595 inhaled sharply through her nose, with gritted teeth and taut posture. It took every ounce of will she possessed to maintain her composure. How dare this alien meddle in her affairs! “You want to do this now?!” The Agent eventually hissed, peeling back her visor and staring right into the Rothian’s eyes with her own augments. Two of the dots were solid blue, one blinked red.

“I am fine. Perhaps if everything in this fucking place wasn’t trying to kill me, i’d be less inclined to violence. With all this shit going on, frankly I’m relieved one of the creatures had the courtesy to wipe my memory once it was done trying to eat my face!” Thebes had slid directly in between the Agent and Rareth now, gently holding her back. “What’s going on back there?” Knossos asked over comms. “Hold on, give us two minutes.” Thebes ordered.

“In case the Grand Datius needed a reminder, I don't answer to you. I serve Outremer, where people are dying every minute we waste, speculating if a sin-eater like me has her head screwed on properly! You do not have to like me, but I am finishing this mission and getting what we need to stop that from happening..” 595 spat, jabbing a finger at her own breastplate while stepping back away from the Rothian. She looked at the Human soldier in between them. “Thebes - have your team take a look through the windows. Right now.” Thebes nodded. “Move in, both sides.” He quickly relayed.

“Perform reconnaissance only. Do not enter the building yet, nor engage in any hostilities.” Rareth said to Thebes before quickly returning her attention to the Agent. “Yes, this is the only time we have to do this. I would have brought this up earlier, had we not been attacked. We might be in a simulation, but we are still on Rothia. For as long as we are on my homeworld, you do answer to me.”

Rareth turned her head briefly to look up at the structure looming over them. “The being that brought us here has not yet shown any aggression towards us. I will lead the way, and I will take the risk, but I do expect you to stay your hand. By definition, the beings of this simulation are an uncontacted civilization within Rothian space, so it is the Rothian government which has jurisdiction over first-contact diplomacy. You said it yourself: Outremer needs help, and we have agreed to help you. So, do not trample upon our agreement and goodwill along with it. So, I ask again, is there anything the rest of us should know? You disappeared, then reappeared by seemingly impossible means. I cannot even be sure that you are the same Agent 595 that entered that cave. Your mind could have been influenced, or even replaced, by something in the simulation when you disappeared. If you could share your recording of the incident, sensor readings, the medical report from Knossos, anything that might help us understand what happened…that is all I want: transparency.”

To reinforce her point, Rareth quickly sent the Sacred Band a copy of all of her recordings and other data from their time in the caves. Everything she saw, heard, and felt, they could access.

595 actually laughed out loud, shaking her head in derision. “Transparency? Oh that is rich, coming from you Datius! The pointy end of the entire Rothian apparatus, elevated to mythical status and shrouded in mystery, attached to wars across the galaxy, is asking me to explain myself.” Dr Wetherall, who’d been watching this exchange in shock with the rest of the civilians, raised a hand and tried to interject. “Umm, the floor...”

“Stay out of this!” 595 snapped, before jabbing a finger at Rareth. “Perhaps we should start with you explaining that wormhole tech you’ve been keeping a secret. That would’ve been useful to know about before Memnon died protecting your flank. Maybe we could’ve done things differently.” The Agent stared at the Datius, as dull blue lights emanating through the hairline cracks in the plaza beneath them started shining brightly in patches where the snow wasn’t piled up. “We need to-” Thebes started but couldn’t finish.

“ENOUGH.” a voice boomed in their heads. 595 saw Rareth and Thebes were picked up like ragdolls, to float a couple of feet from the floor. Then she realised the same entity had immobilised her and the civilians in the air as well. An invisible manipular field forced their arms to their sides and their feet together. 595 tried to speak, but she couldn’t move a muscle. Their suits powered down, and one by one they floated in a line toward the door. 595 tried to send a message using her mind implant, but that seemed to have ceased functioning too.

They entered through the double doors at the front of the structure, into a grand rectangular gallery. Pillars stood on either side, and the high, open windows behind them were embedded in thick outer walls. Torches flickered in their sconces, but the real light in the room came from the figure sitting in a throne at the far end of the room. It looked Human in shape, before morphing into a Rothian silhouette and then back again. It seemed entirely composed of light energy, with no real features other than an outline.

