Valkyrie Class General Station

FangTheCat

"The Veil are connected to the Weave, but it itself was not created by them.. We think it was created by us, long before our current history is recorded.... They Do have the ability to share information between eachother.. and as for corpses..."

The Cattus Sicut would look away as Swifttail projects a video in front of them..

"They Can Indeed.."

In the projected video, likely taken from a security camera, a deceased Cattus Sicut, impaled by a Veil mass, slowly being torn apart as the mass spreads throughout its writhing body..

"Not going to get into details.. We can't tell what they Were at one time simply because of how quickly the Veil rearrange and destroy DNA... Usually armor is either kept, left behind, or broken down and reused.."

"We could perhaps get you Veil mass, Weakened by cold.."

"Some... Some Remna die slower.. Much slower.. One took three weeks before it turned to mush... And it was common for those with Tendrils to last multiple weeks, even months after becoming technically 'dead.' And without its immune system working, the disease would spread throughout.. much like the Veil.."

The Remna shakes its head..
"Needs no Host.."

"... The Veil, once fully developed using a host, duplicate, much like a Remna... This duplication only needs nutrients, supplied by Breeders, not a host to stay within.."

"In Short.. If one Exists.. It can be mere months before Millions do."

Sombreroman

FangTheCat

Doctor Roger would continue trying to find a solution on the Veil's origins, while the Reptilian would seldom watch the creatures ahead of them working and resting...

Doctor Roger: "Well then... That definitely would not work as a Resurrection tool, to say the least... I'm sure there must be answers though. If the Weave existed before the Veil, that must mean they gained some method of connecting to it... Can the Remna connect to the Weave, perhaps?"

Zaran would sigh, thinking about something after the Veil mass was mentioned... As this went on, the Reptilian would suddenly be found... Sparring with one of the creatures; presumably a younger version of the same kind of creature Zaran was reborn as. It's clear the spar is friendly , although even the context of it is ridiculous, as the Creature the Reptilian is sparring against happens to be at least ten times as tall as he is...

FangTheCat

Sombreroman

"Remna cannot connect, as they are purely organic.. The Veil only have the capabilities to connect as they stole and replicated machines Capable of connecting.. and Merged with them.. Not all Veil can connect, but the large majority have."

Sombreroman

FangTheCat

Doctor Roger would continue trying to piece together the origins of the Veil, before making a realization...

Doctor Roger: "...Do the Remna have records of technology going missing before the Veil appeared, perhaps? The kind that can connect to the Veil, such as a Model 1 or something suddenly making a disappearance...?"

Meanwhile, the Spar in the background would continue, each combatant displaying impressive feats of acrobatics. Zaran would decide to stay silent throughout these events...

FangTheCat

Sombreroman
The Cattus Sicut watches intently..

"A Pirate attack near our territory took an entire shipment of machines, supplies, and several Remna, which likely became slaves, with it.. We now keep at least one police or military ship with large civilian freighters."

"A Science ship disappeared too around that time, Was one of the few experimenting with disease, But it shouldn't have been experimenting on the now-presumed extinct virus.."

Sombreroman

FangTheCat

Roger would suddenly go pale upon hearing this...

Doctor Roger: "D-Did you say a Science Vessel potentially with a Veil sample disappeared around the same time as a shipment?! That can't be a coincidence!... If they unfroze it, and any infectible matter touched it... A couple off cells or spores could've been enough to restart the Veil specimen's metabolism, or at least give it enough biomass to operate... Efficiently..."

Zaran would finally break his silence...

Zaran: "Perhaps so... I've learned your people kept two specimens of Smallpox alive on your home planet. It's interesting now how it has become as laughable as the Common Cold for you, considering how dangerous and aggressive the Virus is compared to it. However, the thing to note in this case is the fact that it wasn't completely extinct. Sure, even back then you knew there was a simple cure, but what happens if an infection suddenly happens? Nobody in the Vicinity would have immune resistance, or any accessible Vaccines to avoid infection. In this regard, the Veil and Corruption are even worse, however..."

The Reptilian would shout about the conversation at a distance, trying to catch on while he spars...

???: "Since we're thinking out loud here, what would happen if the Corruption met the Veil?"

Doctor Roger: "That'd be stupid! How'd that happen-"

Doctor Roger would go twice as pale as he did earlier, looking ready to faint...

