The Cradle
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The Cradle[edit | edit source]
| Chapter 11: "The Cradle" | |
|---|---|
| Major players | Universal Council Varse Expedition Team Kestrel Expedition Team Soren Lynk |
| Vote outcome | The Artifact to stay on Mímir |
| Major events | Locating of the Varse and Kestrel expedition teams Discovery of fourth artifact |
| Timeline Chronology | |
| Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |
| "Subjugation" | "First Steps" |
Summary
With the re-appearance of the planet Mímir ("Subjugation"), the fleet stationed where the Anomaly had been wasted no time in bearing down on the planet in an attempt to rescue the stranded Varse and Kestrel expedition teams, after a distress signal belonging to Captain Nicolás Kestrel was intercepted. Team leader Soren Lynk and the rescue expedition was able to locate the unconscious team members; however, in the process they also discovered a massive object in the caverns - later revealed in Sera Varse's logs to be an artifact similar to the three held by the respective factions, albeit significantly smaller.
The artifact's size was suggested to be small enough to be transported out of the planet's cave systems. Little else was revealed about it or its surroundings, other than that there was a recent massive Quantum surge detected in the cavern. It was also noted by the fleet that the Arbiter, the class-B ship sent into the Anomaly ("Groundswell"), was nowhere to be found.
Given that the Crimson Wolves were still at large, as well as the recent attacks on Quantum shipments, the Council could not afford to spare additional fleets to Mímir without compromising the security at Ignis. Transporting the artifact would have meant exposing it to danger en route to Ignis, and even then would leave the station vulnerable to whatever phenomena could be caused by the unknown artifact. On the other hand, leaving the artifact on Mímir would leave it unguarded - open to attack or theft by rogue entities. Faced with this dilemma, the Council opted to put the decision to a vote, with the seated Councilmembers briefing their respective factions accordingly.
With all three factions voting unanimously to keep the artifact on Mímir instead of risking it during transport, the order to return to Ignis was transmitted to the large majority of the fleet - including the Obelisk, which at that moment carried both the Varse and Kestrel expedition teams on board.
Transcript
Report from the 27th conference of the Universal Council: time of ζ Sagittarii 3.32
Held on board station Ignis, in the neutral center of the Core Systems.Councilmembers for the Empire: Ji Young-Joo, Ferus Haden, Cael’an Ashuret
Councilmembers for the Federation: Áurea Adonis, Kim Lee, Elijah Burke
Councilmembers for the Union: Aish Fenix, Mandla Bankole, Haley NguyenThe following is a transcript of the briefing on the relevant vote for those involved in the Explorer program:
As was stated in Soren Lynk’s transmission following the conclusion of the last vote, the planet Mímir has returned, after being lost to us since the 23rd conference of this dating. Initial surface analysis showed absolutely no change in the composition of the planet; its crust has aged by the roughly the same amount of time that it was gone for. The only perceivable changes were the complete absence of the signal that led our ships to Mímir in the first place, and the disappearance of turbulent storm clouds covering the surface.
However, the Council’s fleets did pick up another, separate signal: a distress beacon, belonging to Captain Nicolás Kestrel. Our ships ventured onto the planet’s surface, bringing the full force of our fleets to bear on Mímir. While the tunnel networks of the planet were labyrinthine, our operation managed to successfully follow the signal to its source. The following is the last transmission the Council received:
Transmission from Soren Lynk
Location: surface of Mímir, cave network
Dating: 4th report – time of ζ Sagittarii 3.32
Designation: mission reportThis is Soren Lynk. We have just passed the last leg on our path to the signal, and it seems the caves are opening up- (scuffling) hold on, why’ve we stopped? Ayun, man, what’s the matter with- good lord. There is something huge in these caves. I repeat, a massive object has been found in Mímir’s caves. Organic or not, it seems to be emitting some strange pulse, and- there’s people here.
(faint orders barked, echoing off cave walls)
They look like- yes, that’s them. It’s the original crew from the Panopea’s fleet. Still breathing, that’s good. Get Captain Kestrel on your shoulders. (thudding) And Commander Varse can go… here I think. My lord, what’s happened to them? They look… drained. And this? That’s her mission log. Still functional, that’s good.
