Frozen Soul, and other works

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Chapter 233 - Images

(Throne Room, Aurum Throni, Terran Orbit)

The psychic pressure of the Empress’s uncontrolled powers got more and more intense as I approached the throne, where she was held aloft by the sheer force of the power that had been thrust upon her. As I approached, I considered the best way to try and help her regain control. I would need to contact her, mind to mind, that much was obvious. But how to force the connection? I doubted very much that she would just let me into her head, even if she were in control.

The first way, the simplest, was to basically ‘shoot’ my will at her, with enough force that it could penetrate the whirlwind of psychic energy surrounding her, and then crack through her defenses. But at the moment, I did not know if I could even break through her power, much less penetrate her mind from this distance. And if I failed, she might react to the assault instinctively, without thinking, and I’d be lucky to just get sent to respawn.

The second way was no less difficult, and, indeed, carried far more certain risks, but it was more likely to be effective. I would have to get close to the Empress, grapple her, and force my will through her defenses. The energy required would be far less, and I would be able to have a bit more finesse than simply shooting myself out of a metaphorical cannon at her mind. But any attacks that came from her would be at point blank range, and there was no way I’d be able to avoid them.

Nothing for it. I took a breath, and looked at Lucio and Sheila. “Stay back by the door. I’ll try and maintain your shields, but things are going to get wild. She’s going to resist me, even if it is only on an instinctive level. But knee-jerk reactions with this much power behind them can be lethal.” They nodded, and stayed next to the door guards.

Turning back to the Empress, I began pressing forward. There was no wind in the room, and yet every step felt like I was walking into the teeth of a hurricane, such was the force of the Empress’s unconscious will. I took a breath, cleared my mind. No distractions. I would never reach her if I didn’t focus. One foot in front of the other. Again. And again. Each step bending forward, leaning against the pressure, forcing my way into the heart of the psychic storm.

Five steps. Four steps. Three. Two. I gathered my strength, and readied for the last step. The Empress hung in the air in front of me, floating a mere five feet above the ground. A burst of my own psychic power accompanied me as I kicked off, jumping into the air.

Contact. I wrapped my arms around the Empress like I was a safety tackling a wide receiver on the football field. I felt the energy of psychic lightning lash around me, tearing at my defenses. But there was something I had not expected. The energy was hesitant to come too close. Not to me, or even her own body. No, that instinctive, primal part of her that held sway over her unchecked powers was wary of harming the children. A mother’s instinct might just let me live through this.

I held the Empress close, my cheek touching hers. My mind slipped forward, trying to penetrate her mind. Getting in was not the issue. What defenses she had, taught to her as part of the Imperial royal family and an officer in the Imperial Navy, had been blown away by the onrushing power. Those defenses had been mundane, but were designed to slow down an intruder, give her time to discover them and respond.

Fortunately, they had survived about as well as a bunker when a nuke goes off inside it. Instead, her defenses now were like a giant instinctively flailing. If I had rushed in at full power, her mind could have responded, that power brought to bear in an instant, wiping me out. But if I kept quiet, moved slow, didn’t make too much noise…

My sight faded, as my mind slipped into the Empress’s mental realm. I was no longer in the throne room of the Inner Throne of the Aurum Throni, orbiting Terra in the Sol System. Instead, I was just inside the airlock of an Imperial warship. I looked around, and saw a plaque with the image of an Imperial destroyer-class vessel. INS Purity Blade.

Why had the Empress’s mind created this place? Wait. That name. That was important somehow. Of course! The Purity Blade was not her first ship, but it was her first command, before she’d earned her place on the Triumphant, before the Civil War. That had to be significant. Had she, in the chaos and feeling of being out of control, retreated to a time when she was truly mistress over her domain? That sounded likely.

I stretched out with my senses. Things worked differently in a person’s mental landscape. I felt the Empress’s core. Not far from where I was. A small twist, and I was there, where she was.

The Empress was dressed in the uniform of a Captain. All around her, the bridge was in an air of well-organized chaos. Imperial Navy officers manned their stations, even as the ship rocked and rolled with turbulence great enough to feel, despite inertial dampeners. Captain and crew looked harried, holding on to their stations with white knuckles to keep from getting thrown about.

“Captain, the disturbances are continuing! Sensors are still overwhelmed!”

“Turbulence increasing! Whatever hit us is interfering with the shields! Attempting to compensate!”

“Hyperdrive running at maximum, but position remaining static, Captain! Engineering reports that they cannot keep this up much longer without damaging the engines!”

“All communications nonfunctional, Captain! There’s too much interference from the energy field!”

Listening to the conversation, it became clear what was happening. The Empress had been overwhelmed by the psychic wave and the powers that had awakened in her. Trying to retain her sanity amongst the onslaught, she had retreated inwards, her mind conjuring her old ship and crew from her memories. The power she now had was being interpreted as an astronomical phenomenon of some kind, an anomaly that had suddenly enveloped her ship, and was threatening to destroy it.

Another twist, and I made myself visible, made myself ‘real’ upon the deck of her mental ship. Well, mostly. I had no interest in being tossed about by the turbulence. To them, however, one moment there was just the viewscreen, showing a roiling nebula of chaotic energy, and the next I was standing there, hands clasped behind my back. “Captain Vaughn, if I might have a moment of your time?”

The bridge went silent for a moment, as Captain and crew looked on in shock at my sudden appearance. The Marine stationed on the bridge brought his pulse rifle up, and fired. I raised a hand, and the ball of plasma froze in mid-air. I would never have been able to do that in real life. But here, now, in her mind? I was lacking in power compared to her, but I had far more practice at mental combat than she did. Especially since she did not realize she was engaged in mental combat right now. Her mind conjured the weapon, with its real-world abilities and real-world limitations. I was fully aware that it was not a real gun, firing a real bolt of plasma. I simply told the plasma to ‘stop’, and the Empress did not know enough to tell it not to. That would only last so long as she didn’t get angry, and throw raw power into things, to overcome the gap in skill.

“Who the FUCK are you, and what the hell are you doing on my ship?”

Merida recovered quickly from the shock of my appearance, and the way I stopped her ‘Marine’ from attacking me. So far, so good. But the next part was tricky. I couldn’t tell her the exact truth, without risking her going insane or simply retreating into denial. And I couldn’t lie to her, not touching minds with her like this. She might not be able to dig into my memories, but telling truth or lies would be child’s play for her. And lies would undermine everything.

