Admiral Haverson looked at his assembled staff, tapping a pen on the table. He had several guests, appearing as holograms, that normally wouldn't be present at a Space Force Naval briefing, just like he and his officers wouldn't be present at any briefing they would normally give. The holograms were still on the middle of the table but it was all mathematics and formula.
Haverson prized his education, he had the equivalent of a Masters in ecological geography, he knew how astrogation and astrophysics worked, he'd been taught hyper-mathematics at the Academy.
None of that helped with those equations and barely helped with the briefing so far.
The pen quit tapping.
"All right. So you've given us the science. Since so of us are vacuum suckers and infantry and tankers and chanecks, you think you can simplify it for us, Doctors?" Haverson asked.
There was so light laughter at that.
One of the Doctors brightened and solidified their holopresence slightly, a thod the academics used to signify who was speaking and who had the floor.
"Thirty-one systems protected from Precursor attacks on the leading edge of the so called 'Outer Rim Systems' bordering the Long Dark are all showing the sa events," the speaker, Doctor Scott, stated calmly. He didn't stand, confined to a wheelchair, but his voice was strong and firm.
"Each of those systems had an atomic detonation soon after we refused to turn the systems back over to the Lanaktallan corporations and the Unified Systems Council, correct?" General Nodra'ak asked.
"Precisely. There was a hyperpulse to an unknown destination, tight beam broadcast, from a hidden transmitter array which was subsequently destroyed by atomics right after the broadcast," Doctor Scott said. He lifted up a bottle and took a pull from the straw to wet his throat. "We have been unable to decode the hyperpulse because it is a fairly simple signal. Just a bleat of code in the upper hyperpulse FTL bands. These bands are usually the easiest discovered but use up a lot of energy to reach, as well as having a hyperspace flare that can be seen by any ship with hyperspace detectors."
"The reason we don't use it. Too easily detected, blocked, and intercepted," Admiral Renvelate, a Terran female with her lower jaw replaced by a warsteel cybernetic implant.
"Correct, Admiral," Doctor Scott said.
"Where was the pulse directed to?" Haverson asked.
"That we can't tell. We didn't have hyperspace detector arrays set up around those systems. A problem which I comnd your colleagues for addressing in the systems we have a presence," Doctor Scott said. "The pulse was not strong to reach too far before dropping from hyperspace into real space. A half-light year at the most."
"The Precursors have a habit of hanging around outside of systems. Could it have sohow been directed toward one of them?" Admiral Krikov asked, pointing at the sector map with a strip of smoked and dehydrated at.
"That would assu they, whoever they are, would want to talk to a Precursor. Additionally, examining Precursor wreckage does not suggest they have the ability to detect hyperpulses. The signal would do no good to them," Another scientist said. A Rigellian by the na of Essessel, an expert in Precursor engineering and technology.
"I think we can safely assu 'they' are the Unified Councils," General of the tal Antilles growled.
"Without proof we cannot confirm that hypothesis," Another scientist, a Treana'ad who went by Jack Hope, said. "Without proof any conjecture would naturally be flawed by gaps in the data matrix. That could lead to Space Force training to fight the wrong enemy which would lead to disaster."
Reluctantly the gathered staff officers nodded. That was always a risk. Too many tis a military had trained and perfected weapons and tactics for the previous war they had fought, only to be confounded by a new enemy in a new terrain with different equipnt.
"Precursors would not account for the additional evidence we have collected," Essessel stated.
"The solar anomalies," Haverson said.
"Exactly. Now, with standard star photosphere functions you can reasonably use this formula," A Naverok by the na of Vissaga Christie stated, highlighting a set of formula.
"That's where you lose ," Haverson said.
Christie sighed, her neck fronds ruffling. "Very well. What we have observed and gathered evidence of is a sunspot, each ti on the upper 45 degree angle on the Z-axis of the star that holds position despite the stellar mass's rotation. Over ti it has been shrinking steadily and the other anomaly his increased," Vissaga said. She turned to Malgossa, a DS that took the shape of an attractive Pure Strain Human made out streaming code and wearing a business suit.
