Fiction:Cyclical Fortunes

"The universe is full of cycles. Orbits, rotations, repetitions. Repetition may be boring but on a universal scale it might in fact be essential, some call it the nature of Ouroborous. But when an incident happens between two societies at disparate points in history well, now that is a kind of repetition one can consider insteresting"

- Garlev Thariut, Theian Magistrate

Arrival over New Draka
A day lioke any other was changed irrevocably when an, eggshell-white vessel arrived in orbit over New Draka. It appeared out of a wormhole in high orbit that blinked out of sight after the ship left it entirely, an elemental instability was in fact needed, after all why keep a door open unless you're going to leave as soon as you come in. Insead the ship headed for a stable orbit and transmitted its registration codes along with a message that it had come, as arranged, for queen Maryah for an arranged state visit to the empire of origin in the.

Waitning planetside, Maryah -who was accompanied by Jerkon and a small group of Advisors - made their way to the spaceport to meet up with the spaceship that docked as they travelled. When they arrived at the spaceport's waiting room they were greeted by three lithe humannoid figures with glossy blue skin, silver hair and large reflective eyes who stood hardly any bigger than 1.7 metres. Covering all but their heads was a white, skin-tight plastic material trimmed with navy blue. The three aliens, apparent strangers to everyone here at the spaceport for their rather peculiar appearence, stood straight whilist one, identified by the extra stripes on his torso, approached Maryah.

Garlev - ''Greetings Queen Maryah. I am Garlev Thariut, speaker for the Technocracy of Nova Thei and the guide assigned to you by my benefactors.'' Maryah - ''It's a pleasure to meet you, Garlev. If you don't mind, I'll be taking more people with me in this visit.'' Garlev - Who will be joining you, may I ask? Maryah - My Royal Marechal and a few advisors and diplomats, if it's not a problem. Garlev - We have room, I happen to be a Magistrate myself. Jerkon - ''I have met one Theian in the past. It will be interesting to finally know more about your kind.'' Garlev - ''Ah yes, General Kole. If luck is with us, perhaps you will meet him again.'' Jerkon - Good. Maryah - Are we leaving now? Garlev - I presume that all your affairs are in order, so yes.

Garlev turned around and walked towards the entrance gantry, his support indicating for the party to follow him. As the party moved, Garlev escorted the party on board the ship. Once they passed though the airlock the ship appeared built ot be quite spacious; the walls of the corridors curved outwards and their equators were patterned with etchings that glowed with a faint yellowish light that was hard to make out. White light shone down from the ceiling, illuminating clouds of microscopic particles that rushed past as if following some current that no one in the party could feel. Stepping inside the corridor the entire party were amazed by the sophisication as well as how clean the entire vessel was. There was little sign of cabling. Although the corridor was tempererate, it did feel coldly bleak, possibly from the white and icy blue colouring of the place.

Maryah - Oh my... Jerkon - Interesting...

Everything was coated in a dull silver while thick blue bars stretched themselves along the walls of the corridor. While the floor panels were a slightly darker grey.

Garlev - ''My species are a carbon-silicon composite lifeform. Do not mind the particulates, by now they should be converting the air for you.'' Maryah - ''Carbon-silicon? I did not know of any species with such composition.'' Garlev - ''Such lifeforms are indeed rare compared to carbon-based lifeforms. But life always finds a way.''

As they walked there was a faint high-pitched hum as the vessel undocked from the spaceport and made its way into orbit.

Jerkon - Perhaps at the end you could supply us wi-- Maryah - ''Jerkon, please. Be courteous.'' Jerkon - ...I didn't mean to be rude. Garlev - ''I presume you ask for some of our technology, i'm not offended if that is what you think. I'd be surprised if you didn't ask at some point. After all, technology is a form of evolution and we must all have an edge. It is coded deep into our chemistry to want the greatest advantge.'' Jerkon - I was actually going to ask for a DNA sample.

Garlev had passed some lecturer's trance, showing enthusiasm for his assumption that Jerkon was interested in their technology. His face dropped when he realised that not only had he mis-assumed, but that he had given a brief pragmatic lecture that was completely separate from the point.

Garlev - Oh...My apologies. Maryah - Forgive Jerkon, he tends to do that. Garlev - ''Very well. I will see what I can do once we reach our destination. Is there anywhere on this ship you are intrigued to see?'' Maryah - ''Hmm. Perhaps the command room?'' Jerkon - I would be interested to see your engines, if you don't mind.

Garlev thought for a few minutes, rubbing his chin. he widened his eyes with a smile - which because of his biology meant the eyelids opened sideways - and within a few minutes another crewmember came walking dow nthe hall. Rather than being a convenient situation, Garlev had used the technology implanted inside his cerebrum to summon a crewmember to support him. Approacing the group was

Garlev - ''I know. Perhaps I can show the Queen the command room while perhaps Serra here can show Royal Marechal Jerkon our reaction core.'' Maryah - That works fine. Jerkon - I will meet you up in the command room later then. Garlev - ''Very well. Serra when you are done in the reaction core can you guide the visitors to the command room?'' Serra - Of course Magistrate.