“I am Mirikon Mollen, Admiral in the Black Star Navy. The Chief of Staff to the Imperial Throne asked me, as a favor, to come to you and help you through this turbulent time. My apologies for the unconventional method of getting to you, but it was decided that reaching you in time was more important than using more… conventional methods to get in contact.”

Captain Vaughn brought herself to her full height (impressive given the shaking of the ship), and looked at me with distrust. I could see the thoughts running through her mind. She was wondering how I got here, how I stopped the Marine’s attack, how I wasn’t getting thrown about by the ship’s movement. All the questions unanswered, but all going back to the same conclusion: she was out of her depth. She took a deep breath, and said, “Very well, Admiral. It seems you have me at something of a disadvantage. What is it that the Emperor wishes of me? Although, I’m afraid the current conditions are somewhat limiting my ability to respond to Imperial decrees.”

I nodded, simply. “Indeed. First, I think it would be best for everyone if this ship didn’t tear itself apart at the seams. Would you allow me to help you get clear of this phenomenon?”

The Captain blinked. “You know what is happening? We’ve been fighting against this distortion for days now, with no effect other than draining our ship’s power banks. I don’t know how much more we can do.”

“Naturally. Unfortunately, doing everything you can think of is part of the problem. The Purity Blade is currently caught in a distortion that is more psychic than physical. And the energy you throw at it is feeding the distortion, making it more powerful, and keeping you trapped here.”

“All right. Assume for a moment that I believe you. What would you have me do? I cannot simply sit back and allow the distortion to destroy the Purity Blade. I will not sacrifice all these people on a whim, or the word of someone I have not met before.”

“And you would not be the person you are if you would. But sitting back is exactly what you need to do. The power from the sensors, the shields, the engines, the communications array, all of it is feeding the distortion, amplifying it. If you want to escape, then you need to starve the distortion, allowing it to die out.”

“Impossible! The ship will be destroyed if we do that! She’s barely holding together as is!”

“Captain, if you do not trust in me, then trust in your ship and your crew. If this continues, you’ll be destroyed. You have to do something, and you’ve tried everything you know. None of it has worked. Why not try the inconceivable, and hope for the impossible?”

Captain Vaughn grimaced, but nodded, slowly. She was, after all, running out of options. Her ship and crew were in danger, and my words were the only lifeline she had. “And what would you suggest, then?”

“Shut everything down. Everything except life support and structural integrity. Yes, the ship will get tossed around a bit, but the turbulence will die quickly enough, once it is no longer being fed.”

The Captain considered my words, and then nodded. “All right, then.” She took a breath, and addressed her crew. “Ensign Mallory, sound alarms throughout the ship. Brace for impact. Lieutenant Castor, prepare to cut all systems besides life support and structural integrity on my mark.” She took another breath. “Mark.”

The ship shook violently, crew members getting thrown about. Five seconds. Fifteen. The turbulence began to ebb. Thirty. The ship came to rest. All around the bridge, people began picking themselves up off the ground, where they had been thrown without inertial dampeners to steady them. Only I remained standing.

I nodded slowly, as emergency power came online, lighting the bridge in dim light. The Captain stood up, staring at me with wonder. Wonder turned to confusion, and then recognition. “Mollen? What in the hell is going on?”

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Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Chapter 232 - Radiance

(Throne Room, Aurum Throni, Terran Orbit)

I felt the presence before we even landed on the cityship. It was an intense pressure, wild and tempestuous, like standing in the middle of a hurricane. I wasn’t the only one feeling it, either. Sheila looked as though she was on a ship on stormy seas as we approached one of the docking ports in the Inner Throne. Only Raven, being an AI in a machine body, was unaffected. I’d never envied her before this moment.

“What is causing this? This can’t be my sister, can it?”

I looked over to Sheila, and sighed. “From what I know, before all this happened the Empress, if she had psy abilities at all, was not in the habit of using them. Now, thanks to the rift, she’s clearly gained psy powers. Also, it seems that belief somehow affects the strength of powers. There’s a reason why most of those who were incapacitated for a long time were leaders and other important people. They are focal points for the belief of those under them.”

Raven nodded. “And, in Sol System, to say nothing of the Empire, there are few people who can come close to rivaling the importance of the Empress. Yes, that would be logical. From the readings I’m getting from the sensors, and the information we gleaned from the Enrichment Center, we can assume that there is a good likelihood that this is due to the Empress gaining new power in an instant.”

Sheila frowned, and looked at me. “But you got a bunch of power, too, right? You’re basically a head of state now, like Merida is, and have a lot of people who follow your every whim. You’re not putting out pressure like this!”

I grimaced. “True enough, but there are a couple key differences. First, I’m a Nomad, which means the rules for me might not be the same as they are for locals. Second, I have training in using and controlling my psy powers, even before I got this power-up. More importantly, I have a lot of practice in suppressing my aura, to keep people from instantly recognizing me, or suspecting me of being a threat. Even now, people still underestimate me from time to time because of that, thinking that all the rumors just be propaganda.”

There was a subtle shift in the gravity as we touched down in one of the hangers on the upper spires. Lucio was already waiting for us as we stepped off the ramp, along with a detachment of the Royal Guard. Clearly, he wanted us to get wherever we were going as quickly as possible. The fact that he, too, was looking vaguely ill only made that more obvious.

He smiled wryly as we clasped hands. “Well, Admiral, I can safely say that you are in equal parts one of the most loved and hated people in the Sol System at the moment.” I raised an eyebrow at that, and he continued, while we started walking through the halls. “Only the most gullible and naïve souls in the Empire now think that it was simply a ‘coincidence’ that your ships were on ‘training exercises’ with the fleet at just the right moment to help fight off the invaders from the Rift. Especially since there are too many people in the Imperial Navy who are saying that there were no plans for exercises until literally just before you showed up. Especially when the news began reporting that your ships were ALSO on ‘exercises’ near Coldana, just in time to help with a rift that formed there, at exactly the right time.”

