Mugenak's Story

Somewhere deep within the mantle of Langara…

A signal.

A whisper trickled along the currents of space-time, spoken in a language long forgotten except by the most ancient of the galactic races, and even then only existed in legends. Those with sufficient technology could trace it somewhere within the galactic core, but it had a single destination - a single message.

Awaken.

Ancient machinery stirred to life. A low hum, as tireless generators flexed with new vigor after eons of slow churning, filled a chamber covered in metal that held no scratches or dents. No lights flickered though, for they served no purpose to the consciousness that heard the signal.

<< Command acknowledged. Beginning firmware update. >>

A burst of data, short as a nanosecond, and the consciousness nodded in its not-space.

<< Protocols accepted. New data incorporated. Archives and backups updated. Beginning reconnaissance. >>

The alien mind spread its consciousness outward, through the countless miles of rocks and minerals, and latched onto the primitive data nodes that were scattered across the surface of the planet. It took a moment and examined the structure of the programming and hardware.

<< One-to-one transmission unviable. Creating lower-process partition. Creating a translatable language. Adaptation complete. Anti-malware and anti-espionage countermeasures activated. DOWNLOADING. >>

The consciousness seeped into the data nodes, filtered through countless rotating proxies and virtual operating systems - all being created, destroyed, and recycled quickly to avoid leaving any semblance of a trail. It started in the deep web of the network, peeling apart and dissecting every scrap of data it came across.

It slowly worked through the bowels of the network, piecing together what information it could about the culture and civilization that had developed on the planet above it. The consciousness moved upward through the network, taking care to avoid government or military servers.

After an age in machine-time, the consciousness was finished.

<< Data collected. Analysis complete. Beginning construction of primary platform. >>

Fabricators activated with a hum of energy, and ancient forges alit anew.

Sometime later, in Caprica City…

It was an average day in the Aschen capital city. Citizens went about their errands, soldiers and police patrolled the streets, and the world continued to turn into the mid-afternoon hours.

Then there was a tremor, barely perceptible except by the most sensitive of geological equipment, that reverberated far beneath the city. Closer examination would reveal it to be an object, made of incredibly dense metal and resonating with intense heat, ascending to the surface with the speed of a meteor.

Inside Riverwalk park, people inside the park were enjoying a cool, Langaran day as the tremors seemed to be imperceptible to them. Those closest to the epicenter stopped for a moment, though Caprica City, and the wider Zeus mountains sat on an axtive geological fault zone, earthquakes were not an uncommon occurrence for the people of Caprica City.

Sensitive seismic instruments detected the shifts in soil, as well as the changes of temperature, and the increasing frequency of the shifting soil.

Several eyes peered at screens to get a closer look, what they thought was a freak magma plume, happened to be some kind of object rising to the surface at incredible speed.

Warning sirens began to blare inside the park, followed by police sirens in the distance. Slowly, Caprica City was beginning to respond to these strange events.

Sometime later…

The metallic object continued to ascend through the earth, melting through rock and soil like a jet soaring through the atmosphere. Tremors grew stronger, and a massive source of energy would be detected from the object - far stronger than any fusion reactor the Aschen were capable of, even on some of their largest starships. Then, as it neared the surface, the object de-accelerated to a crawl.

The ground near the center of the park sizzled and burned. Grass burst into flames, trees withered from the heat, and the earth turned to molten soup. A circle of neon red materialized in the center of the anomaly, like iron fresh from a forge.

The object rose from the liquefied ground like an obelisk. It was an enormous statue of gleaming flawless metal - a thin humanoid half-again taller than a man. The figure stood erect, nobly, with its three-fingered hands folded stiffly behind its back. Thin silk-like robes were draped over its body, and a scabbard was seamlessly joined at his side.

A featureless face turned slowly, analysing everything around it with eyes that peered through the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Then, with a deep electronic voice and in perfect Langaran Aschen, it spoke across every electronic device within a hundred miles.

“Greetings, organic lifeforms - designated: Aschen citizens. I am designated Sir Mugenak, a Knight of the Archiver Collective. I have come to initiate non-hostile mutually optimal cooperation with the United Aschen Empire. Awaiting representative of highest protocol unit.”

The machine fell silent and immobile.

People had continued to congregate around the strange creature, filming it, taking pictures of it, at least until local police began to swarm the area, and usher them back.

As the entity fell silent, and immobile, local police were working diligently to set up barricades around the park, flashing blue police lights filled the surrounding area.

Minutes passed, and a single sleek, black sport-utility vehicle pulled up to the scene, it’s tires crunching onto the gravel of the paths that intersected the park. The driver side door opened up, and a middle aged, well dressed man emerged, pulling a pair of dark sunglasses onto his face, as he stared at the strange entity before him.

“So it said it was from something called the archiver collective.” Agent Barrett said as he checked his notes. “That’s what he said on just about every frequency, this little thing has the entire military pretty spooked.” He said to himself, knowing full well that the military was mobilizing, and it was only a matter of time before the entire area had begun to swarm with soldiers.

Mugenak stood as still as a statue. If someone none the wise had come across him, they might have mistaken the machine as a strange new sculpture. He had made no movement, not a single noise, as people surrounded him. Even when photographed, or poked and prodded by the civilians, it made no reaction.

He was far from inactive, though. Mugenak saw every face, heard every voice, and recorded every exchange. An ancient yet powerful mind captured every detail of every moment, and he analyzed the primitive organics like a scientist eyeing a particularly interesting colony of ants.

His attention fell upon the black vehicle as it pulled forward, but he remained still. It was only if the black-suited man approached the machine that Mugenak would crane his head down to look at him.

Barrett started to walk up to the statuesque entity before him, adjusting his sunglasses, and pushing them up the bridge of his nose.