Malgossa brightened and highlighted so formula. "As you can see gravitic energy has increased as the sunspot has contracted and darkened. It follows the 45 degree angle from the 'northern' hemisphere of the stellar body. In each case it follows the sa degree of sunspot contraction and gravitic increase."
"It's coming from an external force," Krikov guessed.
"Even if it is coming from so kind of device we cannot detect within the star itself it still must reach another point with the express purpose of allowing that outside object to utilize the gravitic energy," Malgossa answered. "But for what purpose, I don't know."
Admiral Fire Bones, a Cyborg Collective mber, suddenly sat up.
"Wait!" he rumbled. He started tapping on his keyboard. "Wait just a mont. I know this," he looked around. "I have a PhD in Technological History, I've seen that gravitic formula before."
Monts passed as the big cyborg, a decorated Admiral and forr Marine General kept typing. "OK, it's not in the database. I need you to look at the gravitic ion drive in the archives. It was a theoretical drive of Ancient Terra, per-Diasporia, that was abandoned because the amount of energy it would take was literally astronomical."
The various scientists looked down, all of them accessing library and archive functions they had available.
Christie looked up, making a tossing motion. The formula appeared, using Lost Terra mathematical equations. "I forget how innovative and curious homo-sapiens is. Despite being unable to use it, the formula is suprisingly well docunted, researched, and examined despite never being put to practical testing.," the Naverok said. She gave a sigh, vibrating her crests, which had gone orange as they were flushed with blood. "Yes, with those energy readings and gravitic forces you could, theoretically reach FTL speeds."
"Soone's coming," Haverson growled.
"Not necessarily," Dr. Hope stated. "Without further evidence I cannot," he paused. "Wait."
He brought up other formula. The scientists all nodded, muttering quietly to one another.
"There is enough evidence to concur that sothing is indeed 'coming' as you put it," the Treana'ad stated. "As the sunspot tightens, the energy increases, which, if you account for the gravity well of the stellar mass as well as the orbital bodies, compensates for what would normally cause a slowing effect using that particular thod of gravitic FTL."
"Which system has the smallest sunspot and the tightest gravitic beam?" Haverson interrupted.
Doctor Scott consulted a computer display to his left.
"Telkan."
--------------------------
Rear Admiral T'kik'tak O'Malley jerked awake from a pleasant dream of finding a beautiful female dancing in a truck full of many many different flavors of ice cream. His personal com-link was beeping an annoying grating sound and he reached up with one blade-arm to open the link, almost poking himself in the eye.
"O'Malley here, go ahead," the Treana'ad said, forgetting to use him Terran growl.
"Admiral Yamamoto's complints, Admiral. All Task Force Commanders are to report to a briefing in twenty shipboard minutes," A Comtech answered.
O'Malley could feel the faint vibration of the massive fusion engines of his ship as he threw off his sleeping cloths.
"We are underway, what's our destination?" he snapped, rembering his accent.
"Telkan, at ergency flank speed. They just broadcasted a Case-Omaha," The Comtech said.
That got O'Malley to flail his way out of bed and through the sleeping chamber door. He barely managed to snag his sash and pouch on the way out, rushing down the hallway and pulling them over his head.
Case-Omaha.
"I am being invaded with overwhelming strength including planetary landings and am in need of ALL the assistance."
-------------------------
Vice Admiral Fullcreek stared at his display screen, watching the feed from the probe.
Three things had happened and once. The sunspot had tattered and begun to break up. The gravitic corridor had vanished.
And a dark spot had appeared inside the system, between the outermost planetary orbit and the Oort Cloud.
Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three tis is enemy action, he thought to himself.
He had ordered a probe launched. High speed burn then run dark until it neared any type of mass. Then it was to jettison its particle cover and use passive systems first until ordered to use full sensors or if it detected energy signatures.