The Tour
Serra led Jerkon down to the central level of the ship. Passing though a pair of doors one of the most significant things inside the room was a luminous, black sphere surrounded by three independantly spinning rings. Like an essence user cradling a ball of pure energy, the sphere and the erings were suspended between four heavy pylons that were bent inwards. Jerkon looked at the sphere with a deep curiosity, having never really seen such technology before he was unfamiliar with its purpose. The room itself was being used by two other Theians wearing similar flightsuits to Serra, who appeared too busyin their work to notice the tourist group that wandered in.

Jerkon - ''Hmm. What is that sphere?'' Serra - ''The reaction core; a zero-point energy extractor attuned to harvest the residual energy locked within the spacetime substrate. Within the sphere, the spacetime substrate is compressed by a hundred times for more efficient zero-point extraction.'' Jerkon - I see... Serra - Along with energy collection the reaction core serves as a focal point for the ship's warp fields and when charged enough, powers the ship's wormhole drive. Jerkon - Sounds very efficient.

On either side of the room were turbine shells that hummed deeply, three at each end of the room and to Jerkon's left and right. Jerkon watched the shells in interest, while followed by part of the advisors. Serra saw where his interest was leading him and stayed close t ohim, her hand folded behind her back.

Serra - ''To your left and right are storage units for excess energy. They are also designed to inject a boost of power into the reaction core for womrhole jump. I advise you do not step past the boundary marked by the cradles around the reaction core, it produces an immense amount of radiation that we harvest as best we can. The outer cradles mark the boundary to a buffer region; again, it is best not to enter.'' Jerkon - I will keep that in mind. Serra - Like much of the ship this room is largely automated by the nanomachines you may have seen floating about, although there are usually one-or-two crewmembers here for safety purposes. Jerkon - So those were nanomachines? Serra - ''Indeed. Think of them as multipurpose blood cells. The bulk of them act as a supply medium while they can also repair hull damage, regulate resources transmission and - if need be - paralyse or potentially even destroy unwanted lifeforms.'' Jerkon - ''Interesting. I did not imagine this kind of function.'' '''Serra - They are already working to prevent alien contamination from micro-organisms on your person. As Garlev mentioned they also recycle the atmosphere, within one's own breathing organs no less.'' Jerkon - You have no idea how the scientists at the Nova Gheralvoz Academy would love this. Serra - ''I have an idea of how they could react. Buuuut jusdging by your enthusiasm, my idea must surely be an understatement.'' Jerkon - ''Heh. It is not often when I have the chance of visiting a friendly spaceship.'' Serra - Is there anything else that you are curious about? Jerkon - ''I believe not. Perhaps we can meet up with the others now.'' Serra - Of course, right this way.

Marya entered a room that was largely empty, save for a recliner chair encased in a plexiglass pod and several stools placed near to the walls. Inside the pod was a Theian, their eyes closed they appeared ot be sleeping. Accompanying this sleeping crewmember were several attendants wh oappeared to be using screens and interfaces Maryah could not see. She was more interested in the person inside the pod, looking with confusion as though this wa something completely out of place in waht was upposed ot be the command level.

Maryah - Shouldn't that person be in a restroom? Garlev - You might think so but no. You see, she is the ship's pilot. Maryah - ...The pilot is asleep? Garlev - ''She is more in a lucid state. She is devoting all her capacity into flying the ship. You see, she is linked up to the ship via the chair. She feels all sensory data the ship's sensors recieve, controls the engiens and hyperdrive and charts the coordinates.'' Maryah - Oooh, I see. Crewman - ''To be a star-sailor, to soar in the endless void; no casing, no claustrophobia, just you and space. Such a glorious aspiration, no?'' Maryah - It must be quite a feeling. Garlev - ''Pilots do have to undergo a special orientation and training regimen in order to be a pilot like this because they must be capable of being comfortable in two forms. Since, in the simplest sense, their consiousness "becomes" the starship.'' Maryah - So she is effectively the ship itself... Garlev - Yes. Maryah - Fascinating. Cremember - Passing the wormhole apeture now, we'll be in Nova Thei orbit within one hour. Maryah - ''It'll be an interesting experience. I've never actually left Plazith Rim before.'' Garlev - ''Excellent, the Pilot can inform space traffic control that we wil lbe arriving shortly. Queen Maryah, it is best if we get ready, we will use the ship's the teleporter bay to beam ourselves to the colony's largest city. We have an hour so perhaps you and your guests would like to join me in the observation room?'' Maryah - Very well.

Gerlev led the dignitaries towards another room of the ship. As they walked, Serra was bringing Jerkon and the advisors who joined him towards the command deck when the two groups met up i the corridor. Again there was little indication of this was coincidence since this wasn't a very large ship or if Garlev had spoken with Serra telepathically to meet the mhalfway.

Garlev - Ah, Royal Marechal, we were on our way to the observation room ot enjoy an approach view of Nova THei, did you enjoy your tour of the reaction core? Jerkon - ''Quite so. Your engines are fascinating.'' Maryah - Wait until I tell you about the pilot, Jerkon. Serra - There is more than one way to move a ship than expelling a propellant out of the back. Maryah - Shall we go to the observation room then?

Garlev nodded at Maryah's request and led the group towards an observation room. As they travelled the ship had laready exited the wormhole and was travelling at a slow pace so as to allow the visitors time to witness from orbit before they headed to the cities it housed.