Consuming Knowledge - A Newbie's Stellaris AAR

[Aquasparky]

Hello there. My name is Aquasparky and I am an aspiring author and worldbuilder. I have not been on these forums for long or am particularly good at Stellaris, but after looking at the other AARs that the Paradox Forums have produced. I have decided to make my own. I do not have any goals in particular besides telling a story and crafting a unique galaxy, but I will try to beat the game while staying in character for my empire. This task will be hard, perhaps nearly impossible, but I hope that you will enjoy the story that I weave from my experiences. This is my first AAR, so there may be formatting errors. If you see any in my posts, I want you to tell me so that I can fix them. With that out of the way, let me introduce you to the stars of this galactic show, the Eccovist!


The Eccovist

Today is a beautiful day. The small xenoflora shoots grow towards the twin suns, their thin sprouts reaching like arms. A gathering of mushrooms dots the wet ground. A large lake teeming with crustaceans both small and large. Scaly xenofauna hunt their prey with their long jaws. Xenomammals burrowing under the ground in search of truffles. There are no trees or large animals here, the biggest lifeform in the area being the great cancom. A thirty-five-pound xenoinvertebrate with the curled body of an isopod and the long legs of a spider crab. On the surface, this place seems like an untamed wilderness, but underneath the ground lies a strange secret. A collection of weaving mycelia that lead from the edge of the lake to a small, rural town. The buildings are long and rounded in shape, small roofs placed on top of them and white-picket fences guarding against pests. Inside these buildings are floors of wet dirt. Small chairs gathered around a table and a collection of plants sat on the shelf. The residents of these buildings went in and out. They watered the small xenoplants growing in their gardens and tended to the strikingly colorful mycelia. These residents were the native species of Vistaclair, the esporga.

The esporgas had a mammalian body type, reaching about two and a half feet tall. They had bald, pale brown skin and large pointed ears similar to a raccoon’s. They also had a small, bumpy nose with large nostrils and delicate four-toed paws. They had a small bobbed tail with a bright, fuzzy puff. They resembled one of their planet’s xenomammals at first glance, but if one were to look closer, they would notice that the people were completely naked. What appeared to be their clothing was actually the brightly-colored mycelia in their yards. It surrounded their chests and their faces, and it even went into their vacant, lavender eyes. They were not suffering from any ill effects, though. The mycelia were not only a natural part of their body, it was ‘their’ body. The esporgas are not any sort of xenomammal native to the planet, but actually a network of sapient xenofungi that grew their fruitbodies in the ‘shape’ of a xenomammal. They merely took this form to achieve greater results in building their civilization. It was hard to manage a civilization around the mycelia under the ground, but the esporga species had managed it. They had highly advanced technology despite their rural lifestyle.

One might call each individual esporga a part of a ‘hive mind’, but the truth is far more complicated. The esporga’s mycelia, which is the main part of their body, form large colonies together. These colonies are created when the mycelium of one or more esporga links. This is not only common but expected. It allows for the esporga to communicate their thoughts with each other. Because of this unique evolutionary feature that the species has obtained, each esporga can know what the other is thinking. This has produced a culture that values knowledge. The current nation of the esporga species, Eccovist, has its mycelia reach all across the planet. Every individual mind is linked to Eccovist’s current leader, Aloria. The peaceful community of Eccovist is not without its problems, however. Because of the rule that Aloria has put into place, all members of the esporga species that could be considered ‘free’ are promptly assimilated into the mycelium’s consciousness. The inner workings of the mycelia also bode problems for space travel. The mycelium itself is long and intertwined. It needs dirt to be active and it contains the consciousness of all esporgas. This has resulted in the spaceships of Eccovist being specially designed to carry the esporga’s mycelia. It also means that any planet that the Eccovist needs to colonize must be specially adjusted to hold the mycelia. Therefore, the mycelium is not only Eccovist’s greatest strength but also its greatest weakness. One could even say that the Eccovist’s network serves as a ‘Tree of Life’. It is not only physical differences that make traveling through space difficult, however. There are also psychological differences. The mycelia of the esporga species make it hard enough for them to communicate with others, but their values make it even more difficult. Eccovist society pursues knowledge and the betterment of their civilization over all else. They will do everything in their power to make Vistaclair a utopia. That being said, while they are a peaceful people, they are also one that holds truly strange morals. The Eccovist utilizes knowledge to their advantage without any regard for feelings. In fact, they do not even ‘feel’ as we do. They understand, they communicate, and they socialize. But the emotions that a more vertebrate-like species have are beyond them. As xenofungi, they live for three purposes. To sustain themselves, to parasitize, and to gather information. Their code is about pragmatism and gain, and they have no restraints on what is possible. This, perhaps, is their most defining feature. The will to do anything, even if it seems impossible or immoral.

Footnotes

(1) The life that is native to Vistaclair is referred to by their closest Earth counterparts. There are no plants or animals on Vistaclair, or on any extraterrestrial planet, but there are lifeforms that are roughly the equivalent to plants and animals.

(2) Despite their classification as a 'Hive Mind'. The Eccovist uses given names for its individuals. They also use gendered pronouns due to the number of sexes an esporga can have.

(3) There is no central 'Tree of Life' on Vistaclair. Instead, the mycelia serve as the forefront of Vistaclair's ecosystem and the Eccovist's society.

 

[Macavity116]

Welcome to AARland! Can't wait to see what you create.

 

[Von Acturus]

Nice beguinnning! And very vivid descriptions of the planets' fauna. Will certainly follow!

 

[RossN]

Welcome, and nice beginning!

Hive minds are fascinating though not a type I've that much experience playing myself.

 

[Aquasparky]

The First Step (2200-2201)

Inside a small house, Aloria sat in her intricately-carved chair. Her tendrils reached out from her back and adjusted the papers on the table. She looked up to see what the year was. “Summer 2200.” She muttered to herself, noting the date that ticked on her antique clock. The end of the 22nd century had begun. The Eccovist had been starting to spread out their research stations and new information was being published on the theory of space travel. The SS Ardent, after all, had not even left its system. The ship itself was built in 2190 by the Science Chain of Eccovist, its insides carefully adjusted to hold the esporga. Despite all the modifications that had been made to it, however, it had not yet left its post. Commander Fortuna was making the final adjustments. Aloria got up from her table, she quietly opened the door and sent a signal through the mycelia. She watched as she heard the voices of her greatest scientists. Benio, Genne, and Staquo. She commanded them to do research on her topics of choice, and they obeyed diligently. Benio started to work on a new material, a unique form of flexible metal that allowed for the composition of spaceships to be both durable and agile. Genne was tasked to do bio-diversity studies in order to learn about the potential of alien life. Finally, Staquo, the Field Manipulation expert he was, was commanded to create Field Modulation technology. All of these technologies would be highly efficient for the Eccovist and the three scientists were put to work.

But while Staquo, Genne, and Benio were creating revolutionary technology for the Eccovist. The subservient chunks of the nation were set to build Resource Silos. Aloria had been preparing to gather stellar resources since 2187. She noticed that the Eccovist were ill-suited for space travel and as their Supreme Intellect, decided to fix that problem. The more autonomous links complained about the sudden change of direction the Eccovist was going in. But Aloria had reassured them of their place in the stars. Ever since her mycelium started to grow, Aloria noticed the crowding of the Eccovist. Less and less esporgas were able to combine their hyphae and the previous Aloria was woefully unprepared.