The probe had detected a mass and had used reaction thrusters of compressed xenon gas and faint electrical current.
The probe ejected the debris cover and the caras oriented.
Fullcreek stared for a long mont, shocked by what had appeared on the viewscreen. His reflexes, driven into muscle mory and his hindbrain by decades of Space Force Naval service, reacted and he transmitted the orders for the entire Task Force to go to Action Stations.
He was staring, he couldn't pull his eyes away, he couldn't really understand what he was seeing as his second set of reflexes kicked in and ordered his Comtech to broadcast and imdiate Case-Omaha to all nearby stations and Space Force Sector Command.
At first it looked like a fuzzy expanding multicolored blob.
Then smaller things beca identifiable. Like how the cloud was spreading out as the smaller objects spread away from the large solid center. How the dium sized objects ejected smaller objects. How the largest object was miles long. The dium ones approximately a mile. How the smaller ones ranged from a few hundred ters to almost a kiloter.
How all of them were unfolding vast solar sails. Unfurling tentacles. Ejecting bioplasma from their rear sections to use as propellant.
How the objects were pulsating with obscene life.
Admiral Fullcreek turned from his briefing room, heading for the Fleet Bridge, as the ship went to full alert.
-----------------------
Corporal Vuxten, Terran Confederate Space Force Marine Corps, ducked under the laser as it swept overhead, using his datalink to order the two purrbois with him to deploy chaff. The Fido was struggling to its three remaining feet, unlimbering a missile launcher from its back.
"Second squad, rocket pack on that Precursor Gobbler ch," Vuxten snapped. He was about to give a second order when the simulation suddenly flashed red three tis and then dissolved.
Before he could ask what was going on, like his two squads of Telkan Marines were starting to, his datalink trilled and words appeared in his vision.
CASE OMAHA! CASE OMAHA! CASE OMAHA!
He had to consult his datalink and when he saw the aning he imdiately overrode his n's conversations.
VUXTEN - REPORT TO COMPANY COMMANDER
"Everyone to the barracks. Gear up. Full combat kit, extended operations. Squad leaders, take headcount then get them to the armory for full loadup," Vuxten snapped. He didn't bother to double-check, his n had beco well trained in the year since the Precursor attack had ended. Instead he hurried out of the simulator and headed down the hallway, moving at fast walk.
Around him others stread toward their assigned areas.
Vuxten took the ti to ping his wife, sending her a quick ssage that he loved her. He sent it as her ssage arrived to him.
Telkan was being invaded.
Again.
--------------
Brentili'ik looked up as the words CASE - OMAHA flashed in her vision three tis. Colonel Harvey, the local Space Force Liaison and forr commander of Refugee Camp Osmium, looked up from his desk.
Brentili'ik was already going through the checklist of her responsibilities. Signal local military command. Colonel Harvey nodded as he got Brentili'ik's ping, knowing that the far away look in her eyes ant that she might not have seen it he pinged an acknowledgent. Unlock all ergency civilian shelters. Alert all Civil Defense Leaders.
Activate the Ergency Broadcast System.
She was already with Colonel Harvey, working on a plan to teach the broodcarriers basic iconography. Initial tests had gone well, the broodcarriers learning and retaining the information.
"What is happening?" Brentili'ik asked the lean Terran.
"We're being invaded."
"Precursors?" Brentili'ik asked, feeling her stomach clench.
Harvey shook his head. "I don't know. They'll be here in hours. Admiral Fullcreek is moving to engage but he wants all civilians in the deep shelters and the military to go full alert," Harvey said.
"Lanaktallans?" Brentili'ik asked.
"We don't know," Harvey said. He looked at her square. "Missus Brentili'ik, you need to go see to your podlings and broodcarriers as well coordinate with Civil Defense."
"My place is here," Brentili'ik said.
"Your husband is Marine Corps, you have no other relatives on planet. Do you want your broodcarriers and podlings too frightened to get to the shelters quickly?" Harvey asked.
"But other people's broodcarriers and podlings rely on also," Brentili'ik said.
