Song of the Void

”Past is a complicated thing and our memories of it are fallible. Even a psion with their better capacity at remembering things fall prey to some of the weaknesses that everyone else suffers from. We tend to remember only the details that we want to remember. If there was an argument, we only remember how badly the other party behaved. We conveniently forget any wrong we might have done that escalated the argument. On the other hand, when we face something terrible and traumatizing, our mind can either suppress it, or it can emphasize the bad things that happened to us. In either case, the memory is rarely accurate.

These are only the most extreme examples, but the remains that the mind has a million little tricks it can play on our memories, and none of our memories are truly accurate. The degree to which they are false can change, but the memories have strayed from true events and will continue to do so over time. We often don’t like to think this is true about the most important and pivotal moments of our lives, but we generally have trouble accepting truths that are…inconvenient.”

- High Ambassador of the Mrrroww

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Considering the fact that she had just found a rather important piece of information among the memories she was storing, Selendil realized that she would have to dedicate some time for going over some of the memories that she had been avoiding so far. There might be more important messages hidden in there that she had no idea about. Going through so many memories would be a time-consuming process though, and now was not the right time. They had other issues to deal with first. The fact that she was a little bit relieved by that fact had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Selendil took the transparent cube holding the already activated power core to the section of the ship where the main power generator was located. She extracted a glowing orb out of the cube and levitated it towards the heart of the generator that suddenly started coming to life. Dozens of protective layers of crystalline metal moved away from the path of the orb, as the whole system seemed to peel open like an onion. As the orb found the center of all those layers, the protective layers all slid back into place, forming a solid sphere levitating in the center of a large receptacle that looked like thin fingers of metal gingerly holding something extremely fragile in place.

“Notice to everyone on the ship. In a few moments, the power will go down for a few moments as I divert the power from the auxiliary cores to containing the activation of the main power core. Do not be alarmed. The support beacons will keep most of the lights and low power systems operational, though I would advise against using them more than necessary. The power will come back very soon and we can all return to normal operating procedure.” Nox announced to everyone aboard the ship. They had been notified of this possibility before, so no one was doing anything that could not be interrupted. Or if someone was, then it would be their own mistake.

Selendil exerted her significant psionic power to take control of the system. This was one of the reasons these power cores were somewhat useless to other races, as they could only be activated by someone with great psionic potential that could integrate with the ship’s systems and had enough skill in temporal and spatial control to contain what was about to happen. The ship’s systems shut down as the auxiliary power cores directed their energies to maintaining the process that Selendil was about to begin.

As the stasis holding the power core in check was released. For a nano-second, the energies of the initial grand explosion that signified the birth of a new universe were unleashed. The energy unleashed was easily enough to wipe out a large portion of this galaxy and more. Yet that energy seemed to move outwards at a speed so slow that it seemed to not be moving at all. The time affecting that explosion had been slowed to such extremes that it was almost as if it had never left the stasis at all. The power generator happily started gathering the energy being unleashed by the explosion, and the process of controlling that explosion was handed over to the auxiliary power cores.

Selendil gave a small mental sigh. Activating the power was always a bit of a delicate process. Even she would be hard pressed to survive if the activation was not handled correctly. She looked at the orb that was spinning in place and looked like a miniature sun despite the dozen layers of material between her and the explosion. Except this sun shined brighter than a hundred supernovas. Anyone else looking straight at the core would be blinded, which is why the whole room was isolated from everything else. Well that and some security reasons. “So. Activation successful?”

“Quite. I’m still amazed at some of the things the Dhar do, even after all these years.” Nox commented dryly. This was not something that could be controlled with the capacity of even the best AI.

“How’s the output?” Selendil asked. Re-using a core would always yield worse results than starting a fresh one, but it was still much better than anything else they had ever developed.

"The energy output is at 60% and rising. I'm pretty confident that we can reach 75% once the process stabilizes. Perhaps a bit more if we do some optimization." Nox did some quick calculations and estimations.

“It seems the core is still relatively fresh then. I had the feeling when I activated it, but such things are a bit hard to estimate while trying to contain a power of that magnitude.” Selendil mused. The power output usually degraded the more the core had been used before.

As the power flowed back into the ship, the systems all came back alive and some people noticed the difference immediately. Amaterasu was using the scanners to check for incoming hostile vessels when the power went out and suddenly the range of the scanners reached ten times as far. Now the scanners could reach into phase space and detected the approaching Dawn Collective vessels that would arrive in less than ten hours. A fact that she reported immediately. “We’ll be getting some company soon. Well. Soon-ish. These new scanners can reach really far.”

“The structural integrity field has come operational, and most of the weapon systems are responding. The primary weapons are still offline, most likely due to degradation in the system. The energy is reaching them, but the weapons do not work correctly. It might be just a case of needing to realign the foci. Or some of the systems might need replacements entirely, in which case it will take longer to fix. I’m already having the support beacons look into it.” Nox reported as all the systems gained power.