She seemed to focus on the past, not the future. She made peaceful villas for all of the Eccovist, but neglected to notice the overcrowding. Because of this, the current Aloria had decided to make Resource Silos one of her priorities. She had commanded the links to start building and set her eyes to the stars. She started to listen to the SS Ardent and heard Fortuna.

“That must be Urrom.” Aloria quietly said, her mycelia linking to the SS Ardent as she waited for Fortuna to respond.
“It is. It is more majestic than we could imagine.” Fortuna responded, peering out the window as her blue tendrils wrapped around the metallic floor.
“What do you believe Urrom could hold for research purposes?” Aloria asked, “It seems lifeless.”
Fortuna quietly smiled as she looked in the window, “We believe it could hold a lot! It does not have as much potential as Daithlon or Lin-Tigr, but we would be interested in viewing how a unisolar system functions.” Fortuna said, communicating with Aloria through the mycelia.

Aloria nodded and smiled, gaining the knowledge that she needed and continuing her studies in space stations. She watched as the 22nd century ended, the SS Ardent venturing out into Urrom and studying its planets. She observed the Resource Silos be built and then started to command her Construction Ship, the SS Bonaventure, to start mining the yellow twin of Eccovrelle.

The 23rd century had commenced. Aloria was starting to sway the Eccovist more towards stellar expansion and was starting to increase the quality of life on the planet. Towns were becoming larger, more resources were poured into interstellar travel, and Aloria was becoming more respected as the new Supreme Intellect. She was adjusting to the fact that the SS Ardent had to travel far and wide but ignored the strain on her mind. It was hard for her to adapt to these circumstances, but she would persevere. The links were already working on their second science ship. The construction of this vehicle is carefully managed and twined with mycelia. She watched the new ship be built by the subservient links and watched the ship be driven to her quaint house.

Aloria opened the door, staring at the newly-built SS Surveyor and greeting its head scientist, Malen. The purple-tendriled esporga gave a friendly smile and walked up to Aloria. Her large ears twitched as she met up with the Supreme Intellect for the first time. The two esporgas greeted each other and connected their mycelia. The two got acquainted and started to talk.

“How does it feel to command the SS Surveyor?” Aloria bluntly asked.
“Good. the Eccovist likes it!” Malen responded, giving a glance at the SS Surveyor as she continued to chat with the Supreme Intellect.
“That is great to hear. The Eccovist must feel comfortable in its new ship.” Aloria spoke, walking up to the SS Surveyor and observing its hull. “Strong, sturdy, and bound. Like the Eccovist.”

Malen nodded at Aloria’s comment, looking at the older esporga and continuing to chat with her. The two links started to bond with each other. The mycelia threaded underground and a myriad of signals being pulsed. Aloria and Malen stood face to face with each other, and the latter eventually started to enter the SS Surveyor. The ship started to take off with a loud burst and skated to its destination of the Lin-Tigr system. Aloria waved a tendril goodbye and went back to her desk. She placed her paws on the wooden table and once again started to write. She waited for news to come.

But it came far quicker than she expected.

“We found something. Something on the second planet of Urrom.” Fortuna’s voice wavered, connecting to Aloria’s mind as she heard her mycelia rumble.
“What is it?” The Supreme Intellect asked.
“Look and see. It is the remnants of a civilization.” Fortuna said, projecting the image that she saw into Aloria’s mind.

Aloria gasped at what she saw, her normally-gentle lavender eyes widening. What appeared in her mind looked to be impossible. It was the image of a small, swirling giant with a ring of dust around it. Particles floating in the stellar wind and light blue clouds twisting into odd shapes. She had seen a gas giant like this before, but that was not what made it special. What made this planet so odd were the floating, broken structures above it. The remnants of a very advanced civilization. There were many questions that Aloria could ask, some more on the mycelia than others.

“Who… Are they?” Aloria curiously asked.
“From what the Eccovist has gathered from their artifacts, these are the ‘Cybrex’.” Fortuna responded, “Living machines once a part of their own mycelia.”
“Living machines? Machines capable of building civilization? It is such a strange thought…” Aloria noted, grabbing a paper and starting to write notes about the Cybrex.
“It is, but they exist.
The Cybrex’s artifacts go back to at least 600,000 years ago. A long time for a machine that advanced.” Fortuna said, wondering about the origins that the machines had.
“Who built them?” Aloria asked.
“Unknown, but their views on organic life are concerning. The Cybrex have written about the destruction of all sapient organics.” Fortuna responded, looking worried as she continued to decode the messages that the Cybrex had.
“All sapient… Organics. If they are still out there, we must protect the Eccovist.” Aloria firmly said, her voice reverberating. “Relay the message to the rest of the Eccovist.”

Fortuna nodded, signaling out to the rest of the Eccovist the message about the Cybrex. The crowds of esporgas gathered at Aloria’s house in order to listen to her. They peered out with worried eyes and started to speak amongst themselves. “Living machines!? Death to organics!?” one shouted, “We feel fear…” another one muttered. The rest of the esporgas started to panic as they wondered about the Cybrex. Aloria did not exit her house until the crowd had been out there for two hours. She looked nervously at them and then started to speak.

“Do not worry, Eccovist.” She started, “We do not even know if they are still around. Machinery needs time to be built, to be managed. The Cybrex could be gone for all we know. But do not let our guard down. We must build an efficient military to defend ourselves. To take the initiative against hostile life. That is why Turquoise Fleet. The Eccovist’s stellar military will be building more corvettes.” Aloria responded, hoping to calm the crowd down.

The crowd nodded, their minds starting to be put at ease by Aloria’s control. They started to go back to their homes and did what the Supreme Intellect commanded. They were to resume back their own duties. The citizens lived on as nothing happened, and Aloria started to make notes on the Cybrex. Fear washed out of the air, and eventually, the newest concerns became about Aloria’s resource preparation. Earlier in Spring, a station was built around the yellow twin of Eccrovrelle. Late in the summer, Port Genevo’s construction was finished. Soon enough, the trickster general Nataene was chosen to lead Eccovist’s admiral fleets and the Eccovist continued to grow. Eventually, however, fear of the Cybrex would once again spring when Fortuna found yet another discovery in the Urrom system. A weak signal coming from one of its satellites.

“What could this mean?” Aloria asked Fortuna, receiving yet another message from her.
“We do not know. It could mean anything.” The blue-tendriled esporga elegantly said, only a slight twinge of fear in her voice.
“Then we should expect the worst. Be on your guard.” Aloria responded.

Fortuna nodded, bringing her ship close to the satellite and starting to scan for the anomaly. She waited with bated breath as she heard the sound of corvettes being built, and started to observe. It was unknown what this signal meant, or how the Eccovist should react. But they must be on guard for whatever comes their way.


Footnotes

(1) The Eccovist works off using both ‘chains’, a group of esporgas designated to a similar purpose, and ‘links’, subservient units that are tasked to perform menial work and entertainment. All esporgas are named and some individual thoughts, but chains are more autonomous.

(2) ‘Aloria’ is not a singular individual, but a collective identity that the Supreme Intellect of the Eccovist holds. The current Aloria, once known as Celestie, was created in 2146 and is fifty-five years old.

(3) Before the end of the 22nd century. There was knowledge of four neighboring systems. Urrom, which is north of Eccovrelle. Lin-Tigr, which is in the west. Daithlon, which is towards the east, and Pleeturi, found in the bottom-left corner of the galactic neighborhood.

(4) Due to their rural lifestyle, the concept of robotics never came to the Eccovist. This makes the revelation of the Cybrex all the more distressing to the esporga species, since they have never seen a lifeform like it.

