Chapter 1: Arrival - Edited by Boondock

Chapter 1: Arrival
Posted: July 06, 2012 - 05:59:54 pm

The air was hot and humid. A small group of Triceratops gathered at the riverbank. The lead bull of the small herd was nervous as he raised his nostrils into the air.

From the bright blue sky an arrowhead shaped object descended and came to a stop a few meters above the actual ground. The object had made no sound and it was completely alien to the environmental signals and images the Triceratops bull knew. As soon as the object stopped moving it no longer concerned the Dinosaur and the bull lowered its massive horned head to drink as well.

The momentary distraction however was enough for the nearby Tyranno to rush in between the members of the startled herd and clamp its massive jaws around one of the young ones. The herd panicked, the attack happened too fast, so they could not react to the predator as their instincts commanded, to form a protective circle around the young and weak.

The Tyranno was the most formidable killer on land but it preferred the easy kill over a prolonged fight with a seasoned triceratops bull. Injuries meant death even to a Tyranno.

The young was still struggling and mewing but it was already mortally wounded.

The herd rushed on; soon the incident would be forgotten. The Tyranno tore into the flesh on the spot, smaller predators lured in by the smell of blood lingered just out of reach waiting impatiently to snatch a morsel. Clouds of green and black-bodied flies descended and swirled around the carcass and the blood dripping maw of the Tyranno. The cycle of life went on all around the foreign object, completely ignoring it.

Two figures however standing on a hill more than a mile away noticed and observed the object in the valley below.

"The Narth predicted correctly. It has appeared," the one on the left said.

"The Narth are always correct," the Redcolored figure said.

"Would it not be prudent for us to take all that is Narth and incorporate it? It is unacceptable that there is a body of knowledge outside the Collect. The Collect is superior to all."

"The sentiment of the Blue segment of the Collect is known to all segments. You are a Blue and it is only natural you are of this opinion. The Red Segment however finds it more productive to use what is given."

"The Red Segment has never found it necessary to bless those less perfect with our advancements. It is the task of the Collect to correct those that are less perfect. Anyone not of the Collect is not perfect."

"Let us continue this invigorating exchange at a later point if I may suggest." The red figure extended its arm towards the dark gray featureless object in the valley below. "The Narth was correct. We are both agreed on that and it is here!"

"Your suggestion is acceptable and we shall attend to the matter at hand. May I suggest we notify the Collect that an object of intelligent construct has appeared on a planetary body we deemed suitable to be seeded? An object that arrived exactly as the Narth predicted."