“The engines?” Selendil asked.

“The phase drive seems perfectly operational, but we will need to really test the warp engines to know how far we can reach. Sub-light drives are working at full capacity.” Nox replied after a small check.

“Good enough for now. We’re going to have to spend some time idling after this anyway, to allow our crew members to resolve their issues, and I need to go through more of the memories. That will give us time to run tests and perform repairs. Prepare to receive our guests when they arrive, and let’s get this thing over and done with.” Selendil stated while making the final touches on the newly operational power core.

The battle that followed the arrival of the Dawn Collective ships that arrived from outside the system was extremely short. The Enduring Symphony also showed their synthetic enemy why void shields had been deemed inadequate by both Dhar and their subordinates. The void shields surrounded the protected vessel in a spherical shape that left plenty of space between the shield and the ship itself. Selendil had the ship fire several missiles that were designed with a single purpose in mind, to perform a single micro phase jump, jumping from outside the void shield to the inside, bypassing the shield entirely.

“That’s…huh. Didn’t think of that.” Amaterasu commented, as she realized the tactical implications. “How are they making phase jumps so close to enemy ships and without being affected by the gravity well?”

“The reason is fairly simple. The missiles are barely entering phase space. The jump they perform is so short that they barely skim phase space without really even entering it properly. The effects of gravity and spatial disturbances are greatly reduced as a result. It’s not a simple process though. I’m sure you will start developing your own version immediately, but in the beginning, you will be losing the vast majority of the missiles. It's also challenging to make such superficial jumps accurate enough to get in-between the shield and the hull of the ship, but both of those issues can be improved upon with constant development and iteration.” Nox explained.

“Those missiles turn ships surprisingly fragile.” Xiaoli also commented. “I didn’t even realize how much most ships relied on the shields.” They all realized that this simple display might have changed the power balance in the galaxy completely. The races that were the first to react to the change would be making the biggest gains as well. That was usually the case when it came to new technologies though.

“Speak for yourself. We actually have put some effort into developing ship armor that can take a punch. Not too many focused punches mind you, but still.” Amaterasu said a little smugly.

Moonshadow also nodded in agreement. They also had decent armor technology. “That said, in defense of the enemy, I doubt any missiles shot by this ship are comparable to what our missiles can do.”

“That is a fair assumption to make.” Nox said with a slight tone of self-satisfaction.

“Shut it you. It’s not like you took part in the development.” Selendil teased the AI.

“Perhaps not, but I’m the one firing them and flying them. So there’s that.” Nox shot back.

The rest of their time in the system was peaceful, as the enemy realized that it might be more advantageous to not resist. The virus was deployed successfully and Nox and Haven released their control over the enemy ships once it had spread. The change didn’t seem that large for them as the enemy still couldn’t move, but they knew it would make a large difference in other systems once the virus spread far enough. Since their business in the system was done, the ship simply warped back to Haven. The trip had not gone exactly as planned, but the results had been much better than anyone had expected.

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“I realize that many of you are eager to get to your business, but something came up during our visit to the facility that you should be aware of.” Selendil looked meaningfully at Amaterasu and Moonshadow. The two were eager to get to their people. They wanted to get a jump on the situation. The whole crew had gathered in one of the hangars again. “We recovered a large amount of nanites from the facility, and some of these nanites are designed to be used for people. I’ve noted that the nanites in your bodies, if you even have any, are frankly quite bad. I’ve arranged the nanites to be taken to the medbay, where they can be administered by Khaemwaset.”

“Something that you should take note of. These nanites are fairly aggressive and are designed to make improvements to their host bodies, so you might want to reserve some time for the process to run its course. You’re going to be spending several days in bed while the nanites start doing the work. The nanites will be working constantly for the rest of your lives, but the first few days are always the worst as the changes will be the most drastic.” Nox advised the others.

“What kind of improvements are we talking about?” Xiaoli asked a little worried. “I’m not sure I want head-tails, as fetching as they look on you Selendil.”

Selendil made a small amused sound. “In this case, since none of you have gone through such improvements before, expect improvements in everything.”

“Everything? I think I’m going to need some concrete examples.” Xiaoli insisted. She was the most in favor of any mechanical self-improvement, but she also liked to be in control of such things. She also had several mechanical parts that she needed to worry about.

“There won’t likely be any changes in appearance, except those that come as a result of being more healthy. Your insides are going to change rather comprehensively though. Every cell in your body will be improved. Stronger, faster, harder, more accurate, and perhaps the best part, improvements in the speed at which your nervous system operates. I’m not going to lie, it’s going to take some getting used to. Well, from what I’ve heard anyway. But I don’t think there’s anything about any of you that will not work more effectively once the nanites are done.” Selendil explained.