(5) Esporgas have existed for approximately ten million years, growing their mycelia and developing their civilization. Because of this, the Cybrex’s age is not as surprising. That being said, the Eccovist has only existed since 2063, so seeing such an advanced civilization is still enlightening.

Red Sun Picture - DC Comics Expanded Universe.

 

[MrReaper182]

I'm enjoying the storytelling. Keep up the good work

 

[HistoryDude]

A narrative/history book style? I'm liking this format...

Subbed!

 

[Von Acturus]

I'm quite enjoying the balance between individuality and collective consciousness that the Eccovist holds. A very promising start!

 

[Aquasparky]

Cruelty of the Machines (2202-2206)

2202 has occurred. The Eccovist has started to build up its military force under Admiral Nataene. Nataene has been training the esporgas that have prepared to travel through space and is giving them strange and cryptic life lessons. But while he is training the Eccovist’s military force, Fortuna is exploring the spatial anomaly of the weak signal. She has been decoding for weeks, obtaining information about where the signal came from and deciphering it. Eventually, the esteemed captain found the answer. The signal’s origin was from an unknown mammalian species. The being was dressed up in what resembled a flight suit. Its body is seven feet tall and its head armed with a pair of curling horns. It was massive, larger than any animal Fortuna had ever seen, and it was evidence of non-mechanical, alien life. Fortuna did not have enough evidence connecting it to the cybrex, but the unknown pilot seemed to be ejected in some ancient battle. One of Fortuna’s links ended up naming it ‘cazarnos’ and promptly sent the information to Aloria

In the meantime, the SS Ardent continued to observe Urrom. They found nothing else of note, but the information that they had gathered from the cybrex and the cazarnos was enough to paint a picture of the past. There was a species of living machines, one that sought to wipe out organic life. There was also an organic species that fought in a war. The satellite itself was frozen, indicative of a cold-dwelling species. This made Fortuna come to the conclusion that the cazarnos were arctic-dwellers once invaded the cybrex, and that this ship was the only remnant. She reported this to Aloria.

“We found another species. A megafaunal mammal that lives in icy locations.” Fortuna reported, using her mycelia to connect directly to Aloria’s mind.
“Do you believe that this life form is intelligent?” Aloria curiously asked Fortuna.
“Positive. It was dressed in fabrics, ejected into space.” Fortuna confidently responded.
“Fabrics? Fascinating. The Eccovist never believed that a species without mycelia could evolve such intelligence.” Aloria stated, her ears twitching in surprise. “They must have been destroyed by the cybrex…”
Fortuna nodded, “That is the current belief. These singlets were one of many extinguished. A cruel fate, to be sure, but one that singlets often go through.” She said, noting the death of the cazarnos to be its lack of communication.
“Shameful. They could have been useful.” Aloria muttered, sighing as the mammalian species’ fate was sealed.
“The Eccovist understands the usage of this species, but perhaps we have dodged a bullet.” Fortuna responded, “They could have been aggressive.”
“We are aware of that, but even aggressive species can be tamed.” Aloria said, “Whether intelligent or not.”

Fortuna nodded and looked towards Urrom, placing her hands on the control panel of the ship and starting to make her way to Daithlon. The news about the cazarnos was given to the Eccovist and the links moved on. They watched as the SS Bonaventure built a new station around Cape Valor, and celebrated their conquering of the Eccovrelle system. Esporgas worked to keep new space stations afloat and built corvettes to defend themselves against the cybrex. Civilization was much the same as it had been in the late 22nd century, but now, the esporga species would reach the stars. Researchers stayed in intricately-designed stations, mining and gathering resources off other planets. Eventually, an announcement came in 2203 that the SS Ardent, the flagship of Eccovist, had fully surveyed the Daithlon system for the first time. They had discovered that the planet closest to the Daithlon sun was not only fully habitable, but held lifeforms that were roughly the equivalent to life on Vistaclair one-hundred and seventy million years ago, during the Arresi era. It was inhabited by a variety of large aquatic creatures and xenomammals. The life seemed to be mostly mammaloid, but these mammals came in an extremely diverse array of forms. Some of these xenomammals even posed a threat to esporgas despite their lack of intelligence.

This brought with it not only a new view on life but also a thought experiment to the Eccovist. The cybrex were living machines without any kind of genetic structure. The cazarnos were long-mummified and could not be studied. The lifeforms of Daithlon I, on the other hand, could be observed by esporga tendrils and used for research purposes. This resulted in Aloria calling for a new starbase to be built in the neighboring system and for Daithlon I to become a priority for feeding. This was not the only discovery made about the stellar landscape, however. The Regganus was also found just north of Daithlon, the first new system to be discovered by the Eccovist’s tendrils. Research was soon conducted and starmaps were updated. The Eccovist bided their time as they built stations.

There was not just news in the galactic sphere, however, but also in the political sphere. Governor Nuev, head of the Link Intelligence system, had been cultivating his skills in the sciences, allowing him to become more efficient and better studied. The Corvette Fleets were also completed and the Eccovist military started to build its ground forces. A new general, logician, and tactician Conexer, was chosen to lead these forces. They were to build a Stronghold for the mycelia and to train armies for not only opposition on Vistaclair, but also opposition in the stars. This training in the military force allowed the Eccovist to become more vigilant. Their force was soon becoming better known in the galaxy and system after the system was being cleared out.

2204 brought with it an age of construction. Not only had the Daithlon starbase been built, but also the military forces of the Eccovist. In turn, due to the newly-established starbase in Daithlon, Governor Nuev started to clear out the rubble and the waste on Eccovrelle. The population was growing large enough as it is. The links were starting to become restless and some of the broken burrows were causing interference with the mycelia. Nuev decided to solve this problem and cleared out the waste. Eventually, 2205 would come with an anticipating population and a growing interest towards the stars. Daithlon had a population of scientists in the starbase, and the Ancastar, far west of Pleeturi, had been charted. There had even been some upheaval in the Eccovist itself. Commander Malen of the SS Surveyor started to show interest in bureaucracy and Staquo seemed to have the desire to retire. Aloria knew this, and she would soon start to adjust the perimeters. As the early 23rd century continued, however, yet another discovery would be unearthed by Fortuna. During the winter of 2205, a disturbing fact came to light.

It was under the surface of Regganus IIIa, a barren satellite emitting strange electromagnetic radiation. A group of links had dug down there to see what the cause of the interference was. They heard strange beeping noises and instability in the crust, but they saw nothing. The tunnel seemed to lead for miles. The light gray crust surrounding their bodies and the esporgas looking around. They were unsure of where the anomaly was coming from, or what had perked Fortuna’s interest. But then, one of them stopped. An individual with dark blue tendrils, known by the name Brillane, widened his eyes, noticing the glow in the distance. He started to walk towards it and with his lavender eyes, saw the sight. Within the satellite, there were walls of metals. Each glowing with strange power and a large device hooked up to them. He extended a tendril out to touch the machinery, but only felt electricity. Brillane’s tendrils jerked away and he soon started to communicate with Fortuna, who stood just left of him.

“What… Is that thing?” Brillane whispered, his ears nervously twitching.
Fortuna sighed, “Machinery. A living machine built underneath the surface of this satellite.”
“A machine!? Could it be the cybrex?” One link, Mancaidas, nervously said.
“It seems likely. Regganus is just one jump away from Urrom.” Fortuna responded.
“If that is the case, then we have to destroy the machine.” Brillane said to Fortuna.
“It is in the best interest of the Eccovist. The machine appears to be distracted by a complex equation. If the Eccovist attacks now, then we will not have to worry about the machines pursuing us while researching Regganus.” Fortuna said, attempting to feign confidence about her plan.
“Then we should go for it. These machines are too dangerous to live.” One teal link, Famioso said.
“Affirmative. Famioso is right.” A larger, more intelligent link by the name of Frir responded.
“If that is what the Eccovist desires. We must do it.” Fortuna said, steeling herself in front of the machine and extending her tendrils. “It is time to fight.”

