The World Of Alcubierre

Episode IX

The second transmission from the Premier arrived before Xy and Zyy and reached a decision on whether to respond to the first message. Xy found it quite unseemly for the Premier to complicate matters by introducing an additional element into their internal deliberations. Little more than an hour standard time had passed since the first message, and the Left had only just begun to tangle with Zyy on the nature and scope of their mandate. Zyy remained stubbornly insistent that they were expected to engage in carefree banter with the Premier, a viewpoint thoroughly unsupported by actual text of their charge as well as established precedent.

And now a second message. Thoroughly intolerable. Were it to come from a fellow Zix, it would be the height of impropriety. But Xy was not among its kind. It was in Halcyon, a place no observation-specialization should ever be, doing things no observation-specialization should ever do. Zyy's boldness did little to help matters.

As Xy pulsed about in small circles of frustration, its cilia flitting to and fro in irritation, Zyy consumed the contents of the message. As it reached the end, the Right's cilia stood on end. Great currents swirled around Zyy as it jetted across the tank toward Xy. The Right had enough speed that it collided with Xy, sending the Left's cilia flailing with indignation. Zyy latched on, establishing four thought threads and an accompanying emotion thread, overwhelming Xy with a meld that injected great gouts of information through the threads and into its own thoughts.

The prime thought thread pulsed, sending a searing message.

They were in danger.

Their tank. Their kind. Their galaxy.

The emotion thread tied to it dripped with fear and angst. Of an overwhelming desire to avoid the fate the prime thought thread spoke of. The remnant, the last float colony, gone. A final end to the Zix.

The second thought thread carried the details of the communication. Information on the Sol Project available to the Zix via the Archive Pan-Universia had been limited. The reasons for this were unclear, but currently immaterial in light of the supplementary facts. Xy and Zyy's report had provided confirmatory evidence on archival data, firmly establishing the veracity of a number of facts and troubling conclusions derived therefrom.

The relationship between the Sol Project and the Divinity Angelysia had been previously established, but the nature of the project was only now confirmed by the appearance of the centalight interstellar object. Sol was a planned system, established approximately seven tenths current universe age. The purpose of the system had been shrouded in mystery, with remote observation being the only method of ascertaining information due to the Divinity's creation of a highly restrictive physics bubble a half light year from the star.

A number of theories had been put forth about the nature of the project, the Divinity's behavior always the source of interest among the Combine's scholars. Some speculated the bubble was simply an effort to measure the effects of physics rules changes, but this line had met with substantial skepticism due to the broad knowledge the Divinity possessed as a Type Three civilization. Such experimentation would be unnecessary. Additionally, it seemed nonsensical that the Divinity would establish such a project given the length of time it would take to come to fruition. Of course, it would not be the first time the Divinity's behavior confounded the Combine.

In any case, the breach of the bubble by an object from within the restricted space laid that theory to rest. Any experiment would have an impervious bubble. Otherwise a proper study would be impossible. The appearance of the object suggested something much more disturbing: a transcend bridge. The Sol Project was a means of re-establishing the Divinity Angelysia in the universe after their civilization disappeared into the great beyond. An insurance policy of sorts, an opportunity to restart.

Xy tried to understand. To piece together how the possibility of a transcend bridge might connect to the end of the Zix. The third thought thread helped in this matter greatly. It was quite simple really, if the beings behind the source object were truly the Divinity reborn, then they were beings capable of wielding the unimaginable power of an ascended race.

The fourth thought thread raised the stakes further. The centalight object was on a collision course. Should the beings behind it elect not to slow down or change course, then it would cause an explosive force great enough to destroy a significant portion of the galaxy. Whether it was the intent, a threat, or something else entirely, could not be ascertained. Without some form of intervention, an effort to intercept or communicate, the end of the Zix was a real and immediate possibility.

Xy understood Zyy's concern. The threat that they faced. It too felt the same fear. This was not a time to hide behind the text of their mandate. Xy was resolved, ready to attain consensus.

They must be bold.

They would respond to the Premier.