Chapter 1: Wilderness Studies

[Shameless]

Kazuya did actually back off, and look towards the path they'd made through the woods.  At the same time, Ray turned his gaze upward,  both seeming to avoid looking in the girls' tent.  They both saw an irridescent shimmer, Kazuya back where they'd come from, and Ray, above them.  "What the hell is that?"  they both pointed. 

Sloan looked at Yiva, and reached for his own comms, after a few moments, he shook his head  "Nothing on any channel, even emergency channels.  It could be an attack, but as far as we are from anywhere,  we have two choices, stay put, or head towards the pickup point."  It was then that he noticed Kazuya and Ray looking as they were.  "Guys, what's going on, what are you looking at?"

Mira and Beth came out of the tent, and looked around.  "Not an EMP or anything, all the electronics work, they just aren't connecting.   That's likely some sort of interference, right?"

[SalmonMax]

"Could be some kind of aurora?"

 

She was peering at the sky where the odd shimmering danced.

 

"Coronal mass ejection or some other kind of solar event could get stopped in the magnetic field or high atmosphere, interfere with satellites. That'd stop us from being able to connect over those networks without affecting our gear directly."

[Nina]

"Sunspots don't cause ground quakes." Yiva said then she looked at Sloan, "Well," she prompted?

[Shameless]

Without warning, and before anyone could stop him, Kazuya picked up a stone, and heft it skyward, towards the shimmer Beth and Ray saw.   It turned out it was alot closer than what he'd seen behind them, and with a dull thud, impacted on the shimmer, which rippled like water, and dissipated the kinetic energy, even as the stone fell back to the ground a short distance away.  "A Forcefield."

"Impossible, Kazuya."  Sloan said quickly, even as he looked to Yiva.  "We don't have that kind of technology."

"Do I need to throw the rock again?   I remember enough of cartoons from my childhood to know a forcefield when I see one."  He looked at the others.  "if it's not ours, then it's someone elses.  I can't imagine that the Insurrectionists have this sort of tech, and if it's not the military's.."

He trailed off.  Of course, FHI could be doing research, but why activate something like that now.

Sloan spoke up, trying to take control of the situation.  "Okay, so we can't contact anyone, and it's dark.   We're all okay from the quake, which honestly I can't explain any better than the Forcefield.  What do you guys want to do?  We can try to go back and see if it will let us through, If that doesn't work,  our options are limited."

[Nina]

Yiva's brow furrowed as they all looked to the Chaperone for guidance which wasn't exactly forthcoming. She glanced at Kazuya, whom she considered her closest equal in the group to see if he was thinking the same thing. Was this some sort of ground exercise?

 

"The dome is too small, whatever this is it's likely local, If it extends underground that could have been the source of the quake. We need to know the extent of the coverage and see if we can locate the origin of the field." She looks critically at her team. "If we are in danger, staying in this camp is not a good idea. I suggest that I do a recon of the area and all of you move to concealment away from camp until I get back."

[Shameless]

Kazuya shook his head.  "Let's go together."  He put up a hand.  "It's safer if we at least stay in Pairs.   While you and I scout things out, everyone else can go ahead and start breaking down any part of the camp that we don't need."

Sloan looked at the two of them.  "Now wait just a minute.."

Kazuya sighed.  "Look, let us do the Recon, you stay here with Ray, Beth and Mira.  Of all of us, She and I are best choices for this.  If something changes and you get comms back fine, we'll do this your way.  Personally I think we find the edges like Yiva says, and maybe find what's generating this impossible field."

Sloan, recognizing they both had good points, nodded, with no small amount of resignation.  "Go, stay safe, and stay together at least."

[Shameless]

The ground had shaken again, and was growing in intensity, until finally it stopped.   This had occupied them all long enough, that no one noticed the grass leading the way Kazuya had been heading starting to shift, and finally part, as a small Silver object, no larger than a basketball appeared from the brush, floating in the air.  
 

Mira was the first to look back to it.  "Um guys, what is that?"
 

As everyone Looked, Sloan drew his sidearm, and aimed it at the sphere.  "What the hell?"
 

