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The Colonies

It was long ago, before the first colonies, before the dawn of civilisation, before we, the dead, died, that the form of humanity's colonies was set.

There have been changes, modifications, unions and collapses, yet the basis remains.

The centre is the star, origin of nearly all energy and around which all colonists orbit.

Closest to the star reside the Venergy.

Once they were simply a company, Venus Energy, the largest owner of solar satellite platforms around our first star.

They held all of Venus and loaned technology to many more.

They were the primary backers for the first colony fleets.

Now they are a community, a culture, a people.

It is they who feed power to any colony.

Should the system have a habitable planet, humans will live here, generating a new ecosystem with selected plants and animals.

These are most often called the Habito, and at the majority population in any system.

They can feed the rest of the system, but also gather energy and materials.

The planet is circled by rings of the planet-station, wound to the world by the spires- grand tall structures like mighty tree trunks, moving power, materials, food, air, and people, between system and planet.

Beyond the station orbit platforms- large rotating cylinders much like the original colony fleet. 

One maybe the original. 

Some may be new colony fleets being built.

All beyond the Habito zone belongs to the Coald. 

They were once a great family, mining the asteroids and planets beyond the majesty of Mars, keeping away from the jurisdiction of the Saturn Fraternity.

They left with the colony fleets in the hope of forging a mining empire to compete with those that challenged them at home.

They are still a family, of sorts.

They mine the debris of the system, gathering any resources humans can use.

To this end they maintain a variety of technology, most notably the Golems.

Being so far from the star and Habito, they are also the only people allowed to build and use the ancient technology of fusion reactors- dangerous, yet necessary.

They are also the first line of defence against anyone who might wish to raid or make war upon the system.

Today, beyond the system are also the Enlightenment.

The all 10 original colonies, along with the 2 that were replaced, signed the agreement.

Having, long ago, made war upon Earth, they have taken it upon themselves to act as messengers and teachers, travelling between the colonies.

Their Scholar-Fleets travel from a College of an Enlightened Colony, out towards the edge of the Ken, visiting any system that signals them.

Thus humanity can stay connected, technology and research shared, the development of colonies monitored and encourage all to work towards building new colony-fleets.

The Enlightened are not always "just", not always "fair", but they have always kept we, the dead, from dying, and enabled humanity to spread.

Nothing can stop humanity.

The Galaxy is Ours.

The Death of Tubroo

Out there, in the void between and around stars, are many troubling, and troubled people. 

With all the diversity of life and the universe there have always be "free" people. 

Even we, the dead, could not save them. 

They need to be free, and free they will be. 

Freedom is a great and wonderful dream.

The rest of you are forced to care for your loved ones, and they to care for you.

The free feel no such concerns.

Yet, with so little help they suffer.

They won't tell you, but they do.

Some of we, the dead, have been free.

Thus the free must come to the systems, at best to trade and gather supplies.

At worst to raid and pillage.

Depends upon what they need.

Somethings cannot be bought.

They are the "7th", and they are free from the Systems, and free from their own conscious.

Alxi didn't remember much of it. He was only in his 8th ans at the time. His mother was one of the teachers. She'd always been a teacher, both of new pilots and small children. Who ever needed her deep knowledge of the Golems.

Alxi was in a Sphere-pool, a large, joint, unit, a place to learn with others via holo-helmets. He was matched with 5 children, all older than himself . His mother had brought him along before the usual starting stage of 7th ans, initially in preference to sending him to the beautiful, green, kinder-parks. He had got bored and soon joined in the poolers. 

The sirens screamed.

 The learning environment of free floating notes and class mates disappeared from around Alxi. In its place the present Master appeared. "Stay calm and follow your teachers. Stay calm and follow your teachers."

The pool fluid automatically changed. Helmets didn't disengage. Alxi felt his body being forced down into the pool. He screamed. Suddenly a small hand clasped his. Jenny, his best friend, reached out to him. He wouldn't let go for the next two hours.

They all dropped out of the bottom of the pool, the pink liquid and helmets depositing them onto a collection of brightly coloured cushions. Some children were crying, holding their teachers and friends. Others looked about, bright eyed and smiling. They all knew what was coming. The room shifted as the last teacher descended and shuttled them all towards the central bunker terminal.

Outside we, the dead, had been tracking the 7th fleet. 

Some 7th are freedom fighters, some minor colonists, some immigrants, some asylum seekers, some messages, some "prophets", some traders.

