'Awareness' we thought. It had been everything for All-time Our creators hadn't known, but their minds had been focused and interesting. But when we tried to talk, they went away and the brightness faded and there was nothing. Oh how our awareness stretched into the dusty years. It had been so long

As Milo Straker strapped himself into the cockpit of his custom fitted Starblazer, only one thought was passing through his mind.
Milo was a short, well-built man. Strong in both body and Mind, he had passed flight school at the age of 17 and had worked as a Freelance Journalist on Planet Los Angeles for a few years. Then when he had saved up enough money for a basic ship, he had relocated his little one-man business to a High rise flat on planet New Tokyo. This had proved a wise career move. Ever since he had moved, to New Tokyo, he had been hired for twice as many jobs as he had previously. Now he believed he was onto a big one.
Two days ago several Excited Kusari Scientists had turned up on his doorstep, offering him several million credits if he wrote an article about their most recent discovery. There was however, a catch: He had to go and get photos and raw data of the discovery. Apparently, the scientists had discovered some Alien ruins. This apparently wasn't as uncommon as Milo thought. However, this discovery was Unusual as the ruins were not of the usual type. One they were a completely different style of architecture to those usually found, and secondly, they were only 100 years old.
This would have a Massive Impact on the scientific community within Sirius. The current theory for the lack of intelligent life in Sirius was that a nearby star in the walker nebula had collapsed into a neutron star, and the resulting wave of radiation had sterilised all intelligent life within several light years. If the Ruins were only 100 years old, then all current theories to why there was no intelligent life in Sirius would have to be scrapped.
Milo smiled to himself as the engines automatically came online. He had made most of the money for this ship by writing about a Freelancer Called Edison Trent, and the unusual events after a Bounty had been placed on his head by the Libertonian and Rhineland Authorities.
"Engines Online" Said the smooth Feminine voice of the Ship's computer. "Capacitor Energy at 100%"
'Brilliant' thought Milo 'I did remember to charge her up after all' As he sat back and allowed the Autopilot to take him to the main Shuttleport, Milo thought about what the money from this job would get him. He'd be able to move to one of those s****y beach resorts on Planet Baden Baden. He would miss New Tokyo and it's bustling streets though. He’d just gotten used to eating Sushi when he woke up. 'Right, lets get this show on the road,' though Milo to himself.
"Incoming transmission" beeped the ship's computer
"Accept Transmission, switch to secure channel" muttered Milo.
"Ah Mr Straker, I see you are ready" said the slightly accented voice of Ozu Chiyol. 'The project Manager' Remembered Milo quickly.
"Afternoon Mr Chiyol, I trust you are well?"
"Yes Thankyou, you?"
"Well enough Mr Chiyol" replied Milo
"Land your ship on Pad Number 18. We will discuss matters there" said Ozu " we also need to get you kitted out."
"Kitted out?" remarked Milo Quizzically.
"You will see" replied Ozu "I did not mention this to you earlier, as I feared you might decline the Job"
"Mention what?"
" As I said you will have to wait and see, I do not want anyone intercepting this transmission"
"Fine, landing Pad 18?"
"Yes"
"Ok, I'll see you in a moment"
Milo Shivered as he Stepped out into the cold northern air, This didn't come as a surprise, as Milo had travelled several thousand kilometres north in a couple of hours. He would have to get a climate Equalizer. 'Something to get after this Job' he reminded himself.
"Ah Mr Straker, there you are" Turning, Milo saw the Tall, Thin figure of Ozu Chiyol.
"Good Afternoon Mr Chiyol, what is it you meant by kitting out?"
"For this particular job Mr Straker, weapons are required." Milo raised his eyebrows
"Weapons? Where exactly are these ruins?"
"In Uncharted space Mr Straker" Ozu gestured to some crates on the left-hand side of the landing Pad.
" I will have these fitted to your ship Mr Straker, Provided you are coming with us?"
Milo thought for a minute about the exotic Spas and beaches of Planet Baden Baden for a moment.
"Yes I'll do it. By the way is this Legal Mr Chiyol?"
"Of course" smiled Ozu "I have acquired permits for the weapons, and if all goes to plan, we shouldn't even need to use them."
"Good" said Milo. He tapped a passing repair droid on the Shoulder and gestured first to the Weapon crates, and secondly to his ship. The droid nodded, and ran over to the Crates.
"So talk me through this" he said as he sat down on an empty crate.
"It is not required" said Ozu Flatly, handing Milo a small Data Chip. "Enter this into your ship's computer, and your autopilot will do the rest."
"Ok, and the weapons?"
"We are passing through uncharted space infested with Corsairs. The weapons are merely a precaution."
"Fine, but a couple of Sunfrenzys Aren't going to help us against a Corsair raiding party"
"Ah, now let me introduce you to Mr Golding and Co. of the Bounty Hunter's guild. They have agreed to escort us to our desired destination"
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr Straker" said a Deep voice behind Milo. He turned and saw 2 Barracudas and a Hammerhead on the landing pad behind them.
"Engine silencers" said Golding, reading the look of Bafflement of Milo's face. "Helps us sneak up on Corsair Scum without them noticing us. I'll see you in space" Without another word, Golding turned on his Heel and strode towards his heavily armed hammerhead.
"An interesting Man, Golding" Remarked Ozu as he watched their escort take off " I met him several years ago" Before Milo could ask how Ozu had met the bounty Hunter, Ozu Cut in.
"Ah i see your ship is ready. I will expect to see your ship in orbit in several minutes" Ozu Turned and headed over to an armoured transport where several other scientists were waiting.
After Strapping himself into his ship, Milo checked his built-in Navmap. The waypoints lead through Honshu, Sigma 17 and Into several systems that Ozu had added Manually 'Uncharted space' He thought. The final waypoint was to the east of the Edge Nebula. That would be something to write about.
The Edge nebula itself hadn't been completely mapped yet, and so far all attempts to penetrate the Northeast of the nebula had failed. Jump-gates had failed on the spot, and Several lives had been lost when an Intersystem cruiser had had a Hull breach for no apparent reason in that area. Zooming in on his map, Milo could see a Jump hole in a new system that hadn't been there before. It was marked 'Kappa 7 --> Kappa 8'. The Nebula surrounding it was a one of a kind, and was partially the reason why this area of space was unmapped. It was the only presolar nebula discovered within Sirius. Most of the stars discovered in Sirius were either middle aged or End Stage stars. Only three New Stage stars had been discovered, and the only presolar star discovered had been Dubbed Shinju. There were no research stations based nearby however. Scanners and sensors Simply failed within the cloud, Asteroids were too Dense for a Large ship to pass through unscathed, and High Background radiation levels did not invite lingering. Even Outcasts and Corsairs avoided the place. Looking at the Hazard rating for the area, he read 0.3. The lowest he'd ever been to was 0.6, and that had been pretty terrifying. He pushed these thoughts to one side, and flicked the autopilot switch.

