AN EXCURSION AND AN ENCOUNTER PT.1

In the division of the way, from one world unto the next, in a -perhaps – every expanding universe reflective and yet perhaps derived from, there was a ship. A modified Heinthoth 1st Generation Wodendrasil-cutter with a blocky profile evocative of a brutalist bunker, decked out with fins, wings, and thick tail section that brought to mind a very decorated hammer. A space faring hammer that was a little over half the size of the Empire State Building mind, but very much a hammer in shape. It was not a beautiful creation, simply designed to be robust, relatively self-sufficient, and first-and-foremost, exploratory.

It was the Quartz-Driver Fetari Research Vessel Baghatur (QD-FRV Baghatur), captained by Olusola Jensendottir and the first of soon to be many explorers of this brand-new world. There wasn’t any agreed upon name for this parallel universe they had discovered - or perhaps – rediscovered. The remnants of ancient yet highly, HIGHLY advanced technology and caches of surprisingly still usable foundries buried deep within the earth (Earth Prime as it was known) had led to an irreversible renaissance for mankind.

The self-declared remnants left behind, the Fetari.

The opener of the interdimensional way had given the survivors hope for a future and a fleet of ships had been constructed. It ranged from long, mothership-quarts that could be combined to create home-stations in the new world, skinny self-propelled fighters, corvettes and warships that would blast any threats away with their railguns.

It was an incredible effort as much as it was a miracle, they managed to construct them.

Although it helped that the Alternate Earth had been long since abandoned. The species that had evolved here had long since left, just like their own Martian Escapists, although in this universe, the Alt-Martian surface had been ravaged. The old wrecks of long forgotten ships, the cadavers of these alternate humans floating forever roasted by the sun, and debris which had been ever so helpful in rebuilding society.

Captain Olusola was over come with the memories and stories passed down, but refocused. They had a job to do and blasting away, far from any home-stations or colonies meant they had to scavenge for any resupply. They were still good to go for at least several lightyears but didn’t have nearly enough to long jump back to Mother-Station Coyote Whiskey 4.

Welp, onwards and upwards. 

The Baghatur was drawing close to a great-wreck, some sort of carrier left to float aimlessly in the void of space and a source of materials they could hopefully salvage – if not study. Turning on communications, she contacted Sensors and called in.

“Any sign of life or functional machinery?”

“Negative, captain. Vital signs are null, any emissions being detected can be chalked up to ambiance or still malfunctioning ordnance.” The line clicked. “There’s not even any distress buoys and long-range scanners show that the nearest celestial body is void. Nothing there that could indicate a threat waiting in ambush.”

“What about Alt-wavelengths?” Olusola stared at the slowly approaching wreck. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

“Negative. Alt-wavelength sensors detect no anomalous readings.” It made the woman hum in contemplation.

Entry into the alternate universe had led to a discovery that there were certain… ‘fundamental interactions’ that differed from Universe Prime. She didn’t remember all the differences but the electromagnetic spectrum being significantly larger and anti-matter materials from the Prime-Universe, what little they could afford to test, gave particles strange properties when ‘detonated’. They still didn’t know everything and what little they did know was being studied vigorously, just to make doubly sure nothing was going to wipe out any Fetari.

It incentivized keeping the “Way” open, but who knows! Olusola realized that things could radically change in a century or two and the “Way” might finally be closed, leaving the Fetari (relatively) alone in their new home universe.

“Roger that Sensor Team. Recon team?”

“We read you Captain.”

“Send in a scout. Slow-and-low approach. I still don’t trust this brave new world we’re in so make damn sure you can burn hard back to the Baghatur.”

“Confirmed. Slow-and-low. Scout team is already loaded and we will initialize take off in 10 minutes. Over.”

“Copy that. Standing by for scout team.”

The next 10 minutes passed by quickly and the chatter amongst the crew built up just as fast. They’ve all been on an excursion for a good…. 4 Earth-Prime months and developed a good sense of distrust for this universe. All matter of hazardous phenomena, alien civilizations, and hideous creatures occasionally living in outer space had taught them that this was not a safe place.

And perhaps it never will. It was a miserable thought and one Olusola quickly shook from her mind as the scout ship set off for the wreck. The more conventional rocket propellant pushed it forwards until the thrusters stopped and the ship lazily floated onwards, with no transmissions coming from the scout team.

So far, so good, but would it last?

Once the small Pugio-class scout was close enough, a message was sent back to them.

[SCAN – NO HOSTILE. INITIATING POWER UP]

…And the Pugio awoke, reconnecting to the Baghatur’s Defense IntraNet and all signs indicated nothing strange had happened. Cameras positioned in the cockpit were already sending footage from inside the ship and the team, shrouded in red light, were dutifully activating systems.