“That’s just the improvements the nanites will make. Once they’re somewhat done with that, they will also help your body operate more effectively in many ways. For example, they will be breaking down certain substances to improve stamina or storing the energy you get from food, so that you will not run out so easily. You will be functionally immune to most diseases and poisons and can regenerate most injuries in a relatively short time. Oh, and you won't age anymore of course.” Nox added as an afterthought.

“Wait, wait, wait, that last part seemed kind of relevant.” Amaterasu blurted a little breathlessly. “What do you mean we won’t age?”

“Well, aging is the result of your body degrading. The nanites will counter any such degradation, so yeah, no aging. Do note that this doesn’t mean you’re immortal. There are a million ways to die anyway, and at some point the ravages of time can’t be stopped with just nanites. They have limits as well. All bodies have an expiry date. The nanites simply push that date back and make sure that you’ll be at peak condition until then.” Nox replied.

“Won’t that make my job kind of redundant?” Khaemwaset asked.

“No. The most obvious reason is that not everyone on the ship will always be a crew member. Secondly, I said most diseases. That doesn’t mean all, and that doesn’t even account for all the other reasons a person might end up in your care, like exposure to radiation. Thirdly, you’ll still need to take care of the patients while the nanites are fixing the damage as well. They won’t just instantly regenerate all damage. Besides, just because the nanites will fight off diseases, that doesn’t mean your bodies won’t react as well. You’ll be treating the symptoms, even if the diseases will be taken care of. You’ll have less work, yes, but that doesn’t mean no work.” Selendil specified.

“So my allergies?” Lilly asked slightly worried, but also hopeful.

“Depends. Most likely they will be gone thanks to the upgrades, but some of it might remain. There’s a mental component to such things as well. And like I said, just because the substance will no longer cause damage to you, your body won’t necessarily know that. The reaction will be smaller in any case.” Selendil pointed out.

The leader of the tree-like Guardians raised a hand in question. Selendil knew what the question would be and answered it directly. “Yes, the nanites will work on you too. They were not designed with your type in mind, but the nanites are very adaptable. I’m not entirely sure what all the effects will be, but they will not harm you.”

“I volunteer as a first test subject!” Amaterasu announced eagerly. The Illum were more experienced with nanites than others, so she knew the great effects they could have and had no fear of the changes.

“I’ll have to send some messages back home first.” Moonshadow said with a frowny face. Sometimes it was annoying to be so conscientious.

“The medbay can handle only a certain number of people at a time anyway, and I’d like to keep everyone monitored while you go through the procedure. If it really takes a few days, then it will take weeks to get through everyone.” Khaemwaset announced loudly. The crew members were already lining up to get their turn. Although they had been worried at first, that worry had passed once Amaterasu volunteered and got the ball rolling. The lure of near immortality was too much to resist after all.

“Well, that’s all I had. You’re free to go now.” Selendil said, though no one was listening anymore. She simply shrugged and teleported back inside the main portion of the ship.

"You didn't mention anything about the mess they would be making," Haven commented with an amused voice.

"That hardly seemed relevant. It's a small price to pay when compared to the benefits. Naturally, there would be some waste products as a result of the process. It's their own fault for not realizing that.” Selendil defended herself. The two AIs knew she was not being entirely truthful. The Dhar Keeper would derive quite a bit of pleasure from the discomfort the others were about to go through.

“It’s all fun and games until they make a mess on the ship. I’m not going to tolerate the smell.” Nox stated firmly.

“It’s also a bit cruel not to mention that they will have the worst runs of their entire lives for several days as their bodies purge all that waste material. All the dead tissue and the side products of the whole process that they will be sweating out of every pore on their skin will be much better, although still unpleasant.” Haven pointed out.

“Blergh! Speak for yourself. At least they will most likely know to head for the toilets when the runs hit. That oily substance on their skin will be getting all over the ship no matter what though.” Nox made a disgusted sound.

“You know, it might have been slightly cruel to let Amaterasu be the first one to go through the process. Her dignity as an Empress will be taking a hit.” Haven pointed out.

“That’s exactly why I let her go first. She’s not the Empress while on this ship. She’s the First Officer, or whatever they want to call that job. Besides, that same dignity might have prevented her from doing it if she knew the full extent of what to expect.” Selendil stated a little smugly.

“She might actually have some idea. She’s the one with the best nanites aside from Moonshadow so far that we’ve seen.” Nox argued a bit.

“I don’t think so. Those are just supportive nanites. She might have a hunch, but she doesn’t really know. But she will know very soon.” Haven countered the argument.

“Do you think they might try to get back at you for this?” Nox questioned after a bit.

"I doubt it," Selendil replied. "The process might not be pleasant, but once the worst is over, they will feel the benefits clearly. It's hard to carry a grudge while being grateful at the same time. But if they do, let them try.”