(click)
Listen, our operation is currently preparing to bring the crew up to the surface as soon as we can. The nearest class-S ship will update the Council further on the situation.
-Transmission ends.-
Following this, Captain Kestrel, Commander Varse, and the rest of the surviving crew were ferried beyond the caves. Commander Varse’s logs (which are currently being indexed, to be released publicly later) indicate that this object the expedition found is a fourth artifact similar in nature to the Bastion, the Nexus and the Oracle, but far smaller than any of them. Small enough, Commander Varse’s logs suggest, to be transported out of Mímir’s cave system.
The exact nature or function of the artifact is unclear, but it most likely has something to do with Mímir’s sudden reappearance. Early scans of the caves indicate signs of a recent massive Quantum surge.
Another fact worth noting is that the Arbiter, the class-B vessel sent into the light and captained by Kal Haden, is now nowhere to be found. It was assumed the ship had made contact with Mímir, but this does not appear to have been the case.
With the Crimson Wolves at large and the recent attacks on Quantum shipments, it would be better to have as many fleets as possible on standby at station Ignis. However, this new artifact cannot be left unguarded. If the Council’s fleets are to be kept on standby, this would require an arduous transport of the artifact back to the station, which would be placing the station itself, as well as the rest of the Core Systems, at great risk.
The other option is to leave the artifact where it is and use the Quantum deposits on Mímir to facilitate initial experimentation with its function. Unfortunately, this would leave the artifact quite vulnerable; so far from the Core Systems, it is quite an appealing target, not only for mercenary groups, but also for other factions. We do not want a repeat of the later years of the Quantum war. Thus, the vote placed before the Council is as follows:
Does the Council ship the artifact back to station Ignis, incurring risk to both the Council and its surrounding systems, or does the Council leave the artifact where it is, prepare it for further research and perhaps even for use, and take precautions for any forces that might threaten our possession of the artifact?
Your faction contact will issue a statement shortly in your respective vote channels before the commencement of the vote, twelve hours from now.
Faction Storylines
Transmission from Ana Plíšková, assistant to Victor Huxley, COO of VasTech
Good sol, Explorers. I understand Mr. Huxley was incredibly delighted to have another opportunity to communicate with all of you. I do not blame him; the Explorer program continues to impress. As I sit at my desk, I can swipe through hundreds of transmissions from every sector of Federation space, thanking you for your part in removing Mímir’s disrupting signal and restoring Nexus communications. You ought to be proud of yourselves.
Mr. Huxley is unfortunately not here to speak to you in person; he has relinquished his duties on the Council for the time being, as VasTech’s presence is sorely needed to help those planets affected by the Anomaly rebuild their communication networks.
And of course, with this new development of Mímir’s return comes an entirely new issue: the matter of the fourth artifact. Doubtless it needs to be contained and researched, but how? The Federation’s councilmembers remain convinced the artifact is dangerous. This would lead us to heavily consider leaving the artifact on Mímir.
However, another factor must also be considered. There is talk among the Council of holding a vote to decide where the artifact will be kept. If this ends up going through, it could change matters. The Federation’s technology would be more than enough to contain the dangers of a smaller artifact, if we were to receive it. On the other hand, allowing the Empire or the Union to obtain the artifact might be even more useful. Without our advancements to guide them, they may well cause a larger catastrophe localized entirely to their own systems. Transporting the artifact back to station Ignis would certainly give us more flexibility.
Whichever way the vote falls, we will need to be on our guard. Good luck, Explorers. Make the Federation proud.
Ana
A directive from Ji Young-Joo, emissary of the Emperor
What has the Oracle sung time and time again? That the Empire’s destiny lies beyond the Core Systems. And now you see it plain and simple, Explorers: a fourth artifact! The destiny of the Empire manifested into single, glorious form! Let the Vulpis Oculi preach of their futile revolt, let the Union and the Federation have their fragile ideals. All loyal citizens of the Empire know that the only truth is the one put forward by Imperator Solas – may he outlive the stars!
