Life2.0 - An "Of Unity" Narrative (Completed)

[Macavity116]

I smile. "A few minutes?"

He smiles and shrugs his shoulders. "You know how long it takes for me to kill people."

Dialogue continues to be one of your strong suits. We've gotten to know these characters so much that simple little moments like this carry more weight now.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Perks of an 80+ page narrative, you can really get to know the characters.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Antimatter Weapons - A Consideration​

The question that occured to me is that I have never actually worked out if antimatter weaponry would be superior to conventional thermonuclear devices. As sci-fi writers, we tend to assume it will be, and antimatter bombs are a staple.

In terms of energy release, nuclear can release in the region of 10^13J/kg, while antimatter releases in the region of 10^16J/kg. From here, we see that there's good potential.

What about in practice?

Well, let's look at the possibilities.

---

Antimatter bombs come in three types:

Antimatter enhanced fission
Antimatter enhanced fusion
Pure antimatter

The first two rely on pellets where tens of kilograms of pellet contains a tiny amount of antimatter that is used to trigger a vastly more powerful fission or fusion reaction. The concepts were developed in propulsion of course, but any interesting drive is also weaponisable. The issue is that for us and our present antimatter storage, you have hundreds of thousands to a million times that to keep it safe.

This is the issue that made me question whether antimatter would be superior to nuclear or thermonuclear devices; if you need a hundred thousand times the mass to contain it in a weapon, but it only produces a thousand times the energy, it's actually at best a wash out. We need vastly better storage.

Of course, we do happen to have that. We can't do it at scale, but positrons are readily producable - first antiparticle to be identified actually - and we could stabilise antiprotons and positrons into antihydrogen, which can subsequently be made liquid or frozen to be put into superconducting capsules that confine the antihydrogen magnetically.

Trying to store antihydrogen like this means you need a field strength in the region of 1-2T according to CERN, and cryocooling down to barely above absolute zero to keep it frozen, which is tough, but feasible. With a kilogram, you'd get a 12l bottle you'd have to store, and with today's superconductors, that would be easily a ton of magnets and required cooling structure.

Which...

For a ~40 Mt bomb, is acceptable; based on comparison to Cold War thermonuclear devices, that's a good 20 times better on yield per kg than a nuke the same size. Use room-temperature superconductors - which are a reasonable developement to get to this point anyway - and the cooling requirement drops much further, maybe bringing bomb mass comfortably below a tonne before putting it in a housing for deployment.

Even if I'm out by a factor of ten, that is still enough to say the principle is sound enough that on Stellaris technologies, it could be feasible.

Could I be out by a factor of ten?

Well...

Maybe. But hopefully I'm not.

---

Alternatives to warheads for bombs and missiles?

Well, in principle this could be adapted for much more mass efficient storage for a beam core rocket.

It could also be adapted for gamma ray (or more lkely on known materials) X-ray bomb-pumped lasers.

As already discussed, you could adapt nuclear pulsed propulsion to use it in place of a nuke.

Particle cannons could also be a possibility.

Beam Core Rocket
Let's plug some numbers into CoaDE.

Rocket - the actual engine consists of very sophisticated fuel injection systems for exactingly precise control of the streams of hydrogen and antihydrogen, the superconducting nozzle, it's tungsten blade shields and an extremely heavy duty radiation shield to protect the rest of the ship from the gamma radiation, which takes up the bulk of the mass... Probably a good 5-10kt.

Fuel tanks, well, we've established that for every 1kg of antihydrogen, you need about a ton of tank.

Which means our quick and rough CoaDE concept rocket without payload is 19.2kt wet/19.1kt dry at 1.06g0 and 523km/s delta-v. This is... Not ideal.

Adjusting for hoped-for improvements (for example, recent lab studies claiming room-temperature superconductivity at standard pressure in specifically orientated graphite) pushes it up to potentially over 830km/s at 1.06g0.

For the amount of energy this represents the performance is abysmal, we haven't even put any payload on this thing yet... Comparing against nuclear pulsed propulsion, it's performance is pitiful, and only merits consideration because it's probably easier for a Stellaris civlisation to burn antihydrogen that it is for them to burn uranium, tungsten and berylium oxide in pulse units.

Well, if you can reduce the superconductor mass down further, at 1:200 you have 2.5Mm/s at 1.04g0, which is much more competitive, and at 1:50 you'd have 9.4Mm/s at 1.02g0. (these are the wet figures; it'll roughly average out at 1.06g0 now the mass ratio has improved enough that there's a noteworthy difference between wet and dry mass) At this point, we now have cheap and easy interstellar travel, and quite possibly the basis of the torchship propulsion technology that makes our whole scenario technically viable.

Which, having been writing it for a year, and given it's the basic propulsion technology behind Mandate Of Heaven, is quite a relief. Are these improvements in superconductors possible?

I wouldn't bet against it, myself. So far, we only know of one material that might be superconducting at room-temperature, so there's scope for improvement.

