Ex Nihilo - Abyssal Prophecy

Chapter 17

Air vented in loud whoosh from the descending docking ramp of the Death’s Reaper. In front of the gathered troops Captain Gabriel stood in front of the large gathering. Behind him were his children, then the lords and the ladies of the Alcatraz, and then the troops of the assembled clans.

Descending the ramp, Magnus Void’s ashen-colored, woven tendrils of hair flowed behind him in a tumultuous dance. His solid black eyes stared ahead, and he walked with poise. Behind him, the massive Vulcan pushed the skiff, following by the rest of the crew.

            “Captain Gabriel, I admire your presentation.” Magnus smiled, revealing flawless white pointed teeth. He marched towards Captain Gabriel. The surrounding troops aimed their weapons at Magnus, but he paid them no attention. Magnus stopped in front of the man and extended his hand in a gesture of friendship.

            “Forgive my crew, Captain Magnus Void. We have not seen aliens in a long time.” Gabriel shook the offered hand briefly. “I must say your crew is as unique as you are.”

“My companion here Vulcan is bringing what I have promised. Don’t let his massive size and exterior confuse you. He’s a gentle giant. I threw in something extra to cement our new friendship. I noticed your ship lacked an FTL drive. These are my other crew members: A’zyren, Lord Genji of the DeVayne, Dhakan, and Mordecai.” He bowed with grace upon finishing his introductions.

“These are my children. Kain, my first officer; Nemesis, Lady of the Clan Plebs Hephaestus of Clan Forgers; and my youngest son, Matthew. My other children are preoccupied with their duties. I would introduce all my lords and ladies and their clans, but it’d be a waste of time right now. First, I must ascertain something of vital importance.” Gabriel walked with Magnus towards his crew.

Looking the aliens up and down, Gabriel hid his contempt. Right now, he needed what they had. Walking by the crew of the Death’s Reaper, he stopped to marvel at the size of Vulcan, but dared not touch the rock creature. Seeing two human-looking crewmembers, Gabriel stopped. He turned to look at Magnus.

“You have humans on your crew.” he smiled. “We worried we were the last of humanity left alive out here. It’s good to see that’s not true.”

“I may have started life as a human but I am a--” A’zyren began but Magnus glared.

“She isn’t human, and I am a DeVayne. We just look human.” Genji smiled.

“You’ll find that humanity has survived in the Great Maw, but like everything, it has forced change to survive. It is truly remarkable that you and your people have evolved so little and survived so long. A true testament to your leadership.” Magnus could see a hint of despair in Gabriel’s eyes. “Don’t fret, my new friend, these are just a small group of what exists out there. There are many human colonies and fleets still fighting for survival. Though the universe is slowly dying, and I don’t imagine it’ll be long before the Great Maw swallows us all.”

Gabriel stopped to look at the ASA’s sleek metal surface. Not realizing the robot was alive, he reached out to touch it. Mordecai stood there starring at the human touching him. Gabriel had never seen such an advanced automaton. It looked like a human but was much taller. The metal was a dark grey but appeared to shift towards red in the light.

“This is an impressive automaton.”

“I am an Asymmetrical Soul Algorithm, if you don’t mind, and I have a name,” Mordecai stated.

“A machine that can think like a human?” Gabriel asked.

“That is insulting. I think far better than any organic I’ve ever encountered. You have limitations, but not the ASA. We choose how we evolve, and we never stop that process.”

“Don’t mind him. Artificial intelligences harbour even more fears for their souls than most other living beings. Here are your supplies, as promised. I can spare these functional energy-to-matter converters. There are ten of the units, and, of course, the FTL drive. I can only imagine how painful travel is without one.” Magnus indicated his offering on the skiff.

Looking over the offering, Gabriel noted that everything looked to be in good condition. He still wondered about it, and his instincts told him to be wary. He summoned Hephaestus to inspect the goods.

“I appreciate these gifts, Captain, but you have to understand I am curious as to why you’re giving them to us.”

Hephaestus wasunable to contain his joy. He had read about but never seen a faster-than-light drive with his own eyes. Running his fingers over the metal, he sensed no flaws through his power armour suit sensors. He turned to his father and, with a smile, told him the gifts were of high quality.