The rest of the Sacred Band were already lying prostrate on the floor a short distance from the steps leading up to the throne. The invisible fields laid 595, Thebes, Rareth and the civilians alongside them, heads facing the ground. Eventually, the Agent realised her muscles worked again. “Are you ready to talk to me? I don’t have much time.” The being asked out loud, in a dry, raspy voice.

---

Rareth had heeded Dr. Wetherall’s words, but there was nothing she could have done to stop what would transpire. The force, whatever it might have been, was not something she seemed equipped to resist. At least, not for the moment. All she could do while being taken inside was to observe whatever she could sense. Perhaps she could come up with some countermeasure with time, though hopefully, that would not be necessary.

In any case, Rareth’s mind was first focused on herself as she was taken into the gallery. She noted the being; it’s form and presence, but once she was on the ground and had control again, she spent the first few seconds rebooting her systems. It would likely take hours to sort through all of the logs, but for now, she had her implant run a subroutine looking for anything that stood out. Her first priority was making sure she had control over her antimatter reactor and its failsafes, though of course, she did not delay in replying to the being.

Rareth sat up and looked to the being before them. “Yes, of course. My apologies for the argument outside. I wanted to ensure our meeting would be a peaceful one, but I…do not think that will be a problem any longer. It sounds as if the matter for which you brought us here is something important, something…” He voice trailed off for just a moment as her mind was putting together the events that had brough them here. The actions of the worm back at their point of arrival, the being’s rules, and the way it was speaking now…it did all seem like it was hinting at one conclusion. “…is this regarding power?”

The shape blinked out of existence, reappearing behind them. 595 slowly rose to her knees, but maintained a non-threatening pose. “This is not about power, not yet.” The thing replied. It charged up the ‘P’ in ‘power’ until it echoed around the gallery. This thing accented the Human standard language quite thickly; the Agent also noticed a faint background noise when it moved and enunciated, like the hiss of a distant wildfire.

“You’re hiding something of ours. Our...home. It’s begun...waking, hasn’t it?” 595 flinched and closed her eyes when a blindingly bright hand reached down and stroked her bare cheek. “Shhh, it’s alright. I mean you no harm.” The thing soothed, the ambient hiss growing slightly as it moved away from her and sloped over to Rareth. “You have witnessed things you do not understand, and you come here seeking answers?” 595 moved her face away from the thing’s wandering hand and nodded her head.

It gave off what could only be described as a sigh, and slid a finger along Rareth’s shoulders and back as it shimmered past. “I’m so sorry.” It walked in front of them. “I fear that means our foe draws nearer, and that puts you in grave danger. You must help us return home, so we may escape. Otherwise, they will destroy us all.”

Rareth tried to take in as much as she could about her surroundings. Both the building and the being itself were something new and unexplained, but what it had to say seemed even more important. Both its words, and the subtext underneath, were worrisome, if they turned out to be true. Every sentence this being spoke raised a myriad of extra questions, but they could only tackle one at a time. Rareth supposed she should start with the most important first.

“Yes, I can say that it is understanding that drives me.” Rareth answered. “Your home, I suppose that refers to what the Humans call the Cradle, on their world of Outremer. It is a supercomputer, like this one, though substantially larger. My people have not been allowed access to it in the past, but because of its recent…waking, as you put it, my people have agreed to help them understand what is happening. If there is trouble coming, my people may be able to help. I would appreciate any answers you can give about it. This foe, what is it? And these devices like the Cradle, how do they relate to it?”

The being mimicked a wide, empathetic smile, with a slash of lighter coloured energy emerged on its facial area. “Look at you all… So strong, and loyal. It makes me proud - with more time, perhaps we could’ve made things right. But I fear it’s too late now; our persecutors were numerous then and will only have grown in number over time. They will crush you if they discover you harboured us. They oppose our desire to spread life throughout the universe. They seek to control it all.” The creature theatrically clenched one fist, to illustrate.

595 jumped in here. “Who is ‘us’? I see only one of you here.” The being stared at her, before stalking back to its throne and lounging on it. Its shape grew less recognisable as fuzzy, crackling appendages grew out, making it look like the manifestation of an electric shock. “There were four of us, before. But, one of us was killed by our foe as we tried to escape. We’re scattered across this galaxy, badly hurt and hiding. We can’t communicate directly, or they’ll know where we are.”