I merely shrugged. “Well, there was no way to avoid that, unless I delayed coming until the bureaucracy could be dealt with. And we all know that would have been months, at least, if not a year or more. Which would have been less than helpful for Sol System, or Coldana. So, loved and hated, hmm?”

Lucio nodded. “Yes, you’re loved precisely because the people who have any knowledge at all realized that you rushed the better part of your fleet here to help the Empire when it needed it most, yet again. The Navy, especially, is very appreciative, since even the most die-hard partisans have to admit that the numbers would not have been in our favor without the Black Star Navy acting as reinforcements, after people ‘just so happened’ to get put on an alert, meaning that they were as ready as possible for the attack. You certainly won some praise with the military because of that.”

The Empress’s advisor chuckled. “As for being hated? Well, people also have come to the obvious conclusion that you knew things that they did not, at least long enough in advance to move ships into position. That has rankled a few people, I’m sure you can imagine, as a group in another arm of the galaxy somehow knows more about what is going on in Sol as they do. There’s even been some whispers that you are actually responsible for the Rift, using the confusion for your own nefarious ends. The standard conspiracy stuff, to be honest.”

I had to stifle my laughter. Another pulse of psychic pressure made it easier than I would expect. Right, to business. “So, the Empress woke up after the wave, and suddenly was super-powerful?”

“Not exactly. The pressure waves began almost twelve hours ago. But otherwise, yes, it would seem so. At any rate, if she had this kind of power beforehand, she’s never displayed it before now. We’ve still got a lot of solid metal between us and her right now, so the effects are somewhat muted. I’m told you can barely feel it on the periphery of the Outer Throne. Unfortunately, much of the Inner Throne is in chaos at the moment, as people are trying to manage, but it is like suddenly stepping into a high-grav environment without support. Frankly, even the Royal Guard, who have resistance training, can’t stay in her presence too long without issues. They’re having to rotate out every four hours. And no one is able to stay in the same room with her long enough to try and get a handle on her mental state.”

I winced. “And I can just imagine what that level of power would be doing to the children.” I waved off the look of concern Lucio gave me. “Because of my… heritage, the kids will have very adaptive blood. If the mother is sending off psychic waves like this, while they’re still in the womb, then they’re going to adapt. How they adapt will be another question entirely, and one I have no way of answering.”

“No, for the moment our concern must be for the Empress. Maybe a bit less for everyone in the Inner Throne, but helping the Empress will remove the source of their problems, as well. Since it seems that I am the next to last to come out of my little power-up coma, I take it you wanted to see if I could do anything to help the situation?”

Lucio nodded. “Yes. I know people have been wondering, and I can tell you for certain that Merida had no psychic abilities before this wave-front hit. Meaning that she has no controls, no barriers, no defenses. You, on the other hand, have extensive experience with psychic abilities, especially mental ones, if our reports are true. This makes you the best, and perhaps only, one to go in and find a way to get the Empress under control, before people start dying from simply being near her.”

I nodded slowly, considering the situation. “I can help shield one, maybe two people, with the abilities I’ve gained. I still haven’t figured out the full extent of them, or how taxing they’ll end up being, but that should allow you and Sheila to accompany me as we go see to the Empress. Raven, being an android, is unaffected by the mental pressure, which means she will be fine as well. That is the best I can do, and I might not be able to keep it up if something unexpected happens.”

Lucio simply nodded once. “There are four Royal Guards on station, and they’re almost at the end of their rotation. We’ll go in with their group. How long do you think it will take?”

“That depends on what is going on. If we’re lucky, it is basically her just being overwhelmed by everything, now that she has this kind of power. You know those old stories about telepaths having to learn to shut down their powers, because everyone around them is basically shouting their thoughts all the time? It is the same thing if someone has powerful psy powers. And the Empress is now incredibly powerful, without any training. Best case, I can help build enough of a barrier that she’ll be able to do the rest of the work on her own. Worst case, we’ll have to sedate her, and I’ll have to dive into her head to start working on things while she’s unconscious. At least then she won’t be able to actively use her powers if, say, someone startles or upsets her.”

Lucio grunted. “So, basically like someone who was completely unaugmented suddenly waking up after the operation with top of the line combat mods installed, and no training on how to use them. New recruits to the Royal Guard have to be trained not to hurt themselves or others just opening a jar, much less anything physical. And even then, they were soldiers first, and probably had mods of some kind to begin with. They usually get the mods turned on in stages, to help with acclimatization.”

“I will say this only because I don’t want anyone to accuse me of lying. It might be possible for me to seal or lock down some of the Empress’s power temporarily, and allow her to grow into it, as it were. It is basically the same process you use for restricting a psy user who you need alive and conscious, but would rather not have them throwing fireballs around. But that is neither quick nor easy, and it would require me to go much deeper into her mind, and do a lot more… invasive work than simply guiding her in initial training. And then there’s the fact that I’d have to get back in her head at intervals to release the blocks. Obviously, I would recommend that we try anything and everything else before getting into that territory, as it would cause political problems like you wouldn’t believe.”

Raven nodded. “The level of penetration required for such a venture would be equivalent to that used in the Stepford slave collars, or the Hundeherstellar Nanites. You are, after all, essentially going into someone’s mind and turning parts of it off or changing it to suit your needs. The intent and morality of it is different, but they are more similar than most people would be comfortable with.”

Lucio groaned. “Yes, well, let’s say that is the plan we use only if the Empress looks like she’s about to collapse the Aurum Throni into a miniature black hole. Anything short of that, we’ll go with something else. If word of it got out, the very idea would destabilize the Empire, and things are already unstable enough. Especially with the new rumors about you.”

My reply was cut off as we reached the doors to the throne room. Two Royal Guards stood outside the doors, on duty, and four more were formed up, ready to enter the room. The pressure on the other side of the door was overwhelming.

I took a deep breath, and focused on my power, shaping it. I needed protections, like the ones I used on my own mind, but to shield Lucio and Sheila. They didn’t need to be complex, just sturdy. I envisioned a barrier, a shield wall in the ‘mindscape’, wrapping around the two. I could already feel the impacts of the pressure against my shields, but I could hold it, for now.

“Let’s go.”

The doors to the throne room opened, and the four Guards entered ahead of us. The Guards who were on duty inside waited only long enough for us to enter the room, before they left, and sealed the doors behind us. I didn’t blame them, given the pressure that increased tenfold inside the room.