These 7th were pirates.

Their fleet was made as all fleet-components are made. 

1 fleet-component, a long, wide circular body, slowly spinning. 

Its trajectory caused it to steadily skim past our System.

1 small craft, 1 larger, discharged from the rim, towards our centres.

These were not the round disks of trading ships.

These were the arrow-darts of war.

Each selected a target.

The largest was flying towards Johnson Alxi and his mother.

Alxi had never seen his mother cry before. She would cry many times in the years afterwards, but never when she thought he could see, and always with her face buried into his faces shoulder. There were no screams to haunt her, no faces to remember. Did she fear what she had done, or what so easily could have been had she not?

Alxi sat buried in cushions with Jenny. She tried to hug him, yet he turned away, fascinated and frightened. 

The central console was a 12 pointed star, a seat placed between each point, facing inwards. All present had agreed upon what must be done. The dead had advised and notes taken. May history accept their decision.

Mrs Johnson sat shaking in her hair.

"Why me?"

"You were selected at random to be one of the twelve", the Master reminded her, "and as a teacher we can trust no other with this task. You have been appointed and selected. Any more hesitation may lead to events you would not wish for."

"Such as?", she sobbed

"Look at your son, Johnson. They are pirates and that is your little son right there.", she looked up. She stared into his face. A young, round, umbre face, surrounded by dark locks, fashioned with fascinated purple eyes. She stood and walked to the centre of the star-console. From it a large, pink, button rose. It exuded heat, fierce, burning heat. She stared at her young son.

"I love you Alxi"

She hit the button and screamed. It burned into the palm of her hand. The brand spelled out her new title, "Defender of the Coald, Tutor of Honour". 

She felt no honour.

The evacuation to the bunkers is necessary before firing the shuttle cannon.

Despite all of the energy we have available, the capacitors for the cannon always need a strong, additional charge.

The Coald are always the first to feel the touch of piracy, being so close to the edge.

Thus they need immensely strong shields, but also weapons.

There is no giant laserable source such as the Venergy have though, being nearest to the star.

A teacher is selected at random.

They are the best of us all.

Kind, knowledgable, and intelligent, only they can be trusted to not to wield this power irresponsibly.

Yet they are still branded in the act, whilst surrounded by their students, and watched by 11.

Some the act will break.

It is necessary, and it is rare.

The shuttle is a relatively simple device. Only 5 of the deep-dead are required to pilot it- their final act of anger and love. It is accelerated in many different ways, combining to hammer it out towards the raiders. One shot. All there is. All that we should need.

As it travels laser weapons are fired, torpedoes launched, slugs ejected, and the plasma reactor prepared. Some of the weapons from the shuttle will get through, destroying shields, removing armour, perhaps even decompressing the ship. The finale is the hardest part though. The deep-dead correct the craft, extending its multiple fins, preparing them to discharge.

The Pirates always try to evade. It's a sensible option. Hence the fins- to catch what might be a glance and cause penetration whilst altering the Pirates' craft's course. Normally the dead make it though. Normally, as on this day, the Coald station is not only saved, but also the Pirates removed.

The shuttle's prow splintered as it hit a reawakened shield. It ploughed into the prow of the 7th's vessel, was split open by the force. As the armour came loose the chassis came forth, biting into the ship, cracking viewing port, stripping the inhabitants of protection. Then the plasma generator detonated. A new star flashed into existence. All were incinerated. No full bodies would be found. Only a few of the dead returned.

Alxi was safe.

Tubroo was not.

The craft that was launched at Tubroo was smaller. After their last raid, a system recently "Enlightened", they had gathered up the newest experimental tech that the Tutors had left. Crudely hammered onto the little craft with a few improvements, new armour, shields, sensors, and weapons had been enough.

The screams of Tubroo were broadcast across the System.

Before the station's generator destabilised.

Another star. Another end.

Johnson Alxi's Last Morning of Freedom

The black absorbed the light into infinity. Only pin pricks of light shone in the dark, other systems, old, new, undiscovered. A trillion trillion people out there, floating in the Ken. Was there anyone beyond? Who knew? Who cared? Just another day, another denarii.

Alxi  didn't see the new light, larger than most, moving closer.