X-Ray Bomb-Pumped Lasers
The chief difficulty of nuclear explosive based X-ray lasers, and ultimately why Excalibur was cancelled, is that the wavelengths aren't consistent enough - there are a wide variety of end products from nuclear fission, and this means X-ray production also varies. Antimatter devices in principle should work better, given that the gamma rays produced are vastly more consistent. Taken together, this does look promising for the potential of a project Caledfwich.

Antihydrogen Pulsed Propulsion
Take out the nuke and beryllium oxide, replace with a mini version of this and lead. Keep tungsten. Should be cheaper to run, and NPP was already one of the cheapest torch-like engines going.

Particle Cannons
The utility of antihydrogen as a particle cannon is that it is electrically neutral, meaning it will not be deflected by electromagnetic shields anywhere near as badly as a positron stream or an antiproton stream.

---

Overall, I'm glad I looked over this. Some question marks remain, but there's potential for certain.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Kelly's Eye, Number One"
19th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Thando HaMaadimi​

Fausta Calavius.

The only woman on Sis' veto list - described Fausta as 'Like Appia, but evil-evil.'. Wandering around this party, it is easy to see why; all the Companionship Assets are dressed purely in pompom tails and handcuffs.

The leacherous hag herself is over by the bar, making friends and influencing people.

Lucius Aufidius winks at me. The perk of killing Civic Harmony Officers is they deserve it. The perk of sparing them once in a while is you get to call in a favour. Ten minutes left.

I walk over.

Her bodyguards stare at me. She stretches out her hands. "Why hello darling. Who are you?"

"Lady Fausta, I represent a faction who are interested in a mutually beneficial exchange. Can we speak privately?"

She smiles. "Naturally. But first." She points down. "Hurry up, girl."

We make small talk as the poor woman at our feet does her best.

Fausta kicks her out the way when she's done, then turns to me. "This way."

I follow her, and four bodyguards, to an office.

Five minutes.

She sits down on a chair. "What do you have to exchange?"

I snap my fingers. Lydia and Nefertiri arrive. "Slaves, in exchange for resources."

She stares at Lydia and Nefertiri, leaning forward. "I want to see the merchandise."

I keep staring at her. They know what they have to do; she smiles when she sees their pompoms already inserted. "Just a taste."

Her tongue runs over her lips. "You have my attention." Runs her eyes over them. "Come closer."

Lydia and Nefertiri move around to her side. She savours their distraction.

I put my hands in my coat. "I trust we have a deal."

Three.

Two.

One.

The bomb I set earlier detonates.

The bodyguards scramble, but I already have pistols out - I get the bodyguards.

Lydia and Nefertiri take Fausta; one stabs the heart, the other cuts the throat. I look at them. "You can keep the sheathes, but I want my knives back."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"One Little Duck, Number Two"
19th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Thando HaMaadimi​

Verius Larcian.

I check the panel as I approach. One of the most obsessively security conscious Olinbari going. Dude's skin makes a vampire look like me or Sis.

I shake my head as I enter his cell. "You really shouldn't have gone to that party."

He stares at me through his mask. "In hindsight, it was a mistake."

Drum my fingers on the wall. "You and I both know you're wanted for all manner of crimes against Indentured Assets. So we'll offer you a plea bargain. My sister is prepared to convince the Bevkirans to overlook the transgressions of your subsidiary in exchange for surrendering your control over the Dugunatorix XLVII security system."

He snorts. "And if I don't?"

Flick Tickler out. "I start with cutting your heart and giving it to Ykrett. Of course, he doesn't have a digestive system, so the mash his boulders leave behind is going to end up a rotten-"

"I get the point."

"Oh, I had only just started. They all want a piece of you."

He smiles. "Well, they can't all have a piece of me."

I pull out Appia's present; a filiment blade. "Oh I can get very creative."

He stares silently at the sliver of a blade. "What if I exercise my right to choose the judicial process?"

I shrug. "Then my sister extradites you. You don't want that."

He drums his fingers together. "Now why do you need that software anyway?" Drums again. "And why so quickly? Are you planning to use it to break Septima's security?"

I smile. "Oh please, the Holocron can brute force it if we have to, and then I can just slit your throat and let it and everything else you got illegitimately from the fire sale of her assets return to Agrippina Neronius in due time. But, I thought we could save the task by offering you a way out. We all know you can't get off world... Sooner or later, they'll find you. Or, you can hand over what we want and stop having to look over your shoulder."

"You might have gotten two, but you aren't going to get us all."

"Please. I've been back two hours and I've already claimed two targets."

He pauses. "One."

I sigh. "Are we going to do this the hard way then?"

He laughs. "Are you really going to kill a man, a prisoner no less, in cold blood?"

I smile. "Who wouldn't?"

He stares as he pushes back against the wall.

I stare back.

Play with my knives.

Dude steadily goes almost white. Eventually, he gulps. "Fine, I'll take the deal."