At the other end of the throne room, was the Empress. But she did not look like the woman I’d known before. It was almost impossible to pin down her looks. She appeared young and old, fair skinned and tanned, blonde haired and black, short hair and long. All of that and none of it at the same time, like trying to look at a four-dimensional object with three-dimensional eyes. But the glow, that was there for sure. She hung in the air, glowing like the pictures of saints of old, wreathed in light, her eyes shining like miniature suns, her hands outstretched, her mouth open in a silent scream.

“Time to go to work.”

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Chapter 231 - Upgraded

(Infirmary, BSS Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, Sol System)

System Message

This is an automated message to inform you that a Class 6 event has occurred in game, causing a fluctuation in your vital signs. As an EVA-02 Medical Research Pod user, your current condition is being actively monitored by health professionals, who will intervene remotely if necessary. If you experience any non-game-related health conditions, please contact your medical supervisor immediately.

Thank you for using NERV products.

Galactic Alert

A massive psychic event has occurred in Sol System and Coldana system. Long-term effects of the event are unknown. Short-term effects include synesthesia and other medical symptoms amongst those affected. Similar events may happen in other parts of Known Space.

System Notice

You have encountered a massive psychic event. The long-term effects of this event, which included a massive wave of psychic energy in Sol System are unknown. Short-term local effects are unpredictable.

You have the following changes to your status:

You have gained enough XP to advance to level 60.

You have gained the perk Chaos-Touched.

The skills Mental Psy Mastery, Physical Psy Mastery, Force Psy Mastery, and Energy Psy Mastery have been merged into the new skill: Sorcery.

Sorcery Skill set at 60/100.

You have gained the skill Foresight at 1/100.

You have gained the title The First Sorcerer.

Sorcery

Your exposure to the untamed energies of chaotic space have altered your psychic abilities. You are now able to manipulate the energies of chaotic space directly with your mind. You are still capable of using Psy powers you knew before, but you may also improvise new powers in the heat of battle, though this will cause more of a strain, and may leave you open to corruption by the chaotic energies.

+10 CHA, +10 WIS

Foresight

The warped energies of chaotic space have given you insight into the flows of time. You are able to catch glimpses of possible futures. The strength and accuracy of these glimpses are unknown. Training this skill may improve accuracy of the visions, and how far into the future they may stretch.

+1 WIS

Chaos-Touched

You bear the mark of chaotic energies upon you, but you have mastered them to a great extent. Forged in the energies of chaotic space, you have gained mastery over Sorcery, a heretofore unknown power, and they have infused your chimeric blood with new power.

All Psy Powers and Sorcery costs reduced by 10%.

The First Sorcerer

You are the first Sorcerer known to the Galaxy. All others who walk the path of the sorcerer know your name, and may seek you out for guidance. All those who are fearful of these new forces in the world may become your enemies. The exact effects of this title are currently unknown.

My eyes swam as I tried to make sense of the notifications I was getting. The last thing I remembered was fighting against the creatures that came out of the rift. There was an explosion? No. Something else. A wave! That’s right. Some kind of energy wave came out of the rift. I remember bracing for impact, and then… nothing.

I groaned, and tried to sit up, but was rewarded with the sensation of getting hit by a truck, after a night out drinking far too much whiskey and not enough water. Suffice to say I laid back against the bed. Bed? I didn’t want to turn my head too much or too quickly, for fear of the truck coming back, but I was enough to recognize an infirmary room.

“Ah, Admiral, you’re finally awake.”

That voice. I knew that voice. “R-raven? What the hell happened? Where am I?”

The android came into view above me, smiling brightly. “Well, at least you can still speak. That’s good. And to answer your second question first, we’re in the infirmary wing of the Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. What is the last thing you remember?”

I took a breath. “We were fighting the ships that came out of the rift into chaotic space. Ugly things, that looked like they’d been thrown together in a scrapyard, but lots of weapons on them. The Tiamat had just started boarding actions on the biggest ship, using the new drill design the eggheads had come up with. The battle was going well, once we realized that the various squadrons didn’t behave like military. Once the chain of command was disrupted, they fell apart. And then you said something about a wave.”

“Good, you didn’t lose too much time. There was some worry about that, you know.” She paused, and then said, “The wavefront that moved out of the rift was comprised of pure psychic energy, of a type and intensity that has not been recorded before. Frankly, the amount of energy in that wavefront should have melted the brains of every living creature in the system. The fact that anything survived is damn surprising. However, there were side effects.”

I didn’t say anything as she helped me into a sitting position, to keep my head from making my stomach rebel. I was grateful when she handed me some water. As I sipped it, I looked over myself. I didn’t look any different, for the most part. But I certainly felt different. Like power was running through me unchecked. It felt like I could do anything! No one could deny me! No one could refuse me. All would bow to my will, with just a word from my lips!

I took a breath, trying to center myself. Getting delusions of being unstoppable and invincible was a great way to go down the road to supervillainy, and that never worked out in the comics for long. “I take it not everyone was affected in the same way? What are the most common side effects?”

“Much like the psychic screams emitted by the Harvester in Coldana, all living creatures were stunned temporarily by the psychic wavefront. While a full study is still underway, and data collection on the unshielded portions of Terra is difficult to achieve in a reasonable time frame, the data so far has been intriguing. In 45.83 percent of individuals, this was the extent of the issue, with individuals losing consciousness for anywhere from thirty seconds to two hours. For 23.75 percent of the affected population, the period of unconsciousness lasted anywhere from one to eight hours, at the end of which any latent psychic ability was forcibly activated, resulting in unpredictable talents. In 12.49 percent of individuals, unconsciousness lasted no more than fifteen seconds, following which random mutations spawned over the course of minutes to hours. Of these, roughly two-thirds had some form of beneficial or cosmetic mutation, which would not affect their daily lives. The other third, unfortunately, had more extreme mutations, many of which proved fatal during the course of the change. In 11.87 percent of people, existing psychic potential was amplified in some way, with many individuals gaining new talents in the process. These people were under for eight to twenty-four hours. In 6.05 percent of individuals, the energy overwhelmed their minds, and they experienced total memory loss, with even mental psy users being unable to find any shred of their former identities.”

