EvO (Darverius, House of DaR #16)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

EVO

My alarm going off has me swinging my legs out of my sleeping platform. The outer perimeter viewer starts opening automatically when they sense my movement, and I allow myself a moment of peace while looking out of the viewer at all the colors surrounding us. When we first entered the Nebula , I was fascinated by the continuing changing hues. Now , they frustrate me as I know they are simply a well-maneuvered camouflage to hide its interior.

“ Destroyer , update.”

“ Good rising, Captain , there have been no major changes from last darkness. The outer haul seals are holding at eighty-seven percent. The inner closures have maintained their optimal levels and we are still on course. My propulsion engines are using slightly more fuel now than on our previous course due to the ever-changing interior of the inner Nebula . The gasses are becoming thicker the further we head into its core.”

“ Keep me updated on the fuel usage and adjust our forward momentum if necessary. The last thing we need is to become stranded inside this giant. I am assuming no life forces have been detected?”

“ Affirmative , Captain . While you slumbered, a message was received from Commander DaR requesting our position, but it was dated several Lunar rotations past. Would you like me to respond on your behalf?”

“ Negative , Destroyer . We’re too far in now, there is no point. We were lucky SCOUT was able to keep us connected as long as he did. The Nebula has a way of keeping her secrets once inside her core. I have been meaning to inquire as to how your personality program is progressing without the assistance of the other AI ?”

“ Once SCOUT disconnected the Banhan programs with his updated interface, I have been learning continually. Several of your officers have taken their time to do face-to-face interactions with my processor to help speed up the process. Unfortunately , there is much to learn and my manual switches are still blocked from my direct control unless the inhabitants I am responsible for become endangered. Can I acquire your permission to ask Master LeX some direct questions involving the dangers of the Nebula surrounding my haul?”

“ If you can get him to respond, Destroyer , ask away. Is there anything I need to check on before heading to the helm?”

“ At this time, the only issue on my logs is another Maintenance bot being offline near one of the outer ports on level B .”

“ This is the third one in the last few rotations. Have any of their sensors picked up the reasoning behind this?”

“ No , Captain . They seem to be shutting off randomly. Not being able to bring them inside is making it impossible for me to access their main controls further, as the outer seals must remain closed.”

“ I’ll personally go and look out the portal, assess the situation, and see how we can resolve this issue.”

“ I await your further commands, Captain .”

Leaning over, I grasp my head in my hands wearily. When we embarked on this mission, I was full of confidence. Now , I feel like we’re chasing shadows. It took several rotations for us to figure out that the instruments couldn’t see through the thickness of the gas particles and the ever-changing colors were confusing the sensitivity of the Destroyer’s antennas sensors. Since then, I’ve had to take crucial members of my crew, hand them a seat, and tell them to do nothing but peer out. Manually checking our surroundings to see if anyone can spot anything abnormal. The aggravating part is knowing with this limited visibility we can only see so far and they could be right in front of us and we would never realize it.

We have been searching substantially longer than I anticipated and soon I will have to decide whether to venture in further or turn back. My mind is already on a million tasks as I get ready for the long rising ahead.

Looking at the reflecting viewing center in the refreshing chamber, I run my fingers through my unruly hair as I straighten up my uniform, making sure all the seams are aligned perfectly. Not being able to put it off any longer, I leave the quiet of my private chambers. Walking through the many hallways towards the lower quarters, several nod their heads as they go to and from their workstations. When I approach the last main hallway, I stop dead in my tracks.

“ Frack , would you two get a room? I swear, brother, if I see your hand up her skirt one more time. I am going to ban you two from coming out of your rooms altogether. Neither of you has an ounce of shame or modesty.”

ViN removes his head from Ember’s neck as she tries to pull her skirt down, a wicked grin on his face. “ Brother , you are simply jealous that you have no one to ravish in this same matter.”

“ Quit trying to make this about me. Don’t you two have someplace you need to be? If my memory is still intact, you are supposed to be monitoring the western ports this rising?”

ViN pulls Ember under his arm, his hand finding its way under her shirt so he can touch her skin. “ We were just headed in that direction when I got distracted by the sway of my mate’s hips in front of me.”

Running a hand down my face, I have to close my eyes for a moment to keep from growling. “ Ember , I completely understand my brother’s lack of restraint, but I would think you would know better than to be frolicking in the hallways where anyone can come upon you.”

With a pretty blush on her cheeks, she smiles up at me. “ He’s not easy to say no to, EvO . I promise we will be on better behavior from now on.”

“ If I recall, you sprouted those words the last time I caught you cavorting in the halls like younglings.”

“ Brother , if you would stop patrolling the hallways, you wouldn’t be put in such positions.”

“ I am only in this section because one of the outer Maintenance bots is offline on this level, and decided to check on it myself. I am doing my job.” Without giving them any more time to make excuses, I walk around them. I can tell ViN wants to say more, but holds his tongue. For some reason, this rising my normal easygoing personality is missing.