Magnus placed an arm around Gabriel.

“Captain, lord, emperor, and god--these are the titles of the vain. They should hold no sway between like-minded individuals like us. You may call me Magnus.” he smiled.

“Blasphemy!” Lord Whelsey yelled upon hearing God referred to as a title. “There is but one true God and Jesus Christ his only begotten son who died for our sins. To deny this truth is heresy!”

Magnus looked at the man with a blank expression. The words evoked powerful memories of the time before the Great War, which reduced the universe to darkness. He remembered well when the Christians and their God shaped the very universe through the humans. For a long time, he believed the last Christians had been killed. The news shocked him.

“You’re Christians?” he asked Gabriel.

“Yes, this is a Christian ship serving the one true God. I am sure Lord Whelsey would be more than happy to teach you about Christianity.” Gabriel sensed he was hiding something, but he couldn’t tell what. Gabriel knew he could afford to be patient.  

“What is a Christian?” Mordecai asked. The lure of new knowledge was too insatiable for the ASA to resist.

“I am sure Lord Whelsey, as the leader of the faithful, would be more than happy to teach you.” Gabriel smiled.

“Teach an alien about Christianity? You can’t be serious, Captain,” Lord Whelsey protested.

“I seek new knowledge,” Mordecai countered.

 “The one true God created humanity in his image.” Lord Whelsey said in rebuttal.

“I am intrigued why a perfect divinity such as your one true god would create something so inferior, and why its own form would be so inferior.” Mordekai asked.

“Blasphemy!.” Lord Whelsey cried again. “You must remove these heathen from our ship. We will be corrupted by their lack of faith. They will bring God’s divine judgment upon us!”

Gabriel knew he had to do something. He turned to Captain Magnus. There was still reason to believe that this was a deception. “Tell me, Magnus, why you’re being so kind in giving us these gifts?”

“To be honest, we wanted to meet you and didn’t think you’d invite us on board. You seem to be a rugged lot who’ve survived a great ordeal out here. I also scanned your trajectory and you’re on your way to an Ancient’s outpost nearby. We thought we might be able to help one another in that endeavour. The Ancient’s defense systems have prevented most attempted explorations or salvaging, and few have returned. Riches beyond anyone’s dreams lie there, and none have ever seized it.” Magnus could see the story intrigued Gabriel.

“You’re sure of this?” he asked.

“I would bet my life upon it, and I think we can help each other.”

Gabriel felt a mixture of fear and wonderment. The defense meant whatever was being kept there would probably be intact. With the new energy-to-matter converters, a fresh resources would help stabilize the ship and solidify his power base. New weapons, new materials, and the potential of new knowledge were too much to pass up. He turned to look upon his people and sensed the same mix of fear and wonderment.

“Captain Magnus Void and his crew shall join us on this adventure. Together, we shall be friends and restore this ship to glory. These aliens are gifts to us from our God, and I can see the signs. These good Samaritans shall be welcomed as if they were one of us.” Gabriel saw the anger in Lord Whelsey eyes but knew he wouldn’t defy him. It was clear Lord Drumpf was with his ally, and Lord Oswald and Lady Freya seemed undecided.

“Will your Lord Whelsey teach me of Christianity?” Mordecai asked.

Gabriel could see the anger the question provoked in Lord Whelsey’s eyes.

“He will be happy to teach you Mordecai. It’s our Christian duty to spread the gospel to all those who seek it. Isn’t that right, Lord Whelsey?” Gabriel asked.

“But, these are aliens and heathen,” Lord Whelsey whispered.

“In need of our God’s saving, and if God chooses not to save them, it will not be your fault.” Gabriel explained. “Do this for you people and this ship.”

“Yes, my Captain,” he confirmed with a begrudging frown.

“Kain, I want you to find quarters for the crew on the officer level.” Gabriel winked. He knew his son would understand and keep a close eye on these aliens. “Make sure their needs are attended to.”

He motioned for Matthew and Lord Galen to approach. “Lord Galen, it is time Matthew underwent the ascension. Have him implanted right way.” He turned with a smile to his youngest son. “Wait till you see how much better power armour is when you have the proper connection.”