Doctor Roger: "T-The Corruption have attacked Spectra territory before... If the Veil followed us here, that means that they would be in an area that could intersect with the Corruption... Also, the Corruption is Airborne; if the Veil gain traits from their hosts, then the hybrid specimen would be airborne!-"

Doctor Roger would actually faint after saying this; the unusually soft ground makes sure Roger isn't harmed when he falls over on the spot... Zaran would look concerned about the sudden fainting...

Zaran: "Uh... Well, the ground is soft, at least. He should be fine... However, this proposition doesn't even need the Corruption; your enemy could become your worst nightmare even if they found any potent airborne disease... Frankly, I have enough Nightmares about the Corruption; we don't need something even more dangerous spreading at the same speed... I can now see why the Veil is such a threat to all of our survival. Although I was already planning on helping you no matter the case, it seems obvious now that we must act, before these foul beings have the opportunity to become even more dangerous..."

FangTheCat

Sombreroman
"Veil mass, if to be matched with Corruption, Although airborne, would be too heavy, and would hover within at most two feet in the air.. Do to the Veil's limitations, they likely wouldn't gather the trait of being airborne, as most Veil organisms have evolved from a virus to actual sentient beings over time.."

"And Remna have become immune to all of Old Earth's Diseases and sickness.. Plagues, at most cause the Remna to slow and have lesser cognitive abilities.."

"Cattus-Sicuts, on the other hand.."

"98% of Disease-Related Deaths recorded in my era have been Cattus-Sicut, Human, or Lupus-Sicut. The Two percent is likely from an outbreak of a modified Lux Prototype that escaped, Injuring several million, but only killing roughly three thousand.. The Lux Bio-Weapon Experiments have ended as far as records go. This Prototype was not related to the Veil. It was designed to kill cells, not to consume them."

Swifttail Looks up..
"Anyone remember the frames? Specifically the 'Goliath' that was corrupted.. The Lux Recently released, although reluctantly, facing potential extermination, Files that show that that very machine was found incinerating a small Veil ship.. The Hybrid may already exist."

"Wait.. The Lux are our sort of Elite force, carried over from the Darkest Shadow, but have been getting into more and more trouble lately... Unsurprising considering they lack any Remna within themselves.. They act as if they are the only thing keeping this Civilization going.."

"Yet One Wrong Move can lead to termination and incineration via Relay."

Sombreroman

FangTheCat

(Fun Fact: I was originally going to make an annihilated Goliath bounce into the ship earlier as a plot point!)

Doctor Roger would suddenly wake up on the ground, asking what's going on, and then collapse again after hearing the Veil encountered Goliath... Zaran would notice and raise a finger, before lowering it and staying silent, clearly concerned... He would then turn back to the conversation.

Zaran: "Uh... Well then... If the Veil are sentient, then maybe they could begin... Augmenting themselves, per se... If they have a permanent location of operations, the Veil could be intelligent enough to begin working on their Genetics. They could be making airborne variants as we speak, assuming the Ship that encountered Goliath had enough time to study the mass within it and transmit the information through the Veil... Considering your strange friend who's currently sparring with a Young Templar, I wouldn't be surprised to see humanity doing it as well, assuming we cannot prevent the future he used to inhabit..."

"... The only question is though, is if they can actually do it well enough to yield preferable results."

FangTheCat

Sombreroman
(You still can, as the encounter was a long-ish time ago.)

"The Veil are, and have been augmenting themselves, mostly with artificial material.. technology.. they are smart.. but they have too much pride to stoop to killing us with an airborne contagion.."

The Remna takes out an older photo, its edges torn, but placed in a thin cover to protect it..
"Ekeri.."
It pushes forward the photo, which has a being that Looks similar to a Remna, but its gelatinous flesh more opaque, it is adorned with bright white plating and golden accents, at first glance, the plating looks artificial, but the photo is clear enough to tell that the plating is actually a part of the being..

"The Ekeri.. Tower Kozilek.. The Ekeri were the Remna's ancestors, and believe it or not.. Tower Kozilek is.. alive."

"The Civilians don't know, and that is for the better. It was a mix of biological and artificial materials, Capable of healing, like a creature, but yet it acts like a machine.. The Tower is not sentient, it feels no pain, It has no heart or brain, as it stays alive like a Remna or Ekeri did.."