Yes, we are fortunate enough to have the liberty of choice in this instance; not so as to determine the Empire’s will, but to weave our strings tightly and carefully around the other factions. We have the opportunity to stack the deck in our favor here, Explorers, and we must not waste it. The safety, and security of this artifact must, of course, be the Empire’s top priority in these trying times.
Certainly, leaving the fourth artifact exposed in open space means it is less secure, and well… it would certainly be a tragedy if the artifact were to suddenly vanish under these circumstances. Of course, the Council’s fleets will be more wary of anything out of the ordinary in this case. On the other hand, station Ignis, though a secure location, may hold the danger of lulling the Core Systems into a false sense of security. After all, no faction would dare remove an artifact from the Council’s base of operations. No, certainly not.
The vote falls to you now. A new dawn has broken for the Empire, Explorers; it is time for us to seize this day.
Sic itur ad astra.
Comm from Haley Nguyen, Union member and Vox representative
Hi there, Comrades. It’s crazy over here- Ignis has been just one whirlwind of activity since Mímir returned. I haven’t had time to rest, let alone time to sleep. Do-drops are the only thing keeping me going at the moment; Vinya’s been kind enough to lend me some of theirs.
I don’t doubt you all saw in the conference briefing that we have some excellent news: looks like most of the original team is alive! No doubt thanks to all of your efforts as well as theirs, I’m sure. It’ll be good to have Sera on active duty again once she recovers. I just don’t know what she’ll do when she finds out about Casper. As some of you might know, he was among the mercenaries we performed the cell-division experiment on, and well… he didn’t make it. At least Sera’s safe now, but... it’s going to be hard for her, I’m sure.
By the stars, I’m having a hard time keeping my head in it today. Okay. So this fourth artifact definitely looks like it’s going to be dangerous- damn near wiped out an entire Council fleet by itself, for god’s sake… and we’re considering bringing that in? I don’t like it. Then again, leaving the artifact in open space also worries me. No doubt Solas can’t wait to get his bloodstained hands on a second artifact, in whatever way he can.
I worry about the future of the Core Systems, Explorers, I really do. But I trust in us – in you – to make the right decision here.
Here’s to a brighter tomorrow.
Haley
Voting Results
The Universal Council has consolidated the votes of each of the factions: The Artifact stays on Mímir 3 (Empire,Federation,Union) , Bring the Artifact to Ignis 0 ()
The final vote is in favor of keeping the new artifact on Mímir. Word has been sent to the Council’s fleets that a significant number of them are to return to station Ignis. Sera, Nicolás, and their crew are on board the Obelisk, to be ferried back to the Core Systems. We expect word from the flagship soon on the progression of their voyage.
Chrysalis[edit | edit source]
Summary
While the fleet was in transit to station Ignis, the crew of the Obelisk were able to partially decode Captain Varse's mission logs. It seemed that Varse was still lucid and coherent enough to document what had happened when her team encountered the artifact; between the encounter with the Qyllits and finding the Cradle, as Varse called it, it appeared the captain had no memory of what had happened in the interim, nor did she remember or notice Kestrel's expedition team when they were searching for her.
The mission logs revealed that Varse had been injured through unknown means, and it appeared that the surrounding Quantum had some kind of interaction with her wounds. The crew also seemed to have drifted in and out of consciousness, with Varse describing them as looking "really tired", corroborating Lynk's reports of the expedition teams looking "drained".
Toward the end of the logs, Varse had begun to chart the constellations and star movements, apparently finding something irregular, before musing to herself if some unknown entity had led them to the artifact or the planet itself.
Transcript
Transmission from Florence O’Connor, 2nd comms officer for the Obelisk
Location: ten days off from station Ignis, moving toward Federation space
Dating: 3rd report - time of ζ Sagittarii 3.32
Designation: travel reportFlorence O’Connor here, 2nd comms officer for the Obelisk. Soren’s taking a break to move around the ship, talk to a couple of the survivors, maybe get a sense of what exactly happened down on Mímir. Seems like they’re not sure either though; we might just have to wait until they’re fully compos mentis.
