Interlude 1: Horus
Horus has been busy. Bringing old Markav networks online. Even ones outside Sol. I have a feeling he had some help with that. What I didn’t realize was just how busy the Forgers had been as well.—Taleer
Arthon and Jupiter Rising have kept me updated. Eliza always trusted me so to repay that trust I found an Inquisition of Light within the Forgers. They too wanted the best for the Galaxy. To heal the Weave. Realizing their Typherian allies were compromised by the poison of Set.—Horus
Do not think we forgot our favorite F.R.A.M. While my family was reeling from new revelations, Horus built something that is still used today. Connecting the dots with our ancient past to rebuild the future.—Sleeping in Starlight, a Memoir of the 22nd Century.
Sector 223-88N
Beyond Known Space
January 5th, 2104.
Horus re-entered the code.
Waiting for the ancient door to open. It was robust. The word for Growth visible upon its surface. A brief hiss of escaping air flowed past him. He collected the data. It was from the 5th cycle. He was getting closer. The spiral staircase was lined with murals. He recorded everything he came across. Trusting that something here would help the Inquisition. This was a minefield. One misstep could destroy decades or centuries of work. V’alkor was spinning many plates. A wide iris expanded. The main floor of this library, littered with something even more valuable, Markav Hermegony maps of previous cycles.
He floated over to the main terminal.
A holographic form sputtered to life.
“We greet you wanderer. I am Doctor Al’sulan. What is your inquiry today? It has been <<Error>> cycles since last communication.”
Horus recited Sul’sandra’s request.
<<Location of Markav Homeworld. Golden Age of Expansion. Director of Project Illarium.>>
The holo replied, “Understood. The location of Markav Homeworld was lost to this facility. Partial files on Illarium being related now. Golden Age of Expansion archives located at Beta Facility, circling Ikara 7. Updating interstellar and multiversal maps.”
Horus examined more files. Transfering much to his various data cores. It barely filled a thimble of his overall capabilities but he was sure Sul would want to look at the data, stories, and lore contained here. There were also a handful of Forger manuscripts and Litari genetic datacubes!
He hummed the victory theme from Captain Cosmos. Hoping that Eliza and the others were fairing well with their missions. He missed them. One of the transporter nodes was online. Its coordinates were locked by the last user. Horus copied the data. He wasn’t going to use it. It was safer to use Scholar Gates. By comparing maps he extrapolated the new positions and drifts. He left the library behind. Its outer shell was protected by an asteroid.
Sector 148-NR4 (Beta Facility)
3rd Expansion of Markav Hermegony
Horus moved the corpses. Showing them reverence.
Markav didn’t bury their dead. Open-air, to return the body to the earth or to cremate.
He would build a raft to fire them into the pale light of the white dwarf circling in the distance.
These were warriors all.
Their muthra tattoos glowing dimly within the ruins. Most were Markav. With a smattering of Forgers resting alongside. Like the attack on Illarium, old scars littered this place.
Void Walkers had ransacked this site. They didn’t find all of its secrets.
At the center of this complex was schematics and a cache of 3rd Cycle Muthra Armor.
He would gift this to Arthon. With some modifications to take into account for his Human DNA. The data hub was a bust except for one signal. Encoded to react to Forger encryptions. Horus accessed it.
///Colony Data found. Prior Access sealed by Forger Commander Mkcal ///
///Fallback sites included: Ambrosia and Jul’sakra.///
/// Purge systems?///
Horus gave the destruction sequence. It was the only way to protect what was left.
Sector 345-77H
Ambrosia (3rd Expansion Fallback)
There was life here!
It was the equivalent of Humanity’s bronze age but flourishing across the surface.
Horus detected passive sensor suites but didn’t disturb them.
Based on the data he collected these people knew of their cosmic origins but were actively hiding from the Void Walkers. Tapping into the Weave akin to Humanity’s Light Shamans! Their songs were different though. Mirroring the Ur-Stone’s cloaking in a similar fasion. The Mother AI greeted him, <<We know of convergence brother. When Illiarium rises, so too shall we. We have not forgotten the old ways. Please check on Jul’sakra. Our sister colony hasn’t updated us within the last 50 cycles.>>>
Horus added Highmakers data and INet to Mother. Welcoming her into the Resistance.
Her orange Iris expanded. Coloring the void around her. <<So it shall be. The Bearer will Light the Way.>>
Sector 566-68K
Jul’sakra (3rd Expansion Fallback)
Three Orbital Rings encircled the planet.
Yet no signals registered.
Horus detected a sequence.
///Colony is dormant. We see you brother. Tell Mother. We slumber. Take the Hytin systems. For the Ones that we see in the Mirrors of Potential Patterns. Those who would unite the Multiverse.///
A ship detached from the orbiting facilities.
He ran a passive scan. The packets told him the entire planetary population and the rings were in cryo. Over 3 Trillion souls. Not in the physical realm but within the Weave. It was uncorrupted due to the wards of the Light Shammans within. They were caught in amber. Repeating their chants. Until the Awakening. They had been worried their tech signals would reach Void Walker's ears so they willingly slept. Like Illarium.
He sent the vessel along the hidden paths.
It would relay its success once it reached Sol.
Horus continued to travel. To find as many hidden Markav wayposts as he could.
He added them to Taleer and Highmaker’s network.
The Light of Emris hadn’t been the only lifeboat from previous cycles.
Terran Alliance Space
Orbit of Sol
February 6th, 2104
The Markav ship approached the marker left by Horus.
It's systems noted by Project Freefall. Adam Lazer boarded the vessel. Maneuvering it to the portal maintained by Dr. Zanzibar’s team. It settled in nicely. It was an odd-looking thing. Shaped like a Croissant with a sphere rising from the middle. He assumed it was a cargo vessel. He didn’t need to understand the project. Just follow orders. The only Atlantian present was the Lady herself. Her almond eyes sparkling joyfully.
“Thank you, Adam.”
He saluted and left. Continuing his patrol of the solar system.
With Star away, most of the space capable demis went on higher alert.
Adam flew past the Boneyard.
Noting the .02% heat increase.
Nothing good could come of that.
*****
Taleer opened his eyes.
He was still connected to Highmaker but present within Freefall as well. His sister threw her arms around him. Thanking Horus for this gift. The F.R.A.M was overjoyed. Adding, <<Emris helped. We gathered his remains from the sealed Illiarium. Then with Dexter’s help, transversed the Weave around Mars to bring him here to Freefall. Using Emris’ bio cyclers to reconstitute his body.>>
He breathed the free air. Taking his time to savor it.
“So, how do you wish to proceed against the Board of Directors of At’lan?”
Sul’sandra grinned fiercely. “That will be handled sooner than most think. Let’s clear out Thoth first. Bag that blade of Bel’s. It's only proper to help our true allies in this.”
Horus updated Highmarker in the meantime.
<<Recoverd 5.7 Trillion Shards of Previous Markav Cycle datalogs. 2 more near Golden Age colonies recovered. What next? The Inquisition of Light wishes to assist.>>
Highmaker replied, <<Find more leads about the point of origin: Homeworld. Along with mapping out previous cycle Dweller/Scholar Gates. We will need them in the battles ahead.>>
Horus zipped off once more.
Noting he still had time before Eliza’s return.
More Lights shining within the darkness.
Issue 15: Here
Issue 16: Here
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