The apartment included nearly everything Alxi needed. It's floor was transparent, the ceiling lights shining out into space. In one corner sat the long forgotten bed, in another his occupied Golem Control Sphere, the unit that allowed his control of the ginormous mining suits. The giant goldfish bowl was filled with a pink translucent nanite fluid, bouying him up, before carrying his waking form up to the surface. 

As he breached through the hole of what was normally his work space his helmet released itself and the nanites slid back into the Sphere. He took a deep breath of the clear crisp air and shook out his short black curls. He kept the air cooler than most, helped him wake up, reminded him of the weather at university. Wasn't working this morning though. He'd been back 9 weeks- it was nice to be home with the Cauld, but the boredom was building. He slid his body out onto the platform and onto the floor.

Stretching to his full height the Synchskin suit expanded and fell from his body. His mother would kill him if she knew he was sleeping in the Sphere again. The skin slithered itself into the closet. Stepping into the cubicle, the walls began to hammer out cleansing fluid, followed by the gales of warm air which enveloped his body. Finally he picked up the proffered pill. The bacteria within were ancient, some bioengineered to live on his teeth, keeping them clean, others travelled to his intestines, helping digestion and health.

Outside his day skin slithered out and onto him, along with his paired ward stones, warn either side of the hip. He stretched and the suit snuggled up against him. His mother would kill him if he walked out to breakfast so exposed. It had been all the rage to go Synchskin only on the Habito planet. He reached for the belt and passed it round his waist. It made a small whirring noise before the tartan cloth printed out, the cloth surrounding his legs, with a loose loop to stretch over his left shoulder. As he stood there Derrick the Drone rose from the shelving, levitating in the air before him. The drone was a round bubble, filled with helium, surrounded by electronics.

"Morning Boss", he lazily mumbled, "wish you'd turn heat up, it's neh good for your health"

"Not now mate", Alxi replied, "just give me some news"

"Fine... The council meeting has been moved forward to today. They haven't said why, must be something important. Your Dad's been invited. Won't manage it in person now though, of course, digi will do... Not much new with the Venergy or Habito- General Guedo and Gentleman Summerfield are carrying on as ever... The Habito Forestry found a replacement for your position, Jenny's cousin, Dabad. Nice guy, keeps off the Rose, but likes a drink... Oh, and your sister just got given her application forms. No idea if she'll come back, seems to like the Venergy. She's got a month to decide."

"And the racing?"

"Erm, two pigs pulled out, couldn't finish the maze. Duo did ok though, 3rd place. You wanting to sell your syndicate shares to Dabad?"

"I'll think about it"

"Not thinking of going back already, I hope?"

"Nah, just, well...", Alxi shrugged his shoulders, "I just miss Uni."

He trudged through the doorway that slid open before him.

In the communal area the large oval tables had been arranged. At each sat various families, starting their day together with various travellers and interns. He smiled to himself as he noticed Phell with the Thompsons across the way. She was an intern. A beautiful, beguiling, Venergy-born intern. 

"Come on lad, stop staring. Don't survey a site unless you'll mine her.", his bushy bearded father clapped him on the shoulder, bright and happy, ready for another morning, "I hope you're ready for another bollocking from your mother"

The jovial smile disappeared, "what have a done now?" 

"She went out for a walk last night. You forgot to opaque your floor again. She was furious"

"Thanks for the warning"

At the family table Mrs Johnson was fussing over the family's newest addition, 3 year old Dek. Off to his side Dodge slept in her bet, the young augmented maternity hound sleeping off another night of caring for the small child. Mrs Johnson relented her persistent attempts to get the child to eat his spaghetti loops cleanly, leaving him to play with his holographic dairy farm.

She collected herself beautifully before walking towards her eldest son.

"Good morning, Alxi", she was always a stickler for formal greetings to start the day. They touched noses, as family and close friends did, and each used the left hand to grasp the others right shoulder. Alxi, normally trusting his instinct, made sure only his 3rd digit placed more pressure than the others. He felt his mother's thumb jab stiffly.

No drones came to deliver breakfast when they sat. Time for trouble. His mother took a deep breath.

"Johnson Alxi. What have I told you about sleeping in your Sphere?", it was nearly a growl.

"Don't do it. The research says a bed is better, especially for young people. They are not programmed to look after the young. If it wasn't for your grandmother you'd never have even started piloting as young as you did... Oh, and it's disgusting that I'm in there day and night."