Suddenly, the wreck seemed to lurch and an alarm blared from the Baghatur’s Defense Net.

+LEVIATHAN DETECTED+ +WARNING+ +LEVIATHAN THREAT DETECTED+

Everyone on board couldn’t hold back their grimaces or swears as they saw their comrades hurriedly turn on what few the defenses they had. The pain of pioneering was the lack of research on ANYTHING out there that could be lurking and “Leviathans” being a catch-all term without a classification system in place, left anyone and everyone up Shit’s Creek. Every single creature was different, physically, tactically, and behaviorally. Sensors could only tell you so much compared to experience and records were difficult access even with a connection to the Quantum Library back at the Home-Stations.

Also, it wasn’t really useful to deal with the latency when a monster straight out of myth was determined to kill you. 

“Engaging hostiles!” Someone on board the Pugio-scout yelled as heavy machineguns blasting liquid cobalt at the wreckage which the captain realized to her horror was beginning to twist and writhe.

The wreck WAS the Leviathan.

Metal pieces began to re-arrange themselves around a seemingly organic body which long, numerous arms that 5 joints. At least based on the Research Scans she saw appear on screen. It was horrifying as a arthopodic mouth opened up and cables shot out like stingers, attaching themselves into the hull of the ship. The incredibly dense and sharpened… tendrils – she realized they were a part of the Leviathan – had punched straight through the scout team, splitting one of them in half as he screamed at the captain to disengage.

“Weapons system ready to engage, Captain.” One of her officers spoke up.

“Fire the electron torpedoes!” She could see someone already relaying the orders to the gunnery team “And follow up with gamma bursters.”

“Firing solution in 3…. 2…. 1…” The ship shook as the salvo of torpedoes raced towards the space monster which had swallowed the scout and was already crunching down on the elenimum alloys of the pugio-scout.

And then…

The metallic coils undulated, turning to face the research vessel and the creature began soaring through the astral sea, intent on devouring them next.

“This is Captain Olu. Attack imminent. Stand general quarters. Stand general quarters.” The woman stayed as composed as she could and given the circumstances, she was doing an amazing job. This creature was an alloy-derm capable of camouflage and what could be physiological restructuring on a biological level. No use of external technologies, remote interactions of particles or some form of mutation at least as far as she knew.

One thing for certain, it was GIGANTIC. It had to be over 200 meters long, maybe even 300 meters long based on the distance between the Baghatur and the ‘wreck’s’ original location and the body which seemed to expand endlessly with no sign of stopping.  The sight of it on the viewscreen made Olusola’s stomach clench and rattle as her crew relayed information. The onboard Artificial Intelligence unit was making calculations, firing all available weapons automatically and deploying drones. Against pirates, smaller space-faring predators and defenses, the research vessel could hold out well enough, taking the brunt of damage on its thick hull.

Olusola knew that. The whole crew knew that.

...But there’s no way we’ll survive getting bit.

Already the Artificial Intelligence was producing estimates for the destructive potential of this Leviathan and its simulations had concluded that everyone onboard would die if this creature chomped down on the ship.

We’ll have to stall. How unfortunate.

“Engine Room. How long until we can jaunt?” The amount of processed uranium needed would eat into their budget, unfortunately and what made it harder was the time for the quartz drive to project the quantum field around the ship. 

“Ma’am. Nuke engine is a-go, but it’s going to take AT LEAST 10 minutes until we’re ready shielded for jaunts.

“Fuck.”

She couldn’t hold her curse in as she stared at the insect like Leviathan charging straight for the ship, its mouth gaping open like a curtain eating up the stars as it drew closer.

There had to be something. Think, Olu, think!

She flipped through sensor history as a computerized voice calmly pronounced that all their defense drones had been destroyed and alternate ship-borne countermeasures failed to destroy the creature let alone scare it off.

That’s when she found it. The entry from 6 hours ago and it gave her an idea that would immortalize her forever in Fetari history.

“Computer. Adjust course to hop back to Neutron Star OJ-56-Alpha.” 

Her adjutant turned in confusion as the ship began turning back around, it’s thrusters angled to propel the Baghatur with nuclear might and locked in its launch vector.

“Captain?” She prayed to Gods she had never believed in and kissed her necklace for luck. Olusola could swear she hear the Leviathan’s churning maw gurgle and it’s strange leg like protrusions scuttled and clicked.

“All hands! Prepare for quantum hop!”

There was a great VOOM and the stars stretched on for eternity.

TO BE CONTINUED IN “AN EXCUSION AND AN ENCOUNTER PT II”