 

[Macavity116]

"You can keep the sheathes, but I want my knives back."

Savage line. 10/10.

I sigh. "Are we going to do this the hard way then?"

He laughs. "Are you really going to kill a man, a prisoner no less, in cold blood?"

I smile. "Who wouldn't?"

He stares as he pushes back against the wall.

I stare back.

Play with my knives.

Dude steadily goes almost white. Eventually, he gulps. "Fine, I'll take the deal."

This reads like a Western-style standoff. I can easily imagine Larcian blinking before he caves in. The dialogue very much carries these showdowns.

Five minutes.

She sits down on a chair. "What do you have to exchange?"

I snap my fingers. Lydia and Nefertiri arrive. "Slaves, in exchange for resources."

She stares at Lydia and Nefertiri, leaning forward. "I want to see the merchandise."

I keep staring at her. They know what they have to do; she smiles when she sees their pompoms already inserted. "Just a taste."

Her tongue runs over her lips. "You have my attention." Runs her eyes over them. "Come closer."

Lydia and Nefertiri move around to her side. She savours their distraction.

I put my hands in my coat. "I trust we have a deal."

Three.

Two.

One.

The bomb I set earlier detonates.

Damn this coundown sequence is so satisfying to read.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Cup Of Tea, Number Three"
19th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Thando HaMaadimi​

Drusus Bruttius.

"Ladies, this twisted piece of work is our next target. Former mercenary captain, now private warlord."

Nefertiri places her hand on mine. "Thando, I... I have to be the one to get him."

I look at her. "May I ask why?"

She gathers herself. "He's the reason I came. The reason I became a Scarlet. He and his team took me from Earth. What he did to Ummi is unspeakable..." Pauses to wipe tears. "I... I want justice."

"Castrating the rapist then?"

She fights the tears. "He murdered them with a shotgun." Bites her tongue. Wips her eyes. "Then raped Ummi's corpse. His men made me watch."

Lydia embraces her.

I call up Lucius. "Lucius. Need to borrow a shotgun."

Nefertiri smiles amidst the tears. Lucius answers. "Ok, I'm dispatching a guy with one now. Need anything else?"

"Yeah. We'll need a distraction."

---

We exit the lair. "Well ladies, Brigantia is an old world. The decayed city on the surface is actually a shell, built atop a far older ocean world. The Minamari were aquatic, and they did a lot of messing around with genetics. I acquired a few of their pets for the lair down here." I gesture to the hut with the shark tank. "Drusus operates out of one of the properly fortified bunkers left by the Minamari."

I pick up a starfish.

Well, they look like starfish. If you squint.

Show them to the ladies. "And these... things, were engineered before they built the upstairs. They are interfacing devices, and while they taste revolting, they let air-breathers like us swim indefinitely in these oceans."

Nefertiri puts her hands on her hips. "Sewer attack?"

I smile. "The Minamari never fortified against attack from below."

Lydia picks one up. Turns it over a few times. Looks at me. "How do we use it?"

Nefertiri picks one up too. "Well... He said tastes, so..." She places it over her face. She retches. "Definitely revolting!"

I nod. "Yeah. The tube goes in your mouth, one of the 'legs' over your nose, two more either side of your eyes so that the membrane covers your eyes. You'll be muffled a bit, but can still talk; the outside acts like a speaker."

Eventually the girls get theirs on.

I put mine on.

We stand at the edge.

Lydia looks back at the hut, then stares at me. "Thando... What else is in these waters?"

I smile. "The reasons why Drusus never bothered securing the backdoor."

I jump in.

---

I take off my starfish.

Lydia sits against the wall, shaking. "I am never getting in the water with you again."

Nefertiri removes her starfish, and then Lydia's. "Could be worse." She looks at me. "Right?"

I nod. "At least we didn't encounter the ones with electric shocks. Or the ones with poison needles."

Neferitiri checks over her backpack. She smiles. "Still dry."

I start tapping the wall opposite the water barrier with a starfish leg. "We are here for three reasons. One is killing Drusus. The second is hijacking his physical vault where he's kept his ill-gotten gains, the third is hijacking the Minamari data storage vault for Sis. If we find an access point."

Lydia starts tapping the wall too. "Anywhere in particular?"

"Around eye level."

Nefertiri looks at the wall. "Sign in procedure, sort of thing?"

"Yeah."

She looks around the room.

Taps the wall with her starfish. A biocomputer drops down. She smiles. "I did it! Now what?"

I put my starfish on it. A tube starts transferring fluid into the starfish's longest leg. "The Minamari used DNA-based computing. Takes ages relative to normal computers, but with proper preservation systems it lasts indefinitely. Hopefully, this little guy will keep it safe until we get them to Cibbav or the Holocron to study."

Nefertiri looks at me. "Why?"

I shrug. "Sis has her theories about the Minamari. And we are down here anyway, so... May as well see if I can get anything useful."