"Both we and the Veil have attempted to resurrect an Ekeri, as the few that were found seem to be in a form of hibernation.. The Ekeri had machines, we call them Sentia.. machines that make me look like old scrap metal..."

"The Veil almost got a hold of the only known Sentia.. Before it destroyed itself, taking the entire battle with it. We call that the Voa, or Void if you wish, It spreads across a large area, and spreads several meters every O.E. Year."

"Back to the actual problem here.. the Veil.."

The Remna looks slightly unhappy..

Sombreroman

FangTheCat

Zaran would look surprised, following a sudden realization...

Zaran: "... The Veil implement technology into themselves and are completely dark and opaque, while the Remna are free of any Biological constraints, with their forms instead colourful and only slightly translucent... I presume you have heard this many times before, but perhaps they are two different methods of attempting to gain some form of true perfection..."

"Yet, perhaps this initial analysis hides a darker truth... It could be possible that the fact the Ekeri look like a combination of them isn't a coincidence; Perhaps they are fated to become one and create a newer, better form of Ekeri. Considering the information we have, there's no way to be sure of their true ambitions, assuming this split was even intentional..."

"Although then again, the nature of Reman and Veil are hard to explain, at least to my knowledge. They currently act as opposites, endlessly balancing each other out. If one begins winning, the other recovers, only to tip the balance again... The Humans represented this through two symbols combined with one another: Yin and Yang. I'm familiar with the shape, mostly because the Zenioth coincidentally created a Symbol that's almost the exact same, although it has a much less elegant meaning... For Clarification, our variant of the Yin-Yang means... Energy."

Zaran would take a breath, still concerned about Roger's semi-constant fainting, as well as the situation at hand...

FangTheCat

Sombreroman

The Remna starts looking around quickly..

"If the Veil became the New Ekeri.. That.. Mayb-"

"Our legends tell that the Ekeri banished an evil, not the Veil, of course, but a Biological Counter to them.. Letting safety remain for the Remna after them.."

"Yet we also know that some.. older.. legends, almost entirely forgotten.. Tells that an evil destroyed the Ekeri's ancestors.. unnamed.."

".. If the Cycle continues.. then We're next on the chopping block.."
"Nonsense.. I hope."

A relatively Small Object enters the atmosphere, it doesn't burn up, but descends at a surprisingly slow pace towards the ground far away..

"Meteor?"

"The Ekeri should be extinct.. But we still find one in Twelve billion Remna start to develop solid white plates, Like their ancestors.. But they also tend to be violent towards danger.. while most Remna would run or freeze, they seem to become aggressive.. "

"One killed three Lux Soldiers, because they were pointing their weapons at it.. And the third used a bayonet to scratch the Remna's solid plating.. It wasn't pretty.. it didn't consume them to kill them."
"I-it ripped one of their spines from the victim's body.. The second had its jaw and ribs removed and looked to be a quick death, the third.."

"The Third was missing an arm, Part of his leg, had his intestines removed, his skull was shattered, and the bone of his missing arm impaled him through the chest, breaking ribs, then into the floor."

"He was somehow still alive.."
"For 30 seconds after the incident."

Ceres tilts his head.
"Too graphic?"

Sombreroman

FangTheCat

Zaran would practically look frozen for a couple of seconds before regaining his composure...

Zaran: "Well, in this case then, perhaps the theory could be correct... The Veil could finally win, but not before the Remna leave behind their descendants and take the Veil with them... As for these... Per Se, Half-Ekeri, they are a very interesting case. I wonder... Could it be an evolution of sorts? I'm well aware the long-lasting theory says Evolution is random and frank, yet perhaps these "Half-Ekeri" could have the potential to become a stronger form of Remna. The Aggression may give them the ability to fight off Veil infection more effectively, while their Plates could help them stave off attacks from the Veil's crude weaponry..."

"If they are indeed so effective that they can defeat a small squad unarmed, then perhaps they could possibly fit this case... The problem is not just the process of refining them, but also the ethics behind it... My guess is as good as yours when it comes to what we should do about it."

Doctor Roger would wake up again after a longer rest, and notice the meteor...

Doctor Roger: "Urrgh… Wait... What the...?"

Just as he comments, the Reptilian would finish the spar with the Young Templar, taking a respectful bow to their prowess at their age. Although inaudible, the Reptilian is likely talking to them after the battle...