"Well it's clearly not something we made."   Ray said before thinking, and Kazuya could only nod in agreement.
 

"That is correct, Reclaimer."  The Sphere spoke, in a perfect pronunciation and diction.   
 

"What?" Yiva asked quietly.  They were all on guard now, and Sloan kept his gun trained on the sphere.
 

"There is no need for that primitive weapon, Reclaimer. It would do no good as it is.  I have come to lead you to my facility.  Our Long Range System scans have detected Invid biotechnological signatures at the edge of this system.  We must act quickly to evacuate this world before anti-contamination protocols are Engaged."
 

"So you want us to come with you?"  Beth asked for everyone
.

"Yes,  now please follow me.  I have sent other sentries to gather up your fellows who are also in the vicinity.   We must hurry, the shields that have been erected to hide us but will not last indefinitely.  My secondary facility is already operating to gather the remainder of the Reclaimers in the largest of your cities, but we will still have to launch and pick them up before it is too late."
 

The small sphere began to head back the way it came though it had risen to head height, so they could see it, as well as emitting a halo of light, enough that they could see  to follow it without issue.

[Veral]

Ray sighed, looked around at the others, "SO, what should we call you and what are these Invid you speak of? Why are you calling us Reclaimers? I have so many more questions, but I will follow you for now. Besides, it's not like we can get out of this place on our own. " He winced and moved along in the wake of the sphere, listening to the world around him, and looking at the sphere in bafflement.  

[SalmonMax]

Anne's eyes and face were slack with wonder on seeing the strange sphere, and it's references to oncoming doom seemed to bounce off of her entirely.

 

"Are you some kind of artificial intelligence?!" she gushed. "Did humans make you? Are you some kind of secret government project?! Or...OR...did you exist here all this time?? Did we discover you, or have you been hiding out watching us?"

 

Her own little robot companion, far simpler in design though kind of weirdly similar in that it was a small flying object, zoomed along just behind her, camera-eyes swiveling around as it tried to stay alert to threats that Anne herself was now totally blind to in her eagerness to interrogate the metal ball.

[Shameless]

The Sphere didn't stop, but only answered as they continued moving.   "My name is not something you would understand, as the language hasn't been spoken in close to one hundred thousand of your terran standard years.   You may all simply call me "Omoikane"  To answer the second question you asked, The Invid are an inhumanoid race that despise the inorganic, and assimilate new organic strains into their collective.   I call you Reclaimers for that is what you are.   Within your genetic codes lay key sequences that were present in those who created me."

Omoikane paused, making sure they were all keeping up.   "I am not an artificial intelligence in the mundane sense you probably mean.   My Neural matrix comes from a Willing Donor. I possess her memories, her feelings, and her knowledge.   I have waited all this time for you, for those who would reclaim the birthright we were forced to give up, and finish the Great Work."
 

"Your fellows did discover one of my smaller drydock facilities, with the light frigate within.   As I didn't read the proper sequences at the time, I did not permit them to find more, and actively prevented your equipment from ever discovering more of the facilities here.   That has all changed.   I have watched and waited, and finally those of you who meet the parameters have come, and so I will do all I can to aid you, but we must hurry.   We have perhaps four terran standard days before the Invid will arrive in orbit.   if we are not ready, we will not survive."

[Nina]

"Wait!"  Yiva stopped. She had been going along as shocked as the rest at the things the robot (that is what she assumed it was) was saying. but this last kicked something in her head.

 

"Why are you telling us all of this? We are students. Shouldn't you be talking to the heads of the government? the military?"

[Shameless]

"Your leaders do not have the proper genetic sequencing active within their DNA.   It is true, they are of the same species and will be protected, but  very few of you have active DNA sequencing that makes you true Reclaimers.  Without those active sequences, you will never truly be able to utilize the technology left behind by my people, in a way, to me, and others like me, they must preserved, but not obeyed."

"As to how I know your DNA sequencing, I have carefully catalogued every single human to ever set foot on this planet, waiting and watching for Reclaimers to come.   Some of you show promise, even without the full sequencing."