One thing our fleets have been able to do is decode some more fragments of Commander Varse’s mission logs. Seems like she came up with a name for the artifact: “the Cradle,” she calls it. Though ‘came up’ might not be exactly accurate – anyway, you’ll hear it soon enough. I’ve included what logs we’ve got with this transmission.
Other than that, ship thermals are normal, engine stability is rising but regular, outer casing’s still in middling condition from Anomaly damage. We’re still monitoring all Quantum Drives in the fleet, but there’s been nothing abnormal yet. Few blips on the radar – asteroids most likely – but they vanished pretty quick too. Here’s hoping the whole journey’s this smooth.
Log #152
…god, my head. Last thing I remember… I have no idea, actually. Great. That’s not worrying at all. It wasn’t this dark when we got here, that’s for damn sure – there was that tunnel up to the surface. Must be night on Mímir then. If we’re even still on Mímir, that is. I can… vaguely make out shapes. My crew. Kate. The Cradle. Nicolás. Why’s he here, wasn’t he – urgh, fuck. Can’t think straight. Some of them are moving. My sides feel like someone took a soldering iron to them. Don’t look, Sera just… don’t look.
Log #159
Still no real movement from anyone. Glow around the wound on my stomach looks like Quantum, but I can’t be sure in this light. I think the worst part about this is that damn tunnel. Not like we would have ever found it, but it just leads straight up. Right to the surface. (sobbing) I’m sorry, Casper. I’m so sorry.
Log #174
(static)…strange to be this alone. Though, not exactly alone, I suppose. Still, feels like the world’s died. Maybe it has. Kate woke up a while ago, crawled up to me, said something – I couldn’t make it out. She passed out soon enough, head on my lap. They all look… really tired. So do I, probably. At least the tunnel gets me a good view of the stars. Can’t complain about that, I suppose. When was the last time I took a moment to stargaze? Ages ago, probably back on Arnum. Don’t remember the nights on Mímir being this long though…
Hold on. (fabric rustling) Kate, sorry about this. I know you love your old-school notes, but (tearing) there we go. We’d already started charting the constellations here, so… (scribbling) No… (more scribbling). But that doesn’t make any sense! Unless… (deep humming, soft whispers) did… did you bring us here?
-Transmission ends.-
Interlude[edit | edit source]
Transcript
Kal Haden leaned back in the most comfortable chair on the Arbiter and watched as the lights of the Anomaly grew steadily closer. Colors of every imaginable hue played across the deep-set grooves in his face, which remained defiantly calm. At this distance, the scale of the Anomaly was breathtaking – an impenetrable tunnel of light. He likened it to his first time flying close to a star; nothing but a pressure pane separating him and instant death. Of course, Kal did not fear death.
He flicked some dust off his uniform and looked down at his crew. The orders from the Council had come in a few hours ago – one ship, class-B, was to travel into the center of the light. Kal saw in the eyes of these soldiers that same fear he lacked: fear of what this journey might bring. They were leaving the safety of the Council’s fleets behind. Even if they did manage to find Mímir, what then? Kal sniffed. Nothing was more suffocating than humanity’s fear of the unknown, and the air on the deck of the Arbiter was thick with it.
As a Haden, he was intimately familiar with death. From the moment his father had held his head underwater until he could no longer breathe, Kal had walked alongside death, and observed the path it traveled. Such was the way of House Haden; when death’s pace quickened, you matched it. You could not outrun death, but that did not mean you could not keep up.
However, for the past three agonizing years, Kal had felt neither the need to run, nor the need to keep up the pace. His finger twitched on the console, yearning for the heft of a rifle, for the thrill of combat. He was old now – perhaps too old. For too long now he had walked alone, kept from death by the Council and their promises of “peace”. At a certain age, a soldier has only one more good fight left in him. The Council had known to save Kal for that fight, to preserve his instincts for when they needed them most.
“Sir, permission to engage?” the shrill voice of a lieutenant on the deck below broke his concentration, and Kal sighed.