It was then that the crew of the SS Ardent attempted to destroy the machine, using their tendrils to break the wires and their sophisticated daggers to pierce through the metal. They managed to destroy the strange machine, but not without casualties. Out of the crew of eight, only five of them survived. Fortuna, Mancaidas, Brillane, Famioso, and Enella. The rest of them perished to the machine and eventually, it was broken down. The bodies of the murdered links were then sent back to Eccovrelle and their now-dead minds were subsumed. Never to be awakened again as their fruitbodies became one with the land.

Frir - 2189-2205 - Spore of Intellect and Head Researcher of the Science Chain.
Adice - 2184-2205 - Researcher and Intelligent Body.
Clementus - 2185-2205 - Mycelia Maintainer and Stellar Link.

After the destruction of the cybrex mega-computer, the Eccovist scrapped it for its parts. They gathered the metal that the once-malicious A.I. had and used it to build new ships. Not only did they start to create another construction Ship, but the first colony ship design was also underway. This brought with it an expansion of stations. Both Eccrovrelle and Daithlon became more crowded, and scientists continued to explore deep space. On the fateful day that the second construction ship, the SS Cultiva, was built. Its next destination was to the Regganus system, a place full of both research and mining resources. It was there that the machine once lay, and there where the Eccovist would build their new legacy. The destruction of the mega-computer brought hope to the Eccovist and they made more room for growing mycelia. Eventually, Vistaclair became fully cleared out. But the population was continuously growing and there would eventually be no more room for the esporga species. Aloria knew this and rallied the forces. They had built a myriad of stations around Daithlon, as well as a few in Regganus. They had also discovered the Bokrimar, Dontaur, and Chiiban systems. This made the now sixty-year-old Aloria proud. In her life, she would have never imagined that she would be the Supreme Intellect. Her superiors always said that she was too ‘disconnected’. A radical who would destroy the Eccovist. She proved them wrong, and now the rest of the esporga species were under her tendrils.

Aloria breathed in as she grasped a paper, turning around to see an elderly figure. The green-tendriled esporga peacefully waved at her and approached the Supreme Intellect. Aloria looked to see her and smiled.

“Haydée? What brings your presence?” Aloria remarked, surprised to see the older esporga in front of her.
“We would like to congratulate the Supreme Intellect on her hard work.” Haydée responded, waving one of her withered tendrils.
“Oh… Thank you.” Aloria said in surprise, “The Eccovist works hard to keep the mycelia safe.”
“The Eccovist knows. Aloria’s body crawls through all.” Haydée wisely said, touching Aloria as the younger esporga looked up.
Aloria grinned, looking sheepish as her eyes glanced at the wall. “Peheheh, yes…” Aloria muttered.
“Do not be nervous, Aloria. The Eccovist knows of you. We appreciate your contributions to the Eccovist.” Haydée responded, serenely smiling at her younger companion.
“We… We know, but it is still difficult.” Aloria said, “The links, after all, desire only the best.” she responded.

“And the best is what the Eccovist will give.”


Footnotes

(1) The cazarnos were a large, mammalian species reaching approximately seven feet tall. It had massive, curling horns on top of its head as well as a thick jaw designed for cutting flesh. While predatory mammals were not a new sight on Vistaclair, the largest species of mammal Vistaclair is only the size of a weasel. This, combined with the creature’s adaptation to the cold and unique status as a singlet, made it look utterly prehistoric to the eyes of the modern-day Eccovist.

(2) The Arresi period in Vistaclairian history was roughly the equivalent of Earth’s Jurassic period. Daithlon I was warm in comparison to Vistaclair and had no ice caps. This allowed for mammalian species of all stripes to inhabit the land and for forests to bloom in even the most unexpected areas.

(3) There was a small populace located on the space stations of Daithlon, but the population’s numbers were very small and did not contribute to a major part of the Eccovist.

(4) While the origins of Regganus’ machine are not fully known, it is believed that the mechanical being is a member of the cybrex collective. This is supported by not only its aggressive behavior towards the esporga, but also its location within the Galactic Neighborhood. It is unknown whether more of these machines can be found in the galaxy, but their expanse is worrying to the Eccovist.

Jurassic Period Landscape - Australian Museum.

 

[RossN]

I like the Arresi detail! Good to see I'm not only one who likes to draw inspiration from the Mesozoic!

Interesting decision scrapping the xenocomputer but it does make sense in context and in character.

 

[Von Acturus]

The Eccovist reach to the stars! I can see a deep discomfort with the idea of intelligent, autonomous machines is buried in the Eccovist psyche. It would certainly be interesting to see what would happen if they found a machine civilization nearby. Would they try to dismantle them as they did with the mega-computer?

 

[Aquasparky]

The Eccovist reach to the stars! I can see a deep discomfort with the idea of intelligent, autonomous machines is buried in the Eccovist psyche. It would certainly be interesting to see what would happen if they found a machine civilization nearby. Would they try to dismantle them as they did with the mega-computer?

To be fair, if the first information about robots you got was that they were going to destroy all organic life, you would be uncomfortable too. As for if they'll find any machine civilization? I don't know yet, but it's going to get spicy if they do.

 

[Aquasparky]

The Eccovist's Will (2206-2211)

A new age had come upon the Eccovist. Not only had the existence of alien life fully come to view, but also the conquest of multiple systems. The Eccovist now had Eccovrelle, Daithlon, and Regganus. Daithlon known for its habitable planet and Regganus for its roots in machine dominion. The most notable thing that had occurred in 2206, however, was the discovery of new fields. The concept of hydroponic farming had started to emerge within the Eccovist. The first colony ship, the SS Pioneer, had also been built. Finally, during 2206, the Eccovist started to build stations at Lin-Tigr in order to further facilitate resource gathering. During this age of discovery, however, the most notable project would be the colonization of Daithlon I. Aloria had finally gathered enough materials to start building on the planet and the SS Pioneer was en route to the Daithlon system in order to achieve that goal. This came with the cost of halting station growth, though. With all of the resources being directed towards Daithlon I. A new mycelia had to be built as well as component buildings necessary for esporga survival. This brave new age was hard to stomach for some, but for Aloria, it was a chance to grow.

There was a clear shift in paradigm within the Eccovist, especially when the year 2207 rolled around. New inventions such as field modulation and ceramo-metal had been mainstream and the first wave of Lin-Tigr scientists had boarded the newly-colonized solar system’s space stations. There had even been news of far away star systems such as Astarte, located far east of Bokrimar, and Vartivar, the system west of Lin-Tigr. The Turquoise Fleet, led by Nataene, had been fully upgraded with ceramo-metal plating, and concepts for energy grids and powered exoskeletons were in the works. As Spring of 2207 rolled around, however, one of the most important factors of the year came to fruition.

On a fateful spring day, the Eccovist had established a colony on the newly-named Fuege, building small huts and shelters on the planet in order to facilitate the growth of the colony. Like its name implies, Fuege was known for having large volcanoes. It was also notable for the variety of xenomammals that it had. These species ranged from small, rodent-like creatures to beasts that reached lengths of ninety-one feet. Some of the life was larger than anything the esporga species had seen, and because of this, they were poorly adapted to dealing with the animals. Nevertheless, the Eccovist took precautionary measures when dealing with these aliens. They took great care for their mycelia to not be trampled and even built up shields, hoping that large prey or predators would not breakthrough. As the summer season passed over the planet of Fuege, however, a new discovery involving alien life came to the surface.