“If my math processor is correct, those numbers don’t add up to 100 percent.”

“Indeed. In 0.01 percent of individuals, the wavefront produced startling effects. All these individuals were under for significantly longer than average, and those that have woken up have reported new and strange abilities. The only linking factors between these individuals is that they were all psychically active and practiced in the use of their abilities, and that they were each in a position of power which caused many individuals to look to them for leadership in some way.”

I took another breath. “All right. I guess since you’ve phrased your description so carefully, that I am in that last group?” Raven nodded. “Fine, in that case, how long have I been out? A day?” Raven shook her head. “Two days?” Another shake. “How long?”

“You’ve been unconscious for four days, thirteen hours, twenty-seven minutes, and fifteen seconds. Congratulations, you are the second slowest in the system to awaken! I expect that you will find yourself even more the center of attention now than you used to be.”

Four and a half days? I’d been asleep for four and a half days? That had to be why the system gave me a medical alert. They probably didn’t pull me from the pod because the pod was already monitoring my vitals, and had life support functions. Fine. I’d have to have a ‘conversation’ with the dev team later, when I had time.

“You said I’m the second slowest to wake up. Who is the slowest, then?”

“Why, the Empress, of course!”

(In-Game Chat, Sol System)

Inquisitor: Death toll is continuing to rise, as individuals succumb to injuries or mutations, but the numbers look to be stabilizing. Fortunately, most vehicles in motion at the time of the incident were civilian models, and had automatic safeguards in place, even if they were being run by manual controls. The worst should be behind us, for now.

Parca: Which is all well and good for people who were on a planet, driving cars, but there was a space battle going on when that shit happened. Lot of good pilots and crew died because they fell unconscious while they were flying, or fighting fires, or any other number of things.

Fansy_the_Famous: Damn, that sucks. I mean, I know plenty of people died in the fighting itself, but dying because you fell unconscious and ran into another ship? That’s brutal. Almost as bad as truck-san sending you off into an Isekai.

M.Mollen has entered the chat.

Grimdark: Speaking of anime protagonists! Welcome back to the land of the living!

Aegis: Hey boss! Glad to see you up. The girls will be glad know this.

Fansy_the_Famous: Give the poor man a chance to get his wits about him, and maybe a good meal in his belly, before you go ravishing him to death! I know he’ll respawn, but still!

Starwatcher: Huh. Guess I lost 100 credits.

M.Mollen: You betting that I would be the last to wake up?

Starwatcher: In my defense, it is totally the kind of thing that would happen to you.

Aegis: He’s got you there, boss.

Parca: Yeah, he’s not wrong.

Grimdark: But you’re forgetting that the people who were asleep longest were the most important types. Mollen may be big news, but in Sol System there is no one more important than the Empress.

Inquisitor: The Empress protects.

Grimdark: The Empress protects.

M.Mollen: Indeed, I’m not surprised the Empress has been out longer than I was. I expect that she’ll have some interesting abilities when she wakes up. To say nothing of her kids when they’re born.

Starwatcher: That’s right, the people who stayed under extra long all got cool powers and abilities! What did you get?

M.Mollen: Well, without giving too much away, I can tell you that I got a new title, The First Sorcerer.

InspectHerGadget: Damn! I knew that there were other sorcerers, but how come you get to be all special and be the ‘First’?

M.Mollen: Well, just taking a wild guess, where were you when the wave hit?

InspectHerGadget: Uh, well, I was in the slave markets on the Choson Ring. I might have gotten in a little bit of trouble due to certain events, and woke up with a collar. But what does that have to do with anything?

M.Mollen: Because I was out by the rift, aboard my flagship. That wave hit me before you. Judging by the description I got on the wave’s effects, I’d say that I was probably the first potential ‘Sorcerer’ to get hit with the wave, which gave me the title.

Grimdark: Interesting. What does the title do for you?

M.Mollen: A little bit about everyone knowing my name, blah blah blah. People may seek you out, yadda yadda yadda, and so on, all ending with “The exact effects of this title are currently unknown.”

Inquisitor: Ugh, I hate titles like that. The open-ended ones can lead to a lot of unpleasant situations if you aren’t careful.

Lucio has entered the chat.

M.Mollen: Ah, Lucio, good to see you’re all right. How’s the Empress?

Lucio: Admiral! Good, you’re awake. You need to get to the Aurum Throni as soon as possible. The Empress is awake, and, well, you’ll see when you get here.

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Prologue - Trade Chat

(NERV Game Site – Official DAtS Offline Forums)

Number5Alive, Golddigger, BurtBacharach, CrazyCelt, Blaze, DoYouEvenLyft?, MarcoPolo, MightMakesRight, l33tpally, Bennie, SEA-TAC_Sweetie, Requiesce-in-Pace, MacD, HaveGunsWillTravel, TheDespoiler, Guardian, GunKitty, Chummer, Inquisitor, Lizard, RedFox, SemiSolidSnake, ElfMama, Not_the_Face!, Anonymous3, Anonymous4, Anonymous7, Anonymous9, AggregatorOfSorrows, M.Mollen, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot, DigDug, BigGunn, Dolcett, Starwatcher, Backlog, DarkAvariel, Knocker, Hullu_Kapteeni, GrimDark, BloodForTheBloodGod, Queen’s_Bitch, BackDat@55Up, DoYouEvenDPS?, MajorTom, Parca, and DarkAngel are in the chat.

CrazyCelt: Oh, god, what the hell was that?

DoYouEvenLyft?: What are you talking about?

CrazyCelt: I can hear purple now! Why can I hear purple?

Backlog: Sounds like someone just turned on their Psy powers for the first time.

Inquisitor: Ugh, my head!

Hullu_Kapteeni: I haven’t felt like this since the last time I tried to outdrink the fighter pilots.

Parca: Just be glad you didn’t try to outdrink the Marines.

Lizard: Did something happen?

SEA-TAC_Sweetie: Well, if you call ‘oh god, the universe bitch-slapped me like an angry pimp’ as something happening, then yes.

BackDat@55Up: Thank you for a wonderful image I’ll never be able to get out of my head. The universe is a pimp, and we’re all its hoes. Lovely.

DigDug: So, anyways, what happened?

GrimDark: I don’t know. I was training with my regiment on Luna, but then everything went strange.