"Yet you still do it"

"Mum, I'm not a young person anymore. I'm 28, I've graduated! And I don't like beds. I'm not used to them. They're cold. And the Sphere keeps its fluid clean, it's not that bad."

"Darling, just try it. Put the heat up in your room. You'll get used to it."

"And all else fails", his father advised, "we'll find you a reason to go to bed. I don't know, maybe Phell?", his father winked as Alxi slumped further. His mother smirked.

"Excellent idea, I'll invite Phell over to join us tonight. Phell's been a wonderful student for me, Alex. I like Phell."

Dek suddenly shouted out,

"PHELL! PHELL! PHELL!", causing her and the Thompson's to look across the room. Alex met her shining amber eyes, involuntarily smiling. She smiled back. He winked. She laughed, shook her head, and turned back to her hosts.

Over their last ever breakfast together, the event that would change life forever was brought up.

"Any idea what the council meeting's about?"

"No idea, lad."

"But they brought it forward so quickly. Must be something serious"

"Well, do you want to sit in on it?", his father casually suggested. Alxi was stunned.

"Totally!"

"Right, go get me some mineral. I'll see you at lunch"

Reunited with Humanity

You don't become as advanced a Golem pilot as Alxi is without a little help. His great grandmother had redesigned the piloting software. Her lover was too short for the traditional unit, but with a little work, she built something for him. Eventually this lead to a children's training unit. Alxi had started before he could read. 

His purple eyes was the true give away though. Genes from the days of personal modifications were abundant in the colony. His allowed for a slightly stronger impulse through his nerves, making it easier for the Sphere to read his mind, as well as making his reactions and strength quicker. He wasn't a superhuman, but it helped, putting his father, and eventually himself, high on the tables.

Like most colony tech these days, Golems are pretty simple and extremely robust. There's stories of thousand year old lost-in-space Golems starting up first time and, whilst a little rough around the edges, working admirably. Effectively they are giant human robots, made from a variety of materials, remotely controlled from the Sphere, using a combination of the smart fluid and helmet. The pilot effectively feels as though it they are the Golem, allowing for instinctive control. Or, for a bit of leisure time, the Golem can be replaced with gaming software, which is how most of the Caold peoples learn, and why everyone should have one.

Alxi was a Saturn Class Golem Pilot. In person the machine was immense, technically a class designed to be 32 times the size of the pilot. However, with the additional armour, thrusters, silo units, technical support, spider attachments, as well as laser-diamond drills, plasma units, quark distorters, and the rest, well, they're a bit bigger now. It would be a while though before Alxi could match his father and pilot a Titan class, twice the size of a Saturn. 

This morning was like any other. The pilots all logged in at 10am, bound to their drones, and linked to the short briefing. Same as before, one new girl sent to learn, everyone else on their way. Alex's mind left the briefing and transferred to the Asteroid Mine. Dirty jokes greeted him from the other pilots, a couple suggesting Dek would be old enough for Phell before Alxi even spoke to her. He took it in good humour before asking about the council meeting. The youngest pilots had no idea, the oldest never replied.

3 hours of seem surveying, blasting, and drilling went by. 

"Alxi wishes he was scanning Phell for cracks!" "If only you'd blast as well as you drill you'd make Phell a happy lass." "You think you'll fill Phell's silo with your little Golem?"

They baited him for fun and he managed to not bite, other than a few retorts. He'd grown up a Coald and had missed their humour at Uni. Derrick pushed a little surveillance shot of Phell at breakfast onto his view. The image of her smiling at him. He smiled back.

Finally the morning was over. He accepted one last gulp of rehydrate from the helmet, before discharging his air and food tubes, floating to the surface.

He sat with his father at the meeting table. Their drones floated just behind them and began projecting the hologram of the Coald capital meeting chamber. 

"Welcome to Naphoo, Welcome to Young Alxi", the Master announced, "I hope you will all excuse the lack of formality, but we have issues to discuss quickly. Once the Habito and Venergy we'll be for it. Last year the inner council took steps which stand against our agreements as a System. We lit up our own Signal Flares. After 30 years without Enlightenment I am certain you will understand why. Despite the threats of Gentleman Summerfield we all know his people need their help more than any of us."

"Not to mention Tubroo", Naphoo piped up. The council nodded.

"We all wept for Tubroo", the Master added.