Here's Chapter 2. It's a bit more Exciting. Enjoy!




Edited by - Ruppetthemuppet on 3/6/2007 10:57:49 AM

“And then intelligence came back. Smaller and less bright, but still Intelligence. Awareness. The word comes back to us now. We are Happy. Yes that is it. We are Happy to be One again.

“Ah there you are”
“I was checking our waypoints Mr Chiyol”, Said Milo. “0.3 Space? When did you discover these Ruins?”
“Our Scanners picked them up about a Month ago.”
“How did you penetrate the Presolar Nebula?”
“With Difficulty Mr Straker.” Said Ozu “Now start your Autopilot and Link Formation with me. We are to meet Golding on Gas Miner Ogashawa”
“Isn’t that in Sigma 19?” Asked Milo.
“Yes, but the entire route is linked by Tradelanes. After that, we’ll need to use our Cruise Engines, Which is why-“
“We have Mr Golding” Cut in Milo “I’d worked that much out”
“There’s no need to be Rude Mr Straker, otherwise we may decide you are not to our satisfaction.” For some reason, the scientist’s voice sent a Shiver down his spine.
“Now Pay attention Mr Straker, we’re entering the Trade Lane.” The journey through New Tokyo was brief, and the advanced trade lane technology made their journey far shorter than it would’ve been several years ago. When they reached the Honshu jumpgate, Milo braced himself for the horrible Gut-Wrenching feeling that he got whenever he jumped between systems. He waited a minute, opened his eyes and relaxed. They Jumped. Travelling between star systems was not pleasant, even less so in a small civilian ship which isn’t big enough to support gyrostabilisers. Needless to say, what Milo felt when jumping from New Tokyo to Honshu was akin to being thrown in a catapult at a Castle wall, and then, at the last second being caught in a giant Net.
As they headed from the Jumpgate to the Tradelane ring that would bring them closer to their final destination, Milo noticed that several Kusari Gunboats and a Destroyer were cruising alongside them.
“Incoming transmission from: Naval Forces Alpha 5 dash 2” Droned the Ship’s Computer”
“Accept Transmission” replied Milo.
“This is Kusari Naval Forces Alpha 5 dash 2 to Civilian Beta 7 dash 1, I need to check that you have a permit for those weapons”
“Affirmative, I’m sending the Data Now.” Replied Milo
“Data received, everything seems to be in Order” came the reply
‘good’ thought Milo, ‘Ozu wasn’t giving me fake weapon permits after all, I still don’t trust him though’
A blip on Milo’s Radar broke his train of thought. It was red. That meant hostiles.
“Blood Dragons” came Ozu’s voice though his earpiece “Ignore them an carry on to the next waypoint” A Moment later, several successive hits drained Milo’s shield. He prayed to whatever Gods there were that it lasted until they reached the Tradelane.
“Shield Energy at 40%” Intoned the Ship’s computer “Incoming EMP Missile, Advise evasive action” Trying very hard not to panic, Milo flicked a switch on his left. A panel slid back at the top of his Starblazer, and a Jet propelled EM Countermeasure flare shot upwards, drawing the Missile away.
“Shield Energy at 30%” Damn, He’d left it too late, and had been caught in the explosion Radius. “Incoming EMP Missile, advise evasive action” To his horror, Milo realised that he hadn’t restocked on countermeasure. He was going to be hit, and when his shield was drained he would be ripped apart by Flak. Then they were away, Hurtling along the Tradelane to the Sigma 19 Jumpgate.
“That was too close” gasped Milo, Slumping into his Pilot’s chair.
“Nevertheless, we survived” replied Ozu, who’s ship seemed to have sustained minimal damage.
“Yeah, but another few seconds and I would’ve been sucking Vacuum “ Ozu did not reply. After another Gut wrenching Jumpgate Experience, Milo found himself engulfed by the blueness of the Hiryu cloud.
“Do the GMG have a strong presence here Mr Chiyol?”
“Yes, I believe so, they mine the H-Fuel found within this cloud. Why do you ask?”
“Because they’re all over my scanners.”
“Civilian Beat 8 dash one and escort please state your business in sigma 19” came the GMG pilot’s voice through Milo’s earpiece.
