999 OCTILLION SOULS, June 8, 2024
I FLIGHT 33, 34
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TRANSLATOR'S NOTE:The following information is derived from Information Seed 40 and received by the Gravitational Wave Observatory. I and AI performed a frequency analysis on it. IE edited certain parts to make them more 'readable'. (He might have overdone it.) Please feel free to comment.33
Terror, cold and metallic, pressed against Legume's chest. The horrifying whine had ceased, replaced by an even more terrifying silence. A silence broken only by the ragged gasps of the Wugum miners and the hiss of escaping atmosphere. Through the viewport, a scene from a nightmare unfolded. Sections of the corridor, once bathed in the dim glow of emergency lighting, were now consumed by flickering flames. The dust cloud, the nebulous mass that had pulsed with menace, was itself ablaze, an angry orange ember against the inky blackness of space.
Her initial triumph at their song's seeming effectiveness evaporated. The dust cloud, whatever it was, had retaliated in a way she couldn't have imagined. The Ore Seeker, their rickety metal coffin, was on fire. Panic threatened to consume her, but the sight of Charlotte, oblivious in her sleep, sparked a fresh surge of defiance.
prof_sparky: the CIA boys say IS40 was faked by a Chinese agency
luo_ji: no agency can do that
prof_sparky: I told them but they wouldn’t listen
Legume wasn't naive. Fire on a spaceship, especially an old mining vessel like the Ore Seeker, was a death sentence. But she wouldn't give in to despair. Not while Charlotte needed her. She had to find a way out, a way to escape this burning tomb.
ru_mikhail: magic teleport
A frantic energy coursed through her. Glancing at the terrified Wugum miners huddled together, fear etched on their faces, Legume knew they were of no help. These stoic miners, hardened by years in the unforgiving asteroid belt, were now reduced to whimpering shadows. She was on her own, a lone mother with a sleeping daughter and a rapidly deteriorating spaceship as her companions.
doc_T: and an embryo in a bag
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Legume forced herself to think. The fire seemed concentrated in the corridor, blocking their escape route towards the main hangar. Perhaps… perhaps there was another way. Memories of Lisse flickered in her mind. The labyrinthine ventilation shafts, the treacherous air vents used for emergency escapes… could they be their salvation?
cap_mal: depends on the movie
A sliver of hope, fragile but persistent, pierced through the suffocating terror. It was a desperate gamble, a chance fraught with danger, but it was their only option. With a newfound resolve, Legume gently shook Charlotte awake, whispering reassurances her voice didn't quite believe. The fight for survival wasn't over. They would find a way, together, or they would perish together. But they wouldn't go down without a fight. In the face of the unknown, a mother's love became Legume's armor, a shield against the encroaching flames and the ever-present terror of the unknown.
us_gwo: I’m calling Child Protective Services
34
Brother Theophilus clutched the ancient, leather-bound scripture to his chest, its worn graphene pages whispering of prophecy. The rhythmic hum of the Ark of Salvation's engines, a constant thrumming lullaby for kilocenturies, had shifted into a frantic whine. Alarms blared, their piercing wailing starkly contrasting the serene chants that usually filled the hallowed halls. Panic flickered in the wide eyes of his fellow acolytes, a sharp contrast to their usual unwavering faith.
“Holy St. Trillian!” the brother whispered.
Brother Theophilus wasn't afraid. Not truly. This was the test, the crucible spoken of in the scriptures. The closer they drew to the Holy Nexus, the gateway to the Devourer at the heart of the galaxy, the more intense the trials would become.
de_tech_G: Devourer = black hole?
translator: possibly
He rushed to the observation deck, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. The viewport, once a clear window into the swirling inferno of the galactic core, was now obscured by an unsettling sight. A gigantic cloud, unlike any celestial phenomenon Brother Theophilus had ever witnessed, pulsed with an unsettling inner light. Not the cold, distant glitter of stars, but a malevolent, sentient luminescence.
uk_gwo5: IS40 is talking about my ex-girlfriend
The Ark of Salvation shuddered, the artificial gravity momentarily failing. A collective gasp rose from the assembled acolytes as they were thrown against the bulkheads. On the main console, the holographic star chart flickered and died, replaced by a chilling message: "WARNING: UNIDENTIFIED INTELLIGENT ENTITY DETECTED. THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME."
“By the Savior!” the brother whispered.
Brother Theophilus felt a cold dread grip his heart. This wasn't a celestial storm, a rogue asteroid, or any other natural phenomenon. This was something alien, something intelligent, and it was aware of them. A collective tremor ran through the Ark of Salvation as the Archbishop's voice boomed over the intercom, his tone laced with a tremor of fear. "All hands to your stations! We’re under attack! Prepare for an emergency jump!"
Brother Theophilus wasn't sure what weapons one could employ against a living cloud, but he clung to his faith. This was not a defeat. It was a test, a pushback from the guardians of the threshold. They would prevail. They would reach the Nexus. With a jolt that threw him to his knees, the familiar hum of the engines returned, this time tinged with a desperate urgency. The viewport cleared for a fleeting moment, revealing the dust cloud pulsing with what could only be described as fury. Then, with a sickening lurch, the familiar constellations vanished, replaced by the swirling chaos of a wormhole.
Brother Theophilus straightened, his faith renewed. They had been spared, chosen to continue their pilgrimage. The scriptures spoke of trials, and they had faced one. But their ultimate destination, the glorious oblivion at the heart of the black hole, was still within reach. The Ark of Salvation hurtled through the unknown, carrying its cargo of cultists, marked by their encounter with the intelligent dust cloud.
astro_raj: it’s not dark matter. that’s for sure