The Universe

The stars were a beautiful vista to behold to all. The countless worlds, small and large, were far too many to even begin to count. Some teemed with life, others not. Such was the way of the universe. Such was life. But what was not life was the artificial structure that marked the greatest technological creation in all of the history of sentient life.

"My Lord?"

Terrik turned from the view afforded to him by the round observation bubble of the orbital shuttle.

"Yes?" he said with a calm precision.

"The vessel is ready, my Lord. The permission of departure is granted."

"Then we shall begin our mission," finished Terrik. The final word had just cleared his lips as he strode towards the aft airlock.

It did not take long before he had reached the bridge. Already the plot had been laid in. The vessel thrummed with power. It was the pride of the Imperial fleet, for the Augum Imperium had taken its most prized technology, all of its defenses and offensive capabilities, and constructed something that the Dissidents would fear for time immemorial. This very construct would bring peace to the galaxy. But the Dissidents were not the objective for this ship. The very mission that was about to be undertaken would be a quest to the one world from which the Augums had been birthed, a holy place for all understanding and creation. A place which its very name coined all of the ground on which one stood.

"My Lord," astrogation called out. "We are ready!"

"Engage main warp drive," ordered Terrik. "Set time dilation to 5.2. Execute." The orders brought the ship out of its orbit around the planet that, for well over a century, the Augum Imperium had ruled unopposed except by the Dissdents. The sun's light fell over the prow of the ship. The words written upon the hull were one that all Augums owed their hearts for it was a name that sheperded them through the stars.

[i]Nostradamus[i/].

And its destination.

Earth.