Captain of the SS Ardent, Fortuna, had discovered an alien starship on one of the asteroids of the Astarte system. Not only was it not of cybrex or cazarnos origin, but it was also half-buried within one of the craters. Clearly, an alien species had come there at one point. But Fortuna was still in the dark about its origins. Nevertheless, she pursued her studies and yet another chapter in the xenohistory of the galaxy was added. Far away in the Pleeturi system, however, Commander Malen was discussing an entirely different finding to Aloria.

The Commander brushed her tendrils against the ship, pacing as she waited for an answer from Aloria. She got back in her chair as she looked at her findings and her lavender eyes then flashed.

“Are you planning to tell the Eccovist something, Malen?” Aloria asked.
“Uh, yes! We have discovered a unique material on Pleeturi II. It creates mineral-composite bands that are capable of reaching great heights. We thought that they could have been the work of extraterrestrial life, but from what has been discovered, they seem completely natural.” Malen responded, finally happy to get a response from Aloria.
“Fascinating. So what you are saying is that these minerals can create towers?” Aloria said, asking Malen more about the towers.
“Exactly! The unique minerals of Pleeturi II have made natural towers. Something the Eccovist has never seen.” Malen happily said, starting to get excited at the news the mycelia received. “It was difficult to find the towers at first, but when our mycelia noticed the subtle vibrations in the ship’s audio database, we realized the existence of the towers.”
“This is important information, Malen. The Eccovist could use this to create Fuege’s buildings.” Aloria responded, smiling as she gathered the information about the towers.
“The Eccovist knows. This could be a game-changer!” Malen happily said.

It was unknown whether the discovery of the mineral towers would be a game-changer or not, but they were nevertheless another strange phenomenon noted in the galaxy. But while the research vessels were exploring the starry expanse of the galaxy, the Eccovist military had created another fleet. The Indigo Fleet was to defend Fuege, its ships built with ceramo-metal and its guns carefully adjusted. At first, it did not have a leader, but during the autumn of 2207, the aggressive and cold-hearted Musgo was hired to command the fleets. Earlier that fall, though, a very important discovery was made by the Eccovist. Within the Astarte system, a new starship was discovered. The species that it contained was unknown, but the ship had crashed onto the asteroid due to a fatal error caused by the crew. This resulted in a remark from Fortuna on how the Eccovist would never make a mistake like that. But as she cruises from Astarte to the newly-discovered Baxom system, more information comes to light about the mysterious, mechanical menace known as the cybrex. That was not the biggest concern on the Eccovist’s mind, however. That would be the newly-built stations within the Regganus system. During both 2207 and 2208, the SS Cultiva has been building new space stations around both Regganus’ planets and asteroids. This culminated in not only the space station being finished but also a small population of links moving into Regganus’ structures. With three systems now under the belt of the Eccovist, the SS Cultiva’s next destination was to Lin-Tigr.

The late 2200s was an age of construction. It was a time when new armies were built to defend against the cybrex menace and a time when Lin-Tigr was being colonized. It also brought with it new scientific discoveries. Commander Malen, most known for her research into the mineral bands of Pleeturi II, had discovered a truly unique system. Unatra, located west of Lin-Tigr, was an unusual trinary system. While not much was known about the strange three-starred system, it was a topic of debate amongst the Eccovist’s mycelia. The most notable creation in the sciences, however, was the building of an advanced science ship known as the SS Enterprise. Nobody had piloted the SS Enterprise or had been hired to control it, but the ship had remained a notable achievement in the autumn of 2209.

The first decade passes for the now star-dwelling community of the Eccovist. Citizens start to move from Vistaclair to Fuege as the planet is now fully colonized. It is still a small community, with only a few links, but it is growing and may prosper one day in the future. Because of this, Nuev, head of the Link Intelligence System, made an announcement at his office in Vistaclair. He gathered the citizens and started to adjust his seat. He stood tall and proud. Nuev stared into the crowd with his lavender eyes and then started to speak in a dignified tone.

“Hello there, links of the Eccovist. We have come to learn of the knowledge that has been gathered.” Nuev started, “The process behind Fuege’s colonization has finally been completed. The Eccovist has consumed it for the sake of the mycelia.”
The crowd loudly cheered, chanting the name of the new planet over and over. They started to crowd as they looked upon Nuev and their tendrils twirled around each.

“But there are still troubles ahead of us. The mycelia needs time before it can digest Fuege’s plants, it needs to deal with the beasts of the land and the great volcanoes. The Eccovist will persevere. Even if the machines return to destroy us, we will destroy them back. For organic life is better than any false construct.” Nuev confidently spoke, “We should not live in fear, however. We do not even know if the machines are after us. Nevertheless, there are concerns. It will take time before Fuege becomes as livable as Vistaclair. This is a natural process. A process that the Eccovist must enter before it feeds.” Nuev continued to say.

“Do not fear what the future has to hold, embrace it. It is the only way for the Eccovist to grow.” Nuev spoke, “With that out of the way, the Eccovist wishes you all a great life on both Vistaclair and on Fuege." Nuev finished, waving one of his tendrils at the crowd.

The crowd shouted in excitement, eager for Nuev's proposition. They gathered all around each other and raised their tendrils. Nuev then started to walk out of his chair and back into the third floor of his lavish mansion. The links started to clear out and talk amongst themselves about Fuege. Once again, Vistaclair became quiet and lush, and the links attended to their own business. It appeared that everything went according to plan. The citizens were speaking about Fuege like it was a tourist destination and construction continued in the Galactic Neighborhood. As faraway systems were observed and information gathered, however, a new revelation about the living machines of Urrom was unveiled. One that would not only change the course of the Eccovist military but also thoughts about the machines themselves.

In Baxom I’s orbit, there were two broken cybrex warforms. At first, it was unknown how these machines got in the state that they were in, but after six months of research, Fortuna uncovered the truth. The cybrex destroyed each other in battle, activating their self-destruct mechanic and blasting each other into bits above the barren world. It dealt damage to their airborne buildings, made pieces of metal fall out of the sky, and most importantly, gave archaeological research to the Eccovist. It was quite a pleasant surprise to the mycelia that the cybrex were destroying each other. In fact, it was such a surprise that Famioso, a member of the SS Ardent, commented on the event himself.

“To be honest, it is a miracle that the living machines destroyed themselves,” Famioso remarked, “That was exactly what we hoped for. If fate is by our side, then perhaps, the machines will destroy themselves in due time.” The link responded to the reviewer, nodding at the stranger as they continued to ask questions.

After the interview with Famioso ended, a discussion about Fuege’s new Agricultural District began. Interest was starting to be placed on the newly-formed colony and Aloria, the Supreme Intellect of the Eccovist, made plans to resettle her links. The population of Fuege continued to grow and a small community was beginning to form. Farmers started tending to the native plants of the area and villages were being formed. The small populace of Fuege then started to link their hyphae together and make their own mind. They were still within the Eccovist’s greater network, but it appeared that living on Fuege had given them a slightly different perspective on life. Outside of that, 2210 ended without much incident and the starships continued to travel to other parts of the galactic neighborhood. The next breakthrough that would occur would not be related to Fuege, extraterrestrials, or even technology, but to the Eccovist themselves. As they evolved on both Vistaclair and Fuege, Aloria had ended up discovering a new technique. She had been studying how the mycelia could expand to further systems, and figured out how to immerse the Eccovist’s mind into others. At the moment, it only worked on species native to Vistaclair, but the Supreme Intellect was planning to expand it to not only alien species, but also other intelligent life. As 2211 comes into view, though, there is much more to learn. The Athyr was discovered, a Generator District is being built on Fuege, and the fauna is slowly becoming more subsumed within the consuming knowledge of the Eccovist.