There was a pause.  "When We and the Invid pushed each other to the brink of extinction, we silenced our machines, and retired to a small planet with potential to rise from the dust and ashes of our war.  The Invid Hives were all thought destroyed, and what remained of the species was dormant.   The planet the survivors chose was Earth.  it has taken a long time as you reckon, for you to rise up, to find your birthright.   Long enough it seems, that the Invid also have recovered as well."

[Nina]

Yiva found all of this somewhat overwhelming but somehing clicked, "All of us have this active DNA? Have you been manipulating us?"

[Shameless]

"Certainly not."  Omoikane sounded almost insulted by that question.   "What is most likely, is that somewhere in your species past, the last of our people comingled with yours.   None of you possess what could be called our pure genetics, but you do have the certain codes that are meant to signal we Caretakers that you are Reclaimers."

When questions failed to come, Omokiane lead on, seemingly to a tree, which had been raised by a gleaming metal building, only a story high, but with a door that was already opening as they drew near.   As they walked inside each felt a moment of discomfort, and then they were inside what could only be considered a command center.  It was vast, with over three dozen terminals and attendant chairs, and when they looked back there was no door behind them.   "Welcome to Central control of Shield Construct 001-E.   There is another name for it in the old tongue, but in your current, It is best translated as "Eden.""

Across the terminals, which looked to utilize a glyph system and hard light holographic controls, they could see settlements all across the world, where drones were being interacted with some in less than friendly terms.  There was another flash, They were joined by another student, Annette Hess.  She'd been in one of the other groups.  It was then that they noticed that Sloan wasn't there, it was just a gathering of students.   

"Welcome, Reclaimer Hess.  I have brought you to the other Reclaimers who were in the woods.  I trust you all know each other.  I have brought you here so that you may watch as I compete my tasks in gathering the others to the safe areas.    I will make a communications array available to you all.  It may indeed go faster if you communicate to your leaders that compliance will be beneficial to everyone."

Another pair of screens came up, one showing a single red object, not much bigger than a fighter jet, but the center of its nose shone with a pulsing orange color.   "This is an Invid Scout.  It has detected us, and has relayed this system position.  Their forces will be marshalling and come here soon, and they will defoliate, depopulate, and strip this planet bare."    

The second screen showed various scenes of invid mecha doing just this, in gory detail, against another alien race, which looked more Ursine than human, and had four arms.   "The Sacking of Karbarra prime.   The Karbarrans would outlive their capital and homeworld, but still, it was a bitter, bitter loss for them."

 

-------------------------------------

In the woods were her group, Annette had been the one to keep the others from panicking, even when the floating orb had shown up.  "Follow me, Reclaimer, and I will lead you and the others to safety, and other Reclaimers."

There were few options, and this sphere seemed less willing to talk.   All she and her group could do was follow, and so they did, right up until the doorway separated them, with Annette joining a different group in a sort of command center, and her group from the exercise nowhere to be found.

[Exile_Jeane]

Annette had been biting her tongue, with great difficulty, as the alien(!) drone/robot(?) led her forest group into some kind of bunker, not wanting to pick a fight out in the open with the ominous threat of earthquake and strange skies. If the thing's makers wanted them dead, they would have given it a weapon. The blinding isolation of her from her team, though, into some sort of expansive control center, made her head snap around looking for the little machine. Red eyes blazing with anger, the Mirandan native was barely stifled out out of shout by the swift reaction of another(?) drone and it's warning on an incoming attack by another(?) race of aliens who apparently liked the trick.  

 

The demand still burning in her throat, she barely held her tongue upon realizing that a) she had an audience of her peers, b) there was no second drone, making the slick little bastard a notch slicker in her mind, and c) that if a quarter of what they were being told was half true, this was way, way above the authority of a bunch of Academy students.  

 

"Okay, what in the name of the gorram 'verse is a Reclaimer? Because half the people from the group you just spat me out of would be better suited to have this conversation with," Annette volunteered with an expression that bespoke the tension below, gaze still simmering, "Kazuya will vouch on that."

 

She gestured at the student in question, other hand in the pocket of her green jacket, brown slightly mussed and forcing herself to relax a fraction more. Her eyes flickered from classmate to classmate trying to puzzle together what the common criteria was. She wasn't particularly close to any of them outside of Kazuya, but... 