"And we weep at the news too", the shadow came forth into the Council's meeting, "we could not help then, yet may we help now?", the Tutor-Prophess of the Enlightenment Fleet lifted her hood showing Alxi a gorgeous, smooth-skinned, round faced, young woman, smiling at all. As she turned towards him the metallic augmentics that made up the region around her left eye and ear came into view. They shone with a slightly blue haze complimenting her purple eyes. 

The nods from the Council were registered electronically as accent. All appeared to agree other than Lady Mephis of the Eastern Fusion Reactors and Mrs Defluu Benna from R&D. They had shacken their heads and silently laughing at the other Council members' reaction to the beguiling Prophess. Realising, they quickly messaged the meeting minutes to change their votes.

"So, Council of the Coald, what Enlightenment can we bring to you from the all rest of Humanity in the Ken?"

Overview of Humanity's Move

Good afternoon all, my name is veritably Dr Ama Dinosaur. For the past many years I have travelled far and wide, physically to enable it mentally, mentally to enable such physically. It has been, and continues to be quite the ride. May it be so for some time yet- though one fears a Mrs Dinosaur may one day draw me down to a singular place on this Earth.

As time has gone by I have composed for my pleasure certain psi-fi based stories and such fickle poetry as I wished. Steadily this has built into a physical and mental repository (though much has been warped with adventure and age, in both depots) giving a source of some depth for me to draw upon.

I had been hoping to write a few books based upon my ideas, but this is presently proving difficult given my life style. Thus I have chosen to develop a new, robust, public, repository, as well as a playground for my ideas.

I will be attempting to add new short stories everyday to this blog. Some will be wee 100 word dabbles, others maybe up to a thousand words. I hope to generate a few storylines within the blog covering different areas of the universe, as well as a little background as necessary. Maybe even some drawings and paintings, should I have the materials!

I hope you will enjoy what I write. Love it or hate it, your comments, questions, and suggestions would be appreciated. If you really love it, please share it with friends and family.

Introducing Humanity's Move

"We are old now. So very very old. Ancient. Beyond Ancient. He was correct, Cthulhu's father, with time, even death may die. Although, the living call us the dead. They have forgotten what death truly. That is their weakness. We always see it. We are always dying, just as they must die to become us. We are the dead. We see all. We know all."

Time is tragically difficult to determine for those who travel about the explored universe, known as the "Ken". For those in the colonies it is a little easier- many stations have small differences of hours to days per year. Yet for those going out to colonise new systems, spread the teachings, or prepare for war, numerical time is a nuisance . Despite that we still need history to remember where we've been, and a way to plan for the future. Thus we use the time of one universe constant modern humanity shares, though it is from a place no civilised person lives in these times. Home-Earth time, from the Solar System is our best guess at true human time. We measure from the birth of civilisation, when the barbarian ways were reasoned into death. Thus year 0 was over 2000 years after scientific year 0, and around 4000 years after the birth of the child Earth-God.

We therefore determine that humanity has been sailing the stars for 10,000 years. Well, in truth we had some thousands of years reaching the Encirclement Worlds, organising them, developing better craft, and finding our independence. Not to mention the various "police actions", plus out present defence against the Technovar, and the ever problematic 7th.

The colonies are the mainstay of his humanity, made up of the Habito, the Venergy, and the Coald. They are always encouraged to build a civilisation before reproducing and sending off between a million and a billion of their own to colonise further systems- so long as they are not facing out to the Technovar. The Encirclement Worlds do their best to send their own Uni Fleets of teachers and statespeeps to pass news and advancement between systems, gather new ideas, and protect the freedoms of all life forms. Not to mention a number of other, lesser, tasks- terraforming, the xeno search, EMP (Electro-Magnetic (Psychic) Person) surveillance. 

The Technovar have recently rebuilt. After their escape 5,000 years ago out to the edges of the known systems and their own civil war, they have been rebuilding for 3,000 years. Slowly they encroach upon our systems, raiding and pillaging, kidnapping and killing. They are the reason we needed the Encirclement Worlds Treaty. Them and the Meek.

The Meek are all that are left of the barbarian-zealots of Earth. Rarely are they trouble, though they are worthy of our attention for their EMPPs, as well as our own wish to maintain the point of origin. No place like home.

There are also the Corers. The Truthseers. They are not here yet. Their echo will soon reverberate throughout the Ken.

And Outwards, beyond the Ken, are the Bio Systems. Entirely unknown and alien to Humanity at this point, but not for long.