It’s only a matter of time until they subsume more.

Footnotes

(1) The idyllic planet of Fuege was not much different from Vistaclair, but it was notable for its large mountain ranges and hotter temperatures. Because of this and the higher amount of molten rocks, Fugue was known to have many volcanoes. This is what gave the titular planet its name.

(2) The unique mineral compound that composes Pleeturi’s towers is, fittingly, called torravium. Torravium is derived from the word torra, meaning tower in Eccovish.

(3) The alien species whose ship crashed in the Astarte system did not have enough physical characteristics to be named, though if reports are anything to go by, they were a different species from either the cybrex or the cazarnos.

(4) The uniquely-developed abilities of the Eccovist have been able to subsume plants and small animals as of 2211. As it continues to develop, it may be able to subsume larger beings and extraterrestrials.

Jungle Hut - Vjales Carrefour.

 

[Macavity116]

I really like your narrative approach to the Cybrex. I don't think I've ever seen an AAR where the protagonist empire actively prepared for war against a Precursor, not knowing they were already gone. I'm very curious to see how this attitude will effect the Eccovist's behavior towards other spacefaring empires, especially if they turn out to be machine empires.

 

[HistoryDude]

Is scrapping a hostile machine for ship parts a good idea? That seems like a path to having you ships betray you...

And no living alien empires have been encountered yet, right?

 

[Aquasparky]

Is scrapping a hostile machine for ship parts a good idea? That seems like a path to having you ships betray you...

And no living alien empires have been encountered yet, right?

Is it a good idea? The Eccovist seems to think so since they aren’t using the A.I processor of the computer, but it may bite them in the butt later on. Let’s just hope that a robotic rebellion doesn’t occur within the Eccovist, because that would be bad. So far, right now, everything seems to be going according to plan, but perhaps that will change in the future. Also, don’t expect every decision for the Eccovist to make to be a good one. I’m trying to play well but also keeping it in character.

As for if I’ve found any living alien empires? I haven’t yet, just their remnants. Though if it’s anything to go by, I’m in 10th/11th place, so there’s like at least nine or ten other alien empires.

 

[Aquasparky]

What Now? (2211-2214)

The cosmos continued to expand, the Eccovist drove their ships across the stars and they continued to build both their will and their civilization. Aloria led with her sharpened mind and she looked across the galaxy. On her table was a collection of papers about the cybrex, the machines that the Eccovist have learned about throughout the decade. They were powerful, expansive, and cruel. The cybrex wished to extinguish all organic life and their mycelia spread out through multiple parts of the eastern neighborhood. They were not only willing to destroy those unlike them, but also destroyed themselves. Violence seems to be the only thing programmed in them. So when yet more activity was discovered about the machines in Athyr, Aloria told Fortuna to record it at once. This time, they had been found on a frozen planet, showing once again the adaptability that the machines had. Nevertheless, the Eccovist was also adaptable and now had four fully-functioning starbases. One at their home system, Eccovrelle, one at Daithlon, one at Regganus, and one at Lin-Tigr. Construction would slow down, but their minds would not. Not all was well, though, within the travels of the Eccovist. Captain Malen had found something unlike any other.

Malen was moving her ship to the Fejantris system, the system that was just west of Unatra. This cosmic region was known to have a habitable arid world, a place where the Eccovist could settle home. She hoped that the mycelia could adapt the sandy dunes that the planet was believed to have and establish yet another connection. As the Captain turned to look at Fejantris’ star, however, she gasped at the sight she saw.

“There are others!” Malen shouted, her crew’s ears perking as they looked at the strange ships.
“Extraterrestrial ships? Someone has come to see the Eccovist?” A reddish link, Jéssi, said.
“Not to see us, look! They are aiming their weapons.” A link by the name of Felice responded, worried of what the extraterrestrials would do.
Jéssi gave a startled look towards Felice, “They are? We have to le-”

Then the ships started firing at the SS Surveyor, showing no mercy towards them. The starship quickly escaped from the fire, and with lightning speed, they return back to Eccovrelle. The threat still looming on the horizon. The extraterrestrials that dwelled in the Fejantris system were not known, but after Malen gave out information about them, they were given the name ‘volederto’. The Eccovist knew of stellar lifeforms in the past. They have discovered ruins of both the cybrex and the cazarnos, but this was the first time that they went face-to-face with extraterrestrials. This breakthrough not only sparked a newfound fear of aliens, but also further research by Aloria. Fejantris had one of the few planets that was habitable to the esporga species. An arid area that was said to hold xeric lifeforms. Aloria did not think that this was a coincidence that the aliens were found. Perhaps, this was even their homeworld. Whatever the circumstance was, the Supreme Intellect sent her best messenger. They would research the strange aliens and they would figure out what they were up to.

In the meantime, large changes were made within the nation itself. New technologies such as powered exoskeletons were sent out to the public and defensive platforms were built. There was even discussion about hangar bays and other advanced military technology. What was most notable about the dawn of 2212, however, was the fact that there was political upheaval. Staquo had finally retired from his position as Head Physics Researcher in order to command the SS Enterprise. Malen, meanwhile had finally gotten her paw on diplomacy and had since been working at Planetary Unification. The bubbly esporga’s policy is self-love and voluntary assimilation, and she has brought with it a fiery spirit. Times are troubling, however, and the information about the volederto is even more troubling. Especially when Onofe has uncovered the truth.

“A-Aloria?” Onofe muttered, communicating his thoughts towards the Supreme Intellect.
Aloria’s ears perked, her tendrils carefully placing themselves near the ground. “Yes? Do you need something?”
Onofe frantically nodded, “Indeed. There is troubling news that must be reported.” he said.
“The Eccovist has discovered just what the volederto are. They are not being within the ships, but the ships themselves! That is to say, they are machines. The research that w-we have conducted has marked them to have originated from an orbital mining operation, established before the Eccovist went into the stars and abandoned by their creators. With no one to operate them, the machines have since turned to a-attacking organic beings. This… This should serve as a warning to the danger that mechanical life can pose. These ships have been allowed to operate for too long and have terrorized this part of the galaxy.” Onofe responded, nervously breathing in as he thought about the volederto machines.
“Their creators just left them alone? Irresponsible. They should have been dismantled as soon as the operation was abandoned.” Aloria sighed, worrying about what the machines might do to the Eccovist.
“You are right, Supreme Intellect, but we have to face the consequences,” Onofe said.
“The Eccovist knows. These machines must be destroyed before it is too late.” Aloria stated to Onofe.
“Understandable. We must begin building the army.” Onofe noted.

It was then that the Eccovist started to build an army, Nataene leading the charge to the Fejantris system and getting ready to destroy the violent machines. The battle would not begin yet, however, because there were other concerns within the civilization. Back on Fuege, the volcanic planet, citizens were growing weary. They were struggling to live on the small colony and demanded that Nuev build them bigger districts. He complied, but even he seemed rather irritated. Meanwhile, in space, the shake-up of the government resulted in more esporgas coming to the forefront. One of these esporgas, Wynnsti, was chosen to be the captain of the SS Surveyor. This proved to be a controversial choice amongst the anti-machine rhetoric and growing aggression of the mind. They wanted more military force, not some unspecialized researcher. Despite some of the complaints, however, Wynnsti nevertheless commanded their ship, and research continued. One of the most notable occurrences in 2212 was the discovery of asteroid-based life in the Ancastar system, though what the species was like is still unknown. The strangest mystery of all would not come in an alien star system, though. It would come from a place that the esporga species was all too familiar with.