[Shameless]

Omoikane turned to Annette, "A Reclaimer is someone with the proper active genetic sequences that mark them as a descendant of those who came before.   You could simply call them Forerunners, if you like.   Those of you here have these sequences, and we caretakers are meant to aid you in reclaiming your birthrght, as their descendants."

Kazuya sighed.   "Why didn't the Forerunners finish the Invid off?"

"Because to do so would have cost too much."  Omoikane answered curtly.  "Thousands of worlds were left smoldering ruin in our war, and no few were destroyed outright.  Entire star systems wiped from existence, and that was just to hold the Invid at bay.   It was war on a scale humanity has never experienced, but if we're not ready in time, you will."

[Veral]

Ray looked around the room, stunned speechless. He approached one of the consoles tentatively. "What is all this? And are there supposed to be enough of us to fill the seats? I don't think we have enough here to cover it." He looks around at the group of students, "How are we supposed to stop this invasion, anyway?"

[SalmonMax]

Anne had...a lot of questions. A lot. But she grasped something that the others seemed not to be. Time was short. The AI was showing them what the Invid did to try to light a fire under their heels, and no one was moving to put out the fire.

 

She went to the console controlling the communications system, and after a moment to suss out the virtual buttons, opened a channel to the human settlements all over the planet. Then she cleared her throat, and immediately wished she'd done that BEFORE she'd opened the channel. Damnit.

 

"Uh...hi everyone. I'm Annabeth. Most of you probably don't know who I am, but I'm a student at Aoshima Academy. You're all seeing some really weird stuff happening right now. Drones appearing. And an alien ship in the sky. Not a very big one, not yet. Me, and some other students, have found this planet has an...well, an unexpected history. Old technology from an ancient people...but also an old enemy that's coming back."

 

"Not to worry though! We're...figuring it out! In the meantime, please stop shooting the drones. They're here to help us. All of us."

 

She looked over at Omoikane, then at the others. No one seemed to know what to say.

 

"I...there'll probably be more later. We're still learning here. I just wanted to say...don't attack the drones. They're not our enemies." Inexpertly she tapped on the communications controls until she worked out how to broadcast the image of the Invid scout. "This is. It was made by a hostile alien race called Invid, and they discovered us here. So...we're going to try to use this ancient tech to get a defense up and running. The drones will help."

 

Anne cleared her throat again. "Um. More as we learn it. Bye!"

 

With palpable relief she closed the channel.

 

"Okay, Omoi. What now?"

[Nina]

Yiva shook her head then shrugged, "Probably should not have led wit the fact that we are students."  She turned to the robot, "Anyway, If you want our help you need to direct us we are all fish out of water. You do realize few of us have what you would call, real life experienc," Yiva said making " " with her fingers.

[Exile_Jeane]

The Mirandan Native could appreciate moxie and chuckled behind one hand during Anne's speech. While not the genius her father was, her brain did manage to throw up a few questions. Stupid Questions, as she self-deprecatingly called them, that had saved her later embarrassment multiple times.

 

"I'll bite," she drawled, tilting her head to one side at their AI (and this thing was passing the, what-you-call-it test where you weren't sure if it was a computer or a person in her book at least), "You keep talking about genes. Did your makers... genelock all their stuff?"

 

"Our technology can be used by anyone, most of the time. Clearly this is so, because your people are already reverse engineering some of it. Your current means of space travel are a crude attempt to replicate our own Hyperspace Fold Drives. I surmise that the Visitor to your world was one of our ships, one where the caretaker was damaged or deactivated, allowing you free access to the ship, though not to the archives, or actual use of the technology," replied the thing.

 

"Uh huh," Annette thought aloud, adding alarm into the cocktail of feelings dancing across her features as an ugly thought occurred to her, "So these genes are important to you, does this means our families are on your list as 'Reclaimers', too?"

 

The thing continued to float there, it's words adding to the bad feeling, "The Active Sequences that make you a Reclaimer allow us to fully detail everything, in order to help you. Your family may have all or part of the same sequencing, but it is not Active. I will of course safeguard them, but as I said I have no obligation to obey them."

