NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54: Remnants?
A.N: A shorter one today cause i spoiled you during the weekend.
Lelouch stood tall in the observation gallery of the Star Forge, his hands clasped behind his back. Below, clusters of technicians worked diligently, pouring over holographic displays of blueprints, production models, and system logs. The room was abuzz with quiet murmurs and the hum of machines, punctuated by the occasional beep from a console.
The holographic projections bathed the chamber in a pale blue glow, casting long shadows that danced across the polished floor. Lelouch's piercing violet gaze swept across the scene, noting the efficiency of his personnel. He exuded an air of calm authority that subtly urged everyone to push their limits.
Among the technicians, a younger officer paused mid-scroll. His brow furrowed, and he let out a thoughtful, "Hmm." The sound was barely audible over the ambient noise, but it carried enough weight to disrupt Lelouch's focus. The High General tilted his head slightly and began walking towards the source of the sound, his presence commanding the attention of everyone nearby.
"What have you found?" Lelouch asked, his tone measured but firm.
The technician stiffened before stepping aside, gesturing toward his console. "Sir, I noticed something odd in the Star Forge's logs. Everything seems to be in perfect order until approximately 3,900 years ago. That's when the logs report a catastrophic shutdown caused by multiple system and structural integrity failures."
Lelouch leaned forward slightly, studying the holographic log entries. The technician scrolled further, revealing entries marked with irregular timestamps.
"Look here, sir," the technician continued, pointing to a set of faintly glowing entries. "These entries begin around 3,600 years ago—long after the supposed shutdown—and continue intermittently for centuries, even up to 900 years ago. They're serialized data packets attempting to transmit information to the Star Forge."
Lelouch narrowed his eyes, his voice edged with curiosity. "And what became of these transmissions?"
"Failed," the technician said, scrolling through the logs. "The Star Forge lacked the structural integrity or defenses to allow safe receipt of external data during that period. It appears the attempts were abandoned after repeated failures, but..."
"But?" Lelouch prompted, his tone growing sharper.
The technician hesitated, then pointed to the source pings embedded within the log entries. "There are consistent pings from multiple sources over the years. It's feasible that the technology attempting to connect shares an origin with the Star Forge itself or... comes directly from it. Perhaps embedded protocols calling back to a 'home' network upon activation."
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Log Entry [#001458920] – Timestamp: -3622.48 Galactic Standard Years
TRANSMISSION ATTEMPT DETECTED. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Packet Serial Number: 738B-00F4-13DA. Transmission: Failed. No viable connection established.
Log Entry [#001458924] – Timestamp: -3621.23 Galactic Standard Years
TRANSMISSION ATTEMPT DETECTED. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Packet Serial Number: 738B-00F4-13DA. Transmission: Failed. System integrity below threshold.
Log Entry [#004203621] – Timestamp: -901.11 Galactic Standard Years
PING DETECTED. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Packet Serial Number: 945C-22BA-772F. Status: Inactive connection. No data received.
Log Entry [#001469382] – Timestamp: -3501.32 Galactic Standard Years
TRANSMISSION ATTEMPT DETECTED. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Packet Serial Number: 847D-01E5-24BC. Transmission: Failed. Insufficient system power for data processing.
Log Entry [#002304893] – Timestamp: -3299.87 Galactic Standard Years
PING DETECTED. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Status: No active response detected. Potential interference from external sources.
Log Entry [#003201076] – Timestamp: -1204.45 Galactic Standard Years
ANOMALY DETECTED. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Packet Serial Number: 559E-17C3-88DF. Description: Partial data received. Fragment content: "Protocol Aegis initialized. Awaiting homeworld directive." Note: Transmission terminated due to system instability.
Log Entry [#004500172] – Timestamp: -902.66 Galactic Standard Years
RETRY TRANSMISSION. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Packet Serial Number: A12F-39BD-07EA. Transmission: Failed. Target system unreachable. Query repeated at 120-second intervals for 14 days before cessation.
Log Entry [#004603290] – Timestamp: -900.04 Galactic Standard Years
SYSTEM PING DETECTED. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Status: Star Forge structural integrity below 15%. Transmission blocked for safety.