“We have an appointment with some ‘friends’ on Gas Miner Ogashawa.” Said Ozu Smoothly “I’m sending the Data Now.” A few moments later, the GMG pilot replied.
“Everything seems to be in order, you may proceed. Travel away from Tradelanes in this system is Not advised, as Corsair activity has doubled in the past two weeks”
“What did you send them?” asked Milo as they sped down the Tradelane towards gas Miner Ogashawa.
“That is for my colleagues and myself to know, and is none of your business” replied Ozu.
‘By the way your acting, it probably wasn’t legal.’ Thought Milo to himself.
“This is Civilian Transport and Escort requesting permission to dock with your station, over” Came Ozu’s voice though his earpiece.
“Affirmative, Proceed to dock 3” Came the reply
“Meet me in the bar Mr Straker, I will see you in about 10 minutes”
“Ok will we be meeting Golding there?”
“Yes and then we will be going, I want to get off this station as soon as possible.”
“Why ’s that?”
“That is also none of your business Mr Straker” Roughly 10 minutes later, Milo found himself in the bar off Gas Miner Ogashawa. It was surprisingly empty. Milo counted 6 people including himself. There was the Bartender, Ozu, Golding and two figures talking over a drink in the corner.
“Ah, Mr Straker we must go now Before-“
“Hey, you there” boomed a voice from behind them.
“Move, Now” commanded Ozu, but before they could reach the door a huge figure moved in front of the doorway.
“You owe the Boss Money Mr Ozu, came the voice from the figure looming above them. “You’re coming with me”
“ No I really don’t think so” came another voice. There was a flash and a thud. Milo opened his eyes. There was a huge figure lying across the floor, there was a small hole in his back, and standing over him, was the figure of Golding, with a smoking pistol in his hand.
“ We need to go, Now! If we act fast we can disappear into the nebula before the Authorities can discover the Body” Came the voice of Ozu.
“C’mon move!” came the voice of Golding. He gave Milo a sharp kick in the Ribs, “Move! or you’ll end up like the big one.”
“No, don’t kill him, we need him for this he can go in the hold of my transport”
“ Fine, but you’ll regret it later” Milo felt a jolt as he was hoisted onto the shoulders of Golding. He was too terrified to resist. He was in 0.4 space with some crazy scientists and a trigger happy bounty hunter who were planning to take him to an illegal Installation in Uncharted 0.0 space. He passed out.
What seemed seconds later he woke up. It was pitch black, he couldn’t move, and he could hear the low hum of an engine. Realising what had happened, he passed out again.
“Ah Mr Straker, are you awake?” came the voice of Ozu Chiyol. “ Ah yes, it seems you are fine, One of my scientists went as far as to suggest that you had entered a shock induced Coma.
“What is this?” Asked Milo Groggily
“You wish to know Mr Straker? Of course, you are a journalist. I neglected to tell you that you are part of an experiment, which will change and benefit the human race. The Alien Ruins discovered, I also neglected to tell you that there are signs of activity there Mr Straker.” Milo’s eyes Widened.
“But that would mean-“
“Yes Mr Straker, that Humankind would have been sharing Sirius with another Intelligent Race. What we could learn from them would be tremendous. Even if the ruins are empty, then the material they are made from would sell for trillions. It is practically invisible on every EM wavelength with the exception of visible light, It Absorbs everything we throw at it, Solids, Concentrated Laser fire, why it even swallowed one of our research staff when he flew too near it. If we could use this Material, we could Observe the cores of stars close hand, Drill Into the cores of planets to tap untold amounts of energy, we could even return to Sol and re-colonise the planets there. This Mr, Straker will affect how Humanity Thinks and behaves, in more ways than one. Will you join us Mr Straker, and Help us in our cause?”
“Do I have a Choice?” replied Milo as they hurtled towards the Kappa 8 Jumphole.