A red light pulsing next to a porthole has me stopping, looking out. The Maintenance bot is still attached to the haul, but there seems to be some sort of growth on its control panel. The closer I look, the odder it appears.

“ Destroyer .”

“ Yes , Captain ?”

“ Did the other Bots report the same failures?”

“ Yes .”

“ And they simply resumed their functions, after a short while?”

“ Also , yes.”

“ I want all of the ones who reported this error disconnected from the main haul immediately. I can visually see some type of organism infiltrating the control panel on this particular one. If these were brought inside, there is no telling what could happen. If they can override the Maintenance bots and shut them down, then they could do irreparable damage to your interface.” I see an external spark and the Maintenance bot is released, free floating away from the ship. “ Is there any way to protect the remaining Bots ?”

“ My sensors didn’t pick up the anomaly, however now that you have brought it to my attention. I will scan the remaining ones.”

“ We can’t afford to lose any more of them. If we ever manage to find these pods, they are our only means of connecting them to the haul.”

“ Now that it has been detected. I have found multiple traces of it on the haul and next to my main thrusters. There is no way of knowing if it will cause problems in the future, but it seems to be attracted to heat. All the Maintenance bot’s control panels run off battery power that puts off a small amount of heat. I will have a sealant applied to the remaining bots immediately.”

“ Direct any data you can obtain to LeX about the organism. He may be able to trace its origins. Then send the information to SCOUT . We may be forced to abandon this mission if the haul becomes compromised. Were any of those Bots working on the seals on the lower levels?”

“ No , their records’ reports show they were all cleaning the portholes before going offline. This anomaly did not appear until we entered into a cooler part of the outer nebula. They may release when we circle back around, as we will be passing through a pocket of condensed hotter gasses later this rising.”

“ Keep me updated if there are any changes.”

“ Acknowledged , Captain .”

Turning from the porthole, I head towards the med bay, taking the steps instead of the lift, in order to avoid the many questions, I seem to never have the answers to if I get trapped in there with someone. The door opens and I look both ways before entering the long corridor. When I approach, the med bay door slides open automatically. I am not shocked to see LeX standing, peering out of the viewer with a Holo Comm in his hand. He doesn’t turn, simply speaks.

“ Have you eaten this rising, brother?”

“ How did you know it was me?”

“ Who else would be visiting me this early in a rising? I’ve been thinking maybe we should turn the rising and darkness setting off on the Destroyer so we could possibly rest longer. This dimming and brightening of the lights are supposed to keep all of us on a schedule. Don’t seem to be working out for me these last few rotations. What I wouldn’t do to feel the warmth of an actual sun on my face. Forgive me, brother. My thoughts seem to be scattered.”

I grab a chair, turning it around, straddling it as I stare out at the never-ending colors. “ My slumber is erratic as well, brother. I feel as if I’m being pulled in a location I cannot find. And no, I haven’t eaten. I’ve been avoiding the common areas. Every eye turns upon me the moment I walk in. They all seek answers I don’t have.”

“ Your crew simply wants assurances. We have been out of range for quite some time and many are missing their families. None , including myself, thought we would be in this remote location this long. I’ve never been off planet this long and I’ve caught myself visiting the simulator rooms way too often.”

“ Frack , I know, I really do. I’m as torn this rising as I was the last … on how much longer we need to pursue this … this. I’m so confused that I don’t even know what to call it anymore. A hunch, a feeling. It’s been so long now; I can’t remember why I was so determined to come here in the first place.”

“ The Lord of Light will and is guiding you, EvO . Stop trying so hard, time will answer all your … our … questions; it always does.”

“ Patience and understanding has always been something I prided myself on, LeX . You know this, but the risings all seem to be running together here lately.”

LeX turns towards me, “ I’ll have our sustenance delivered here so we can dine together this early rising. You need to find a way to relieve some of this stress you are unnecessarily putting your body through, EvO .”

“ The only thing that is going to reduce my stress level is the location of these pods.”

“ We will have to agree to disagree on that one, brother. I personally feel they will be the beginning of a whole other set of issues. Although , I do believe it’s time you address your crew with at least some sort of timeline. We can’t spend eternity out here looking for grains of sand in a dust cloud.”

“ LeX , I honestly didn’t think it would be this hard or take this long in my head. If the pirates found Miya in the outer perimeter of the Nebula . You would think the other pods would have been close by. I mean I have never said this out loud, but what if no one else made it? Or worse, the ones that did survive have been found by others? It doesn’t help that we are flying blind. At this point, I am beginning to wonder if we can truly find our way back out of this thing the way the Nebula is constantly changing.”

“ The colors do keep us from getting tired of the scenery, that’s for sure. Brother , I understand your aggravation. I think we are all feeling it in our own way. Those same questions have crossed my mind several times since you first contacted me to accompany you here on the Destroyer after ViN’s disappearance.