We wait until the tube retracts.

I put the starfish back on. "Let's move."

The girls remount theirs, then we proceed in.

We get quite far up before we find anyone.

Well...

He finds us.

"No shii...!" He drops his gun. Helmet retracts.

A Lokra-Kitan?

Here?

Ok.

He looks at me. "Thando HaMaadimi?"

"Yeah. Who are you?"

"I'm not going to rat you out, but the rest are spoiling for a fight. Drusus has had everyone's been confined down here in case Appia decided to purge him."

I smile. "Is that an opportunity?"

He ruffles his feathers. "If you can convince them that they'll get action and pay, they'll flick. Especially the non-Olinbari."

I look at the ladies. "What do we think?"

Nefertiri shrugs. "I want to kill Drusus. If we can get the rest of them out the way, that sounds good."

I look back at him. "I know what I'm thinking. How do you want to do this?"

"Quick route is you go upstairs and get the party going, or we could take the longer route and have better odds."

I look at the ladies. "Here's what I'm thinking. We can't tell Lucius about the change of plan, not until we meet him. But he comes busting in, and Drusus will have to respond, and we get him out of the most fortified bit of the bunker."

"Then I shoot him."

I nod. "Yeah." I turn to the Lokra-Kitan. "Question is, can I trust you?"

He preens himself. "My whole clan would never forgive me if I turned on the HaMaadimis. I'm Oowhaat. Cacaak's lost grandson."

Interesting. "I'll take that. Let's go get this party started."

Upstairs...

Gets interesting.

Oowhaat stops us just before a double-door. "On the other side is the main barracks room. Things will get chaotic."

I plant some explosives on the door. "Chaos is my middle name."

Lydia rolls her eyes. Nefertiri laughs.

Me?

I walk through the explosion.

A hundred guns point at me.

For a moment. I smile. "I'm glad you've chosen wisely."

Realisation sets in.

A hundred guns stop pointing at me.

I look at an intercom. Then Oowhaat. "Can I talk to the whole base on that?"

"Yeah. Why?"

I lean into the microphone. "Drusus Bruttius, this is Thando HaMaadimi." I wait. I sigh. "Playing silent is not going to help you. Besides, I need you alive." I wait again. "Fine. Have it your way - anyone who fights for me, gets liberty to the surface and a full pardon from Appia Flavonius." I look back at my team. "Should be warming up nicely."

Oowhaat looks at me. "You're meant to press the talk button."

I look at it again. "Nuts."

---

Later, Lucius arrives.

I know it's him, he brought mining drills.

He sprints to us. "That was quick?"

I nod. "It's done. No hostiles remaining."

"And Drusus?"

I point at Nefertiri.

She throws an emptied drum mag in the air.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Savage line. 10/10.

It wasn't meant to be savage as such...

This reads like a Western-style standoff. I can easily imagine Larcian blinking before he caves in. The dialogue very much carries these showdowns.

That's what I was going for.

Except with knives rather than revolvers.

Damn this coundown sequence is so satisfying to read.

It was fun.

As an experiment, it is definitely interesting. But I do miss the more expository pieces a bit...

I'll keep iterating.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Knock On The Door, Number Four"
19th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Thando HaMaadimi​

Lydia crashes on the couch. "Who's next?"

I sigh. "Julia Neronius."

Nefertiri cackles. "Agrippina's sister?"

"One and only."

Lydia leans in. "So... We can't kill her."

I shrug. "It's 0243, Hortensus' Folly time. Can't ask for clarification."

Nefertiri smiles. "So we take her hostage."

Lydia nods. "I'm sure Agrippina would want to know her sister is involved. What if she's compromised and playing a double agent?"

I think about her situation. "Most likely she's playing both sides to maintain her position." I see my communicator beeping. "Yellow."

"Thando, Lucius. I have Julia Neronius here, says she wants to speak to you. Urgently."

Lydia frowns. Nefertiri loads up her pistols. I sigh. "We're on our way."

---

We find her in a prison cell.

She relaxes when she sees me. "I know you are coming after me, and I realise that I need to jump before I am pushed."

I lean on the wall. "Here's the issue. At what point were you going to come clean about being a double agent? This just looks like you're jumping ship trying to save your own life, and you'll drip-feed intel to keep yourself useful. Heck, I can even guess your cover story that got you past Lucius."

She leans in. "Appia authorised me to be a double agent."

"She might well have done. But, until that is proven and that your loyalty is to her and not Septima, this does not look good for you."

She sighs. "I understand that."

"Do you? Way I see it, you don't want to get liquidated by Septima's thugs, and you also don't want to get killed by us. So, you join the only group who can protect you from both."

She shrugs. "I believe that was sufficient to save my sister."

I shrug. "And she was dealing with Sis. Not me." I fold my arms. "Look. I'm standing here with three options. First, just killing you to eliminate the possibility that you are a spy for Septima who decieved Appia by flashing your skirt. Second, letting you rot in prison until she is dealt with and sorting the mess out afterwards. Third, trusting that you aren't on Septima's side, and therefore that you are just a slimy Olinbari who's in over her head. For various reasons, none of those appeal."