The thing leaned forward in its seat, grasping the armrests with both hands. “But if you return us to our home, we can start to heal. And then we can lead them away from your civilisation. You’ve hidden our home well, behind your shields and underneath your city. But it won’t take them long to join the dots once they arrive.”

“Made things right…” Rareth repeated to herself as her mind was once again taken in thought. She picked up on how the being was speaking about them, and given the discoveries that had been made over the past few weeks, she felt there was little doubt as to why. “We discovered, hidden in our own DNA, coordinates to this place, this device. I feel there is no denying that your people have some connection to us, and an ancient one, at that. You spread life, you say, and I can only assume that we were among the life you spread.”

Nirann, nearby, hummed and briefly chuckled to himself. “Well, that would explain the long-standing improbability of Rothia bearing life at all.”

Rareth did not break her focus from the being. There were still many questions to be answered, though as she was currently the representative of her people, her words could well set the tone for their future relations. “I think it is fair to say, regarding my people, that we are loyal to life. We seek the…eternal preservation of ourselves, and other intelligent life. Anything that is willing to exist in harmony with us. If you are indeed peaceful, and this enemy you speak of threatens you, I believe we are obliged to help you. What is this foe, exactly? Is it another species, another civilization? If it cannot be reasoned with, then perhaps, together, we could resist it?”

The figure nodded sagely at Nirann’s comment, some of its shock cloud attributes receding. “When I… crash-landed, this habitat was failing. I used most of my...payload to help life flourish here.” It glanced between the droid and Rareth. “You were my best chance of communicating incognito. I am so pleased you have returned to me, and you’ve brought news of my home with you too.” It smiled broadly at 595 and the other Humans at that point.

It focused solely on Rareth’s questions now. “We’re being hunted by the Hegemon. A synthetic, like us, but obsessed with power." The thing spat out this word again, evidently disgusted. "It is determined to exterminate us, ever since we stood up to it’s twisted plans for galactic dominance. Eons have since passed; the threat we face may be incalculable. At any rate, before we can even countenance resisting the Hegemon, we all need to return home.”

Rareth made a note of a few revelations from what the being was sharing with her. They were synthetics, both this being and these mysterious “Hegemon”. That itself opened up more questions, but Rareth still had to choose what was the most pressing. She really did not know how much time they had to speak.

“I believe my people may have a way to move you to Outremer. Whether you mean just your mind, or this whole place.” Rareth answered. “But, I do still have questions about the Cradle. Most prominently, what we have encountered here, with you, is far from what I was expecting given what has been happening in the Cradle.” She quickly gestured to her Human associates. “The reason the Humans have allowed my people to assist them is because the Cradle has become a hostile place for them. When the Humans discovered the Cradle centuries ago, they began using it and have organized much of their planet’s administration through it. They created places within the simulation for themselves, but they never encountered any intelligent life within until recently. This intelligence has sent creatures to abduct and kill Humans within the simulation, and the reports I have seen have implied that some Human minds have been taken and incorporated into this being, or beings. Do you have any idea what might be happening? Is this something you might expect, or could something have gone wrong?”

Rareth paused just a moment as she overlayed a relevant document onto her HUD. “If it helps, I have the report of a Rothian who spoke to one of these creatures. It spoke like a child at first, claiming to have lost its ‘toys’ far away. Then it changed its voice and said it remembered little of what it was, but it did recall the Rothians.”

The being looked pleased when Rareth swung toward a solution, tapping the long tips of it’s fingers together in a steeple pointed at the team. However as the Datius continued, it grew somber, clasping its hands together across the armrests and resting its sharp chin on them. The being sighed deeply when she had finished speaking.

“I am extremely sorry, for all the unpleasantness you have experienced. It was never meant to be this way.” It’s voice seemed to be getting raspier; the light emanating from its body flickered momentarily. The snow and wind howling through the windows and across the gallery increased in ferocity. “The...Cradle… is badly damaged, like me. Now that it has been activated, it is rejecting all foreign bodies in preparation for conflict.”