FangTheCat

Sombreroman

"The Remna can split easily, so cloning wouldn't be an issue, when they split, the copy gets only slight differences in genetics, and a completely new personality."

"The Remna who murdered the three was actually really kind and cooperative.. and Still is."

"If anything, it may be backwards-evolution.. The Ekeri had traits that were necessary, until it was safe.. if he were to split enough times, eventually we would have an army, but we cannot force the Remna to split... Its against their Code of free will.."

Swifttail stares at the ground.
"I feel like the Lux have more to do with this.. Near the end of Darkest Shadow, they took nearly complete military control.. they attempted to overthrow the government and replace it with a Totalitarian government."

"The Lux have experimented with multiple Bio weapons, despite it becoming illegal.. We couldn't disband the Lux, because it would weaken our military substantially.. now, on the other hand.. we could if necessary."

The Remna projects a hologram.. a video of the Three soldiers, and even the meeting before it, where the plated Remna was answering questions.. A Visual of the gruesome deaths of the Three Lux Soldiers.

"We later found that they were rogues, planning to escape and fight for pirates.."

"Plated Remna seem to have a connection to Ekeri technology, able to operate it without much previous knowledge of it.. But that is what confuses me.. Unless Remna pass knowledge as well as genetics on, then it should be impossible for them to Access Ekeri Control Panels.."

Sombreroman

FangTheCat (Sorry for taking so darn long, was just quite busy...)

Zaran's interest would quickly reach a new peak upon hearing about this theory, as well as the "Half-Ekeri's" behaviour... It was clear he was also taking note of the Lux problem, but something so public and meager to him could wait.

Zaran: "Perhaps these "Half-Ekeri" have... Genetic Memory? … I've never personally believed in the behaviour, although my best guess is their DNA contains code that could... Perhaps be decrypted into information? This territory of study is rather new to me, to be honest..."

"However, your comment about the Half-Ekeri's behaviour interests me... In truth, it could be that they might have a different Mental Profile. They could actually be quite calculated, although I have no way to be certain; my ability to contact biological beings is limited by location. Put simply, every mind I can contact is like a star in the Galaxy; each of them are barely distinguishable when far enough away... I would require an exact location to get a profiling on this being. Once they're located, I can do the rest..."

"... However, to put my theory simply, Ekeri technology may require a sort of lateral thinking to understand only the Half-Ekeri possess... The Ekeri themselves seemed to be mechanical to a degree, right...?"

Zaran would sigh while continuing his attempt to figure out the meaning of these events... As this would happen, Doctor Roger would dust his lab coat off, unsure if the ground would have any dust, while the Reptilian would begin walking back to the group, waving goodbye to the Young Templar as he moved...

ThatBritishDude

Sombreroman Transmission over to the station
Captain Kalinkov of the HMS Columbus: "Hello, Sir. We are not here for repairs, however, we have noticed a large energy signature that usually radiates from a certain type of element that is, as you may know, illegal in our territory, just on the edge of the Reankov radiation rings.
And we would like to ask for your permission to check the surrounding area and protect the station from possible attack, as this element is used only in very powerful plasma weaponry."

Sombreroman

ThatBritishDude

The Young man would suddenly go quiet for a couple of seconds, before asking further...

"Oh... Uh, what Element is it, exactly...?"

While he spoke, he would type a message to the Valkyrie Class' protection fleet, causing several Science ships, accompanied with fighters, to heat their Engines and prepare for a System-Wide search...

RedAndCosmoteer

Sombreroman (Sorry for taking so darn long, was just quite busy...)

well you better have a pretty good excuse for this one, Sombreroman.

FangTheCat

Sombreroman
(its alright)
The Remna moves forward slowly..
"Ekeri in Weave, Anurra"

The machine nods..

"There is a Single known half-Ekeri that was connected to the weave. I can load the data, but that may take a while, due to the Half's mind requiring roughly 36 times that of Swifttail's.."

"We wouldn't be surprised if Ekeri technology started appearing throughout the galaxy, since things have had a very long time to drift.. We even found a planet had formed around an Ekeri Starship Core.."

"Starship being used in the sense as a ship comparable to a star, only three of the ships ever existed, and we think they played a part in the Ekeri's extinction.."