 

She continued her inquisition, lips pressing thin and bloodlessly, "And how many more 'Reclaimers' are there on this planet?"

 

"By my count, there are one thousand and eighty Reclaimers on the planet at this time, which is amazing in and of itself. However, none of them are any older than your group, or have Higher ranking than those in the group gathered here."

 

THAT was an unspoken conspiracy and a half there. It didn't take the Mirandan Native a lot of suspicion to start spinning dark threads about Aoshima's founding authority and what role they might have played in gathering those numbers of 'special' families. Still! Still! Best not to indulge her distrust when the robot had dropped another word into that sentence that begged a Stupid Question all its own.

 

 "Ranking? Like politics?" She asked, confusion rising to supremacy. Sure, she was pretty good for her weight class at the Academy's smallish Boxing club, but ancient alien drones didn't seem like the type to care about that. And there were *probably* other richer, smarter, better than her in perfect honesty...

 

"In a way. Your own active sequencing is First, all of you here, save the one designated Kazuya are Firsts. That means your genetics came from our people's greatest prodigies, leaders, scientists, and warriors. In your particular case, they come from a musical prodigy, whose singing was so powerful it bolstered the morale of the Forerunners for centuries during the long war with the Invid."

 

Annette couldn't help it, barking out a quick burst of laughter at the latest absurdity piled atop all the others. Weird as the thought was, she didn't know whether to feel flattered at the heritage of greatness or insulted that her hard work mastering her singing, assembling her band, meant nothing. She stifled the fit, flush returning to her cheeks, "Oh, 'Verse. You're serious. Okay. Okay okay. How long do we have to get ready before the Invid arrive?"

 

The drone's reply delivered in the same tone, brought her to still silence, "Four Days." 

[Shameless]

Omikane had chosen to answer Annette's questions first, and then circled back to answer those from the others.
 

"Ray, to answer your question, these terminals would all be manned in an optimum scenario, but we do not have that right now.  I am more than capable of managing everything, though you seem to be operating under a misconception.  There is no "Stopping the invasion."   We will simply avoid it by not being here.   This base will Fold out as soon as I can get everyone to the safety bunkers prepared for travel."
 

As Beth made her address to the people of the planet, Omoikane audibly chuckled.  "That's one way to go about it."   Kazuya nodded. "Yeah."
 

"I'm now getting dozens of communication requests coming into the network.  If you'd like to help, Yiva, why don't some of you start fielding those, reassuring your comrades, and advising them to allow the drones to lead them to safety.  The faster we can get that done, the better."
 

Four terminals, including the one Beth had activated, lit up, and Omoikane spoke again.  "These terminals will allow you to field the incoming calls, and respond realtime with a holo projection, and should you wish to show them what I showed you of the Invid, those may be sent along to back things up.  If you've other information requests, don't hesitate to ask. I do want to help you."
 

Kazuya nodded, and head for station settling in to fielding calls.   Kazuya, by design or coincidence, actually managed to get one from his own father.  
 

"Son, what's going on?"  
 

"Dad, the short is that this was someone else's world before we found it, which I imagine you already knew, given your job.  Well it turns out another alien race is incoming, and they're going to kill everyone here.   The alien construct who's been here is taking steps to ensure our safety, which it needs us to comply with.  All of us here are okay, safe and sound."
 

"Kazuya, this is insane."
 

"Really Dad, just watch this.  Take into account the energy shields.   I know this all seems totally incredible, but this isn't like that time at Critchley Falls."   He sent his father all the footage he could.
 

"Now Dad, get that to the people in charge. If you want, I'll see about sending a drone with you, so they can see themselves."
 

He cut the signal, and moved on to the next one.
 

Mari, on the other hand looked at Omoikane.  "Can you guide me to where the others from the woods are?  I'd like to explain things to them, and reassure them that everything is alright, and make sure they're ok."
 

Omoikane lit up a station.  "I'd rather you not leave, but if that is your will Reclaimer, I will transport you there.  Still, you may contact them in the bunker they were transported to using the station that's currently lit red.  If they have any needs, use the panel there and I will have drones deliver whatever they need."
 