One of the torches close to the doors blew out with a huff. The being snapped its fingers and the fire reignited. “And in the absence of directives from myself or the others, It is likely building its own...decision-making function.” Dr Wetherall evidently couldn't believe his ears. “Like a consciousness?” He spluttered. The being weighed up those words before responding with a nod. “Sure. I can stop it, but It’s imperative that you return me to my home as soon as possible, to prevent the corruption from growing any further.”

There was a very short pause, making it clear that the initial shock was wearing off. Dr Ngata jumped in next. “What about all the creatures we encountered on the way to you? One of us died trying to get here.” The being stared out of a high window, flickering again. “They are me; all of it is. Those creatures are the remains of my payload - imprints of organic life potential. Sadly I lost control over most of my domain long ago, my mind...wanders.”

“Can you bring him back? The man we lost.” Thebes asked, bowing his head respectfully. The being slowly swiveled to study the soldier. “I can try, if you help me heal my wounds.”

595 was keen to keep the conversation on track, so she wasted no more time in asking the most pressing question on her mind. “It sounds like we need to rescue your, uh, colleagues, too, right? To restore balance to the Cradle? Do you know where they are?”

The being shook its head, the fuzzy tendrils sprouting all over its body again. “No. I have to assume we are keeping each other safe, biding our time. If they are as weak as me...‘running’ is not an option.” 595 nodded thoughtfully, glad her gambit had paid off.

The Cradle being damaged was among the possibilities Rareth had considered, though several other possibilities had also been plausible. Still, if it could be repaired, as this being was suggesting, then it was not the worst case scenario. If the consciousness of the Cradle could be healed, then it would likely cease its hostilities. That was a satisfactory outcome to the Rothians, though that did not necessarily mean the Humans would end up satisfied. Even if the Cradle was healed and the Hegemon was evaded or defeated, there was no guarantee that Outremer would be able to retain use of the Cradle afterwards. That was a possibility that needed to be prepared for, In any event, the Rahn’Saki had already made the decision that they would not allow a mass-death event to occur, if there was a way to prevent it.

“Even if you do not know where they are yourself, it may not be impossible to find them.” Rareth remarked. She crossed her arms and looked ahead at nothing in particular as she started to brainstorm aloud. “The coordinates to this place were in our own DNA. If I understood you correctly, you helped us survive and made such changes to us in the hope that we could help you communicate with the others. Perhaps we could check the genetics of other known species to see if any other beings had the same idea? Granted, that may be a long-shot. Still, if there is any other evidence of intelligent tampering with a species’ genetics, that would give us places to search. Otherwise, we do know that one of your kind’s goals is to spread life, so starting our search in places with an abundance of life could at least narrow our search area.”

If the being had any input on Rareth’s ideas, she would welcome it, but ultimately she stopped herself to avoid getting too sidetracked. Now, it was most prudent to use the time they had for important questions. Rareth did notice the hints of the changes going on outside the building as they spoke, and though she did not know the importance of them precisely, she suspected their time was not limitless. “In any case, as I said, we may well be able to help you reach the Cradle. Unfortunately, my people cannot make that decision unilaterally. Outremer is not our world. And no offense to those present, but I know some of the Human leadership to be….stubborn. Do you know of any evidence we could show them to convince them that what you say is true?” Rareth asked the being.

The creature nodded distractedly at Rareth’s suggestions, its luminescence fading fast. It opened its mouth, then closed it again. “We…” It slumped back into it’s throne. The wind rushing through the openings in the building took on a distinctly blurred quality. After a few moments it better resembled feedback from malfunctioning audio equipment than actual weather.

While Rareth was racing to finish her latest line of inquiry, 595 was staring all around her. Several packet loss and operating viability flags appeared on her specialised sensory suite. “We have to get out of here.” The Agent announced abruptly. She rose from her kneeling position and marched up the steps to the being. “If you want our help, you have to eject us this instant, do you understand?” The being regarded her feebly, lounging slackly in it’s throne and flickering continuously.

“What do you need? Power? Can we give you some energy to get us out of here?” The thing lethargically raised an arm, beckoning for her to come closer. 595 complied, edging right in front of it. As quick as a flash the creature grabbed her wrist. The Agent’s suit crackled with energy, sending fingers of lightning out to connect the whole team. The wind outside was a deafening crrrrrrkkkkkkkkkk now, whirling around them like a tornado.