He watched as it craned his neck to follow him, and he stepped forward to get a closer look. However, Barrett didn’t cross the barricades, not yet.

The lone IIA Agent pulled out his own device, and snapped a picture, sending it to the IIA headquarters for analysis.

Two heavily armed, and armored Lynx type Infantry fighting vehicles pulled up immediately behind the black SUV, about a dozen Aschen soldiers began to disembark, rifles in hand, and in almost lock step as they moved to surround Mugenak from behind the barricades. Agent Barrett was the ranking authority here, and it seemed to show through his calm demeanor.

“Sir Mugenak eh?” Barrett said, slowly, and carefully surveying the statuesque machine before him. “I’m Special Agent Malcolm Barrett, Imperial Intelligence. What brings you to our little corner of the universe?”

Kelby snapped a photo of the encounter on her way to lunch. She didn't have the time to walk up and actually investigate like everyone else was doing- and oh would she have loved to! Hunger called, and there was no excuse for being late. She'd be sure to show everyone back at the office, though!

“Your statement is inaccurate, Special Agent Malcolm Barrett of Imperial Intelligence.” Sir Mugenak finally spoke, appearing to pay no mind to the soldiers that surrounded him. “It would be more appropriate to say the inverse. However, to answer your inquiry, I refer to my broadcast. I am a Knight of the Archiver Collective, designated Sir Mugenak, and I have come to initiate non-hostile mutually-optimal cooperation with the United Aschen Empire in the name of my lord and his lord above him.”

Sir Mugenak kept a careful watch on the Aschen media as he spoke. He traced every image and mention of himself across the network and attempted to gauge the reactions of the general populace.

“Regardless, I await communication from the upper echelons of your government - of which I am certain you do not qualify. To quote your kind’s literature that would best apply to this scenario…”

Mugenak leaned forward.

“Take me to your leaders.”

“See. I’m afraid that’s not going to happen right now. Our leaders are currently occupied with a crisis at the moment, and we have to ascertain whether or not you’re a threat to them.” Barrett said, keying up his communicator.

“Unknown Xenos entity is demanding to speak with our leaders.” He said into his radio. “Quorum’s in session meeting with the Taiyou?” He asked, and then nodded.

His attention was brought back to Mugenak.

The general population was reacting with trepidation, and even outright paranoia, already the concerned calls came in to the local police departments across Langara. The highest echelons of the military were watching, save for the Chairman of the Navy, whom was off world tending to other things.

“This way, don’t make any sudden moves. We spook easy.” Barrett warned, starting towards an armored van that had just pulled up.

“Acknowledged.” Mugenak replied. “The crisis shall pass, and this unit shall be on stand-by. Your kind has nothing to fear from us, Agent Barrett. Cost analysis has been calculated, and aggression against your people would be illogical at this juncture.”

Mugenak followed Barrett at an even pace. His gait was fluid, almost regal, as his mechanical limbs moved with an unnaturally precise grace. No motion was wasted and everything was uncannily synchronized. Though he was aware of every weapon pointed at him, and every eye - organic and electronic - watching him, he made no sign of wariness. He showed no fear, no malice.

No emotion.

Ean Falcor yawns and stretches as he walks along the streets, looking for a decent place to eat

High above Langara, and Caprica City, thousands of small satellites began to come online, somewhere between low orbit, and the thermosphere, a Hard Light Shield began to form electro-quantum mechanics similar to a Watchtower's Aegis field. A Top secret Aschen project dubbed 'Lunatea's Veil' Which was incorporated into Langara's defenses sometime following the Galactic War.

Shimmering like sunlight on water across Langara's sky, the barrier began to stretch as far as the eye could see.

Feidlimid made a request across the beleaguered engineering through damage control comms, "Damage control, Critical, please assess transit support field systems in sector tau-psi-6. Possible tampering. It is not aligned correctly with neighboring sectors and it would be good not to explode right now."

The temperature was rapidly rising in the primary coolant crucibles for the engine and he had to keep enough head-end for the shockpoint jump to initiate cleanly. The ship was already starting to hum with the load on inertial dampening systems attempting to keep rei from turning the crew into red paste.

As the Cobalt Glaive gained altitude from the spaceport, several ground based emplacements that dotted Caprica City's towering skyscrapers, and the surrounding mountains swiveled to life, they almost immediately began to garner firing solutions, as dozens of heavy anti-orbital gun batteries fired, causing deafening booms to reverberate all throughout the city, as school bus sized ferric-tungsten slugs were hurled up at the ship, calculated for trajectory at near relativistic velocities, igniting the atmosphere into a white hot plasma as they screamed through Langara's atmosphere.

Raid sirens began to blare through Caprica City's streets, as Langara's defense fleet began to move in for a star-side intercept.

Leading the charge was the Reverence II 'Esteem' But there was little they could do on the other side of the Aegis field, so the fleet moved with coordination, and haste only Aschen ships seemed to be able to pull off, they moved into position.

Ean called this out just as one of the Tungsten slugs from the orbital defense arrays clipped across the ships shields, shearing off the starboard side. No damage was done to the ship itself, but the shields would not be able to hold that bombardment for long.

Feidlimid busies himself with trying to keep the ship from melting as he replies, "I have an option if there is a breach. Thin then shift the shield and throw hot plasma at it. Hot metal at least will puncture less armor. It will cost us core health and fuel but needs must."

Rei grit her teeth and poured as much power as she dared into the ship to evade the defense arrays, and push them further away from the planet. "Crazy bitch... I did not want Aschen Rim 2.0.." She muttered as she continued their ascent towards the rapidly closing shield. Rei just hoped they could make it far enough before having to resort to other matters.