On a remote beach in Fuege, away from prying eyes. A strange hole opened up on the shore, startling the small amount of esporga that were on the beach. This was understandably a shocking discovery. Aloria was called to examine the breach in reality and while she concluded that was harmless, it raised disturbing questions about the universe’s existence. For all the exploring that they have done, all that the Eccovist had encountered were non-sapient life, dead aliens, and violent machines. This lack of allies, as well as the sudden opening on the beach, brought a nihilistic view to the consciousness. What if they were the last organics in the galaxy. What if all the others had been annihilated? Those were questions that they had to ask, and the breach merely brought up more questions. They did not know where it came from or why it was here, but the once-naive esporga now knew the truth. The galaxy was filled with darkness. It was different to comprehend, but Aloria knew of what she had to. She must be a light in the grim future that the Eccovist faced.

Despite the cynicism that waved over the esporga species, however, there were still discoveries to be celebrated. The lifeforms on Ancastar’s asteroid were found to be self-sustaining, with crystalline growth somewhat similar to a non-sapient mold. They absorbed the ambient radiation of Ancastar and fed on the minerals that the asteroid had. Not only that, they were edible! The crew of the SS Enterprise soon took to snacking on them and the creatures were named ‘mordestals’. Unfortunately, the good news did not last for long. Fears continued to grow as a collection of frozen extraterrestrials was found in Athyr. Victims of the cybrex’s terrifying reign and a continuing reminder of how unsafe the Eccovist was. The Eccovist would soon come to its breaking point, however. As Nataene and their fleet approached the volederto drones. They prepared to fight against the monstrous machines. Their guns equipped with powerful lasers and the mind of the Eccovist by their side. They soon entered into a conflict and the two sides fought. One a processor of natural origins, the other one of artificial making.

“The time has come for us to battle. The time has come for us to cleanse this galaxy of rogue machinery. Perhaps, we are the only ones left, perhaps, there are more out there. But the Eccovist will fight against the living machines. Technology is useful and is sometimes a required asset for us. The Eccovist has created many inventions that have served us in the past. There are times when technology can go too far, however. Times when technology takes a life of its own. This is one of those times, and the Eccovist will not hesitate. We will destroy you, volederto drones. Whether you understand us or not is unimportant, but we will consume you. Your machinery is more apt for modification than intelligence.”

“And if you dare kill even one link, then our tendrils will bury your faulty processors into the ground!” Nataene finished, his tone as serious as could be.

So with a battle cry, Nataene and his fleet went against the volederto, hoping to destroy the living machines once and for all. But while the machines of the west terrorized the fleets, more disturbing news came out about the machines of the east. Within the Athyr system, as observed by the SS Ardent, the extraterrestrials that were kidnapped by the cybrex were killed by vacumn exposure. Each of them stamped with a barcode and treated like livestock. This did not do any favors for the Eccovist’s moral. It seemed like they were the last organic species left in their part of the galactic neighborhood, and that the machines were willing to do anything to destroy them. Even so, some held out hope for allies. Perhaps they would be in the exotic asteroid belt of Ancastar, or within the portal of Fuege, but the galaxy was crashing under them.

The seemingly-utopic society of the Eccovist was starting to panic and they worried that the Turquoise Fleet would not return. It was now 2214 and no contact had been made with Nataene. The remnants of some of the corvettes had been found in the Fejantris system and half of the drones still remained. Worries also peaked when in the winter of 2214, Fortuna made mention of a mysterious ship in the atmosphere of one of Athyr’s gas giants, lying in wait and drifting through the stars. Aloria attempted to relieve tensions by creating a new starbase at Pleeturi and building a link district for Fuege, but the truth was evident even to the most disconnected of links.

They were in danger.

Footnotes

(1) The cybrex, being a mechanical species, did not have any form of organic composition, but the group mind structure that they were known to utilize resulted in the Eccovist referring to their cybernetic connections as ‘mycelia’.

(2) It is unknown whether the habitable planet of Fejantris has sapient life on it or not. Perhaps it is the home to the long-gone creators of the volederto, but not enough research has been conducted on the arid planet.

(3) The edibility of the mordestals is extremely unusual, especially for a fungoid species such as the esporga. Normally, life on other planets cannot be properly digested without precautions and modifications. The mordestal species is an exception to this rule, its soft body easily piercable by the mycelia of the esporga.

 

[HistoryDude]

The rogue machines must be brought down!

 

[DukeShasta]

Indeed! Machines are not to be trusted! Love the way this story is going! Keep it up!

 

[Aquasparky]

Discovering Possibilities (2215-2217)

When the 15th year of the esporga’s galactic venture occurred, some things were cleared up. The mysterious ship found within the Athyr had been derelict the whole time, and Nataene had come out with only a few injuries. Despite this, fears of war were still prominent within the populace. Loud cries came from the houses on Vistaclair and Fuege, and fights broke out in the streets. The esporga started to subsume themselves further into the natural world to escape their fears. They dreamed of a day when they would not live in fear. Even though stresses were high, the Eccovist made a breakthrough in their own biology. They had learned how to experience everything the galaxy had to offer. This has allowed them to learn more about what is around them and helped them to prepare. In these troubling times, the Indigo Fleet starts to approach the volederto drones and Aloria makes a speech to her people.

“We can feel the fear within the Eccovist. The looming threat of the living machines and the current state of the galaxy. It can be felt in the tingling of our tendrils. It can be felt in both Vistaclair and Fuege. But we will not bow down to faulty machinery, we will persevere! We will stand up against all odds and gather knowledge from this event. Our strengths show us all that we have worked for, but our weaknesses show what we need to improve on. This is why, during this battle against the machines. We will stand our ground!”

The crowd cheered as Aloria made her speech, the Indigo Fleet starting to approach their mechanical enemies. The star themselves seemed to swell as the ships disappeared into the darkness, and the second battle was to begin. The drones approached the Eccovist’s ships, their alien lasers pointing towards the crafts. The Eccovist’s ships radiantly shot their own lasers. Soon enough, the ships were intertwined in combat like they never have been.

The lasers erupt with a fierce roar. A multitude of ships collided in the spatial plane. The mycelia of the Eccovist pull in all of the knowledge that they have obtained, and with a fierce battle cry, win against the volederto drones. Remnants of the ships fall to the wayside. The crew on the Indigo Fleet celebrate their victory. They return back to the Eccovrelle system and a weight has been lifted off of them. They no longer had to live in fear of the rogue drones. They could now travel the galaxy at their own leisure. The journey was far from over, however. For soon after the battle against the volederto drones, new truths came to light. Underneath one of Ancastar’s craters, a disturbing tangle of technology was uncovered. It was the remains of an alien civilization, perhaps the one on Astarte. This was nothing new for the esporga species, but what was new was the pulsating wormhole within. It was only one way, so the Eccovist could not go through it, but it was emitting a small amount of dark matter. This was a curiosity for the Eccovist, and soon enough, they were gathering it. With dark matter now under their paws, they continue to explore the galaxy.