“Engage.” He spoke the word dismissively, returning his gaze once more to the magnificent cauldron of light before him. A shockwave ran through the cold steel of the Arbiter’s frame as its Quantum Drive kicked into action, sending the ship hurtling directly into the heart of the Anomaly. Kal watched the thick tendrils of solid light wrap themselves around the ship’s hull. He sat back, and braced himself…
It’s said that no human can truly see past their own limits; that if we were, for a moment, to understand even a fraction of the true complexity of our universe, our minds would be shattered into a thousand fragments and blasted into dust.
It was in this moment, in a rush of brilliant and violent light, that Kal Haden experienced just that. He watched as the Arbiter folded in on itself, its deck convulsing, and in an instant understood the illusions of space and time as just that – illusions. Kal’s mind fought against the thought, but he could already feel the strands of his consciousness being pulled apart, threatening to tear completely in their attempts to grasp the impossible. And then…
For a moment, his vision became clear, and he saw in the ribbons of light a face; the face of a friend, a face he had known his entire life. “At last,” he grinned, baring teeth like thick, heavy headstones. “Go on then, you bastard. Keep running. I’ll catch up soon.” With that, Kal’s head whipped back, a loud scream tearing itself from his mouth as he pulled his mind back from the brink of expulsion.
There was a hollow silence on the Arbiter. The light had gone. The thrum of the engines had stopped.
“Permission to speak, sir?”
Kal opened his eyes to a field of stars. A wiry lieutenant stood bent at his side, the lad’s freckled face contorting itself in faint concern. “How long was I out, lieutenant?” Kal breathed.
“Not more than an hour, sir.”
Kal sat up straight and waved for the lieutenant to keep his distance. “Good… good. Permission granted.”
“We made it through the Anomaly, sir, but… we can’t find Mímir on our scanners.” The lieutenant spoke nervously, rubbing his hands together before continuing: “In fact, we can’t find anything – no nearby constellations or planets our systems recognize at all.”
“Unfortunate.” Kal was surprised at his matter-of-factness on this matter, but he did not let it show. “What do you suggest we do, lieutenant?”
He fixed the man with a piercing stare, which the younger man failed to meet. “That’s not the last of it, sir. I think – I think you should see this for yourself, sir.”
“Very well.” Kal raised himself and allowed the lieutenant to guide him to the navigation console, dimly aware of the crew’s eyes following them, and the eerie silence that swallowed his footsteps. He stared at the screen. A young-looking soldier was operating the console. Her eyes, a deep serpentine green, reflected the broad disk of stars covering the display. “What am I looking at, officer?”
She turned to face him. “Our system sweep’s getting hits, captain, but they’re nowhere close to our current location. And this one-” she gestured at a particular cluster on the monitor. “The system data’s old, sir. Very old. And if we look a bit closer...” she moved her fingers, and the stars blurred across the screen, magnifying until only a single planet was visible.
There was a collective gasp from the assembled crew. Kal raised an eyebrow. He had only ever seen the planet pictured in simulations, holographic mock-ups, virtual approximations, the like. But even then, he recognized it immediately. Any human would.
“How is that possible?”
“It’s the distance, sir. Currently, we’re more than a hundred thousand light years away, so… that’s what we’re seeing, sir. A hundred thousand years – or more – into the past.”
Kal Haden looked once again at the console, at the slowly rotating planet, its oceans startingly blue, its land a vibrant, inviting green. The Earth hung in the air, spinning like a jewel halfway to the floor.
“But if we’re that far away, then…”
The freckled lieutenant stood back, waiting until he was sure he could speak. Even when he did, his voice remained wavering, uncertain.
“Yes sir – we believe we may be in another galaxy.”
| Expedition to Mímir: | The Catalyst • The Shard • The Crossroads • The Void • Subjugation • The Cradle • Dire Straits • Last Stand |
| Assault on the Crimson Wolves: | The Crimson Wolves • The Ides • Groundswell |
| The Morn Conflict: | On the Brink |
| The Pinnacle Incident: | Quantum Sickness • First Steps |
| The Vargas Epidemic: | Blackout |
| The Opening: | First Contact |