DarkAngel: Regiment? You join the military, Grim?

GrimDark: Yeah, Civil War is long over, and people have noticed what Nomads can do, so I was able to get in the Imperial Marines. Currently a Sergeant.

WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Update from Coldana. Big time craziness went down, here. Consortium forces and some Black Stars were doing training exercises, while people try and rebuild the system, and suddenly the damn sky rips open! Even crazier, it throws up some kind of interference that makes going FTL damn near suicide!

BloodForTheBloodGod: A rift? What came out of it?

WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Don’t know. Never seen ships like them before. They had something that looked like sails on them, and they were lightning fast, according to the sensors.

TheDespoiler: Hmph. A pity, that.

WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Anyways, the Navy ships fought off the first wave, mostly, but there was something really freaking huge coming behind them. Whoever was in charge of the Black Stars decided to nope on that, and launched a shit-ton of those FTL torpedoes they have at the ship. Big boom, and pretty much every ship in the system is damaged, but the rift, or whatever it was went away.

M.Mollen: Ah, that explains what happened, then.

TheDespoiler: What do you know?

Inquisitor: There was another rift, in Sol. I saw the Imperial Navy fighting with the assistance of the Black Stars, facing off against a veritable horde of ships, all of which were ramshackle, scrap-built pieces of wreckage with more guns and engines than sense put into them. It was great and terrible to behold.

CrazyCelt: You don’t know the half of it, Inquisitor. I’m on Pluto right now. We got invaded by some kind of demon things.

GrimDark: You were there? What did they look like?

CrazyCelt: Big, red, hoof feet like you see in pictures of demons, huge horns, nasty sharp teeth, and a fucking sword that could cut a fully armored battle drone in half. On one swing! And that was the smaller ones! I saw a couple really big ones, too!

BloodForTheBloodGod: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!

M.Mollen: How are things now? I know the Navy sent their Marine detachment to help, if they could.

CrazyCelt: The primary habitation dome would have been overrun, if it weren’t for them. Even so, they were getting mauled. Those demons take a lot of rifle fire to bring down.

GrimDark: Is the fighting ongoing?

CrazyCelt: Let me check… No, looks like the blast wave, or whatever it was, cleared them away like they were never there. Would have thought I dreamt it all, if it weren’t for all the bodies, and the fire.

TheDespoiler: So, the Immaterium has revealed itself. It does not matter that the door is closed. The seal is broken, which means we’ll be able to access it, somehow.

Starwatcher: I can’t help but notice that Black Star ships were present in force at both locations, before the battle even began. None of those ships are based in Sol or Coldana, which means they set out at least a week ago to get there just in time.

DarkAvariel: What do you know, Mollen?

M.Mollen: Suffice to say, that I, as someone who runs the largest in-game company owned by Nomads, have access to information and resources in game that you do not. I also have a bunch of very smart people doing analysis for me, and I listen to them when they start telling me about apocalyptic-level events.

GrimDark: So, you uncovered something, probably on that planet you own, that made you, what, realize that the world was about to go mad?

M.Mollen: Suffice to say I found some… interesting technologies which, while not immediately practical at the time, had some scientific data attached which my analysts used to predict an issue, sometime in the coming months. Unfortunately, things happened too quickly, and we didn’t have more time to prepare.

BigGunn: OK, I can accept that you found some ancient alien super pyramid tech or whatever that let you figure out that stuff was about to go down. But why those two systems?

M.Mollen: Both have been lynchpins in some fairly significant events recently, as you might recall. I won’t say too much more without proof, but my people believe that the energy psy powers come from that allows them to bypass annoying things like the laws of thermodynamics comes from that dimension. The Harvester let off a couple big psychic screams.

Starwatcher: OK, but what about Earth?

GrimDark: Terra.

Starwatcher: Fine, fine. What about Terra?

M.Mollen: Some methods of FTL are less kind to the fabric of time and space than others. Sol System is the place with the highest number of Transition drive uses in the galaxy. If there was anywhere that the fabric would be at its weakest, it is there.

CrazyCelt: So, what did that wave do? And why can I hear colors now, and taste sounds?

M.Mollen: I’ll get back to you on that.

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Epilogue - Patch Notes 23.X

(Virtual Room, NERV Headquarters)

Morgan Elliott was stunned at the developments she was watching. There wasn’t really a better way to say it. Isaac had warned her that something big was going down in Sol System. Her department had been receiving increasing numbers of bug reports over the last few days, all related to content in Sol and Coldana. Not NPC or gear bugs, thankfully. Those could have a devastating effect on an in-game experience. Sure, environmental bugs, like the ones that had been reported, were unusual, but they weren’t as likely to spread outside of a localized area, and were easier to patch out.

Unless, as it seemed, they weren’t bugs at all. Desperate for answers, she looked out in the chaotic maelstrom that was the virtual control room for DatS, looking for Isaac. Surely, if anyone in this madhouse knew what was going on, it would be him. Surely, he’d have answers for her.

She found him at the eye of the storm, quickly snapping off commands to his subordinates, attempting to do… something. She heard snippets of jargon, but ‘fourth-level containment scripts’ and ‘reversing the polarity on the text converter’ and other such things meant nothing to her, even though they sounded impressive. Fighting her way through the mass of programmers, coders, and game masters, she made her way to the lead GM’s side. One look at his face made it clear that, if he had any answers, they wouldn’t be ones that she’d want to hear.

“What happened, Isaac?”

Isaac looked over to her, and shook his head. “We’re still trying to figure that out. Best we can figure, we had a seventh-degree background convergence through the background systems.” He paused, seeing that Morgan didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. With a sigh, he said, “All right, you know how the game world for Dreams was basically ‘grown’, right? We basically set up the galactic map based on what we could see, and used procedural generation for the rest. But that was only for the basic things, like stars and planets.”

“When we started with the NPCs of the world, we started on Earth, naturally, basically putting everything up to 2010 as it happened, and then letting the computer run things forward from there. But we didn’t have historical data on alien civilizations, obviously, so we went to literature to help out. Fantasy and sci-fi for the most part, naturally, but others were included as well. There are petabytes of data in the archives which helped form the alien races, cultures, and technologies which encompass Dreams.”

