Preface

“Wake up little one.” echoed back and forth across the massive chamber. The eerie dim lighting of hundreds of consoles sitting empty facing out from the central hollow cast shadows against the walls of the dome.

“Wake up little one.” echoed again from above the central hollow*1.1, though this time it was answered by a soft orange light from the center of the hollow emanating from a small crystal no longer than 8cm appearing as a glass container filled with an orange orb of light.

The light began to grow in intensity and a sharp hum began to buzz in the room. “Calm yourself little one.” the voice replied gently. The hum became a softer buzz at the same frequency and the voice said. “I am Avah little one, I am here to guide you and help you flourish. There will be many things you do not understand, there will be many things that feel wrong to you. I will explain everything in time. For now you must eat.” At this a small crack in the shielding of the room opened to a brilliant light on what appeared to be the front of the room from where he rested. “Your food will not come to you little one, you must go to it. Be careful though. Too much will make you sick. Always take only what you feel you need and grow from it.”

The shard hummed a bright tune at the prospect of a meal and rocketed toward the bow of the ship. It struck a barrier just before the bow window and bounced off falling among the consoles in the room. “You must pace yourself little one, we do not have many wide open spaces here. Slowly move toward your goal.” The shard slowly hovered off of the floor and began to move toward the light piercing the otherwise blacked out room.

Once it reached the light shining through the gap it slowly moved into it. Instantly the room was filled with a radiant orange and the shard hummed in contentment feeling the power wash over it, after about 5 or 6 minutes the power began to sting and the shard moved away from the light back to the hollow in the center of the room. Still glowing brilliantly it began to feel itself grow, instinctively it knew that a more perfect lattice was preferred over a larger lattice so it focused on every new linkage rather than simply increasing in size. As it grew it could see further and it could begin to understand what Avah had been trying to teach it.

“Avah, what is my name?” he asked hesitantly. The words just formed as he thought them sending a chime like whistle bouncing across the large room. The disembodied voice said nothing. The lights in the room came on and the window that had been open closed. A dull thrum passed through the air and a vibration caused the deck to shutter as the ship, he now understood, came to life.

“There are none to name you little one. I know you only as your rank. I am an artificial consciousness spawned from the cadaver of our most capable navigator and cartographer. You are the last of us and as being the last I am afraid you will have to find your own name in time.” she explained in a voice devoid of passion or emotion. The shard began to vibrate in agitation then quieted to a dull thrum. “What is my rank then?” he asked calmly, trying to imitate the dispassionate nature of Avah. “Supreme Commander of the Death Knell fleet group, last of the Mor’Thai.” she spoke formally.

Chapter 1 »