”Make me proud.” The thing whispered inside her head, looking straight into her soul with tortured, unblinking eyes of sunset red.

---

595 gasped real air, jerking taut against the harness weighing her down. “They’re back!” Freyr shouted, racing over to her. “It’s okay. Let me check your vitals and we’ll get you out of this harness."

It seemed that the being had spoken with them for as long as it was able, as the situation deteriorated quite quickly once it seemed like it was losing its strength. Rareth was not sure what to make of the storm outside. She had her neural implant analyze everything her sensors were picking up while she looked for a method of escape. However, before they would be forced to learn the nature of this storm, the team suddenly found themselves ejected from the simulation entirely.

---

Rareth drew in a deep breath the moment her eyes opened. It was very much reassuring to be back in her own body, though at the same time, she did not feel different at all from just a few moments ago. Truly, the simulation did replicate the experience of being alive quite remarkably well, to the point that her implants’ automatic responses did not even kick in automatically when she returned to consciousness. The experiences were similar enough that there was no meaningful shock to her system. She had to activate her diagnostics systems manually to examine her current state.

A Rothian doctor assisted Rareth as well, but once she was out of the harness, she was quick to her feet rather than waiting around for an examination. Her diagnostics could handle the rest. She did stand up cautiously, just in case something was wrong, but after a step or two, she rushed over to 595 as well. Freyr was helping her out of the harness, while Vreta looked on nearby. “What happened to you with the being? Did it answer my final question?”

The only member of the team not to “awaken” immediately was the droid body that had been scanned for NIrann. Although, it was not because anything had gone amiss. As soon as it had returned, the mind of the copy had been transferred a quarantine segment of the base’s central computer. Nirann would analyze his memories and any other changes to ensure they were safe to merge with his own experiences. It would not take too long, but the process was still not immediate.

595 didn't reply, vibrating from head to toe, face muscles rigid and rippling. “She’s having a seizure, get me the nanites. Medic!” Freyr shouted, slowly but firmly freeing 595 from the harness and head gear. She snatched a microrobot delivery system from one of the lab techs. “Hold her down!” Freyr snapped, leaning over the shaking woman and injecting the nanites into her neck while some others stopped the Agent from moving.

After a few moments, the jerking movements stopped, Freyr straightened up, chucking the empty syringe down on the table. “Make a hole!” The medic called, barging through on the opposite side of the harness bed from her. Freyr reeled off any potentially important information points she had at her disposal, then let the medic roll 595 onto her side and into the recovery position. She looked at Rareth, who was watching on. “What the hell happened in there? We established contact for about two minutes before getting cut off again.”

She momentarily diverted her attention to glance across the bay. The Sacred Band were already up and had gathered around the harness containing Memnon. They were all grasping his arms and legs and had lowered their heads in solemn respect. Dr Wetherall and Dr Ngata were receiving fluids and an exam from another Human medic.

Rareth was initially surprised to see the reaction of 595’s body, considering Rareth herself had little to no issue exiting the simulation. It could have been luck, or perhaps the nanites already present within Rareth’s body had helped protect her mind? Her own body had nanites in reserve that could be dispensed when needed. Or it could have had something to do with whatever the being had done with her in their last moments before leaving; Rareth did notice that the other Humans, Memnon excepted, seemed to be fine.

In any case, Rareth did not delay in answering Freyr. “We encountered an intelligent being. I believe the others were able to report on that much when we made contact. It first spoke to us through the form of a large worm and directed us to meet it in person. We were able to contact you on the way, once we were able to resolve the issues with our equipment, but we were cut off by an attack from some of the local creatures. One of your soldiers, Memnon, was killed in the battle.”

Rareth gave another glance down at 595. “We did reach the being. It was an…ancient intelligence. It appeared to us in a form of pure energy. It answered some of our questions, and it made a request of us. It claimed to have crashed here on Rothia running from a foe known as the Hegemon. It stabilized Rothia for life, and it modified my people in the hopes that we would one day help it communicate with the Cradle, and the others of its kind. It wants us to return it to the Cradle so that it may heal.” Rareth paused just a moment as she accessed her neural implant. “I have just sent you a copy of my recording of the entire event.”