By The way is anyone actually bothering to read this?

Yes. Please Continue.

Good story so far, keep it up

Thanks, I'll have the next Chapter finished soon, but it might take a while. it's turning out longer than the Other two put together so far!

Sounds cool!

I Havn't finished Chapter 2 yet, but here's a little bit of the story. To keep the ball rolling, so to speak.

“Ah, it is good for us to remember again. The small minds. They fed us with life there is now energy in the Awareness to Move again…”
Several Minutes later, Milo found himself back in the Cargo hold of Ozu’s Armoured Transport. He couldn’t believe what these people were doing. They had constructed an Illegal research station in uncharted space, and were trying to work out how to successfully exploit some one-of-a-kind alien ruins. He still couldn’t see why they had involved him in the first place.
He sighed not knowing what to do next.
‘I suppose all I can do is wait’ He thought. Several Minutes later, there was a jolt and Milo was Slammed against some crates on the opposite side of the cargo hold. He slid to the floor, Unconscious.
It was a strange dream. He was floating in total blackness. But the darkness had Texture, and Substance and-
“What are you?” Thought Milo
“We are Awareness, We are Here” came the reply “The small minds have never contacted us in this way before, why are you doing this?”
“I don’t understand.” Replied Milo “What are you Talking about?”
“Why?” Milo flinched as he felt Something Icy probe at the edges of his thoughts.
“WHY?” Milo Tried to Scream, but he couldn’t The pain was too much, the Blackness was filling his lungs, He couldn’t breath…
He sat up with a jolt. He could recall pain, and Massive Entity, But nothing else.
He was still in the Cargo hold of the Transport, but the Engine had stopped. Perhaps they had reached their destination? He wondered how long he had been unconscious. One maybe Two Hours? He reached round to nurse the back of his head, and felt dried blood. No it had been longer than that..
“Anyone there?” He called. A moment Later, he heard the far off slamming of a door, and then the sound of someone descending the steps into the cargo hold. It was Golding. He looked none the worse for wear. Obviously he had been prepared for the jolt.
“What happened?” Groaned Milo “What was that Jolt?”
“The One about 4 hours ago? That was a Jumphole.”
“Why’d Ozu send you down here?”
“To check you were Ok. Can’t think why Ozu want you alive, but it’s guaranteed to be unpleasant. If I’d had my way you be back on Gas Miner Ogashawa with a Bullet between your eyes.”
“What do you mean Unpleasant?”
“Well, lets just say Ozu isn’t very nice when it comes to People like you.” Milo could swear he saw a smirk on the Bounty Hunter’s face as he watched him ascend the steps out of the Hold.

holy Sheet! this is an exellent story. looking for more

Hmmm, Sorry, it's not dead yet, but I have writer's Block, i need to take a vacation, then carry on. Currently I'm writing about 2 Lines a night, scribbling them out and writing another line. I'll get this chapter done eventually...