[Nina]

Still wary but becoming convinced, Yiva did as suggested. Upon hearing some of the exchange, albeit only one, Kazuya was having with someone he apparently knew, she decided to call her mother.

 

It took several tries but she finally got through. After assuring her mother that she was safe and getting her to listen she quickly explained the situation. "It is real mother and there is urgency, but our people are prepared. Follow the instructions of the drones but be alert. I will contact you as soon as I am able."

 

Yiva stepped away from the communications console and faced the robot, "Surely you did not bring us here to be switchboard operators. There must be something more substantial we can be doing? Like getting ready to fight!"

[Exile_Jeane]

Annette didn't disagree with Yiva's emotion one iota, but legendary performing alien ancestor or no, she was way way way in over her head, and a fighter who didn't have a good read on her opponent was one who was going to get hit a few times in the next fight. Normally not a problem, but when it came to colony destroying evil aliens, the Mirandan Native didn't want to see what taking that first punch to the chin was like.

 

She drifted off to another of the glowing consoles, trying to compare the controls to the consoles she knew and trained on. Hmmm. A grunt of frustration or three and she managed to navigate through the GUI enough to find a listing of shuttles, something she could fly. Huuuuh. Okay. Personal craft. A 50-man orbital model. And, finally, a 150 meter long model that could drop a small army onto a planet. 'Verse. Okay. That was a lot of... Wait.

 

"Question. Where are we going to run to from the aliens?" she voiced, confusion roiling through her voice.

 

  The drone proved itself, again, to be an eager aid, "The Safety zones  are each full habitats beneath the surface, each safety zone can accommodate thirty percent of the planet's current population.   We will only need four of them, the other sixteen can remain offline to save power, which will enable us to meet our target departure time, or I can start bringing them online to spread the population, but more than 2 more will prevent our timely departure." 

 

Not what she needed to know. At all. One eyebrow continued to rise, lips pressed bloodlessly together, "To where? And if it's off planet, will the Invid take it out on another human colony when they find no one here?"

 

"To Humanity's homeworld. One of our Keyships, likely the Dimensional Fortress itself, landed there. We must find out, and secure it if it is so. The Invid can never be allowed to possess it. Rest assured, I will make over a dozen randomized Folds first, to cover our trail. None of the inhabited systems, but I do fear that from here, they may discover the truth about you. To that end, I recommend destroying all orbital facilities before we leave."

 

Waaaaay too many questions to follow that one. Annette scoffed and dove back in to trying to make heads or tails of the controls to one of the smaller shuttles, just in case there was a fly by wire system installed by a species that waged warfare on the 1,000 star system scale. Someone would do something with that bombshell.

[Shameless]

Omoikane answered Yiva, and it seemed surprised, if a machine could be so.  "Fight?  whoever said we were going to fight the Invid?    We simply are not ready, and four days is not close to enough time for that.   No, Yiva, we will be leaving, and not be here when they arrive.  That is the best course of action for now."

"Besides, in my current condition, We lack the ability to fight.   Generating the shields, and the Power needed for such a complicated circuit of SpaceFolds will take the majority of what I currently have available.  I can acquire more, but you must also consider that I've been in standby mode for a very long time.   No, fighting is not the way that we will survive, to do that,  to truly help you reclaim your birthrights, we must run."

"To actually answer your question, there are things you could be be doing, yes, but none of them are critical to what we must do, aside simply speaking to the other humans on this world and helping them understand  what's going on.   First we must escape, and then, I will do all that I can to aid you in whatever pursuits you choose."

Edited September 14, 2022 by Shameless

[SalmonMax]

"Four days...geez, what about everyone in the outsystem?" frets Annabeth suddenly. She gets on one of the communications panels and starts directing transmissions directly to them. Colonists on long duty rotations at asteroid and moons throughout the solar system. They all needed to hard burn planetside, right away.

 

She glanced at Omoikane worriedly. "It might take that long just to convince the corporate boards to START evacuating. I'll do what I can though."

Edited September 15, 2022 by SalmonMax