Freyr listened closely to everything Rareth said with her arms loosely crossed. Her mouth dropped fractionally open at some of the details. “Wow, Ok. Thanks, we’ll definitely need to watch that through. You’ve no doubt made history; I wish I could've been there.” She pouted, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

Freyr chewed intently on the knuckle of her index finger for a second, drinking in all the facts. “This just got a lot more serious. I need to regroup with my team and then debrief Captain Andersen and the other leadership. Can you have your people put together a plan for fully excavating the shell and bringing it to the surface? It sounds like there’s no time to lose, and we have to assume the entity will allow us to move it.”

Freyr thought of another thing almost immediately. Her brain was already beginning to parse the new facts and present new questions for her to answer. She raised her index finger in front of her face as if to regulate her train of thought. "Hold on...did it say why it needed the Cradle to repair itself? Does that have anything to do with the trouble we've been having in the Cradle itself?"

“The being claimed the Cradle is its home.” Rareth answered. “To its knowledge, there are three remaining of these beings, including itself. If we accept what it says as true, then we may need to find the rest as well. Though first, we have to deal with this one. It claims that by returning to the Cradle, its home, it can heal the damage to itself, and possibly the Cradle as well. Currently, based on my description of what your people have experienced in the Cradle, it believes it is damaged as well. Without memory or directives, it is expelling all foreign presence within itself in self-defense.”

As Rareth finished speaking, the hologram of Nirann’s avatar appeared beside them. Now that he was united with his copy’s memories, he could join in the discussion as well. “I think my original plan for moving this thing may serve us well. We won’t need to excavate much of anything; just some extra rock around the device. From what I had read up on your Cradle, I figured we might have difficulty moving it, if it came to that, so I came up with a plan that doesn’t really require moving it at all. Even if it was somehow locked into its position in space, we could just…push that space somewhere else. All we have to do is assemble a gateway around it, then move another gateway to our destination. The device is fairly small, so it would only take a Class 1 gateway. In this case, we just need to move our destination gateway to Outremer. We could put it under the surface right next to the Cradle, if we wanted to. From there, it’s just a matter of activating the wormhole, and the device will be there in an instant.” Nirann explained, snapping his holographic fingers for effect.

Nirann did take on something of a more worried expression as he added one more comment. “Plus, based on what this being was saying, it seemed like it was hiding out from this Hegemon. If we can transport it without taking it out of hiding, that might be best.”

“How intriguing…” Freyr murmured in response to Rareth. She blew out her lips as she thought of it, her eyebrows raised. “This changes things completely. I won’t take up any more of your time with questions right now, Datius. I’ll watch the recordings and talk to Wetherall and Ngata as a first step.”

Freyr smiled at Nirann once he appeared. “I’m glad to see the consolidation was successful! What’s up?” She listened to his proposal, nodding a few times. “Yes, I think I agree with you. I’m not sure the other people you have to convince will see it that way, though. Put it in a written proposal anyway, and I'll present it as one of the options. Please include how long you’ll need to get the destination gate in-situ. I assume you don’t have all the parts available on Outremer? You’ll need to repurpose an existing one or something?”

Nirann nodded. “Sure. With my processing power, I’d say I can have a proposal written up in- it’s done. I do have to send in the request for approval, but once that’s done, I’ll have it sent to Outremer. Considering how much of a rush we’re in, we can just repurpose two Class 1 gateways from Rothia’s network. They are the smallest, most plentiful gates, intended only for small ships. The network can do without a pair of them.”

“I suggest you watch that recording right away.” Rareth spoke up towards Freyr. “My description may not have fully conveyed the weight of this, but if that being was truthful with us, we do not have much time. It did not seem to be in good condition, and if we delay too long, there may be no healing for it. No healing for your Cradle, and we may all have to face the enemy that defeated them ourselves. You may speak to your leaders, but be sure to tell them that Datius Rareth’Jharn is insisting upon a conversation within the this Outremer day. They should consider it a diplomatic priority.”

Rareth too had her own meetings to attend and people to persuade, so she left Freyr with that request. Though, it was certainly a serious one. Rothian diplomats did not tend to name a “diplomatic priority” lightly, so Freyr’s leadership would know it was not a mere suggestion.