Gabriel placed an arm around Magnus. “Come with me we have much to discuss.”

Everyone watched the two captains march up the ramp together. Lord Whelsey followed, a look of disdain on his face.  Next to him, Mordecai observed everything in silence.

Kain was glad there hadn’t been any hostilities yet, but he wasn’t certain there wouldn’t be any soon. He approached the group left behind.

“I’ll take you to your quarters, if you’ll follow me.”

“Is there any place on this ship to get drunk, or do your beliefs forbid alcohol?” A’zyren asked.

“I can take her,” Nemesis interjected. “Follow me and I’ll show you the best place to get drunk on the whole ship. Hell, if you’re in the mood for just about anything, it can be satisfied at the Original Sins. I am sure my fellow lords and ladies would like to get to know more about your people.”

“Well, this place just got a lot better.” A’zyren laughed. “Lead the way. You coming, Genji?”

“Sounds like a lot more fun than some shitty quarters. I could have just stayed on the Death’s Reaper. What about you two?” Genji asked.

“I’ll help with this equipment.” Vulcan pushed the skiff.

“I am quite curious to see the medical facilities of this ship,” Dhakan replied.

Kain motioned for Lord Hephaestus and Lord Galen to approach.

“Lord Galen, the snake creature--” Kain began.

“Serpentine.” Dhakan interrupted. “My name is Dhakan, if you don’t mind.”

“The Serpentine Dhakan here wishes to see our medical facilities. Perhaps you’d be willing to show it.”

“Him,” Dhakan interjected. “I am a 'him.' Please tell me you’re smarter than this one.”

Doctor Galen laughed. It was rare for Lord Galen to show any emotion at all. Kain watched the two strangers building a friendship before his eyes. It was so powerful, he couldn’t look away.

Lord Galen motioned for Dhakan to follow.

“Kain is a good man, but martial and tactical knowledge are more his forte. I knew you were a male right away. You seem to possess the natural serpentine masculine traits I’ve only read about. I hope you won’t object to me running some scans for our database.” Lord Galen expected some negative reaction, but Dhakan seemed eager.

“Of course, Doctor. I too am Interested in running scans of your people, but I am sure you already have what I would like to see. I am curious to see how the Great Maw has altered your species’ evolution. I find it fascinating that you all seem so unchanged, and I wonder if that is true on the cellular level. I look forward to an exchange of knowledge.”

Lord Galen led Matthew and Dhakan towards his labs.

Kain saw that his sister was already leaving with A’zyren, Genji, and the Lower Ward lords. Lady Clotho remained staring in his direction, which unsettled him. Lord Drumpf’s troops were preparing to depart, but he glanced over multiple times as if he was waiting for something. Lord Hephaestus and Vulcan were already moving the new technology up the ramp. Neither of them seems to be interested in talking much. Without anything to do, Kain headed back to the bridge. From there, he could assign the aliens’ quarters.

“A moment, Kain?” Lady Clotho asked.

“What is it?”

“Have you managed to determine who was behind the transmission at the council meeting yet?”

The question caused Kain to pause.

Clotho pulled a datapad and offered it to Kain. It showed that whoever had hacked the meeting had routed the message through the Lower Wards. The original source hadn’t been pinpointed.

“This is what my spies have found. I decided to share it with you in case the time comes when you need to make decisions. It’s best to have information to guide those decisions.”

“This doesn’t prove anything,” Kain stated.

“No, it doesn’t. But, proof and suspicion are two very different things. Ask yourself who benefits from blaming the Lower Wards. Who would have the knowledge to do this? And, who would gain from further divisions on this ship.” Clotho glanced back at Lord Drumpf. “There are many enemies on this ship, but none of them are from the Lower Wards. I suspect your father already blames Matthew, and he will be a scapegoat if you don’t find the real threat. There are many dangers, Kain..”

Looking down, at the datapad, Kain saw the message had been routed through the Original Sins. The club and hotel were owned by Nemesis, where Lady Clotho lived. The Original Sins was a nexus point of information from the Lower Wards.

Kain decided it was time to put an end to whispers and conspiracy. He would summon his spies and get to the bottom of this. Even Lady Clotho was a suspect.