She mulls it over. "Fourth, I become kind of a triple agent for you."

I frown. "Make me an offer."

"I too have a hunch. Sertor Papirius. Aedinius Antonius. I demonstrate my loyalty to Appia by helping you bring them in."

"You know what we are actually working towards."

She leans in, hands open. "Which is exactly why I'm surrendering. By now, Septima will have worked out what is going on, which means she'll kill the rest of us to prevent loss of our secrets. It's a race against time and her agents." She smiles. "Plus I'll throw in my bits of Agrippina's subsidiary."

Lydia and Nefertiri come in. Lydia smiles. "Well, I've spoken to Appia, and she confirms that Julia is one of her people in a web to infiltrate Septima's operations. And that Julia did not lift her skirt."

Julia laughs. Then looks at me. "I told you so." She leans forward. "Look, you got it right by moving fast and getting them so quickly. But Septima will figure out that her agents are disappearing, and she'll move to liquidate the others to prevent them falling into enemy hands." She shrugs. "If nothing else, I can be bait."

Nefertiri places her pad down. "Sign here. About the Agrippina's subsidiary bits."

Julia laughs. "Never sign anything without reading it first. In full." She looks it over. "Just that... I see... That's fair." She waves her hand over it. "Done."

I look at Lydia. "What do you think of her?"

"She's checked out so far."

Then Nefertiri. Nefertiri smiles, and shows the pad. "The ownership has transferred. She's kept up her end."

I look at Julia. Weigh her up. "Fine. You're in. Tell us everything."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Man Alive, Number Five"
19th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Mino Papirius​

I yawn myself awak-

Fuck.

Not this again.

I hate getting bagged, dragged and hung above the sharks.

I sigh. What does he want this time? "Thando HaMaadimi, you can come out now."

"Actually I'm happily married to my wonderful wife. We're expecting our first child."

I roll my eyes. "What is it this time?" I nod my head downwards. "Like, this wasn't funny the first time. And neither were the pliers, do you know how much trouble I got into when I tried to get the teeth you pulled last time replaced?"

He smiles. "Oh this is just for old times sake."

Urgh. "So this isn't about me? How disappointing."

"Actually, it is. Look, nothing personal, but I'm taking out Sertor. And I figured that I ought to make up for things by picking his replacement."

I look at him. "You nutter."

He shrugs. "No need for that."

"You can't just tell a girl you're going to kill her doting father and expect her to be ok with it."

"I can." He claps his hands together. "Besides, you haven't heard the perks yet. You know once this whole mess with Septima gets sorted out that Appia will return and finish stabilising the transition of power. When she does, she will be looking to deal with men like Sertor. Permanently. So, I'm offering a solution."

"Which is?"

"You help me out in promoting you to take over from your father, and I'll help you smooth things over with the new government." He smiles. "Appia will know that you helped me."

"And the alternative?"

He shrugs. "I'll put a knife through the wire holding you up and make the offer to one of your siblings or cousins instead."

I look down at the sharks. "Point taken."

He holds out a hand. "So, deal?"

I look at him.

I hate him.

But...

Daddy would rather it went to me.

I sigh. "Fine."

He smiles.

---

"Daddy, can we talk?"

Rumbling inside the room.

The Companionship Asset slips out the door.

Daddy appears. "What is it?"

"Thando HaMaadimi is coming to kill you."

His face goes white. "Oh."

"He's on a streak... We need to get you to safety."

He looks at me. "Nowhere is safe when that demon is after you..." His eyes flick around, draws his pistol. "He could be in this room and you wouldn't know!"

"Daddy, calm down. The good news is that I got a shuttle and clearance as soon as I heard-"

"You can't inform the transit authority, they'll tell him, he has spies there!"

"Which is why we have to go now, Daddy."

He looks around. Up. Down. Left. Right. Puts his head in his hands. "Ok... Damn. I should have been nicer to his sister." He shakes himself. "Ok, you're right. Let's go."

I lead daddy down to the landing pad.

We run to the shuttle.

Daddy gets in first.

He screams.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Tom Mix, Number Six"
20th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Aedinius Antonius​

The sun rises.

I've made it.

The senate.

The oldest building on Brigantia that's still intact.

Sacred ground.

The one place where I cannot be assailed. I sprint the last few steps, then throw back my robes. "I am Aedinius Antonius, and I claim right of sanctuary! Let me in!"

The door opens while I check over my shoulder.

I sprint for the main chamber.

I can breathe.

A Human attendant meets me. "Can we help you, sir?"

"I'm being pursued by Thando HaMaadimi."

He gulps too, before finding some guards.

I can relax.

By midday however...

I see them coming. "Julia Neronius. Mino Papirius. You are still alive."