"It is a suggestion most logical but it might detract the Collect from all the other important tasks that must be accomplished. You are Blue and most formidable. The warning of the Narth is without question for those of lesser might. What could stand against the might of Blue? Let us instead investigate and present the Collect with as much completed information and established facts as possible."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Blue shape agreed completely. "Indeed let us open the vehicle and instruct the passengers of the Collect, that they are blessed to be observed by the Collect and to be perfected."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Red shape had already started to move towards the object.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The approaching shapes were noticed by the passengers inside the shape. "Guardian, we have arrived. This is the place, chosen by the Master. Yet there are sentient life forms approaching, not native to this place."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"This is the place! The RULE has been restored and the Master has been defeated. We exist to complete the will of the Master. This is the place the Master has chosen and it shall not be denied!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"It is logical to assume that those who have defeated the Master want to prevent us from completing our task and assure his resurrection."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"Let us then teach these agents of the enemy that the Master was defeated but not destroyed and the defeat will not be permanent. The Master has foreseen these events and that his servants are far from impotent!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Blue shape approached the object and reached out with its arm appendixes to penetrate the molecular bond and rip the shell of this space vehicle open to expose the passengers to its presence. The Blue failed! His appendixes could not reach down into the matter and render its bonds. It was no matter or energy the Blue had ever encountered and he was of the Universal Collective! All Matter and all Energy should be known to him. He felt an emotion of anger. Of course emotions were the remnants of their biological existence and much frowned upon by the segments; but he was a Blue and as the enforcers of the Universal Collectives blessings and gifts they were known to still have remnants of this particular emotion.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">Amused by his own analysis of his mild emotional reaction he released a cutting thought. A beam of tightly focused pure Psionic energy, concentrating the temperatures exceeding that of the hottest star in the Universe emitted by his mind, concentrated on a pinpoint area would cut through anything.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Red came closer, “It seems your attempts to gain access to this construct are somehow not successful!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The mild anger he felt before, the emotion he could so easily analyze and bemuse himself about was growing into a real emotion that reached his higher level of thoughts. He was quite surprised at the lack of result himself, but the logical observations of his companion somehow bothered him more, almost as if Red was mocking him and this fanned his now burning anger even more.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"Your observation is quite astute. The Cutting Thought will cut all known matter."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"It is not cutting this matter. Therefore it is unknown matter and that is impossible. The White Segment has clearly stated that there is nothing material left to uncover that is not already known. The White segment cannot be in error. Therefore your Cutting Thought might not be as potent as it should be?"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">This was a dilemma. The Red argued quite logically but that did not help the Blue with its emotional balance at all. The White Segment represented the collected knowledge of the Universal Collective and could not be wrong as the Universal Collective was infallible. There was a discussion between the Yellow and the Green Segments that it might not be good to think in such absolutes until the Universal Collective obtained true Omnipresence, but that was dismissed by the White Segment as unproductive and erroneous as the White Segment alone could make such an observation in the first place. Yet the fact remained, the clearly artificial construct was resisting all attempts so far to gain access.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">Again the Red spoke. "Is it even there? Or is it a mere projection perhaps?"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"A projection requires energy. I cannot detect energy."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"It hovers and defies gravity. It must emit energy to do so! Are you certain you are interpreting your senses correctly?"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">While all the questions and comments of the Red remained completely logical and quite valid they managed to make Blue feel a distinct dissatisfaction with his red companion. Something that was unthinkable entered his mind never the less. He was tempted to release a Cutting Thought against the Red, just to demonstrate how potent it was. The Red was of the Collective and the Blues sudden wish to harm the other so it would cease making logical observations was analyzed as a disturbing development but the self-analytical thoughts did not manage to calm the Blue.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Blue changed the gravitational constant underneath the hovering object and created a gravitational pull equal to that of a neutron star, directing the pull solely on that object. Even a Uni-Ship, the most perfect conveyance ever constructed by sentient beings, would now be forced to increase energy output tremendously in order to escape the singularity the Blue had created underneath the foreign object. The object however remained hovering and did not move and there were no detectable energy at all. Since his gravitational attack did not affect anything else ... it would have pulled half the solar system into a singular point. The object that was clearly there, shielded everything else from the gravitational forces now similar to a big black hole. This proved the object was there and it existed.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Red spoke. "Was it not dangerous to create a singularity so close to us? If the Object had been a projection indeed, you would have endangered both of our existences in this Universe."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Blue could not answer. The Blue shape, that was its multi space energy cocoon and shroud, suddenly failed.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The members of the Universal Collective considered themselves far removed from the carnal and biological origins of their species so many millennia ago and far superior to any other life form, but as the supposedly infallible protection collapsed without warning, exposing his weak unprotected biological body to a very hostile environment, he felt a very primal emotion, the very same emotion the Triceratops dinosaurs felt as the Tyranno appeared. He was terrified, he felt panic!

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Red shape experienced the very same a moment later and it was a Red, much less prepared to deal with anything hostile. He stared at the thin bipedal body of his companion oozing and dripping the yellowish slimy nourishment gel that kept them alive inside their multi-dim bubble suits on the sandy ground. Without the trans-spatial bubble holding it, it drooled away! The Red realized the same was happening to it as well. Their weak muscles strained, unable to keep them upright and standing on their feet failed. In an odd moment of clarity he noticed the Blue was female, and he was male. Any gender based division was considered primitive and therefore ignored for millennia. The Red collapsed right next to the now exposed humanoid shape of the female Blue. Without his protective cocoon communication was no longer possible. Withered lungs that had not taken a breath in thousands of years tried to fill with oxygen. Remnants of vocal cords suddenly tried to form sounds, driven by a primitive motoric reflex. The Red felt pain as his forgotten nerves experienced the harsh environment.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Red noticed in a weak notion of surprise that his natural eyes still worked and the painful sting of photons. A cloud of flies descended upon the alien heaps of organic matter. In all his pain and the certainty of death he now felt anger that the most advanced and most deserving of all life forms would wither away, devoured by insects!

