Howler

It’s been 72 clicks and still no joy. After cycling again the transponder was still coming with nil response. Sci-comms pros were fighting against the complexity of subzero comms, but they had managed to establish a cross-wormhole link to ensure subspace messaging was up and running even after the Swarm Interference wiped out all but a few of the comms hubs in Sector 12.

The uplink was functioning, as the screen was flickering with news from all over the Sector. When did so much news become so important, is still a matter of opinion among the cyber literatti. Filtering the gossip from the speculation from the real facts was always the embedded AI’s responsibility. They were properly trained and fitted for learning people’s unique preferences, and, as we all know, information was important for business. By the way, as no information was currently pointing at a comms link deficiency, that only meant that they were being simply ignored.

The AI was doing its best to keep up with the incoming data, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to make sense of it all. It felt like the universe out there had decided to go on a rampage and forget about everything that mattered. Suddenly, there was a break in the comms link and everyone held their breath as they heard an unfamiliar voice coming through: “This is Alpha-12 requesting assistance.” Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise – this transmission wasn’t from any known source, yet here it was! They quickly scrambled to respond, sending back coordinates for rendezvous. This could be something big…

The team was soon aboard Alpha-12, a long forgotten research vessel that had been lost in the depths of space. It was clear they were not the only ones looking for it though – there were signs of battle damage and evidence of scavengers having been here before them. The crew quickly set to work repairing the ship’s systems and discovering what secrets it held.

As they explored, they found something incredible – a powerful AI that had been dormant for centuries. It was clear the AI had been designed to analyze and understand vast amounts of data, far beyond what any human could comprehend. After some repairs were made, the AI came back online and immediately began crunching numbers and analyzing patterns in the data it received. The team soon realized that this ancient AI was giving them insight into events happening across galaxies that no one had ever seen before.

One particular recurring pattern were the co-ordinates of a specific planet, outside the known sectors. The planet name was identified as H0WL3R – nicknamed Howler by the pun-prone scientists – not a lot of extra data, apparently life conditions were perfect, oxygen, water, land mass, mining prospects were excellent. No sign of Swarm Interference either.

After much deliberation a crew of scientists was put hastily together and once on-board the aptly named Pioneer-11 vessel they set out to meet the mysterious Howler. A few days of hyperspace travel, through the depths of the Xardious galaxy, much further than the “known” sectors of the universe mapped by the Coalition.

Howler was an impressive sight. Blue and green patterns visible from the atmosphere, 3 moons, ideal location for prosperous mining as the sensors started to pick up loads of prospective sites for ore extraction. Plenty signs of life, but no civilization was found. Animal life, vegetation, vast oceans, deserts, it had everything for anyone. Why was this planet so important?

A couple of days passed by, probes were launched to inspect Howler more carefully. The scientist crew were in full reconnaissance mode, planning an impending descent to Howler. Suddenly the screens lit up simultaneously. The probes had picked up something near one of the mountain ranges, something that appeared to be an underground metal structure of sorts. That was not natural, it was built, it was constructed. Faint remnants of radiation inside were picked up by the probes. So, there is a civilization, or there used to be one.

Captain Horton, looked at Chief Scientist Fark – “is this what I think it is?”

“Yes, Captain” – Fark replied – “It’s a structure that goes deep into the mountain range, the probes identified a potential entry point as well”.

“Presumably you’ve already hailed the structure on all frequencies” – Horton knew the answer already.

“Yes, Captain, no contact, no transponders, no signals coming in or out, but the probes picked up a low hum” – Fark signalled at the holo report.

Horton sighed, he was curious. “Ok, we can start civilization contact protocols whilst we are on-site”.

Captain Horton looked at the data on the screens in front of him, his mind racing with possibilities. He quickly called a meeting of the crew to discuss their next steps. They knew they had to investigate this structure, but they also knew they had to tread carefully. It was clear that whoever had built this structure was long gone, but they still had to be prepared for any potential dangers.

The team decided to send a small team of scientists down to the surface to investigate the structure. They would be equipped with all the necessary gear and weapons, just in case. The rest of the crew would stay on the Pioneer-11 and monitor the situation from orbit.

As the team descended to the planet’s surface, they were amazed by the beauty of Howler. The blue and green patterns were even more vibrant up close, and the animal life was like nothing they had ever seen before. But their focus was on the structure.

As they approached the structure, they could see that it was definitely man-made. The metal walls were smooth and polished, and there were signs of advanced technology. They quickly set up their equipment and began their investigation.

As they entered the structure, they found that it was a massive underground facility. There were rooms and corridors, all filled with advanced technology. It was clear that whoever had built this place had been incredibly advanced. The team quickly began to gather data and samples, trying to piece together the story of this mysterious civilization.

As they delved deeper into the facility, they found something truly shocking. In one of the rooms, they found a large chamber that seemed to be some sort of control room. In the center of the room, there was a massive console with a glowing orb. As they approached the orb, they could feel a strange energy emanating from it. Suddenly, the orb began to glow brighter and brighter, and the team was enveloped in a blinding light.

When they woke up, they were back on board the Pioneer-11, and the structure was gone. They had no idea what had just happened, but they knew that they had discovered something truly amazing. They quickly set course for home, eager to share their findings with the rest of the world.

As they arrived back at the Coalition’s base, the team was met with a hero’s welcome. They were hailed as the discoverers of a lost civilization, and their findings were quickly shared with the rest of the galaxy. The legacy of Howler, was a mystery yet to be solved, but the team knew that they would be back to uncover the secrets of this mysterious planet.

On another remote part of the universe altogether, the cogs of the Xand’Ui machinery stirred into motion once again, the last inoculation device had returned the signal. The previous infection took place a few eons before, and the target civilization got appropriately assimilated. The latest infection just started on the unsuspecting explorers on Howler and it was being carried to their next destination, where the infection will propagate. Little did they know how they were going to evolve and how easy it will be to assimilate them. The Xand’Ui just had to wait. As they always did.