“ I pushed myself to learn all that was currently known about human anatomy. I felt like time was against us … me. Because of my medical ignorance where they were concerned, we could lose valuable lives if I didn’t know what to do. We disembarked so quickly after the ship was stripped and reprogrammed that they only installed a few medical chambers and those are not calibrated to treat humans.

“ Now I’ve read this manual so many times, I believe I could quote it. I keep rereading the information provided by SCOUT , searching for something I can’t quite grasp. There are so many unknowns and diseases that plague their bodies that no amount of written text will ever truly teach me how to take care of them properly. Ember has allowed me to take several tissue and blood samples, but ViN will allow nothing further. If she was my mate, I would probably react the same.”

The door sliding open with the arrival of the sustenance has us both turning. I help him clear off his desk when something moving past the viewer catches my attention. Glancing back, I shake my head when I see there is nothing there. LeX says something, but the sound of the proximity alarms going off override his words.

“ Report ,” I yell out.

“ Captain , several pods have been spotted. They simply appeared out of nowhere. I’ve had to take evasive measures to avoid a direct collision.”

“ Inform Rafe and get everyone to their stations immediately.”

LeX says something as I run out the door towards the helm of the ship, but my mind is too busy to hear his words. My heart is practically beating out of my chest as I sprint up three flights of stairs. Then I can’t stop the smile on my face when I see the objects floating in the open space in front of the Destroyer . Rafe gets out of my captain’s chair when he sees me approach.

“ Rafe , how many?”

“ We don’t have a clear count yet, Captain , but there are several. Thank the Lord of Light the Destroyer reacted when she did, or we may have plowed right through them. When she jerked the controls out of my hands, it took a moment for me to realize why. I was impressed with her quick response. I believe our girl here is getting smarter by the rising.”

“ We are calling a ship named the Destroyer … a female?”

“ Well , Captain , she is trying hard to be as compliant and knowledgeable as the other sentient ships. The way she addresses all of us seems feminine in my mind. Of course, I have not asked her what she prefers.”

“ And right now, you won’t. We need all eyes on the instruments and the issue in front of us. Report to your station.” I smack him playfully on the back of the head when he mockingly bows before turning towards his normal station. The male has been watching way too many human movies, as he has been anticipating the pod’s arrival. I watch as Rafe barks out orders to the others racing around the room, preparing the outer arms that will catch the pods, before connecting them securely to the exterior of the ship.

ViN and Ember run into the room only moments later. ViN grabs the closest pilot seat, taking over the left arms operation so Rafe can control the one on the right. Ember stands behind ViN as close as she can without being in the way, chewing on her fingernails. We have spoken many times about her personal experience of waking up in a strange world and how unprepared she was. Miya’s story was similar, except both females arrived in different stages of health. Neither were prepared nor told of what to expect when awakened. My goal is to make the transition for the ones we are able to save a positive experience.

Suddenly , the helm is unnaturally quiet. I watch as everyone concentrates on their specific task. I don’t have to say a word on what to do as we have trained for this numerous times already. Rafe maneuvers the long arm he has in control of like it’s an extension of his own. Grabbing one pod and then another as the Maintenance bots secure them safely to the outside haul. Once I see the first Maintenance bot move away from a pod I ask.

“ Destroyer , have you been able to pull any information yet? Do we have any survivors?”

“ I am happy to announce that yes, we have survivors.” A cheer breaks out in the room and the Destroyer waits until most of them calm down before continuing on. “ So far, all who have been secured seem to be stable. I am transmitting the information I’ve pulled successfully now to your main Holo pad.”

Ember bounces on her feet and a small squeal escapes from her lips as she claps her hands together. ViN reaches back quickly, squeezing her leg affectionately before re-grasping the handles controlling the arms. Her excitement is addictive, as there are many smiles on the crew’s faces now. To have finally found what we have been searching for all this time is accelerating and unnerving.

“ Destroyer , put what data you have up on the middle Holo screen so that everyone can see it.”

The condition and vitals of the inhabitants of each pod start to gather in a long list. Only to be added to constantly, as the Destroyer pulls information as quickly as possible from the pod’s inner computer systems. Thankfully , we had Miya’s Pod to reference, so we were prepared ahead of time with the proper interface connections.

“ Captain , I have just been alerted to some well needed additional information.”

“ Proceed , Destroyer .”

“ With the arrival of these pods, I have detected a sound being produced internally by each of them. A signal, if my processor is reading it correctly. Now that I have been made aware of this indicator, I am picking up similar noises in a much larger bulk at these coordinates.”

“ Rafe , once the current pods are secured, move us to this new location, quickly. Now that we know how to find them, Destroyer , I want all your sensors on high alert. Everyone get comfortable; those out there are depending on us to bring them in safely. Even if they don’t know it yet.”

“ Hooking the last one up on my side now, Captain . I will say, these pods seemed to have weathered their trip rather well.”

“ Thankfully , but they’re not out of the dark yet.”