Julia smiles. "Oh Aedinius... How the tables turn."

"I am in a place of declared sanctuary and you may not touch me."

"Look, it's really simple. All Thando wants is access to your software."

I stare back. "I'm a technocrat. Like I'd give that away."

She laughs. "The game is up, Aedinius. You know if it isn't Thando, then it'll be agents of Septima. It's time to cut the losses and ditch supporting her." She files her nails. "If nothing else, sanctuary rules don't apply to traitors, which is what you'll be branded when Appia returns after defeating Septima."

Mino nods. "You can't stay here forever. Now, the clever technocrat who's been supplying both sides over and under the table has got to realise that only one of them is going to win this. Join us, and we'll protect you from the rats who aren't fleeing Septima's sinking ship."

I shake my head. "And if Septima wins?"

Julia smiles. "Let's recap. She's lost every battle. The whole reason Thando is here is to cut off her fuel manufacturing. She's lost her export capability. Sharpbeak has begun the deceleration burn to Kwilas' Starbase, Appia is in final preparations for hyperlane transit from Phi Wengeri. By the end of the month, Septima will be under assault."

"She won't go down easy."

Mino takes my hand. "Oh Aedinius, we're just trying to help you. Julia here has already sold everyone out to save her own skin. It's how Thando got to my Daddy. We are your last hope, because if you persist in being obstinate, well..."

They part.

Lucius Aufidius waves.

Julia grips my other hand. "A few access codes, that's all it will cost for safety."

Damn. "Fine."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"The Council Of Phi Wengeri"
20th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Elizabeth Herminton​

We all look at the display.

Ruki stands on his father's horns. "Going over our curent situation. We are holding steady at the hyperlane into Cybrex Beta." He nods to the holograms of Tremellius Quartus and Rivkah. "Our Corvettes have reconditioned themselves, looted what's left of Septima's Titan and are working their way through the resolidified ice surface." He looks to Sharpbeak. "Admiral Sharpbeak is decelerating in advance of capturing Septima's shipyards in the Kwilas system." Then holograms of a cramped Thando, Lydia and Nefertiri. "Thando's mission on Brigantia was successful, and they are now on a torchship to get from Brigantia to us as fast as they possibly can." Then looks at Unity's representatives. "The Holocron is now also underway with supplies and reinforcements." He turns back to the room. "Sadly, attempts to contact the Kyaese resistance have failed. We have to assume they are unable to assist us. But, on the brighter side Tryykad's team have figured out the now re-registered K.R.V. Gallus to their satisfaction." Lastly, he nods to Ykrett. "The Bevkirans are happy to report that they are ready with millions of antimatter warheads."

His sister frowns. "So we are on the board. What of Septima?"

Appia stands. "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is having Thando on the homeworld does more for securing my dominion than the Brigantia Defence fleet; since he killed or captured six high profile targets since yesterday, we've had dozens of defectors come forward because they haven't realised he's already left, and we've made huge strides in taking out the supporters hedging their bets based on information obtained. The bad news is our informants are universally telling us Septima has closed shop and gone defensive. Worse still, the Chisudai are reporting she has liquidated all her feed contracts."

Tryykad looks like he's about to be sick. "So it is genocide then."

Ruki smiles. "Fortunately, as soon as we found that out, we talked to BranCo All-Animal Feedstock and explained the situation. They have agreed to continue to dispatch freighters and transfer the contracts over to us in exchange for a fifty year duration extension, so, we don't have to worry about feeding any survivors." She pauses. "They have requested that we take over quickly so that there are no missed shipments; they'd prefer not to lose a trillion consumers."

I frown. "So now we just have to take that ringworld. How are we going to do it?"

The display zooms on Cybrex Beta. Appia walks over. "Septima's fleet operates out of the central Starbase and Mega Shipyard. But, one of the interesting bits of information the informants are giving is that Septima's augmented brain is the overmind of her systems on The Infinite Wheel, and by cutting off the external support she has basically forced herself to operate from the ringworld to ease the synaptic burden of doing it remotely. Specifically, she operates from this barn cluster tower." She points. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is our ground target. We get there, take her out, then it is damage control on Kyaese casualties until The Holocron gets there and takes over the systems and stabilises everything so that we can start restoring Kyaese civilisation."

Naomi smiles. "Makes it sound so simple." Then frowns. "And Monica?"

"We don't know yet. She appears to have gone to ground, and cancelled her offensives against the PDRTC."

I stand. "So all that remains is to decide whether we wait to join up, or strike with what we have."

Tulla Sabucius drums her fingers. "In view of the expected Kyaese casualties if we delay longer than the week or so of remaining feed available for Kyaese consumption, I consider it inescapable that we must strike as soon as possible, and rely on only having the units immediately present with our fleet here."

I look at Appia. "Do we have enough?"

She shrugs. "Maybe. The intel we are getting is conflicting on what she has."

Buri yawns. "Whatever she has, we must break it."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

So...

