White Star
Author: E. Morley/Mars Theran
Original post: https://forums-archive.eveonline.com/message/2108753#post2108753
Entry for the YC114 Pod and Planet Fiction Contest in the Eight Thousand Suns in New Eden category.
Davaris sat back in his chair on the Bridge of the Goliath, his clothing and skin still slick with the gel-like substance from his capsule and his eyes glowing with a quiet fire. His dark, wet hair clung to his skin in long, dripping strands. He slicked it back away from his face as best he could and focused on the console in front of him.
The Goliath was a newer Gallente design with advanced 3rd generation technology incorporated into its hull and on-board systems. Originally a Proteus, the particular ship had prototype systems that extended the capabilities beyond its original design.
Resting in the comfort of knowing his ship was gliding along at tactical speeds with next generation cloaking technology securing it from even the most advanced methods of detection available to the Empire, he considered his next move. Davaris had been scouting the outer planets and systems out here, while carefully evading the pilots who claimed it as their sovereign space.
He had covered nearly every system on the edge of known space in recent months, and he hoped he would find what he was looking for soon. His contract was running out and he wasn't happy with the idea of returning his ship to the group that had developed it for this task, or the thought of having wasted his time thus far.
The ship incorporated an advanced sensory subsystem, along with the redeveloped cloaking systems, and advanced navigation and propulsion systems. Goliath was capable of detecting anomalies and ships without the requirement of probes, though with some limitation in range. It was these systems to which his attention was currently directed.
Mathematical theory developed by his employers had indicated that a special type of spacial anomaly could exist in certain areas of space; one that could allow specialized propulsion systems to lock onto it and use to spawn a rift in space. A wormhole of sorts, but one that had no direction or end.
Dangerous yes, but potentially capable of being directed to unknown or unexplored regions of space. This is why he was currently on the edge of the known regions of space.
They had found one of course, in the inner systems of Gallente controlled space, and analyzed it quite thoroughly. They had used their findings to develop the propulsion systems on board the Goliath, but they had never tested them.
Theory indicated that the wormhole could only be extended so far, in a direction away from the initiating ship. A matter of light years; perhaps a dozen or so. It was Davaris' duty to test this of course; well away from the planets and moons of the inner systems.
The further from known space he could get with this technology the better of course, but there was another reason. The technology was untested, and the chaotic nature of these rifts was such that it was unknown exactly what would occur upon triggering the devices necessary to manipulate and control them. It could well be the last thing he would ever do, even as an immortal capsuleer.
He was resigned to that of course; intrigued enough by the possibilities and science that he was willing to risk that possibility. He had been a research scientist before all this, specializing in propulsion and engineering systems among other things. That made him rather perfect for the job as far as his employers were concerned, and was a great deal of the reason for his interest.
Then there was the unknown. What existed beyond the borders of known space, in the far regions of space to which the gates had never been made to traverse the distance between.
There were more stars out there; you could see them with the naked eye from the bridge where he was sitting. Distant, bright, clearly a sign of more potential worlds to explore, yet unknown.
Scientists and researchers had of course scanned them by various means, detecting planets-even habitable ones-but with no means to reach them conventionally speaking it had previously been largely irrelevant. Now, that might change.
Davaris blinked as he looked at his scanner. The 3 dimensional representation of the system around him had changed abruptly as a system anomaly appeared ahead of him in the direction of his flight. A slight haze similar to that of a collection of gases, but with a slight pulsing glow to it.
The only means to detect these rifts had been discovered to be by proximity at tactical velocities, which is why he had been flying across this system for hours, as he had done in the many systems before it.
As he looked at the small anomaly represented on his consoles holo display, he wondered what caused these things. It lay between two planets which were in relatively close proximity near the sun; a similar positioning to the one that had been found in known space. Perhaps it was a result of specific gravitational masses; possibly involving radiation released from the star, or certain combinations of magnetic fields from the surrounding bodies.
As he closed on the anomaly, he idled his engines and looked out the bridge window at where it should be. He was startled to see a haze of light there. Dull refractions from the star and light reflected of the planets, and possibly even from the lights on his ship. Somehow, the rift actually seemed to bend light in space at its point of origin, making it appear almost solid.
He had only seen sensory data on the one they had analyzed of course. Nobody had mentioned that you could see them. He suspected that was partially because their advanced sensory systems used that refraction as a means to identify them.
Wouldn't do to let that get out he supposed.
Redirecting his ships sensors as he came to a halt some 50 meters from the edge of the anomaly, Davaris scanned radiations in the vicinity, measuring the wavelengths of light in a 3 dimensional capture that would be recorded for future analysis as well as his own.
He wanted to compare what he found here with the data he had been given by his employers. Perhaps find some correlations between the two that might make finding the next at least a little less time consuming. Particularly as it would likely be his only way home.