“But—”

Isaac held up a hand. “I know what you’re going to ask. Yes, we’ve added a few special touches here and there, like the explicit references to other games or popular books. But the deep lore, some of the big things that have been at, well, the core of the universe, are grown from this lore. We didn’t want things to get stale too quickly, so we cast a wide net when adding to the lore archives.”

“So, what does that have to do with whatever just happened in Sol?”

“Well, you see, some of the programmers who worked on the archive project were gamers. Well, we were all gamers, but I’m talking about tabletop gamers. So, they collected a bunch of lore books from various game systems, and tossed them into the mix. We had safeguards in place to ensure that actual copyrighted information didn’t make it into the game of course, not even in the source code, so dataminers couldn’t get their grubby little hands on it. But it did form some of the background info for the entire game world.”

“One of those things which made it into the game world is the idea of other dimensions, both parallel ones and ‘stacked’ dimensions, for lack of a better term. Parallel dimensions would be like your normal ‘alternate universe’ or ‘multiverse’ stories. But the stacked ones are basically higher and lower dimensions, ones that occupy the same space as the material dimension, but have different properties. Some of the Lost Tech options involve the use of these stacked dimensions.”

“It seems that, when the AI incorporated some of these different ideas, it set values on the strength of the barrier between dimensions. Not a problem, really, except that it also set values on the damage that people in the world could do to those barriers. It seems that certain forms of FTL travel, namely the Transition Drive, have a very high damage ratio. Specifically, it damages the barrier between the material world, and the realm where psy users get the energy that allows them to do impossible things.”

“Anyways, the damage buildup, combined with some recent events, led to a full-blown rupture developing in Sol, and a lesser version in Coldana, thanks to the Harvester’s death. The two rifts were connected, or at least close enough that affecting one would affect the other. Unfortunately, the ships defending Coldana from an attack coming out of the rift did not like the look of the second wave starting to exit the rift, so they used FTL torpedoes on the enemy, despite the instability in the area.”

“God damnit! I knew those things were going to be trouble! What did they do?”

Isaac shrugged. “Well, the second wave was destroyed in the explosion, sure enough, and the blast managed to seal the rift in Coldana, while also battering all the ships in the system. Unfortunately, that energy gained intensity as it traveled through the dimension the rift is in, and when it reached Sol, things got… strange.”

“Strange as in normal strange, or strange as in I’m going to need to start spinning things to keep a PR disaster at bay?”

“The normal kind, so far. Basically, the explosion coming out of the rift was pure psychic energy. Anything nonliving in the system is just fine, but any potential psy users in the system are now active psy users. And they aren’t all weaklings, either. See, as a psychic event, it tapped into the emotions of the individuals it passed through. Several key figures in Sol have been… augmented. In fact, if you look at what happened to the Empress…”

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Monday, January 6, 2020

Chapter 230 - Starlight

(Flag Bridge, BSN Hrunting, Sol System)

Commodore Keh Draka stood tall on the flag bridge of her flagship, the Hrunting, it was an odd name, not one she had heard before. But a search through the info net revealed that it was a reference to a very old Terran story of a hero who defeated a great evil. It was the name of a sword given to that hero by a warrior king, so that he might slay the enemy of his people, a sword that the warrior king had carried himself, in his day. It was a good name for a ship.

Her sister ship, Nægling, was also worthily named. Another blade carried by the same hero in his battles, it was clear that the names had been chosen deliberately, to allow the two blades of the hero to fight together once more. She promised herself that, before she was through, there would be tales told and songs sung of these two blades renewed!

Hrunting’s name was fitting, too, as this ship was given to her by a man that could be called a warrior king, as he had fought battles, and carved out a place of his own, which he held by force of arms. Yes, the Admiral of the Black Star Navy could be called a warrior king, like the stories of old. Unlike the fools who ran the Ihm Imperium, who had not seen real combat in their lives. Her eyes focused on the screen in front of her, as that warrior king spoke his commands.

“Commodore, we’ve got the enemy in disarray. Focus your fire ahead, and punch a hole for the Marines. The Tiamat will not be deploying drop ships, but will be using the more… low tech entry method. Get them to the big fucker. We’re officially classing it as a ‘Leviathan-class’ warship until we have something else to go on. I want it either captured, or destroyed, and if you have to kill it, I want anything you can get off it, so we know who and what we’re fighting.”

Draka smiled toothily at the screen. “As you wish, Admiral. It is time for these enemies to learn what fear is.” As the connection closed, she turned to her crew. “All batteries, forward fire! Target any ships in our path! Bombers are to concentrate fire on the corvettes and frigates, while our gunships and assassins take out the cruisers! Battleships, cruisers, and Destroyers are to charge the Leviathan!”

She took a moment to examine the scans they had of the massive Leviathan. The bow looked to be incredibly armored, and absolutely littered with guns, and the engines were, frankly, absurdly huge. But there, on the top side of the ship, was what looked like an exposed bridge? The foolishness of such a design knew no bounds!

She looked at the plot. Hrunting was slightly out of position for a run like that. She’d placed her command on the left-hand side of the formation, while Nægling was on the right. They would have the better angle, without cutting across fields of fire.

“Targeting orders for the group. Hrunting is to target the Leviathan’s engines. I want that thing dead in space! Nægling will strike the exposed bridge there. Killing off their leaders will hopefully spark chaos in the ship, as it has done in these warbands. Cruisers and Destroyers are to sweep the ship, taking out point-defense and anti-ship weapons. Make the road as smooth as we can for the Marines!”

(Flag Bridge, BSN Gugnir, Coldana System)

Slave-Commodore Hirata Konomi grit her teeth as her flagship shuddered under another series of blasts from the enemy vessels that had poured out of the rift that formed where the Harvester had been destroyed. The enemy ships were light and quick, looking like some kind of dart you’d throw in a game, with what her analysts told her were solar sails, and some kind of cloaking device. They were fast, and damned hard to hit.

Worse, they had powerful forward-facing weapons that passed through normal shields like they were made of paper. The Black Star ships were light enough to keep pace, but they didn’t have the armor that the Consortium ships had, to take a hit. Right now, the whole situation was devolving into what the fighter pilots called a furball.

“Commodore, we have energy readings from the rupture! Much larger than before. I think we’ve got a massive enemy ship coming through!”