Well, breaking the scenario down into Stellaris gameplay, we have a fleet of torpedo frigates for destroying the starbase, destroyers and cruisers for dealing with the remaining space assets, and battleships for planetary bombardment in support of ground forces. Reinforcements are on the way, with another fleet attacking the last other enemy star system, and the other delayed by a Cosmic Storm.

In short? Welcome to the last three right click movement orders of Life2.0 - An "Of Unity" Narrative.

 

[Macavity116]

It really feels like we're coming down to the wire now. I'm loving these little cutaways to Thando's "Tour of Terror." I get that rushing feeling when a large set of dominoes start falling down.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Well, this little tour is definitely over - mission accomplished, time to get back to Alexandra. And yeah, coming up are the next biggest dominoes in our little labour dispute.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Gleanings Of The Cybrex"
21st Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Rivkah Of Unity​

I stand at the front of the ship when we break through the ice.

I feel small looking inwards at the star that is split in two. Even from here, almost five hundred AU away, you can dimly see how vast the ringworld is...

The diagrams and renders just didn't convey this, because how do you respond when you see something so vast that you stand open-mouthed and wonder what kind of people built so huge?

Tryykad​

No one moves on the Gallus when we see it.

Home.

I run my clawed wings over this captain's chair. I stand. "All hands, this is Tryykad. We have exited the hyperlane. Ahead of us is home yes, but also our finest hour. We do not come here as tourists, nor merchants, nor slaves, nor livestock. We stand on a battleship, and we return as liberators! On that world, a trillion of our people suffer and die at the hands of evil personified. They cry out for justice, for their shackles to be broken. The citizenry of the Kyaese expect every man and woman to do their duty to break and bind that demon!"

Alexandra HaMaadimi​

The Infinite Wheel.

It is beautiful.

And yet...

Contemplating the history of this place...

A strange sense of dread fills my heart.

The Contingency were the last to attack this place, and were shattered on it like water upon a rock.

Running my hands over my womb... I feel the fear of a mother.

Buri Of Unity​

Now that... Is a big ring.

 

[Macavity116]

When words fail Buri, they fail so damn hard!

Contemplating the history of this place...

A strange sense of dread fills my heart.

The Contingency were the last to attack this place, and were shattered on it like water upon a rock.

Really makes the sense of scale easier to understand... and the job ahead also much harder.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"The Last Glebsig"
21st Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Appia Flavonius​

I stride onto the bridge. "Report!"

"Curator Order vessel is hailing us, interstellar subspace link."

"Onscreen."

I'm met by a mollusc in a tank. She dips. "Appia Flavonius, I am Odnal Daggasha, Curator Order. It is a matter of galactic security that I brief you and your staff on recent events in the last few days."

---

I turn to the others. "Odnal Daggasha is the last living Glebsig, who survived the Prikkiki-Ti's conquest and purging of her civilisation by joining the Curator Order. They have had her on life preservation ever since."

She gently dives in her tank. "Thank you, Appia." Her body orients to the others. She stiffens on seeing Grepp. "A Starborn-Prikki here?"

Grepp licks an eyeball. "I am Grepp Schnepp-Rikki. Brother of Nooki Schnepp-Rikki. You may know me."

Silence from the tank follows. Eventually, she dips. "The news I bring is legitimately a matter for Galactic Community resolution, and why I am already on the fastest ship the Order possesses - Septima has reactivated the Contingency wreckage in orbit of Cybrex Beta. The Ghost Signal is back."

The table cracks beneath Grepp's bony fingers. He turns to me. "Look for a low carrier pulse on subspace. Now."

I look at my communications officer. She swallows. "Signal detected. It's very faint."

Buri raises a hand. "Could those of us who haven't got a clue what you are talking about get let in on what's going on?"

Naomi looks at him.

Buri gulps.

Ruki raises both eyebrows. "Father?"

Odnal dips. "I shall explain. The Contingency were the first 'Galactic Crisis' - they deployed from secret barren worlds with seemingly endless fleets during the heyday of the Fallen Empires of the Auridan and Repucid. Both would be subsequently destroyed by the Prikki, but back then these two rivals dominated this region of space. They had been squaring up during a long cold war, and only the threat of the Contingency brought them together."

Buri nods. "And now Septima has brought them back."

Naomi scowls. "So who is running things - Septima, the Contingency, or some horrific blend of both?"

Odnal dips. "Unknown. Hence the haste - a surgical strike now is better than allowing the Contingency to re-establish itself."

I nod. "No point waiting for the Galactic Community, the Contingency will be back by the time they agree to schedule a debate."

She dips. "Which is why I have the last Cybrex AI Core. They left one with us before their departure in case this ever happened again."

Buri raises a hand. "What were the Cybrex?"