Meanwhile, in the Athyr System. Fortuna discovers yet another remnant of alien technology. The presence of a foreign object on the snowy planet of Athyr V. It is covered by cold and crystal, but it is clearly made by extraterrestrial hands. This causes concern among the crew. The Athyr system is known to be the cybrex’s domain. They had come here at one point in their history, and have been known to lay waste to any organic species. Thankfully, they were not here at the moment, so the esporga had all the time in the world to investigate. This investigation soon brought them new information about an alien species that communicated through scent. There were no bones or organic matter found on the planet, but evidence of the species could be found within the aromantic box. What Fortuna opened up, however, was something she could never imagine.

“What is this species trying to communicate? The words they say make no sense!” Fortuna noted, looking at her crew to see if they have any answers.
“The Eccovist is clueless. The words are properly structured, but the context makes no sense.” Frir responded, their ear giving a twitch.
“That is odd, let us read it.” Fortuna said, “What does one call someone with no body and no nose? Nobody knows. Why do eggs not tell jokes? They would crack each other up?” Fortuna read out with a confused look.
“Nonsense. Simple nonsense. Take it to the Great Intellect.” Famioso coldly said. “Perhaps she will know what to do with it.”
“Affirmative.” Fortuna responded, “Come on, let us continue work on the volederto drones.”

So, they continued work on the volederto drones. In the meantime, construction on Pleeturi is finished and the torravium found there is being fully utilized. The Eccovist continued to build up their small empire and traveled across the stars. They searched for anomalies at the tail end of 2215, and soon found yet another odd asteroid in the Ancastar. An odd amount of metal debris sits on the asteroids. It is what appears to be the remnants of spaceships. Before Staquo is able to fully research it, however, the Eccovist enters the year 2216.

A new year comes with new discoveries, and the first discovery of 2216 proves to be one of the most shocking. After extensive research on the strange hole that had opened up on Fuege, it was discovered that it lead to another dimension. A dimension of pure energy. This dimension, given the nickname of the Blasmic Dimension, may have not had any life, but it proved to be a useful tool when it came to gathering energy. In fact, when the Blasmic Dimension was first recorded by the Eccovist. Aloria was quick to make the dimension Eccovist property. Now with multiple star systems and one whole dimension under their belt, they continued to explore and made new discoveries. The asteroid in the Ancastar system turned out to be a junkyard in the distant past, and the Urrom system is overtaken by esporga as a new starbase is built. The future looks bright for the Eccovist. They have expanded their territory, learned more about the mysterious drones, and have learned to utilize a brand new dimension.

Biology, too, has advanced within the Eccovist. The mycelia has started to become more unified than ever, and simultaneous learning has become a part of life. Malen has also fully unified the esporga of Vistaclair and has been making improvements in Eccovist diplomacy and bureaucracy. Not only that, they have linked with the lifeforms on Fuege and have been slowly subsuming them. The process is difficult, but they have been doing well. They have found the pulsar star, Teydialara, and have been exploring the faraway systems. One of these systems was Vantandemion, which not only had the habitable planet of Vantandemion II, but also a strange ship floating above it. The ship was nothing like they have ever seen. It had large sails similar to a boat and strange mechanisms that appeared to run on solar power. This was interesting to the Eccovist and they decided to research it. As it turns out, it was made seven thousand years ago by an unknown species, perhaps one that once resided on Vantandemion. Not much was known about this species, but their ship was hit by a meteorite. An interesting discovery, to be sure, but it was starting to become the norm.

As 2217 came, the Eccovist continued looking for habitable planets. Vistaclair and Fuege were beautiful in their own ways, but the mycelia needed more life to subsume. Therefore, when they saw that Fejantris II’s satellite had the potential for life, they decided to research it. It wasn’t exactly the most habitable place, but it still had many interesting features about it. For one, it had a primarily arid climate. There were vast hills and swaths of sand covering the ground, and the creatures dwelling were adapted to the heat. The creatures in question were primarily of the boneless kind. Marine and land-dwelling invertebrates covered in thick chitin. They were small and looked unimpressive on the surface, but they were the lifeblood of the planet. Meanwhile, the few vertebrates of Fejantris II’s moon were fish-like lizards and other small, scaly, creatures. Overall, the planet was full of life, but not the kind of life that the esporga could live off of.

As the Eccovist observed habitable planets, however. They soon discovered another piece of extraterrestrial history. Within the frosty Daranma system, there was a strange signal. It did not contain any message, but it was proof that even this far south, there were signs of life. The Eccovist was unsure if this life would be aggressive or peaceful, but they braced themselves. What the mycelia discovered was nothing like they had expected.

“What is this thing?” Fortuna asked, wondering what Aloria would say to her.
Aloria thought about it, tendrils continuing to grow as her lavender eyes glanced into the distance. “It appears to be some form of life pod. Do you know what is inside of it?”
“There is a singlet inside the pod. Some form of reptile with long, stalk-like eyes.” Fortuna told Aloria.
“An intelligent reptile. That would be interesting to dissect.” Aloria responded, hoping to add this xeno to her collection of known sapient species.
“Um, we cannot really dissect it. It is withered, and looks to be around five-thousand years old.” Fortuna noted.
“A shame. It will still be a worthy addition to the Eccovist’s knowledge.” Aloria said with a smile, recording the information at her desk.

And so, the ‘Ocedelle’, the stalk-eyed reptilians of Daranma, were added into the collective knowledge of the Eccovist. They now had information that both reptile and mammal could be sapient, and soon looked deeper to see if they would encounter sapient, organic life. They did not, but they advanced in something just as important. They discovered the landscape of Vantandemion III, and started to name the planets within the Daithlon system. Port Maron, Rezmondo’s Planet, and Llameama were now names that were known in the Eccovist conscious. It was at this moment that the esporga knew that they must continue expanding. Fejantris II’s moon was very hot, but also had a lot of potential for drone research. Vantandemion III, meanwhile, was far lusher. Long kelp, great mountains, and rushing waterfalls were on Vantandemion III. But so were massive avians and dangerous jungles. Therefore, it was a matter of which threat to deal with when it came to colonizing a new planet. Whatever planet they would subsume, however. They knew that they would grow and continue to consume knowledge.

Footnotes

(1) The wormhole that was located in the Ancastar system did not lead to any other location, but it contained a large amount of dark matter. Whether this dark matter was being generated by the machinery inside the asteroid or because of the wormhole is still unknown.

(2) The esporga, and by extension, the Eccovist do not have a sense of humor as we do. Because of this, the jokes present within the box flew completely over their heads and were dismissed as nonsense.

(3) The Blasmic Dimension consists entirely of a unique form of energy known as blasma energy. Blasma energy is a gas-like substance that is capable of powering machinery, much like the prime dimension’s plasma. It can only be found in the Blasmic Dimension and is a valuable resource. It is unknown what causes blasma energy to be formed, but it is one of the most powerful forms of fuel known to esporga.

(4) Fejantris II’s moon is roughly the equivalent of the Carboniferous period timewise. It is an arid world that mostly holds scorpion-like and cockroach-like invertebrates, with fish and reptiles being far and few between. Vantandemion III, on the other hand, resembles Earth’s Triassic period. It has gone through a recent mass extinction and houses avian species that have wingspans reaching up to twelve feet long.

(5) The ocedelle were a slender, reptilian species that reached five feet tall. They were covered in dull green scales and had an oddly flat face, but their most notable trait was the pair of stalk eyes they had. Their homeworld was unknown, but the remains indicated that they were a tail-less, bipedal species.

Desert Landscape - Carboniferous Layers in the Gilf-Kebir.