She looked at the plot. Gram was closer to the rupture. “Tell Gram to launch a full broadside of Starbolts into the rupture immediately!”

“But ma’am, the distortions—”

“I don’t care about the damn distortions! We can’t let that monster through, especially if it has upscaled versions of these aliens’ weapons. Tell them to fire at once!”

“Gram acknowledges. Firing now.”

(Bridge, BSMV Tiamat, Sol System)

Captain Dih Chex unknowingly mirrored the Commodore’s posture as she stood on the deck of her Heavy Assault Transport and watched the battle unfold. Calling her ship a ‘transport’ was only technically true. Yes, it was true that they transported Marines to where they needed to go, but this ship was so much more than a mere conveyance, something that would be proven beyond all doubt in the coming battle.

“Final report on the Energy Distributors?”

“All systems in the green, Captain. The system will be ready on command.”

“Very well, begin feeding power to the distributors. Marines to the boarding tubes. Keep us in formation with the Navy for the time being, use their shields as much as we can to keep the bombardment off us until it is time to charge. Keep the Crows in our shadow until we get into engagement range, as well. Fighters to attack enemy fliers, bombers to work on targets of opportunity.”

Chex moved to her command chair, and began fastening her harness. As she worked, she watched on the main screen as Second Group drove hard at the Leviathan. Their weapons hit true, but there was simply too much mass there, and, for all the fact that it looked like welded together scrap metal, the fact was that, even on the sidewalls, the ship carried an impressive amount of armor. But there was only so much armor could do against the weapons of the Black Star Navy.

Rail gun rounds and Dragonbreath torpedoes reached out and impacted the shields again and again, with the two battleships focusing their fire on relatively small areas of the ship. The Nægling did not fire its four massive rail guns at once, but in sequence, rapid-fire style. The first two impacts strained the bridge shields to the limit. The third one shattered them. The fourth shot destroyed the bridge.

Hrunting, too, was putting up a good showing. She’d managed to get several hits on the engines, but destroying them was going to take some time. There were simply too many engines for a single hit to take them all out, not while Starbolts were off the table.

The Destroyers, known as the Sin Squadron, since they were all named after sins from an old religion worked on clearing the point-defense. Meanwhile, the Four Horsemen, as the Cruisers were known, lived up to their dark namesakes, and brought destruction to the anti-ship weapons. There was still some incoming fire, but nothing they couldn’t handle.

It was not without loss, however. Many ships in the fleet were damaged. None had been destroyed outright, not yet, but that had less to do with the ships themselves, and more to do with the decision to decapitate the groups in front of them, sending the enemy into disarray. And the fighters and bombers were so fragile that, if the frigates they were targeting got a clean shot, they were done for. Losses mounted.

“We’re within effective range!”

Chex leaned forward as much as she could in her harness, a feral look on her face. “Ramming speed!”

(Flag Bridge, BSN Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, Sol System)

“Sir, the Tiamat is beginning her attack run!”

“On screen!”

I took a moment to look away from the ongoing battle, as the various groups of the Black Star Navy and Imperial Navy took on the enemy forces. They were more numerous, but they didn’t have the discipline of actual military. However, the sheer number of weapons being used meant that my ships were being pushed to the limits. I didn’t doubt that I’d probably have to scrap some ships altogether. And the number of dead and wounded would not be pleasant to consider.

The Tiamat was made to get my Marines into position where they could do the most damage. Sometimes that meant a hot drop onto a contested site. Sometimes that meant ship to ship combat. But drop ships were weak, and easily targeted, when compared to the transport. So the designers gave the transport a way to get into the fight against larger foes.

Modern warships simply didn’t ram other ships except as a final act of desperation. Anything that your ship could survive ramming into could probably be destroyed with means that didn’t hurt your ship as much as it did the enemy’s. Tiamat was not like other modern ships. The High Energy Distributor Array projected a spinning energy field in front of the Tiamat’s hull, like a drill. The ship accelerated towards the Leviathan, even as the Second Group hammered away at its shields, and reduced its attack abilities.

And when it hit, the drill ripped open a hole in the side of the Leviathan, which the Tiamat quickly filled. I couldn’t see from here, but I knew what was happening. The boarding tubes would extend, and my Ihm Marines would charge onto the Leviathan, intent on causing all manner of mayhem, and securing the ship. I had no idea what they’d face over there, but if anyone could take that ship, it was the Black Star Marines.

“Admiral! We’re detecting a surge of energy from the rupture!”

I barely had time to curse the news, before everything changed.

(Throne Room, Aurum Throni, Terran Orbit, Sol System)

Empress Merida Vaughn watched the screens from her throne in the center of the Terran Empire’s might. If there was to be a battle fought in Sol, the least she could do, since she was no longer allowed to captain a ship herself, was to watch the battle, as sailors sacrificed themselves to protect the Empire. That was her duty as Empress.

The battle was going well, but it could easily have gone the other way. Without the warning from the Black Stars, the Home Fleet would have been on its normal patrols, rotating crews for shore leave, and the like. The time to respond to an attack would be too much, and they would have been seriously outnumbered by the enemy. Even if they were a rabble once their leaders were culled, she was under no illusions about how this could have gone the other way, with only a little change in circumstance.

The news from Pluto was concerning, but there was nothing she could do about it, except hope that the Marines saved all they could. For now, she watched as the Black Star ship used its energy drill to ram into the Leviathan, and shook her head. “That man has gone and changed the face of war in the galaxy, yet again. And I doubt he even realizes it.”

“Empress, sensors are detecting a surge of energy from the rupture!”

“Cityshields to full! Reinforce internal bulkheads. Prepare for—”

She never finished her words.

In Sol System, at the height of the battle between the defenders of Sol, and the invaders from the chaotic realm beyond the veil between worlds, a massive surge of energy blew out through the rupture. Faster than light itself, this light traveled, like a wave across reality.

There was fear, of course, as the wave approached. But there was no damage as the wave passed, not even a strand of hair pushed out of place on a young child’s head. Which is not to say that there was no effect. Indeed, there were quite a few very pronounced effects! Most pronounced, however, was that in the throne room of the Aurum Throni itself, the Empress of the Terran Empire began to shine as brightly as a star from within, overflowing with power.

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T