"We've since taken control of the planet, which is habitable, despite the anomalies that appear throughout it's system.. and although it is relatively small in size, the planet seems to have a similar gravitational pull to that of the system's primary star. This planet has no moons, but rather rings, much like the Old-Earth Origin system's Saturn."

"I found it odd when the file reported that the gravity on the planet is similar to that of an Old-Earth Moon in most places, but able to reach three times that of Old Earth's pull in others. It retains a stable atmosphere."

"It even appeared to have harbored intelligent life.. which seems to date back just after the Ekeri's extinction, Answers may wait there, but it will be a long travel, and time is something which may be limited."

Sombreroman

FangTheCat

Doctor Roger would stay still upon Saturn being mentioned... On the other hand, Zaran would look interested in the proposition of studying the planet...

Zaran: "The Properties of this Planet must be very intriguing... Perhaps it would be a worthwhile endeavour to study it further. As for the Ekeri's technology... I cannot lie about it; I am greatly impressed by their inventions. However, I am content with waiting to meet a Half-Ekeri; if they occupy so much space within the weave, they must know something important... Though then again, it's better to be safe than sorry, considering the stature of my Physical form..."

While Zaran spoke, the Reptilian would board the Scout again; after a couple seconds, he would come back out with one of the travel brochures the Crew bought earlier on the Valkyrie. He'd give off a slight grin when looking at the Giant Moth on the front page, perhaps reminiscing while doing so...

FangTheCat

Sombreroman

"As you wish.. Which of us is it? me or Swifttail?"

Swifttail rolls her head..
"I'll Do it.."
The machine freezes up, the liquid metal becoming harder than diamond.. a low humming noise can be heard..

"Now we have to wait.."
"So whats going to happen with the station, and you? Aren't they like hunting you now or something?"
The Cattus-Sicut looks at the doctor, the machine's humming becoming louder.

"And when the Transference is complete, we have to be calm and.. not scary... because the Remna will not be used to its body or any of us.."

Sombreroman

FangTheCat

Zaran would close his eyes with a nod, and begin to hide his Physical form, as well as the surrounding area for any of his kin. This process would take his time, preventing him from speaking... In response to the Cattus-Sicut, however, Doctor Roger would quickly shift his focus and sigh in regret...

Doctor Roger: "The Station will probably be fine... Except for Captain Malcom and whoever else helped me the heck out of there. As for the rest of us, I'm pretty sure a Hagrouphous Maga Worm would be less hostile than B.L.A.D.E. towards us..."

"Uh, If you're curious as to what that creature is, it was one of the first Extrasolar Life-Forms we discovered... They also happen to claim the most lives per year in B.L.A.D.E. territory, even more than freak accidents, the Corruption, or even combat. Thank god nobody's even thought of using them as Biological Weapons... However, enough of obscure nightmarish beasts, my point is any average B.L.A.D.E. member will probably kill us on sight, lest they act against their orders and risk dying themselves..."

Roger would then fall silent for a couple of seconds before talking to himself quietly...

Doctor Roger: "Saturn... What else have we lost just because of whatever the hell happened in Sol?"

ThatBritishDude

About 3000000 ships of one squadron charger their EMD drives, ready FOR hyper FTL travel, suddenly, they're gone, a red trail in their place. Captain Kalinkov: "We are now acting against this matter, and we are now in full defence and search mode, we will be able to fully defend the station once the 100 squadrons of 100,000,000,000,000 ships get here."
At that point, a smaller ship was fired at the station to dock with it, carrying Commander Edward Vinchalovon.

ThatBritishDude

ThatBritishDude (100 Trillion ships, very nice.)

Sombreroman

ThatBritishDude

The Station's Gates open, letting the craft dock with the Valkyrie Class. An older, albeit still effective, extending dock would connect with the ship, pressurizing the atmosphere and thus allowing Edward Vinchalovon onboard... Ahead there is a slightly damaged station waiting, with bullet holes, acid burns, and burn markings adorning it. However, there is no blood or corpses to be seen; in fact, the Station's crew has already resumed its regular schedule, with crew talking to one another and parts being prepared in the distance. It's a hopeful, yet slightly disturbing, sight.

Ahead, a small welcoming party has assembled as per Valkyrie Standard, waiting to greet the Commander... Although it's still questionable as to why exactly there is so much interior damage in the Station, and why the crew aren't even concerned about it...