Davaris stared at the 3 dimensional capture as it formed over his console, with it's representations of various forms of radiation, magnetic fields, and various other forces clearly represented in direction and color coded for identification. It was unusual to see it thus, even for him, a capsuleer who was used to living and sensing things-essentially-from inside a computer.
He wondered, if disaster befell this mission, would he survive it? There was no way of knowing of course. Even if his ship wasn't destroyed in initiating travel, he may find something at the other end of that journey to do the same. There was no way of knowing whether the data stream would reach his clone from there, and no way of knowing if the destruction of this ship either here or there, would leave it intact.
Previous generations of this ship design resulted in some memory loss to the pilot on there destruction. This ships was seven generations beyond that technology, even if it was still classed the same. The greater distances beyond gates and communications relays, the unknown effects of the subsystems, and unknown results of triggering that rift were all unknown with regard to that.
Too many factors here. It was best left alone and unconsidered he supposed. One way or another, he would do what he had set out to, and there would be some result for them to analyze later, whether he survived or not. It would be an experience, however short of one if it ended unfavorably for him.
Flipping a toggle on his console he initiated the secure data transmission link that would send all his findings back to his employers up until he transited the Rift and reached the other side, or until his ship was destroyed or even vaporized by the resulting event of that action.
He watched the memory bar go green as all collected data streamed out to them and then hovered on transmission level with a little green bouncing pulse as data buffered and went like a heartbeat. It was oddly comforting. Standing carefully, unused to moving in his body now, Davaris turned and walked to the lift that would carry him down to his capsule.
The green fluid flushed into the capsule, enveloping him like a smothering blanket, clouding his vision as it moved up past his eyes. He was used to it by now, and didn't have any trouble adjusting to the odd breathing apparatus which now sustained his life inside the capsule, or even the myriad of metallic tubes which connected themselves to various cybernetic nodes along his spine.
He felt the last secure itself at the base of his skull as he reached up and placed the connected interface nodes on his temples and in the small places behind his ears where the nerve centers were found. Catching them almost deftly in the viscous fluid and placing them without hesitation.
He was connected now. With a thought, he felt the computer surround him as his body floated away, and watched as space became visible. Strangely, he couldn't see the odd refractions of light from this perspective, but he knew it was there. His sensors identified it clearly.
Focusing on it, he maneuvered sideways, directing the Goliath between that place and all known space behind him. Distant stars became brighter as he initialized the systems, some red, others green, blue, or yellow. The red ones he couldn't travel to for now; the others were questionable.
A distinct star in the distant, glowing slightly blue became his focus, and as he placed the anomaly between it and him, he triggered the event timer and powered up the propulsion generators in a single thought. Soon now, it would either be all over, or he would find himself in unknown regions looking for more such anomalies and collecting data, his primary contract complete.
If his communications systems were still working, presumably he would see his personal account jump by about a billion ISK, and happily watch as the title of ownership for the Goliath transferred over to him.
That last was more important of course; the Goliath was priceless, and he had grown quite fond of it. This was the first ship which had allowed him to leave his capsule in flight, and its advanced systems were beyond anything he had ever encountered.
Awareness of the rift became acute now, as the generator reached peak power and the distant star he had chosen as his destination locked in fully. The systems had charted everything now; it was time.
Space disappeared abruptly and Davaris reeled in shock; he could feel his body around him again as he snapped back involuntarily from the shock of the event he had triggered with but a though mere nanoseconds before.
Awareness slipped back and he realized slowly that he was somewhere else; no longer in his pod, his body slipping away. The ship was around him still; he could feel its pain. His pain. Like being stretched to the limit; pulled in all directions, yet going nowhere. Struggling to maintain his focus he wondered briefly if this was what it was like to die, then dismissed the thought as improbable.
Something was coming at him suddenly, and he became aware of a white void ahead of him, approaching rapidly and expanding.
Maybe he was dying.
The thought was brief, and suddenly it was around him and he was shooting out into space, motionless. As the ships systems came into his awareness again he felt them powering down and wondered at what he saw around him, or how he was even still able to see.
That was why the ship had been designed to allow him to leave his capsule; so he continue with the mission in the event that it or his control of the Goliath became compromised in transit, assuming he made it that far.
..and he had.
He stared at the white star ahead of him now. Less than 200'000 kms away, he could feel the scorching burn as his shields resisted its energy. It was bright, more so than any other stars he had known, and quite large.
That hadn't been apparent in the initial scans, but it didn't bother him. He had chosen not to plan to end up somewhere, allowing his intuition to guide him on this journey. Without any surety of survival, it hadn't made sense to do otherwise.
His sensors spread out around him then and he felt the planets and moons of the system come into his awareness slowly; untouched and clean, they glimmer like diamond-like, at the edge of his awareness. Most warm in sensation, others hot, and just a few cold as ice.
There were about thirteen of them...