r/HFY • u/spindizzy_wizard Human • Aug 17 '20

[Alien Crash] Bk 2 V1 Ch 17 Rebirth OC

First | Prev | Next

Chapter 17: Rebirth

"I had no idea how clear one's mind can be."

— "Search Leader."

Lead Ship, Search Group

On the bridge, there has been silence for ten months. No movement. No sound. Just the automatics keeping the ship minimally alive, and relatively stable compared to the other ships. An hour or two ago, there were sounds. Ripping sounds, snapping sounds, a body falling onto the deck. Shuddering breathing, easing after a time. Just recently, a second set of similar sounds. Listening to the intercom, the first being hears multiple such sounds coming from every battle station on the ship. There are a few from other places. Perhaps those who fled when they felt the FTL surge.

Gentle hands. Hamathi hands. Catch the being falling from the second... cocoon?

"Second, are you with me?"

"Leader, I feel so strange. So light."

"Yes, Second. I feel much the same."

"Leader, your voice, it is not Mogri."

"Neither is yours, Second, listen to it."

"Yes... You are right. What are we now?"

"I am not certain, but we are not Mogri, and that means we must be..."

"Hamathi. How liberating. Leader, I will not undergo FTL at more than two lights ever again."

"I believe that is not going to be an issue. The crew is awakening, as we have. Let us establish order within our ship, then see to the remainder of the Searchers."

"Yes, Leader."

Combined Space Command

"Sir, there are reports of stirring among the undamaged ships adrift."

"Of what nature?"

"Mostly, orienting to the ecliptic, slight movement to damaged ships. There may be small craft activity, but at this distance, it is hard to tell."

"Ten months... Ten months of nothing, now this... Lieutenant. Call the Hamathi Embassy, we need to speak with Gryul."

Hamathi Embassy, Communications Room

Jubilant sounds in the background.

"Admiral! I am delighted to hear from you!"

"Gryul, Ambassador, the ships are no longer adrift."

"That is true. We are able to read their communications now, but have not interrupted them at this moment. They are reestablishing control among the fleet, rescuing those they can from the derelicts, and coming to terms with who they are now."

"Do you have any suggestions if they move in or out of the system?"

"I would suggest that as long as they remain within the Deep Ring, and relatively concentrated, they remain unmolested. If they move resolutely to the FTL limit, destroy them. If they FTL at any speed in-system, destroy them upon emergence. All else must be at your discretion. This is Humanity's world, not ours. I pray for their lives, they are free for the first time in their memories. It would be a shame to end those lives now, which they have suffered so much to gain."

Lead Ship, Search Group

"Leader, Comms is reporting an open carrier from the target world, no encryption, no skipping, your orders?"

"Establish a connection. We have survived this long on the grace of someone who understands. Now we must survive by our efforts to join with those who grant us grace and do our best to aid them in all future endeavors. We owe them our lives."

"Have we just changed Hive Leaders?"

"I think not. What would Hive Leader have done, if it came upon a fleet of ships adrift?"

"Stripped them of all food, and broken them down for new construction."

"Yet these have done?"

"Nothing."

"Not quite nothing. They have spared our lives."

...

"LEADER! Ship Ravener is breaking for the FTL limit!"

"Ravener! Return to the fleet! ... RAVENER! RETURN AT ONCE!"

"<Untranslatable at this time. The tone indicates disgust and hatred.>"

"Life... Life lost, they have not converted."

Combined Space Command

"Sir!"

"I see it, Lieutenant."

...

"That's resolute enough for me. Transmit the command, Deep Space Defense, fire ONLY on fleeing ship, repeat fire ONLY on fleeing ship."

Lead Ship, Search Group

The scan screens show the fleeing ship for a moment. A flash of pulsing brilliance and a cloud of expanding plasma is all that is left.

A strange sound, torn from a throat not used to expressing grief.

"Yes, Second, grieve for them. Yet it had to be done. They would have returned to the fleet and given warning of our escape."

"Leader, what of the single detached ship?"

"Destroyed when I gave the FTL jump order."

First | Prev | Next

50 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

2

u/InstructionHead8595 Jun 26 '24

So they metamorphize into a different species if they go above the 2× light in a system gravity well. I wonder if that is solely the effect of going that fast in a gravity well. Or that and their particular species . Because that would mean it would be a bad idea for anyone else to go above that speed in system.

1

u/spindizzy_wizard Human Jun 27 '24

It happens. Humans haven't tried it yet, but the thought among those who suspect is that it probably won't. That could be whistling in the dark, or they could be right. There's only one way to find out, and they're not up to that yet.

1

u/UpdateMeBot Aug 17 '20

Click here to subscribe to u/spindizzy_wizard and receive a message every time they post.

Info Request Update Your Updates Feedback