Log Entry [#005200601] – Timestamp: -125.77 Galactic Standard Years
SIGNAL DETECTED. Source ID: Encrypted – Origin Unknown. Packet Serial Number: 738B-00F4-13DA. Description: "Primary cycle complete. Data cache ready. Awaiting uplink." Response: No uplink established. No data cache detected.
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The logs flickered, and the technician swiped to the next set of pings, the eerie consistency of their timestamps growing more apparent.
Lelouch stood silently for a moment, his mind racing. "Someone or something has been trying to communicate with the Star Forge for millennia. The nature of this technology suggests a connection deeper than we initially assumed. It cannot be ignored."
Suddenly, Lelouch's posture shifted, his hands rising as he reached out with the Force. His eyes glowed faintly, the air in the chamber growing heavy. The technicians stumbled as the floor vibrated, the station responding to its new master's will.
Behind Lelouch, a shadowy figure emerged, its silhouette twisted and avian-like—Tzeentch, the Architect of Fate. Its luminous hand gestured sharply, and the illusion of a grand library appeared. Thousands of books swirled around them, pages fluttering as if caught in a storm. With an abrupt halt, two massive tomes floated forward, their covers ancient and ornate, bound with shimmering chains of light.
"This is every piece of knowledge I have regarding the periods between 3,900 to 3,600 years ago. Given the start of the abnormal activity, something that happened during this time set it off." Tzeentch rasped, its voice reverberating like a thousand whispers.
"The time period aligns with the Old Republic and the Sith Empire. It's likely that one or both of them stumbled upon remnants or byproducts of the Star Forge—or perhaps something of a similar origin. They tinkered, tried to replicate its capabilities, and eventually created something that... worked." Lelouch said as he glanced at the book, the knowledge flashing before his eyes in but a fraction
He gestured toward the display, emphasizing the serialized packets on the holographic screen. "Whatever it was, it recognized its connection to this station and attempted to call home. The Star Forge's systems, however degraded, responded—though clearly unable to do much about it. These logs are evidence of that. What intrigues me, however, is not the attempts themselves but what might be embedded in these protocols."
One of the technicians, a younger clone with his helmet clipped to his side, raised a cautious hand. "High General, are you saying these logs might still be useful?"
Lelouch turned to face him fully, an enigmatic smile curling at his lips. "Useful? Potentially invaluable. Consider this—if those auxiliary protocols were designed to retrieve information from any network they were connected to, they may have gathered data from the very systems of the Sith Empire or the Old Republic. If even one of these packets is still active somewhere in the galaxy—perhaps powered down in some long-abandoned base—it could serve as our gateway to unimaginable knowledge."
The room fell silent for a moment, the technicians and officers exchanging thoughtful glances.
A grizzled officer finally broke the silence, skepticism tinging his voice. "And if we find these packets... do you believe what they might contain would be relevant to us today? The galaxy has changed a lot since those times."
Lelouch chuckled softly, tapping his boot against the station floor with a measured rhythm. "Don't underestimate the Old Republic or the Sith Empire. They were monsters in their own right—vastly more advanced than most of what the galaxy can manage today in certain matters. If there's even a fraction of their knowledge to be gleaned, it will be worth the effort."
The officer and several technicians nodded, their expressions shifting to a mix of understanding and determination.
Another technician leaned over a nearby console, scrolling through the system diagnostics. "High General, this will take time. Attempting remote activation or even tracing the origin of these packets will require the full capabilities of the Star Forge's Deep-Scan Array, Galactic Data Nexus, and other key systems. None of those are fully operational yet. We'll need weeks, maybe months, to bring everything online."
Lelouch's smile didn't waver. "Time is a luxury we have, for now. Once the station is fully functional, we can attempt a remote activation—if there's even a spark of energy left in those distant installations. If that fails…" He folded his arms, his gaze sharp as he looked over the technicians. "We'll retrieve the coordinates of their last known transmissions, triangulate their current locations based on the old and new charts, then send teams to manually jump-start their generators, and extract the data physically or remotely. Either way, it will be done."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the room. The little orb of darkness near Lelouch bounced in approval, as though sharing in his confidence.
P.S: Also didn't have much time to edit or proofread it so i just skimmed it, have to go out, either way, I hope you enjoyed it :)