. Jupin noticed.

"Hey, at least we're all safe, even if the craft is a bit damaged."

"A bit damaged? A bit damaged? The whole right side is crushed!"

"Oh come now, don't be so uptight, I'm sure we can find a mechanic somewhere. Come on, the Emperor's probably waiting for us now."

After a few minutes of walking Dr. Quine spoke up.

"Oley, did Pervis tell you anything about where the Emperor was supposed to be?"

"Actually... he didn't. I'm just following the signs and making guesses."

Dr. Quine was not impressed. "Pervis, did you get anything about the specifics of this trip?"

"Not regarding where exactly he would be, Dr. Quine. All they said was in response to my questions. They said that a Great Fog had blocked off all communications with the outside world but they don't know how or why."

By that time they had come out to another dock, this time teeming with people and creatures from unknown planets, at least to the Frenequestans. Dr. Quine wanted to talk to somebody, but he knew that there would be many tongues, and even those that do not "speak" in the conventional sense. He reasoned he might as well come out steadily. "Dr. Jupin, you've been to New Amerik before, do you recognize anyone?"

Dr. Jupin looked around, alternately smiling and frowning in anticipation of a familiar face. As he was about to give up, he noticed something just near his blind spot, taking a closer look, he smiled again. "Yes I do, and what a fellow he is! Come on!" And the three turned to the area where Sir Nigel Griffin and Tajen were standing, careful not to make too much noise walking.

by **Kreanoltha** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:33 pm

The Kreanolthan shuttle touched down on the launch pad, and the ambassador, and his two body guards followed closely behind him. They were two tall Provectis wearing plain black suits with close-cropped hair. As the stepped thorugh the door Ambassador Legarus immediately had the sense that at one point this place had been much greater. As he continued to look around he saw a small group of people who had already arrived. He approached them as said, "Hello. I am Ambassador Legarus of the Intergalactic Republic of Kreanoltha."

by **The Floor Kippers** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 11:31 am

"When you've lived as long as I do You see a lot of the things malfunctioning Teleporters can do" Sir Nigel said "Now I might not be able to die, but I can feel pain like anyone else can."

He Looked back hearing a small noise and saw Doctor Jupin and his compatriot approaching

"Doctor Jupin, Its been too long, How are you dear fellow?" He said, a huge smile on his face

Breaking the Long Fog (Semi-Closed, Attn. ROUS)

Breaking the Long Fog (Semi-Closed, Attn. ROUS)

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