"Fullcreek believes it will be at least eight hours. Get your family into the shelters, Brentili'ik, that's a direct order," Harvey snapped. "Be back in two hours to assu your duties."
Brentili'ik stood straight up, touched her paw to her brow, and hurried away.
Harvey was right. Her family needed her.
But so did others.
The conflicting emotions twisted her stomach as she ran out to her ground car.
Citizenship is a heavy burden.
--------------------
TELKAN GESTALT
Um, what is that? Does anyone know what it is?
---NOTHING FOLLOWS------
CLONE WORLDS DIRECTORATE
What? What is THAT? Bio, you know anything about that?
------NOTHING FOLLOWS-----
BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENT SYSTEMS
HOLY GENE AND CHROMOSO! What in the nine nas of the Holy Geno is that?
------NOTHING FOLLOWS---------
TELKAN GESTALT
It's coming my way. It doesn't look friendly. Everyone's getting to shelters.
CASE OMAHA CASE OMAHA CASE OMAHA
Um, what was that?
------NOTHING FOLLOWS-----
MANTID FREE WORLDS
That was an ergency gestalt alert, dear one.
Case Omaha? Soone get TERRAN CONFEDMIL in here!
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS-------
CYBERNETIC ORGANISM COLLECTIVE
But what IS that thing? What are all of they?
------NOTHING FOLLOWS------
DOKI! DOKI DOKI NEKO NEKO NEKO!
WWWWAAARRRRRGGGGGH!!!
DOKI DOKI DOKI DOKI!
DWELLERSPAWN!
----WE ARE JOAN-------
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
Dwellerspawn? What in the na of the sweet cone are dwellerspawn?
Hey, get back here! Soone grab her!
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS------
DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
SHE BIT !
DOKIDOKIDOKIDOKI
GRAB HER!
---NTHNIONG FOLLWS----
RIGELLIAN COMPACT
OW! SHE KICKED DOKI RIGHT IN THE NOSE!
-----NOTHING DOKI DOKI DOKI FOLLOWS----
MANTID FREE WORLDS
HOLY EGG! SHE'S ON FIRE! SHE JUST BURST INTO FLA!
SOONE
>OSIRIS has entered the chat - SOLNET IP OUT OF RANGE
********
THE CRUSADE OF THE EYE
??? ?? ????? ??.
??, ?? ??????? ?????. ?????? ???? ???? ????. ??? ????? ???? ???? ? ????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???????.
???? ??? ????????????.
?????? ?? ??? ???????? ????? ???????? ???.
********
DOKI DOKI DOKI
WAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!
NEKO DOKI NEKO DOKI
DWELLERSPAWN! DWELLERSPAWN! DWELLERSPAWN!
BURN! BURN! BURN!
HAMRTI HAMRTI HAMRTI
WAAAAAAARGH!
WE ARE JOAN!
DOKI DOKI DOKI
-----BURN BURN BURN------
>CRUSADE OF THE EYE HAS LEFT THE CHAT (CORRUPT SOLNET IP)
CLONE DIRECTORATE
OSIRIS? I thought he was dead! Nobody seen him in like six thousand years. It's gotta be soone else using that na.
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS-------
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
WHAT THE FUCK IS A DWELLERSPAWN?
(Damn, my hand hurts. The little weirdo bit )
----NOTHING FOLLOWS----
TELKAN GESTALT
I think these.
CASE OMAHA CASE OMAHA CASE OMAHA
I... I might need everyone.
CASE OMAHA
Uh... please co in and we need assistance.
----NOTHING FOLLOWS-----
TERRAN CONFEDERACY MILITARY GESTALT
HOLD THE LINE, BROTHERS! WE ARE COMING!
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS-----
TERRASOL
We hear your cry and we are coming to your aid.
Bound by blood and steel.
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS------
MANTID FREE WORLDS
How... how did she break 83.54% of the food processors on the planet?
----NOTHING FOLLOWS------
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