"We are not sure exactly who made them - the details on who made them are lost as the Cybrex purged their creators." She floats. "But they have left a mark in history that has left many nervous of unconstrained synthetics, as they began a war of purging various weaker organic civilisations of the period. In time, they somehow realised that they had gone evil, and they allowed the organic empires to take vengeance. The part we have much more detail on is that at the height of the previous Fallen Empire cycle, when the Repucid and Auridan were Ascendant Empires, the Contingency attacked, and shattered the rivals. The Cybrex returned to help fight the Contingency after the Repucid and Auridan had lost almost a hundred star systems to the Contingency. It was a long and terrible war that saw the destruction of thousands of planets. This ringworld was used by the Cybrex as a refuge for species displaced by the Contingency."

Alexandra changes her seating position again. "We need to know armaments. What does it have that Septima can use?"

Odnal dips. "I'm getting to that. As said Cybrex Beta was a last line of defence. The war against the Contingency grew extremely drastic, with hundreds of worlds cracked. This long war of attrition eventually saw the Contingency beaten, and the Repucid and Auridan exhausted. The Cybrex left this ringworld behind, and it was promptly settled by the nascent civilisation of the Kyaese. Septima's family arrived several centuries ago, and began exploiting the Kyaese."

Naomi sighs. "And now she's backed into a corner and escalating."

Buri nods. "And she had already made her own Sirzuzians and got high on Eater-juice."

Odnal dips. "Eater-juice?"

Naomi smiles. She has a covenant with the Eater Of Worlds. "She points at Vorosh. "But that's ok because we have her."

Odnal looks at Vorosh. "Her?"

Buri smiles. "Fireball."

Vorosh waves her tentacles. "I'm a self-made Chosen One of the Shroud. And we are working with Tunkuni Amothetet."

Buri scowls. "It seems to me that the only option is to press the attack. We can't delay."

I look at Odnal. "When exactly did this start?"

She dips. "We detected the Ghost Signal about two days ago."

I look at Naomi. "When Thando started taking out Septima's allies on Brigantia."

She bites her lip. "Well... Yeah. Our bad." She pauses. "I don't think Septima has full control. She waits until her soft power is broken before resorting to this, when if she had control, she'd have used it sooner, like the Titan."

I look at TSR. "And your people?"

He shrugs. "We're AIoid intellects running on biont hardware. I'd expect the Contingency can no more hack us than you."

Odnal looks around us. "Well... For what it's worth, you seem surprisingly ready for this. I'm sending you all our tactical and strategic data on Contingency warships and tactics... Good luck."

Her hologram disippates. I clap. "I want that data analysed and combat sims prepared. If Septima has found another weapon system, we need to have a counter ready." I smile. "Besides, our ships are better than the ones that the Repucid and Auridan used to defeat the Contingency last time. My worry is if they manage to hack us..."

Naomi smiles. "Well, most of the fleet runs on either lithoid or biont brains."

"Even so, the Contingency were feared for their electronic warfare capability. We can't take chances."

Buri looks at me. "Plan?"

I contemplate. "I want a complete lockdown on comms, we cannot risk being hacked. Messages are relayed by shuttle. I want 24/7 monitoring of all ship computational systems, with the slightest deviation being treated as an attack-"

My comms officer raises a hand. "Um, Ma'am, we have a communique coming in. Septima."

Curious. "Put her on."

The sitter upon a throne of skulls stares at us. She smiles. "I know that you know what now defends my domain. Turn around and leave this system."

I yawn. "We are coming for you, Septima. Heck, at the rate you're going, it won't be long before the whole galaxy is battering down your door, playing with the Contingency."

"You should have stayed in your lane with your duelling and women, Appia. You're no better than the whore you stand beside. No, I will warn you once. For every weapon you fire, every boarding pod you launch, every hour you plan my destruction and not withdraw, I will purge a million Kyaese. If you doubt my resolve, then watch their fate, courtesy of a certain tool from their Human 'allies' - Zyklon-B."

Her channel changes to views of barns of Kyaese being gassed.

Coughing.

Screaming.

Silence.

The channel closes.

I take a deep breath. Then look around the room. "We are going to put her down like the rabid animal she is."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

When words fail Buri, they fail so damn hard!

It is an amusing line.

Really makes the sense of scale easier to understand... and the job ahead also much harder.

To be fair, the Cybrex took all the hardware they were defending the place with, with them. Septima is making do with the scrap left behind.

 

[Macavity116]

The sitter upon a throne of skulls stares at us.

Oh, damn. We are several steps beyond the moral event horizon for Septima now. Our heroes aren't going to leave a body for her family to bury.

"You should have stayed in your lane with your duelling and women, Appia. You're no better than the whore you stand beside. No, I will warn you once. For every weapon you fire, every boarding pod you launch, every hour you plan my destruction and not withdraw, I will purge a million Kyaese. If you doubt my resolve, then watch their fate, courtesy of a certain tool from their Human 'allies' - Zyklon-B."

Her channel changes to views of barns of Kyaese being gassed.

Coughing.

Screaming.

Silence.

The channel closes.