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">It did not take long and both died from exposure to fresh air and sunlight.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The sudden loss of all contact to two members of the Collective was noticed and caused much conversation among members of all Segments. Such a spike in sudden and uncontrolled communication had not happened in eons. A full assembly was called and this too had not happened for a long time.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"It is clear the individuals have ceased to exist. Neither their essence nor their spatial presence can be felt," one associated to the Blue segment said.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"The last event known is they encountered a Narth Sphere near an insignificant and uninhabited planet in a young star-system on the outer rim," a Red member added to the conversation.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"The Narth are inferior, dabbling with Psionics," the Blue segment responded. "The Narth have caused harm to the Collective. The Narth must be incorporated into the Collective so we can bless them with perfection and understand how the Narth harmed two of ours."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Red Segment tried to further discuss the issue but the Collective as a whole could not be persuaded.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The White Segment added, "The Narth must be punished, not incorporated, for being instrumental in the demise of two Members of the Universal Construct. Let us then prepare for their extermination."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">Inside the black arrow shaped object the demise of the two Uni-travellers was noted. "The agents sent here by the enemies of the Master are no longer. Let us call the Executors of the Master's Force so they may punish and exterminate those who aid the Enemy and attempt to deny the Master’s resurrection and revenge!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"The Executors do not need to be summoned - they are already approaching. Let us focus alone on the task; we must complete what the Master commanded so he may rise again. This is the place! This world, in this space, is the place of those who inherit the Empire. This world is the place chosen by the Master to spawn those who will bring forth the body and the vessel for the Master. The vessel spawned will gather what was torn asunder and scattered. To reunite the Twelve Tokens of the Masters Might so he will rise again. The Master will eternally punish those who defeated him and replace the RULE with his WILL!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"Then let us begin! You are the Guardian of this world and the Spawn it will bring forth! You must not interfere in their internal affairs but guard them against threats from beyond! Until the WILL reigns supreme, the Rule must be obeyed."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"I am made in the Master's image and exist for this purpose."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"On the day this world's true children rise to the stars you are to select two hundred among them and give them the tasks the Master needs to be completed upon his return."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"I am the Guardian, I am made for this purpose and my task has begun. You are the Transport and your task is complete!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"Yes my task has been completed. My purpose has been fulfilled. His Will has been done!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The black object vanished with the words." He will rise again!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">In its place stood a humanoid figure dressed in a black shroud.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">A pack of vicious fast raptors rushed towards the water. The shape spoke to them, "Formidable you are and in time your kind would dominate this world, the spark of sentience is already there, this however cannot be, the Master decreed the rise of Mammals!"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Raptors were unsure what to do. The shape did not conform to anything they knew, it had no scent and its shape was not food. It made a sound and it was smaller. The bravest of them attacked, but neither the razor-sharp claws nor the teeth had any effect, could not even tear into the black shroud that obscured the figure. The raptors lost interest. The Guardian's powers however reached into space searching for a suitable object. There in an area of space in the far future known as the Oord Cloud he found what he was looking for and a huge asteroid changed its course and slowly increased its speed towards the inner planets and would in time collide with the third planet there.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">Another object, this one perfectly spherical and colored in a dark shade of gray and exactly 1,000 meters in diameter, floated near the orbit of a red planet, not far from the shiny blue jewel-like world where two Uni-Agents had perished, had also observed the events.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">A Conversation took place between the sole passenger of that sphere and a world far away called Narth Prime. The Conversation was not unlike the one that had taken place between the Segments of the Uni, but here was no emotion, no discord and no disagreement. The one in the sphere was the observer but also a complete part of all that was Narth.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"The Collective had potential to rise and to understand," said the Narth Supreme on Narth Prime after the events had taken place.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"The Universal Collective has concluded that Narth is the cause of the demise of their Agents. The Collective wishes to punish and incorporate Narth."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"It is fascinating to observe that biological beings came that far, without truly developing beyond their limitations. In their quest to obtain incorporeal existence and rising to the level of Narth they suppressed their nature instead of changing it. It is not the Universal Collective that possesses either the means to incorporate Narth nor the means to inflict punishment. For all their knowledge and development, it is evident they are unable to see or comprehend. The Executors of the Dark One are near. It is the Collective that must fear extinction. Let us remove ourselves from this plane. Let us contemplate if Narth can gain knowledge and understanding by contemplating corporal existence. Such contemplation is best done undisturbed."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The gray sphere vanished and so did a distant Star in the Upward Sector. The Star and its single planet simply blinked out of existence.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">A fleet of two thousand Uni-Ships, guided by Members of the Blue Segment arrived at the place where they knew was the Star and the planet known as Narth Prime.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"This is the Blue Segment. It wishes to obtain corrected coordinates from the all-knowing Whites, for we arrived at the spatial coordinates and there is no Sun or Planet."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Answer came immediately. "Do not question the information given by the White Segment. It is however a matter we must discuss, if the Blue Segment is unable to navigate and reach simple spatial coordinates."

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">"The Blue segment has neither the wisdom nor the knowledge of the White Segment. Therefore we wish to obtain your guidance and correct our erroneous navigation by leading us. The White Segment has Uni-Ships and perhaps one can lead?"

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">But the arriving Uni Ship carrying an Agent of the White Segment could not find the planet or the sun.

<p style="margin-top: 0.49cm; margin-bottom: 0.49cm">The Blue sent a new message. "It appears it is a matter we must discuss, if the White Segment is unable to give us simple and correct spatial coordinates. We are ready to punish the Narth; the White segment is all knowing so where is Narth Prime?"